Did You Know? Yugo Sako Chose Hand-Drawn Animation Over Computers to Preserve Warmth and Humanity in Ramayana: The Legend of Prince Rama

MUMBAI : Ramayana: The Legend of Prince Rama, conceived by Yugo Sako and directed by Koichi Sasaki and Ram Mohan, is recognized as one of the earliest anime adaptations of an Indian epic. Completed in 1993, this remarkable film revolutionized the animation landscape by introducing Indian mythology to global audiences through the lens of Japanese anime, marking a significant milestone in animation history.

Yugo Sako’s journey to creating Ramayana was fueled by his deep admiration for Indian culture. While working on a documentary film on archaeological excavations in India, he made several visits to the country and found the perfect story to adapt into an animated feature, leading to the birth of Ramayana : The Legend of Prince Rama. Sako saw the universal themes of love, friendship, and loyalty as the heart of the epic and believed that animation could help bring these values to children and adults across the world.

With a team of 450 artists, the film was animated using nearly 100,000 hand-drawn cells. Sako chose traditional hand-drawn animation over computer animation because he believed it best captured the warmth and humanity of the Ramayana. His team’s dedication to this labor-intensive process gave the film an emotional depth that resonated universally. Many of the animators who worked on the project later contributed to iconic productions such as Pokémon, Dragon Ball Z, Doraemon, and films from Studio Ghibli, further cementing the film’s influence on the animation industry.

Ramayana: The Legend of Prince Rama also introduced a unique collaboration between Japanese anime techniques and Indian storytelling, blending the artistic traditions of two countries in a way that had never been done before.

Now remastered in 4K, Ramayana: The Legend of Prince Rama is set to see its first-ever pan-India release in four languages—English, Hindi, Tamil, and Telugu—during the Indian festive season of Dussehra and Diwali. The film promises to be a cinematic celebration that combines India’s cultural richness with the brilliance of Japanese anime. Distributed across India by Geek Pictures India, AA Films, and Excel Entertainment, the film is set to captivate audiences nationwide.

#YugoSako (1928–2012), the planner and the producer for #RamayanaAnime #TheLegendOfPrinceRama https://t.co/aiJX3jNJ0x

He wished a major theatrical release of the film.#RamayanaAnimeInCinema pic.twitter.com/zPakpSD4sJ

— Ramayana: The Legend of Prince Rama (Official) (@RamayanaAnime) September 22, 2024