Yona Yona Penguin


Yona Yona Penguin is a 2009 Japanese-French 3D computer animated fantasy comedy adventure family film by the Japanese anime studio Madhouse and sister company Dynamo Pictures. It was Madhouse's first fully 3D CGI film. Famed Madhouse staff director Rintaro, known for Galaxy Express 999 and Metropolis, helmed the project, while French production company Denis Friedman Productions collaborated and helped fund the film. An animated adventure about three children who travel to a fantasy land.

Plot

An animated adventure about three children who travel to a fantasy land.

Cast

Madhouse has announced this film as being a "3D anime", or a film which brings an anime sensibility and design structure into the 3D CGI world. Unlike in other Japanese CG productions, such as Final Fantasy VII Advent Children, photo-realism is not emphasised. Rather, attention has been focused on giving the feel of a traditionally-made anime to a completely computerized production. As Madhouse's expertise has long been in the creation of traditional 2D animation, much of the actual 3D animation was done by the French animation studio Def2shoot, the Thai studio Imagimax, and the Japanese studio Dynamo Pictures, with Madhouse providing direction and storyboards.

Release

In a move away from the typical anime release schedule, distribution deals for showing the film outside Japan have been signed with the Hong Kong based Golden Network and the French based management company Wild Bunch. Rights to release the film in the United States are currently set to be given by Japanese studio Shochiku and Madhouse's U.S. division. Three versions of the film are to be produced: one for the Japanese market, one for the French market, and one for the English language market. The Japanese version of the film, which will use the original script was originally scheduled for a December, 2008 release, but was pushed back to 2009. The other versions remain tentatively set for release in 2009. At the 2008 European Film Market, the film was licensed by Wild Bunch for 11 European markets. The film was distributed in the United Kingdom by Metropolitan, in France by JBK, in Russia and other former Soviet countries by Central Partnership and in South Korea by Next Entertainment World. Maiden Japan will release the film on Blu-Ray in the U.S. with both English and Japanese tracks.