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Manga Preview: D.Gray-Man
By Hoshino Katsura

To be Released by Viz May 2006

A charismatic, light haired lead with a mutilated limb. Plenty of dramatic tragedy. A creative, wild deviation on the past. A large, colorful cast of supporting characters. Sound a little like Full Metal Alchemist? Well, D.Gray-Man will be magnetic to Full Metal Alchemist fans. (There's plenty of Bleach too with some Soul Society like material). Still, it's less a a knock than a good later generation shonen that downplay the tournament and power supremacy in favor of interesting personalities and stories.

It doesn't work quite as well as Bleach or Full Metal Alchemist. Katsura Hoshina's story telling bumps along with difficult logical progressions. One clean, attractive sequence or character interaction doesn't flow nicely with the next. Taking all into account. it adds up to a solid, but not blockbuster, not overly formula bound shonen title.

Anime and manga frequently mix dispread elements. If you expect fantastic new experiences from manga, D.Gray-Man delivers. Still, setting a work in 19th century England, early on introducing a cute young woman with glasses in a bobby uniform, but then introducing demonic enemies that are a bit classic sci-fi anime with the trademark twisted curls and cannon protrusions, a bit Mignola and a bit bleached horror rock, the thought that comes to mind is "very strange, a little perplexing". Though not as bizarro as something like Bobobo or as abstract as something like Taiyo Matsumoto's works, Katsura Hoshina went to theme salad bar and came back with a decidedly off selection on the plate.

There are scenes from city streets to abandoned churches that look Dickensian, but mostly D.Gray-Man is in it's own world. One where India is established by a panel of palm trees, a hot sun, two elephants in hats and a bizarrely dressed tamer. The envelope is pushed with anachronistic artifacts like roller blades, and by the end it's introducing a Chinese girl in a churched themed skimpy uniform that looks like something from sci-fi and a samurai dressed in the modern re-imagined style look.

The central conflict is between Allen Walker an exorcist of The Black Order and the devilish "Maker" or "Millennium Earl". Allen's burned hand holds one of the 109 pieces of Innocence, a substance scattered by Noah's flood that can be used as a weapon against the demonic akuma.

The amount of Innocence is another of the weird, literally one-off decisions in the series. 109 is too close to 108 to be coincidental. 108 is the number heroes reborn into the world as part of the Chinese classical episode Shui Hu Zhuan aka Suikoden aka Water Margin aka Outlaws of the Mash aka All Men are Brothers which is classic source material for video games, kung fu movies anime and manga. Twisting things a bit, the stars associated with the 108 were supposed to be banished demons. How much the epic relates to D.Gray-Man remains to be seen, but the potential tie in opens the series up to some interesting speculation.

The Millennium Earl is a unique and intriguing villain. With pointy eared goblin face, grinning enormous teeth, top hat and over coat he looks Springheel Jack-ish, but his MO is dark magic meets sci-fi. He's a "maker" who finds people with tragedy darkened hearts, and "program" by demonic virus. This may entail something like forcing an endo skeleton with the trapped soul of his love into a man's body. The contradictions of 19th century look and computer age meets fable methods. along with the novelty of a real villain introduced in the opening of a manga make for an antagonist to watch.

Like the adversarial creatures (aside from the Millennium Earl himself), the action tends towards a kinetic sci-fi bend. There's a sense of motion and force in the rifling missiles and explosion filled action. It's the kind of manga illustration where speed lines effectively convey a sense of characters going through great ranges of motion.

This stew approach to genre is perfect for manga, and at times it works well here, but especially in the first volume of a work, throwing so much against the wall seems slightly counter-productive. Time jumps and mass introduction make it difficult to settle into the world being created. The compelling, larger than life personality and unique take on events of Bleach and Full Metal Alchemist are almost present. There's plenty of potential to solidify into great shonen high concept, but it needs more coherence in its second volume.

Anime Spotlight: Armored Trooper Votoms
Uoodo City (Collection 1)

Released by CPM

Giant robot anime has become saddled with the idea that it's about someone special being saddled with immense power. That this person's, typically a teenage boy's, identity and responsibility within the world is tied up in a big metal construct that is also capable of asserting complete dominance. Ultimately, there are only subtle differences left between the concept and that of a super-hero, tied with power fantasy and flash.

In essance, a chief reason Votoms is a mecha/robot classic is that it uses the machines as tools rather than totems. They're an interesting way of abstracting events from the current world. There's no doubt that it aims and succeeds at keeping the viewer involved with hooks familiar from action cinema, but as much as it applies a hard sci-fi mind to the logically working of the machines, it applies the mind of a Vietnam generation observer to effects of walking through a burning city in a machine used for killing. The results are a mature look at the genre that doesn't glorify the machine or its pilot, or commodify them into merchandise.

