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Column by Scott Green

Voltron Release Preview

Media Blasters has unveiled new detail about the September 26th release of Voltron Collection One: Blue Lion. The collect will contain three discs and will consist of Episodes 1-15 and Special Features, packaged in a special molded tin (yet stackable with subsequent volume.) An insert booklet that will provide episode synopses as well as original air dates.

Media Blasters' editors are re-assembling the episodes frame-by-frame from the best available sources (mostly from original Japanese film negatives), and video and audio imperfections are being wiped clean wherever possible.

Voltron Collection One: Blue Lion (Concept)

DISC 1
1. "Space Explorers Captured"
2. "Escape to Another Planet"
3. "A Ghost and Four Keys"
4. "The Missing Key"
5. "Princess Joins Up"
6. "The Right Arm of Voltron"

DISC 2
7. "The Lion Has New Claws"
8. "The Stolen Lion"
9. "A Pretty Spy"
10. "Secret of the White Lion"
11. "Surrender"
12. "Bad Birthday Party"

DISC 3
13. "The Witch Gets a Facelift"
14. "Yurak Gets His Pink Slip"
15. "Give Me Your Princess"
** Special Features

SPECIAL FEATURES:
*Original Pilot: "The Voltron Trilogy"
*Staff Interviews
*Making of the DVDs
*New 5.1 surround mix
*Insert: Episode Synopses with Original Air Dates

Insert Conver

Keep checking ww.voltrondvd.com/ for production updates/details, previews, downloads, and other cool info.

Manga Preview Train Man: Densha Otoko

to be released by Viz

Train Man is a cultural phenomenon that inspired TV series, a movie, and multiple manga series to be released in North America by multiple publishers. It's a nice geek who gets the girl story, which leapt from the internet to the popular imagination in a cultural transition comparable to the American story about the guy trying to trade a red paperclip for a house. (Or for Asian cinema fans, My Sassy Girl, a popular Korean romance based on online journal of a romance).

Train Man's chronicles were announced and fed by posts on Japanese message board 2channel. The generally accepted to be true (or at least mostly true) story has it that "Train Man" was a shy young man with an OK job who spent too much time in front of an action figure adorned monitor. Traveling in a subway car, the guy stepped up and tried to take control of a drunk man harassing the female passages. Later, after the transit authority gathered statements from the witnesses, he exchanged contact information with the attractive young woman next to him. He was shocked that she later sent him an Hermes tea cup as a thank you. (Hermes becomes her moniker in the conversation). Train Man posts a plea on 2channel looking for advice on how to handle this gift and how to pursue the relationship.

On some level it would take a hardened cynic not to love Train Man's story. Or at least want to love it. It was a concrete demonstration of the popular media idea that we're a make-over away from something closer to the ideal. With Japan's concern about its socially avoidant pathologies, Train Man was a gentle suggestion that a nudge in the right direction could encourage someone to open up socially. Japan's concern for the character of its younger generations is evolving a social taxonomy that rivals and likely exceeds America's political glossary of Soccer Mom's and NASCAR dad's and red-staters and blue staters. If Intuits have X many names for snow, Japan is building almost as many to shut-ins and troublesome youth. Train Man stood out in that it gave hope to geeks and it gave hope to a society worried about the geeks.

This particular version of Train Man, to be released by Viz was from Hidenori Hara (baseball manga Yattarojan/Let's Make It), serialized in Young Sunday, a seinen anthology, for somewhat older readers with some interest in comparably more real women. (Also, source of some of Viz's Pulp titles, such as Short Cuts).

Hara's design have an elongated look that emphasizes caricatured faces. (In the tradition of many seinen romances, few of which are translated for English language releases). The outline nature of the quick telling suggests that the manga is for people who already have affection for the story. Tying in with the look, it seems to expect the reader to be amused by the illustrated caricatures of the principals and in the snapshots of the personality types of people frequenting 2channel on the other end of the advice stream.

