Anime Spotlight: Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex
Volume 7

Released by Manga Video and Bandai Entertainment

Even the best anime seldom resolve themselves with a satisfactory ending. Which is why Stand Alone Complex has to be a contender for the best scripted anime series produced. It gives the viewers what they want, and makes that resolution the logical extension of the foundations previously laid out. It pulls in pieces left hanging, and leaves substantial material to think about.

Having cracked the super-hacker Laughing Man case that haunted the post-information age police procedural, almost since the series began, the elite, cybornetically augmented unit has to go to the mat to take down the implicated government officials. Blow back heats up into an all out war between the protagonists' Section 9, and an elite military group that makes the previous feud with the drug enforcement agency look civil. As the episodes commence, talking scenes animation look a little rushed, but troop ship start unloading battle armors looking like the original creator Masamune Shirow's landmates. From the start of the battle, it utilizes the said and unsaid attributes of section 9. Their dangerous combination of focused combat operations, information warfare, and from their chief, political experience and savvy. That the role of Section 9, and where they fit into a government's law enforcement structure, has always been nebulous is used as the teams great liability. Why politicians could logically be concerned about the protagonists is clearly illustratated.

The conclusion provides the perfect opponent for the confrontation: intelligent, as brutal as the situation called for, never taking Section 9 lightly, and as loyal to each-other as the protagonists' team.

Because of production or script lapses, anime rarely manages the course of a series well, but in contrast, Stand Alone Complex establishes itself as one of the best planned sequences in serial anime.

The final episodes work with the elements previously introduced in the magnitude in which they were previously used. Layers of awareness are divided between the characers. Brain in a complete cyborg body Major Motoko Kusinagi plays the dynamic architect who isn't fully aware of the situation, or the plans of those above her, but takes control of the situation on the ground. Though the whole picture isn't revealed her body swaps, a current through the series comes into play. Her partner Batou, an extensively cybernetic combat veteran remains a bit of a point of view character because he's a key action asset and because though he's intelligent, he's generally only given the view of the situation at the moment. Non-cyborg family man, and investigator turned Section 9 recruit Togusa remains the go to guy for human reaction in the combat-light scenes and lends a view from the mind of someone who knows the philosophy, and thought processes, but not necessarily the technology.

The support members of the team, remain support members rather than serving as last minutes aces. The new additions for the series don't serve as difference makers though Ishikawa, the bearded minor role stalwart of the franchise is given an opportunity to show his stuff, but doesn't exceed his role

The best example of foundation coming back to impact the conclusion is the return of the artificially intelligent arthropod like personal tanks Tachikomas. The Tachikomas were earlier decommissioned because they had advanced to the point where they had begun thinking for themselves, taking initiative to exercise their curiosity in the middle of a battlefield, and disobeying orders. With high pitched voices, and almost expressive eye pieces they were cute, almost in a don't-hurt-me sense. Both fans and characters became very attached to the machines. When it became apparent that bringing them into battle was plain foolish, the decision of what to do with them set empathy against practicality. While not a unique dilemma in fiction, Stand Alone Complex excelled at keeping the logic, morality and compassion in conflict with plenty to ponder in favor or against the course of action taken by the characters.

Their return starts hitting emotional buttons, and creates plenty of opportunity to cheer the plucky machines, but it underscores rather than refutes the trouble putting them on a combat team. The script does an excellent job leaving the ultimate question open for independent though, while the directing continues to work emotions into a non-anthropomorphic machine.

The weighty ideological underpinnings continue to expand in complexity and produce surprised through the series conclusion. Though the series appears to be examining phenomena speculated to develop in a post information age the ultimate explanation of the titular stand alone complex is backed with examples from literature, such as Salinger, and 20th century cinema. Even the series itself flirts with the idea, even if it can't emulate it. At a meta level it really works and twists the repetition idea with the re-appropriation of scenes from the Ghost in the Shell movie, this time with movie's epilogue with the its progression shifted.

Manga Spotlight: Genshiken
By Kio Shimoku

Released by Del Rey

The trade mark scene in Genshiken occurs when a girlfriend goes to a circle of geeks for advice in how to react to the discovery that her boyfriend has a cache of anime porn magazines. The most vocal member of the group, a man who's thin and unhealthy from spending his living expenses on anime, goes into a rant concerning a Scott McCloud like idea of symbolic interpretation, ending with the assertion that someone who can't get turned on by drawings has something defective with their brain.

