Interest
Interest: Idol Shoko Nakagawa Directs 1st Film Short
posted on by Egan Loo
25-year-old voice actress/singer Shōko Nakagawa has directed "Nanase Futatabi Prologue," her first film short, earlier this month. The seven-minute live-action short serves as a prologue to next month's Nanase Futatabi feature film from director Kazuya Konaka (live-action Negima! Magister Negi Magi, 2003 Astro Boy anime). Sei Ashina stars in both Nakagawa's prologue short and the feature film based on the classic science-fiction novel by Yasutaka Tsutsui (The Girl Who Leapt Through Time, Paprika). The story centers around Nanase (Ashina), a girl who can read people's minds, and the mysterious organization that tries to exterminate those like Nanase.
Nakagawa (also known as "Shokotan") was already a huge fan of Tsutsui (pictured at left) before agreeing to direct the short. The original novel has sold 4.3 million copies and had already inspired four different live-action television series.
Nakagawa sang theme songs for the Gurren Lagann anime franchise and performed in the Eyeshield 21 anime series. Nakagawa appeared as a musical guest of honor at Anime Expo in Los Angeles in 2008. She has also created several manga titles. Her Sukashi Kashipanman character spawned an anime on mobile phone websites, a DVD, a Nintendo DS game, a manga by Arima Honda in Monthly Comic Dengeki Daioh magazine, and an official sweet bun in LAWSON convenience stores. It also inspired a live-action project in America with Earthworm Jim creator Doug TenNapel.
Source: Oricon, Sports Hochi
