Being reletively new to anime, Lupata or Castle in the Sky wasn't something that was familiar. Being unfimiliar with the franchise, there was some catching up to do. After watching it, some trailers and reviews there is no wonder why the series has received such high praise. For those not familiar with Castle in the Sky, it was an animated adventure, first released in 1986. A theatrical trailer can be seen below and a link for The Art Of Castle In The Sky that releases on October 18th.
(
PRE-ORDER The Art Of Castle In The Sky)
The animated feature film revolves around a floating island named Lupata. Lupata was built by those who hated war and fled to the skies. The island itself was full of technologies built before the civilizaton was decimated by disease, though there are rumors that the civilization lives on by some who fled the floating island and went back to the ground. The technology left behind still lies guard and it waits for its king to return. This is where Pazu comes into play. Pazu is a miner who dreams of following in his fathers footsteps. His father is famous in his own right. He is known for stumbling onto the floating island and taking the only known picture.
The island if proved to be real, would be of great value to the highly militiristic goverment who would love the technology. This is where Sheeta, a simple farm girl comes in. Her family has passed down a blue pendant that is the key to Lupata and all of its mysteries. This pendant is something that many different people have taken interest in and that is only the beginning and is highly recommended to any anime fan.
The Art of Castle In The Sky pays tribute to the animated feature in special ways. The first thing that any person meandering through the first pages will notice is how the film went from concept stages (including writen explanations) and everything leading up to the films production. There are also some key dates of production included.
Another portion of the book has a dubbed screen play that is an awfully good read and for fans of the film and the studio would love it that much more. The artwork, screenshots and other worded information give another layer of context to Hayao Miyazaki's work. Some fans might own the Japanese version of the artbook, but this english version obviously has more to offer.
For those interested in both the book and the artbook and the film can use the following links and pick them up!
The Art Of Castle In The Sky
Castle In The Sky