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is a 1982 Japanese
anime is a Traditional animation, hand-drawn and computer animation, computer-generated animation originating from Japan. Outside Japan and in English, ''anime'' refers specifically to animation produced in Japan. However, , in Japan and in Ja ...
science fiction Science fiction (often shortened to sci-fi or abbreviated SF) is a genre of speculative fiction that deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts. These concepts may include information technology and robotics, biological manipulations, space ...
war War is an armed conflict between the armed forces of states, or between governmental forces and armed groups that are organized under a certain command structure and have the capacity to sustain military operations, or between such organi ...
original video animation , abbreviated as OVA and sometimes as OAV (original animation video), are Japanese animated films and special episodes of a series made specially for release in home video formats without prior showings on television or in theaters, though the ...
directed by Toshio Masuda and
Tomoharu Katsumata is a Japanese film director best known for his work on various anime works. A leading director at the Toei Animation studio during the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s, Katsumata worked as a director on several of Toei's anime television adaptations of m ...
. Set during the
Cold War The Cold War was a period of global Geopolitics, geopolitical rivalry between the United States (US) and the Soviet Union (USSR) and their respective allies, the capitalist Western Bloc and communist Eastern Bloc, which lasted from 1947 unt ...
in an unspecified year of the 1980s, the film details the outbreak of
World War III World War III, also known as the Third World War, is a hypothetical future global conflict subsequent to World War I (1914–1918) and World War II (1939–1945). It is widely predicted that such a war would involve all of the great powers, ...
between
NATO The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO ; , OTAN), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental organization, intergovernmental Transnationalism, transnational military alliance of 32 Member states of NATO, member s ...
and the
Warsaw Pact The Warsaw Pact (WP), formally the Treaty of Friendship, Co-operation and Mutual Assistance (TFCMA), was a Collective security#Collective defense, collective defense treaty signed in Warsaw, Polish People's Republic, Poland, between the Sovi ...
. It is partially inspired by the 1982 speculative war novel '' The Third World War: The Untold Story'' by Sir John Hackett. ''Future War 198X'' was created by
Toei Animation is a Japanese animation studio primarily controlled by its namesake Toei Company. It has produced numerous series, including '' Sally the Witch'', '' GeGeGe no Kitarō'', '' Mazinger Z'', '' Galaxy Express 999'', '' Cutie Honey'', '' Dr. Slu ...
, but was animated by outsourced animators. Prior to its release, the film sparked controversy in Japan over reports, based on an early script, that the film had a strongly pro-war narrative, and its production and release were boycotted by over 30 organizations; this led to the script being greatly reworked, shifting to an
anti-war film An anti-war film is a sub-genre of war film that is opposed to warfare in its theming or messaging. Characteristics Anti-war films typically argue that war is futile, unjust, a loss for all involved, only serves to benefit few in society (us ...
by release. ''Future War 198X'' was released on 30 October 1982. Retrospective reviews criticized the film as being slow-paced and having a weak, unconvincing message. A German dub was later released for
home video Home video is recorded media sold or Video rental shop, rented for home viewing. The term originates from the VHS and Betamax era, when the predominant medium was videotapes, but has carried over to optical disc formats such as DVD and Blu-ray. ...
as ''Null Zeit'' (''Zero Hour'') in
West Germany West Germany was the common English name for the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG) from its formation on 23 May 1949 until German reunification, its reunification with East Germany on 3 October 1990. It is sometimes known as the Bonn Republi ...
and ''Das Ende aller Tage'' (''The End of All Days'') in
East Germany East Germany, officially known as the German Democratic Republic (GDR), was a country in Central Europe from Foundation of East Germany, its formation on 7 October 1949 until German reunification, its reunification with West Germany (FRG) on ...
. An English version, also for home video, was released by
Wizard Video Wizard Video was a home video distribution company formed by B movie producer Charles Band in the early 1980s. It was well-known for its detailed (and often lurid) box art, especially during the time that it sold videocassettes in larger individ ...
in Australia as ''Future War''; however, this was not a dub and instead had the original Japanese audio with English voiceovers, as well as a shortened runtime and licensed music replacing the original
film score A film score is original music written specifically to accompany a film. The score comprises a number of orchestral, instrumental, or choral pieces called cues, which are timed to begin and end at specific points during the film in order to ...
. In March 2018, the Japanese version was distributed digitally for a single day through PlayStation Video. Due to the film's limited distribution, especially internationally, copies of ''Future War 198X'' are considered particularly rare.


