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Column by Scott Green
Short Docs Look At Anime
IFC has posted Dan Persons' "ANIME in the USA" short documentaries as web exclusives in support of the upcoming IFC debut of "Samurai 7" on April 1 (10:30 PM ET). The features look at the roots of anime popularity in tape trading and fan translations, as well as the characteristics of the medium that make it special.
While short, the films feature a look at anime that is more substantial than a snapshot of the hot properties of the moment or gawking at convention fans. In addition to some perfect anime footages, any interviews with the likes Jerry Beck, Fred Patten and Isaac Lew that are sure to be treasures.
There's some process to view them:
Go to ifc.com
click on "UNCUTON DEMAND" at the top of the page
click on "SERIES" on the right
click on "SAMURAI 7."
The listing includes two episodes and previews clips of the first 13 episodes of Samurai 7.
Hot Out Of Tokyo Anime Fair
Twitch points out that DannyCho.com has posted a handheld recording Production I.G's upcoming Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex, Solid State Society movie here. A look at Production I.G's booth from the Tokyo Anime Fair is online here.
Toei's Power Puff Girls Z anime has been confirmed to Air on AniPlex on TV Tokyo starting in April.
From AnimeNation and Aniradi Network Toei Animation announced plans for theatrical anime movie adaptations of Pretty Cure Splash Star, Clannad, and Rose of Versailles.
Clips and photos of the expo can be seen here
Domu-Kun Comics to Nickelodeon
The Beat points out a C21 article saying that Nickelodeon is developing a series based on the stop motion animated cute-big-mouthed-monster Domo-Kun.
Anime Expo News
Anime Expo 2006 (AX2006), held at the Anaheim Convention Center July 1-4, 2006 in Anaheim, California, has announced Full Metal Alchemist director Seiji Mizushima as the first guest of hour for the 15th annual convention.
As famed director of the Fullmetal Alchemist anime series and movie (debuted in Japan; July 2005), Mizushima is also known as a series director for Evangelion and hit shows including Dai-Guard, Slayers Next and Shaman King. His current project consists of Oira Rocket.
Mr. Mizushima's filmography consists of:
* Brave King GaoGaiGar Final Grand Glorious Gathering (TV); Storyboard
* Dai-Guard (TV); Director, Storyboard
* Eureka 7 (TV); Storyboard (ep. 37)
* Fullmetal Alchemist (movie); Director
* Fullmetal Alchemist (TV); Director, Storyboard
* Generator Gawl (TV); Director, Script (ep. 5, 8 dramatization
Storyboard (ep. 1, 8, 12), Episode Director (ep. 1, 12)
* Madara (OAV); Assistant Director
* Melty Lancer (OAV); Unit Director
* Neon Genesis Evangelion (TV); Episode Director (ep. 9)
* Shaman King (TV); Director, Storyboard, Unit Director
* Shaman King Specials; Director
* Slayers Next (TV); Director
* Zaion: I Wish You Were Here (TV); Director, Storyboard
* Oira Rocket; currently in production
In anticipation of its U.S. debut theatrical release of 2006, AsiaVision - the Asian live-action film label of Urban Vision Entertainment, will be teaming up with Anime Expo® 2006 (AX2006) to sponsor an AZUMI costume category in the enormously popular Cos-play (costume play) Masquerade Event during the 4th of July weekend (July 1-4, 2006) Convention (register now at www.anime-expo.org) at the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, California.
Azumi is an almost wuxia live action samurai film featuring a young woman assassin in Tokugawa Japan.
The AZUMI costume contest gives male and female fans an opportunity to dress up as their favorite character from the film. One male and one female contestant will each win a grand prize from Urban Vision Entertainment consisting of:
* A region free DVD player
* A complete Urban Vision Entertainment DVD library
* An exclusive "AZUMI" movie keepsake
Costume ideas can be found at the official AsiaVision website.
AsiaVision plans to release AZUMI to a limited theatrical run in major cities across the United States in the third or fourth quarter of 2006.
More information can be found at its official website
FUNimation Announces Syndicated Programming
FUNimation Entertainment has announced that it has developed a two-hour anime block for syndication, syndicated anime block is just part of FUNimation's larger strategy to increase awareness of anime with entertainment audiences throughout the United States. The block has already been picked up by the CoLours TV Network, which is available nationwide as part of DISH Network's basic satellite TV package.
CoLours TV Network will run FUNimation's syndicated anime block seven days a week from 10:00 p.m. to 12:00 midnight ET (7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. PT).