The Macross contemporary takes more of the late 70's atmosphere of distrust than the hope and righteousness of what came before it, or the introspection of what came afterwards. It's protagonist more is like protagonist of an anti-war movie than anime giant robot pilot, by the time he hits Uoodo, a more run-down and war isolated Blade Runner-style metropolis, he's pychically, emotionally, spiritually and morally drained. All that's left is stubborness. He's hit a wall and can't move back.

Votoms does not strictly share a theme with Gundam, but it does answer its predecessor. There has always been a problem in Gundam with its high aims versus what it actually accomplish. You do take away the message that the architects of war are selfish, misguided or down right evil, but more tangibly conveyed is the spectacle of the destruction, the bad-ass coolness of ace pilots (especially the antagonists like Char or Athrun) and an attachment to the mecha that in later works is tied to the marketing of model replicas. When fans are drawn to the fascist regalia, and the amoral schemers enjoy an unironic cult following, the message of your anti-war treatise has gotten garbled. Even when the hero is throwing fits about his role in the war, expressing how loathsome it is to pilot his war machine robot, the viewer comes away with how great it is. There's an invincibility and power that registers in the mind as freedom regardless of the military quagmire the pilot may be trapped in. The trapping of power, whether it's the bold aesthetic banners and uniforms of a regime or the Gundam, in terms of shape and color constantly asserting that it's a gleaming heroic icon, mute the critique of the politics of war.

Within the context of Votoms, there's nothing special about the Scapedog mecha. They are interchangeable, mass production war machines: armored, bulky, more practicality than merchandizability. It's a tool, not a symbol of power, protection or superiority, or a reflection of the person who pilots it. Rather than a head like Gundam's samurai armor inspired face, there's a dome with a rotating triad or lenses. Wrapped in metal and breathing apparatus, a person is dehumanized. There is a relationship like that of a soldier and his gun. That after a while the Votoms pilot feels unprotected without the robot, but it's not the familiar situation where the robot makes the hero unique and reflects the hero's needs and essence.

Votoms is one of the harder sci fi mecha series to be found. As he did in the more recent Gasaraki creator Ryousuke Takahashi thinks about how a bipedal robot suit might be used in battle without unexplained flight capabilities or cart blanche super weapons. The results are the pretty battles, but some interesting maneuvers and dynamics, such as short burst tread propelled dashes, rapid re-orientations by posting into the ground with one leg and spinning with the other, or rudimentary hand to hand combat against other mecha. That they're bulking, heavily armor blocks in used for advantage too. For plotting, they force the scripter to be honest. There's a very limited variety, and their limitations are obvious, meaning there's no cheating by boosting the abilities of the hero's mecha at opportune times.

As Votoms opens, the war between Gilgamesh and Balarant has gone on for centuries. For the soldiers, the cause has long lost significance. Ships are seen dropping squads of robot-piloting machines, ramming each other, and igniting in flames. In the chaos Chirico Cuvie is enlisted as a member of a special team to raid an asteroid installation. During the fierce fighting he learns that he's going against his own side. What he sees on the mission changes him, giving him a sense of destiny beyond the war, but his new outlook is almost short live when the team he was working with successfully retrieved their object and decided to do away with Chirico as a liability. He's recovered by another faction within the army who torture and interrogate him until he's able to escape and go to ground in the city of Uoodo.

The opening arc Uoodo City covers the first 13 episodes of the 52 episode series as Chirico works his way from scavenging for food up to uncovering the agenda behind his fateful mission. You can easily loose most of a day watching the collection. One episode feeds into the next, and each takes the plot and characters somewhere. It's not a series that allows its hero or itself to stay in one place for too long. There are pretty of action scenarios that make it through the rotation. At least one situation seems like a mistake. sandwitched with what comes before and after it, it doesn't fit the characters' station within the city. Still, there's a logic that is true to the characters' motivations and abilities.

As a high caliber older series Votoms' animation exhibits qualities that are impressive and obviously limited. Other than using now dated character design traits (angular features, and action-figure like bodies), and dated fashion, the noticable difference is in tones. The colors used are dull and less varied than what's seem in digital animation. It is common to see single tone objects. At times the qualities of its generation of animation enhances the effect that the series is working toward. Dull hazes of a burning battefields are more to what VOTOMS should be capturing in combat than Gundam SEED' sharply beautiful scenery and bright (pink) explosions. Despite the limits and efforts needed, Votoms brights a cinematic flare to its story telling that pays dividends within the work. The scale and spread of cities are laid out majestic camera descents. The block and varied movements capture the complexity and chaos of heated low gravity fire-fights. While not as fluid what has come to be expected, the timing and use of camera angels make combat as intense as any modern anime.