Plot

In September 1985, the United States conducts a televised test of "Space Ranger"—a crewed
missile defense Missile defense is a system, weapon, or technology involved in the detection, tracking, interception, and also the destruction of attacking missiles. Conceived as a defense against nuclear weapon, nuclear-armed intercontinental ballistic mi ...
space weapon Space weapons are weapons used in space warfare. They include weapons that can attack space systems in orbit (for example, anti-satellite weapons), attack targets on the earth from space or disable missiles travelling through space. In the cour ...
consisting of four laser-equipped modules and a
mother ship A mother ship, mothership or mother-ship is a large vehicle that leads, serves, or carries other smaller vehicles. A mother ship may be a maritime ship, aircraft, or spacecraft. Examples include bomber aircraft, bombers converted to carry exp ...
named ''Voyager''—at
Vandenberg Air Force Base Vandenberg may refer to: * Vandenberg (surname), including a list of people with the name * USNS ''General Hoyt S. Vandenberg'' (T-AGM-10), transport ship in the United States Navy, sank as an artificial reef in Key West, Florida * Vandenberg S ...
, overseen by American researchers Burt Gains and Professor Brown. Gains believes Space Ranger could end nuclear war forever, but also fears it could worsen the
nuclear arms race The nuclear arms race was an arms race competition for supremacy in nuclear warfare between the United States, the Soviet Union, and their respective allies during the Cold War. During this same period, in addition to the American and Soviet nuc ...
. The next day, he is kidnapped by Soviet spies who attempt to smuggle him back to the
Soviet Union The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...
in an
Alfa-class submarine The Alfa class, Soviet designation Project 705 Lira (, meaning "Lyre", NATO reporting name Alfa), was a class of nuclear-powered attack submarines in service with the Soviet Navy from 1971 into the early 1990s, with one serving in the Russian Na ...
for information on Space Ranger. U.S. President Gibson orders the submarine sunk to secure Space Ranger's secrets, and a
P-3 Orion The Lockheed P-3 Orion is a four-engined, turboprop anti-submarine and maritime surveillance aircraft developed for the United States Navy and introduced in the 1960s. It is based on the L-188 Electra commercial airliner by Lockheed; it is e ...
destroys it with a
nuclear torpedo A nuclear torpedo is a torpedo armed with a nuclear warhead. The idea behind the nuclear warheads in a torpedo was to create a much bigger explosive blast. Later analysis suggested that smaller, more accurate, and faster torpedoes were more efficie ...
, killing everyone aboard, including Gains. The sinking inflames tensions between the U.S. and the Soviet Union; as Gibson seeks a peaceful resolution, Soviet
Premier Premier is a title for the head of government in central governments, state governments and local governments of some countries. A second in command to a premier is designated as a deputy premier. A premier will normally be a head of govern ...
Orlov is offered a choice between a reasoned response by First Deputy Premier Kutsov and military retaliation by hawkish
Minister of Defence A ministry of defence or defense (see spelling differences), also known as a department of defence or defense, is the part of a government responsible for matters of defence and military forces, found in states where the government is divid ...
Bugarin, but opts to simply place the
Soviet Armed Forces The Armed Forces of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, also known as the Armed Forces of the Soviet Union, the Red Army (1918–1946) and the Soviet Army (1946–1991), were the armed forces of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republi ...
on high alert. In the weeks after Gains' death, his close friend and fellow researcher, Japanese national Wataru Mikumo, is promoted to replace him as head of the Space Ranger project, and Wataru bonds with Gains' sister Laura. Meanwhile in Neinberg,
West Germany West Germany was the common English name for the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG) from its formation on 23 May 1949 until German reunification, its reunification with East Germany on 3 October 1990. It is sometimes known as the Bonn Republi ...
, farm girl Marina and her boyfriend,
British Army The British Army is the principal Army, land warfare force of the United Kingdom. the British Army comprises 73,847 regular full-time personnel, 4,127 Brigade of Gurkhas, Gurkhas, 25,742 Army Reserve (United Kingdom), volunteer reserve perso ...
