Japan’s Toei Animation Impresses at Annecy With ‘Monkey Quest,’ a Japan-U.S. Animation Blender

Sneak peaked at Annecy in its prestigious Work in Progress strand, ‘Monkey Quest’ loosely adapts 'Journey to the West’

By Kambole Campbell

Kambole Campbell

Latest

• ‘On-Gaku: Our Sound’ Director Kenji Iwaisawa Returns to Annecy With Rotoscoped Sprint Drama ‘100 Meters’ 1 year ago
• Adult Swim’s ‘Women Wearing Shoulder Pads’ Gives Almodóvar-Style Melodrama a Stop-Motion Twist 1 year ago
• Golden Globe Nominated ‘Inu-Oh’ Director Masaaki Yuasa Explores the 4th Dimension, Friendship and the Texture of Noodles in New Film ‘Daisy’s Life’ 1 year ago

“Monkey Quest,” Toei Animation’s ambitious new production sneak peeked Monday at Annecy, was born from a simple question, says producer Yoshi Ikezawa. 

”[Producer] Joseph Chou and I asked: How can Japanese anime reach the same level of mainstream awareness and emotional connection that major U.S. animated films have achieved with global audiences?” 

For Ikezawa and Chou, the true strength of anime lies in its distinctive characters. “Anime has an incredible ability to create characters that audiences carry with them for many years,” Ikezawa told Variety before the Work-in-Progress unveil of “Monkey Quest” at Annecy.  

Related Stories

Jonny Greenwood on Why His New Album With Shye Ben Tzur and the Rajasthan Express Took a Decade to Make and 'Hoping to Do Another' Radiohead Tour