Manga Review: Loveless
by Yun Kouga
volume 1

Released by TOYKOPOP

It's tempting to say that if yaoi is your thing, jump all over Loveless. Else wise, pass. Call it Brokeback Cat-eared Boy and move on. But, the column just got through calling Votoms a classic, and truthfully, that work similarly caters to a particular set of taste. Still, to put it plainly, Loveless should be the hot target for fans of pretty male characters examining each other's emotional beings. And if you enjoy these characters kissing, all the better for the series. The cover really spells it out with its depiction of a teenage boy with feminine lips and eyes, wild hair, a bandage on one cheek, and animal ears having his chin caressed by a large hand adorned with a butterfly ring. Depending on your tastes, it's a clear "stop" or "go". There's little middle ground. If you're a fan or the Fruits Basket's aesthetic or yaoi, it's a go. With all the leashes, male-on-male kissing, tragic love, one audience will squee-ing with joy. There is some interesting work about why this set of people behave the way they do, and a complex and well thought out process of overcoming their pasts, but if you're not into kissing cat-boys, it's a difficult series to work into.

12 year old Ritsuka, whose brother Seimei (a name with legendary baggage, like Merlin) was murdered under mysterious circumstances shows up at his new school unaccompanied by a guardian, and begins making sure he's alienated with a rapid succession of comments about what he hates and what he can't stand. After school, he encounters Soubi, a comparatively older man who knew Seimei. They form a bond known as "Sacrifice" under the name "Loveless" and begin fighting other paired teams.

The cat-ear business finds itself in the series because it's younger people have cat ears, and less prominently in the illustration, tails. At some age, relatively old because a school teacher still has her's, the ears and tails go away.

Ritsuka and Soubi are defined by their emotional baggage. There's a sense that every aspect of how they behavior or express themselves, down to their appearance (piercing plays a significant role) can be traced back to experiences and how they deal with them. There current shape is a tangled mess, but it seems like they are still malleable through new experiences. Presumably the transformation will be from mopey angry guys into guys who can deal with themselves and other people in a healthy manner. If so, there's plenty of work to do.

The combat that punctuate the story, but aren't present for action fans. There's more chaotic swirls of light and position than when is generally thought of as a fight. It's more erratic ritual than action. Kindof the transformation sequence found through anime with hazard.

Anime Spotlight: Galaxy Angel A Complete Collection

Released by Bandai Entertainment

Not that you could easily tell from the title, especially since the last release was Galaxy Angel Z (or that it terribly matters to the material), but Galaxy Angel A is the third season of the surprisingly hilarious anime comedy Galaxy Angels. There's a level of expectation when anime provides an ensemble of cute girls with a range of personalities engineered for the range of tastes a genre fans express. The work will probably offer flash of titillation, jokes about unintended near-sexual encounters, and a blank male character at the heart of the scheme. If Galaxy Angel has any of this, it's present for irony. Further confounding expectations, it offers innocent humor for older audiences and unlike most 15 minute short format anime, you can inhale episodes without tiring. Three seasons in, the absurdity and character dynamics are still at the head of the pack in anime comedy.

The team of Galaxy Angels are convoluted bundles of contradictions and personality flairs from a near silent religious fanatic who carries around an advanced weapons systems AI housed in a stuff animal, to a demure rich girl with an extra set of sheep ears and a costume fetish, to a blonde martial artists/hopeless romantic. They're supposed to be a special military unit traveling space to search out mysterious Lost Technology, but they're overseers is rightful called to the mat for making them into an odd job task force.

The set-piece based interaction of characters the series more like sketch comedy than more plot structure comedies. There's no need to wrap up issues or create a plausible point of departure because the characters exist as personalities rather than serial entities; more Tom and Jerry than Rocky and Bullwinkle. The formula is still working three seasons in because depth and variaty to the personalities, and because the almost nuanced animation and voice acting comes together to form great comedic performances.

On one hand the comedy is helped by the level of absurdity anime can bring to the equation, for example, props like floral patterned chain saws or giant planet destroying guns produced from a handbag. On the other, some of the best episodes are the most minimalist, almost theatrical set pieces.

For example, the crew is trapped in a buried cave one route to aiding forces in a military disaster. Withered and starving, they learn that they have a winning lottery ticket in their possession. You know that they're going to get rescued as soon as they give up hope, and that they'll find the currency devalued by the military coupe, but the interchanges and comic acting on the one set one act piece is perfect. When given the space, they abundantly fill it. The chance for them to feed on each other's energy, or in this case dwindling lack there of magnifies the potency.

One reason that the series will appeal to adults is that while there is nothing office-like about Galaxy Angel as a high concept, there's something about the series' sensibility that makes it almost work place.Getting through pointless tasks in a pointless job, and never really making any progress at it that speaks to the modern working adult. The relationship between the Galaxy Angels is kindof like what goes on between co-workers. They kindof like each other, they socialize to some extent and if its not too much trouble they'll help each other out, but there interests aren't in line.