The titular Genshiken is a college fan group who aren't an anime club, or a manga club, they're "The Society for the Study of Modern Visual Culture". Of course, they're considered the deadbeats of the community. Unlike other groups who produce fan-zines (the localization's translation of doujinishi, fan comics, to the chagrin of some readers), or promote the medium, Genshiken sit around, generally not doing anything productive or saying anything profound.

With a granularity and range of sub-cultures, from views and rationales to a detailed capturing of the look in character design, Kio Shimoku constructs a picture of fan life is that isn't always pretty, but stays true, and amusing. Genshiken will either invoke love or disinterest in a reader. You don't have to be into fandom, though exposure helps. It does require some shared interest, because the key guilty recognition. Lightly exaggerated people in plausible situations that involve those that might be like you or your acquaintances.

The short stories jump in with a freshmen who's nondescript and not a bad guy, that joins the group, after an odd initiation test. For conflict there's a well groomed, well dressed, polite and considerate, but a die-hard anime fan at heart guy who brings along a girlfriend who's very fashion, conscious, loud, and not too please to be spending time in anime circles. And then there's the anime satan mentioned in the opening of this review.

The series is set apart from other fandom parodies such as Comics Party in that despite some geek-out moments, it avoids hysterics, and keeps reactions and interactions in the realm of the probable. Fans can generally think of a number of geek moments that would make good stories, either as gossip, wittiness, or someone making a good point. Genshiken condenses them, increases the frequency, and throws in a number you wouldn't repeat (ie more than a little porn comic compulsion). At the same time it keeps its characters, if not exactly likable, eminently relatable. The kindof people who if they don't remind you of yourself, remind you of people who you've met and don't mind spending time with.

Del Rey's normally stand out bonus material is a bit disappointing in the series. Without flirting with legal difficulties or going crazy it would have been nice if there were more clues to the veiled titles the characters are talking about. It's clear that "Pan and Dade" are Parn and Deedlit from Lodoss War though that might be becoming an increasingly obscure title and Gangaru is Gundam, but maybe extra descriptive information could have been a good addition.

The information of Kujibiki Unbalance, the fictional hot anime within the series is difficult to impossible to read, culminating in a relationship chart that's both small and badly reproduced.

Anime Spotlight: Baki the Grappler Volume 1

Released by FUNimation

Baki the Grappler works closer to the appeal of pro-wrestling and mixed martial than it does most tournament fighting anime/manga. A little motivation gets mixed with alot of confrontation, pared down to the simple credo: you want to be the best, there's another guy in the way,resolve it violently.

If you nod to the tag line, "if one is born a male, at least once in his life he'll dream of becoming the strong man alive", note that Baki does a superlative job going of going straight to the beatings, a real bruiser of an anime series, with muscles and bones in place of fireballs and jump action. The proceedings can can't get through a conversation without someone breaking off a fluorescent light tube to hold the jagged edge against an unfortunate's neck, putting a thumb through a deck of cards, or at least polishing a sword.

With a little pretense to martial arts verite, and all of exaggeation, the series is the fight anime equivilent of a person who will enthuistically rattle off thoughts that make no sense. Not only does the anime open with a 13 year old martial artist taking on 100 armed thugs (though he only gets through 37, and in an example of the series rabbit of nonsense exposition, it is explained that only four can get to him at time), the volume ends with the hero training by fighting a Japanese sasquatch equivalent who given the credit for taking out the major legendary warriors whose deaths have gone undocumented. (It also treats the viewers to a lecture and emergency sasquatch wound treatment, because of the bacteria on animal claws, one should empty the powder from shot gun shells on the wound, and set it on fire)

The series take advantage of the simple plot and motivations to focus on what could be called fictional fight booking. It doesn't need to get the character angry or moral enough to want to beat each-other into submission, they're raring to go. Instead, it builds anticipation for the fight, teasing what a confrontation might have to offer so that you want to see what it will look like when X fights Y, even the the intermediary route is filled with other engagements rather than a lull.