missile crewman Michael, prepare for the town's upcoming New Year celebrations, while off the coast of
Hokkaido is the list of islands of Japan by area, second-largest island of Japan and comprises the largest and northernmost prefectures of Japan, prefecture, making up its own list of regions of Japan, region. The Tsugaru Strait separates Hokkaidō fr ...
, the
Japan Air Self-Defense Force The , , also referred to as the Japanese Air Force, is the Aerial warfare, air and space warfare, space branch of the Japan Self-Defense Forces, responsible for the defense of Japanese airspace, other air and space operations, cyberwarfare and ...
intercepts a Soviet
Tu-22 The Tupolev Tu-22 ( Air Standardization Coordinating Committee name: Blinder) was the first supersonic bomber to enter production in the Soviet Union. Manufactured by Tupolev, the Tu-22 entered service with Long-Range Aviation and Soviet Nava ...
. On New Year's Eve, elite
Soviet Air Forces The Soviet Air Forces (, VVS SSSR; literally "Military Air Forces of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics"; initialism VVS, sometimes referred to as the "Red Air Force") were one of the air forces of the Soviet Union. The other was the Sovie ...
pilot Boris Sorenkuga, flying the experimental Su-28 Black Dragon bomber, defects to the West and lands at a
West German Air Force The German Air Force (, ) is the aerial warfare branch of the , the armed forces of Germany. The German Air Force (as part of the ) was founded in 1956 during the era of the Cold War as the aerial warfare branch of the armed forces of West Germ ...
base near Neinberg. Fearing the loss of the Black Dragon's advanced technology to NATO, Orlov reluctantly allows Bugarin to authorize a
Spetsnaz SpetsnazThe term is borrowed from rus, спецназ, p=spʲɪtsˈnas; abbreviation for or 'Special Purpose Military Units'; or () are special forces in many post-Soviet states. Historically, this term referred to the Soviet Union's Spet ...
assault on the air base, but promptly has a heart attack. Though the Spetsnaz unit kills Sorenkuga and destroys the Black Dragon, Soviet forces cross the
Inner German border The inner German border ( or ''deutsch–deutsche Grenze''; initially also , zonal boundary) was the frontier between the East Germany, German Democratic Republic (GDR, East Germany) and the West Germany, Federal Republic of Germany (FRG, West ...
to support them, sparking direct conflict between NATO and the Soviets. Gibson rejects a suggestion by the
Supreme Allied Commander Europe The Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR) is the commander of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization's (NATO) Allied Command Operations (ACO) and head of ACO's headquarters, Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE). The commander is ...
to launch a first strike and tries to communicate with Orlov to no avail. The battle destroys Neinberg, killing several civilians including Marina; a vengeful Michael steals a missile carrier and launches its tactical nuclear missile against Soviet forces at the border, killing them but fatally poisoning him with radiation. Wataru and Laura learn of the war while visiting Tokyo for the New Year, and Wataru rushes back to Vandenberg, leaving Laura despondent in an underground bar. The fighting rapidly escalates and spills out of Europe as additional
theaters Theatre or theater is a collaborative form of performing art that uses live performers, usually actors to present experiences of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place, often a Stage (theatre), stage. The performe ...
open in the Middle East, Central America, and the Pacific. China initially allies with the Soviets to invade much of East Asia, but racial tensions and disputes over occupied territory eventually lead China to attack the
Russian Far East The Russian Far East ( rus, Дальний Восток России, p=ˈdalʲnʲɪj vɐˈstok rɐˈsʲiɪ) is a region in North Asia. It is the easternmost part of Russia and the Asia, Asian continent, and is coextensive with the Far Easte ...
. Gibson receives a
ceasefire A ceasefire (also known as a truce), also spelled cease-fire (the antonym of 'open fire'), is a stoppage of a war in which each side agrees with the other to suspend aggressive actions often due to mediation by a third party. Ceasefires may b ...
proposal from Orlov, but rejects its demands for massive territorial gains; Secretary of State Girard theorizes Orlov himself may not have sent it. Meanwhile in Moscow, Kutsov convenes the
Politburo A politburo () or political bureau is the highest organ of the central committee in communist parties. The term is also sometimes used to refer to similar organs in socialist and Islamist parties, such as the UK Labour Party's NEC or the Poli ...