More unexpected that detracting, there's a gag that really doesn't work in this season of Galaxy Angel. There's a second team og Lost Technology seakers/odd job-performers: Cocomo and Malibu Perot and their overseer Major Mary. Major Mary is young and ambitious in contrast with the Angel's over comfortable middle-manager overseer Commander Volcott. Cocomo and Malibu are adolescent boys. Ones a bit techie and the other is a bit rambunctious. Together the three don't bring anything to the equation. There's no real chemistry with the long standing cast, nor do they expand any situation or effective joke. They just act as extra bodies on the screen that aren't contributing.

Anime Spotlight: The Galaxy Railways
Station 4: Leaps of Faith

Released by FUNimation

Leiji Matsumoto brought a sense of conviction to his space operas that lent his personal strength to the work. Even if a railway train running through space made no sense, you could take it as faith that somewhere in Matsumoto's post World War II life experiences, the vision was important to him. There was a harsh beauty to it. For all the tragedy and horror of the universe, the human spirit could stand up and make some small difference. In that light, even the strangest or most drawn out concepts he produced were never trite or corny.

Galaxy Railways acts as a one-off within the Matsumoto-verse, inhabiting the space between his major works. Unfortunately, and inevitably, there will not be too many more projects with his involvement. In this case he's credited as original author, executive supervisor and designer. Maybe it's a sign of respect that rather than using his eternal heroes, the series has turned to the bit players on the universal scheme.

It's not that the bit players are insignificant. While not a Matsumoto work, there's a scene in operatic retro-epic Giant Robo that really captures the feel of a Matsumoto bit-player. Two the The Magnificent Ten, just immensely powerful and mysterious villains who can generally crack concrete with a gesture, attack a base of the heroic Experts of Justice. The heros have their hands full in the attack, but the nameless uniformed technicians barely exchange a glance and jump into the fray with some impressive moves of their own. Of course these dumpy looking techies are quickly thrown out the way by the villain, but the point is that there was a heroism and ability that extended to the guy who changes tires of the name-hero's car.

Set in an early pulp space suit and raygun sci-fi universe, driven by ideas and imaginations rather than science, Galaxy Railways follows the development of a boy who will, if he lives, mature into the role of a hero. Maybe not of the stature of Harlock, Emeraldas or Tochiro, but someone who will be important in many lives. Yes, the series might end with his grave marker being another monument to good intentions, but bad luck, bad judgment or insurmountable odds, but there is no sense of urgency. Maybe because so much of the Matsumoto-verse is clinging to survival, that constant danger only seems a prickling menace. It doesn't help that the threats are frequently vague, faceless or not interesting in their own right. Tasks such shooting down asteroids in something that's too reminiscent of old school video games or going on missions too similar to forgettable Star Trek episodes don't invoke the sense of big-danger needed in this brand of serial.

Volume fours focuses less on the developing hero than those around him, which allows time to him to slowly develop rather than be hammered by lessons and allows the series to capitalize on the variants of heroic perspectives within protectors of the Galaxy Railways. The theme of the set of the episodes is contrasts, cautious people collecting data versus head strong one would rush in, romantics versus cynics. An aspects that makes it interesting is that it doesn't cast final judgments, and accepts the different attitudes along with their consequences.

Anime At Oscars

Hayao Miyazaki's latest feature Howl's Moving Castle, along with Tim Burton's Corpse Bride and Wallace & Gromit in the Curse of the Were-Rabbit have been nominated for the Animated Feature Film Oscar.

Advent Children Delayed Again

Anime on DVD and Digital Bits report Sony Vice President of DVD Programming & Content Michael Stradford has stated that the company is hoping to release the CGI feature Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children, based on the popular Playstation game, by the end of 2006. The reported reason for the extra time is to complete supplementary material.

Animation Runner Kuromi 2 Date

ToonZone reports Central Park Media has scheduled Animation Runner Kuromi 2 OVA, the follow-up to Akitaroh Daichi's frenetic look at anime production, on May 9th.

Manga Entertainment Expired Licenses

Manga Entertainment has confirmed to Anime News Network that the following licenses have expired: Guyver (OAV), Fist of the North Star (TV), Patlabor 1: The Movie, Patlabor 2: The Movie, New Dominion Tank Police, Red Hawk, Dark Myth, Black Magic M-66, Wings of Honneamise and Gunbuster.

Space Pinchy Release Change

Dark Horse has confirmed that over the top erotic manga Space Pinchy will be released straight to graphic novel collections rather than in individual issues. Diamond has cancelled orders on the individual issues.

More Details on Priest

Following the Variety article on the live action Hollywood adaptation of Korean manwha horror western Priest, TOKYOPOP filled in more details on the project (whose manwha the release). 'Amityville Horror' director Andrew Douglas will be joined by producers Mike De Luca, Sam Raimi and Josh Donen on the project scheduled to start this summer. The script will be written by Cory Goodman.

