Private Project

B: The Beginning (Episode 1)

"B: The Beginning" is a 12x25'-episode animated series created by Production I.G and streamed worldwide by Netflix.

The tiny city-state of Cremona has been shocked by a string of gruesome murders. As only vicious killers are being targeted, and from an enigmatic mark left at each crime scene, people call this mysterious executioner, “Killer B”. When former detective Keith Kazama Flick is called back on duty after an eight-year-long hiatus, a new team assembles at the Royal Investigation Service with the purpose of putting an end to the bloodshed. But Keith appears burdened by too many ghosts from his past. And as a much greater and ominous scheme starts emerging, he will need to come to terms with them all.

  • Kazuto Nakazawa
    Director
    Kill Bill: Vol. 1, Samurai Champloo, Terror in Resonance
  • Katsunari Ishida
    Writer
  • Kazuto Nakazawa
    Key Animation Supervisor
  • Kazuto Nakazawa
    Character Designer
    Kill Bill: Vol. 1, Samurai Champloo, Terror in Resonance
  • Yoshihiro Ike
    Music
    Blood: The Last Vampire
  • Eiji Arai
    Director of Photography
  • Junichi Uematsu
    Editing
  • Yukio Nagasaki
    Sound Recording Supervisor
  • Rui Kuroki
    Producer
  • Hiroaki Hirata
    Key Cast
    "Keith Kazama Flick"
  • Yuki Kaji
    Key Cast
    "Koku"
  • Asami Seto
    Key Cast
    "Lily Hoshina"
  • Project Type:
    Animation, Television, Web / New Media
  • Genres:
    thriller, science fiction
  • Runtime:
    27 minutes
  • Completion Date:
    March 2, 2018
  • Country of Origin:
    Japan
  • Country of Filming:
    Japan
  • Language:
    Japanese
  • Shooting Format:
    digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
  • 42nd Annecy International Animation Film Festival (2018)
    Annecy
    France
    June 6, 2018
    TV Film Competition
  • 20th Bucheon International Animation Vestival 2018
    Bucheon
    Korea, Republic of
    TV & Commissioned Films competition
Distribution Information
  • Production I.G
    Country: Worldwide
    Rights: All Rights
Director Biography - Kazuto Nakazawa

Kazuto Nakazawa was born in Niigata Prefecture on March 4, 1968. A natural talent, he starts drawing as a child under the influence of his grandfather, a classic Japanese painting artist. After graduating from the Tokyo Animator Gakuin, he moves from a studio to another following the artists he had much respect for. World fame comes when he is called by studio Production I.G to direct the animated sequences in Quentin Tarantino’s blockbuster "Kill Bill: Vol. 1" (2003), followed the next year by Shinichiro Watanabe’s cult classic TV series, "Samurai Champloo" (2004) for which Nakazawa contributed character design and animation duties. A vividly imaginative mind capable of working at astounding speed, Nakazawa has often proved his best in short films and TV series opening films, where his outstanding skills are given higher degree of freedom. This is confirmed by his personal award history, that includes Linkin Park's video clip "Breaking the Habit" (2004, MTV VMA Viewer's Choice Award 2004), the 2005 commercial film "Kirin Lemon Black: Monster Blacks Fights Back" (Best Commercial Film at the 11th Holland Animated Film Festival 2006), and the gorgeous "Asience: Fairy Tale" (2007), a 60-second commissioned film visually inspired by XVIII century painter Ito Jakuchu, which screens in competition at the Annecy, Stuttgart and Ottawa film festivals, and becomes Gold Winner at the 22nd London International Awards. From 2012 he puts his signatures on the action-packed opening films in the world-hit series "Kuroko’s Basketball", and in 2014 he collaborates again with director Shinichiro Watanabe contributing character designs and animations to the thought-provoking TV series, "Terror in Resonance". While describing himself as an “animator”, in recent years he has developed more interest in directing roles, with the Netflix original "B: The Beginning" marking his directorial debut in a serial project.
Witty and only apparently offhand, he once declared, “I wasn't particularly interested in drawing. I was just fairly good at it.” He is considered one of Japan’s top animators.

Add Director Biography