OEL Spotlight: Unearthly
By Ted Naifeh and Elmer Damaso

Released by Seven Seas

Damn. Do not miss this comic! It is shojo-ish, sci-fi-ish, adventure-ish, but more significantly, decidedly well created. As the writer, Courtney Crumrin's Ted Naifeh points out in the postscript, there's little payoff writing towards genre labels. So, rather than attempt to recreate shoujo manga, Unearthly aims for quality and works in appealing elements from the genre, a brilliant implementation of a sci-fi relationship drama high concept that uses the conventions of manga. The results are a Joss Whedon like combination of pitch perfect characterization and genre material. It takes a love triangle between mousey, bookish Ann, athletic, commanding Rae, and sensitive Jem (short for Jeremy) off world when a look-alike on the run alien prince replaces Jem. The first volume was very high school based, but the plot structure looks dynamic, and one can only speculate on how it will progress.

The opening pages are a little too "dear diary" philosophical, comparing the smallness of the universe once you get to know to the more recognizable parallel of acclimating to a school. But then it launches into its immediately engaging dynamic of characters. Plenty of perspectives that are bent or immature in a believable vein with plenty of snap. There are delicate characters that can be hard and hard characters that can be delicate. Plenty of leeway can be given to the characters in certain areas because of the degree of believability. They can be very edgy because it seems appropriate and rightly offensive. Epithets that they throw out seem in character rather the product of insensitive writer.

It's not just that these creators are adapting the qualities of manga in a more culturally familiar, context, unlike an unfortunately large percent of the OEL being released, Unearthly's creators don't just have have good ideas and a promising foundation for mastering the craft. They know what They have a full command of manga's library of story telling tools: aspect cuts, super deformed sequence, emotional face close-up, down to manga style sound effect translation. But Unearthly also sharply utilizes fundamentals of sequentially illustrated story telling. After you see them in place here you'll notice the lack elsewhere. Details like difference character heights and aspects of perspective during the sequence of action add plenty to the effect of story.

The work has demonstrated itself to be unpredictable, veering off in a different direction by the end of the volume. Consequently, it would seem that supporting players and the situations of the first volume are far from permanent. (though if the characters who are out of the picture were throw away characters, Unearthly has an embarrassment. of wealth). In particular Ann has a great friend who dresses cutesy and has an acid tongued: a queen of sarcasm you will not soon forget.

Manga Spotlight: BoBoBo-Bo Bo-BoBo
By Yoshio Sawai

Released by Viz

There probably isn't another series whose title is easier to write as a regular expression than remember. BoBoBo is alot of un filtered mind to pen material of the sort a crazy geek would fill his school notebooks with. If you're a fan of RPGs and fight anime, this comedy speaks you're language. If jokes about hit points, Saiyan power-ups and unending fights aren't to your liking, it's still good material to flip to a random page an absorb a bit of inane humor.

In either case, it's probably for the best that Viz is experimenting with a single volume. Given that the series is driven craziness rather than plot or what passes for a plot in BoBoBo, picking a volume from the middle of the manga's run with a complete-ish story (as close to complete or story the series gets) provides an opportunity to experience BoBoBo without the daunting prospects of starting a library of it. One volume of BoBoBo is great to own. Two is stretching things for most readers. Even were it was part of an anthology, most would enjoy it for a while, but tire sooner rather than later.

The heros are a group of characters like Sonic-esque a star burst shaped loud mouth, a jelly man, a guy who's literally a shit-head, well its soft serve ice-cream, but that's part of the joke and a pretty boy fart throwing martial artist. BoBoBo himself looks like a blacksploitation kung fu hero, with a blonde afro. He's got a few extra tricks, like extending, prehensile nose hairs and his afro pops open to release various assistants, from a nail care artist to another popular Shonen Jump hero.

BoBoBo works hard for its laughs, but its too much. It doesn't really matter than there are culture specific jokes, because the quantity of material is so abundant, and so geek centric, that you're bound to pick up a bunch. A given page might be amusing, but because, unless you love the target material, it isn't witty enough, it's easy to get worn out. Slap stick is an understatement, this need to be pealed off the wall, with site gags coming with every panel. Some creators can pull out this sort of density, Evin Dork for example, but Sawai is the class clown who will not shut up.

