Promare

Promare (Japanese: プロメア, Hepburn: Puromea) is a 2019 Japanese animated film co-produced by Trigger and XFLAG. It was directed by Hiroyuki Imaishi and written by Kazuki Nakashima. It features character and mecha designs by Shigeto Koyama, 3DCG animation by Sanzigen, and music by Hiroyuki Sawano. The film was released on May 24, 2019 in Japan.[1]

Promare
Theatrical release poster
Japaneseプロメア
HepburnPuromea
Directed byHiroyuki Imaishi
Screenplay byKazuki Nakashima
Starring
Music byHiroyuki Sawano
CinematographyShinsuke Ikeda
Edited byJunichi Uematsu
Production
company
Distributed byToho[1]
Release date
  • May 15, 2019 (2019-05-15) (Tokyo premiere)[2]
  • May 24, 2019 (2019-05-24) (general release)[2]
Running time
111 minutes[3]
CountryJapan
LanguageJapanese
Box office¥1.5 billion (Japan)[4]
$17 million (worldwide)[lower-alpha 1]

Plot

During a calamity known as the Great World Blaze, fires from mass spontaneous human combustions killed half the world's population. Certain humans developed pyrokinetic abilities during and subsequent to the event, and became known as the Burnish.

Thirty years later, Galo Thymos lives in the city of Promepolis, where he works as member of the firefighting group Burning Rescue. They respond to incidents involving Mad Burnish, a group of radical Burnish accused of being terrorists. As Galo accomplishes the mission, Mad Burnish leader Lio Fotia is sent to prison by Freeze Force, a police force owned by the city governor Kray Foresight. However, Lio and other prisoners break themselves free, and escape to the cave near a frozen lake. As Galo arrives there, he sees Lio attempting to revive a mortally injured Burnish using a mouth-to-mouth flame transfer technique. Lio tells Galo that Kray is capturing Burnish for use in human experiments.

Galo confronts Kray, who informs him that the Earth will soon be destroyed by an uncontrollable surge of magma from the earth's core. He discovers that the abilities of the Burnish can be used to create a warp drive, which he intends to use to flee Earth with a select portion of humanity. Meanwhile, Freeze Force track the Burnish remnants and recapture all but Lio. Lio returns to the city to confront Kray, though Galo intervenes and retreats with Lio to the frozen lake.

Lio's flames melt the ice and reveal a laboratory run by a holographic projection of Deus Prometh, a scientist killed by Kray. Deus explains that the Burnish can communicate with the Promare, a race of inter-dimensional flame beings that reside in Earth's core; the surging magma is a side effect of subjecting the Promare to pain, and Kray's experiments on the Burnish are accelerating its growth. In a mecha of Deus' design, known as the Deus X Machina, Galo and Lio return to the city to confront Kray. In the battle, Kray reveals that he is a Burnish, and attempts to use Lio to power the warp drive. Though this nearly kills Lio, Galo revives him using the mouth-to-mouth technique.

Together, Galo and Lio combine the drive and their mecha to protect life on Earth while allowing the Promare to envelop the surface, causing the Promare to burn out and vanish completely. The Burnish become normal humans, and Galo and Lio resolve to rebuild the world together.