to remove Bugarin and draft a proper ceasefire, but Bugarin arrives and launches a coup d'état, ordering Kutsov and the entire Politburo arrested for "treason". Bugarin orders a
Soviet Navy The Soviet Navy was the naval warfare Military, uniform service branch of the Soviet Armed Forces. Often referred to as the Red Fleet, the Soviet Navy made up a large part of the Soviet Union's strategic planning in the event of a conflict with t ...
ballistic missile submarine A ballistic missile submarine is a submarine capable of deploying submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBMs) with nuclear warheads. These submarines became a major weapon system in the Cold War because of their nuclear deterrence capabi ...
to strike the East Coast with
ICBM An intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) is a ballistic missile with a range (aeronautics), range greater than , primarily designed for nuclear weapons delivery (delivering one or more Thermonuclear weapon, thermonuclear warheads). Conven ...
s; the submarine's captain refuses, but the executive officer kills him and orders the launch. Gibson has a breakdown after ordering retaliatory strikes against Soviet cities and is reassured of his actions by Girard. Bugarin is confronted by Orlov, revealed to have survived the heart attack, who condemns his warmongering actions, but one of Bugarin's aides assassinates him before he can reach Gibson through the
Moscow–Washington hotline The Moscow–Washington hotline (formally known in the United States as the Washington–Moscow Direct Communications Link; ) is a system that allows direct communication between the leaders of the United States and the Russia, Russian Federation ...
. The nuclear exchange devastates Washington, D.C., New York City, Chicago, Miami, Paris, Tokyo, and dozens of cities across the world, killing millions; despite the destruction, society remains intact and the war continues. Gibson, forced underground with the rest of the U.S. government, learns Vandenberg is still operational and orders the immediate launch of Space Ranger. Laura, having survived the destruction of Tokyo by staying in the bar (now a makeshift shelter), traverses the ruined city to find a way back to Vandenberg, where she plans to be with Wataru as the world ends. The fighting begins to slow as the
anti-war movement An anti-war movement is a social movement in opposition to one or more nations' decision to start or carry on an armed conflict. The term ''anti-war'' can also refer to pacifism, which is the opposition to all use of military force during con ...
swells: civilians in the once-fractured Middle East march through battlefields demanding peace; the Pope delivers a stirring speech against the war; and disillusioned soldiers on both sides begin deserting en masse. Space Ranger is launched in time to counter another wave of Soviet ICBMs, but three laser modules are overwhelmed and destroyed, the fourth is crippled, and the ''Voyager'' is severely damaged, leaving Wataru as the last surviving crew member. In Moscow, Kutsov is released and confronts Bugarin, who reveals he plans to fire a final volley of
MIRV A multiple independently targetable reentry vehicle (MIRV) is an exoatmospheric ballistic missile payload containing several warheads, each capable of being aimed to hit a different target. The concept is almost invariably associated with i ...
-loaded ICBMs at the last standing cities in the U.S., crushing all remaining opposition and allowing Soviet communism to reign uncontested. Realizing he has gone mad, Kutsov and Bugarin's former supporters attempt to stop him, but Bugarin manages to launch the ICBMs before being shot and killed. Laura arrives at Vandenberg, and Professor Brown allows her to board a shuttle sent to rendezvous with Wataru. In space, Wataru repairs the fourth module and, assisted by the crewed Soviet satellite ''Baikal'', manages to shoot down most of the MIRVs except one bound for Los Angeles. Unable to get a clear shot, Wataru flies the ''Voyager'' extremely close to the MIRV, destroying it but knocking him unconscious and throwing him into space. Gibson and Kutsov dispatch the American shuttle and ''Baikal'' to retrieve Wataru. As the spacecraft close in, Wataru regains consciousness to see the Sun rise from behind the battered Earth, its inhabitants now set on
world peace World peace is the concept of an ideal state of peace within and among all people and nations on Earth. Different cultures, religions, philosophies, and organizations have varying concepts on how such a state would come about. Various relig ...
.


