Kubo Wanted Name Removed as Executive Producer from HV

[http://users.livejournal.com/_debbiechan_/]

Kubo-sensei wanted his name removed as Executive Producer on the Hellverse DVD according to his message in the pamphlet included with the DVD. Translation by nacchan (credit was being given to Mel all over BA so I got it wrong at first, sorry) . I'm fairly shocked.





映画には｢製作総指揮｣として僕の名前がクレジットされていますか゛、
本当のことを言えば、この肩書はDVD化する際に外して欲しい、
というお願いをしていました。これは僕自身が本作に対して製作総指揮と
名乗れるほどに貢献できていない、と感じていた為です。


この思いは劇場公開時からあったのですが、編集部をはじめ、
映画の製作委員会側から説得に遭い、外す事はできませんでした


In this movie I was credited as "Executive Director"
However honestly speaking, for the DVD version I want that title to be removed
I already asked them to do so. This is because I feel I didn't participate enough in the production of this movie to warrant such a title.


I already have this feelings since the premier of the theatre version, however when I meet with the producer staff to persuade the movie was already in editing process so it can't be removed.






Holy shit, Sensei. This is a bit much. Going so far as asking for his name to be removed from a project? A far cry from his Fade to Black public declarations where he gushed about "I made a movie" and went on about his discussions about dialogue with director Abe. Dare I guess the feedback and lack of repeat box office and unspectacular revenue versus what was put into the picture was really enough for Sensei to distance himself from this project?


I'm hearing at the moment that 2chan is asking "Is Sensei trying to get away?" and some are wondering why the movie was promoted so heavily as his (if you'll recall one of the major HV CMs began with his image drawing Ichigo--Kubo the superstar manga-ka!) and yet now Sensei claims not to have been involved much? The Japanese are saying that they won't watch the movie if Sensei wasn't involved in it, but that's funny--the numbers show that not that many of them watched it when it was in theatres. Sensei may have just damned DVD sales.


Nonetheless, what I've seen of the film (haven't even peeked at the Chinese raw yet) has me looking forward to watching it. I want my Ishida, Ishida, Ishida. I don't expect naked!Rukia to be much. I've seen stills of the Orihime hug and it wasn't what I thought it'd be. Fanarts exaggerate--but still, I hope the fights are good. The Ulquiorra sequence I saw in trailers was amazing. Worth the price of box office. Maybe the DVD *counts cash* If only all this 10th anniversary stuff wasn't already draining me. But I feel guilty about watching the movie subbed online so I'd better order it eventually.


IchiOri shippers will buy the movie at least. I did hear tell of one of them saying yesterday after watching the Chinese raw: "See what happens when you let Kubo have a say in his own movies, kiddies?"


Kubo karma strikes again, lol.


Well, I honestly don't believe that Sensei is distancing himself from the movie because of the content, IchiOri fanservice or anything like that. The movie got bad feedback from viewers who were polled the first day they saw it and it got lousy return boxoffice and apparently didn't do as well as expect in revenue for all the huge amounts of money that went into it (the incredible promotion--I remember Spacecat saying all he saw were CMs, the hiring of TM Revolution for the song must've cost plenty yen, the building of that huge skull and crossbones movie set, etc etc). I still refuse to call the movie a flop ( because the numbers I saw weren't anything like what we in the US call flops) but I do believe it was an investment disappointment.


My guess is that Sensei didn't want to be associated with what is known in Japan as a poor film, financially-speaking mostly but perhaps artistically as well.


If it's just financial stuff, it's very curious to me that Sensei, who seems to value his artistic cred above all, would ACTUALLY WANT HIS NAME REMOVED FROM A PROJECT. I think maybe something unspoken is going on here. I wonder what truly disappointed him. I haven't seen the movie myself yet so I can't judge. But the difference from the Fade to Black liner notes where he just GUSHED about his involvement and this fairly upfront statement about not wanting his NAME on a project in the DVD message for Hellverse is really shocking to me.


