Japanese-Chinese animated co-production makes history

by Chris MaGee

With the controversy over the Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo, acknowledgment and compensation for war-time atrocities and Japan's differing viewpoints on the sovereignty of Taiwan it's amazing to think that the wide and rocky gulf in China - Japan relations could be bridged by an animated series, but according to a report posted at Japan Today it looks like that, even in a small way, may be the case. Tokyo-based Future Planet Co. and toy manufacturer Tomy Co. are making history by being the first Japanese companies to co-produce an animated series with their Chinese counterparts. Both companies have teamed with a Chinese animation company and China Central Television to create an animated series based on the classic 14th-century novel “The Romance of the Three Kingdoms” attributed to Luo Guanzhong (above) which chronicles the battles between the ancient Chinese kingdoms of Wei, Shu and Wu. The series will not only be broadcast across China via CCTV, but plans to air it in Japan are also under consideration. Now, who ever said that cartoons weren't important?