Cast

*
Kin'ya Kitaōji is a Japanese actor. Biography Early life He was born in Kyoto, son of ''jidaigeki'' film star Ichikawa Utaemon, and graduated from Waseda University School of Letters, Arts and Sciences II in Tokyo. Acting career Kin'ya made his debut with ...
as Wataru Mikumo (Robert Manning in the English version) *
Masako Natsume was a Japanese actress from Tokyo. Widely popular in Japan, she gained worldwide recognition for her portrayal of Tripitaka in the TV series ''Monkey,'' which is now considered a cult classic. Biography Masako was born Masako Odate at Japane ...
as Laura Gains *
Hidekatsu Shibata is a Japanese actor, voice actor and narrator from Asakusa, Tokyo who is affiliated with Aoni Production. He was a classmate of former prime minister Yasuo Fukuda at Azabu High School. Shibata is married to fellow voice actor Akiko Sekine. H ...
as Burt Gains *
Keiichi Noda is a Japanese actor, voice actor and narrator from Yamaguchi Prefecture. He is affiliated with Aoni Production. His real name is . He is most known for the roles of Tetsuya Tsurugi in '' Great Mazinger'', Gantsu Sensei in '' Ganbare!! Robocon'' ...
as Professor Brown * Yoshio Kaneuchi as U.S. President Gibson * Osamu Kobayashi as U.S. Secretary of State Girard *
Tamio Ōki was a Japanese voice actor. He was affiliated with Mausu Promotion. Filmography Anime Film Drama CDs Video games Tokusatsu ;1967 * The X from Outer Space (Dr. Berman (Actor by Franz Gruber) ;1976 *Choujin Bibyun ( Sakasabash ...
as U.S. Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff McCoy *
Masashi Amenomori was a Japanese actor and voice actor. Death Amenomori died of cirrhosis on April 9, 1984. At the time of his death he was represented by Aoni Production. Notable voice work *'' Ai Shite Knight'' (Juliano) ''final role'' *''Gatchaman'' (Debu) *' ...
as Soviet Premier Orlov * Yōichi Miyakawa as Soviet First Deputy Premier Kutsov *
Takeshi Aono was a Japanese voice actor and narrator from Asahikawa, Hokkaido, Hokkaidō. He was attached to Aoni Production at the time of his death. He graduated from Hokkaidō Asahikawa Higashi High School. Career Aono was most known for the roles of Sh ...
as Soviet Minister of Defense Bugarin *
Chikao Otsuka was a Japanese actor, voice actor and narrator. He was most known for the roles of Captain Hook ('' Peter Pan: The Animated Series'' and '' Disney's Peter Pan''), Dick Dastardly (''Wacky Races'' and ''Dastardly and Muttley in Their Flying Machine ...
as Lieutenant Colonel Stroganov * Yasuo Tanaka as Koiso *
Gorō Naya was a Japanese actor, voice actor, narrator and theatre director from Hakodate, Hokkaidō. He was part of Theatre Echo all his career, and was the older brother of actor and voice actor Rokurō Naya. Biography Gorō Naya was born on 17 Novemb ...
as
JSDF The are the military forces of Japan. Established in 1954, the JSDF comprises the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force, the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force, and the Japan Air Self-Defense Force. They are controlled by the Ministry of Defense wi ...
Commanding General Tōno


