Spoilers Batman Ninja

[The Nth Doctor]

I didn't see a thread on this film, but this morning the trailers (the below video has a teaser and two short trailers) for next year's direct-to-video anime. News of this film came out some time this summer but this is the first time I've heard about it.

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It's so ridiculous that it might actually work. It's so out there that I don't have to worry about any sense of realism or continuity. It's just plain bonkers. Should be fun.

I spotted at least the Joker, Alfred, Harley, Robin, and Catwoman. I don't know who the gorilla is suppose to be.

 

[Hound of UIster]

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Looks like it's Batman time travelling to the Japanese Warring States Era.

 

[Kor]

The artwork is cool, but I don't like how "jittery" much of Japanese animation appears due to things being animated at a lower frame rate. Gotham Knight was like that too.

Kor

 

[CorporalCaptain]

This is visually interesting, but that's the extent of my reaction at the moment.

 

[kirk55555]

That was really cool. It sucks that Batman is basically the only character they'll make animated movies of (Hasn't Wonder Woman proven her popularity yet, at least?) but its something besides the mediocre "New 52" style connected animated movies, and it looks cool so I'm excited. I hated gotham Knight, but this looks like it is going to be action packed and a fun ride if nothing else.

 

[JD]

That looks like it could be kinda fun. I'm a little confused on who's from modern day and who's from the past. It looks like Batman, Alfred, and the villains are from the modern day, but I'm wondering about the other heroes.

I don't know who the gorilla is suppose to be.

Grodd?

 

[Xerxes82]

I spotted at least the Joker, Alfred, Harley, Robin, and Catwoman. I don't know who the gorilla is suppose to be.

Grodd?

Looks like Grodd to me too. Also thought I saw Deathstroke as well.

This looks ridiculous, but in the way that a lot of anime I enjoy tends to be ridiculous. And hey, it includes versions of Tim Drake and Jason Todd, so I'm in.

Some of the character designs look really interesting. Was that Penguin I spied? Two-Face for sure, Harley and Catwoman. Looking forward to this, after the trailer.

 

[The Nth Doctor]

Ah, thanks for the identification. I've only read a handful of Batman stories, so most of my Batman knowledge comes from Batman: The Animated Series, Batman Beyond, and the live-action films.

 

[JD]

Gorilla Grodd is one of The Flash's main bad guys, not a Batman villain.

 

[The Nth Doctor]

Ah, well, that explains why I'm not familiar with him!

I assume he does have some dealings with Batman, otherwise why include him here?

 

[JD]

I'm not an expert on DC comics, but I've never heard of a one on one conflict between them, although I think they've both been on teams that have fought each other.
I will admit, I was pretty shocked to see him in the trailer.
If you're interested in learing more, here's video from WatchMojo.com about his origins.

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[Enterprise is Great]

Grodd was a member of the Secret Society of Super-Villains and fought the Justice League

 

[Burning Hearts of Qo'nos]

Really wishing that this was a hand drawn project because the art is awesome... but then again, more of these CG anime movies need to come out so the Japanese animators can get better at working with 3d. So far the only series/films I've been able to watch and think 'Damn this looks good!' has been BLAM! (film on Netflix) and Land of the Lustrous (a series currently running in Japan).

 

[Burning Hearts of Qo'nos]

The artwork is cool, but I don't like how "jittery" much of Japanese animation appears due to things being animated at a lower frame rate. Gotham Knight was like that too.

Kor

The thing about these CG anime projects is that they are purposely rendering it at a lower frame-rate to try and capture the look and feel of low framerate 2D anime. But the techniques used in hand drawn animation for anime are designed specifically to use low framerates and they can actually do very cool and stylized things with less. But with 3D objects the eye expects something fluid because the deformations of the objects are not stylized like drawings, but actual objects that have depth, where transition from one pose to another needs to be fluid. There are studios that are trying to break away from the adherence of this look (the two projects I mentioned above, while not perfect, are prettier examples of what can be done with 3D anime). Japanese animation techniques are very different from western 2D animation because the entire industry evolved out of limited animation from the get-go (Astro-boy, which was animated the way you would think of the old school Flintstones) rather than full, fluid animation in the west (evolved from old school Disney movies) and not a lot of animators and studios have a knack for it yet. That carries over to 3D animation which is still in its infancy in Japan, and animators are trying to create work out of it from the perspective and technique of limited animation, when 3D by its very nature should be animated fluidly.