It's not IchiOri vs IchiRuki to me. Unless maybe Kubo wants to send that message--but I don't really believe that he has shipping at the forefront of his mind like a lot of us do. I honestly wonder what's up. I don't really believe HV is an IchiOri movie. It's an action movie to me--I read the summary--and it clearly paints IchiThing as a monster that needed to be controlled and Rukia was the one who inspired and helped Ichigo control his Hollow form in this movie. All good stuff by my accounts. From the stills I've seen of the IchiOri "hug"--it wasn't even a hug and there was no "smile" like reported. Ichigo's face--. He looked like he was being attacked, and all Hime did was tug his shirt. His eyes were tiny-pupiled and he didn't look sexy there. Guys get big-pupiled when they're interested (note big-pupils and warm look like the close-up of Ichigo's sexy eyes in 460) and it was just a tug that was pretty IC for Orihime at the time (despite the "don't go"--which I didn't like for her--her not wanting Ichigo to go save their friends is a far cry from the Orihime who cheered Ichigo on to save Rukia in SS but it was IC, I must say post HM... and her worry). I really don't believe shipping is that big of a deal in this movie--I let you know more when I see it.


I want a movie FIVE. I've never been a big fan of predictable-villain-shallow-plot anime movies in general, but I like all things Bleach (ok, the Senna movie annoyed me) and THIS MOVIE I was looking forward to the most (one guess why? Ishidaaaaaaa). I hope the producers get the message as to what the audiences want (beyond just wanting Hitsugaya) and actually make a fifth movie that can bring in the $ and make Sensei proud. Against everything I feared, SP surprised the heck out of me and made this last anime filler actually interesting with its modsoul back story. A movie like that would be OK.


In other words, Studio Perriot and I can be together again. I've dug the ring out of the trash and put turned the photos around. Hellverse can't be as horrible as they say, right? So bad that Kubo wanted his name off it? More after I watch the sub.

Comments

[verduister.livejournal.com]

Aren't you taking this out of proportion? He says that he doesn't want to be credited as "executive director" because he participated less than a real executive director would have. He doesn't say he doesn't want to mentioned at all.

[verduister.livejournal.com]

*be mentioned

[verduister.livejournal.com]

(I need an edit button XD)

What I mean to say is: not wanting to be credited as 'executive director' doesn't equal distancing himself from the movie in my opinion.

[http://users.livejournal.com/_debbiechan_/]

Tell that to the Japanese who are saying they don't want to watch the movie now. I think it's a really odd message to include in a DVD booklet. REALLY ODD. Sensei just continues with his image as a strange guy in my opinion. I like him. :)

[verduister.livejournal.com]

Ah, sorry I should have read better, I didn't realize his message was actually included in the DVD booklet. That is odd indeed XD

[annie-08.livejournal.com]

//"See what happens when you let Kubo have a say in his own movies, kiddies?"//

Right now I'm seeing karma came back to bite their behind XDDDDD by their logic Kubo just said this is not really his movie. So...whatever they squee over wasn't his say.

In all seriousness But I'm surprised by Kubo's comment. I remember movie pamphlet for the theater one. Kubo talked about how this movie shows Ichigo as a hero (or somethig similar). From his tweets I still think he wishes us to enjoy this movie. But his comment kinda...distant himself from the work. Like "yeah it's a good movie and all but let's be clear I am that involved as you think I was." it pretty much leaves impression if there is something we may like/not like, it's not his fault because he's not heavily involved. This is a huge difference from FTB which he also credited as executive producer. All these time I thought he was more involved in HV than FTB. Guess that's not true.

I don't think Kubo said due to a movie being disappointment. I think he just wants to clear it up with his fans how much he's involved in a project. Like in musical he made it clear he isn't involved but hoped fans would like it. This comment sounds like giving fans the fact.

[http://users.livejournal.com/_debbiechan_/]

hmmph--well the CMs used him to promote the movie. And they credited him as Ex Prod like w/FTB. I do plan on enjoying this movie, so thanks for your impressions. Sensei is promoting HV still (dutifully? XD I gathered from when he saw the footage of the recreation of the IchiUlqui fight that he fanboied--it WAS pretty awesome animation!)

[annie-08.livejournal.com]

Well, I remember kubo WAS surprised to know they were going to use him to promote in CMs. So I guess fans blowing his imvolvements out of proportion is what forced him to write this comment.