Manga Spotlight: The World Exists For Me
by Chiho Saitou and Be-PaPas

Released by TOKYOPOP

The World Exists For Me weaves European history with modern girl in a strange land into a shoujo fairy tale. The results are a compelling mess. There's an intriguing, if indecisive selection of historical elements. There's design that fanciful shoujo with gravitate towards, but poor sequential story telling. Taking plotting and illustration into account, there's plenty to find appealing that manages to remain such through a field of sloppy execution.

The title is a fair replacement for the original, the World of S & M, since it has nothing to do with the popular definition of s&m, and there's no reason it invoke that baggage. Speaking of baggage, the series greats asset and liability are that its from the Revolutionary Girl Utena creators. The design work is memorable in a flamboyant, almost doll attire sense. Fans of fanciful shoujo stories will eat it up (though the amount of crotch shown through the micro skirt on the cover is a bit surprising given the gender of the series' likely fans). Conversely, to the work's detriment, Chiho Saitou's comic storytelling abilities are weak to the point of distraction. Transitions are brutally abrupt , with logical flow of images a rarity. Saitou is ambitious, but the intentions for construnction of panels are far beyond the ability to carry it out.

The World Exists For follows a school girl on a school trip to France who is pulled from a devastating train crash into the 17th century by S&M, a pair of male and female dolls who inherited the power of a demon. With her modern dress, she's accused as a witch and finds herself in the middle of court plots.
The creators didn't seem content to work with one period of history, so the story is set in the context French intrigue of the 17th century with parallels to the Three Musketeers, but includes plenty of echos to the 15th, invoking Joan of Arc and aristocrat serial killer Gilles de Rais and the Rosicrucians. With the extra element of the work's own mythology, there's more going into the story than it can really support.

Anime Preview: Misaki Chronicles
Volume 1: Second Chances

To be Released by ADV

Credit where credit is due, Misaki Chronicles knows what it's offering. Hiroshi Negishi, kindof anime's Russ Meyer and Toshinari Yamashita, continue their work begun in Divergence Eve, and thematically, before that Amazing Nurse Nanaki. They're the latest, greatest proponent of big eyes, neon hair, and most significantly, huge, pendulous breasts. Rarely is there a scene, at least in the first two of Misaki Chronicles first three episodes, where mammaries are not just featured prominently in the majority of the shots, but in are in motion.

Yeah, there's some character issues and sci-fi concepts at work. The former is routine and over familiar, the latter seems to have pulled some of the creator's attention away from breasts and at times has something to offer in its depiction of a temporal conflict. There's also alot of chirpy, giggling girls in military training and gags about things like friendly fire (actually a reoccuring gag), which can be off putting.

The sheer degree of breast-centric-ness doesn't require much irreverence on the part of viewer to enjoy. To its credit it doesn't pretend its not low brow, and instead focuses on delivering high quality animation to spine snapping breasts. The biggest shock of the three episode sample is that a character covers herself up with a cloak for the majoriy of the third episode. Not just that but that when the cloak, as well as other things come off it was handled in a tasteful manner. Is the series getting more serious going forward? Is it trading overdeveloped breast for more developed ideas?

Anime Spotlight: Ghost in the Shell: 2nd Gig
volume 2

Released by Manga Video and Bandai Entertainment

Stand Alone Complex has to be one of the densest popular media sci-fi works available. This is plotted, thought through serial story telling at is pinnacle. Every episode is its own story and a fragment of a larger world and a larger plot. The second volume has less of the outright, sci-fi juiced action that's a chief hook to the Ghost in the Shell franchise, but for a fascinating, tense series, nothing compares.

The post information age problems solvers at Section 9, discontent and wary in the wake of the Laughing Man affair of the first Stand Alone Complex, went on the offensive in the first volume of 2nd Gig. As a result it was less an investigation procedure and more an operation serial as they tried to defuse or mitigate situations evolving a powder keg refugee population and a group known as the Individual 11 whose agenda seems to be trying to light the fuse. During the the second, things for Section 9 to be unhappy about really begin piling up, as they're assigned to guard the nation's intelligent, attractive, young woman prime minister and it begins looking more like they're being played by the governments intelligence division. Despite the ground they seemed to have covered in the first volume, their efforts turn into an exercise of pissing into an ocean. Their endeavor to investigate the Individual 11 lead to unsatisfying (for the characters, and intentionally for the viewers) engagements with the enemy. There service on behalf of the intelligence department leads to marches through urban terrorism fiascos.

