Anime Spotlight: Planetes Volume 1
2 Disc Special Edition

Released by Bandai

In anime in particular, but in sci-fi in general, it's hard to find stories about working people. Almost in response to the question, why does a medium which such flexibility for its depiction all sci-fi always have to tell variants of the same war and invasion stories, Planetes plumbs the depth of space debris collection, with the lives and motivations of workers who go into space to remove man made trash, abandoned satellites expended fuel tanks, random discarded and broken objects from Earth orbit in order to prevent catastrophic collisions.

Planetes is an anime with appeal beyond a targeted audience of traditional anime and sci-fi fans. From a science perspective, anyone with passion for space will be hooked from the opening sequence alone. The prologue is impressive in communicating the necessarily of the series' central work. Sub-orbital travel is painted as an extension of commuter flight with average people, dressed comfortably, strapped in air-line seats while with a few loose objects float in the cabin. A small screw floats outside through space into the shuttle's window, cracking the transparent substance.

The standard episode opening similarly drives home the point of the series with magnificent effectiveness. Threads of the characters in their space walk gear, the development of early human concepts to of space, through exploration its actual exploration are woven together with breaking re-creations of the view of Earth from space. The developmental progress, along with the a glimpse of the series' space suits, which combine a unwieldy look with a sense of technical innovation help to establish the air of hard science and something tactile. It's sci-fi that?s bulky, and difficult rather than slick and colorful, but it is captures a sense of wonder and achievement that more fanciful works miss.

Hopefully the Planetes anime will find the same sort of niche that the English adaptation of the original manga did. It represents something that should be done more often in both mediums, fitting character driven, personal stories into visually intense situations. Both the anime and manga are very well made, but one of the strongest selling points might be how believable and compelling the characters are. In the case of the manga much of the credit in the manga finding an audience who were not traditional manga readers, and not genre fans is probably largely owed to the character work early in the series.

Planetes takes a subject matter that is concrete, but not easily explored in other visual mediums, and develops on it. It starts with a task on the edge of experience, but in the trenches rather than the forefront. Examining unglamorous work that's remote that is dangerous and difficult. It might find modern day equivalents in oil rig workers, or forest fire fighters. Depicting the occupation requires imagination but also attention to details.

Planetes tells a story about that caliber of occupation, going into the careers and lives of the workers, rather than an "I'll be best" easy template for structure and takes another step out, by making it a task that isn't currently being done to the depict debris. Going historical rather than speculative, something similar might be Master and Commander, in that it follows a crew that are not top of line with a sense of the function of what is being depicted and perspective of the people doing it

Debris Section is an undermanned, under-budgeted, needed, not flashy or profitable piece to the industry expanding human reach into the solar system. Tanabe, after a few first day on the job nightmares, accidentally walking into Control Section and introducing herself finds Debris Section where her new co-workers are preparing their space-walk diapers, covertly smoking, practicing slight of hand magic tricks, or otherwise engaged in some activity that doesn't look right. She's taken under the wing/berated by her new sempai/older more experience peer, Hachi, who's loudly struggling with his pipe dream of owning his own space craft, and the older member of her crew, the calm Yuri and the more defiant Fee.

The anime rearranges the character introductions, and uses its extra story room build out a wider picture of the work than the manga was able to depict. There are more details on the ground (comparatively, not really on earth) time of the characters, and wider system of space travel, the economics of the work and far more detail of the facilities and procedure. The new cast additions with the most screen time are the non-mission half of the debris sector staff, who bring an Office like aspect to the series. The slow unfolding of backgrounds could work well. Readers of the manga will enjoy how major character points are gradually hinted at.

Small details in both mechanics, and the characters personalities are present to lend credibility to the larger events. When annual insurance solicitation leads to the characters examining their mortality, then against astronomical odds, while on the job the characters intercept from a generations old coffin from an astronaut?s burial in space, the visible hand of plot is forgivable because their are so many interesting technical and philosophical details backing it.

In some ways the opening episodes of the anime suffer in comparison to the manga. What needs to be done for a weekly tv series versus a periodical manga means that viewers will have to wait for the explosive material and wait with characters who can be built on. The anime offers a slower build, more material that isn't as consequential to the characters and it will be interesting to see how it handles the characters and situations that weren't as fleshed at the end of the manga. However, it is holding off on the material that convinced manga readers, the non-traditional audiences especially, that it was a series to follow.

It's a valid design to start with the young, outsider Tanabe, and pair her with Hachi at opposite ends outs spectrum between the poles of sentimentality and driven goal oriented ambition. But, it loses something by burying Fee and Yuri, who are older and experienced more with life and the job at the outset. There's a sense Hachi and Tanabe are passing through while Fee and Yuri have made debris collecting their lives, and the older pair are waiting, holding back for the anime to get around to them. Hachi and Tanabe are loud characters who are very prone to over-react (though Hachi's habit of chocking people out rather than punching is a nice touch). Sometimes a little goes along way. With Yuri as someone who seen the world and seen life, Fee as kindof the intelligent, gutsy blue collar ueber-menshe you get further away from familiar pop-media story telling.

The anime gets into some trouble when it completely departs from the manga, at least in the first set of five episodes. Between the two largely original episodes, the second to last brow-beats the point that the debris business is susceptible to bad managerial ploys and strings pulled by the powerful (business remains business). The last strolls far too deep into the maudlin and far too close to standard serial fiction tropes when things go wrong on mass transit, as Tanabe, Hachi, and Fee get on a ferry with a pair of suicidal parents with their over-cute aspiring astronaut daughter, a pick pocket and a team of awful independent movie makers (also, co-piloted by one of Hachi's peers).

The space imagery and mechanical design are both hallmarks of the series, but it is helpful when the attention to design extends to the characters. There's a minimally stylized humanness to the characters that supports an interesting range of appearances that covers various ethnicities and levels of attractiveness (not the typical bridge bunnies). There are cute co-workers, but also chinless ones.

Bandai went the extra mile on this release. They put together a number of well produced and interesting bonus features, looking at the series and production of the anime series, including a current day perspective on orbital debris, with photographs and interviews with NASA. The alot of depth to the series and the bonus features help to bring it out. There are also some fun features like comedic audio dramas, subtitled and set to minimal animation.