It's a good movie. But to me Kubo is at his best when deals with emotional stuffs. This movie has fights. But they are remake of what we've seen in manga. Same technique, same resolve and heck, even same speech. That coupled with not so great animation throughout a movie, no wonder if a put off for many fans.

[http://users.livejournal.com/_debbiechan_/]

Ah yes! I remember that! He was surprised that he was going to be in the CM!

[pikeish.livejournal.com]

I get why fans would be disappointed to watch this if they think Sensei didn't really have that much part in it (although it was said that the story was the closest to the manga - but I think it's the involvement of IchiThing). I mean, the big attention grabber was after all, thinking that Kubo Sensei was heavily involved in this, and it would be disappointing to read that statement if you were clinging to that. Nonetheless, even if the movie did good and he said that, it's still won't be nice to hear to some fans, seeing he's distant from the project.

But I think that Sensei was only saying what he knows, as Annie said, as the truth, and not trying to squirm out because this movie did poorly. I bet he heard people screaming how this was all his intention and his movie, how heavily involved he is (blowing things out of proportion) when in reality, he knows he didn't contribute much to be credited as such.

[shinigami-lucia.livejournal.com]

Wow, this is really strange. This movie is for Bleach's 10th anniversary, right? So, Kubo must have contributed somehow on the making of this movie. For him to asked not to be included as an executive producer, there must something about this movie that he didn't agree on and don't want to be associated with it.

[balladbird.livejournal.com]

Strange news indeed...

ah well, I'm only interested in the first five or so minutes of the movie, anyway. XD I don't care about shinigami fanservice filler arcs, which includes the movies.

[jpblack.livejournal.com]

I don't think it's that odd. He's never gotten that credit, "exeucutive producer" before; only "original creator". If he feels he's not worthy of that title, it would make sense to want it removed. I don't see it coming from a place of "holy shit this sucks take my name off it", mainly because his name's all over the anime; specifically the Bount arc, Movie 2, and that so-boring-it's-my-substitute-for-nyquil filler episode where Kon meets some little girl and befriends her.

So yeah, not really odd at all. I'm sure he's still credited as original creator.

[qwirky.livejournal.com]

Actually, Kubo was given "executive producer" credit for Fade to Black, something that he accepted and seemed pleased with. He was also given "executive producer" in this movie, even on the DVD release - they weren't able to take it off because it was in editing.

[karenai.livejournal.com]

I honestly think this is the rudest thing I've ever seen him do to the anime creators.

[http://users.livejournal.com/_debbiechan_/]

While I can live with Annie's idea that he still wants us to enjoy the movie and is just correcting the facts about his involvement, his statement does strike me as pretty bold. It's like telling SP not to go misusing his name. I remember now when he tweeted about being surprised that his image was being used in a CM. He's really camera-shy and ...

maybe he felt used, I dunno. Just speculating. His name is his own.

He didn't protest that Executive Producer title for Fade to Black, but by all reports he did come up with the concept and story for Hellverse. I wonder what he deems "much involvement."

[karenai.livejournal.com]

There's a time and place to say that kind of thing and I don't think it's in the special message from the creator that comes with the DVD. How sad it must have felt for the animators to include that kind of "NOTHING TO DO WITH ME" message with the movie they made.

Don't get me wrong, I understand the sentiment you're talking about - maybe he did feel a little used, maybe he did feel like he doesn't want his name on something he genuinely doesn't feel apart of, and I wouldn't either, but to say it on the letter that goes out with EVERY DVD is just so excessive. As hilarious as I find certain implications of what the statement means, I can't shake the feeling that it's not very classy.

[mezzo-marinaio.livejournal.com]

This.

The one thing I find really, REALLY strange is that he wrote this for the DVD pamphlet; I wouldn't even bat an eye if it were, say, in one of his many tweets.

I've never heard of such an uninspiring, almost-nonsequitur note being the author's only message to his fans inside a movie package; it sounds oddly panicky and defensive - not at all the kind of carefully prepared statement that usually goes with these things.

Honestly, I'm stumped as to why he felt it necessary to underline this so publicy and boldly... or why Pierrot didn't politely ask him to say something a little more positive about the movie, for that matter.

