Father Gee here in Austin, Texas at Geek Headquarters taking a brief break from SXSW (It ends Sunday) to post Scott's weekly colmn on the world's of Manga & Anime...
AnimAICN...
by Scott Green
Anime Preview: Scrapped Princess
Volume 1: Family Ties
To be Released by Bandai April 26th
Scrapped Princess is a wandering fantasy with a strong emotional foundation, and a motivation that sits closer to realm of human experience than most post-Tolkein quests. It constructs a sincere, bonded relationship between a persecuted young woman and her adopted brother and sister, which in and off itself makes the series compelling. Maybe skewing a bit young, between well animated action and compelling relationships, Scrapped Princess offers close to universal appeal, something that both shojo and shonen fans can get behind.
The series opens with the princess Pacifica on the road with her foster siblings, skilled swordsman Shannon, and magic user Raquel Casull, on the run from those who would kill Pacifica to prevent her from fulfilling the prophecy to become the "poison that will destroy this world. Feared by much of the populous, and hunted by the noble families and the Church of the god Mauser (apropos of nothing, but a fun thing to observe, there's a gun-themed name pun scheme in the series), no one, including Pacifica herself is certain what danger her destiny holds, but the Casull family abandon their lives to protect Pacifica.
Scrapped Princess establishes a convincing and emotional relationship between its characters. It distinguishes itself from most fantasy conventions in that it is not some arbitrary obligation; they’re not an adventuring party for convenience or happenstance, but share a tangible family bond. The trio is closer than most siblings, but especially under the external pressure, their interactions ring true. Along with the ethical struggle with the possibility that they are doing the wrong thing by aiding her, the bond it is a real hook for the series.
Scrapped Princess was animated by the relatively new Studio BONES, who has left a blazing trail with the likes of the Cowboy Bebop movie, Rahxephon, and Wolf's Rain. Aside from studied facial expressions, BONES's attention to detail isn't as extensive in Scrapped Princess as it is in their other works. When doesn't need to be impressive, in this series, it isn't. Or more precisely, it doesn’t call attention to itself.
With a muted, but bright color scheme, details in the design, which are there, don’t stand out. Pacifica and company are as well designed as the other BONES progragonists, but the look isn’t as easy to recall as Cowboy Bebop, or Wolf’s Rain. Similarly, world building by appearance isn’t at there. It blends into a more general idea. From memory, there is not much world building in the mundane aspects of the visuals. Aside from a new unusual touches, a traveling wagon, a small cottage, or a town square are all generally come across as bland.
When it doesn't need to make a scene memorable, it produces (though for the most part, not flawlessly). The volumes features a spectacular, if brief sword versus axe fight in a crystal cave, tower sized frog emerging from a lake though, in the case of the frog, once, its out of the water, and blinking, it's rush is a weak horizontal transpose, which shows that when BONES need an eye capturing moment, they put one together in force. In the volume's last episode, musk-ish creature is unleashed in a town that Pacifica passed through to purge it. The manner in which it attacks and gulping consumes the populous is imaginatively chilling.
Anime Preview: Madlax Volume 1
to be released by ADV Films in April Based on English Dub of Episodes 1 & 2 of Madlax
I wouldn't be unfair to call Madlax, Noir, but different. Madlax is more material from memory troubled assassin girls' creative team, producer and directors, down to mechanical designer, accompanied by more haunting music from Noirs' Yuki Kajiura, even Noir-like cover design. With another case of fissuring composure, and past issues on a global playing field of shadow organizations if you were enthralled by Noir, Madlax looks to be a sure winner.
There is nothing instantly compelling or dazzling in the action, as there would be in Yasuomi Umetsu girl assassin anime (Kite, Mezzo), there is enough looming tragedy and pulsing Yuki Kajiura's music to get into it's troubled rhythm. The first two episodes are oblique by design. It’s the series’ pitch. The viewer doesn’t see much about the nature of the mystery, just its large scope and mental implications.