Manga Spotlight: King of Wolves
By Buronson and Kentaro Miura

Released by Dark Horse

King of Wolves is a one volume and done swords-epic manga from First of the North Star creator Buronson and illustrated by a young Kentar Miura, later creator of Berserk. It's the equivalent of a good action movie that you'd stop for on TV, but not often talk or think able. Buronson and Miura are both very good at what they do, putting together a briskly moving story with the right mix of violence, nudity and interesting noteworthy figures from history, put to page by someone who is one of the best at depicting these subjects.

The plot takes a modern age historian and kendo champion who is taken, with his girl friend to 13th century silk road China, where he works his way from gladiatorial slave pits to the court of Ghengis Khan. Then it mixes in famed pre-samurai Yoshitsune Minamoto and warrior monk Benkei Mushashibou. The twists probably don't have the spark for an American audience that they might for a Japanese one, but the sense of distinct place and time do stand out. It takes an age of heroes approach to history. The key Mongols and the legendary Japanese warriors poses physical stature and capabilities beyond nature. Consequently, there is a modern guy who is very good at what he does, but standing at the height of a regular human, fighting people who are huge in physical form and in their role in history.

Added to the age of heroes take, the principle figures are allowed to do what they want, with armies and nations staying out the way. There's no role of politics and only lip service to outside forces.

The manga isn't terribly politically correct, though somewhat surprisingly, the girlfriend character fares a lot better than most Buronson and Miura heroines. It does have some of the ethnocentric "oh yeah, he's really one of us" that can be a bit irksome to the effected ethnicity

Miura's illustration is noticeably better by the time Berserk gets going, but in King of Wolves it is more of a case of not yet at peak rather than just showing potential. Already he's one of the best manga artist for drawing fights from duels and melees to army movements. It is the detail in his work can see how a set of armor fits together and how it is different than other sets or the size of an army, and the way he explains action: people don't just fall or get sent flying, they are pushed or thrown.

He is able to stretch his range in King of Wolves, with plenty of duels, but chances stage a cavalry charge and put large numbers of combatants into the panel.

The problems that can be seen in his work are nitpicks. He's so good that the fact that some aspects don't work as well can stand out. Wounds for example don't look as right as other aspects of the Battle comparing to Berserk, he's a few angles away from where he needs to be.

Manga Spotlight: Tenjho Tenge
Volume 2
By Oh! great

Released by DC Comics' CMX Line

Hand it to DC, they had to work hard to get a release this insulting. They scrubbed every panty shot and breast flash out of a porn-comic illustrator?s flashy fight fest. The results look like American super hero comics when they try to be a bit dirty. They don't look how manga handles these situations. Purists are going to be annoyed (well, they are already very annoyed). A younger audience who is growing up with manga isn't going to be fooled. Groups like Studio Proteus put in a great efforts getting series like Blade of the Immortal right, DC put the work to create the manga version of a cable edit of an R rated movie.

To really declare the intentions at work, after throwing off the composure of the cover image featuring a very hot Natsume Maya with a small top, holding a sword while sitting on the back of a motorcycle, by placing huge logo three quarters the ways down in order to cover some cleavage, top it off with an over sized sticker announcing "The hit anime DVD now available from Geneon" over the bottom of the cover (how about at least the courtesy of sticker that easy comes completely off).

It is cause for annoyance rather than anger. DC/CMX are not desecrating Osamu Tezaku's Phoenix or Adolf. This isn't Nausicaa getting turned into Warriors of the Wind. It's a case where one of the better older audience, mindless fun series is getting turn into a mindless fun series for a thirteen year old audience who already has plenty of their own to fit the bill, and plenty of other good, unlicensed ones waiting in the wings. DC Comics releases mature titles under many of their labels, including CMX. This was strategy rather than policy and the second volume shows that they are sticking policy in full force.

Besides the fact it's an energetic, lightning paced action series that constantly reminds the reader that the localizers wanted to market towards an audience whose parents have a low tolerance for T&A (or more direct sexual reference, or even harsh language), the release is frustrating because DC otherwise does an admirable job adapting the series. The color foldout opening is included. Sound effects and signs are translated. Attack names which appear as kanji in the background are translated with good judgment of what should be left phonetic and what should be translated. If it weren't getting ripped, it is a presentation that would be praised.

Like a mix that removes at the wait space and just goes for the stuff you're looking for the Tenjho Tenge does not waste time getting into the thick of battle. (which is one reason the anime version of the series is such a misfire. it's too much waiting, and weak delivery),. No slowly building tournaments here. In the first volume Natsume Maya, very attractive, very skilled martial artist takes the school's new trouble makers, the punk Nagi and his buddy Bob, a big guy of African descent, into her Juken Club, incurring the anger of the school's Executive Comity. After a very brief training/editing obliterated bathes scene, the two groups at blows in a bowling alley. Maya, Nagi, Bob, as well as her emotional younger sister, and her clean-cut goody disciple Takayanagi square off against the Executive Comity?s fighters, a skeletal biker/stick fighter, a hulking masked wrestler(masked wrestlers can be iffy, but by destroying the first volume's flame tossing heavy in stunning brutal fashion by attacking the guy's joint, the wrestler picks up plenty of gravity) and a springy haired girl with a seemingly endless supply of throwing blade and a great secret revealed at the volumes end along with a sea of common fodder thugs

Oh! great is one of the really attractive character design in the realm of manga, on par with the likes of Oh! My Goddess' Kosuke Fujishima. The people who populate the manga look hip, fit, well dressed, busty or muscled in a manner that's idealized, but detailed enough to click in a real sense. Similarly, they look in character and when they're handling themselves in a fight, it looks right. The aesthetics are a large part of what makes the series work. The appeal of the hero or at least focus Nagi, for example, is largely weigh on how good he looks. He's a loud punk, with baggage courtesy of a childhood where his family was scorned by the community and a mother who was often absent, sacrificing herself. It's tiresome to hear him boast and tiresome to hear him sulk, but when he throws down the stance, gets an intense gaze the manga sizzles in anticipation of see him do something badass.

In illustrating action, Oh! great is good putting together a range of moves. From locks and throws, to swings weapons attacks, he has a head for translating them to a manga page. He knows when to build a progression, and knows when to break out an impressive panel. There are better action story tellers in manga, but few can make it look so good.

Comic Spotlight: Last Hope
Written by Michael Dignan
Illustrated by Kriss Sison

Released by Seven Seas

Last Hope is a solid teen version of Sliders, with the right underpinnings of manga influence. It puts together teen emotions with remarkably good comic action story telling, and enough high concept to propelling the events. It isn't going to set the world on fire, or convince nay-sayers that North American produced, manga influenced comics are equivalent to Japanese produced works, but it is intriguing enough to wonder where the series will be going with its well constructed concept and implementation.