[karenai.livejournal.com]

Yeah, if he had posted it on Twitter, I would have snickered about it, as would most of the other hardcore fans that bother to follow his twitter. We all would have talked about it and that really would have been the end of it. When it goes out with the DVD... that's making sure any random fan of Bleach who has an interest in the DVD knows his complete unwillingness to take "credit" for the movie.

I do wonder why he's touting apathy towards the movie all of a sudden. There must be something sticking in his craw.

[erisalia.livejournal.com]

This doesnt make me feel very enthused about the movie anymore. Im not sure why he added this with every single dvd but it just sounds like the wrong thing to say on the 4th movie dvd. There is nothing promoting about it. He sounds like he doesnt want to be connected to the movie. Im not sure the circumstances, does he even like it? I mean I believe I heard he liked the opening sequence but I havent really heard anything else from him besides this.

[mezzo-marinaio.livejournal.com]

He seemed to be fanboying it hard when it came out... here are his tweets about it:

“I’ve retuuuurned! The movie was amazing! To be brief, it was aaaaaaal action!”

“Though action movies are generally labelled like that, the action parts usually span about half of the movie… in this movie, though, the scenes that couldn’t be labelled ‘action’ must have been about 10-15 minutes at the most. Furthermore, the action quality was high, high. I think that the anime staff must have had some unusual trouble for this one.”

“At the beginning of the movie, there is a battle scene between Ichigo and Ulquiorra – which is basically a remake of their canon battle; it’s just a few minutes long, but I think those few minutes reached a level of perfection. The people who have even just a little interest in either Ichigo or Ulquiorra should definitely watch it.”

“No way! This time, the movie had earth-shatteringly beautiful drawings! There is little to any difference with my own drawings. I’d really like to thank the movie staff one by one.”

“And then, what particularly impressed me this time was that they drew Ichigo – who is very hard to draw – very well, and made him cool-looking for the entire time. I was really happy about that. All the more because this time, Ichigo was set firmly at the centre of the story.”

“Story-wise, I think that the Bleach movies up until now gave off a Bleach-like feeling, but their Jump-like essence was very sparse. This time, however – while the movie is firmly grounded in the spirit of Bleach – the story produced really gives off a feeling of being a typical Jump movie… so I was able to return to the emotions I felt when I saw Jump movies in my childhood.”

[http://users.livejournal.com/_debbiechan_/]

YES! He was happy when he first saw it. I tell you--something went down. Something behind the scenes. I'm puzzled.

[erisalia.livejournal.com]

Thanks Mez! Ok well it seems like he at least liked it at first. Means something happened then that made him add that. Its just such a weird thing for him to put into all the dvd pamplets. It doesnt make the fans feel really good about watching it....

[needaccount.livejournal.com]

I don't think this is really a big deal. Or at least I hope it's not. Kubo seemed to like the movie, from all those tweets mezzo provided. Maybe he felt like it would be bad to take credit for something he genuinely thinks is great but didn't have a big part in making.

debbiechan do you happen to have links to the screenshots you were talking about?

[jpblack.livejournal.com]

This is how I feel. I guess I personally don't want to assume the worst of him? I dunno. The message doesn't even have much of a tone to it; it's seemingly neutral. He's letting people know this isn't Bleach's Strong World, which I personally never saw it as anyway.

[http://users.livejournal.com/_debbiechan_/]

Haha, I've seen naked!Rukia now. Not spectacular. The screenshots are in the respective fanclubs where you'd expect to find them at BA, taken from the Chinese subs. I'll post a link to an English sub when it comes out.

THE OPENING ANIMATION OF ICHI-ULQUI FIGHT WAS AMAAAAAAAAAZING.

[needaccount.livejournal.com]

Okay, thanks~ Saw the IchiHime scene. No comment, tbh.

Now I'm looking forward to it. :]

[fanartist.livejournal.com]

Here's my two cents (one being an animator, one being... me).

I met a man who worked for peanuts seven days a week and 18-hour days for ten years in the Japanese animation industry to finally become a director.