Though the illustrations are unidealized, they are also depersonalized. The characters look more like types than people. For a newcomer, it is a slight telling whose lack of drama gives it an inconsequential center. It acts more as a broad comedy than a study of the workings of a detached geek. Only a few advice scenes are offered and little time is spent trying to sort the contradictory suggestions. When Train Man does act, the transformation does not take much. All he needs is a haircut, some close and a drink to dull his social anxiety and he's able to perform respectably, if awkwardly on a date.

If the depicted Train Man followers were so enraptured with the story, their concept of how much of a shut in Train Man is would likely have to be more extreme than the one depicted. What is depicted here is the equivalent of the coach potato who decides to jog around the block. Wheezing home, this personal who have taken a positive step, but they haven't run a 10k. There's an implicit suggestions that these 2channel supporters are thinking "if this guy can find love, it gives hope to the rest of us." The Train Man of this manga is the quiet guy from the office who goes hunting for action figures rather than going to the gym. He doesn't look like The Comic Book Guy and he doesn't have the 40 Year Old Virgin's reluctance. The speed in which he sheds off his hermitage may have been an asset for the original audience, but for those who aren't worried that a segement of the culture is hopelessly self-isolated, the character don't have the depth to make the story a drama and the story doesn't have the extremity to make it an exceptional case.

Ironically, in a work about reaching out to human interaction, the most amusing joke in the volume by far the most pop-culture referential geek. Train Man and Hermes are out drinking. He asks her if people comment she looks like a celebrity. She responds her friends say she looks like Moomintroll

Anime Spotlight: Negadon: The Monster From Mars

Released by Central Park Media

Anime has its crop of auters. The much spoken about Oshii and Miyazaki being two of the most prominent of those able to create work that imparts distinct impression though noise of the collaborative and commercial necessities of production. Recently Makoto Shinkai asserted his independence thanks to the freedom afforded by ever more powerful personal computers and available software.

Negadon creator Jun Awazu carried this movement forward in Negadon by bringing his passion for kaiju cinema to a breathtaking "garage" project. Awazu stepped up to leave a mark to a the genre of kaiju movie, in the Godzilla vein at a junction where studios no longer considered the material grounds for a viable project. Within the time it took to create the Negadon, after speeding him up, making him more vicious and modernizing him, Toho has recently found it necessary to put Godzilla into hibernation.

Awazu's work steps back to the originals of the genre, both in the care in the production, originally fostered by the limitations of the craft of putting a man in a bulky suit, and in the passion towards the sentiment of the movie. Despite the sometimes incongruous industrial simplicity of 50's look, Negadon owes more to the original Godzilla's mix thunderous destruction and tormented introspection than the camp. The tone is austere as the lines up its battle between a hovering insectoid space beast, brought back from mars during a teraforming project to unleash death rays a-la the classic War Of The Worlds and a steel titan of piloted robot.

The movie's opening states that its events take place in the one hundredth year of the Showa Era (2025 CE). Showa covered the reign of Emperor Hirohito and in reality ended with his death in 1989. This invokes the post World War II concerns of the original Godzilla, but additionally, referring to "Showa kaiju" films is like referring to "golden age" American comics. Negadon is beautiful and faithful echo of the genre in its pure begins, before Monster Island was crowded with already-seen beasts. It re-captures the mystery and personal sorrow of those movies, before we had a good idea of what was going to happen in a given movie.

Awazu attacks the genre by what could have irreconcilable in mimicking the style of obviously false special effects of the classic movies that we none the less accepted emotional and mimicking concrete film. This despite CGI makes a slicker replacement of the special effects easier, and makes capturing real patterns difficult. The look heralds its detail in the overtly exact movie. The re-creation of traditional special effects, such as the slow, sometimes jerky opening of the creature's shell combined with combined with the freedom to integrate new hitches such as recoil from shots or hurling launch sequences.

