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Ukiyo-e prints themed after Ghost in the Shell are set to be produced and sold. “Ghost in the Shell Ukiyo-e” art prints created using the traditional art style of Japan will be sold as a series. Part 1 of the series will be themed after Hiroyuki Okiura’s movie Ghost in the Shell, on which he was character designer, animation director, key frame artist, and more. Okiura also created the artwork for this ukiyo-e illustration.
The prints in the “Ghost in the Shell Ukiyo-e” series are crafted using the traditional “wood-carving” technique that defines ukiyo-e and are completely handmade. They are printed on “high-quality handmade Japanese paper” and are limited to 300 prints each, making them quite the valuable collector’s items. The artist’s signature was written specially with a brush and is reproduced on the artwork using a woodcut as well.
The movie Ghost in the Shell was released in 1995 and is still highly popular even today. It’s even highly praised overseas and marks the beginning of the worldwide popularity of the Ghost in the Shell series. Okiura, who created the key frames for the movie, is known for directing Jin-Roh: The Wolf Brigade and A Letter to Momo. He has had a commanding influence on the world of Japanese anime.
Pre-orders for this ukiyo-e print, which costs 43,200 yen (tax included), began on Sept. 2. It is available through the online shop OtakuWorks Shop. Also, the next print in the series has already been confirmed; it will be created by Kazuchika Kise, who directed the June 2015 film Ghost in the Shell: The New Movie. He will create a fresh design for the print. Look for the design to be posted in the coming days.
Pairing anime with ukiyo-e is an interesting collaboration, and there are surely many fans curious to find out how the world of Ghost in the Shell will be expressed through ukiyo-e. What will the second print in this series created by master artisans look like? Keep it here for more to come.
“Ghost in the Shell Ukiyo-e”
Pre-Order Start Date: Sept. 2, 2015
© Masamune Shirow / Kodansha Ltd., Bandai Channel, Manga Entertainment
Source: animenime