ICV2 Looks at Release Numbers

ICV2 comments that the number of manga releases will trend upwards in 2006. The big two manga publishers, Viz and Tokyopop, which accounted for 880 manga releases in 2006, told ICv2 that they plan only modest increases for 2006, but there are other increases coming from other quarters. Central Park Media, after suspending publication (except for its yaoi Be Beautiful imprint) during 2005, will be back in full force in 2006. Del Rey, which has been extremely successful thanks to its relationship with the Japanese manga powerhouse Kodansha, will steadily increase its number of releases for 2006. And new publishers such as Netcomics, which will field a full line featuring some of the top manhwa series from Korean creators, and Bandai Entertainment, which is launching a line of anime-related manga titles, will enter the fray.

Otakon on Fan Art

Anime News Network stirred up contraversy when they reported that Baltimore's Otakon , one of the countries largest anime conventions, posted on their site that fan artists who purchase booths to sell art may not sell work based on properties for which that the artist does not own the copyright.

The full text of the statement read:

Otakon's Artists Alley will be actively disallowing the sale of unlicensed copyrighted materials. If you own it, you can sell it. If you have license to it, you can sell it. But if it has material (images, sounds, etc.), in whole or in part, to which you DO NOT have permission to sell, then that material will not be allowed in the Artists Alley. Anyone found in violation of this rule loses their retail space in Artists Alley for the remainder of the convention. (The above statement will be officially/legally worded and posted on the site during February, after our lawyer and Otakorp President have approved it.)

5b. Policy for the DISPLAY of unlicensed copyrighted material - provided it is NOT FOR SALE - is currently under review.

Works of parody, for which the U.S. legal code permits fair use exemptions to copyright, may be permitted. These will be reviewed on a case by case basis.

The Anime on DVD blog Anime on DVD points out a comment from Rachel Ann, Otakon's Artists Alley Department Head saying

"It won't be the most popular thing to do. And it may not be the most profitable thing to do. But it's the RIGHT thing to do. Itakon has always said we are 'by the fans, for the fans'. And true fans will find reason to support this policy, knowing it is to the benefit of the professional writers, artists and creators of the anime we so love."

Otakon representatives responded to the negative reaction online and stressed that the policy is under review. And later issue a statement saying

Otakon is NOT implementing, nor has it ever seriously considered, a total ban on fan art. Our initial posting on the subject clearly confused some people, and for that we apologize. However, despite repeated and widespread attempts to clarify the direction our policy revisions are expected to take, the rumor we are banning fan art is still being spread.

For the record: Otakon is not banning fan art.

We are, however, tightening the rules.

Specific (and hopefully much clearer) guidance about what is allowed to be sold in Otakon's Artist Alley, and what is clearly not allowed, will be posted as soon as our legal experts are finished reviewing the policy. The vast majority of participants (attendees and artists alike) should have very little to complain about. The changes will allow us to address problems created by those who insist on pushing the limits of fair use, or who are blatantly exploiting copyrighted materials for profit. This not only benefits creators and owners of original work and properly licensed materials, it helps protect Otakon's ability to continue to encourage healthy fandom.

Many point out Japan features a health fan comic or doujinishi industry that spawned many of the most popular and prominent manga creators. Dark Horse Comics' Manga Editor Carl Gustav Horn response on the topic can be read here.

How this relates to considered policies on Anime Music Videos, fan created music videos with scenes from anime cut to popular songs, remains to be seen.

An interesting view on how new technologies relate to fan creativity can be read on the financial times here.

TOKYOPOP Lay-Offs

Conflicting reports indicate that TOKYOPOP has laid off 6 or 8 employees including Senior Editor Aaron Suhr. Publishers Weekly reports Vice President of Sales and Distribution Steve Kleckne also left the company due to a "differences about where the manga market is going." Whether the move is a typical corporate adjustment or a change in direction has been subject to much online speculation. There's buzz that work on some OEL and licensed manga titles has been halted, but editorial director Jeremy Ross has refuted this claim to The Beat.

ICV2 reports Holly Smith will assume the role of new Director of Sales.

Love Manga has a run-down of commentary here.

Comics rumors column Lying in the Gutters suggests that TOKYOPOP is facing difficulties because consumers have been slow to adopt OEL titles. Additionally TOKYOPOP's initiative to publish work in Asian markets, such as new works from a Star Wars license, has made them a competitor to manga publishers. Consequently, these license holder have become more reluctant to work with TOKYOPOP when licensing manga for North America.

I (Heart) Marvel: Marvel Ai

ComicsContinuum has a preview of Marvel comic's 15th release of manga inspired, romance themed I (Heart) Marvel: Marvel Ai here, and Buzzscope has one here. The issue is written by C.B. Cebulski, with art by Kei Kobayashi and Tomoko Tamiguchi and a cover by Gez Fry.