The point in which expressiveness becomes exhibition is difficult to pinpoint, but it does seem like Negadon approaches that wall. The dirt and oil of the unwashed scientist, mixed with smoke from his chain of cigarettes, are juxtaposed against the beauty a lunar moth's beating wings. The hand of the creator actively demonstrating what they are capable becomes visible. While impressive, these moments take you out the work. All of the visual work acts in service of creating a uniform piece. Unlike an Advent Children, Negadon can exist as a stand-alone work rather than just a popular concept expressed with a new technology. Yet, certain effects shots linger too long, and Awazu demonstrates himself to be too good of a director for these to glitches in pacing.

To an extent, Negadon is an ambivalent response to the foundation of kaiju. Though the monster is a figure of repulsion, the movie itself offers as much wonder as dread. Though it features the same atomic mistakes and weaponization of sciences, there is as much hope as resignation. While nuclear explosions again unleash the monster, this time they are being used as a tool. Rather than something like the purely destructive oxygen destroyed being used against the monster, it a markedly utilitarian giant robot.

The episode-length run time of the movie has been regarded by some as a detriment to the movie, but it seems a function of the movie's independent origins. If you're running tightly governing a project with a small staff, putting togther new algorithms for the effect that you'd like to show up Hollywood, time isn't going to permit the creation of a 90 minute movie. Yes, it is missing some scenes of Negadon's destruction, but the feature is able to capture the high lights of a kaiju film without appearing like a a highlight compilation.

Manga Spotlight: Kuro Gane
Volume 1
by Kei Toume

Released by Del Rey

Readers will probably recognize similarities the protagonist of Kei Toume's (Lament of the Lamb) Kuro Gane shares with Blade of the Immortal's Manji and possibly with Osamu Tezuka's Dororo (which became the game Blood Will Tell). If there isn't an homage lineage connecting the three, and there may be, they are at least all in some way inspired by the one-eyed, one-armed pulp samurai hero Tange Sazen.
With a bandage rag cover one eye on his scarred (riveted plate) face, Kuro Gane 's(Black Steel) Jintetsu certainly invokes the Sazen type characters who have been hardened to a degree that catastrophic physical loss doesn't slow them. It's the sort of manifestation of will of body that is bound to be plentiful within stories that address the samurai's determination.

Jintetsu was a fierce young samurai who became a rogue assassin to avenge his family. On the run, Jintetsu had an unformatted encounter with a group of bounty hunters and their dogs, and on the verge of death, he was picked up by Genkichi, a mad genius who found inspiration by "western science". After harvesting various body parts from Jintetsu, Genkichi replaced most of the Jintetsu's damaged or missing pieces with mechanical replacements. Before finishing all aspects of the body, speech being one of the omitted functions, Genkichi drags Jintetsu into his own sorted affairs.

Toume mixes cartooning and classic artistry in the visual composition of Kuro Gane. The simplified, almost symbolic sketches of Jintetsu are mixed with expressionist yokai-spirit haunted depictions of his tormented soul and set against detail ink works capturing the details on clothing or objects, such as a painted barrel.

Despite the quality of the illustration, Kuro Gane is a flat read. Toume does not stage a fight or the lead up to a fight well. Though not a case where fights are substituted with quickly resolved placeholders, the progression of the meeting and engagement with the foes does not modulate with a flow of build up and pay off.
Toume apparently has ideas for how to utilize the character, offering a variety of attacks in the different fights, but movement of the figures in a fight and transition between panels does not to translate into fights that are easy to follow or exciting.

Feeding this problem, Jintetsu doesn't have the presence of popular manga sword-fighters. There's no moment where the veil of the samurai's composer is lifted to establish the force of Jintetsu's personality.

Sojitz Corporation Leads Capital Investment in A.D.Vision

A.D.Vision, Inc. announced a substantial investment in the company by Japanese Contents Investment LPS (JCI), an investor group led by Sojitz Corporation, in exchange for a minority equity stake. Additionally, a separate capital commitment for the acquisition of new filmed content was made by ARM Corporation, a subsidiary of JCI.

Sojitz Corporation is a publicly listed Japanese holding company with over $48 billion in annual sales. As a major producer and distributor of filmed content, including anime, Sojitz' access to anime and other filmed content will enhance A.D.Vision's position as a leading home media distributor. A.D.Vision plans to expand its own Wireless and New Media (WNM) offerings by leveraging Sojitz' expertise and resources in this segment.