That Section 9 are nebulously defined semi-governmental group of problem solvers has become integral to the plot and format of the series, There's a puzzle at work whose pieces are social movements and technological advancements. The series provides enough to keep the viewer involved, but never enough so that the viewer can just watch without engaging it mentally. The characters are working their asses off to dig out the clues as as are the creators in laying them out, and as good visual flair and action are, the thought process involved really sets the work apart.

Super Manga Blast Canceled

Dark Horse comics has conformed that their venerable and award winning manga anthology Super Manga Blast as of December's issue 59.

The anthology, which focused on a more eclectic collection of series, and quality rather than page count ran country to many of the trends in the industry.

As Chris Butcher observed:

Earlier this year, Smith sold Studio Proteus to Dark Horse. It's one thing to be doing great work, full of pride with the highest production standards. It's quite another when that work stops selling, or isn't selling nearly as well as similar (though often inferior) work around it. How can SAMURAI DEEPER KYO be selling THAT many more copies than the better-in-every-way BLADE OF THE IMMORTAL? Well, it's cheaper, for starters. Between $5 and $9 cheaper per volume on average. KYO also comes out between 4 and 6 times a year, to BLADE OF THE IMMORTAL's one-volume-every-6-to-8-months. There's no serialization of KYO either, which means that the sales of one format aren't cannibalizing the sales of another. Add all that up and it doesn't look good for BotI, does it? Sure, the die-hard samurai/ninja fans, the folks that have been with the series from the beginning, they'll pick it up. But are you really going to get any slice of the NEW WAVE OF MANGA READERS pie when you've got an 18 volume series that's 1.5 to 2 times the price of everything else on the racks?

Torren Smith, whose Studio Proteus handled most of Dark Horse manga work before Dark Horse bought Studio Proteus and also started publishing manga from Digital Manga Publishing weighed in here

Hellsing OAV Delayed

According to Little Harlock the new OAV, more manga faithful, Hellsing anime adaptation has been delayed to January 26th, 2006. The OAV was originally scheduled for a September release, but the run time has been increased from 35 minutes to 50.

Upcoming Viz Titles

Anime on DVD reports that the following unannounced titles are listed for release by Viz. Viz would not confirm the titles for Anime News Network.

Upcoming in July:
Skip Beat: A shojo about a woman who tries to break into the music business about being jilted by a singer who she loved

In August:
Buso Renkin: alchemy based super powered action from Ruruoni Kenshin creator Nobuhiro Watsuki

Difting Classroom: a disturbing manga from Kazuo Umezu, creator of the classic horror manga Orochi: Blood

Law of Ueki: an action manga about a boy who can turn garbage into trees fighting to become a god.

In September:
Beauty Pop: shojo manga about three boy beauticians

Yakitate!! Japan: a popular manga about the unusual subject of bread making competitions

Zombie Powder Kubo Tite's Bleach predicessor

Nana TV Series

Anime News Network an anime adapation Ai Yazawa's (Paradise Kiss) older audience shoujo drama Nana will be adapted into an anime series to air on Japanese TV in Spring 2006. The series follows the lives of two 20 year old women named Nana, a middleclass girl who considers herself unlucky in love and a punk singer with a hard childhood. A second, sequel theatrical live action adapation has also been announced.

CN Passed on Teen Titles

Titans Go reports Cartoon Network has passed on a sixth season of Teen Titans, the animated show based on Disney's young hero comic.

Merchandise News

Figures.com report Sideshow will distribute Medicom's Real Action Heroes figures in North America, including 12" figurs of Evangelion's Rei and Asuka. The figures are expected to retail for between $100 and $150. See here.

Figures.com review Yamato USA's Flying Zodd and Armored Berserk Statues (spoilers from later in the manga) here. Score will be releasing the stand alone Fruits Baseket card game (one set of cards is the entire game) on February 1st.

InuYasha collectable card game will receive an expansion set entitled Saisei in February and another in April.

The Dragon Ball Z collectable card game will receive a new expansion entitled Transformation in March.

Anime News Network report Viz Media has granted Upper Deck the license for Naruto stickers. Everbrite the license for mini tin signs, military dog tags, a door knob hanger, a light switch plate, a night light alarm clock and a LED illuminated night light.

New Place Promised Material

Anime News Network reports a manga based on Makoto Shinkai's award winning anime feature The Place Promised in our Early Days will run in Afternoon manga starting in February. The manga will be created by Mizu Sahara.