Voice cast
Character
Japanese[8][9][10] English[11]
Galo Thymos (ガロ・ティモス, Garo Timosu) Kenichi Matsuyama Billy Kametz
A recently recruited member of Burning Rescue describing himself to have a "burning soul". He aims to extinguish all flames after an incident where his home was destroyed.
Lio Fotia (リオ・フォーティア, Rio Fōtia) Taichi Saotome Johnny Yong Bosch
The leading successor of the organization Mad Burnish. He risks his life to protect everyone and believes the Burnish do not kill without reason.
Kray Foresight (クレイ・フォーサイト, Kurei Fōsaito) Masato Sakai Crispin Freeman
The commanding governor and foundation leader of Promepolis. He orders human experiments on the Burnish and aims to be perceived as a hero to the general public.
Aina Ardebit (アイナ・アルデビット, Aina Arudebitto) Ayane Sakura Alyson Leigh Rosenfeld
A pilot of Burning Rescue and Galo's partner. According to Heris, she was to be brought onto the Parnassus ship.
Remi Puguna (レミー・プグーナ, Remī Pugūna)Hiroyuki YoshinoBilly Bob Thompson
The vice-captain of Burning Rescue. He takes no nonsense from the likes of Galo and Lucia.
Varys Truss (バリス・トラス, Barisu Torasu) Tetsu Inada John Eric Bentley
A muscular member of Burning Rescue often protecting survivors. Like his co-workers, he may occasionally be critical of Galo.
Ignis Ex (イグニス・エクス, Igunisu Ekusu) Rikiya Koyama Steve Blum
The commander of Burning Rescue. He effectively coordinates with his co-workers during rescues and seems to have a negative history with Vulcan.
Lucia Fex (ルチア・フェックス, Ruchia Fekkusu) Mayumi Shintani Kari Wahlgren
A scientist for Burning Rescue and the creator of Matoi Tech. Despite her antics, she dislikes being referred to as a "mad scientist."
Vinny (ビニー, Binī) Kendo Kobayashi Michael Sinterniklaas
Lucia's mascot rat for Burning Rescue. He tends to be very gluttonous.
Heris Ardebit (エリス・アルデビット, Erisu Arudebitto) Ami Koshimizu Erica Lindbeck
Aina's scientist sister and one of Kray's assistant.
Biar Colossus (ビアル・コロッサス, Biaru Korossasu) Ryōka Yuzuki Melissa Fahn
Kray's secretary assistant.
Vulcan Haestus (ヴァルカン・ヘイストス, Varukan Heisutosu) Taiten Kusunoki Neil Kaplan
The captain of Freeze Force who cooperates with Kray for Burnish captures. His technology is implied to come from the Foresight Foundation.
Gueira (ゲーラ, Gēra) Nobuyuki Hiyama Matthew Mercer
Lio's first general. A fellow Burnish man whose fiery personality stands out amongst Lio and Meis.
Meis (メイス, Meisu) Katsuyuki Konishi Yuri Lowenthal
Lio's second general. Despite his cool demeanor, he follows along with any of his partners' antics.
Deus Prometh (デウス・プロメス, Deusu Puromesu) Arata Furuta Mike Pollock
A phenomenon researcher whom Kray killed. He later preserved his consciousness into an AI computer.

Music
Promare Original Soundtrack
Soundtrack album by
Hiroyuki Sawano
ReleasedMay 24, 2019
GenreSoundtrack
Length1:15:26
LabelAniplex
ProducerHiroyuki Sawano

The film's theme songs, "Kakusei" (覚醒, lit. "Awakening") and "Kōri ni Tojikomete" (氷に閉じこめて, lit. "Imprisoned in Ice"), are performed by Superfly.[10] The soundtrack is composed by Hiroyuki Sawano, with the album published by Aniplex on May 24, 2019.

All music is composed by Hiroyuki Sawano.

Promare Original Soundtrack[12]
No.TitleLyricsPerformer(s)Length
1."Inferno"
  • Benjamin Anderson
  • mpi
  • Benjamin Anderson
  • mpi
3:54
2."PRO//MARE"  3:47
3."GAL-OTHY-MOS"  5:09
4."ΛsHEs"cAnON.Gemie2:21
5."WORLDBIGFLAMEUP"  4:27
6."PROMARETHEME"  3:18
7."BangBangBUR!...n?"  5:56
8."NEXUS"
  • Benjamin Anderson
  • mpi
Laco3:49
9."BAR2tsuSH"  5:27
10."DeusPRO召す"  5:17
11."fanFAREpiZZA"  3:36
12."ΛsHEs ～RETURNS～"cAnON.Gemie2:24
13."燃焼ING-RES9"  2:09
14."BAR2NG4女14yoN"  3:11
15."904SITE"  2:34
16."REG-GIRT"  2:27
17."RE:0"  2:38
18."PIROMARE"  2:20
19."Gallant Ones"
  • Benjamin Anderson
  • mpi
  • Benjamin Anderson
  • mpi
2:54
20."stRE:0ings"  2:27
21."火-YO!人"  5:21
Total length:1:15:26

Production

The film was announced at Anime Expo on July 2, 2017 as an original anime project co-produced by Studio Trigger and XFLAG that has been in production for over four years,[13] later revealed to be a film in October 2018. Hiroyuki Imaishi and Kazuki Nakashima worked together previously on Gurren Lagann and Kill la Kill.

