Akiko Okuda's "Rusuban" Manga Inspires Short Anime Film on August 1
ROCK'N ROLL MOUNTAIN — the studio behind ON-GAKU: Our Sound and the rotoscoped feature 100 Meters — is returning to the short-form stage with a new adaptation: Rusuban (House-Sitting), a short anime based on Akiko Okuda’s slice-of-life short manga. Announced alongside a one-week theatrical screening at K’s Cinema in Shinjuku starting August 1, the film promises a more intimate, hand-drawn approach from the studio’s younger animators and marks the directorial debut of Ayumi Yanagisawa. Below we break down what we know about the production, the creative team, and why this tiny, time-locked release is already drawing attention from fans of indie manga adaptations.
What is Rusuban about?
Set in August 1987, Rusuban follows Tokko during a single day as she stays alone in a large family house while her relatives are away. The premise is compact, but the setting and mood—summery, domestic, quietly observant—lend themselves to a character-focused short that explores atmosphere, memory, and small domestic details. The original short manga appears in Akiko Okuda’s Shinzō short manga collection, first shipped in July 2019.
Production details: studio, director, and animation approach
Studio and screening
ROCK'N ROLL MOUNTAIN is producing the short, and it will screen for one week at K’s Cinema in Shinjuku beginning August 1. The screening will be paired with Kenji Iwaisawa’s earlier Yama short (2010), creating a thematic double-bill that highlights the studio’s ongoing interest in adapting indie manga into small-scale animated works.
Director and creative leads
Ayumi Yanagisawa — previously an assistant united director on Iwaisawa’s 100 Meters — makes her directorial debut on Rusuban. Yanagisawa is also credited with storyboards and editing, signaling a hands-on authorial role over both the film’s narrative pacing and visual composition. This puts her at the creative center of the project and suggests a unified aesthetic vision from planning through final cut.
Cast, crew, and artistic team
The voice cast includes Kokoha Tachibana, Yuka Katō, Atsuyoshi Miyazaki, Mitsuho Kanbe, Aimi Imai, and Akane Katsuki. On the technical side, the team brings together emerging animators and experienced creatives: animators Yuuka Noguchi, Midori Makino, and Miku Akira are listed among the young staff; Chisato Mansai and Pang Qi handle background art; Veronica Horeva is director of photography; Ayame Sekiguchi is color key artist and production desk; Miyu Katō directs sound; Yasuo Harada composes music; and Masaru Usui manages sound effects and dubbing mixing. Notably, voice actress Yuka Katō also supervises dialect coaching, a detail that underscores the production’s care for authenticity.
Animation style: hand-drawn over rotoscoping
One of the most notable production choices is the move away from rotoscoping — the technique used prominently in 100 Meters — to hand-drawn animation handled largely by the studio’s younger staff. This decision likely changes both the visual texture and the expressive possibilities of Rusuban: hand-drawn animation can emphasize painterly backgrounds, subtle linework, and idiosyncratic motion that suits small, intimate stories. Expect a softer, more organic look with emphasis on atmosphere and gesture rather than hyper-realistic movement.
Backgrounds, photography, and sound design
With background artists Chisato Mansai and Pang Qi and photographer Veronica Horeva on board, the film appears positioned to balance crafted art direction with nuanced cinematography. Coupled with Miyu Katō’s sound direction and Yasuo Harada’s score, the film is likely to present a strongly tactile audiovisual world — important for translating the subtleties of a single-day domestic story to the screen.
Screening context and audience expectations
The one-week theatrical window at K’s Cinema makes Rusuban a limited event film — an approach often used for short anime that have festival potential or are intended as special cinema experiences. This kind of short run encourages a focused audience: indie manga readers, followers of ROCK'N ROLL MOUNTAIN, and viewers who appreciate short-form, auteur-driven animation. If the short resonates with audiences and critics, it could surface at festivals or be rolled out for wider distribution via specialty platforms or home media — though no wider release has been announced at this time.
About the source material
Okuda’s original “Rusuban” short is one of six in her Shinzō collection (July 2019). Her work has appeared in indie manga collections such as the Glaeolia compilation published by Glacier Bay Books. Okuda’s slice-of-life sensibilities, which emphasize mood, small revelations, and domestic detail, are a natural fit for a short cinematic adaptation that privileges character atmosphere over plot mechanics.
For the original announcement and production visuals, see Comic Natalie (source). Comic Natalie coverage.
Why Rusuban matters
Short anime adaptations of indie manga are where risk-taking and experimentation frequently happen: limited runtimes force filmmakers to distill tone and image, and small teams often produce unexpectedly rich work. Rusuban’s combination of a debut director, a young animation crew, hand-drawn aesthetics, and careful sound design makes it a watch for anyone interested in contemporary Japanese animation that explores quiet, domestic narratives. The project also continues ROCK'N ROLL MOUNTAIN’s trajectory of adapting independent manga voices — a thread that can help diversify the kinds of stories reaching cinema screens.
Final thoughts
Rusuban looks to be a thoughtful, deliberately crafted short that leans on mood and craft rather than spectacle. Ayumi Yanagisawa’s directorial debut, backed by a skilled, detail-oriented production team, suggests a short that will reward attentive viewing. With its limited theatrical run starting August 1 at K’s Cinema, this is a title to watch for fans of indie manga adaptations and intimate anime filmmaking. If you’re in Tokyo that week, consider catching the double-bill to experience how the studio’s younger voices reinterpret Okuda’s quiet, summertime tale.
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