Arata Kano has adapted the feature into a novel to be released December 26th.

Live Action News

Studio Gonzo's early work Blue Sub No. 6 will part of an upcoming studio initiative to make live action movies. Yukikaze's Masahiko Okura will direct.

Twitch points out Erica Sakurazawa's josei (older female audience) manga Angel will be adapted into a live action movie for release in Japan on January 21st. The manga was release in North Amerca by TOKYOPOP.

Anime News Network ports 70-second trailer (WM - 768 Kbs) for the SaiKano live-action movie is online here

Planetes Creator's New Work

Anime News Network reports Planetes creator Makoto Yukimuara's new manga Vinland, about viking life, will be moving to the monthly Japanese anthology Afternoon.

Thanksgiving TAN Glitch

Anime News Network reports Adelphia lost its feed of The Anime Network over Thanksgiving due to a technical problem. Adelphia did not cancel the content.

ADV on Fortune

Fortune magazine has posted an article about popular anime distributor AD Vision here and the anime industry. Among the points in article, it is reveled that ADV has raised half of the $100-120 million budget for a live action Neon Genesis Evangelion movie.

Bandai President Interview Translated

The Gunoata blog has a translated interview with Bandai president Kazunori Ueno here. Again, he says that the adoption of Gundam in North America has been a disapointment, and that they hope to re-adapt the franchise for market differences.

Around 1999, we started releasing Gundam in the US. The real kickoff was in 2000 with Cartoon Network's broadcast of Gundam Wing. This series was popular with American fans but it didn't lead to the creation of a consistent fanbase. The same thing happened with the kids-oriented show SD Gundam Force. The historical outlooks on war between Americans and Japanese are different. Since war themes are harsher, we thought cuter themes like SD Gundam would work. We probably needed one more twist.

Gundam merchandise is exported to North America. However, the majority of the consumers are Asian-Americans. Overall sales aren't huge either. Currently the Super Sentai series like Power Rangers is the biggest money maker. It might be correct that we have to start from scratch for Gundam merchandising strategy in the US. One idea could be seriously thinking about a Gundam series for the US market. Of course, that series would have to be done so it can be reimported back to Japan. Gundam has a marvelous worldview, but bringing a series created in Japan with little North American style is difficult to sell.

Of course, not all of Japanese anime fits this category. There are series like Pokemon becoming localized and being hits. The Dragonball series is one example for Bandai. We thought using the same strategy as Pokemon and Dragonball would work for Gundam. We've realized it doesn't quite work that way. This is why we started market research in the US. We believe we can eventually create a long term Gundam project focusing on the US market.

Right Stuf and Upcoming Releases

The Right Stuf International the February 28th DVD home video release of Boys Be. Based on the bestselling Boys Be... manga (graphic novel), this 13-episode series is a romance story with a unique twist, directed by Masami Shimoda (AI YORI AOSHI / MACROSS 7 / SABER MARIONETTE J) with character designs by Itsuko Takeda (GHOST IN THE SHELL / PARADISE KISS / MAGIC USERS CLUB).

This isnt your typical run of the mill love story. After ages about hearing what girls have to say about relationships, Boys Be... steps forward to reveal the flip side of love what's really going on from a guy's point of view!

Meet Kyoichi, Makoto and Yoshihiko three normal high school guys with just one thing on their minds: girls. First, the quiet, artistic Kyoichi will have to decide whether it's worth risking a longtime friendship for a chance at love. Then, the lecherous Makoto (and self-proclaimed "master of the rules of romance") falls into the arms of love when a moped accident lands him in the company of a beautiful nurse! And when a beautiful girl surprises handsome, sports nut Yoshihiko with a tender kiss, he just can't stop thinking about her. Everything these guys ever thought they knew about the opposite sex is about to be put to the test!

Boys Be... DVD.1: Spring will be released on 2/28/06 and will include the first three episodes of the series as well as a special 12-page booklet. This special release will be jam packed with DVD extras including: Character Bios; Japanese Voice Actor Reports; Director's Commentary; a special Dual Sided Cover; Line Art Gallery; Textless Opening; Scene Access, Right Stuf Trailers, English Audio, Japanese Audio, English Subtitles & English On Screen Translations.

A special collectors artbox edition will also be available, containing the first DVD volume and the artbox for the entire Boys Be series.

