Esta review también está en español.
Well, well... what do we have here...
Neo Tokyo is composed of three short films, each one directed by a giant of the anime industry. Since the works are so different from each other, I will comment them separately n_n.
Labyrinth labyrinthos (also known as Manie-Manie), by Rintaro (he participated in such things like Jungle Taitei, Astro Boy, Petshop of Horrors, X/1999 and many other renowned works).
This is the first short, and the most surreal of the three. LL introduces us to Sachi, a girl that, along her cat Cicerone, is sent to a giant maze, after crossing a clock/mirror/portal/whatever. Once in
...
this new world, our protagonist will face strange experiences, and the intensity of the unusual is going to rise to uncanny levels... Fortunately, Sachi's going to find a guide: a creepy (really creepy) clown. This enigmatic character will lead her to a safer (?) place...
If after reading the previous paragraph you thought that this short was bizarre, just wait to see the characters. Just to say something, Sachi's pants are so high that they reach her armpits (in what is obviously a hidden tribute to Ed Grimley xD). All the inhabitants of the maze are weird, going from invisible beings to skeletons. The character design is almost cartoonish, being the cat the most detailed one. The rest look a bit too... "curvy" let's say. Anyway, the animation, although weird, is impeccable (this was done in 1987, but it doesn't look old at all).
The voices met the expectations. There's not much of a dialogue to begin with, but they're good. The music is quite unique, featuring classical pieces such as Gymnopédies and Toreador Song by Georges Bizet! (the guy who made Carmen).
Final comment: well, this thing is weird. Without going to the insane, surreal levels of things like Chocolate Panic Picture Show (though, of course, nothing can be that crazy xD), Labyrinth labyrinthos is a picturesque experience that vaguely remind me Alice in Wonderland. At least from my point of view, in this short you are not supposed to find a purpose, or an answer, but rather enjoy the ride. Each step Sachi and Cicerone take, there's a surprise waiting. Whether striking, bizarre or horrifying, we want to know what's next, and what's at the end of the maze. And as a final point, we could say that this short and the other two are slightly connected, despite being three separate works. You'll see why n_n.
Running Man, by Yoshiaki Kawajiri (involved in things like Legend of the Galactic Heroes: My Conquest Is the Sea of Stars, Mirai Shounen Conan, Tetsuwan Birdy and many others).
Luckily, RM is simpler to explain than LL. In a futuristic world, where races to death (kinda similar to the game Wipeout) are the favorite betting event, Zach "Grim Reaper" Hughes is the best competitor, undefeated for almost ten years, and once again is participating with the idea of destroying his rivals. Zach's secret: telekinetic powers, which he use to crush his competitors.
Well, RM is nothing like the others shorts in Neo Tokyo. Here everything is more serious, the character design is more realistic, and deaths, explosion and agony are pretty common here. Visually, is the best thing in this movie/compilation.
The sound, like in the case of LL, is good. There isn't much dialogue, or music, or anything, but that’s the way it's supposed to be.
Final comment: Although this short may sound simple, there are several things to consider. Running Man is not presented in order: is a series of flashbacks interspersed with the present. This can be quite confusing, and it may be necessary to watch it more than once to fully understand what’s happening. Not that the story is complex (quite the opposite, the idea is pretty simple), is just that is set in a disorderly way.
The Order to Stop Construction, by Katsuhiro Otomo (he did Akira. There's nothing else i should say).
In a near future, revolution (or better say, LA REVOLUCIÓN!) hits the fictional South American country of Aloana. With the change of command, a japanese construction company received the order the cessation of activities in that country. Receiving no response from the foreman of the construction, the company sends Tsutomu Sugioka, a common employee, with the mission to find what happened to his predecessor, and inform the workers (all of them robots) of the current situation. Tsutomu tries to reason with 444-1, the robot that was left in charge of the work, asking him to dismantle all the structures and machines in the most efficient way, so a big sum of money can be saved, but everything this artificial being have in mind is finish the construction. At all cost.
The Order is not as visually spectacular as Running Man, but it definitely is excellent. Featuring a great combination of nature and technology, the construction is huge and incredibly detailed. All the robots follow a similar graphic pattern, but all of them are different from each other, being the 444-1 the most detailed one, and the one that changes the most along the film. Tsutomu has buck teeth xD, but he's fine. He really looks the way he acts. He's a nerd, but he tries really hard to fulfill his mission.
