Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
Erica Lindbeck | ... | O-Ei (voice) | |
Anne Watanabe | ... | O-Ei (voice) (as An) | |
Richard Epcar | ... | Katsushika Hokusai / Additional Voices (voice) | |
Yutaka Matsushige | ... | Katsushika Hokusai (voice) | |
Gaku Hamada | ... | Ikeda Zenjirô (voice) | |
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Ezra Weisz | ... | Zenjiro Ikeda (voice) |
Robbie Daymond | ... | Kuninao Utagawa (voice) | |
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Kengo Kôra | ... | Utagawa Kuninao (voice) |
Barbara Goodson | ... | Koto / Additional Voices (voice) | |
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Jun Miho | ... | Koto (voice) |
Courtney Chu | ... | O-Nao (voice) | |
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Shion Shimizu | ... | O-Nao (voice) |
Marc Diraison | ... | Hatsugoro / Additional Voices (voice) | |
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Michitaka Tsutsui | ... | Iwakubo Hatsugorô (voice) |
Kumiko Asô | ... | Sayogoromo (voice) |
Set in 1814, Miss Hokusai focuses on O-Ei, the daughter of famed artist Tetsuzo, better known by his pen name Hokusai, as she tries to navigate the various aspects of her life. O-Ei spends the bulk of her time assisting her divorced father who cares about his art and not much else. Written by Jake Duke
As others have noted, some of the musical choices can be a bit off-kilter, but perhaps they are meant to demonstrate that bustling Tokugawa-era Edo was every bit as exciting as modern-day Tokyo. The animation is gorgeous, and the fact that "Miss Hokusai" does not follow traditional biopic conventions only strengthens it. It also passes the Bechdel test with flying colors, without being historically inaccurate. With all the interest around Hokusai and woodblock prints in the West, it's unfortunate that this film was not publicized more.