Lights, camera, action! Saudi anime movie debuts in Japan

Historical epic ‘The Journey’ is inspired by the heritage of the Arabian Peninsula

As tough challenges go, there’s selling sand in the desert, marketing ice cream to the Inuit — and showing the first Saudi anime film in Japan, the genre’s global capital.

But that’s what happened on Sunday when “The Journey” had its Japanese premiere at the Asahi Hall in Tokyo.

The film is set 1,500 years ago, and tells a historical tale from the heart of Arabia in which a potter with a mysterious past takes part in an epic battle defending his city of Makkah against invaders.

Inspired by the history of the

Arabian Peninsula, “The Journey” was directed by the Japanese director Kobun Shizuno and produced by a specialized team of Japanese experts and Saudi talents.

In his speech at the premiere, the Saudi Ambassador to Japan, Naif Al-Fahadi, said: “I am proud to watch the intricate historical tale that portrays the heritage and culture of our ancient civilization in the Arabian Peninsula in the highest quality.

“This successful production is a result of the synergy between Japan and Saudi Arabia, and supports the journey of collaboration, evolution, and friendship between our two countries, which has been taking place since 1955.

“My country … welcomes everything that supports the friendship between the Saudi and Japanese peoples at all levels, based on the belief that our countries share commonalities that will lead to further successful collaborations.”

The film was made by Manga

Productions, a subsidiary of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s charitable foundation Misk, in cooperation with the Japanese studio TOEI Animation.

It has been screened in Riyadh, Jeddah, and Dubai, and is being shown in cinemas across nine Arab countries as well as Tokyo and Osaka.

Manga chief executive Dr. Essam Bukhary said: “The Kingdom and Japan have built their relationship through trade in oil and other items. Today, this relationship is further consolidated and strengthened through close partnership in the field of entertainment, namely the content development sphere.

“We will continue to challenge and persevere to pave the way to produce future works that inspire future champions.”

This successful production is a result of the synergy between Japan and Saudi Arabia.