Imagine a person, completely uninformed and unqualified to be in the industry, swooping in and snatching up a position that would take you five more years to accomplish.

It feels like shit.

And that might be what happened and sensei noticed.

This is all speculation, of course. Just like everything else here :/a

[http://users.livejournal.com/_debbiechan_/]

But he didn't complain when he had the position with the previous movie, Fade to Black. So that's puzzling.

[silverarmada.livejournal.com]

Maybe since he was so over the moon with FtB he didn't notice he was stepping on toes until now?

[http://users.livejournal.com/_debbiechan_/]

That could be--he's goofy like that. But I can't shake the feeling that something's up.

[fanartist.livejournal.com]

Some people never realize they're hurting people that way.

If he acknowledged it now, then I'm surprised he figured it out so soon.

[mezzo-marinaio.livejournal.com]

Oh, don't misunderstand me - I can understand him not wanting to be credited for something he feels he had little input in! XD

I do admit to being a little surprised... since Pierrot seemed to be using his involvement as a selling point for the movie (and I guess that could be one reason why he felt the need to point out that he wasn't actually as involved in this as Pierrot made him out to be). But of course I can understand it.

What seems strange to me is that he decided to come out with this in the DVD BOOKLET, and what's more - he dedicated his whole message to making this clear - without even mentioning the good points of the movie, or hoping that all of the viewers will like it, or, you know, all that feel-good stuff you usually find in this kind of things.

I just think that something like, say, "Hey guys, this is one amazing movie! I hope you will enjoy it as much as I did - oh, and by the way, I'm not actually the executive producer - but I only noticed I was credited as such recently, and it was too late to take out my name. Still, no biggie. Have fun watching!" would have been a little more appropriate for this venue, no...?

[http://users.livejournal.com/_debbiechan_/]

Hmm, weirder and weirder. I'm hearing from a blog now that his full dvd message has further complaints on it (don't know what they are yet) and that it's startled people (「右の師匠のMessageは、愚痴ばっかでびっくりした、映画のできに納得いかんかったんやな～って事がすごく伝わった。」 I'm really curious now. I don't have my copy so no scan. Also, no new color drawing for his DVD message--an old sketch of skull clad Ichigo we'd seen before and that says something to me. Then again, he drew TONS of new art for this movie when it came out. I never saw so many spreads in Jump. They were freaking gorgeous too. I think he burned himself out because we haven't seen as detailed spreads for the manga since.

[mezzo-marinaio.livejournal.com]

Reposted since I finally found that damn verb. XD

右の師匠のMessageは、愚痴ばっかでびっくりした、映画のできに納得いかんかったんやな～って事がすごく伝わった。

"Shishou's message on the right side is nothing but complaints, I was surprised. It really gave off the feeling that he wasn't satisfied with the making of the movie."

(納得が行く = to understand and accept as valid (of a thought, action, etc.); to be satisfied with)

So, essentially, what Annie said... so weird.

[annie-08.livejournal.com]

I'm pretty sure he did mention for fans enjoy this movie. This is just a part of his message. Although, from what I've read in a blog fan is surprised by his negativity. Or as she mentioned "seems like sensei's dissatisfaction of a movie transmitted to his message".

[mezzo-marinaio.livejournal.com]

Aaaaand... a quick translation of a (possible?) script of Kubo's message that was just posted on BA:

In this movie I was credited as "Executive Director".
However honestly speaking, for the DVD version I want that title to be removed. I already asked them to do so. This is because I feel I didn't participate enough in the production of this movie to warrant such a title.

I already had this feelings since the premier of the theatre version, however when I met with the producer staff to persuade them, the movie was already in the editing process so it couldn't be removed.

I had a meeting with the scriptwriter - I think it was in the year preceding the movie premiere, in early summer.

The meeting was incandescent, and we discussed ideas until nearly dawn. The scriptwriter took careful notes of the ideas that I had contributed jointly during the meeting. The response was that we were able to come up with some very interesting stuff. I had the feeling that before winter at the latest the scenario would be completed - but in the end, the scenario was sent to me only in the spring of the year of the movie premiere. Furthermore, the scenario didn't contain any of the ideas of the meeting... apparently, the notes taken at that time were not transmitted to the director and to the other members of the staff.