The sound... well in this work, there's talking. All the robot's voices sound the same way: robotized xD. Tsutomu is an angry little man, and his seiyuu give him an irritated and sometimes high-pitched voice, so good work there. And, like in LL, we have a classical piece here: Morning Mood, by Edvard Grieg (gentleman who also did In the Hall of the Mountain King).
Final comment: I can't say that this is Neo Tokyo's best short, but it definitely is my favorite (aw, screw it, this is the best :D). Much more direct and easier to understand than the other two, the story of The Order is just great, full of intrigue and tension, and a few twists every now and then (and all that in less than 15 minutes!). Also, this is one of many works that leaves us a valuable lesson about over-reliance that we have with technology.
Final comment (the global one): Neo Tokyo is a very interesting compilation. Each short has different things to offer, so there are high chances that not everyone likes them same way, but is that variety that makes NT a production suitable for a wide range of people (instead of being just recommendable for those who likes shonens, shojo, sci fi, horror, or any specific genre).
I recommend this to... everyone reading this. For me, The Order makes all this worth it, but you, Mr. reader, you can find compelling any of the three short, it's on you.
Anyways, thx for the reading, and please give a chance to Neo Tokyo.
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Bueno... que es lo que tenemos aquí...
Neo Tokyo está compuesta por tres cortos, cada uno dirigido por un gigante de la industria. Dado que las historias son tan distintas, voy a tener que comentarlas por separado n_n.
Labyrinth labyrinthos (o Manie-Manie), de Rintaro (tal vez lo conozcan, participo en series como Jungle Taitei, Astro Boy, Petshop of Horrors, X/1999, y mil cosas mas...)
El primer corto, y el más surrealista de los tres. LL nos muestra a Sachi, una niña que, junto a su gato Cicerone, se internan en un laberinto luego de atravesar un reloj/espejo/portal. Una vez en el nuevo mundo, nuestros protagonistas vivirán experiencias extrañas, y la intensidad de lo raro subirá a niveles impensados... por suerte, Sachi encuentra un guía: un payaso vestido de blanco que, francamente, es bastante macabro. Como sea, este enigmático personaje los conducirá a un lugar mas... ¿seguro?
Si el planteo de este corto les parece bizarro, deberían ver a los personajes. Los pantalones de Sachi le llegan casi a las axilas, en lo que parece ser un homenaje a Ed Grimley. Todos los habitantes del laberinto son extraños, pasando desde seres invisibles a esqueletos. El diseño de personajes es bien caricaturesco, siendo el gato la excepción (se ve más detallado que el resto). Como sea, la animación, si bien rara, es impecable.
Las voces cumplen. La verdad, no hay mucho dialogo, pero no tengo quejas. La música es bien peculiar, presentando piezas clásicas como Gymnopédies y Toreador Song, de Georges Bizet! (el tipo que hizo Carmen).
Comentario final: Wow, esta cosa es rara. Sin llegar a los niveles de locura de cosas como Chocolate Panic Picture Show (aunque claro, nada llega a esos niveles de locura xD), Labyrinth labyrinthos es una experiencia pintoresca que me recuerda de forma vaga a Alicia en el país de las maravillas. Al menos desde mi punto de vista, en este corto no hay que buscar mucho sentido, o una respuesta, sino más bien disfrutar el viaje. Por que a cada paso que dan Sachi y Cicerone, hay una sorpresa esperando. Ya sea llamativa, bizarra o espeluznante, queremos saber qué es lo que sigue, y que es lo que hay al final del laberinto. Y como dato final, se podría decir que este corto y los otros dos están levemente conectados, a pesar de ser tres trabajos independientes. Ya verán porque n_n.
Running Man, de Yoshiaki Kawajiri (sujeto involucrado en cosas como Legend of the Galactic Heroes: My Conquest Is the Sea of Stars, Mirai Shounen Conan, Tetsuwan Birdy, y otras muchas).
Por suerte, RM es más simple de explicar que LL. En un mundo futurista, donde las carreras a muerte (para que se hagan una idea, es muy similar al juego Wipeout) son el evento favorito de los apostadores, Zach “Grim Reaper” Huges es el mejor corredor de la historia, multi-campeón invicto por casi diez años, y está participando una vez más con la idea de destrozar a sus rivales. El secreto de Zach: poderes telequineticos, con los que destruye a la competencia.