Nakashima and Trigger are credited for the original work, with Shigeto Koyama providing the character and mechanical designs, Sanzigen animating the 3DCG sequences and Hiroyuki Sawano composing the music. The film's logo is designed by Saishi Ichiko and Tomotaka Kubo is serving as art director. Sushio, who designed the characters and served as chief animation director on Kill la Kill, is involved as one of the film's animators.[14]

Release

The film premiered in Japan on May 24, 2019, with Toho distributing the film.[9][15] On June 13, 2019, GKIDS acquired the film for North American distribution, with showings occurring on September 17 and 19, 2019.[16][17][18] It was dubbed into English by NYAV Post.[19] The film was later released again with showings on December 8, 10, and 11, 2019, where it also aired a short prequel film Side: Galo.[20] Another showing of the film in North America was expected to re-air April 7 and 8, 2020 with the two prequel films Side: Galo and Side: Lio as well as a message from Imaishi.[21] However, the third screening in North America was postponed during COVID-19 pandemic.[22]

To promote the upcoming European release, Trigger partnered with Goodsmile Racing and Black Falcon team to field a Mercedes-AMG GT3 with Promare livery in the 2019 Spa 24 Hours endurance race.[23] The car started on pole position and finished 3rd.[24]

In the United Kingdom and Ireland, Anime Limited acquired the film, and premiered it at Scotland Loves Anime in Glasgow on October 13, 2019,[25] and a special screening in Edinburgh on October 19, 2019 with director Hiroyuki Imaishi, creative producer Hiromi Wakabayashi, and character designer Shigeto Koyama.[26] In Australia and New Zealand Madman Entertainment premiered the film at Madman Anime Festival Melbourne on September 14, 2019.[27]

Home media

Promare was released in Japan on Blu-ray and DVD on February 5, 2020.[28] Originally set for a May 5, 2020 digital home media release in North America, the film was released by GKIDS and Shout! Factory digitally on April 21, 2020.[29] A Blu-ray and DVD release followed on May 19, 2020.[30] The film is also expected to have a steelbook edition.

Reception

Box office

Promare in its opening weekend ranked at number 8 in the Japanese box office, grossing ¥41.4 million in its first three days.[31] In its second weekend, the film dropped to number 10, grossing ¥58.8 million and a cumulative total of ¥231.3 million .[32] In its third weekend, the film dropped out of the top 10 and accumulated ¥65.3 million . As of September 20, 2019, the film had grossed over ¥1.2 billion ($11.11 million ).[33] The film went on to gross ¥1.5 billion ($13.8 million ) in Japan,[4][5] becoming the 23rd highest-grossing Japanese film of 2019.[4] It has also grossed $2,313,186 in the United States and Canada,[6] and $914,234 in other territories, for a worldwide total of $17 million .[lower-alpha 1]

Critical response

The review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes reported that 97% of critics have given the film a positive review based on 29 reviews, with an average rating of 8/10. The site's critics consensus reads, "Visually dazzling and narratively exhilarating, Promare is a colorful thrill ride that should entertain adult anime enthusiasts as well as the teens in its target audience."[34] On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 77 out of 100 based on 8 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews."[35]

Matt Schley of The Japan Times gave the film 4 stars out of 5, praising the storytelling but having some criticism for elements of the transition between 2D and 3D animation.[36]

Writing for Anime News Network, Kim Morrissy gave Promare a Grade A. Comparing it to previous works by Trigger such as Gurren Lagann and Kill la Kill Morrissy claimed that: "Promare is a refinement of the Trigger formula to the point where I honestly believe it has outdone the classics that inspired it."[37]

Gadget Tsūshin listed "Annihilation Beam", a phrase from the film, in their 2019 anime buzzwords list.[38]

Accolades
Year Award Category Recipient Result
2020 Mainichi Film Awards Best Animation Film Promare Nominated[39]
Annie Awards Best Animated Feature — Independent Nominated[40]
Newtype Anime Awards Best Work (Theatrical Screening) Won[41]
Bucheon International Animation Film Festival International Competition - Feature Film - Audience Prize Won[42]

Notes
  1. Promare – $17,027,420
    • Japan – ¥1.5 billion ($13.8 million)[4][5]
    • US, Canada, France, Russia CIS, UK, Australia, New Zealand – $2,767,420[6]
    • Taiwan – $460,000[7]

