March 23, 2007

Production I.G has created the animation for Kao Corporation's new image video dedicated to the Asience shampoo line. The 1-minute long fully animated film, entitled Asience: Hairy Tale, is directed by Kazuto Nakazawa, who gained international fame by directing the animation part in Quentin Tarantino's world hit Kill Bill: Vol. 1. Nakazawa also designed the characters and directed the animation. Art direction has been entrusted to Shuichi Hirata, the texture wizard behind the stunning artwork of Cannes-nominated Innocence and Annecy-selected xxxHOLiC - A Midsummer Night's Dream. The genuine Japanese style music has been composed by Yoshihiro Ike, who already collaborated with I.G in Blood: The Last Vampire and Reideen.

The graphic style of Asience: Hairy Tale is visually inspired by the Japanese woodblock prints, and personalized by Nakazawa's nervous and expressive brush touch used for the characters outlines. The story concept, focusing on woman's hair as metaphor of feminine life, is portrayed as a tragic love story in a samurai drama fashion.

The image video is receiving a sneak preview at Production I.G booth (B-02) at Tokyo Anime Fair 2007, held in Tokyo March 22 to 25, 2007.

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