News
Micott Countersues Radix over Appleseed TV Anime
posted on by Egan Loo
The production company Micott & Basara has filed a countersuit on July 14 against the animation studio Radix mobanimation for restitution and compensation due to debts from their suspended Appleseed: Genesis television project. Wedge Holdings, the corporate parent of Radix, revealed that the countersuit was filed in the Tokyo District Court — the same court that is also hearing Radix's September 26 civil lawsuit over unpaid production costs from the project. Micott & Basara is requesting 159 million yen (about US$1.7 million) in its countersuit, including 105 million yen (US$1.1 millon) in restitution for the cancellation of the production contract, and 54.04 million yen (US$577,000) in compensation for damages.
According to Radix, the two companies signed an agreement to produce a television anime series based on Masamune Shirow's Appleseed future paramilitary manga story on March 12, 2008. Radix claims that Micott & Basara ordered a halt in the production at the beginning of last July without a clear explanation or payment for production costs. On the other hand, Micott & Basara claims that there was no unpaid production costs and that Radix unilaterally ended their discussion about the production.
The Appleseed manga already inspired an anime video and two computer-animated films. The Appleseed: Genesis television project was unveiled at a stage event at Tokyo International Anime Fair 2008 on March 30, 2008, although the show's exhibitor notes had already revealed the existence of the project earlier that month.
The computer-graphics (CG) project would have featured director Romanov Higa (Urda, s TANK S.W.A.T. 01, Catblue: Dynamite), character designer Haruhiko Mikimoto (Macross, Gundam 0080, and Gunbuster), and voice actress Romi Paku (Fullmetal Alchemist's Ed, NANA anime's Nana Osaki) as the female main lead Deunan Knute. Radix animated Divergence Eve, Nazca, and Haibane Renmei, while Micott & Basara produced the 2004 Appleseed movie, Appleseed: Ex Machina, and Atagoal wa Neko no Mori.
Source: animeanime.jp
Image © 2009 Masamune Shirow/Seishinsha Micott & Basara