Though Baki doesn't fain humorlessness as something like Fist of the North Star might, but it does present a straight face. More than most anime fighting series, it purports to bear a consideration for real world martial arts. While there it generally convey differences in technique, its probably its slightly above par for accuracy. Of course a world Muay Thai fighter gets told by his corner man not to forget to use his legs (to be fair, that's in the dub script), and the "grappler" term seems to be used for someone who's a paramount fighter rather than someone who, well, grapples. There's an amusing lecture on training to near death to release endorphins. As a whole, the adherence is close enough to something recognizable true, that if you know what they're talking about, it can take you out of the show they the conversation starts veering into bizarro-fight-world.

FUNimation continues there tradition of putting together eye attention grabbing packing, but with some odd choices and mixed results. The pairing of the hero with the ape is bold, but maybe not the be best representation of a human versus human fighting series The original female vocal ending theme, Ai Believe by Ryoko Aoyagi was replaced by a more driving hard hitting Child Prey by Dir En Gray. The accompanying animation was changed to reduce the counts of scenes of training and secondary characters in favor of more fighting and confrontation. There are a few instances where animation and music don't match as well as the original, but it does set the mood for the series better than the comparatively easier original.

The unwelcomed trend of front ended un-skippable trailers has similarly continued, but in this case they put together something mercifully short. it seems to demonstrate an extras an line-items philosophy. They're minimal additions. There's a muay thai description that doesn't get to the essence of the endeavor describing the competitions with nothing of the form and characteristics of the discipline, character descriptions with just information from the episodes on the volume, and a commentary track that quickly starts killing time with repeated jokes.

New Licenses

Anime Expo, one of North America's largest anime conventions took place last week. Possibly due to the increased count of North American convention, and probably partially due the down turn in the industry, the number of newly announced licensed titles was drastically down from previous years.

Anime on DVD has posted a comparison chart of the title licenses announced during the convention over the years here

ADV

ADV licensed the Evangelion: Girlfriend of Steel 2 manga, based on the PC game featuring a romance resembling the alternate version of the characters shown the end of the TV series. The series, retitled "Evangelion: Angelic Days" will replace the concluding Lagoon Engine Einzats in the NewType USA peridoical. Anime News Network has confirmed that the series will also be collected into graphic novels.

ADV will be working with Harmony Gold to release the original Macross, the 80's sci-fi made into the first third of Robotech. According to Anime News Network, an English language dub may be produced depending on whether they can secure the necessary material from licensers.

Tactics and Mermaid Melody, which were announced at last years convention are no longer considered licensed.

Bandai

Mai HiME, a popular high school action action series about teenage girls dealing with teen problems and the troubles associated with their super powers.

Bandai confirmed that they will be releasing Gundam SEED Destiny. The sequel series to Gundam SEED starts with Cagalli and Athrun representing the independent nation of Orb, working with the colonies of ZAFT to prevent an arms race. With J-Pop singers T.M. Revolution and Maaya Sakamoto voicing characters, the return of mecha from the original Universal Century Gundam, the series has been a real crowd pleaser

80's sci-fi titles Giant Gorg and SPT Layzner, which were previously announced no longer considered licensed.

FUNimation

Completing the three GONZO titles FUNimation has suspected to the licensed, FUNimation announced the acquisition of Trinity Blood, vampire versus church horror action written by scripter for the anime version of Berserk. (the other two being Speed Grapher and Basilisk).

Geneon Fate: Stay Night
Kannaduki no Miko
Shakugan no Shana

Geneon also confirmed the following licenses
Ergo Proxy directed by Shukou Murase (Witch Hunter Robin) and written by Dai Sato (Cowboy Bebop, Samurai Champloo, Wolf's Rain)
GUNxSWORD
Hellsing Ultimate OVA

Right Stuf

The Right Stuf International has licensed cult ninja comedy 2x2=Shinobuden, which they will be calling Ninja Nonsense. The title is expected out near the end of the year.
The manga version of 2x2=Shinobuden has been licensed by Infinity Studios.

TOKYOPOP TOKYOPOP announced manga titles

• Anima
• Asagiri No Miko
• Buss Gamer
• Life
• Rozen Maiden

The novels from fantasy travelogue Kino no Tabi/Kino's Journey and yaoi romance Gravitation have also been licensed.

Viz

Viz licensed the second OAV based on sci-fi lovers tragedy Saikano, and the sound tracks of Inu-Yasha.