Madlax is another memory effected and secret afflicted odd couple with a hyper-efficient young woman killer. Rather than a pair of assassins, this series works with Madlax, field agent and retriever who breezes through dangerous circumstances, and Margaret, a well to do, but absent and distracted school girl. The only notably missing element is Noir's trademark impressionistic European cityscapes, and to some degree Madlax suffers from the loss of the beautiful backdrops. Maybe, a psychedelic haze effect in the battles are meant to replace them as the representative look of the series.
Two radically different episodes probably aren’t enough for a representative sample of how the series will play out, namely in it’s ratio of action to introspection. The first has the beautiful, long haired agent Madlax operating, with amazing ease, within a jungle civil war. The action episode appears to be flat by design. Not only is it not a flashy girls with guns self-conscious attention grabber, but it is over the top without acknowledging it, and death defying, without being impressive. Madlax fights in a gown, goes with a handgun and jeep against tanks, and entrenched defenses, and the series doesn't blink, or raise an eyebrow. There's no sense of effort of Madlax's part, and the series doesn't treat the events like a spectacular feet. She has the calm demeanor of someone who knows that they can accomplish their objective with little difficult. Questions begin to creep in at the end, when a strange haze drops, and it’s not obvious as to what’s going on in her mind, except that for all her psychical ease and calm, there’s something deeper.
The second episode features Madlax handling retrieval of an item, by auction, and later maybe through theft, but most dropping in on Margaret, and the caustic maid who acts as Margaret's guardian. Like Madlax's haze, certain with markers, such as red shows seem to set Margaret off. Every opportunity to sound off on how hidden facts are from the viewer is taken.
Manga Spotlight: Tsubasa - RESERVoir CHRoNiCLE Volume 4 By CLAMP
Released by Del Rey
CLAMP's mash-up odyssey has pulled up stakes from its historic Korean martial arts stop over, and moved on a fairy tale set in pre-revolution France. Plot and storytelling are low priorities in Tsubasa. Not that there aren't events and motions, there's plenty to keep the characters moving through CLAMP-mix worlds. However, there is little traction for the mind to hold to.
The original reoccurring characters, a literally black and white pair of opposites of the genteel wizard and aggressively physical swords are fun personalities, but they have far less to do in the series than the Card Capture Sakura variants. In that case, it's chasing McGuffins to next world.
Instead, the eye is cast to familiar favorite from the manga team's work in new genre trappings. In this case tri-corner hats, muskets and 18th century French fashion, along side fairytale castles, and Utena-style shadow plays.
It puts the characters into some compelling redesign and trappings. In this volumes, the light and darkness of CLAMP's renditions of darkness curtained, and snow locked isolated hamlets,castles and forests have the fairy tell felling of chilling rule driven possibilities. These are realized in scenes like a flock of children walking across the surface of a lake.
CLAMP has taken the anime stereotype, big eyes, architected hair, idealized bodies, to it's aesthetically pleasing end. People who don't know it are attracted to it, and those who do know it, often go looking for more. Tsubasa amounts to less expensive than a CLAMP art book, a fun exercise stretching their design legs.
Anime Spotlight: New Getter Robo Volume 1: Rude Awakenings
Released by Geneon
Getter Robo was one of the forerunners of the giant robot shows with eyes to merchandise: red, white and yellows vehicles that combine into three different bright and accessorized robots, outfitted with missiles, drills or axes. It was a cheerfully fun and often bizarre series (Go Nagai was involved), with the chief three pilots based on legendary heroes. It’s the kind of work you’d recognized even if you’ve never seen it before, providing the trappings that have been parodied as often as Fist of the North Star's screaming punches from the scientist creator's daughter and shrill kid son to the cowboy piloted American counterpart.
Since the late nineties, and especially in the brilliant (at least until Giant Robo's until Yasuhiro Imagawa left) Getter Robo Armageddon, Getter Robo has been the vehicle to giant robots with anger rather than angst. Not just that the heroes have feet of clay, but rather than bronze exemplories, they're troublesome elements of society, that would be better out of the way themselves if they weren't saving humanity from various monster threats.