FUNimation's two-hour anime block is distributed by OlympuSAT and available to broadcasters nationwide. The anime programming on the block is from FUNimation, the company that also brings you the FUNimation Channel, which is a 24-hour diNew Digimon Set for Summer 07 Debut in US
xxxHOLiC Nominated for Annecy
Madhouse to adapt Taiyo no Mokushiroku
Little Harlock posts on Anime on DVD's forum that Madhouse has annonced that they have licensed seinan (older audience male) title Taiyo no Mokushiroku ~ A Spirit of The Sun by Kaiji Kawaguchi. Masayuki Kojima (director of MONSTER) will be directing the projecting. The series, scheduled for WOWOW this fall is a largely political drama looking at Japan after a natural disaster.
Next Digimon in US
ICV2 reports that Digimon Savers will be appearing in the US in summer 2007.
Gonzo Anime/Game Tie-In
AnimeNation reports that Gonzo Digimation will be producing an anime and online game based on 1984 arcade game Tower of Druaga. "Tower of Druaga: The Recovery of BABYLYM" will tentatively debut in late 2007, followed by the anime in early 2008.
Miyazaki Clock
According to Nausicaa.net, NTV announced Hayao Miyazaki designed a copper clock (10 meters high, 18 meters wide) for the NTV tower at Shiodome, Tokyo. Production will be done by Shachimaru Kunio who produced the robot on the rooftop of the Studio Ghibli Museum. For images see here.
Anime Unleashed Unscheduled Due to Tech Difficulties
Anime News Network reports a G4 staff representative posted that the Anime Unleashed block has been pulled from schedules due to a technical issue:
"There may have been a technical issue too that I can't go into, but basically it means that AU was planning to air all new episodes starting back in February, but because we didn't acquire new anime then, we weren't prepared to air old anime episodes by the deadline to take care of the technical issue that I can not go into which means that we can't air old episodes.
But then again, I could be completely wrong."
Wednesday March 22, 2006 4:48 PM
"The technical issue is just that...technical. It has to do with restandardizing G4's program formats. My boss said, "No, we're not going to make adjustments on old AU episodes" most likely because we originally planned to air all new stuff in 2006. Nothing to do with licenses running out."
But then again, I still don't have the answer to the big question."
Isao Takahata Interview
Ghibli World has posted a interview with Ghibli co-founder Isao Takahata (Pom Poko, My Neighbors the Yamatas, Grave of Fireflies) here.
Masaaki Yuasa to Produce Series
AniPaged Daily reports that Masaaki Yuasa, director of the brilliant anime film Mind Game will be producing a TV series for Madhouse (Ninja Scroll, the various CLAMP adaptations). Kemonozume (Claw of the Beast or Canned Beast), is schedule to air this summer of WOWOW. Madhouse also has a new film by Mamoru Hosoda, a new film by Satoshi Kon, and a recently announced TV series by Mitsuo Iso on slate.
New Sites and Trailers
TwitchFilm points out that Catsuka has a trailer for Studio 4°'s, the group by some of the most exciting and inventive anime in recent years, including Mind Game, new file Tekkon Kinkurito /Genius Party here.
From Anime Nation
Upcoming television series Joshikousei Girl's High, a remake of 1969 anime TV series Hakushon Daimaoh, has a trailer.
A site for Flag is now online, with a trailer here.
Yoshinaga Sanchi No Gargoyle has a trailerhere
Le Chevalier D'Eon site and here
New St. Beast
Saint October
Taiyo no Mokushiroku
Tekkon Kinkurito
Tokimeki Memorial
Tokyo Tribe 2
TwitchFilm points out that trailers for the live action adapation of manga Prince of Tennis are online here and here.
Shojo Beat to Feature Rare Interview and Three-Month Tutorial
Viz's anthology Shojo Beat will feature an interview with Keiko Takemiya will be interviewed in the April 2006 issue of Shojo Beat. The interview launches a series of Takemiya coverage where she will offer rare insight into her own inspirations and interests, followed by a three-month tutorial beginning in the June issue where she will answer reader questions and provide artistic instruction and techniques.
Since the 1970s, she has produced many popular titles that range from science fiction to historical drama. Her most revered works include Poem of Wind and Trees and To Earth. In 2000, she became a professor for Kyoto Seika University's noted four-year manga program, and her most recent work, A Horse Traveling Time, began serialization in the Japanese manga anthology Flowers in 2005. None of her work has appears in English.
This instruction will be augmented by additional artistic instruction from Hiroyuki Iizuka and Yuu Watase, the creator of popular titles like ABSOLUTE BOYFRIEND, FUSHIGI YUGI and CERES (all published by VIZ Media). Their Drawing with Yuu series launches in July.