References
  1. "CAST_STAFF | 映画『プロメア』公式サイト 5/24（金）全国ロードショー" (in Japanese). Trigger, Kazuki Nakashima/XFLAG. Archived from the original on 4 February 2020. Retrieved 26 November 2019.
  2. "5月15日（水）映画『プロメア』完成披露プレミア上映会の開催が決定！！" (in Japanese). Trigger, Kazuki Nakashima/XFLAG. 24 April 2019. Archived from the original on 15 October 2019. Retrieved 15 October 2019.
  3. プロメア (2019). allcinema (in Japanese). Stingray. Retrieved May 25, 2019.
  4. "MOVIES WITH BOX OFFICE GROSS RECEIOPTS EXCEEDING 1 BILLION YEN". Eiren. Motion Picture Producers Association of Japan. 2019. Archived from the original on 16 February 2020. Retrieved 3 March 2020.
  5. "Historical exchange rates from 1953 with graph and charts". fxtop.com. 2019. Retrieved 4 March 2020.
  6. "Promare (2019) - International Box Office Results". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 2019-12-31.
  7. "台北週末◆票房收入:2019年 第 41 週10-11~10-13-台灣偶像劇場". tw.dorama.info. Retrieved 2019-10-20.
  8. "Trigger Reveals More Details on Promare Anime". Anime News Network. July 7, 2018. Archived from the original on December 21, 2018. Retrieved December 10, 2018.
  9. "Trigger, XFlag's Promare Anime Film Reveals Main Cast, May Debut, New Trailer". Anime News Network. January 22, 2019. Archived from the original on January 23, 2019. Retrieved January 22, 2019.
  10. "Promare Anime Film's New Trailer Unveils New Cast, Superfly Theme Songs". Anime News Network. April 4, 2019. Archived from the original on April 6, 2019. Retrieved April 5, 2019.
  11. Sherman, Jennifer (August 27, 2019). "Promare Anime Film's English-dubbed Trailer Streamed (Updated)". Anime News Network. News. Archived from the original on August 27, 2019. Retrieved August 27, 2019.
  12. "オリジナルサウンドトラック CM解禁". promare-movie.com (in Japanese). April 9, 2019. Archived from the original on April 19, 2019. Retrieved April 19, 2019.
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  20. Lada, Jenni (2020-03-06). "Promare Complete Will Return to Theaters in April 2020". Siliconera. Archived from the original on 2020-03-30. Retrieved 2020-03-10.
  21. Milligan, Mercedes (November 26, 2019). "GKIDS & Fathom Add Exclusive 4DX 'Promare (Redux)' Screenings". Animation Magazine. Retrieved January 10, 2020.
  22. @GKIDSfilms (March 18, 2020). "Given current circumstances & to ensure the health & safety of our attendees, PROMARE (Complete) and CHILDREN OF THE SEA have been postponed. New event dates and ticketing info will be communicated when available. For info about refunds please reach out to your point of purchase" (Tweet). Retrieved March 18, 2020 – via Twitter.
  23. "「Fate」「プロメア」「初音ミク」デザインのマシンが「スパ24時間」を走る！ "グッスマ"が「Black Falcon」のアートディレクションを担当". Car Watch (in Japanese). July 22, 2019. Archived from the original on July 29, 2019. Retrieved July 29, 2019.
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  32. "Godzilla: King of the Monsters Opens at #1 in Japan". Anime News Network. June 3, 2019. Archived from the original on June 4, 2019. Retrieved June 16, 2019.
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  36. Schley, Matt (May 15, 2019). "'Promare': A burning need for rage control". The Japan Times. Archived from the original on May 21, 2019. Retrieved May 18, 2019.
  37. Morrissy, Kim (June 6, 2019). "Review: Promare". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on June 14, 2019. Retrieved June 7, 2019.
  38. Loveridge, Lynzee; Morrissy, Kim (December 4, 2019). "Demon Slayer, Dr. Stone, Zombie Land Saga Buzzwords Make Gadget Tsūshin 2019 List". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on December 8, 2019. Retrieved December 14, 2019.
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  40. "Annie Awards - Nominees". Annie Awards. Archived from the original on April 13, 2017. Retrieved February 23, 2020.
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