New Getter Robo restarts, introducing the pilots and conflicts, starting with a violent giant robot versus giant monster fight that is sure to excite fans who grew up with Voltron, Tranzor Z and the like. Maybe not R rated, but with discarded shell casings crushing jeeps, robo-beasts trampling ground personnel or garroting the heads off battle armors, giant robots ripping apart unready pilots, there's a zeal and detail of the action that is bound to appeal to fans who took too much of the genre in their formative years.
In order to protect humanity from the oni, creatures that may or may not ties to the mythical Japanese ogres, a squat, disheveled and simmering Professor Saotome has created the Getter Robo armors. With his staff that are ready to grab any available implement and fight and tool and nail against the attacking oni, he's fighting a losing battle. With his key pilots are unable to withstand the physical and mental strain of their robots, Professor Saotome recruits, not purely consensually, an aggressively confrontational martial arts street fighter, a scheming criminal cell leader, and hulking, slow minded monk (Ryoma, Jin, and Benkei, respectively, pathologically violent, criminally insane, and monstrously uncouth).
The series has plenty of fun with pulp gritty, seldom missing an opportunity to get into the thick. Ryoma get introduced in a badass street fight intercepting punches with punches. Before long he’s running through template gates (like the New York arches) as a swordsman slices them apart, and then picking apart regenerating beasties. It will score with genre fans in how in exploits the details of the genre that generally get overlooked, such as having escaping human size monster screaming to call in the giant variety.
As fun as the series is, especially in it's early outings, ny the fourth episode, it is experiencing some diminishing returns. The dynamic between the scowling, almost pain-welcoming Saotome, and the misanthropic Ryoma and Jin is upset by the addition of the goofier Benkei. Not that the series was previously serious in its overbearing anger, but his presence tilts the farce towards the obvious. Before the volumes if over, the battle theme song is getting grating, and it’s time for a break.
New Tank Police Adaptation
Anime News Network and Shirowledge report that new CGI show called TANK S.W.A.T. 01, by Romanov Higa (Urda) will adapt Ghost in the Shell creator Masamune Shirow's Dominion Tank Police manga.
TANK S.W.A.T. 01 is the first work from the Digital Tokiwa Village Project, a government initiative, providing business guidance aimed at fostering independent CG animation.
A promo clip appeared in Japanese periodical Animage Magazine. Images can be seen at here
Steamboy Theatres
Sony has posted a list of theatres that will be running Katsuhiro Otomo's Steam Boy at here
Adult Swim Split Book
Turner Broadcasting has split Adult Swims' ratings from Cartoon Networks, similar to how Nickelodeon treated nick at night. Though the change isn't expected to effect programming, it increases the visibility of the successful older audience programming block.
New Zoids Announced
AnimeNation reports that a new anime based on wind-up construction toys Zoids, called Shin Seiki Zoids Genesis will air on Japanese TV this April.
Zeta Gundam Movie Preview
Gunota points out a new preview of the upcoming Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam: A New Translation -Heirs to the Stars- at here. The movie will run in Japanese theatres starting May 28th.
Japanese High Def Anime Release
Anime News Network reports that the anime movie Roujin Z will be released in Japanese as a remastered in the high-def DVD format.
Jump! Super Stars Screen Shots
The Magic Box has screen shots of Jump! Super Stars, the Nintendo DS with characters from various Shonen Jump titles, including Naruto, One Piece, Dragon Ball, Death Note and Bleach here
Bandai Talks Scrapped Princess
Bandai Entertainment announced the release Scrapped Princess, a new fantasy adventure series from famed animation studio, BONES studios (Cowboy Bebop the Movie, Wolf’s Rain, Full Metal Alchemist). The first volume of this highly popular anime series is scheduled for release on DVD home video on April 26, 2005 in both regular and limited edition formats.