Production

It is unclear when production on ''Future War 198X'' started, but it was primarily conducted by
Toei Animation is a Japanese animation studio primarily controlled by its namesake Toei Company. It has produced numerous series, including '' Sally the Witch'', '' GeGeGe no Kitarō'', '' Mazinger Z'', '' Galaxy Express 999'', '' Cutie Honey'', '' Dr. Slu ...
. Most of the production staff had previously worked on the ''
Space Battleship Yamato is a Japanese science fiction anime series written by Yoshinobu Nishizaki, directed by manga artist Leiji Matsumoto, and produced by Academy Productions. The series aired in Yomiuri TV from October 6, 1974 to March 30, 1975, totaling u ...
'' franchise. Toei Animation's managing director Akinori Watanabe stated Toei's intention was to produce the film in a "realistic" art style with "Western-style images"; to this end, the film's aesthetic was mostly influenced by Japanese film illustrator
Noriyoshi Ohrai was a Japanese illustrator. He is most notable for illustrating the international poster for ''The Empire Strikes Back'' (1980) and several Godzilla (franchise), ''Godzilla'' film posters during the Heisei era. Ohrai's prolific work includes t ...
, who also created illustrations, posters, and concept art. Production was assisted by former
Japan Self-Defense Forces The are the military forces of Japan. Established in 1954, the JSDF comprises the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force, the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force, and the Japan Air Self-Defense Force. They are controlled by the Ministry of Defense ...
Major General Iwano Masataka, the film's music was performed by the
New Japan Philharmonic The is a symphony orchestra based in Tokyo, Japan. History It was founded in 1972 with Seiji Ozawa as honorary conductor laureate. The Philharmonic's primary concert venue is the Sumida Triphony Hall. From 2003 to 2013 its music director ...
, and the film's costumes were designed by French fashion designer
André Courrèges André Courrèges (; 9 March 1923 – 7 January 2016) was a French fashion designer. He was particularly known for his streamlined 1960s designs influenced by modernism and futurism, exploiting modern technology and new fabrics. Courrèges defin ...
. Production cost a total of approximately 600 million yen.


Controversy

In February 1981, Toei Animation's labor union received an early copy of the film's script and, after reviewing it, described it as "dangerous", citing a pro-war narrative that viewed nuclear warfare positively. In April 1981, the union announced in ''
The Asahi Shimbun is a Japanese daily newspaper founded in 1879. It is one of the oldest newspapers in Japan and Asia, and is considered a newspaper of record for Japan. The ''Asahi Shimbun'' is one of the five largest newspapers in Japan along with the ''Yom ...
'' that their members would not be participating in the film's production. This forced the film's animation to be completed by outsourced animators. ''Future War 198X'' was controversial in Japan due to its depictions of nuclear war and the aftermath of war, and it was argued that the film glorified warfare, was right-wing propaganda, or was otherwise unsuitable for children to watch. The film was boycotted and protested by Toei Animation's labor union, joined by approximately 38 organizations, including the Japan Association for the Protection of Children, the Mothers Association of Japan, the
Japan Teachers Union , abbreviated , is Japan's oldest labor union of teachers and school staff. Established in 1947, it was the largest teachers union until a split in the late 1980s. The union is known for its critical stance against the ruling conservative Liber ...
in Tokyo, and even the formation of a dedicated protest movement by these organizations called "Group Against 198X". On 25 May 1981, a physical protest against the film's release was held at the Japan Education Center in Tokyo. The goals of each organization reportedly differed:
parent–teacher association A parent–teacher association/organization (PTA/PTO), parent–teacher–friend association (PTFA), is a formal organization comprising parents, teachers and staff that is intended to facilitate parental participation in a school. A parent–te ...
s complained that war was being promoted in a positive light, while labor unions argued the Soviet Union was portrayed too negatively and criticized how Toei's animators were required to work on a film they ideologically disagreed with. This controversy was timely, as Prime Minister
Yasuhiro Nakasone was a Japanese politician who served as Prime Minister of Japan, prime minister of Japan from 1982 to 1987. His political term was best known for pushing through the privatization of state-owned companies and pursuing a hawkish and pro-U.S. fo ...
was perceived to be staunchly militaristic and supportive of a
Japanese nuclear weapons program During World War II, Empire of Japan, Japan had several programs exploring the use of nuclear fission for military technology, including nuclear reactors and nuclear weapons. Like the German_nuclear_program_during_World_War_II, similar wartime ...
, and over the years after the ''Future War 198X'' controversy the anime industry's labor unions continued to lobby against Nakasone's policies. The April 1982 issue of ''
Animage is a Japanese anime and entertainment magazine published by Tokuma Shoten since July 1978. Notable works serialized in the magazine include Hayao Miyazaki is a Japanese animator, filmmaker, and manga artist. He co-founded Studio Ghibli a ...
'' covered the controversy in an article by Koichi Kato, in which several ''Future War 198X'' staff members, including Toei managing director Akinori Watanabe, provided details on the film's development and responded to criticisms, interspersed with commentary from parent–teacher association members and labor union officials. Watanabe denied that the film was pro-war or promoted right-wing beliefs, instead positioning the film as a "moving ''
Guernica Guernica (, ), officially Gernika () in Basque, is a town in the province of Biscay, in the Autonomous Community of the Basque Country, Spain. The town of Guernica is one part (along with neighbouring Lumo) of the municipality of Gernika-Lumo ...
''" and stating "showing the audience what would happen if World War III broke out is a true suggestion for peace." Animation director Tomoharu Katsumada also stated he would never make a pro-war film, having himself lived through
World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
as a child. Both notably criticized the idea that the film was intended for youth to begin with, and lambasted the anime industry's standard of pandering to the toy and figurine industry to market to children (the film featured real weapons that were not toys, making marketing this way difficult). In the May 1982 issue of ''Animage'', the ''Future War 198X'' staff's response was criticized by ''
Gundam is a Japanese military science fiction media franchise. Created by Yoshiyuki Tomino and Sunrise (now Bandai Namco Filmworks), the franchise features giant robots, or mecha, with the name "Gundam". The franchise began on April 7, 1979, with ...
'' animator and character designer
Yoshikazu Yasuhiko is a Japanese animator, manga artist, and anime director. He is best known for being the character designer and animation director of the original '' Mobile Suit Gundam'' anime, which began in 1979. That same year, he began working as a mang ...
in his monthly column in the magazine. Yasuhiko criticized Watanabe's response as "reeking of hypocrisy", opined the film did not deserve its high budget, and argued the medium of anime was "unsuitable for a serious consideration of war". Yasuhiko had made a statement on that topic in the April 1982 issue, opining it was better to not touch upon war and politics if one was unable to handle that subject matter correctly; in this context, Yasuhiko believed ''Future War 198X'' did not have a serious grasp on war and politics and would be unable to properly communicate its messages to an audience. In response to the controversy, director Toshio Masuda rewrote the film to take on a strong anti-war theme by its release.