A distinguishing feature of Seven Seas among the newcomers to manga and American-manga is that is put together by people who convincingly know manga. There's been an old guard of who have continued to do produce manga style comics since before the boom in manga interest, the people at Antarctic, Lea Hernandez who generally has a few projects from various sources. They're experts and pioneers, but in some sense, they've operated outside the boom. The fact that Dallas Middaugh's name is attached is one of the promising features of Seven Seas. His resume suggests that, most noteworthy with his work at Viz and more recently Del Rey suggests he knows the material, knows fandom, knows publishing.

Last Hope doesn't ape a specific manga genre. There are recognizable pieces, whether it is a scene, a story element, a character motivation, or the composure of a panel from shoujo, and some from shonen, beats from 80's/90's action cartoons or cinema. All the influences are strung together seamlessly. There is no sense of jumping context. It has elements of what makes manga successful, but it understands them well enough to patch them together into something new.

Last Hope opens with a well attired young samurai running though wood and paper corridors, and dashing into recognizably lab, escaping a hulking, scarred villain by jump into portal. After spending a few months with an adopted identity in a mundane high school, the teen samurai's enemies find him. The confrontation send him, his puff-ball "hiccup" alien pet, and a set of acquaintances including a forceful girl, her sensitive friend, an emotionally troubled genius and a controlling anti-hero/rival (re: bully) into a dimensional rift. The group is soon forced to deal with a new situation that none are familiar with.

Form, anatomy and design aspects of the illustration are all well executed, which means that problems stick out. The comic features more dynamic action than most action manga, but it may be over ambitious. There's an animated look to the fights but the logic of fights don't always hold in the between panel progressions. For example, a thug kid rushes the hero and swings a right, the hero dodges and is now a behind the thug, the next panel shows the thug with a straight left, which means he's have to make a wide turn and re-position himself, possible, but it looks improbable at first glance, and thinking about the fight mechanics makes it seem more flawed. The hero responds with a punch that lands mid chest, then might be followed with a rising elbow, it's hard to tell, but after the impact panel, there's a panel in which the thug is going head over heels and the hero's elbow is raised.

There are other cases where a sword fight where chain of swing to swing doesn't make sense. It is good that the illustration goes fully into the details of the action with more panels per interchange that most comics, but it needs more thought.

Anime Spotlight: Gunslinger Girls
Volume 1

Release by FUNimation

For fans who thought Noir was too nice, here's stepford doe-eyed child killers at their most gut-wrenching. If Gunslinger Girls accomplishes anything, it?s taking the fun out the naughty topic of girl assassins. The idea caught fire with The Professional, and for a domestic anime audience it was fueled by Kite. But, neither Luc Besson or Yasuomi Umetsu are going to ground their subject matter. Both forged emotional bounds with their characters, but the reaction do both is along the lines of ?did they just do that ?!?? Ultimately the lasting impression was of the larger than life magnitude of the visuals and events. Even the cruelty in the stories is largely spectacle.

With moe (a style of almost fetishizing innocence) girls, cybornetically enhanced, mentally conditioned, and wielded as tools in violent, high body count operations, Gunslinger Girls is great for grabbing heart and its ability to construct cascading tear-jerkers, episodes that hollow you out and make the larger picture more dreary.

Larger social or human commentary seem weak or absent from the proceedings. You can't find real issue analogs without stretching or projecting. The dominant focus is on the powerless victims and the pathos of their existence. A weak story reason is offered to explain the why innocence, young girls are sent to exterminate rooms full of criminals, but while some time is given to the motivation and reaction of the handlers, there isn't much time spent of the rational or how the architects are able to justify what it being done.

The opening volume hasn't answered the question of what the series offers beside a chance to exercise an appetite for masochism. It's almost tragedy porn, emotional abuse, set against a mundane color pallet, and Italian architecture.

The appeal of escapism that's fun, humorous or exciting is easier to explain. Even with even heroic tragedy, the charge seems right. With more abrasive works, the inclination is to look for justification. There have been series like Berserk and Now and Then, Here and There that have been painful but rewarding. How Gunslinger Girls concludes and what the series' statement will be will ultimately determine it is painful pop or something more substantial.

Gunslinger Girls builds on the stories of field operatives employed by an Italian fringe government organization, pre-teen/early teenage girls picked from hospitals for "fratello" handlers. The tragedies grow out of the active dehumanization of the girls. They're treated like machines by those build and maintain them, and often like pets or slaves by their handlers, who at best, deal with their complete submissiveness, framing it as an older brother/younger sister or father/obedient daughter relationship.

Even the well meaning handlers harm the girls, such as the main focus Henrietta and her trainer Jose, who takes the time to socialize her, but ends up damaging her through his dominance. Part of the point seems to that the girls are good enough weapons that their handler don't need to be on top the situation as long as inconvenient witnesses are eliminated. For all Jose cares about Henrietta, her training has huge gaps, and in the field she's used as blunt weapon that will stand in the middle of a room and shoot, leading to avoidable injuries.

The violence isn't glitzed-up. Action is kept within the realm of the believable. There are feats of improbably agility, and impossible strength (a small kid lifting up a good sized bench for example), but it's generally comparable to something like 24. Weapons are depicted with a detail that will probably sit better with those familiar with firearms than most anime.

While not blood-free, the series isn't graphically grizzly. Seeing kids getting shredded is tough, but seeing kids obediently going into situations where they shred outers and get shredded themselves with mild melancholy at most is soul render. The tendency in the work is to convey the worse damage through implication rather than depiction. Consequently it isn't the Ghost In The Shell Machine abusing of the inorganic, replaceable aspect of its body, but knowing it's a kid ripping her arms out of their sockets.

Anime Spotlights: J2: The Counterattack of Siberia Yagyu
Volume 1: Resurrection

released by Geneon

The second Jubei-chan anime series looks to be actively working to defy categorization. Anime's ace-juggler Akitaroh Daichi has mixed blistering comedy and emotionally contagious drama before, most notably in his adaptation of Kodocha (aka Kodomo No Omocha or Child's Toy), but in the Jubei-chan series he's shuffling the emotional shell game at such a continuously dizzy pace that it's probably better to just appreciate what's happening that attempt to figure out where it's going to land.