“We’re extremely excited to introduce this BONES fantasy adventure to the North American audience. The grand visuals, music, and animation combined with an epic storyline promises to bring anime storytelling to a whole new level”, proclaims Jerry Chu, Marketing Manager, Bandai Entertainment.
Based on the best selling Japanese manga series created by Ichiro Sakaki and Yukinobu Asami – Scrapped Princess is directed by the talented Soichi Masui (Rahxephon), with character designs by Takahiro Komori (Cowboy Bebop, Wolf’s Rain). The story of Scrapped Princess revolves around the life of young Pacifica Cassul, a girl with a date with destiny, but unfortunately it isn’t a good one. Destined to be the ‘Scrapped Princess’, Pacifica is prophesized to be the harbinger of destruction of the world! Sentenced to death, young Pacifica grows up in secrecy guarded by her brother and sister. And as the day of the world’s destruction draws near, how long can the Scrapped Princess run before time runs out…forever?
Bandai will once again release both a regular and limited edition version for each of the six DVD volumes planned for this 24 episode series. The limited edition will include an exclusive statue/figure of characters from the series.
The four episode first volume will be released April 26th for $29.98 and $49.98 for the special edition. Volume 2 will be released June 28th for the same price for the standard and special editions. The series will run 6 volumes.
Fullmetal Alchmestic Games
JoyRide™ Entertainment, announced today a licensing agreement with FUNimation for the Fullmetal Alchemist™ TCG (Trading Card Game) based anime property, scheduled to launch in August of 2005.
A third Square Enix Fulle Metal Alchemist game, entitled Hagane no Renkinjutsushi 3: Kami o Tsugu Shoujo (Fullmetal Alchemist 3: The Girl who Succeeded God) will be released in Japan this summer.
Created by award-winning game designer Ian Ryan, the Fullmetal Alchemist TCG will focus on teams of heroes looking for the fabled Philosopher's Stone.
Magic Box has screen shots of Full Metal Alchmestic for the Nitendo DS here and Fullmetal Alchemist 3: Kami o Tsugu Shoujo here
TOKYOPOP and GoComics Bring Manga to Mobile Phones
TOKYOPOP has announced that three popular manga titles are now available for mobile phones from GoComics. In an exclusive arrangement, TOKYOPOP and GoComics have launched three original properties for wireless use. Princess Ai, @Large and Shutter Box are now available to mobile operators and their subscribers.
June CMX Manga Releases
APPLESEED movie book VOl. 1 Written and illustrated by various CMX.
A high-quality digital film grab adaptation of the newly released feature film Appleseed. At the end of the Third World War, a utopian city is founded from the ashes of conflict. A young female super soldier is recruited from the remains of the battered battlefield to serve as the city's guardian. What she discovers is not the promised land of peace, but rather a city on the brink of committing mass genocide upon its unsuspecting citizens! Will she uncover the sinister truth and stop the terror before it's too late? On sale June 22 o 5" x 7.375" o 160 pg, FC, $12.99 US o MATURE READERS
SEIMADEN VOL. 1 Written and illustrated by Higuri You CMX.
How far will one man go for love? Find out in SEIMADEN, the tale of Lawless, who agreed to become a demon in order to free his one true love Alice from a demon king! Lawless became the next Demon King, and Alice was freed - with death. Lawless, however, realized that his new inhuman status gave him a rare opportunity: by being the cruelest and best Demon King, he survived long enough to see Alice reincarnated, and then he would effectively be reunited with her. Lawless, after living through the centuries, has finally found his beloved reincarnated as Hilde, a dancer who has no memories of her own past or identity. Now he must see if she will accept him as a creature of the underworld… On sale June 22 o 5" x 7.375" o 180 pg, B&W, $9.99 US o TEEN
The Devil Does Exist Vol. 2 Written and illustrated by Takanashi Mitsuba
Monster Collection Vol. 2 Written and illustrated by Itoh Sei
Original concept by Yasuda Hitoshi/Group SNE
Sword Of The Dark Ones Vol. 2 Art by Kotobuki Tsukasa Written by Yasui Kentaro
Design cooperation by TASA
The Devil Does Exist Vol. 1, Monster Collection Vol. 1 and Sword Of The Dark Ones Vol. 1 will be re-released.