Right Stuf's holiday DVD home video releases of the Captain Tylor OVA Limited Edition Collector's Ultra box set, Kunihiko Yunyama's (Slayers Great, Kimagure Orange Road) sexy tale of one woman's surprisingly steamy approach to the late-night news, Weather Report Girl and the final volume of Tatsuo Sato's Sci-fi Epic Shingu: Secret of the Stellar Wars.

Limited Edition Captain Tylor OVA Collector's Ultra Box Set

From director Koichi Mashimo (.hack//SIGN, Avenger, Madlax, Sorcerer Hunters) and character designer Tomohiro Hirata (Last Exile, Urusei Yatsura, Trinity Blood) comes one of anime's most beloved action/comedies!

Six long months have passed... The Raalgon Empire has developed a horrible new type of weapon and Tylor has been charged with the duty of intercepting them as they're being transported. But when all that could go wrong, does go wrong the crew of the Soyokaze finds themselves at the mercy of their enemies. As the hours tick down toward their execution, the crew wonders, has their irresponsible captain misled them, is this all a part of some greater strategy, or is it a path towards war?

Collection Includes: The ENTIRE Irresponsible Captain Tylor OVA Series; the Irresponsible Captain Tylor OVA CD Soundtrack, complete with printed 'romaji' lyrics; an Extras DVD filled with 95 minutes of Japanese interviews and extras related to the Tylor OVA series; a 32-page novella follow-up to the series written by the original creator of Irresponsible Captain Tylor, Hitoshi Yoshioka; and a 48-page booklet filled with artwork, interviews, and tidbits of trivia from the Tylor universe! And to top it all off, the whole set will be released in a sturdy, high-quality, fully telescopic artbox! Ultra Collector's Edition DVD Extras Include: Image Galleries, Production Notes, Character Bios, "Tylor OVA and the Media" Featurette, "Just 15 Minutes" Live Action Specials, 13 Music Videos featuring the Tylor Cast, and Scene Access.

Approximate TRT: 455 minutes
SRP: $69.98
Street Date: 11.8.2005

Weather Report Girl

From acclaimed director Kunihiko Yunyama (SLAYERS GREAT, KIMAGURE ORANGE ROAD) comes Weather Report Girl, the story of one woman's surprisingly steamy approach to the late-night news!

Channel ATV is in serious trouble. With viewer ratings at an all-time low, they've got to come up with an amazing gimmick, and fast, or else their sponsors are going to cut their funding! But a whirlwind is headed for ATV in the form of one Keiko Nakadai a substitute weather girl for the prime-time news. In one quick flash of her panties, the ratings are sky-rocketing! Thanks to the public's overwhelming support of Keiko's brazen tactics (not to mention her gorgeous body), she's finally secured the bright and sunny future she's always wanted. However, there's a dangerous storm brewing on the horizon. Michiko Kawai, ATV's former prime-time weather girl, is furious that Keiko has stolen her job, and she'll stop at nothing to get it back! But poor Michiko may have bitten off more than she can chew because Keiko's soft exterior hides a nasty vicious streak, and she's not about to give up her dream job so easily. Japan's airwaves are about to get a whole lot hotter!

Approximate TRT: 90 Minutes
SRP: $24.99
Street Date: 11.29.2005

SHINGU: Secret of the Stellar Wars: Fateful Conclusions

The final volume of director Tatsuo Sato's (Nadesico, Stellvia) Sci-fi Epic Shingu: Secret of the Stellar Wars! The fate of the world rests on the shoulders of a single middle-school student.

Pale skin, green eyes, and a piercing gaze once you meet Kanata Myouken, you'll never forget him. And now this mysterious new stranger is tracking down Muryou! What's worse, he is only a harbinger of things to come. Soon after Kanata's arrival, two very ominous spaceships appear, hanging low over the town of Tenmo and both appear ready for a showdown at any moment. One of the ships belongs to the Galactic Federation... but who controls the other? While the situation on Earth is becoming more tense, trouble is beginning to brew in space as well. Four of the deadly Sanadon warships have been spotted on a direct intercept course with Earth! With each passing moment, the destruction of everything Nayuta loves draws closer. Will she be able to make the ultimate sacrifice and push the power of the Shingu farther than ever before? When the body becomes a new vessel, the truth behind the Shingu will finally be revealed...