Bueno, RM no se parece en nada a sus compañeros de Neo-Tokyo. Acá todo es más serio, el diseño de personajes es bastante realista, y se ven muertes, explosiones y agonía bastante seguido. Visualmente, es lo mejor que hay en esta película.
El sonido, al igual que con LL, cumple. No tengo nada destacable que decir al respecto.
Comentario final: a pesar de que este cortó pueda parecer sencillo por lo que escribí, hay varios detalles a tener en cuenta. Running Man no está presentada de forma cronológica: es una sucesión de flashbacks que se intercalan con el presente. Esto puede ser bastante confuso, y probablemente sea necesario ver la película más de una vez para entender bien que es lo que pasa. No es que la historia sea compleja (todo lo contrario), simplemente está planteada de forma desordenada.
The Order to Stop Construction, de Katsuhiro Otomo (el tipo hizo Akira. No hace falta embellecer más su curriculum)
En un futuro no muy lejano, en el ficticio país Sudamericano de Aloana estallo un golpe de estado. Con el cambio de mandos, una empresa de construcción japonesa recibe la orden del cese de las actividades en dicho país. Al no recibir respuestas del capataz de la obra, la empresa envía a Tsutomu Sugioka, un empleado común, con la misión de averiguar que paso con su predecesor, además de informarle a los trabajadores (todos ellos robots) de la situación actual. Tsutomu quiere razonar con 444-1, el robot que quedo a cargo de la obra, pidiéndole que desmantele todo de forma eficiente para minimizar las pérdidas económicas, pero lo único que tiene en mente este individuo artificial es terminar la construcción. A toda costa.
The Order no es tan espectacular visualmente como Running Man, pero decididamente es excelente. Presentando una muy buena combinación de naturaleza con tecnología, la obra es monumental, increíblemente grande y detallada. Los robots, aunque siguen un patrón similar, son muy distintos unos de otros, siendo el 444-1 el más detallado, y el que más varia a lo largo de la película. Tsutomu tiene dientes de conejo xD, pero por lo demás está bien. Es un nerd, pero se esfuerza en serio para cumplir con su cometido.
El sonido... bueno, a diferencia de los otros dos cortos, acá si se habla. Todos los robots suenan igual: robotizados xD. Tsutomu es un hombrecito irritado, y su seiyuu se comporto a la altura, dotándolo de una vos a veces irritante, con un ocasional timbre agudo. Y al igual que con LL, acá también tenemos una pieza clásica: Morning Mood, de Edvar Grieg (señor que también hizo In the Hall of the Mountain King).
Comentario final: No puedo decir que TOtSC sea el mejor corto de Neo Tokyo, pero decididamente es mi favorito. Mucho más directa y fácil de entender que los otros dos, la historia de The Order es simplemente genial, llena de intriga y tensión, además de los varios giros que va dando la trama (y todo eso en menos de 15 minutos!). Además, esta es otra de las tantas obras que nos deja una moraleja acerca de la dependencia excesiva que tenemos con la tecnología.
Comentario final global: Neo Tokyo es un compilado muy interesante. Cada corto tiene cosas distintas que ofrecer, por lo que es probable que no todos gusten de la misma forma, pero es esa misma variedad lo que hace de Neo Tokyo una producción recomendable para un amplio espectro de personas (en lugar de ser solo recomendable para los que les gusten los shonen, o los shojo, o la ciencia ficción, el horror...).
Recomiendo esto a... todo el que me está leyendo n_n. Para mí, The Order hace que ver esto valga la pena, pero usted, señor lector, puede encontrar atrapante cualquiera de los tres cortos, está en usted.
Gracias por leer, y por favor, denle a Neo Tokyo una oportunidad! (en serio, no sé por qué tan poca gente vio esto. Será falta de publicidad? Si es por eso, acabo de contribuir a la solución del problema xD).
Alternative Titles
Synonyms: Manie Manie The Labyrinth Tales, Labyrinth Labyrinthos, Hashiru Otoko, The Order to Stop Construction, Construction Cancellation Order, Running Man, Meikyu Monogatari
Japanese: Manie-Manie 迷宮物語
More titlesInformation
Type:
Movie
Episodes:
3
Status:
Finished Airing
Aired:
Sep 25, 1987
Licensors:
ADV Films
Studios:
Madhouse
Source:
Novel
Duration:
16 min. per ep.