Geneon Strawberry Marshmallow Premiere
Geneon will be releasing the first volume of Strawberry Marshmallow, "Cute is as Cute Does" on June 20th.
Join Chika, Miu and Matsuri, as they go about their daily lives full of adventure and discovery. Follow the intrepid trio as they try to make a surprise birthday gift. Then meet Ana, a transfer student originally from England who pretends to be a foreigner. This becomes more difficult to pull off when the girls pay a visit to her happy home. And when Chika & Company find out where Nobue is working, they decide to pay her a visit... with disastrous results!
Animation Produced by DOMU (DearS, Petite Cossette, Please Teacher)
Geneon also announced Anime-Pop Star: Yoko Ishida Live In Concert, Featuring Para Para Max US Mix, will be released on May 2nd
Where there's hot anime music, there's energetic dance grooves and with both, you'll find anime-pop star Yoko Ishida ready to blow the roof off with another commanding and awe-inspiring vocal performance! Get a front row seat for an up-close look at an extraordinary anime event: Yoko Ishida Live in Concert! Filmed at the height of Yoko's first major overseas tour, which swept through the east and west coast cities, Yoko is at her peak here in this rare outdoor concert performance. Set in the heart of Hollywood, Yoko truly shines as a rising star, as she and her Para Para Max dancers electrify viewers with awesome songs and audience interaction in an anime concert unlike any other!
* Live Performance in Hollywood, California
* Songs performed by fan favorite music artist Yoko Ishida (Ai Yori Aoshi, Pretear, Sugar)
A special edition will also be available.
IDW To Publish Vampire Hunter D Art Book
Comic Publisher IDW will be publishing a Vampire Hunter D art/design book in July. The 56 page hard cover will feature concept art and illustrations for $15.99.
Possible Licenses
Anime on DVD forum users point out that DVD Pacific will be released by Manga Video. It has not been confirmed that the company has picked the title that had been licensed by ADV before the deal fell through. The series from the creators of Mystical Detective Loki Ragnorock follows a myth investigator who tames oni goblins to help him in his problem solving missions.
Forum users also point out that Viz's Shojo Beat features a suggestive reference the unannaunced Matsuri Hino manga Vampire Knight.
SamCham Game Screenshots
Anime News Network points out that IGN has screen shots of Grasshopper Manufacturer's Samurai Champloo: Sidetracked here, due to be released April 11th. The offical site is at www.champloo-game.com.
Lew Exits DMP
Isaac Lew has announced that he will be leaving Digital Manga Publisher, the publishers of manga Worst, IGWP, and a number of yaoi works, as well as the translators of Berserk and Hellsing.
New Katsuhito Ishii Anime
Twitch and Catsuka report Katsuhito Ishii, director of Taste of Tea and character designer of the animated portion of Kill Bill, has written the script for a new anime to be directed by Takeshi Koike (Dead Leaves and Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust key animator). The Madhouse animation project is scheduled for 2006.
"RED LINE" is a motor race attracting the universe-wide attention and it is held only once in five years. "Racing" is nothing but "Manhood" combining super technique of only those guys who known the relationship between themselves and the world, and stupid romance held by brainless guys. Naturally, that's why women with big boobs love guys manly dreams."
Monster Dissected
Next week, comics blog Polite Dissent will be examining the medical facts being the highly regarded manga series Monster.
Zoom Suit as Film Festival
Zoom Suit has been named an official selection of the Third Annual Danville International Children's Film Festival running May 19-21, 2006. The selection marks the sixty-second film festival appearance of the award-winning animated short since its premiere in April, 2005.
Copies of the Zoom Suit #1 comic book, shipping April 26, were originally intended to be brought to the festival for distribution. However, the issue completely sold out of its print run of 20,000 and will be allocated to comic shops.
Anime Spotlight: Gundam SEED Destiny
Skip this review if you don't care why Gundam SEED Destiny crashes and burns. Despite promising early episodes in the recently released first volume, the series as a whole abuses the long continuous format to pass off some truly aggravating material. If you skipped the less flawed original Gundam SEED, SEED Destiny should be less of a temptation. While it originally stages itself with a mostly new cast, while smartly integrating the main body of the original cast as an alien, not completely sympathetic force, the narrative starts getting into trouble when it can't decided which each of these groups to follow.
In pro-wrestling fandom everyone knows that the results are pre-planned, so there's an expectations that ,barring unforeseen events, such as injuries, there should be some quality in the progression of feuds between wrestlers. As such, there's an expression of exasperation when something is put together with disastrously poor foresight. It's something to put on a sign when the planning isn't just botched, but put together with what looks to be complete incompetence. "Who booked this crap?"
