As a lifelong anime enthusiast who grew up with Disney classics, I must say that the recent collaboration between Gensho Yasuda and Disney to create Moana 2 anime shorts has left me utterly thrilled! Having watched countless anime series and movies over the years, I can appreciate the unique blend of Disney’s captivating storytelling and Yasuda’s distinctive animation style.
Anime director Gensho Yasuda delighted fans with the unveiling of brief clips inspired by scenes from the upcoming movie “Moana 2”. These previews prominently showcased characters like Moana and Simea, who were previously seen in the film. The initial two installments incorporated the Japanese dubbed renditions of “We’re Back” and “Beyond”, sung by Tomona Yabiku, Moana’s Japanese voice actress. These anime shorts are an official collaboration between Disney and Gensho Yasuda’s studio, Yasuda Gensho Studio by Xenotoon. The first set of animations commemorated the film’s premiere in Japan on December 6, hinting at more to come based on additional songs and characters.
Yasuda recently uploaded two new animations on his YouTube channel, according to Anime News Network. The first of these shorts centers around Matangi and includes a brief preview of the Japanese version of the song “Get Lost.” The fourth short primarily showcases Maui and offers the Japanese version of “Can I Get a Chee Hoo?” These animations are 3D-styled, similar to the film, but feature distinct shading that emphasizes the anime-inspired elements within their settings and characters. Since Disney has a significant presence in Japan, with Disneyland situated in Tokyo to cater to Japanese customers, it seems strategic for Disney to collaborate with an anime director to promote its latest animated release in Japan, given Disney’s recent focus on investing in more anime content.
Moana 2 Was Meant To Be a Show, but Could It Be an Anime Instead?
The sequel to Moana, has been a blockbuster hit, raking in over $724 million globally at the box office. Given its astonishing success, it’s almost unbelievable that this movie was originally intended for streaming. The change to a theatrical release came about because those in charge and the animators were so impressed with how the series turned out, they felt it deserved to become a full-length film rather than just a series.
It’s possible that the transformation of “Moana: The Series” into “Moana 2” occurred later in the production process, given that the movie was announced and released within just nine months. Normally, Disney reveals projects years ahead, but the Moana TV show had been previously known. The anime shorts by Yasuda have sparked curiosity among fans about a potential anime series based on the movies. Although a Moana series could follow after Moana 2, it might be more profitable for Disney to consider turning it into an anime instead.
Read More
- Forza Horizon 5 Update Available Now, Includes Several PS5-Specific Fixes
- Masters Toronto 2025: Everything You Need to Know
- ‘The budget card to beat right now’ — Radeon RX 9060 XT reviews are in, and it looks like a win for AMD
- Gold Rate Forecast
- We Loved Both of These Classic Sci-Fi Films (But They’re Pretty Much the Same Movie)
- Valorant Champions 2025: Paris Set to Host Esports’ Premier Event Across Two Iconic Venues
- The Lowdown on Labubu: What to Know About the Viral Toy
- Karate Kid: Legends Hits Important Global Box Office Milestone, Showing Promise Despite 59% RT Score
- Eddie Murphy Reveals the Role That Defines His Hollywood Career
- Street Fighter 6 Game-Key Card on Switch 2 is Considered to be a Digital Copy by Capcom
2024-12-21 00:39