Rating:
PG-13 - Teens 13 or older
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Ranked:
#39382
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Popularity:
#3777
Members:
34,050
Favorites:
131
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Esta review también está en español.
Well, well... what do we have here... Neo Tokyo is composed of three short films, each one directed by a giant of the anime industry. Since the works are so different from each other, I will comment them separately n_n. Labyrinth labyrinthos (also known as Manie-Manie), by Rintaro (he participated in such things like Jungle Taitei, Astro Boy, Petshop of Horrors, X/1999 and many other renowned works). This is the first short, and the most surreal of the three. LL introduces us to Sachi, a girl that, along her cat Cicerone, is sent to a giant maze, after crossing a clock/mirror/portal/whatever. Once in ... Jul 18, 2012
This particular anime is divided into three separate segments, each under a different screenwriter and film director. The following of those screenwriters/directors being Rintarō, who worked on anime films like Metropolis, X & Captain Harlock; Yoshiaki Kawajiri, known for creating titles such as Wicked City, Ninja Scroll (the movie, not the f***ing TV series) & Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust; and last but not least, Katsuhiro Ōtomo, who we all know for Akira, which is not only one of my favorite anime, but one of my favorite movies.
The first segment is “Labyrinth labyrinthos” by Rintarō about a young girl named Sachi trapped in a game ... Dec 8, 2014
Having watched the triple-feature "Memories" a while back, I decided to move onto another, titled "Short Peace". "Memories" featured some great content, but it was mainly held up by a single part of it. "Short Peace" went for completely different genres and styles and threw them all together, bringing a more inconsistent feel that made the whole idea of packaging of them together a bit meaningless. Manie-Manie: Meikyuu Monogatari or "Neo Tokyo", on the other hand, is more of a package deal in that each part aids in the enjoyment of the entire threesome. All of these parts are memorable and all are engaging. From
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Oct 16, 2019
Manie-Manie: Meikyuu Monogatari is a Madhouse production from the tail end of the 80s. It features three different segments, each from a different director. It's no secret that my history with Madhouse is heavily mixed. On one hand, they're the studio behind rubbish like Bio Hunter and the X-men anime. So nice of them to royally mistreat one of my favourite super hero teams. But they've also been behind such excellent anime as Monster & Petshop of Horrors. So, any time I see the studio attached to something, I don't know whether to expect garbage, mediocrity or something amazing.
Story: The segments aren't really connected. So, I'll ... Apr 3, 2015
-A young girl playing with her pet cat searches for fun and ends up in another dimension. But is this really a new world she's exploring, or can this be a figment of her imagination?
A reporter is sent by a magazine he writes for to do an article on a race car driver, but this isn't an ordinary race. This is a futuristic race called the Death Race, and drivers normally last between 1 to 2 years. Zack Hugh has been champion for years and has been surviving all competition in the process. The Aleona Republic has recently undergone a coup. There's a company whom has ... Oct 19, 2015
After greatly enjoying the movie Memories I thought it a good idea to check out Neo Tokyo, a similar compilation movie that adapts three of Taku Mayumura's manga short stories. Though the author and directors are different I thought with three attempts I would at least have a chance of finding one of them particularly memorable, while admiring the variety of the movie as a whole. Sad to say, it wasn't that simple and Neo Tokyo paled in comparison to its spiritual successor.
Neo Tokyo opens with Rintaro's (Shigeyuki Hayashi) Labyrinth Labyrinthos. As of writing, I haven't seen anything else he's directed so I don't know ... Jan 28, 2013
Some of the 1st anime short-story´s ever made , and a damn cultclassic that u don't see much anymore in 21st century anime. And yeah it was handdrawn ofc in 3 diffrent ways made by some of japans most revered anime directors, very well done. Each of the story have an special feel to it , futuristic, or just dramastyle with some charach. involved rapidly, but it ends with sense, background scenes are a bit sketchy an lightcolored, but marvelous surroundings nevertheless. for years on end i ever had this on videotape i really enjoy things like this and became a fav just like
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Jan 27, 2019
Manie-Manie: Meikyuu Monogatari, or Neo Tokyo; it’s Western release title, has no relation to Katsuhiro Otomo’s Akira. It is a film collection of three shorts of little relation, the last short being directed by Otomo was the source of the alternate name; an attempt to capitalise on Akira’s success. Naming aside, the shorts Labyrinth Labyrinthos, directed by Rintaro, Running Man, directed by Yoshiaki Kawajiri, and Construction Cancellation Order, directed by Otomo, are each wildly different. They are tales of intrigue each presented in a completely different world, with a different, vivid art style. The thread that holds them together, is that each story is loosely
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Feb 9, 2021
Once upon a time three well acclaimed directors came together to make a brainwashing program and u get what we see today as Neo Tokyo. Apparently from what I can see it worked like a charm in brainwashing people.