Gundam SEED was an entertaining combination of the original Gundam's war serial and Gundam Wings bright colors, and colorful teen leads. Most importantly, it's fluid, dynamic nature moved the story along before any flaws could take shape. As far as its sequel series, Gundam SEED Destiny goes... "who booked this crap?" Well, director Mitsuo Fukuda and about seven screen writers, including his wife Chiaki Morosawa, who put together a series not just swish cheesed with plot holes, but largely so logic-brittle that any thought topples it. The results are nearly the same as if there was a conscious effort to undercut every positive aspect of the series.
Destiny comes off as such as wreck in large part because it seems that it could been have a superior example of its genre. It starts off with former antagonists in the satellite colony military Zaft, including Athrun Zala, the sympathetic opposite number of Gundam SEED's hero, Kira Yamato. Where as Kira was the brightest kid with the best toys, then made noise about his woes, Athrun quietly shouldered the weight. Where as Kira was unprepared for the events that swept him up, Athrun is and in SEED was a soldlier. In, theory, Ahtrun does what needs to be done. He's more of a worker than the perpetually gifted Kira, and though there's more effort involve for to find his answers, he's not supposed to be rendered inactive by the process. Athrun is set up as mentor for a new pilot named Shinn. Unlike most other Gundam heroes isn't reluctant. He's an angry idealist and like Athrun, military trained.
These characters are generally (and initially) more mature and more trained characters than the ones in the first SEED. If you're making a treatise on war, which Gundam allegedly is, it helps to try to capture the perspective of soldiers. SEED Destiny sets itself up with harsh parallels to the real world conflict and plenty of moral ambiguity. Rather than a simple proposition for pacifism, for a while, Destiny effectively looked at ill conceived involvement in armed conflict. It looks at reactions to terrorism and threats and allows people who you could sympathize with to exacerbating situations.
While "to err is human", it's debatable whether it's Gundam creators or their characters who are more defined by their record of really bleeping the bed. On one hand, meant to exemplify a condemnation of the ideologies that lead to war, instead the characters fill graveyards with people who are dead from logic-free decisions. Mirroring the creations often ludicrously bad making, their creators loose their focus so badly, that they end up inserting music video re-cap episodes in the fifth from final episode of a series in need of some emergency plot masonry to fill in the gaping holes.
The problem isn't just that SEED Destiny betrays any emotional or intellectual investment in the work. No matter how much you lower your expectation, SEED Destiny is a disappointment. Viewed through the lens of the Gundam ideal as harsh political sci-fi, the lens of an intense character drama, the lens of a top giant robot vehicle, the lens of a remake of the classic Zeta Gundam, or even the lens of the tense epic begun in the early episodes, SEED Destiny is more than a mild disappointment. Even the creators apparently recognized that they delivered a hard failure, wasting little time putting together a mulligan on the final episode in hopes of providing some semblance of resolution.
Perhaps worst of all, it is a difficult series to give up hope on. Right until almost the end, you'll want to stick with the series and see if it can recover. It's not until episodes 46/47 of the 50 run that the nails are finally hammered into the coffin. At that point, there's little possibility of debate that the series was constructed on pure impulse without forethought. Key plot points aren't so much revealed to be red herrings as they evaporate. The chief manipulator of the series gloats as separation of two characters as key plot point, but not only does he not leverage their separations, but the narrative never lends any significance to interactions between these characters. They demonstrate an emotional bond, but their meetings just server to hand off McGuffins.
A romance that was a notable development from the first SEED, transitioning into Destiny played a complex role in the new situation and served as one of the hooks to the series. How these two personalities, with their self imposed missions and responsibilities would maintain and develop their affections was an intriguing aspect of the early episodes. Yet, by the time matter come to a head, their relationship is written out the story. Viewers are treated to a shell game swap that might work in an open ended soap opera, but in a work with a set episode count and a set cast, it run directly contrary to the appeal and accepted set of rules that concern a serial. In Great Expectations, if Pip's going to lose interest in Estella, it shouldn't be because he was distracted for a while and in the mean time simply moved on.
Even the plot point that initiates the action in the first episode offers only a fractured plot trajectory. In light of the other weapons being developed throughout the series, presumably at the same time, why does the series open with the theft of an, even at the time, only moderately powered set, used by a high profile division who only server a strategically important role when given a new weapon later on?