Working with Adult Swim style surreal irreverence, top quality, slick samurai action and character relationship dramedy, Daichi mixes goofy situation with a deep plot and characters who take themselves seriously. It isn't just a work with facets designs to invoke different reactions or one that mixes them, but a works that switches out target reactions blindly fast: chaining wild sword slashes to bizarro exaggerations to introspection.

Jubei Yagyu, a tier-one legendary swordsman left his legacy with the ambiguous words "bonnie boom boom bum". In the first series, his faithful follower ended his 300 year search by bestowing Jagyu's "lovely eyepatch" on a modern teenage girl named Jiyu Nanohana, "Jubei" for short. The eyepatch transformed Jubei into a deadly swordswoman, which was helpful because the descendant of everyone with a grudge against Jubeo Yagyu began showing up to duel her in the bamboo forest conveniently located on the path to school. The original series ends with Jubei renouncing the eyepatch, the transformation it invoked had always been uncomfortable physically and existentially.

In the new series finds the characters at a period where people starting to figure out where to go with their life. Jubei's friends are starting to get academically ambitious. Even her monkey-person accompanied thug-wannabe classmate is giving serious thought to taking over his family sake production company (introduced with some hilarious live action commercials). Jubie is happy to be free of Yagyu legacy, and has taken the opportunity to be a home maker for her manic-depressive father, pushing him away from his ghost writing addiction and into doing his own work. Though, this obligation is eased when a former ninja-rival from the earlier series turns up, hoping to build a relationship from with her father.

Thanks to global warming, a strange chapter in Jubei Yagyu's life is unlocked when a blonde girl named Freesia melts out and claimed to be the daughter and heir to the Yagyu, fathered when the legendary swordsman was exterminating other sword schools.

The seemingly sociopathic rival/over innocent classmate invites herself into modern Jubei's life, for a friendly/homicidally jealous relationship. With the arrival of clan of losers who have come up after 300 years of underground exile, Jubei has need or, but still doesn't want her lovely eye-patch. Jubei Yaygu's retainer Koinosuke is gone, but promise bound, runny-nosed un-aging urchin son Anunosuke arrives to return the patch.

Mind Game Screening in New York

The wildly creative anime Mind Game will be created in New York Asian Film Festival 2005 on Friday, June 24, 6:30 and Sunday, June 26, 1:30. See www.subwaycinema.com for more information. Take the chance to see this movie. See a review at here.

Slam Dunk Return

Viz's new Shojo Beat anthology indicates that the popular basketball manga Slam Dunk, previously released by Gustoon! in their defunct Raijin manga anthology will be returning in a new North American release.

The anime version of the title is released domestically by Toei.

Disney Ghibli DVD Covers

Digital Bits points out that Disney has posted covers for their next round of Ghibli DVD releases with Pom Poko and My Neighbors the Yamadas

Cameron's Alita On Hold

TwitchFilm reports despite working with Laeta Kalogridis on a script, James Cameron has put his Battle Angel Alita adaptation on hold to focus a script titled Project 880.

According to the report at BBC Movies, the film will "be shot in 3D with an advanced version of the motion-capture technology used in The Polar Express"

Viz Starting JoJo's In Third stage

Viz will be releasing Hirohiko Araki's in August starting with the third leg of the lengthy manga series, skipping the first two generation of a the feud Joestar family of adventurers with a vampire. The third stage introduces super powers to the often witty horror action. This is the part of the story that had previously been adapted into anime. The 192 page first volume will retail for $7.99.

From Viz's description
In a Japanese jail sits 17-year-old Jotaro Kujo: punk, fighter, delinquent...and possessed by a force beyond his control! Around the world, evil spirits are awakening: "Stands," monstrous invisible creatures which give their bearers incredible powers. To save his mother?s life, Jotaro must tame his dark forces and travel around the world to Cairo, Egypt, where a hundred-year-old vampire thirsts for the blood of his family. But the road is long, and an army of evil Stand Users waits to kill JoJo and his friends...

Dark Horse To Re-Collect Oh My Goddess

Dark Horse Comics will be re-collection Kosuke Fujishima's preeminent magical girlfriend manga series starting with it's first volume on October 12th. The 192 pages collection will retail for $10.95.

Alone in his dorm on a Saturday night, Nekomi Tech's Keiichi Morisato dials a wrong number that will change his life forever--reaching the Goddess Technical Help Line. Granted one wish by the charming young goddess Belldandy--a wish for anything in the world--Keiichi wishes she would stay with him always! Complications are bound to ensue from this; the immediate first being the new couple getting tossed out of the dorm--it's males only.

As the hapless student and his mysterious "foreign beauty" ride around looking for a new place to stay--risking the different dangers of seeking shelter with an otaku convinced Belldandy is an imaginary woman, and a Zen priest convinced she's a sinister witch--Keiichi's still got his classes on Monday morning! How is his new "exchange student" companion going to be received on the N.I.T. campus? A little too well for normal life to ever return ...

New Golgo 13 Release

Urban Vision will be releasing a one volume collection of globe-trotting assassin action Golgo 13: The Professional on August 30th.

Official English Web Sites

FUNimation has posted their website for their upcoming release of the third Tencho OAV at www.tenchireturns.com

Right Stuf has launched a site for The Irresponsible Captain Tylor in preparation for the upcoming Ultra Edition.

Azumanga Daioh Thinpak Set

ADV will be releasing a thinpak DVD collection of the Azumanga Daiog anime September 20th for $69.98. Anime News Network reports that the collection will be part of ADV's new initiative to remaster collected sets without the extra features included in the initial release.

Spped Racer Movie Moves Forward

According to Icv2 and Cinescape Online, the screenplay for the Hollywood, live action Speed Racer movie has been completed and will be turned in this week.

Vince Vaughn is still committed to play Racer X and the new film, which reportedly has four major racing sequences, is approaching the starting line.

Kimagure Orange Road Updates

AnimEigo will be ending their Kimagure Orange Road box set replacemnt program will be ending at the end of June.
The TV series box set has also about, but individual issues will still be available going foward.

Astro Boy Plans For DVD

Anchor Boy Entertainment will be distributing Manga Entertainment's release of the color, 52 episode Astro Boy TV series from 1980 in a 7 disc collection for $59.98. The set will feature a custom metal box, English and Japanese audio tracks and English subtitles.

Anime News Network cleared up information on the series that was being released after early indicators suggested that the release would be of the 1963 release, which Right Stuf has licensed. Right Stuf later said they plan to remaster the '63 series for a DVD release.

