The event, held for the first time in Malaysia, features screenings of four full-length anime, namely “One Piece Film: Red”, “Shin Ultraman”, “The Quintessential Quintuplets Movie”, and “Isekai Quartet the Movie: Another World”.
With the exception of the latter film which was released on Aug 18, these titles will be making their Malaysian premieres at the festival. The general release dates for “One Piece”, “Shin Ultraman” and “Quintuplets” are Sept 22, Oct 6, and Oct 20, respectively.
Furthermore, only “Shin Ultraman” will be screened in cinemas nationwide; “One Piece” and “Quintuplets” are exclusive to GSC, according to Justin Chan of GSC Movies.
On Saturday, FMT joined a fan screening session of “One Piece Film: Red”. The film ranked No. 1 during its opening weekend in Japan from Aug 6, and has surpassed “One Piece Film Z” to become the franchise’s highest-selling and -earning instalment at the box office.
The movie, based on the manga of the same name written and illustrated by Eiichiro Oda, centres around Uta (Kaori Nazuka), a singer renowned for her beautiful voice and adored by many.
With a runtime of 115 minutes, it is a showcase of incredible animation with beautiful songs performed by Japanese songstress Ado. One might find themselves tapping their toes or being moved to tears during the musical numbers; of note is the catchy theme song “New Genesis”, composed by Yasutaka Nakata.
Make no mistake, however: despite it almost being a musical, “One Piece Film: Red” packs enough of a punch to keep the audience enthralled. In fact, during action sequences, viewers during Saturday’s screening could be heard cheering loudly!
Present at the event was Shinji Shimizu of Toei Animation, the production company behind the film, who took photos with excited anime fans. A lucky draw and cosplay contest were among the other highlights on the day.
As of press time, tickets for the exclusive screenings of the movies have sold out, so anime fans will just have to wait for the general releases.
Still, head on over to Paradigm Mall to take photos at the “One Piece Film: Red” standee at the Upper Atrium, as well as the “Shin Ultraman” and “Quintessential Quintuplets Movie” standees. Time to get those cameras out!
Other events at the mall in conjunction with the Odex Film Festival include performances by Ristelle and Rina-Hime this Saturday and Sunday, as well as cosplay and “doujin” (artwork made by fans) booths, which will feature merchandise such as illustrations and photo albums.
Check out GSC’s website, app, or kiosks to get your tickets for the general releases.