 

[Hound of UIster]

Gorilla Grodd is one of The Flash's main bad guys, not a Batman villain.

Ah, well, that explains why I'm not familiar with him!

I assume he does have some dealings with Batman, otherwise why include him here?

It's a really obscure Japanese historical reference. But the anime has set up the Joker as an analog to Oda Nobunaga (King of the 6th Heaven), who was one of the persons that unified Japan in the Warring States Period (that is featured in this anime) and seen as somewhat evil given his brutal tactics. His underling who picked up after his death Toyotomi Hideyoshi is largely associated or depicted as a monkey (like in this Edo era cartoon) due to his nickname and appearance. So basically Grodd is there for them to continue the historical analogy I guess though like Grodd Hideyoshi had his own bouts of megalomania and sought to invade and conquer Korea and Ming China (the regional hegemon of that era),

 

[The Nth Doctor]

It's a really obscure Japanese historical reference. But the anime has set up the Joker as an analog to Oda Nobunaga (King of the 6th Heaven), who was one of the persons that unified Japan in the Warring States Period (that is featured in this anime) and seen as somewhat evil given his brutal tactics. His underling who picked up after his death Toyotomi Hideyoshi is largely associated or depicted as a monkey (like in this Edo era cartoon) due to his nickname and appearance. So basically Grodd is there for them to continue the historical analogy I guess though like Grodd Hideyoshi had his own bouts of megalomania and sought to invade and conquer Korea and Ming China (the regional hegemon of that era),

Ah, interesting. Thank you for the historical insights.

 

[Showdown]

Very interesting. Artwork is amazing.

(off topic) I immediately thought of Gotham by Gaslight

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Great Britain, Japan, what's next?

 

[Captain of the USS Averof]

It looks amazing. And the talent involved is ridiculous.

 

[The Nth Doctor]

New trailer with English dub:

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Plus, we now know who is in the English cast:

Roger Craig Smith as Batman
Tony Hale as the Joker
Grey Griffin as Catwoman
Tara Strong as Harley Quinn
Fred Tatasciore as Gorilla Grodd and Deathstroke
Yuri Lowenthal as Robin
Adam Croasdell as Nightwing and Alfred
Will Friedle as Red Robin and Red Hood
Tom Kenny as Penguin
Eric Bauza as Two-Face​

The film will be released digitally on April 24 and then DVD and Blu-Ray on May 8.

 

[Christopher]

Roger Craig Smith as Batman

Reprising the role from the Arkham Origins video games and the Batman Unlimited home video/online short series for kids.

Grey Griffin as Catwoman

Also reprising the role from video games, though she's never played Catwoman in a non-game production.

Tara Strong as Harley Quinn

Also from video games, though she's played the role in some recent animated productions including Scooby-Doo & Batman: The Brave and the Bold. I'm generally a fan of Tara Strong's work, but I find her Harley rather grating.

Fred Tatasciore as Gorilla Grodd and Deathstroke

Reprising Deathstroke from Young Justice, though it's his first time as Grodd.

Yuri Lowenthal as Robin

His first time as Robin (is this Dick or Damien?), though he's been Red Robin (Tim Drake) in Batman Unlimited.

Will Friedle as Red Robin and Red Hood

New to both roles, though he's Nightwing in Unlimited and of course was Batman Beyond.

Tony Kenny as Penguin

That's Tom Kenny, who's previously done Penguin in The Batman, LEGO Batman video games, and Scooby-Doo & Batman: TB&TB.

Eric Bouza as Two-Face

That's Eric Bauza, who's new to Two-Face but has played supporting roles in Batman Unlimited and video games.


I'm not sure it really works to portray Batman as a ninja/shinobi. The shinobi were commoners who worked as spies, mercenaries, or assassins (and in real life they didn't wear masks or black costumes, but blended in with ordinary servants or workers). An upper-class billionaire who fights in custom-designed, personalized armor is more samurai than shinobi. Well, ronin, at least, since he has no master.