July Media Blasters Reviews
From the Anime Works line
7/12/2005
Otogi Zoshi Vol. 3: Burning the Past (episodes 10-13: Fantasy/Drama)
Shura no Toki - Age of Chaos Vol.5 (episodes 19-22: Martial Arts/Action)
7/26
Genshikin - The Society for the Study of Modern Visual Culture Vol. 1 (episodes 1-4 +1 episode of Kujibiki Unbalance: Comedy)
Midori Days Vol. 3: Handle with Care (episodes 10-13 : Romantic Comedy)
Genshikin...
It is Sasahara's first day of college, and a fateful choice awaits him. Which college clubs will he chose to join? But Sasahara is no ordinary young man; a dark secret lurks within his soul. For one thing, he knows what "cosplay" is, and he'd like to know more. He knows how to unlock all the secret characters in “Guilty Gear X”, and he'd like to know more. He knows what the plot twist is in episode twenty-five of “Kujibiki Unbalance” because he's read the manga, and he'd like to know more. He's heard of Doujinshi, and he... NEEDS to know more. Enter Genshiken, the barely legitimized Society for the Study of Modern Visual Culture, home to all subspecies of Otaku!
1 Disc, 5 Episodes, 125 Minutes, English/Japanese Language Dialogue with English Subtitles, Full Screen (2005)
Media Blasters Press (Anime Works) Manga Releases
7/13
Eiken Book I
Samurai Man Book I
Eiken...
Densuke just enrolled at the exclusive Zashono academy. He's eager to participate in extracurricular activities, but he never expected to join the mysterious Eiken Club. Strangely enough, every other member is a busty co-ed, and many of the club activities involve bikinis. But Densuke isn't interested in anyone but the shy and beautiful Chiharu. Will he overcome the wall of women that stand between him and true love? Or is he doomed to a lifetime of bizarre double-entendre inducing situations?
Samurai Man Book I...
Ryouma’s is a young man imbued with the samurai spirit. He’s always ready to defend the weak and fight for honor, but it doesn’t help him with that really cute girl, Katsumi. She only has eyes for Shizuka. While on a field trip exploring the historical buildings in Kyoto, Ryouma spotted them kissing, and then his whole world was shattered...literally! Caught in the middle of a fight between gods, Ryouma was found worthy and became one with the Warrior King of the Southern Skies. Now NOTHING makes sense, as he has to juggle his high school studies and epic battles that shake Heaven and Earth.
Live action GTO: The Movie will be released from the Tokyo Shock line on July 26th.
Great Teacher Onizuka has taken the anime and manga market by storm, and now he's taking on his first live action move. GTO is an ex-biker punk who's taken on the formidable job of teaching high school. Lucky for him, street smarts and martial arts are just what the job needs. Like a cross between a thug and a walking, talking after school special, GTO will go to any length to help his kids. However, his career might be in jeopardy when he's mistaken for a serial thief! It's the first of GTO's live action franchises.
CPM Spotlights Female Heros in May Re-Releases
In May, CPM will be re-releasing some of its best anime at a newly reduced price. Angel Sanctuary, a haunting supernatural adventure of angels and demons, is now available for $19.95 SRP. Alien Nine Collector’s Edition has been re-priced to $19.95 SRP and Alien Nine Ultimate Collection, which includes the Alien Nine DVD and 3 graphic novels, will be set at $39.95 SRP.
CPM is also re-pricing the sexy comedy My My Mai and the sexy action adventure Sprite: Between Two Worlds at $9.95 SRP.
