Susano (voice)
In this influential* cult-classic animated film based on Japanese folklore, Susano is the youngest son of Izanagi and Izanami, the heavenly couple who created the Earth. Still a young boy, Susano is devastated by the passing away of his mother. Determined to find her despite the reprimands of his father, he embarks on a journey to find his brother and his sister for spiritual guidance. *Genndy Tartakovsky identifies this film as a primary influence on the direction and design of his TV series Samurai Jack (2001–2004; 2017). Yōichi Kotabe was a character animator on the film, and used it as inspiration for the art direction of the video game The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker (2002). Tomm Moore, director of the Oscar-nominated films The Secret of Kells (2009), Song of the Sea (2014), and Wolfwalkers (2020), has identified the film as a major influence.
A classic battle between good and evil pits an unscrupulous fortuneteller who has been preying on the good citizens of Edo against a master-less samurai who founded a school for underprivileged children in a poor neighborhood. Into the mix comes a young woman running away from a forced marriage disguised as a teenage boy and becomes a student of the beloved Sensei, while he staves off the advances of a skilled pickpocket and prepares for a bloody showdown against a direct retainer of the shogun!