Erika Ouzawa Live Action

MangaNews.net reports a live action of Erika Ouzawa's josei manga(older female audience) Tenshi will be adapted into a live action movie starring Fukada Kyouko.

Robot 5 Lineup

Little Harlock has posted on Anime on DVD's forum that Range Murata's (Lost Exile) robot 5 art book/manga will feature the following line-up
- Range Murata
- Hiroyuki Asada
- Yoshitoshi ABe
- Mami Itou
- Kim Hyung-tae
- SABE
- shuzilow. HA
- Kozaki Yusuke
- Yumi Tada
- Teicoku Syounen (Imperial Boy)
- Shin "Jason" Nagasawa
- Fuji Jun
- Houden Ezou
- Shigeki Maeshima
- Hirotaka Maeda
- Miggy
- Michio Murakawa
- Yasuda Suzuhito

Air Gear On Hiatus

MangaNews reports Oh! Great will be taking a break from Air Gear due to health and schedule problems. Air Gear will resume serialization in issue 15 (3/15). In between the hiatus, there will be a 4 panel mini comics called Club Air Gear A Gang Bang, as well as AT team datas along with the info on the upcoming anime. The series has recently been licensed for release in North America by Del Rey.

New Anime Adaptations

MangaNews reports Madhouse Studio is developing a 13 episode anime based on Santa Inoue's manga series Tokyo Tribes 2.

Hideaki Sorachi's Gintama will be appearing on Japanese TV as an anime series starting in April.

Richie Kotzen, with Cyndi Lauper, To Release Gundam Cover

Anime News Network and Gunota report a group called "Z?R ," headed by guitarist Richie Kotzen of Poison and Mr. Big, and featuring Cindy Lauper will cover an array of songs from the Gundam franchise.

Del Rey Titles Scheduled

Anime on DVD reports the first volume of Oh! Great's Air Gear will be released on July 25th and Kouji Seo's Suzuka will be released August 29th.

Viz Shows Titles at NAPTE

Viz shows a number of Showpro anime titles at the National Association of Television Program Executives (NATPE) Conference and Exposition including
Croket
Grandpa Danger
M?R (TV)
MegaMan NT Warrior: Axess
Mirmo
The Prince of Tennis
Zoids Genesis

There are currently no plans for video distributions

CMX to Release Oyayubihime Infinity in June

DC Comic's CMX manga imprint will release the first volume of Toru Fujieda's Oyayubihime Infinity in June.

Other June releases include
Land Of The Blindfolded Vol. 8
Monster Collection: The Girl Who Can Deal With Magical Monsters Vol. 6
Moon Child Vol. 3
Pieces Of A Spiral Vol. 4
Seimaden Vol. 5
Tenjho Tenge Vol. 8

Junko Mizuno Interview

An excerpt of The Comics Journel's article and interview with subversive fairytale manga artist Junko Mizuno is online here.

Art Anthology Available in April

ICV2 reports Japanime Co. Ltd. will be releasing Manga Without Borders in April for $14.99. The collection will feature work compiled from the Manga University archives of manga influenced work from Europe, Africa, North and South America, Asia and Oceania.

Brattle Anime Festival in Cambridge

Anime News Network reports that the Brattle theater in Cambridge, MA will hold an 18 hour anime festival on Saturday, February 25th. For more information see here

Boogiepop Preview

Seven Seas has posted a preview of their February 14th release of Boogiepop Phantom and Others, which spawned the like named chilling horror anime here.

Merchandise News

From Figures.com Viewtiful Joe action figures, to be released this Spring can be seen here. 2 packs include Viewtiful Joe and Bianki #1, Joe and Captain Blue and Charles the 3rd and Blue Jr.. The 5" figures will retail for $5.99-$6.99 each.

Figures.com has Jazwares' Samurai Champloo here. The figures will retail for $11.99 and available late Spring/ early Summer 2006.

ICV2 reports Broccoli books will be releasing 2007 anime calendars in 2007. The first set includes Samurai Champloo, FLCL, Rurouni Kenshin, Tenjho Tenge, Trigun, Hellsing, Pita Ten, and Di Gi Charat.The 12-month wall calendars will be released in a full color, 12" x 12" 26-page format and will have a suggested retail price of $13.99.

ICV2 reports that due to a down turn in merchandise sales and the bankruptcy of Musicland, Palisades Entertainment LLC has discontinued its business of manufacturing and selling licensed and proprietary action figures, collectibles, toys and other goods. To a lesser degree in recent years than previously, Palisades released anime merchandise for properties such as Dragon Ball and Tenchi Muyo. They announced and designed Ninja Scroll figures which were never released.

Game News

The Magic Box has pictures of Naruto: Narutimate Hero Portable - Mugenjo no Maki here and Naruto: Saikyou Ninja Daikesshuu 4 here

Konami will release the PSP version of the anime action game EyeShield 21 Portable Edition in Japan on March 2, 2006.