Angel Sanctuary
A beautiful angel wages war against God - and loses. Reborn as a human boy, Setsuna struggles with visions and supernatural powers. Angels and demons flock to his awakening, spoiling for battle. Will Setsuna lead them to the apocalypse, or to salvation? Running time: 90 minutes Genre: Action/Adventure/Supernatural SRP: $19.95
Alien Nine Collector’s Edition
Yuri is totally bummed. She just started 6th grade and has been elected to capture and eliminate the aliens that are constantly invading the school...GROSS! Running time: 100 minutes Genre: Science Fiction SRP: $19.95
Alien Nine Ultimate Collection SRP: $39.95
Toei DVDs Receive Bad Buzz
Early reports of forum's such as Anime on DVD's unfavorable reaction to the anime juggernaut Toei's first North American releases, Airmaster and Slam Dunk. Comment included lack of episode chapter stops, a dubtitteled subtitle script (the same script being used for the subtitles, and the English dub, subtitle scripts are generally more literal), difficult subtitle font, untranslated background text, and non-skippable logos .
Doraemon Voice Actor's Revealed
Anime News Network reports that the new voice actors for Doraemon, perenial children's favorite about a robot cat from the future, will be Wasabi Mizuta as Doraemon, Megumi Oohara as Nobita, Tomokazu Seki as Suneo, Yumi Kakazu as Shizuka-chan and 4 year old Subaru Kimura as Gian. The cast
The actors were chosen by audition from a pool of 590 applicants. The new actors will be presented to the public at a press conference on March 28th in Roppongi Hills, during a week-long "Doratown" event taking place near TV Asahi's main office and open to the public.
The five principal voice actors for Doraemon, the youngest of which is 66 years-old, will be retiring to make way for a new, younger cast of voice actors to take over the show. The actors have voiced their roles in Doraemon since the series first premiered in April 1979
Another popular, long running (over 1800 episodes) animated children's show, Sazae-san will also be replacing it's lead.
June/June Dark Horse Manga Releases
Berserk Volume 8 Tpb Kentaro Miura (W/A) On sale July 13, SC, 232pg $13.95
The century-spanning war between Midland and Chuder continues unabated. The two warring kingdoms, vying for supremacy, launch headfirst into what will become the final battle. Leading the Midland forces are the Band of the Hawk, lead by the charismatic Griffith, with the fearless Guts as his trusted champion. But should the Hawks triumph again on the battlefield, the war with Chuder may end, but the secret war within Midland may begin as those who seek to rise within the court see the ambitious Griffith as an obstacle to obtaining power. And nothing is more formidable than an enemy unseen!
Blade Of The Immortal #102: Trickster Part 4 (Of 4) Hiroaki Samura (W/A) On sale June 8, b&w, 32pg, $2.99
Giichi vs Magatsu concludes
Oh My Goddess! Volume 21 Tpb Kosuke Fujishima (W/A) On sale July 13, SC, 176pg, b&w, 5" x 7", $10.95
After ten years, the endearing fan-favorite manga Oh My Goddess! switches to being read in an affordable, right-to-left, authentic Japanese format
Peorth is back! But not back to normal … the appearance of her adorable child form receiving sensitive guffaws and considerate mocking from certain of the less mature goddesses in the household. But while having a new little kid around for Belldandy to try and dress is certainly cute, the sawn-off Fourth Goddess is not amused—especially when she realizes Velsper, the demon who put her into this short situation, is now himself a tiny black kitten who can’t change Peorth back—no matter how much she shakes and throttles him! But Velsper does know someone who could…whispering to her the dread name of … Hild! Yes, Hild! Chief of the demon realm! Big shot of the regions below! Why is it no surprise Urd’s known her since she was a little girl? In fa-a-a-ct …
Super Manga Blast! #53 One sale June 29, b&w, 128pg, $5.99
Korean Animated Movie at New York International Children's Film Festival Oseam, the NY Premiere of animated Korean tale of a boy who achieves Nirvana while searching for his lost mother will screen at DGA Theater Sunday March 20 11:00 am
See GKids for more information.
