From Silver Screen
to Small Screen
| |
The most costly eyes in history
|
 October 3rd, 2001 - After the drastic disappointment their first feature film was, at least financially, Square Pictures has ceased to function. Losses incurred by the development of Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within has forced Square to reconsider its company strategy and there will be no further movies forthcoming.
A milestone in computer-generated animation and around four years in the making, The Spirits Within seriously underperformed at the box office, recouping less than half the cost of development, which was in excess of $100m US. Reviewers and cinemagoers alike levelled much the same criticism at the film as can be directed towards Square's more recent roleplaying videogames, that is: nice visuals, shame about the storytelling.
After the movie flopped in both the US and Japanese territories, company director Yoichi Wada commented, "We will go back to basics and concentrate our resources on game development". Following this announcement, Square are not expected to post profits for this coming financial quarter.
Meanwhile, the first episode of the animated series carrying the FF name, Final Fantasy Unlimited, was shown last night on Japanese television. Much like the individual games and The Spirits Within, Final Fantasy Unlimited has its own separate story and characters, not connected with any other Final Fantasy title, and is in fact set on Earth.
The plot revolves around a trans-dimensional portal appearing in the sea near Japan which monsters use as a gateway to invade the world. A scientist, Dr. Hayakawa, and his wife, Marie, have travelled through this portal and returned safely, writing a book chronicling their experiences. However, on their second venture to the "other world" they are less successful and do not return.
| |
The latest FF spinoff, Final Fantasy Unlimited
|
Hayakawa and Marie's children, Yu and Ai, decide to pursue their missing mother and father. After reading up on their parents' journal they manage to catch a train to the other world which arrives at thirteen minutes and thirteen seconds past midnight, on which they meet a girl, Lisa, who accompanies them in their search. Also appearing is a hero from the other world, Wind, who has a dark, mysterious past as well as having lost his memory. Typical Japanese stuff then.
The series is scheduled to consist of 52 half-hour episodes. There is no word as yet of a release outside Japan.
Article by Mike for Final Fantasy: Worlds Apart. Thanks to Video Senki, Animé Daisuki.
|
