This Cult Classic Is a Ground-Breaking Hidden Gem So Good It Bankrupted Its Studio

Movies like Akira, Spirited Away, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, and Ratatouille often come up in discussions of the all-time best animated films. However, most people can’t separate the idea of ‘best animated movie’ and ‘movie with the best animation’ and Redline will always be the answer when discussing the best animation quality in a movie. You might not have heard of Redline, which wouldn’t be surprising. Despite Madhouse Inc. producing some of Japan’s most popular animes to date, Redline has rarely come up in discussion until recently— the film’s unmatchable animation quality resulted from a seven-year effort, and it almost destroyed its creators.

What Is ‘Redline’ About?

Redline - 2009 — Image via Tohokushinsha Film

Best described as ‘Speed Racer meets Star Wars,’ Redline follows an intergalactic race between the galaxy’s fastest racers. Held once every five years, Redline is a high-stakes race where the victor can win $100 million, but it could cost them everything. Calling Redline a ‘wild ride’ would be an understatement. The race involves space Mafia bosses trying to rig the race, intergalactic militia launching attacks on orbital cannons, and a conspiracy that goes all the way to the top (the top being the president of a planet of religious robot fanatics.) Redline can be hard to follow, but its insane story and inherent wackiness allow the animators to pull off shots that would otherwise never be seen again, and the film has something new with every rewatch.

Takeshi Koike directed Redline, following on from World Record, a short film included in The Animatrix. For those who don’t know, The Animatrix is a collection of short films set in The Matrix Universe. While each story measures up to the original film’s quality, World Record stands out from its trippy animation style and unique premise where a track runner attempts to break free from the simulation by running beyond typical human capabilities. Anyone familiar with the project knows Koike was a perfect fit for Redline.

How Redline Bankrupted Madhouse Inc.

Tadanobu Asano and Takuya Kimura sitting next to each other and drinking in Redline (2009) — Image via Tohokushinsha FIlm

The film was produced by Madhouse Inc., the studio responsible for classic anime shows like Trigun, Death Note, and Monster. Mad House initially planned for a two-year production, but by the end of year three, Redline had only just finished pre-production. Madhouse saw the film as their next heavy hitter, so they dedicated vast amounts of resources and money to ensuring it was the best possible film. Redline is composed of more than one hundred thousand hand-drawn frames, and it shows—they even produced a short OVA series to establish the world and characters called Trava: Fist Planet. Trava indicates how committed Madhouse was to making Redline the next big thing and dedicating an entire prequel series to exploring the deeply complex lore of the world. The Redline universe was ripe for spin-offs, but sadly, Madhouse would never get that far with the franchise.

John Wayne’s Funding of This Western Practically Bankrupted Him

The Western king needed some cash.

Madhouse sunk nearly $30 million into the film, only to receive $8 million back at the box office. And $30 million might seem like small fry to those familiar with big Hollywood blockbuster budgets, so let’s put it into perspective. Jujutsu Kaisen: Zero Year is one of the most successful anime movies in recent years, with beautiful animation and complex fight choreography. Zero Year cost just over $8 million to make and has grossed nearly $200 million worldwide, so calling Redline a financial flop would be putting it nicely. Madhouse had been struggling financially for some time and was on the brink of bankruptcy when Nippon TV acquired a 95% shareholding in the company at the last minute.

Redline’s Redemption Arc and Madhouse’s Survival

The film was considered a massive failure, but as time passed, Redline made its way onto more screens through word-of-mouth, social media, and streaming services and is now considered a cult classic. While the animation is a significant part of the appeal, the film has a complex story that viewers can still enjoy whether they follow along. The visuals often overshadow the soundtrack, but Redline’s original score is as worthy of praise as its spectacle. Composer James Shimoji created a massive tracklist consisting of everything from high-octane race music to romantic space melodies.

Madhouse overcame its financial difficulties and went on to produce some of the most popular anime shows of all time, like Hunter x Hunter and One Punch Man. Redline was a dangerous gamble, one that took ten years to pay off. Now, Madhouse has cemented itself as one of the pillars of anime and arguably holds the title for the single best piece of animated material in the medium’s history.