Fans of both anime and comic books are anticipating with bated breath for Stan Lee’s foray into anime with The Reflection . Now there is more of a reason to be hyped as a first look trailer has been released giving a glimpse what Lee’s anime is all about.
According to a written article by Cosmic Book News , the anime is about people and the events that happen after an incident known as “ The Reflection .” Some people in all parts of the world discover they have super powers. Some people become heroes while others become villains. Though the new world now has heroes and villains, there are some who are wondering what “The Reflection” is. They are trying to find out how it happened and what caused it. With so many unresolved conflicted caused by “The Reflection,” turmoil abounds.
The synopsis for The Reflection does sound stereotypical of other superhero stories including Heroes . However, its “unique twist” is the fact it is an anime. Ergo, we will probably see animation, dialogue, and direction seen in animes. Needless to say but this will surely be an interesting anime indeed.
In a follow-up article written by Anime News Network , it reports details of the first look video of The Reflection and credits about the anime itself . From what we see from said video, there is an armor-clad character flying around Los Angeles, California. It does make sense the trailer’s venue is there because The Reflection was revealed at Stan Lee’s Comic Con in L.A. this past weekend.
Pow! Entertainment, which is an American production company co-founded by Stan Lee, and Studio DEEN will be working on the anime collaboration. Hiroshi Nagahama — who is known for directing Mushi-Shi — will direct the series at Studio DEEN. Lee will take credit for creating the story. Both of them, however, are working together to flesh out the story. They are also working on character designs for The Reflection . Yoshihiko Umakoshi will adapt those designs to animation. Finally, Trevor Horn will produce the music for the series in which popular J-pop girl group 9nine will perform the title song.
On a professional note pertaining to Pow! Entertainment, The Reflection marks just how far the production company has come. Since its founding back in 2001, Pow! Entertainment has been 60/40 when it comes to the projects it produces in which the majority of them swing against them. So far, the projects that seen commercial success or at least a lot of recognition includes their first project Stripperella starring Pamela Anderson, television film Lightspeed , and the reality television series Stan Lee’s Superhumans .
Also through Pow! Entertainment, Stan Lee had previous forays into anime and manga. Prior to The Reflection , Lee has worked with BONES before to create an anime called Heroman . Stan Lee also co-created a manga named Ultimo with Hiroyuki Takei.
The Reflection it is expected to air sometime in 2017. It is unknown which quarter this coming year, but there are talks about it airing sometime in the summertime. Originally, the series was scheduled to premiere in Japan first on broadcast television, but streaming efforts most likely persuaded both Pow! Entertainment and Studio DEEN to reconsider an international simulcast. As for which companies will simulcast the series, it is still up in the air. Most likely, Crunchyroll will get the honors since they are technically the authority when it comes to streaming anime. They even have a simulcast section too.
[Featured Image by Pow! Entertainment/Studio DEEN]