Sega will release Sakura Taisen 1 & 2 for PSP in Japan on March 9, 2006./

Hating the Otaku Wave

Anime News Network points out that Ohta Books has published Ken Otaku Ryu, "Hating the Otaku Wave," a take off on the Hating the Korean Wave manga. The book vilifies otaku (obsessive fandom), focusing attacks on fans of moe (fetishizing innocence), lolicon (young girls) and otaku who discriminate against women.

Patlabor Movie Release Date

Bandai Visual (not to be confused with Bandai Entertainment, who released the Gundam anime seroes) will be releasing the first Patlabor movie, a hard sc-fi police mecha from Ghost in the Shell's Mamoru Oshii on April 25th. A standard edition will retail for $29.99 and a limited edition will retail for $89.00

Bandai Entertainment to Release Samurai Champloo Film Manga

Bandai Entertainment Inc., announced it will be releasing a series of Film Manga based on Geneon's hit anime series Samurai Champloo thru it's recently formed Manga Division. The first volume will be released in April.

Samurai Champloo, which is currently available on DVD and Cartoon Network's Adult Swim, was directed by Shinichiro Watanabe, the ultra-hip director of the acclaimed Cowboy Bebop. Like Bebop, Samurai Champloo has developed a devout following in the US since its North American release. The story focuses on two ronin samurai, Mugen and Jin, who reluctantly aid a young girl named Fuu in her search for "a Samurai that smells of sunflowers." The trio travels thru an alternate reality hip-hop influenced Edo period Japan.

"Samurai Champloo is one of today's hit anime properties and when the chance to license a series of Film Mangas from Geneon came our way, we jumped at it," said Bandai Manga Editor Robert Napton. "Film Manga as a format has had a bit of a turbulent ride in America, mostly due to bad quality and high price points. We are battling that by releasing each volume featuring hi-quality color images and the very competitive price of $9.99 per volume." Napton added.

In addition to adapting three episodes of the anime, each Film Manga volume will include exclusive BONUS MATERIAL not found anywhere else. The first volume features an interview with Director Shinichiro Watanabe.

The first volume of the Samurai Champloo Film Manga will be released in April, as part of Bandai Entertainment's Manga launch month, which will also include the black and white manga title, Eureka Seven Vol. 1.

Japanese Release Previews

A trailer of Bincho-tan can be seen in Windows media format here

Little Harlock points out on Anime on DVD's forum Amazon.jp has the cover art up for the upcoming release of Keisatsu Senshatai TANK S.W.A.T. 01. Cover art can be found here. Also the firstpress papermodel can be seen here. Another picture of can be found at Herold?s Official site

Lone Wolf and Cub and More Samurai from Animeigo

Twitch reports Animeigo has acquired the DVD rights to Shogun Assassin, the edited version of Lone Wolf and Cub as well as Japan's Longest Day, A New Love in Tokyo, The Trail of Blood,, The Fearless Avenger and Slaughter in the Snow.

Tenjho Tenge Edit Lists

ListerX has posted lists of the edits made in volumes 4 and 5 of CMX's release of older audience fight manga Tenjho Tenge here and here

New One Piece on Cartoon Network

Anime News Nework and IOlink report that Cartoon Network will be starting new episodes of One Piece Saturday nights at 9:30PM with One Piece episode 59, "Heading For Disaster."

Second Round of Guests at Anime Boston

Anime Boston, taking place in from May 26, 2006, through May 28, 2006, at the Hynes Convention Center and the Sheraton Boston Hotel in Boston, Massachusetts has made a second round of guest announcements, including

Vic Mignogna is a professional music composer/producer and veteran actor who received great acclaim for his portrayal of Edward Elric

Carrie Savage whose voice acting roles included Nancy Makuhari in Read Or Die: the TV, Fuko in I, My, Me! Strawberry Eggs, Rakka in Haibane Renmei, Hakufu in Ikki Tousen, Maromi in Paranoia Agent,Peppo in Gankutsuou, The Count of Monte Cristo and many more

Kari Wahlgren was first introduced to anime audiences as guitar-bashing, Vespa-riding Haruko in FLCL. Since then, she has been fortunate enough to voice characters in several anime shows, including Fuu in Samurai Champloo, Robin in Witch Hunter Robin, Cher in Wolf's Rain, Lavie in Last Exile and Scarlett in the movie Steamboy.

Jonathan Klein is the vice-president, co-founder and co-owner of New Generation Pictures, Inc., a company that has been translating, subtitling and dubbing anime for such major companies as Geneon/Pioneer, Bandai, Urban Vision, Central Park Media, The Right Stuf and TOKYOPOP.

