Team of 10 all-star artists, including Pokémon and Fate illustrators, shares their takes on the Hollywood classic for 40th anniversary celebration and upcoming merch collection.
Though its original release precedes Japanese animation’s global popularity boom by quite a bit, Back to the Future has a plot that would work very easily for an anime. A teenager with a good heart and a strong sense of justice goes on a science-fiction adventure, saves the day with the help of an eccentric friend, and in the happy ending even the villain is reformed? The 1985 Hollywood blockbuster’s premise would fit in perfectly among the pages of Weekly Shonen Jump or the time slots of a late-night TV anime block, and that’s even easier to envision thanks to a new series of Back to the Future illustrations from a group of anime/manga artist all-stars.
As part of the celebration for Back to the Future’s 40th anniversary, 10 artists have put their spins on the movie’s cast. Let’s take a look at them one by one, and see if you can guess who’s behind each of them, starting with this surprisingly cheery one from…
…Kazushi Hagiwara, best known for his edgy dark fantasy manga Bastard.
Also giving a soft-touch look to Marty and Jennifer…
…is Pokémon card illustrator Naoki Saito.
OK, let’s do an easy one next. No one in manga artist history gives his characters more distinct, manly jawlines and eyebrows than…
…Otokojuku creator Akira Miyashita.
Hmm…that sudden influx of unaltered testosterone might be causing facial hair to start growing on your device’s screen. Let’s dial it back a bit with something from another manga veteran with a more balanced style…
…Mazakazu Katsura, of Video Girl Ai, Shadow Lady, and I’’s fame.
Easily the most dramatic interpretation of the bunch comes from someone who knows a thing or two about grand-scale adventure…
…Raita Kazama, character designer for Nintendo’s Xenoblade and XenobladeX RPGs.
The character proportions get just a little super-deformed…
…with the contribution from Koji Inada, manga artist for Dragon Quest: The Adventure of Dai.
Showing how diverse anime/manga artist’s skillsets can be, this illustration, that actually looks like it could have been an North American movie poster during Back to the Future’s initial theatrical run…
…was drawn by Masanori Morita, creator of high school delinquent fighting manga Rokudenashi Blues.
Likewise, this piece, with an American newspaper Sunday comics vibe to it…
…is the work of Ryosuke Takeuchi, whose resume includes the official promotional illustration for the Fly Me to the Saitama/Tonde Saitama live-action movie.
And as we wrap things up, we get back to more conventional anime aesthetics as Marty faces off with a rather fine-featured Biff…
…as imagined by A3 (Ace Three) artist Ryo Fujiwara, and last, radiating classic shonen adventure series energy…
…the art of Fate/Grand Order character designer Lack.
The illustrations were revealed on October 21, matching the calendar date that Marty travels to the future in Back to the Future Part II, but they’ll also be part of a special 40th anniversary booth at this year’s Tokyo Comic Con, which is taking place from December 5 to 7. Doc Brown actor Christopher Lloyd and a number of other cast members will be in attendance and signing autographs, and a special merch collection, featuring the manga-style artwork, will be on offer too.
Related: Tokyo Comic Con
Source: PR Times, Tokyo Comic Con
Featured image: Tokyo Comic Con
Top image: PR Times
Insert images: PR Times, Tokyo Comic Con
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