Shinichi Uchiyama, Senior Vice President of Sojitz' New Business Development Group, comments that "Anime has become a global phenomenon, and the North American and European markets are slated for sustained growth. As the market leader, A.D.Vision is the best partner to realize that growth."

"This is a perfect marriage," said A.D.Vision president John Ledford. "Sojitz gains ADV's specialized knowledge in the packaging and distribution of anime content for the North American and European markets. We gain Sojitz's global network and expertise in Wireless and New Media, which for anime-related content is a particularly strong growth area."

ICV2 reports the investment will allow ADV Films to raise its output of new anime titles, which had dropped in 2006, back to previous levels or above.

And an ADV spokesperson told ICv2 that in the wake of this new agreement, "ADV has big plans for its manga business."

Anime News Network takes a look at the trend of Japanese companies' involvement in US anime distribution here, with a Sojitz/ADV chart here.

D.Gray-man Anime

Comipress reports that Shonen Jump has announced that D.Gray-man will be appearing as an anime on Japanese TV this fall.

D.Gray-man is comparable to Full Metal Alchemist and slightly to Bleach, set in a fantasy version of Victorian England in which a young man with "Innocence" burned into his hand battle the monster creating Millennium Earl .

The manga is released domestically by Viz.

Bleach Movie Site Online

Anime Nation points out that the Japanese site for the movie Bleach: Memories of Nobody, scheduled for a Japanese premiere in December, is now online.

Merchandise News

Gunota points out that the official Japanese Mega Bloks site (generic Legos) posted a news item announcing the arrival of Mobile Suit Gundam for release this Fall.

Organic Hobby and Kaiyodo will be selling an exclusive glow in the dark version of the Revoltech figure of Evangelion's Test Type EVA 01 - SHOGOUKI at the San Diego Comic Con. Figures.com has images here

Figures.com also has images of Toy Tokyo's San Diego Comic Con exclusive camo-deco of the "Fooly Cooly" robot character Canti here

Figures that Yamato USA are now shipping include WAVE's Angel Chromosome-XX PVC Statues, Red Shoulder Scopedog, Megazone 23 – 1/15 Scale Garland Full Action Figur and Ryomou Shimei PVC Statue

WAVE's Angel Chromosome-XX PVC Statues
The girls of Eva take charge in WAVE's beautiful series of Angel Chromosome-XX PVC statues inspired by the popular anime Neon Genesis Evangelion. Measuring approximately 5.35", this interpretive series of statues include A-03 Sachiel-XX, A-14 Zeruel-XX, A-17 Tabris-XX, and A-02 Lilith-XX, all designed by manga artist Mine Yoshizaki who also brought us the off-the-wall manga Sergeant Keroro. Each figure comes with detachable wings and added features such as interchangeable arms with weaponry and clear plastic parts, as well as custom designed DNA display bases.

Red Shoulder Scopedog

1/12 Scale Armored Trooper Votoms Full Action Model, $154.95: At the heart of the line is the ATM-09-ST Scopedog, the most coveted of which is the Red Shoulder Scopedog. Previously only available as a limited exclusive, this second version of the Red Shoulder Scopedog can now be yours! Measuring over 12.5" and constructed of over 300 parts, the Red Shoulder Scopedog comes with all the amazing features of the original, plus transparent armor replacement parts to show off the Scopedog's skeletal mode in full detail.

Also available, the original ATM-ST-09 Scopedog, Melquiya Scopedog, Space Warfare Scopedog, Chirico Cuvie Action Figure, Equipment Set #1: Parachute Zac, Equipment Set #2: Roundmover, Weapon Set #1, and Weapon Set #2 with more to come including Strong Bacchus Scopedog and Brutish Scopedog.