Hot Gimmick Ends

MangaNews reports that Miki Aihara's popular shoujo manga series Hot Gimmick will be ending its Japanese run with Betsucomi issue 9, to be released on July 13.

Anime Game News

The Anime News Network reports official website for Gundam: True Odyssey has with new content, images, mobile suits, promo movies and details about Gavenger

Anime News Service reports that Idea Factory now has trailer for the Fushigi Yuugi Genbukaiden - Kagami no Fujo Playstation 2 adventure game here

From The Magic Box

Mobile Suit Gundam Giren's Ambition: Zeon's Legacy will be released for the PSP in Japan on August 11th. Screenshots of the remake of the popular strategy can be seen at here

Screenshots of Inu Yasha: Ougi Ranbu (Inuyasha: Fedual Combat), which will be released in Japan on August 16th and in the US on August can be seen here. The fighting game will feature 14 playable characters, interactive environments, partner characters and the chance to develop character's skills and compatibility with partners to improve attacks.

3D PS2 fight Fighting For One Piece can be seen at here. The game will be released in Japan on July 28th.

Naruto: Uzumaki Ninden for the Playstation 2 can be seen here

Naruto RPG 2: Chidori vs Rasengan, which goes on sale in Japan on July 14th can be seen at here. The page also shows a special edition Nintendo DS Frog Pouch available with pre-orders that will amuse fans of the popular ninja action series.

Mobile Suit Gundam Seed Destiny: Generation of C.E. for the Playstation 2 can be seen here.

The fighting game based on Bleach can be seen here

A new .Hack game, .Hack // G.U. (Group Up), taking place seven years after the previous games/anime/manga can be seen here

Viz Manga Premieres

Viz will be releasing the first volume of humor manga Bobobo-bo Bo-bobo, the anime version of which will in airing on Cartoon Network, in November. A Rurouni Kenshin will also be released that month.

Be Beautiful Releases Its First DVD with Kizuna 1

Yaoi graphic novel publisher Be Beautifulannounced its first DVD release, Kizuna 1, to be released in August with a $14.95 SRP. Based on the popular yaoi graphic novel series of the same name by Kazuma Kodaka, which the Village Voice called "a romantic epic", Kizuna 1 is a scintillating tale of romance, with intriguing plot twists and passionate conflict.

"Yaoi" is a popular Japanese publishing genre created by female artists and writers for the enjoyment of female readers, usually featuring relationships involving impossibly beautiful men, and diverse interpretations of the "pure love" concept.

The DVD features Japanese language with English subtitles, a pre-order date of July 12, 2005, and a street date of August 9, 2005.

Kizuna 1
Three's a crowd.
Ranmaru and Kei have a strong and passionate relationship built on years of trust, sacrifice and love. But when the mysterious son of a Yakuza boss begins to pursue Ranmaru's affection, tempers flare, and hidden emotions rise to the surface. Will Ranmaru and Kei's love survive, or will the emotional conflict finally come to a head?
Running time: 30 minutes

TOKYOPOP Talks Bizenghast

TOKYOPOP has announced the August release of Bizenghast, the Gothic tale of a haunted girl and the ghostly New England hamlet in which she lives. Bizenghast provides a window into the strange and spooky world that exists just beyond our perception. Fans of the burgeoning Gothic Lolita scene--and cosplayers--in particular will delight in this chilly waltz through the pale moonlight.

Dinah, a young teenage girl who lost her parents tragically, must now live with her aunt in a huge and scary house in Bizenghast. Though she has moments of clarity, Dinah is out of touch with reality. She exists on the brink of madness, allowing her to see the ghosts that inhabit the town, but also the gloomy house in which she lives. But nothing can hold a candle to what happens when Dinah and Vincent--her champion and admirer--stumble upon the ruins of the town's darkest secret and are forced to enter into a contract the likes of which are eerily ungodly, to say the least.

Creator M. Alice LeGrow spent much of her early childhood in Europe, and later moved with her family to Connecticut. Much of her work is influenced by a combination of a youth spent in Germany, her study of European art and architecture, and the ghost stories and legends of New England. She attended the Savannah College of Art and Design and received a BFA in sequential art. LeGrow was discovered during TOKYOPOP's annual Rising Stars of Mangaä competition. She is also an avid cosplayer and many of her creations may be viewed at www.bizenghast.com

Frederik Schodt Interview

The lastest The Japan Foundation Newsletter at here features an interview with manga scholar Frederik L. Schodt.

Gosho Aoyama and Minami Takayama Marry

Anime News Network reports manga writer Gosho Aoyama, the creator of Detective Conan, has married Minami Takayama, voice actress from Conan, Kiki of Kiki's Delivery Serice and half of J-pop group Two-Mix.

According to friends, Takayama "reverse-proposed" to Gosho back in March, and the couple submitted the required marriage documents to the municipal offices on May 5th, Takayama's birthday.

Anime News Network points out past manga-writer voice actor marriages have included Namoru Nagano, creator of The Five Star Stories and Maria Kawamura (Lachesis from the animated version of F.S.S.) and Youichi Takahashi, creator of Captain Tsubasa, and Akari Hibino, the voice actress for the main character in that series (the pair later divorced).

Previews

TwitchFilm reports that a trailer for the new Crayon Shinchan movie, based on the popular manga/anime series about a precocious and ranchy child with a deep voice, can be seen here

Also, from Twitch, Gyakkyou 9 a live action adaptation of a sports comedy manga has posted previews on its site at www.gk9.jp/

A trailer for the Highlander anime, from Ninja Scroll's Madhouse and director Yoshiaki Kawajiri, can be seen here

Gun X Sword can be seen here.

A trailer for Amaenaideyo!! is online at the official site.

New Anime in Development

Anime News Service reports Nikkei Characters Magazine states that production of a new incarnation of classic sci-fi anime Megazone 23 is in production. The main character Eve and the transforming motorcycle Garland and character designer Haruhiko Mikimoto (Macross) will be returning.

Rei Hiroe's manga Black Lagoon is being adapted into an anime series to air in Japan this fall.

A second season of baseball anime Major will also be airing this fall.

Transformers Movie News

Comic Book Movie reports George Clooney is signed to voice of Optimus Prime in the live action/cgi Transformers movie.

Producer Don Murphy has announced on his message board that, "Michael Bay is signed at this point for the film - BUT- he has to finish The Island and it?s not finished yet - before he can focus on TF...We were hoping to have a script last week but we don?t. But we will soon. Voice actors and Arcee and other things will be addressed at the right time. Welcome to the hell that is Producing - things move VERY slowly in my world. And yes, it is frustrating to me."

