Hand-Drawn Rebellion: The Beautiful Failure of REDLINE

Nuclear explosions, bio-warfare and an army of robot cops meets an interplanetary take on Death Race[1] in this race to stardom. Oh, and did I forget to mention Scarface?[2] Yes, there is also the alien equivalent of the Chicago Outfit,[3] fit with rigged gambling, guns and a fair share of blow in this fever dream of a film. Redline (2009)[4] carries a lot of bragging rights in the film industry for its groundbreaking style, hyper-detailed visuals and mind-bending animation, and yet, the movie flopped.[5] This movie didn’t just under perform, it sent the entire studio into bankruptcy.[6] In an industry where artistic integrity is at constant war with commercial marketability, creatives are stuck between a rock and a hard place. Come with me to dive deeper into the lore behind Redline, and the perfect storm that doomed it from the beginning.

Redline GIF (Gif, Giphy, 2014)

This 2009 movie has gained incredible respect and notoriety within the anime community, and for good reason. Every single frame in this 102-minute flick is stunning, bursting with vibrant colours, intricate details and beautiful world building.[7] These stunning visuals, coupled with writing from Yôji Enokido[8] and Yoshiki Sakurai[9] from Evangelion[10] and Katsuhito Ishii[11] from Kill Bill,[12] make for a fully immersive experience from start to finish.

Takeshi Koike Collage (Matthew Magnus Lundeen, Game Rant, 2023)

But what makes it so special? The director: Takeshi Koike.[13] After making a name for himself in the industry working in the animation department on projects like Ninja Scroll[14] and Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust,[15] he started his directing career on some smaller projects that would start to hit the screens in 2003.[16] Later this year, Madhouse[17] would give him the title of director in his first full length feature film: Redline, and this film was his baby. Koike was not settling for anything less than perfect. In defiance of the industry standard, Takeshi made the decision to use zero CGI, making Redline the only completely hand-drawn movie in modern cinema.[18] But perfection is not easy, and sure as shit is not cheap. With over 100,000 individually hand drawn frames, the sheer labour and dedication demanded of the animation team was unrivalled.[19] This forced the production time to stretch over 7 years and the original budget of $18.5million was quickly blown with an estimated cost of $30million spent on the production.[20] As far as business is concerned, the numbers don’t lie. The movie was a complete and utter failure.

‘Someone's havin' doubts, huh? Hell, I'm just trying to keep this thing interesting. You can't write me off like that. You're just a voice, pal! YOU DON'T KNOW A DAMN THING ABOUT RACING!’[21] These words from JP, the protagonist of Redline, echo the film's defiant spirit.

The financial tragedy of this film is not what sets it apart from the rest of the industry, it is the audacity to maintain artistic vision and creative integrity at all costs. Every frame has been carefully crafted and curated, with speed lines that leap off the screen and character design that fuses retro aesthetics with futuristic flair. The film’s signature race sequences are a masterclass in tension building cinema packed with details you must rewind to catch.

Redline’s infamy reigns on, influencing fans to appreciate new projects adopting similar animation techniques and encouraging studios to stick to tradition as the digital age runs rampant. While the box office release tanked, the legacy of Takeshi Koike’s Redline burns brighter each year. New audiences discover its brilliance through underground communities and internet forums proving that the value of a film is more than the big screen debut.

Miyazaki Quote (az Quotes, 2002)

In an age where commercial success reigns over artistic freedom and dictates crucial decisions, Redline stands as a statement of rebellion. It reminds us that the most important pieces of art aren’t the ones that top the charts or fetch the highest price, they are the ones that push the envelope and explore the limits of creativity. While Madhouse may have paid the price for this ambitious project, they created something special that will be studied, celebrated, and cherished by film and anime enthusiasts for generations to come. That is what makes Redline such an important monument of the creative world, it represents the contrast between the heights of artistic achievement and the harsh realities of the creative industry. In the pursuit of perfection, Redline was a success… but at what cost?