Whether any Gundam has ever really fulfilled the ideals of Yoshiyuki Tomino and the franchise's faithful adherents and actually produced a harsh, subversive and intelligent statement that leverage fighting robots is debatable, but the manner in which Destiny nudges against concrete issues then rushes back to vague, intangible sci-fi concepts is especially infuriating. The series almost gets around to making a relevant exploration about the nature of involvement in armed conflict. One in which the protagonists were more than burdened dupes. Yet when it comes time to commit to an examinations, it moves on.
In better hands, SEED Destiny could still have been an engaging classic, but if there was a series planned road map, it wasn't adhered to. Character motivation and series composition just crumble. Up until a certain point, watching the series, you'll think that anyone who is down on the series must be mistaken.
You'll start questioning the series when Athrun, set off on mission that he takes upon himself, is explicitly granted with unique autonomy, is given a top of the line robot, endings up ineffectually moping, doing a Hamlet. With Athrun shackled into depressed impotency, the question of whether any introduced element with be realized is raised.
When the melodrama is dialed to distracting levels, it's time to question that great cast or at least how they are handled. The characters start acting like teenagers, which is fine because they are teenagers, but also questionable because in this Gundam they weren't accidentally thrown into a war situation. For the most part, they were supposed to be there. But, the lethal wound comes from a context shifts, returning the focus to the original SEED cast, which kills any chance to develop either group.
Never able to manage multiple threads, each is starved. Rather than character arcs, there are characters cliffs. Athrun and Shinn never recover from falling into ruts. Kira and Lycus, remain aloof demigods. Even when desperate or taken down they remain largely uneffected by the situation, with perspectives never change. Only terciary characters really change their outlooks, and in those cases it is radically alterations to their course, in which they experience lighting strike revelations that everything they had previously been doing was wrong.
Even on a meta level, payoffs betray expectations. Throughout a majority of the series, the opening animation teases the emergence of the re-envisioned Black Star Trio, from the original Gundam, episode theme animation openings. Spoilers: they come in as non-characters near the conclusion and do nothing but pander, and barely accomplish that.
SEED Destiny offers action that speeds around with literally explosive energy. While it manages complex action scenes that offer some of the best of what sci-fi fans are looking for in their action, the most memorable attribute of the animation is the quantity of re-used footage. Maybe budget constraints could be explain this, but is done terribly artlessly. The volume of re-caps episodes, extended episode introductions that bump the real start time past the five minute mark, and just flash back within a episodes is staggering. Leonard Shelby could follow the series. The series could have used more simply animated talking scenes that advanced the plot. It's as if the creators just couldn't bring themselves to fill out the ideas.
While introducing a catalog of its own mistakes, Destiny mirrored the over-all structure of the first SEED, replacing the quick tempo with lethargy. Every logical weakness built in the story flow that removed the reality from Gundam SEED warfare was present. Again, politics is decided not by debates or negotiations, just grandiose public statements, with everyone on Earth, in orbiting space colonies, on battle ships, where, even in the medical bay of those ships, everyone watches the same broadcast. Then comes the decisive violence...
Why introduce an earth shaking threat that the protagonist barely defeats in episode 30, then in episode 40 give the hero an upgrade that allows him to swat the same threat in a blink of an eye? How does this Bugs Bunny escalation happen in SEED, then in Destiny? Again, the series is taken to a point where one robot can take out armies on its own, giving the narrative no choice but to match it against doomsday weapons. It's almost as if the same people painted themselves into the same corner twice.
What is the point of filling the screen with heavily manned battleships when these vessels are routinely and easily destroyed by robots manned by a single pilot. Why can't a system that costs less lives and resources be introduced for transporting and supporting the robots?
If the series could be taken as Brand X Giant Robot War, stripped of the mythology of the Gundam name, maybe SEED Destiny could be thought of as a memorable and largely entertaining if flawed work. Televised, it would probably be a fine diversion, though it would have written itself out of the appointment viewing category with its incessant flash backs, recaps and reused footage.
Gutlessly brushing against real world politics without really exploring it...Introducing far more characters than it can deal with... (it shows itself capable of reliably dealing with about three. It introduces or inherits 10's) Providing flash that fizzles... (so much is rehashed and repeated then when the spectacle is delivered, the context is so worn out that there's little impact).
At 50 episodes, with a troubled ending, it suffers from the "food was terrible, and there wasn't enough of it" problem. Few anime series have built up excitement and then burned through all good will like Gundam SEED Destiny. Rather than falling victim for the anime bad ending epidemic, or overstaying it's welcome, but that the final third of the 50 episode series seems almost inconceivable badly planned. Because it features a continuous story, it is hard to recommend following the series up to its fatal turning point.