Tom Wayland in more than four years at Central Park Media, he has produced more than 200 different anime programs before moving on to voice directing on such titles as Alien Nine, The World of Narue, Shootfighter Tekken and Ichi the Killer. In 2004, Wayland founded TripWire Productions and has gone on to direct numerous dubs for home video and TV broadcast including Mew Mew Power and Magical Do Re Mi seen nationally Saturday mornings on Fox.

Savid Williams is currently an ADR Director for ADV Films as well as their DVD Producer and voice on the Internet. He has directed Angelic Layer, Pretear, Najica, the original Nuku Nuku OVAs, Dirty Pair and many others.

ADV Announces Final Madlax

ADV Films announced that the seventh and final volumes of the girls with guns series Madlax will be released March 28th.

From the minds behind Noir, a compelling saga of two lives and the dark circumstances surrounding their mysterious connection. The Essence - When the three books come together, the doorway is opened. It is a doorway that leads to reality. There, Madlax and Margaret Burton can not only discover their collective past, but they can also experience something much more powerful - the essence. It is what Friday Monday has fought so long and hard to reveal. It is more than a simple glimpse into the human psyche - it is the unrestrained embodiment of human nature. It is the will of mankind acting without question. It is what we are. It is the truth.

Second Volume of WoW OEL in March

TOKYOPOP and Blizzard Entertainment have the release of Warcraft: Shadows of Ice, the second volume of the successful manga series, based on Blizzard's immensely popular Warcraft game universe. Warcraft: Dragon Hunt, the first volume of the trilogy, has already been met with overwhelming praise and has gone back to print four times in less than one year. The Warcraft manga is written by New York Times best-selling fantasy author Richard Knaak-who has also written four Warcraft text novels-and is illustrated by Jae-Hwan Kim, artist of TOKYOPOP's fan-favorite King of Hell series.

Warcraft: The Sunwell Trilogy is a fresh take on the events depicted in Blizzard's real-time strategy game Warcraft III, using original characters and storylines. The three manga volumes follow the adventures of Kalec, a blue dragon who has taken human form to escape the forces that seek to destroy his race, and Anveena, a maiden with secrets of her own. What starts as a fight for survival turns into a quest to save the entire High Elven kingdom from the forces of the Undead Scourge.

Warcraft: Shadows of Ice will be available in the manga section of bookstores and gaming stores everywhere in March 2006.

Imaginasian Tv To Launch Imaginasian Home Video Label With CPM

Central Park Media Corporation (CPM) has announced ImaginAsian TV, America's first 24/7 Asian American network "for all things Asian," has chosen CPM as its partner in launching the ImaginAsian Home Video label in North America. CPM will provide sales, warehousing and physical logistics services to ImaginAsian Home Video. CPM will use the wholesale and retail accounts which CPM has developed during more than fifteen years of spearheading the marketing of Japanese anime and other Asian-themed programming in the U.S. and Canada.

Seven Seas to Release Speed Racer Comic

Seven Seas Entertainment announced its agreement with Speed Racer Enterprises to release an all-new original color comic based on Speed Racer, the famous animated TV series from the 1960's. Like Speed's race car, the Mach 5, the series will zoom into stores monthly as a 5-issue mini-series starting July, 2006.

The Speed Racer mini-series will mark Seven Seas' first foray into traditional 32-page color comics. For this latest incarnation of Speed Racer, Seven Seas promises an engaging cinematic storyline written by a prominent Hollywood screenwriter, along with dynamic artwork by a top-notch manga artist - both to be announced shortly.

e frontier Announces Manga Studio 3.0 and Partnership with TOKYOPOP

e frontier announces the release of Manga Studio 3.0, a manga and comic book creation software program designed for aspiring and professional artists. Manga Studio contains everything needed to create high-quality, manga-style comics without the use of other graphic software. e frontier is partnering with TOKYOPOP, to release Manga Studio3.0 in the United States.

Some of the features included in Manga Studio 3.0 are the software's large selection of screen tones, single-click special effects, drag and drop tools, word balloons and floating palettes. Once the manga or comic artwork is completed, it can be printed from any computer, sent to a service bureau for publishing, formatted for the Web or exported for coloring.

for more information see www.e-frontier.com

Michel Ocelot at MoMA

Cartoon Brew points out that The Museum of Modern Art will be showcasing Kirikou and the Wold Beasts, fantastic French animation based on African legends February 23-March 6, 2006. If you have seen the predecessor Kiriku and the Sorceress, find it as soon as possible. The feature will be show as part of Grand Illusions: The Best of Recent French series.

Second Season of Boondocks

Cartoon Network has signed up for a second season of twenty more episodes of The Boondocks, scheduled for late 2006.

Russian Animation

Twitch points out Prince Vladimir - Part One: The Choice is coming out in Russia February 23 from Solnechny Dom Studio. The official site can be seen here and trailers can be seen here and here. A sequel is scheduled for 2008.