Release

''Future War 198X'' was initially intended to be screened at the
Cannes Film Festival The Cannes Film Festival (; ), until 2003 called the International Film Festival ('), is the most prestigious film festival in the world. Held in Cannes, France, it previews new films of all genres, including documentaries, from all around ...
, but this never happened. A German dub was released in West and East Germany. The German dub removed particularly bloody and violent scenes, reducing the film's runtime by approximately 10 minutes. The film was reportedly also released in Italy. It was later aired on Greek television dubbed in
Greek Greek may refer to: Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe: *Greeks, an ethnic group *Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family **Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor of all kno ...
, most recently on ET3 in the mid-1990s. An English version of the film was released on
VHS VHS (Video Home System) is a discontinued standard for consumer-level analog video recording on tape cassettes, introduced in 1976 by JVC. It was the dominant home video format throughout the tape media period of the 1980s and 1990s. Ma ...
in Australia by
Wizard Video Wizard Video was a home video distribution company formed by B movie producer Charles Band in the early 1980s. It was well-known for its detailed (and often lurid) box art, especially during the time that it sold videocassettes in larger individ ...
. This version was not a full English dub, but instead retained the original Japanese dialogue while providing an English voiceover that summarized the events of each scene. It featured music by
Tangerine Dream Tangerine Dream is a German electronic music band founded in 1967 by Edgar Froese. The group has seen many personnel changes over the years, with Froese the only constant member until his death in January 2015. The best-known lineup of the grou ...
,
Asia Asia ( , ) is the largest continent in the world by both land area and population. It covers an area of more than 44 million square kilometres, about 30% of Earth's total land area and 8% of Earth's total surface area. The continent, which ...
, and Rush. Scenes relating to Japan's involvement in the war were also removed, and the character Wataru Mikumo was renamed "Robert Manning". This English cut was only 90 minutes long, compared to the original Japanese version's length of 125 minutes long, and the German cut's length of 115 minutes. From 30 to 31 March 2018, Sony Interactive Entertainment Japan Asia distributed ''Future War 198X'' through PlayStation Video in Japan only, marking the first and only time the film had been officially distributed in a digital format.


