The Laws of the Universe
Japanese animated film series about alien encounters.
The Laws of the Universe is a Japanese animated film series made up of three movies, produced by HS Pictures Studio. The first film, The Laws of the Universe: Part 0, came out on October 10, 2015. Eleven Arts holds the license for the series. The plot follows five junior high school students who get caught up in a strange event involving an alien species called the Grey. A promotional video for the prologue, Part 0, was first streamed on July 23, 2015. HS Pictures Studio, which is run by the controversial new religious movement Happy Science, produced the series. Ryuho Okawa, Happy Science’s founder, was reported to have directly overseen production. A sequel, The Laws of the Universe Part 1, premiered at the Awareness Film Festival in Los Angeles on October 6, 2018. Critics heavily panned The Laws of the Universe: Part 0. Charles Solomon of the Los Angeles Times called it “messy” and said “it follows no rules,” adding that only Okawa’s followers would enjoy it.
Quick Facts
- Genre
- Science fiction
- Creator
- Happy Science
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
The series follows a group of five junior high school students who become involved in a strange occurrence involving an alien species called Grey. The first film, The Laws of the Universe: Part 0, was preceded by a promotional video streamed on July 23, 2015. The movie series was produced by HS Pictures Studio, which is operated by Happy Science, a controversial new religious and spiritual movement. Ryuho Okawa, the founder of Happy Science, was reported to be directly overseeing production of the movie series. A sequel, The Laws of the Universe Part 1, premiered at the Awareness Film Festival in Los Angeles on October 6, 2018.
Reader's Guide
The Laws of the Universe series is notable for its connection to Happy Science, a controversial religious movement, with its founder Ryuho Okawa reportedly overseeing production. The first film, The Laws of the Universe: Part 0, was critically panned by anime critics. Charles Solomon of the Los Angeles Times described the movie as 'messy' and stated that 'it follows no rules,' adding that it is something only Okawa followers could enjoy. The series has been licensed by Eleven Arts, indicating some distribution reach beyond Japan. Its significance lies primarily in its role as a vehicle for the spiritual teachings of Happy Science through the medium of animation, and in the critical response it generated.
Did You Know?
- The first film in the series, The Laws of the Universe: Part 0, was released on October 10, 2015.
- The series involves an alien species called Grey.
- The studio behind the series, HS Pictures Studio, is operated by the religious movement Happy Science.
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