Acclaimed film critic Roger Ebert has passed away at the age of 70.
I just wanted to mention this here because while it’s not directly related to anime, he has written on various Japanese animated films.
He was known as a bit of a “closet otaku” having once featured a wide variety of anime films in a weekend special of his his syndicated weekly television show. He even interview Japanese Animated film legend Hayato Miyazaki.
He’s also made a small comment on the dub vs sub debate.
Here are various links to his reviews:
Royal Space Force: The Wings of Honnêamise (1987, Hiroyuki Yamaga) – reviewed in print only, listed with an honorable mention in Ebert’s top 10 for 1995 when it was released in the US.
Roujin Z (1991, Hiroyuki Kitakubo) – reviewed by Ebert in print.
Ghost in the Shell (1995, Mamoru Oshii) – reviewed by Siskel & Ebert (YT) and in print by Ebert.
Metropolis (2001, Rintaro) – reviewed by Ebert & Roeper (YT), in print.
Tokyo Godfathers (2003, Satoshi Kon) – reviewed in print.
Steamboy (2004, Katsuhiro Otomo) – reviewed by Ebert in print.
Although I didn’t always agree with his statements (like his statement on video games) and reviews, he was a very talented individual. He will be missed by many.
Feel free to share your thoughts in our forum discussion.
