Movie Musings: Naruto the Movie Road to Ninja

As a Naruto fan I will admit that every time a new Naruto movie would be shown in Japan I would feel a pang of jealousy. I would get jealous because I would not be able to watch the movie in the big screen and would even have to make do with watching downloads from the internet with bad subtitles.  

So when the 9th Naruto Movie: Road to Ninja was about to be shown in Japanese theaters last July 8, 2012, I was seething green with envy with all the promotional material I saw posted all over the internet. 

Naruto everywhere! Naruto the Movie: Road to Ninja promotional material on buildings in a busy Japanese city. How many can you see in this photo? 

Posters in a Train Station in Japan. 

Whatever jealousy I have been feeling at the occurrence of every new anime movie it is slowly changing as Movie Punch is taking anime in the Philippines to new heights- which is the comfort of watching it in the movie house. As you are reading this, Anime movies is making ripples and a lot of noise in local cinema.While anime movies being shown in local cinema is nothing new since YuYu Hakusho and Dragon Ball were also screened here more than a decade ago- I know because I was in Grade 5 when YuYu Hakusho was shown and it was Tagalog dubbed. (Gasp! I know, I know it's practically considered taboo now,  especially for the modern Otaku). These past weeks have seen a new change and it is a big and good change; it's definitely a good time to be an Otaku. 

A trip to the Convenience Store is made even more better with Naruto meals and Naruto cup noodles- all promotional material for the movie. 

Naruto the Movie: Road to Ninja was (finally!) screened in local cinemas last April 9, 2013, we were lucky enough to be invited to the special advanced screening last April 8, 2013 - you can read about that in this blog post and check out more photos also. We may be a long way from all the cool promotional but I'm happy that we are getting some where and that anime movies have a place in local cinema. 

With Cosplayers Jin Joson and Marien Jose during the special advanced screening at the Director's Club at SM Mall of Asia. 

Naruto The Movie: Road to Ninja Premiere

Movie Posters are up!

Paul and I were really excited to be invited to a special advanced screening of Naruto the Movie: Road to Ninja by it's movie distributor, Movie Punch. It's actually the first invite that we got as a blogging entity and it gives that feeling that everything that you've worked hard for is finally paying off. ^_^ 

The special advanced screening was held in the Director's Club at SM Mall of Asia. It's a really cozy and exclusive venue with only 30 La-Z- boys! 

I've personally never seen a movie while reclining comfortably on a La-Z-Boy, so there I was all curled up and all comfy while watching the movie!  
In order not to spoil the movie for those of you who are planning to catch in theaters and I'm telling you that you should! I will have a separate blog post about my Movie Musings (movie review) and this would mostly focus on the special advanced screening. 

   

First time, and it was awesome!

The special advanced screening was also attended by other bloggers and well renowned cosplayer Jin Joson and Marien Jose were present and cosplayed as Minato Namikaze and Tsunade Senju from Naruto. 

Tsunade, Sir Sam, and Minato. Jin Joson as Minato Namikaze and Marien Jose as Tsunade Senju 

Anime Movie Invasion: Anime Movies to be shown in local Cinemas

It is definitely a good time to be an Otaku. 

With the recent success of the Rurouni Kenshin live action movie being shown last year-gaining the title of highest ever box office opening for a Japanese film in the Philippines and earning $647,922.00 in the box office; it is no surprise that more Anime movies are coming our way to local Cinemas. 

Movie Punch - Pioneer films Philippines is bringing top Anime titles to your nearest SM Cinema in the next following months. 

Social Media was all a buzz with news that movies from Naruto, One Piece and Hunter X Hunter are already being negotiated to be shown exclusively in SM Cinemas. 

Along with so many other Filipino Otakus I'm really excited about this news so I reached out to the ever hard working people from Movie Punch (Pioneer Philippines) and asked a few questions about the impending arrival of an Anime Movie Invasion. I have also included a short write up/preview on the anime movies to be shown. ^_^ 

Would you say that these Anime movies are being shown because of the success of the Rurouni Kenshin live action movie? 

Yes, and it means there is really a large fan base that follows Japanese Anime movies here in the Philippines. Rurouni Kenshin has proven that. 

What are you looking to accomplish by showing these Anime movies? 

Firstly, we were not aware of the large following, SM Cinemas suggested Rurouni Kenshin to us because of the "persistent clamor" of fans. This led us to research and we found out that there is a huge request from anime fans (to have Rurouni Kenshin in Cinemas) but it was still a gamble for us since this is going to be the first time for us to show this kind of film genre, so in short we gave in to the "clamor" and got the rights to show it here in the Philippines- we hope to accomplish the excitement we will be bringing to the younger generation and to anime fans as well, by bringing in all their favorite TV programs (Anime series) and a chance to watch it on the big screen! 

Naruto the Movie: Road to Ninja: Showing on April 10, 2013

From Samurais to Ninjas - Now it's Naruto's turn to charm Filipino audiences. 

Naruto - the manga was first published in 1999 and is created by Masashi Kishimito and is considered as one of the best selling manga series of all time- selling more than 126.5 million copies and this is just in Japan alone. 

As for the anime series, it's interesting to note that Naruto has actually won some awards in the Philippines specifically: 'Best Full-Length, Animation Program Award' during the 3rd UStv Student's Choice Awards which was held in the University of Santo Tomas in Manila on February 19, 2009. 

Online episodes of Naruto: Shippuuden are also claiming record hitting numbers with an average of 160,000 viewers a week. 

The movie which will be shown exclusively on SM Cinemas on April 10, 2013 - (Yes! Just 15 days to go!) Movie Punch wanted to release the movie before it comes out on DVD and Blu-ray in Japan (April 24, 2013). After the DVD is released it will already be available for streaming and downloading online - but seriously if you can watch it in the movie house-it would definitely be a better experience. So you guys better start reserving tickets online or making plans to catch this movie with your friends! :) Why resort to piracy and crappy downloads with bad subtitles if you can enjoy watching the movie in the comfort of the movie theater right? 

Naruto the Movie: Road to Ninja was released in Japan on July 28, 2012 (yup- we are waaaay behind), it is the ninth overall Naruto film but only the sixth Naruto Shippuuden film. It's interesting to note that series creator Masashi Kishimoo supervised the movie.