Masaaki Yuasa's Next Film Revealed: Daisy's Life
Masaaki Yuasa is one of the most respected animation directors working in Japan today- if not the world. And for the past decade or so he's been pretty prolific, releasing the likes of Inu-Oh, Lu Over The Wall, Devilman Crybaby, The Night Is Short, Walk On Girl and Japan Sinks 2020. Since leaving the studio he co-founded Science Saru, he has established a new studio ame pippin. And it has now been revealed what will be the first release from his new animation house.
Daisy's Life is a Japanese-French co-production based on Banana Yoshimoto’s novel Hinagiku no Jinsei, with original illustrations by renowned artist Yoshitomo Nara. The film is scheduled for release in 2026.
Yuasa launched ame pippin in February of this year with the goal of pushing artistic boundaries in the animation world. The studio is backed by heavy-hitters Asmik Ace, Inc., Aniplex Inc. and CoMix Wave Films. The Tokyo-based studio aims to be a major force in the global animation scene.
Daisy's Life follows the journey of a six-year-old named Daisy, who loses her mother in a tragic accident. She struggles to adapt to life with her aunt. One sleepless night, she encounters a mysterious girl named Dahlia at her window. Their days together begin to transcend space and time, bringing a cosmic dimension to Daisy's humble life in a downtown yakisoba restaurant.
Yuasa says "Even among the works of Ms. Banana Yoshimoto, this is a novel that evokes visual images throughout, and while there are parts that are vividly scary, the final passage is very happy, like something I had dreamed of in the past. I would like to depict the life of the protagonist who works for a yakisoba restaurant in a downtown area with a 100-meter radius on a cosmic scale."
Yuasa is teaming up with acclaimed screenwriter Sachiko Tanaka, whose previous work includes Before We Vanish and Asako I & II. This will mark her first time working in animation. Original artist Yoshitomo Nara will be contributing character designs to the film.
The production is being headed up by Asmik Ace, who have a storied history in both live-action and animated cinema and whose previous releases include Paranoia Agent and Tekkonkinkreet. The film is co-produced by France's Miyu Productions who recently also co-produced Ghost Cat Anzu.
"After a first fruitful collaboration with Asmik Ace on Yoshitoshi Shinomiya’s ‘A New Dawn’ we are delighted and honoured to renew our partnership on the next project by Masaaki Yuasa, one of the greatest animation filmmakers of our time", said Miyu producers Emmanuel-Alain Raynal and Pierre Baussaron.
Yuasa has earned such a title, with a career that has constantly pushed the boundaries of animation as a medium. His often surreal storytelling and inventive visuals have won him deep admiration within the animation community as well as with audiences. Daisy's Life looks like it could be pushing the art of auteur-driven animation even further. We'll be eagerly awaiting more news on this one.