New Lain Artbook?

A post on Anime on DVD's message board points out that designer Yoshitoshi ABe says on his blog:

The artbook of "serial experiments lain" rebuild and release in America in July, 2005. This artbook reconstituted "an omnipresence in wired" which published in 1999 and add new pictures. And, several pictures is introduced how to drawing. I'm working about it now.

Bandai Games Announces Ghost In The Shell: Stand Alone ComplexFor Playstation Portable

Bandai Games Inc. today announced Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex?for PlayStation Portable (PSP) handheld entertainment system. Based on the critically-acclaimed anime series by the renowned manga artist and writer Masamune Shirow, this sci-fi first-person shooter offers wireless multiplayer action for up to four-players, including heated cooperative and competitive modes.

KOTOKO Performance and Hellsing Ultimate Preview at Anime Expo

Performing top hit songs from her current releases and upcoming album, Japan's rising new music artist, KOTOKO, will be appearing live in concert on Saturday afternoon, July 2, as part of the "Geneon Anime Festival" (starting at 1pm inside the Anaheim Convention Center's live programming room) at Anime Expo

Anime Expo (July 1-4, 2005) takes place this year at the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, California and is expected to draw over 30,000 attendees.

In addition to a full-scale concert, the Geneon event will showcase sneak-peek screenings of the latest and hottest anime features licensed by the company, as well as a bomb-shell surprise appearance by an anime industry guest involved with the much-anticipated new HELLSING ULTIMATE OAV SERIES. In keeping with the program's anime theme, popular anime voice actors Johnny Yong Bosch and Wendee Lee will be hosting this event spectacular.

Anime Weekend Atlanta Announces Its Guest List

Anime Weekend Atlanta is proud to announce it current guest list for it eleventh year show. Guests included: Artist/Creator Stan Sakai, Voiceactors Jessica Boone, Sasha Paysinger, Vic Mignogna, Luci Christian, Greg Ayres, Monica Rial, Lauren Goodnight, Voiceactress/DVD Coordinator Mariela Ortiz, Voiceactor/Director Mike Sinterniklaas, DVD Producer/ADR Director David Williams, ADR Director Matt Greenfield, Artist Robert & Emily DeJesus, Artist Tavisha Wolfgarth-Simons, Artist/Writer/Voiceactor Rikki Simons, Translator Neil Nadelman and Musician Lisa Furukawa Ray.

More guests are in the work. For more information about Anime Weekend Atlanta please visit our website at here.

Upcoming Crash Titles

Crash Media Group announced at LIMA 2005 that they were showing of their co-produced title Shiden to the international licensing community. Shiden is the brainchild of veteran anime pioneer Kimio Ikeda (producer of such mega-hits as Astro Boy, Speed Racer, and Gatchaman/Battle of the Planets) with an all star production team behind it such as Animation Development and Character Design by both Takao Kozai, Kenichi Kozai (Steam Boy, Ghost in the Shell: Innocence, and Blood +) and 3D CGI modeling by Toshihiro Nagao (Initial-D, Urusei Yatsura), Shiden is set to wow audiences around the world in 2006 and 2007. Best described as a high-octane modern gothic anime adventure, the 26 episode series is currently in production in Japan.

Olympus Guardian, a 39 episode series based on ancient Greek and Roman mythology will be released on DVD in early 2006.

Be Beautiful Signs with CDS for North American Distribution

Yaoi publisher Be Beautiful, has announced that it has contracted with CDS for distribution of its books throughout the U.S. and Canada, effective immediately. Yaoi (pronounced "Ya-oh-ee") refers to illustrated romantic literature written by women for women, featuring impossibly beautiful men, and is a wildly popular and growing genre within the overall manga industry.

Late June, Early July ADV Releases

• June 28
• Get Backers: Venus, Interrupted (volume 7 of 10)
• Shuten Doji: Nightmare (volume 2 of 2)
• Sister Princess: One Big Happy Family (volume 6 of 7)
• July 5th
• Chrono Crusade: Devil?s Advocate (volume 6 of 7)
• Cromartie High School: Sailin? Fools (volume 3 o 4)
• Gantz: Sudden Death (episodes 11 - 13, volume 6 of 10)
• Gravion Zwei: Humanity?S Edge (volume 3 of 3)
• My Beautiful Girl, Mari (movie)

My Beautiful Girl, Mari
ADV is pleased to announce the DVD release of My Beautiful Girl, Mari, the prize-winning animated featured film on Super Tuesday, July 5. The film recently completed its US theatrical run to critical acclaim.

A fresh approach to animation comes in the form of this delightful new film from Korea. My Beautiful Girl Mari relates the story of childhood as told through the adult eyes of Nam-Woo. Nam-woo lives in a small seaside village and is suffering because everyone close to him has died, left or is about to leave. One day he discovers a magical marble in a toy store which, when he visits the top of an old abandoned lighthouse, transports him to an enchanted fantasy land where he floats on clouds, rides on the back of fantastic creatures and meets the mysterious, ethereal girl called Mari, who floats tantalizingly just out of his grasp. As an adult, Nam-woo reflects on what kind of impact Mari and her world had on his growth as a human being.

My Beautiful Girl Mari has been screened through numerous film festivals here and abroad, including the 26th Annecy International Animated Film Festival (2002), the world?s biggest animation festival, where it was the Grand Prix Winner for "Best Feature."

ADV gave their July 5th "Super Tuesday" an amusing write-up"

Any one of these releases would have made for a notable week in anime. Taken together, they make a ?perfect storm.? Retailers are already bracing themselves for an otaku onslaught.

"A Tuesday like this only comes along every 3-4 years," according to store owner Jeff Hurtz of Scottsdale, Arizona. "All you can do is prepare as best you can and hope everything turns out alright." Hurtz conceded that the added expense of extra security and overtime workers was a burden, but seemed upbeat about the prospects for his business. "Sure, the cleanup is a hassle, and I wish the fans wouldn?t fight over product. But when the day is done, and you look out on those empty shelves, you can?t help but think, ?Ka-ching!?"

"I hate ADV," says assistant store manager Maurie Byers. "Every time they do this I have to work late. Plus, I?m going to miss another car payment. And why did they have to put Gantz, Chrono, and Cromartie High all on the same week? I already promised my girlfriend we?d pick up My Beautiful Girl Mari. An employee discount only goes so far."