ADV on TV

Anime News Network reports that ADV announced during the Anime Expo convention that the complete Neon Genesis Evangelion will be airing on Cartoon Network (parts of the series previously airing during an experimental, and unsuccessful mecha event). Showtime will be showing nun-and-guns supernatural action Chrono Crusade, and samurai anime Peacemakers. T&A sketch shorts Colorful will be airing on G4.

Inu Yasha Movie 3 to be Screened at Wal-Marts

According to Anime on DVD's Anime Expo convention report, Viz will be screening the third InuYasha movie in a 90 seat mobile theatre in 15 markets including:

• Seattle Area, WA
• Bay Area, CA
• Los Angeles, CA
• Phoenix, AZ
• San Antonio, TX
• Lincoln, NE
• Wichita, KS
• Hammond, IN
• Clarksville, TN
• Birmingham, AL
• Atlanta, GA
• Chesapeake, VA
• Secaucus, NJ
• Quincy, MA

The movie will premiere at San Diego Comic Con, and be released on DVD September 6th.

TOKYOPOP Talks BLU Label

TOKYOPOP indicated at the Anime Expo convention that titles Earthian, Love Mode, Shinobu Kokuro: Hidden Heart and Wild Rock will be released through the new BLU yaoi label.

TOKYOPOP Contest Spam?

Comic blog Cognitive Dissonance has posted in interesting conversation with TOKYOPOP has to whether their Princess Ai referral contest is encouraging entrants to spam at here

FUNimation Plans

From Anime on DVD's reports from Anime Expo, FUNimation will start their re-release of classic fantasy action comedy Slayers in late late, and the third Tenchi OAV sci-fi relationship comedy series in early window.

CMX Picks Up Appleseed and Kikaider?

Anime on DVD reports thatfor the San Diego Comic Con, CMX's panel is listed as having the properties Appleseed & Kikaider Code 02 mixed in with other known licenses. The Appleseed release may refer to the anime screen capture comic that they will be releasing.

Sakurai Dairies Re-Release

ADV will be releasing a new DVD of erotic title Sakura Dairies with an English dub, in addition to the Japanese audio track, and the footage missing from the previous release.

Goddess OAV Re-Release

AnimEigo announced at Anime Expo convention that they will be re-releasing the original Oh! My Goddess OAV series will remastered video.

The new TV version of preminant magic girlfriend show will be released by Media Blaster's Anime Works. The movie, and super deformed comedy spin-off have been released by Pioneer/Geneon.

Capeta Anime Announced

AnimeNation reports t Masahito Soda's award winning Formula-1 automobile racing manga series Capeta will be produced as an anime television series by Studio Comet (Eyeshield 21, Captain Tsubasa).

Manga Licenses Karas

ICV2 reports that Manga Video has licensed the new super-armor OAV (direct to video release) Karas

Anime Game Screens

The Magic Box has screen shots of the PS2 Fighting For One Piece game here and Ghost in the Shell: Standalone Complex - Territory of Hunter for the PSP here. Both games will be releases in Japan this September.

Upcoming TOKYOPOP Releases

TOKYPOP will be releasing newcomer Masaru Gotsubo's manga take of Samurao Champloo in November 2005.

Devil May Cry 3, based on the popular Capcom horror-action game, and created by Suguro Chayamachi, author of Aza and Aka no Genyuugi will be released in October.

Rising Starts of Manga 6

TOKYOPOP has announced that their 6th Rising Stars of Manga talent competition will run July 2nd 2005 through January 15 2006. Starting with this iteration, the compeition will go to an annual format.

Aspiring creators living in America and working in English are encouraged to submit their 15-to-20-page mangaalong with completed entry formsto TOKYOPOP for the chance to join the next generation of nationally published manga-ka. A handful of winners will score cash prizes and their winning entries will be presented in the next Rising Stars anthology, to be published in Summer 2006.

For more information, see here

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Upcoming Viz Releases

According to Anime on DVD's Anime Expo convention report, Viz will be releasing the live action Kamizake Girls theatrically in 20 markets. The movie will be screen September 9th in East Villege New York, and LA before opening in other markets.

Zatch Bell will be released quarterly starting November 6th. It isn't clear whether the release will strictly be the version airing on Cartoon Network, or including Japanese audio and deleted schemes.

The sixth collection of Rumiko Takahashi relationship epic Maison Ikkoku will be released October 25th. The seventh collection will be released before June 2006.