Upcoming Geneon Releases
Kyo Kara Maoh! God: Save Our King! Volume One, debuts April 19th
Throughout history and literature, the royal ascent to the throne is marked with nobility, pomp and circumstance… but average high-school student Yuri becomes king when he descends into the throne after school bullies push his head into a toilet in Kyo Kara Maoh! God (?) Save Our King! Volume One on DVD April 19 from Geneon Entertainment. Based on the Japanese novels that have sold over two million copies, Kyo Kara Maoh! is a deftly funny fantasy series filled with high adventure, sweeping romance, quirky comedy and colorful characters. Presented in 16:9 anamorphic widescreen and featuring animation produced by Studio Deen (R.O.D. OVA, Ranma 1/2, Rurouni Kenshin OVA), the DVD features include textless opening animation and character data files. Each of the nine volumes will include a limited edition collectible animation cell. Kyo Kara Maoh! God (?) Save Our King! Volume One includes five full episodes and is available for the suggested retail price of $24.98.
Yuri Shibuya is an average baseball-loving high school student. When some hoodlums drag him into the bathroom, push his face in the toilet and flush, Yuri finds himself transported into a fantastic world full of sorcery, political intrigue and danger. To his surprise, his black hair and brown eyes make him revered in this new kingdom and he is crowned head of the Great Demon Kingdom. Is he going to end up as the leader, surrounded by extraordinarily handsome lieges or will he make it back home?
April 26th Releases
Human Crossing Volume Two – The Cicadas Of Winter
Saiyuki Reload Volume Two
May 3
The Daichis – Earth’S Defense Family: Volume Three
May 24
Daphne In The Brilliant Blue Volume 2 – Reunion
Hanaukyo Maid Team La Verite – Volume 3
Rumiko Takahashi Anthology V3– A Touch Of Magic
STAR OCEAN EX Volume Three – Magical Moonlit Flowers
May 31
Samurai Champloo – Volume 03
Human Crossing...
An actor, a professor, a journalist - step out of the realm of “typical” anime and into the beauty and ugliness of the lives of every day people in Human Crossing Volume Two, arriving on DVD April 26 from Geneon Entertainment. A stunning collection of short vignettes, Human Crossing is about hope, a reminder of the small victories one can achieve amid the vicissitudes of life. Based on the popular manga by Masao Yajima, Human Crossing offers a beautiful break from the fast-action and sensory overload of “typical” anime. A stunning ensemble of real-world experiences – both shared and private – Human Crossing Volume Two features three full episodes and is available for a suggested retail price of $29.98.
Ordinary people muddling through life intersect with one another in random ways, like people walking along road crossings in different directions with no apparent destination in sight. Human Crossing is a realistic portrayal of everyday people in modern Japan with all its beauty and ugliness. It is a collection of short stories about hope, a reminder of the small victories one can achieve amid the vicissitudes of life.
The Daichis – Earth’S Defense Family...
The Daichis ranked among the top 15 anime series of 2004, according to Play Magazine. With an original story by Shoji Kawamori (Blue Submarine Maine #6, Escaflowne, Macross Plus), direction by Satoshi Kimura (Tenchi the Movie 2 - Daughter of Darkness) and animation by Group TAC (Street Fighter Alpha Movie, Saiyuki),
As the alien attacks become more and more sophisticated, the Daichis become more and more dysfunctional. Mom still won’t admit to being married in public, Dad can’t stop running away into video games and the kids continue to freak out over the stress. In the end, will the Daichis remember their love for each other in time to save the Earth and their family?
Rumiko Takahashi Anthology...
Tree captivating tales from the brilliant mind of one of Japan’s most celebrated storytellers.
On the edge of reality, Rumiko Takahashi (Inu Yasha, Ranma 1/2, Urusei Yatsura) gracefully infuses a hint of the supernatural into three stories of elderly ladies and the maelstrom of chaos that surrounds the everyday circumstances.
Layoffs at ADV
Publisher's Weeky reports that ADV has layed off 40 staffers, a majority of which were in their manga division.