So lets talk what was so dreadful in it that I would call it a brainwashing program. It has 3 short where obviously are not related to each other written by different people about different things. (Minor spoilers ahead) Labyrinth Labyrinthos (1st short)- It was kind of story which cannot differentiate the line between a masterpiece and nonsense. Yep, can take it either ways because ur brain is not gone ... Jun 1, 2017
Rate a 6
English dubbed Story If you enjoyed tales from the crypt(television show) and/or Alice in wonderland this anime would be their child if the shows could be parents. You have two stories told within a third story. The separate two stories only add to the original story by providing a message and show. The message is the loss of sanity from the brink of exhaustion. Layman's if you strain yourself you will hurt yourself. Art The introduction art had one flaw. For what ever reason the 'home' to this story set was drawn not in animation form but more of a painting. I get the idea having seen ... Aug 27, 2019
·'Labyrinth Labyrintos':
Cryptic short film with a fantastic animation, but a somewhat European character design that does not convince me too much. On the soundtrack, the song 'Gymnopedie nº1' by Erik Satie. 6/10 · 'The running man': Fantastic. I love the style of Kawajiri, the setting is fabulous, the sound superb, that eternal silence that is only cut by the buzz of cars, lights, neon, those shadows, its desolate environment. 7/10 · 'Construction Cancellation Order': The worst short of the three, i like Katsuhiro Ôtomo, how to forget 'Akira', but this time (his first time as director) we only have the usual design of buildings and those beautiful pastel colors ... Apr 15, 2021
Manie-Manie: Meikyuu Monogatari is a movie consisting in three short films. Since these short films are completely unrelated, have different art-styles and are made by different people, I will review them separately.
The first short film, Labyrinth Labyrinthos, is the most experimental of the movie, with an original art-style that doesn’t look like anime at all, and it is hard to tell what’s exactly happening in it, despite the fact that the animation is of very high quality. It involves at little girl and her cat chasing a mime from a circus in a labyrinth. Since it is pretty short (roughly 15 minutes), there is ... Jul 23, 2021
Anime short films anthology from some of my favorite directors of the medium? I was more than excited. Unfortunately, I ended up being disappointed.
Labyrinth Labyrinthos: Nothing happens in this one. The art style is amazing and the same goes for sound design. I liked the low frame rate animation to really give this a nightmarish feeling. I loved the cat. But yeah, nothing happens. 3/5 Running Man: Things happen but ambiguously. I got some of it when I watched it, but couldn't add 2+2 to make a connection. Nevertheless, it is good. Have great art style and animation. 3//5 Construction Cancellation Order: Things happen but predictably. ... Mar 10, 2021
This is clearly about Karoshi, the wonders and inocence of a childs point of view contrasted with the brutality of the short tales that point out the demise of a man in the top and the hell of being the man in the middle, followed by a return to all the fanfare of infancy. This more arthouse... So expect iconography instead of story telling. Although that increases replay value, it makes rough to enjoy it in an ordinary day, the soundtrack makes a throught-line that helps connect the dots, but everything is quite subjective.
Pay atention to the settings and you will understand mirroring dualities of ... May 23, 2022
Here is my review of this anime in 2022!
Story (7) There are 3 stories Labyrinth Labyrinthos, Running Man, and The Order to Stop Construction. Labyrinth Labyrinthos Honestly, I don't really understand the story. I only know that there is a girl who follows the clown with her cat into the carnival. After that it continues to the next story. Running Man The story is about someone who is ambitious to win the race until He's dead. The theme is cyberpunk and feels like Old Neo-Tokyo. ... |