Later on, we had some trouble with the production department agreeing to some changes decided by the scriptwriter, and the scriptwriter worked hard with the changes that were made - but unfortunately, there was no more time.

The fact that characters that first made their entry in the original work like Ichigo, Kokutou and Shuuren had a very Bleach-like feeling is thanks to all of the seiyuu that gave them their voices, and to all of the staff that drew them.

Once again, thank you from the bottom of my heart.

[eframepilot.livejournal.com]

Damn. Kubo mad.

Drama

[applesweetrose.livejournal.com]

Personally, as an ever casual Bleach fan, I haven't had the desire to see any other Bleach movie besides FtB, because I find it kinda hard to watch fillers (the Bounto arc just put me off completely; have watched snippets of the anime since then).
It was how I discovered what fillers were.
However, FtB drew me in because Kubo was involved and I have since read and seen all the goodies he has said about it. So while FtB wasn't manga canon, I enjoyed it because it was Kubo's vision and I will buy it once it is out on bluray.

And so here I thought of putting aside my own personal (Bleach-only) distaste for fillers to watch HV because it was said Kubo was heavily involved with this one as well.
So if this message is indeed true, it really puts a downer on things, and spins a whole other interpretations than before, where we could easily brush it off.
All this drama has made me, as a casual fan of Bleach, sour on the movie now and I feel little desire in watching it, even after having read great reviews of it on BA.

I feel it might be the same for other casual fans, and so I agree with the view that this really should not have taken place in the special message of the creator that came with the dvd.
I find it very unprofessional, regardless of the fact that he may be right in feeling displeased and snubbed, because it is very off-putting.
It makes me wonder if he would have done the same if the movie hadn't 'flopped' so to speak.

This is just my personal view on this.

On a lighter note, I wonder what the IchiHime fans think about this XD

Re: Drama

[erisalia.livejournal.com]

Oh they are still screaming that he likes the movie and that we are TWISTING his words. That they never claimed it was canon and its filler but that kubo likes the movie. He said he liked alot of the action sure but after hearing this? How can you not say he is disappointed in some way? He didnt even credit the scriptwriters for Ichigo and the two villians being bleachlike xD! He gave credit to the artists and seiyuu. I think he had ideas he wanted to add in and they left him out only to add his name in to gain revenue.

Re: Drama

[shinigami-lucia.livejournal.com]

Yeah, none of his ideas made it to the movie. This is what I think after reading his message.

And yeah I agree, they are still twisting things XDD ..I'm laughing really XDD ..Tbh, I don't really care what they think XDD ..I know what I read in that message, and it's pretty obvious Kubo has no part in this movie at all.

[http://users.livejournal.com/_debbiechan_/]

Thanks Mezz.

Aaaaand now I know why the Japanese fans were shocked on 2ch and on blogs.

[strawberries-85.livejournal.com]

Let's say he felt about about being credited for something he didn't really do, isn't it a bad idea to put that tidbit in the DVD booklet? I appreciate honesty, but it doesn't seem like the wisest of choices for a movie that already didn't do as well as the previous. :S

[erisalia.livejournal.com]

Thats what I thought to at first. But as I thought it over the movie didnt really do to well and that reflects on kubo. So if he really didnt get to do much in this movie and his ideas were not put into the movie then why should his name go through the mud with this? Thats how I see myself reacting to this when I try to place myself in his shoes anyways xD. I dunno maybe I am wrong ^^. I just think he probably feels they did him wrong and were using his name for a quick dollar. Kub oprobably doesnt care about the money aspect he probably just doesnt want the stigma of a movie being bad because he was involved when he wasnt if that makes sense.

[strawberries-85.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I get what you mean, but this just seems so negative and it could negatively impact the DVD sales of the movie too, so isn't there a different way of going about it? Even saying it on Twitter, for example?

[shinigami-lucia.livejournal.com]

So basically he's not involve in the movie at all nor approve of the scenes that happen in it? WOW, that's shocking! I don't know what to say really. I feel bad though for him. To have his own ideas about the movie and something else was use instead. Well, he must be very disappointed. I guess it's understandable why he has to write the message like that.