"Do you hear that, Mr. Anderson?  It's the sound of inevitability."  So said Agent Smith in The Matrix, the 1999 blockbuster hit from Warner Bros.  Of course, Neo proceeded to kick his virtual-butt anyway, something I'm sure Agent Smith never saw coming.  But still, he had been right.  Our time.  Their time.  Man and machine co-existing in a new reality.  It was the inevitable.  Just who would control that reality was still up for grabs.  So what does all this have to do with anime, you're asking?  Well, thanks to Warner Bros. and the vision of some directing greats, The Matrix and anime have finally come together.  It was only a matter of time, you know.  The sound of inevitability, remember?

A series of nine, short animated films, The Animatrix takes our cyber existence to a whole new level.  Beginning with what is called the genesis of The Matrix itself, The Second Renaissance is divided into two parts and takes us through the archives of Zion where we are reunited with character favs from The Matrix.  From there we move forward and are introduced to new adventures, new challenges and new lives trying to break free of the Matrix prison.

So who's behind this fantastic work?  Quite a few notable names, actually.  Four of the episodes were written by Larry and Andy Wachowski, the writers/directors of the original Matrix and its upcoming sequels.  The Second Renaissance Parts 1 and 2 were directed by Mahero Maeda, known best for his work on Blue Submarine 6 and Neon Genesis Evangelion.  Other greats involved include Shinichiro Watanabe (Cowboy Bebop, Macross Plus), Yoshiaki Kawajiri (Wicked City, Ninja Scroll, Vampire Hunter D:Bloodlust), Takeshi Koike (Trava), Koji Morimoto (Akira), Andy Jones (Final Fantasy:The Spirits Within) and Peter Chung (Aeon Flux, Transformers).  

I know, I know.  Pretty darn cool, isn't it?  And here's the best part:

You can download The Second Renaissance - Part I, right now.  Free.  No strings attached.  But be forewarned:  The second installment, Program, doesn't come out until March.  That's a long wait.

Want more?

The Animatrix.com

The Animatrix Preview Trailer

KeanuWeb

MatrixFans.net