"It don?t know how it happened," says ADV Senior Vice President ? Sales & Marketing Mike Bailiff. "All I know is that we?re looking at the biggest Tuesday of the summer, and ADV is leading the way. Again."

CPM Re-Priced

Central Park Media announced that in August, it will re-price and re-release various titles from its collection of classic mainstream anime programs at the incredibly low price of only $9.95 SRP. Set to be re-released are a collection of titles from the popular Project A-Ko series, which features "The most famous schoolgirl ever to grace anime" -Anime FX, as well as titles from the renowned supernatural thriller, Descendents of Darkness. Box sets for each of the two series will also be re-priced and re-released in August; the Project A-Ko Collector's Series Edition will be available at a new, low $29.95 SRP and the Descendents of Darkness DVD Collection will be $39.95 SRP. In addition to these exciting titles, CPM will also re-release Hyper Speed Grandoll and Animation Runner Kuromi, both for only $9.95 SRP as well!

All DVDs will have audio tracks in both English and Japanese with English subtitles. All titles will have a pre-order date of July 26, 2005 and a street date of August 23, 2005.

• Hyper Speed Grandoll
• Project A-ko Collector's Series Edition
• Project A-ko: Uncivil Wars
• Project A-ko: Love & Robots
• Project A-ko DVD Collection $29.95
• Descendants of Darkness: Vampire's Lure
• Descendants of Darkness: Devil's Song
• Descendants of Darkness: Tarot Curse
• Descendants of Darkness: Demon's Reckoning $39.95
• Descendants of Darkness DVD Collection
• Animation Runner Kuromi Collector's Series Edition

Central Park Media has announced that it will express its gratitude to its loyal Patlabor fans for their continued enthusiasm and support of the Patlabor: The Mobile Police TV series throughout its long-running release schedule by reducing the previously announced release price for Patlabor: The Mobile Police-The TV Series:DVD Collection Volumes 9-11 from $49.95 SRP to only $29.95 SRP The fans will be able to purchase the final three volumes for the current cost of a single volume. Patlabor: The Mobile Police-The TV Series: Volume 11, which was originally announced for release in August, will not be available for individual purchase.

September re-priced releases include

• Make Way for the Ping Pong Club - $9.95
• The Ping Pong Club Collection - $49.95
• The Ping Pong Club Rots in Hell - $9.95
• The Ping Pong Club: Goes Too Far - $9.95
• The Ping Pong Club: Losers' Club - $9.95
• The Ping Pong Club: Love & Comedy - $9.95
• Agent Aika: Final Battle - $9.95
• Agent Aika: Naked Missions - $9.95
• Geobreeders - $9.95
• Geobreeders Collection - $19.95
• Geobreeders:Breakthrough - $9.95
• Photon: The Idiot Adventures (Anime 102 Edition) - $9.95

Lo-Fi Magazine Launches In August

Urban Robot Publications will be launching Lo-Fi: Comics And Entertainment Magazine for fans of "everything from Video Games and Anime to Fashion, Toys, and Movies" in the August edition, which will carry a "1", boast a larger format at 8 1/2" x 11" (formerly released in comic book size), and a new monthly schedule. LO-FI is a magazine that focuses mostly on independent comic books and underground music.

For information about previous issues of LO-FI, visit www.lofimagazine.com, and in the near future, visit www.urbanrobotpub.com for the latest offerings from Urban Robot Publications.

Geneon Talks August Releases

Geneon's August releases will include encounter aliens and spirits from the dead in volume one of DearS and Ghosttalker?s Daydream, action and adventure continue in Tenjho Tenge Volume Two, Ultra Maniac Volume Three, Melody of Oblivion Volume Two, Jubei Chan 2 Volume Two and ongoing favorites await with Stellvia Volume Six, Fighting Spirit Volume Seven, Saiyuki Reload Volume Four and Human Crossing Volume Four.

DEARS Volume One - 1st Contact
"Fans Of Chobits And Love Hina Are Falling In Love With"

Acclimating to a new culture can be difficult... but for the DearS, a race of beautiful humanoid aliens that crash lands in modern day Tokyo, the learning curve is filled with hilarious and sexy obstacles in DearS Volume One ? 1st Contact, debuting on DVD August 2 from Geneon Entertainment. With saucy fan service, outrageous comedy and romantic drama, DearS is an instant draw for anyone who fell in love with Chobits and Love Hina.

The series is directed by Akira Suzuki (Happy Lesson), adapted from the manga by Peach-Pit (Rozen Maiden), with design by Nobutsugu Ochi, script by Tako Yoshioka (Ikki Tousen, Happy Lesson), animation by DOME and English dub by New Generation Pictures (Haibane Renmei, Paranoia Agent, Ikki Tousen and R.O.D - The TV -). DearS Volume One ? 1st Contact is available as a single disc for a suggested retail price of $24.98, as well as in a limited edition collector?s box with room for subsequent volumes for a suggested retail price of $34.98.

Synopsis
One year ago, an alien spacecraft crashed into Tokyo Bay, leaving an entire crew stranded on Earth with no means of returning home. In no time, the aliens are granted Japanese citizenship and begin participating in a home-stay program with the local people in order to learn all about human culture. When one DearS goes astray and wanders into the life of an ordinary high school student named Takeya, the adventure begins?and this DearS is about to learn things they don?t teach you in school!

GHOST TALKER?S DAYDREAM Volume One - 1st Contact
Sex And The Supernatural Come Together For A Thrilling Mystery On DVD August 23 From Geneon Entertainment

Saiki Misaki?s life is anything but normal. She?s a celebrated dominatrix with a devoted fan base, for one. And, perhaps even more strangely, she can talk to ghosts, and uses her unique ability to solve supernatural mysteries for a secret government organization in Ghost Talker?s Daydream, debuting on DVD August 23 from Geneon Entertainment. The sexy psychic has her hands full as she delves deep into horrors from beyond the grave...and into the darkness of man?s soul.

The atmospheric horror anime Ghost Talker?s Daydream boasts an original screenplay by Kenichi Kanemaki (Ai Yori Aoshi, Record of Lodoss War), direction by Osamu Sekita (Mobile Suit Gundam Seed, W-Wish) and character design by Akemi Kobayashi (Air The Movie, Pretear). Ghost Talker?s Daydream is available as a single disc for a suggested retail price of $29.98.