Megazone 23 – 1/15 Scale Garland Full Action Figure ($129.95)
Loosely inspired by the Macross anime series (and even serving as source material for the unreleased Robotech the Movie), Megazone 23 tells the story of young motorcycle enthusiast Shogo Yahagi who mistakenly comes into possession of a government prototype bike/mecha. Ruthlessly pursued by a group of government agents, Shogo plans to save himself by exposing the bike for what it truly is on a live television show hosted by popular singer, Eve. But even the lovely Eve has secrets of her own; and Shogo quickly finds out that the government has much more to hide than just a transforming military motorcycle. As Shogo begins to unravel the mystery of the bike, he discovers a secret which is the very reality that surrounds him…

Now for the first time ever, Yamato brings the Garland roaring to life as only Yamato can with its fully transformable Megazone 23 - 1/15 Scale Garland Full Action Model. Drawing upon original mecha designs by Shinji Aramaki (Wolf's Rain, Bubblegum Crisis), Yamato's 1/15 Garland stretches over 9.85" long in Maneuver Craft mode and fully transforms from Maneuver Craft to Maneuver Slave mode without any additional parts. Even more, as a testament to Yamato's engineering genius, the included 4.75" Shogo Yahagi action figure can remain seated in the figure as it fully transforms! As always, Yamato's transforming masterpiece includes a host of special features including rotating rubber tires, magnets in shoulders and legs, pulse canon, and too many points of articulation to count.

SIF EX: IKKITOUSEN – Ryomou Shimei PVC Statue by Reflect
Offered here is Japan's master garage-kit artist Mitsumasa Yoshizawa (REFLECT)'s take on the eye-patched lovely Ryomou Shimei decked out in a blue maid's outfit. This impressive 1/6 scale PVC statue measures in at over 10.25" and comes complete with a pair of handcuffs, set of nekomimi cat ears and tail (adhesive required), and specially designed display base all packaged in a collector's style window box.

A special pink styling at both Anime Expo and San Diego Comic Con International. Limited to 500 pieces, 100 will be available at AAA Anime's booth at Anime Expo, and 400 pieces available at Yamato USA's booth at San Diego.

August ADV Box Sets

ADV will be releasing thin pack collections of Cromartie High School and Excel Saga on August 1st.

Cromartie High School Complete Collection $44.98

Based on the award-winning manga series by Eiji Nonaka (published in the US by ADV Manga), Cromartie High School was produced by Production I.G. (Ghost in the Shell) in partnership with TV Tokyo (Final Fantasy: Unlimited).

Synopsis: Poor Kamiyama! Somehow he has been enrolled in Cromartie High School, the infamous school for delinquents. When your classmates are the meanest, toughest (and often dumbest) students around, you do what you can to fit in. But when you add a 400-pound gorilla, a robot with an attitude, and a macho brute that bears a striking resemblance to a world famous celebrity, it makes blending much more difficult. So put on your best tough-guy swagger and get a lesson in insanity from the hilarious losers of Cromartie High!

Excel Saga Complete Collection $59.98

Directed by Shinichi Watanabe (Lupin III) and produced by JC Staff (Azumanga Daioh) and Victor Entertainment (Noir), it is a must-have collection for fans of the hilarious South Park and Animaniacs.

Synopsis: They're cute, they're scantily clad and they're dying to please! But enough about those pesky alien Puchuus who're invading Earth! When it comes to dying for someone else's pleasure, there's no one who gets offed as often or delightfully as the femme fatales of Across! Join Excel Excel and Martian Princess Hyatt as they sacrifice dignity, common sense and life and limb in a vain attempt to satiate the globe-conquering whims of Lord Ilpalazzo, Across' sole and therefore most eligible bachelor. Can Excel ever please her hunky and heavily armored heartthrob? Will Hyatt stop expiring long enough to get a life? And what's the deal with the dysfunctional neighbors next door, that dead Pedro guy and the dude with the afro? Find out the answers in the Complete Thin-pack Collection of the most insane anime series ever produced: EXCEL SAGA!

October Box Set Releases

Media Blasters will be releasing a collection of Midori Days, the comedy about a violent punk who wakes up with a minature girl in place of one his hands, on October 10th for $39.98.

