Midnight Specials: LastMan
Lastman is a small revolution in the animation world. An adaptation of the comic book by authors Balak, Michael Sanlaville and Bastien Vivès, Lastman is the first-ever French animated TV series for adults. Named best comic book series by the Angouleme festival in 2015, the phenomenal story was just waiting to be put on screen. In 2016, the series was presented at a Work in Progress session at the Annecy Festival, as well as having an episode in competition.
Directed by Jérémie Périn, Lastman took the bold risk of gatecrashing France’s audiovisual scene. Broadcast in the late evening on France 4, the un-kid-friendly series takes us to city of Paxtown, corrupted by drugs, media outlets and the mafia. Richard Aldana happened to grow up in this depraved city. A boxer in his free time, the cunning young man with no attachments uses this hobby "to keep annoyances at bay". He wouldn’t be caught dead in satin shorts to participate in the martial arts championship Fist Fight Funeral Cup, which attracts the entire city with its ruthless violence. Everything takes a turn for the worse when his friend Dave is assassinated. Aldana ends up taking care of Dave’s secret daughter Siri who’s targeted by the men who killed her father, a religious cult persuaded that she’s the key to the "Valley of the Kings".
Halted by a limited schedule and budget, Jérémie Périn inventively outdid himself and pulled out a tried-and-tested approach: suggesting rather than showing. A huge manga fan, the director took on the genre’s guidelines and created a unique innovative style that echoes the style of the comic book.
With a first season of 26 12-minute episodes, Lastman hits hard with its offbeat humour and world of debauchery. More than a simple adaptation, the series is actually the prequel to the already published nine-edition series while keeping the spirit of the comic book at heart.
As part of the Midnight Specials programme, come into a shameful world and check out the first six episodes of this series, but leave the kids at home.
