Danica Davidson
August 15, 2023 
The 27th Fantasia International Film Festival has completed, so let’s see how anime did there!
When it came to the award for Best Animated Feature in the Audience Awards, all three winners (gold, silver and bronze) are anime movies. First place went to Kurayukaba, second place went to The Concierge, and third place went to The First Slam Dunk.
As for the Axis: Satoshi Kon Award for Excellence in Animation (related to the best animated feature), that additionally went to The First Slam Dunk. And the special jury mention for the Satoshi Kon Award was bestowed upon SAND LAND.
Kurayukaba is an original anime (meaning it’s not based on something else, like a manga or video game) and it received help from crowdfunding. Twiflo gave this description for its plot:
Our story is set beneath the surface of the great metropolis, below the district of Ogi-town in a realm of dreams that floats in a haze of purple lignite smoke.
A network of roads stretches away underground, concealing bandits at every turn! An armored train snakes through the looming darkness: the steel-clad train Sokore 463 is equipped with a 75mm mountain gun that can blow a target to smithereens! In command is the mysterious girl Tanne.
What awaits her and her comrades? From the winding alleys of Akegata (dawn) to the deep subterranean world of Kuragari (dark), a daring adventure unfolds!
The Fantasia International Film Festival gave this description for The Concierge:
“The word ‘no’ doesn’t exist in a concierge’s dictionary.” That’s just one of the demanding rules that Akino must abide by in her new job as a saleswoman at the elegant and expansive Hokkyoku Department Store. It’s a very special store — the customers are all animals, and the most valued among them are of extinct species. Sea minks, laughing owls, Japanese wolves, even an enormous mammoth — that’s Mr. Woolly, the celebrated sculptor whose works are showcased at the store. It’s still a luxury retail space, though, and anxious Akino finds her hands full with the customers’ challenging requests. These range from hard-to-find merchandise to more complicated matters of the heart. Can the inexperienced Akino fulfill their whims and meet their expectations? If she wants to keep her job, she’ll have to succeed while under constant observation by the fussy floor manager Mr. Todo, a creepy consultant eager to downsize the staff, and the store’s enigmatic president (who is not a penguin, by the way!).
GKIDS gave this description for The First Slam Dunk:
Shohoku’s “speedster” and point guard, Ryota Miyagi, always plays with brains and lightning speed, running circles around his opponents while feigning composure.
Born and raised in Okinawa, Ryota had a brother who was three years older. Following in the footsteps of his older brother, who was a famous local player from a young age, Ryota also became addicted to basketball.
In his second year of high school, Ryota plays with the Shohoku High School basketball team along with Sakuragi, Rukawa, Akagi, and Mitsui as they take the stage at the Inter-High School National Championship.
And now, they are on the brink of challenging the reigning champions, Sannoh Kogyo High School.
VIZ Media gave this description for the SAND LAND manga:
In the far future, war has destroyed the entire Earth, leaving only a barren wasteland where the supply of water is controlled by the greedy king. In search of a long-lost lake, Sheriff Rao asked the king of the demons for help…and got the king’s son, Beelzebub, and his assistant, Thief. Together the unlikely trio sets off across the desert, facing dragons, bandits and the deadliest foe of all… the King’s army itself! It’s travel adventure and tank action in this new story from Akira Toriyama, the creator of Dragon Ball Z!
Source: ANN, Fantasia Film Festival
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Danica Davidson is the author of the bestselling Manga Art for Beginners with artist Melanie Westin, plus its sequel, Manga Art for Everyone, and the first-of-its-kind manga chalk book Chalk Art Manga, both illustrated by professional Japanese mangaka Rena Saiya. Check out her other comics and books at www.danicadavidson.com.
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