PLUS! DVD 5 features a special 12-page booklet with an in-depth interview with director Tatsuo Sato! DVD Features: Reversible Cover, Textless Opening, Line Art Gallery, Special 12-page Booklet, Interview with Director Tatsu Sato, Character Bios, Original Production Notes, English Production Notes, Right Stuf Trailers, and Scene Access.

Approximate TRT: 125 minutes
SRP: $29.95
Street Date: 11.29.2005

Wings of Rean Episode to be Free Online

Gunoata points out that the first episode of Wings of Rean, the spin off of Gundam father Yoshiyuki Tomino's Aura Battler Dubine, will be broadcast online, free in Japanese, December 10 from 9pm until 9am December 11 here

Black Jack Update

Little Harlock reports the movie anime adaptation of Osamu Tezuka's medical action Black Jack, Futari no Kuroi Ish (The Two Doctors of Darkness), has a new site here. Akita Shoten announced the first collection of Black Jack Neo by Taguchi Masayuki will be released January 20th.

Production IG History

Animation studio Production IG has posted an English language feature on their history here.

New Paul Pope Comic

Comic artist Paul Pope, who studied in Japan, will start a new comic mini series for DC in February. Batman: Year One Hundred #1 will look at Batman in the year 2039.

Gundam SEED Destiny and Mai Hime Premieres

Anime on DVD reports Bandai will premiere the first volumes of Gundam SEED sequel Destiny, action drama Mai Hime on March 14th. The date will also mark the release of a collections of Crest of the Stars, Saber Marionette J and Stratos 4. Other releases include Cowboy Bebop remix volume 6, Dan Doh 3, and Planetes 6.

Hare+Guu Delayed Again

AN Entertainment has agained pushed back the release date of wacky comedy Hare+Guu, this time from 12/27 to 2/14/2006.

VOTOMS for Pre-Order

Central Park Media is now offering a complete set of classic mecha war anime VOTOMS for pre-order for the reduced price of $99.95 (regularly $150) here.

Macross Voice Cast Announced

Anime on DVD has posted the complete voice cast for ADV's upcoming dub of Macross (a dub of the original form, as opposed to the adaptation Robotech here

2009. Ten years of furious conflict and frenzied construction have turned an alien wreck into a human triumph: the colossal space battleship Macross. On the day of the ships launch, the world waits with bated breath to witness mankinds next giant leap. Hovering above the planet though, the Zentradi, a merciless warrior race, seek to advance their agenda of destruction and conquest. When long-dormant systems aboard the Macross suddenly fire upon the alien fleet, the ship meant to preserve humanity may become its undoing. A war of attrition erupts, taking mankind across the solar system and beyond in a fight to justify its existence!

Non-NA English Ghibli

From Nausicaa.net The FilmFour satellite TV channel will be showing Miyazaki, Takahata, and Studio Ghibli throughout January and on into February, including

Jan 01 - Princess Mononoke
Jan 05 - Princess Mononoke
Jan 07 - The Little Norse Prince
Jan 08 - Lupin III: Castle of Cagliostro
Jan 11 - The Little Norse Prince
Jan 12 - Lupin III: Castle of Cagliostro
Jan 14 - Nausicaa of the Valley of Wind
Jan 15 - My Neighbor Totoro
Jan 18 - Nausicaa of the Valley of Wind
Jan 19 - My Neighbor Totoro
Jan 21 - Laputa: The Castle in the Sky
Jan 22 - Kiki's Delivery Service
Jan 25 - Laputa: The Castle in the Sky
Jan 26 - Kiki's Delivery Service
Jan 28 - Only Yesterday
Jan 29 - Porco Rosso

Madman Entertainment announced that a standard and 25,000 limited Australian editions of Howl's Moving Castle on March 25th.

Urban Vision Announces Live Action Label

Occational anime distributor Urban Vision has announced a new AsiaVision line, which will feature live-action Asian films, beginning with its first release streeting on DVD in March of 2006.

AsiaVision will feature a blend of horror, action and drama, including the film "CURSE, DEATH & SPIRIT," from one of today's hottest horror directors, Hideo Nakata ("Ringu", "The Ring Two"). In the Spring of 2006, we will release our first theatrical film nationwide, the Japanese blockbuster "AZUMI". The film, directed by Ryuhei Kitamura ("Versus", "Godzilla: Final Wars"), has grossed over 7 million dollars in international theatrical release to date.