Synopsis
Ever since she could remember, Saiki Misaki has had the ability to 'talk' to ghosts. She works as a special consultant for the city's secret division that deals with supernatural cases. She also works as a dominatrix at an S&M club, where she has gained a cult following for her extraordinary ability to tame men's twisted desires. These special talents, however, forbid her to lead an ordinary life. Everyday she has to deal with overzealous fans/stalkers, and worse, lost spirits in desperate need of help...

China Considering Foreign Animation Restrictions

Anime News Service reports when the Chinese animation industry has ramped up, the Chinese State Administration of Radio, Film and Television may ban foreign animation from prime time television.

Canadian News

From Anime News Network Canadian broadcast media company Chum Television will be launched the Razer youth network, scheduled to broadcast June 30th, which will include the teen fighting anime Air Master in its programming.

The Be Beautiful yaoi line has been difficult to find in Canada, but according to CPM, their new distribution agreement with CDS includes Canada and is expected to improve the availability of Be Beautiful products in Canada.

According to listing on Amazon.ca, Geneon has dropped the MSRP on its US$29.99 DVDs from CDN$49.99 to CDN$36.99. At current exchange rates, the $49.99 price point equates to approximately US$40, 33% more expensive than the US SRP.

One Piece Game

Bandai America will be releasing a One Piece trading card game and a video game starting in September.

Synch-Point Talks I'll Be An Angel's Extended Release

Anime on DVD reports Synch-Point posted a blog message about their release of the anime I'll Be an Angel which has been released with years between volumes:

Q1. When is the rest of I'm Gonna be an Angel DVD going to be released?

A1. The project is currently on hold while we release (= make money) other series. Broccoli, our parent company, gives us the money to operate in the US, so we need to think about what's beneficial to the entire company, which is to release Broccoli titles in the US.

I'm Gonna be an Angel also hasn't been making a profit for us, so we need to raise funds with other projects first. So if you're protesting the delayed release of I'm Gonna be an Angel by boycotting all Broccoli goods (as some fans have angrily emailed), you're just shooting yourself in the foot b/c that's a sure way of not getting it released. So Synch-Point is trying to get the rest of I'm Gonna be an Angel released by pushing out Di Gi Charat Original Series and others.

And we are also considering different formats of releasing I'm Gonna be an Angel, such as releasing the last three volumes as a set, to sell the product better & to release it quicker."

New Blood Manga Series

AnimeNation reports that in conjunction with upcoming Blood+ TV followup to Production IG's Blood the last vampire series, 3 manga series will be apparing in Japanese anthologies starting in July:
Asuka Katsura's manga in Beans Ace Magazine
Kumiko Suekane' in Monthly Shonen Ace
Hirotaka Kisaragi in Ciel Magazine

Howl Opening Box Office Take

Box Office Mojo reports that Howl's Moving Castle took in $427,987 at 36 theaters for it's opening weekend. Anime News Network points out that the last Hayao Miyazaki/Studio Ghibli movie Spirited Away earned $449,839 from 26 theaters when it premiered in 2002.
Howl expands to 200 theaters this coming weekend.

Gundam Zeta Movie 2 Release

Anime News Service reports that the second movie in the trilogy of theatrical Gundam Zeta movies, which will be entitled ""Loves"" will be released in Japanese theatres October 29th.

New And Significant Manga Series For August

ADV

Yotsuba&! Vol.2
From the nutty mind of Kyohiko Azuma, creator of the hit manga, Azumanga Daioh, comes the story of the new kid in town?little Yotsuba, a green-haired and wide-eyed girl who doesn?t have a clue...about anything!

Cromartie High School Manga Vol. 3
Written and illustrated by Eiji Nonaka
WINNER OF THE KODANSHA AWARD FOR BEST MANGA. A masked hijacker is parading around school as Takenouchi, preparing for the All-Japan Kingpin Tournament.

CMX

Testarotho Vol. 1
Written and illustrated by Sanbe Kei
The best-selling title by blockbuster new talent Sanbe Kei (Kamiyadori)! In a dark future, rival warriors of warring sects persecute nonbelievers and die for their faith. But a disillusioned young novice and a deadly gun-toting priest may be about to change all that...

Young Capria has completed her studies at the Arsenal School and has begun her internship with the Elysia Unification Council under Father Garrincha. But no lessons could prepare this sheltered novice for the outside world, where rebels battle against the dreaded "Testarotho." Heretics are tried and burned at the stake, warring religious factions battle for power, and the common people live a miserable life in feudal servitude. Can she bring a spark of hope to a world filled with destruction and madness? Maybe if she lives long enough!

Young Magician Vol. 1 Written and illustrated by Narushima Yuri
CMX. From the creator of hit manga Planet Ladder comes a gothic tale of sorcery! A battle has broken out among rival sorcerers. The most nefarious group, the Necromancers, is killing young girls in Hong Kong to read the future in their entrails. Carno, a human youth raised by Aeromancers in a different dimension, is summoned back to his homeworld to join in the battle. Does Carno have what it takes to survive in a world of political alliances and emotional entanglements?

Dark Horse (Past August)

Hellsing Volume 7 Tpb
Kohta Hirano (W/A)

Hellsing: Impure Souls Anime Manga Tpb
Written and art by Kohta Hirano.
A secret war brews in the night--a war where humanity is only a pawn. The Hellsing Organization deploys in the shadows to protect the mortal world. But now, artificially spawned vampires have appeared, forcing Hellsing to call in their ultimate weapon--the rogue vampire, Alucard. We present Hellsing: Impure Souls Anime Manga, adapted from the popular anime series, now in book form for your sustained joy and dread.
160 pages, $14.95, in store son Oct. 26.

Lady Snowblood Volume 1 Tpb
Kazuo Koike (W) And Kazuo Kamimura (A)
On sale September 7, SC, 288pg, b&w, 5" x 7", $14.95 From the pen of Kazuo Koike, of Lone Wolf and Cub fame, comes Lady Snowblood. A story of pure vengeance, Lady Snowblood tells the tale of a daughter born of a singular purpose, to avenge the death of her family at the hands of a gang of thugs, a purpose woven into her soul from the time of her gestation.
Beautifully drafted and full of bloody, sexy action, Lady Snowblood lives up to its title and reputation.

Samurai Executioner Volume 8 Tpb
Written by Kazuo Koike, art by Goseki Kojima.
304 pages, black and white, $9.95, in stores on Nov. 30.

Oh My Goddess Volume 1 Tpb
Written and art by Kosuke Fujishima.
192 pages, black and white, $10.9