When the kid brings me along to anime conventions, we occasionally get to meet the producers and directors of the movie and TV shows. A lot of people have an attitude that the Japanese animation industry is “locals only.” American artists can do their best to replicate the imported entertainment’s style on this side of the ocean. But they don’t dream that they can fly to Tokyo and break into the real industry. But that’s not quite true. At Animazement, a producer explained how every year over 300 movies and tv series are produced. This meant they were always looking for sources for the next show outside of manga and the country. After this speech, I asked if he’d be willing to see if my novel was worthy of being adapted. To my astonishment, he said yes and took a copy. I’m still waiting to hear back, but it’s good be able to hand him a copy without getting the usual producer speech about needing an agent and contacting someone else in the company. He was looking. As far as artists go, the biggest problem is that Tokyo is very expensive and working for an anime studio isn’t the most lucrative of jobs. But it can be done. And it was done over 20 years ago when Michael Arias of Los Angeles became the first American to make an anime movie in Japan with Tekkonkinkreet. He previously worked with major Japanese animators as a segment producer on The Animatrix movie. Arias had a real sense of the process when he adapted the manga by Taiyō Matsumoto (Ping Pong) to the big screen.
Black (Scott Menville, Robin on Teen Titans Go!) and White (Elliot Fletcher, Shameless) are two orphans that roam the rough and decaying streets of Treasure Town. This is an island in the middle of the bigger city’s river. The two boys hustle on the street and seem to climb to the top of any building. They are nicknamed stray cats by the locals. They are very protective of their turf and when outside older kids show up looking for a fight, they don’t back down. This is not their biggest battle. Turns out the Yakuza has plans for the deteriorating neighborhood. The Goons start going around to muscle business and building owners to sell out their property cheaply. Black and White have no desire to see what the Yakuza want to do with the property. They want them out and are effective taking out the low level goons. This leads to the Yakuza bring on the sinister Snake (Dwight Schultz, A-Team). He has only three goons except they are supersized and will go after Black and White to exterminate them like neighborhood vermin. Can the local cops Sawada (Tom Kenny, SpongeBob Squarepants) and Fujimura (Maurice LaMarche, Pinky and the Brain) help the boys or do the boys even need their help?
Tekkonkinkreet might be 20 years old, but feels like it could have been released last spring. Michael Arias and his animation crew made a movie that hasn’t begun to age. Visually, the mixing of animation and CGI is seamless. Arias didn’t use his opportunity to direct an anime movie in Tokyo to duplicate the work of others. The artwork exists on its own as he smoothly brings to motion the imagery of Taiyō Matsumoto. Treasure Town feels real as Black and White roam around the streets and slip inside the various buildings. Their battles remain effective. Tekkonkinkreet is one of the great cinematic experiences of the 21st Century.
The Video is 2.35:1 anamorphic. The remastered transfer just dazzles on the 4K UHD disc. You’ll get lost in the details of Treasure Town. The Audio is English and Japanese in DTS-HD MA 5.1. The mix brings out the supernatural sounds. The movie is subtitled in English, French and Spanish.
Blu-ray with movie and bonus features.
Audio Commentary with director Michael Arias, screenwriter Anthony Weintraub and sound designer Mitch Osias. They talk about how the opening shot of the raven flying through Treasure Town set the tone for the film. It also pushed his animation crew. He gets into the compromises that had to be made in the production.
The Making of Tekkonkinkreet (43:22) is Director Michael Arias’ 300 Day Diary. We see the three groups designing the characters, creating the landscape and developing the CGI. While this was his first directorial effort, he had been wanting to make the film for nearly a decade. This time has allowed him to figure out how to present the film to his animation staff since he wasn’t an animator. This includes his own photos of neighborhoods around Asia. Arias speaks Japanese.
A Conversation with director Michael Arias and British Music Duo Plaid (11:37) is from back in 2006. They talk about how while working on instrumental tracks, people often say it should be music for films. This was their first chance. A few years later they’d reunite with Arias for the live action Heaven’s Door. Arias saw them live which made him think they’d be good for the film.
Original Japanese Trailer (1:35) also includes the Blu-ray release date.
Original US Trailer (2:10) has the film promoted with the Animatrix connection.
Booklet with production art and a craft in the back.
GKIDS and Shout! Studios present Tekkonkinkreet. Directed by Michael Arias. Screenplay by Anthony Weintraub. Starring Elliot Fletcher, Rick Gomez, Tom Kenny, David Lodge, Maurice LaMarche, John DiMaggio, Phil LaMarr, Dwight Schultz & Steven Jay Blum. Running Time: 111 minutes. Rating: Rated R. Release Date: September 1, 2026.
