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Sunrise Makes Anime Film of Nerawareta Gakuen Sci-Fi Novel (Update 2)
posted on by Egan Loo
Sunrise's Studio 8 (My-HiME, Horizon in the Middle of Nowhere, Accel World) is producing an anime film adaptation of Taku Mayumura's science-fiction children's novel Nerawareta Gakuen with director Ryosuke Nakamura (Mōryō no Hako, Aoi Bungaku Series).
The story is set in Abeno 6th Middle School, a prep school attended by the main character Kōji Seki. The school puts a high emphasis on studying, but the resulting stress leads to unruly students. Michiru Takamizawa is elected the student council president, and she begins ruling over the school with a brutal iron fist. Kōji rises up against Michiru, and Kazumi Kusumoto joins him in the battle with the student council.
Mayumura has written scores of novels, and some of them — Manie-Manie Meikyu Monogatari (Neo-Tokyo) and Toki no Tabibito -Time Stranger- — have inspired earlier anime films. The Nerawareta Gakuen novel already inspired four live-action television adaptations and two live-action films, but Sunrise's film will be the first anime adaptation. Nobuhiko Ōbayashi (Shōnen Keniya) directed the 1981 live-action film with Tomoyo Harada (Shōnen Keniya, You Are Umasou), Ryōichi Takayanagi (Shōnen Keniya) and Kazue Itou (Mori no Senshi Bonolon, Rurouni Kenshin) as Kazumi, Kōji, and Michiru, respectively.
The release date of the anime film has yet to be announced.
Source: Eiga.com
Update: Harada, Takayanagi, and Itou starred in the 1982 live-action television version. (Takayanagi was reprising his role from the 1981 film.) Thanks, hyojodoji.
Update 2: The official website for the anime film lists a Fall 2012 release date. It also has a countdown that will end on May 23.
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