Roujin-Z

 
By the year 2020, a quarter of Japan's population will be over 65, the highest proportion of people in any industrialised nation.
With this as his inspiration, Katsuhiro Otomo - internationally acclaimed for his cyberpunk masterpiece Akira - has created another bold vision of the future in Roujin-Z. Directed by Hiroyuki Kitakubo, it presents a solution to the problem of elderly care in the form of Z-001, a robotic life-support system programmed to respond to a pensioner's every need with maximum efficiency and minimum compassion. However, initial trials on the unsuspecting Mr. Takizawa bring about some alarming results, implying the real reason behind the machine's development.
An ominous interpretation of near future society, this stimulating film combines social - political concerns with full-scale shoot-em up action.

Original story for the movie: Katsuhiro Otomo
Screenplay: Katsuhiro Otomo
Mechanical design: Katsuhiro Otomo
Original character design: Hisashi Eguchi
Chief director: Hiroyuki Kitakubo
Animation director: Fumio Iida
Art director: Hiroshi Sasaki
Music: Bun Itakura
Dubbed into English by Manga Entertainment Ltd.
Programme running time: 80 minutes approx
© 1990 Tokyo Theaters Co., Inc./The Television Inc./Movic Co., Ltd./TV Asahi/Sony Music Entertainment (Japan) Inc.
English language version © 1994 Manga Entertainment Ltd.
Package design and summary © 1994 Manga Entertainment Ltd.
All rights reserved.
WARNING: For private domestic use only. Any unauthorised copying, hiring, lending, or public performance of this videocassette is illegal.