A collection of the Saikano anime and the season collection of Inu-Yasha w will be released November 8th.

Upcoming ADV Releases

According to Anime on DVD's Anime Expo convention report, ADV will be releasing the anime version of Detective Loki Ragnorok in October. Moby Disk and the Shadowskill TV series will be released in November.

Utena To be Re-Priced

Central Park Media Announced during their Anime Expo panel that the popular surreal shoujo Revolutionary Girl Utena will be repriced in 2006.

Howl's Paper Castle

AniMania Blog points out that patterns for a paper version of Howl's Moving Castle can be downloaded here

FUNimation Get Edgier Sunabozu

From Anime News Network's Anime Expo FUNimation reporr, the company will be releasing the edgier DVD version of comedy "Desert Punk" (Sunabozu) rather than the televised version.

Broccoli/Synch-Point Release Plans

From Anime News Network's Anime Expo Broccoli report, Synch-Point will be releasing the 8 episode Di-Gi-Charat: Leave it to Piyoko OAV series on two DVDs beginning this September. The DVDs will include select episode audio commentary by Di-Gi-Charat creator Koge Donbo.

The original Digi Charat shorts series will be released starting July 26th.

A remastered "FLCL Ultimate Edition Boxed Set" will be released with new bonus features.

Manga releases of Galaxy Angel Beta and Galaxy Angel Party are upcoming.

A seperate publisher will be releasing a Galaxy Angel video game in North America with Japanese dialog and English text. Kamui will be released later this year.

Someone's Finally Releasing Sakura Wars Games?

FUNimation indicated during their Anime Expo panel that a game publisher will be releasing the Sakura Wars/Taisen games, a franchise whose anime and manga adapations have been released my most of the major North America distributors, despite the fact that the games have been abscent.

North American Manwha Publisher Formed

Manga News points out a Library Journal article concerning how Korean media companies Sigongsa, Seoul Cultural Publishers and Haksan, are joining together to form Studio ICE, modeled after Viz Media, it will publish Korean manga titles in the U.S. beginning in the fall.

Go! Comi Launches Site

New English manga publish Go! Comi has launched their site at www.gocomi.com

Anime Convention Moves

Anime News Network reports Anime Expo will be moving location in 2007 to Long Beach Convention Center. Anime Central 2006 2ill be moving its date in 2006 from mid May to the weekend of May 5th to May 7th.

Junko Mizuno Signing

Anime News Network reports pop, gory designer Junko Mizuno will be signing copies of Pure Trance, translated into English by Last Gasp Publishing, at Foto-Graphix Books in San Francisco on Saturday July 9 (2-4 PM) and at Comic Relief in Berkeley on July 10. Several of Mizuno's fairy tale adaptations/distortions were previous released by Viz.

Japanese Anime Producer News From Anime Expo

From Anime News Network
Production I.G has continued their active hand in the release of Otogi Zoushi, a CGI animated drama that starts in the Heian period, working to get the series on American TV, hopefully early next year. The studio is also hoping to make a third Ghost in the Shell Movie, though Momuro Oshii director of the first two has expressed disinterest. There are no plans to produce any more episodes of the Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex TV series.

Gonzo's 2006 Afro Samurai TV release, voiced by Samuel L. Jackson, is set to spawn video games, manga, and a live action movie (starring Jackson).

Four more projects Gonzo is currently working on are a Burst Angel OVA series, Witchblade, and two movies.

New Animated Spawn Casting

Spawn.com has posted information about their process of casting actors for a new animated incarnation of horror-superhero Spawn. In interesting decision is that they intend live-action actors rather than voiceover actors and cast for people with similar backgrounds to the characters.
For more information see and thoughts from here

New Yamato USA Releases

Yamato US has released three 6" - 8.5" PVC statues of Ikki Tousen's (aka Battle Vixens) of Sonsaku Hakufu, Shimei, and Kanu Unchou.

5" trading figures to DarkStalkers Morrigan and Lilith have also been released.

Anime Author Talks to BBC

Stone Bridge Press' blog points out that Helen McCarthy, author of Hayao Miyazaki: Master of Japanese Animation and co-author of The Anime Encyclopedia: A Guide to Japanese Animation Since 1917, has been interviewed on BBC Radio Four's The Film Programme, here.