Reception

Matteowatz, reviewing ''Future War 198X'' in an article about it in ''Animétudes'', described the film as "pretty bad". His criticism particularly centered on the film's supposed stance that, per Watanabe, "there are no good guys"—which he noted was not true, with the film instead presenting the United States as ultimately saving the world from a crisis started by the Soviet Union. He also noted the film placed a significant focus on Japan and the country's military capabilities, with a Japanese protagonist ultimately saving humanity, placing the Japanese perspective at the forefront. Sean O'Mara, writing in ''Zimmerit'', criticized the film as being "drawn-out" and "ugly". He greatly criticized the anti-war theming as "tacked on" and "unconvincing", arguing the ending sent the message that nuclear war can be won and that "as much as war sucks, having the best technology is still the most important thing". He also compared the film to the stronger anti-war messages of 1983's ''
WarGames ''WarGames'' is a 1983 American techno-thriller film directed by John Badham, written by Lawrence Lasker and Walter F. Parkes, and starring Matthew Broderick, Dabney Coleman, John Wood and Ally Sheedy. Broderick plays David Lightman, a ...
'' and ''
The Day After ''The Day After'' is a 1983 American television film directed by Nicholas Meyer. The war film postulates a fictional conflict between NATO and the Warsaw Pact over Germany that rapidly escalates into a full-scale nuclear exchange between the ...
'', describing ''Future War 198X'' in comparison as "exploitive; reveling in the imagery of the war without much consideration for the potential outcome." However, he did praise Ohrai's artwork for the film, but still argued it was "befitting of a much more interesting film". ''anime-games.co.uk'' noted Ohrai's artwork did not accurately reflect the content of the film, which they described as "mostly talking" and lacking much footage of the effects of the nuclear exchange or the actual war itself. They greatly criticized the film's ending as drastically downplaying the effects of global nuclear war (Earth and the survivors recover unusually quickly, and all of humanity bonds together for peace), describing it as "completely implausable and undercut
ing Ing, ING or ing may refer to: Art and media * '' ...ing'', a 2003 Korean film * i.n.g, a Taiwanese girl group * The Ing, a race of dark creatures in the 2004 video game '' Metroid Prime 2: Echoes'' * "Ing", the first song on The Roches' 199 ...
the drama of everything that came before it". Reviewing the English version of the film, ''Vintagecoats'' criticized the unusual narration style, sound design, and rock music score as detracting from the dramatic experience and "drain ngall the potential color from the world of this film". Anime historian David Merrill was quoted as describing ''Future War 198X'' as "a big, tedious sludge of a picture".


Novelization

A novelization of ''Future War 198X'' was published by
Jitsugyo no Nihon Sha is a Japanese publishing company founded on June 10, 1897. Magazines Monthly *''Body+'' *''Comic Candoll'' *''GarrRV'' *''Garuru'' *''Misty'' *''Monthly Bijutsu'' *''Monthly J-novel'' *''Waggle'' Quarterly *''Kabuka Yohō'' *''NAIL VENUS'' Def ...
in 1982, written by Masataka Iwano, who also worked on the film as a planning coordinator.


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External links

* * * ''Future War 198X'', Japanese language with English subtitles * ''Future War 198X'', German language dub {{Toei Animation films 1980s 1982 anime films 1982 films 1980s science fiction war films Animated films set in the 1980s Films about World War III Soviet Union war fiction Films about space warfare Adventure anime and manga Japanese animated science fiction films Japanese science fiction war films Toei Animation films Military of the United States in fiction Japan Self-Defense Forces in fiction Films about nuclear war and weapons Films directed by Tomoharu Katsumata 1980s Japanese-language films Animated films set in California Animated films set in Germany Animated films set in Hokkaido Animated films set in Japan Animated films set in Tokyo Animated films set in Russia Animated films set in the Soviet Union 1982 science fiction films Films set in 1986 Films with posters by Noriyoshi Ohrai