Anime director Gensho Yasuda pleasantly surprised fans with the release of short features based on scenes from Moana 2. The shorts previously starred characters from the film, specifically Moana and Simea. The first two shorts featured the Japanese dubbed version of “We’re Back” and “Beyond” as performed by Tomona Yabiku, Moana’s Japanese vocalist. The anime shorts are an official Disney collaboration between the company and Yasuda’s studio, Yasuda Gensho Studio by Xenotoon. The first pair of animations celebrated the film’s release in Japan on December 6, promising that more will be arriving based on other songs and characters.
Videos by ComicBook.com
Yasuda has finally released the next two shorts on his YouTube channel, as relayed via Anime News Network. The first new short stars Matangi and features a small clip for the Japanese version of the song “Get Lost.” The fourth short has Maui take the focus and has the Japanese rendition of “Can I Get a Chee Hoo?” The shorts are 3D-animated, just like the film, but have a unique shading that draws out the more anime-inspired aesthetics of the settings and characters. Disney has always had a strong foothold in Japan, with Disneyland nesting in Tokyo to attract Japanese consumers. Given Disney’s recent push to invest in more anime, it makes sense for the brand to advertise its latest animated hit with an anime director to help sell it in Japan.
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Moana 2 Was Meant To Be a Show, but Could It Be an Anime Instead?
Moana 2 has dominated the box office, grossing over $724 million at the worldwide box office. Given the film’s wild success, it’s almost hard to imagine the movie was initially going to be a streaming series. The pivot to theatrical was done because the higher-ups and animators were impressed with how the series turned out and decided it needed to become a film instead.
The decision to turn Moana: The Series into Moana 2 may have been decided late in the production cycle, considering the movie was officially announced and released within nine months. Disney typically announces projects years in advance, even though technically, the Moana show had been previously known. These Moana anime shorts by Yasuda have made fans wonder if an anime series based on the films would be feasible. While a Moana series may still come on the heels of Moana 2, it could be more lucrative for Disney to turn it into a potential anime.