Geneson will be releasing the Saiyuki Reload, the second season of the bishonen retelling of the Monkey King/Journey to the West legend on October 24th for $159.98

Dark Horse Talks Exaxxion Edits

Dark Horse editor Chris Warner has explained and discussed Dark Horse's decision to editing the sexual content on a series from volume 5 of Cannon God Exaxxion here.

Eva's Anno on Latest Universal Centry Gundam

Gunoata has posted translated comments made by Evangelion creator/director Hideaki Anno concerning the Gundam MS IGLOO. Anno is said to have expressed admiration for the WWII-style story and Zeonic point-of-view.

Kujibiki Unbalance Trailer

Anime Nation points out that the official Kujibiki Unbalance homepage (the anime within a anime/manga from geek comedy Genshiken) now hosts a 1:45 streaming Windows Media trailer for the upcoming anime TV series.

Aquarion Sequel

Anime Nation Media Factory's announced the upcoming Aquarion: Uragiri no Tsubasa ("Aquarion: Wings of Betrayal"), a sequel to the 2005 TV series Sosei no Aquarion. Moon Phase claims that the new work will be a TV series.

Anti-Smokers Frown on Popular Shoujo

Comipress has translated an article concerning how the Japanese Anti-Smoking Association has raised the issue of the prevalence of smoking in popular shoujo drama Nana, the manga of which is released domestically by Viz. The Association objects to the portrayal of smoking as fashionable in the manga and anime.

Last Set of AX New Before Blockbuster Convention

Bandai Visual USA Inc. will be highlighting its presence at the 15th annual Anime Expo being held July 1-4 at the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, Calif., with a rare U.S. appearance of legendary anime mecha designer Yutaka Izubuchi. Bandai Visual USA will also be showcasing the anime masterpiece "Patlabor 2 The Movie" (www.bandaivisual.us/patlabor/) limited edition DVD that will be released by Bandai Visual USA and Image Entertainment in retail stores across the country on July 11.

"Patlabor 2" was directed by acclaimed director Mamoru Oshii ("Patlabor The Movie," "Ghost in the Shell," "Avalon"), written by Kazunori Ito (".hack//SIGN," "Avalon"), with music by Kenji Kawai ("Ghost in the Shell," "Avalon," "Ringu") and mechanical design by Yutaka Izubuchi.

The DVD will be released in both a single disc edition (SRP $29.99) and a limited collector's edition (SRP $89.99). The limited collector's edition is numbered with a limited run of only 10,000 units. The cover art was illustrated especially for the DVD release by Yutaka Izubuchi.

Bandai Visual USA will be exhibiting throughout the show at booth #111. In addition, Bandai Visual USA will be featured in the following Anime Expo events:

Anime Explosion (July 1, 6:30-7:30 p.m., Live Program Room 3): Bandai Visual USA president and CEO Tatsunori Konno participates in and industry roundtable.

Focus Panel (July 2, 1:00-2:00 p.m., Live Programming Room 1): Yutaka Izubuchi discusses his work and answers questions.

Industry Panel (July 2, 4:00-4:50 p.m., Live Programming Room 2): Bandai Visual USA vice president Takenari Maeda and Yutaka Izubuchi discuss the Patlabor movies. Bandai Visual USA will raffle-off Patlabor items signed by Yutaka Izubuchi and also introduce future Bandai Visual USA titles to be distributed in the U.S. and Canada.

"Patlabor 2 The Movie" Screening (July 2, 7:30-9:45 p.m., Video Room 1): Screening of "Patlabor 2 The Movie, with an in-person introduction by Yutaka Izubuchi.

Autograph Sessions (dates and times to be announced): Yutaka Izubuchi meets attendees and signs autographs.

In the attempt to bring new communication technologies and opportunities for attendees and artists at Anime Expo, AX2006 announces the launch of the Anime Expo I-Show (I-Show)t the Gallery of Fantastic Art (GoFA) at the Anaheim Convention Center July 1-4, 2006. More information is available at http://www.anime-expo.org

The Anime Expo I-Show is an informational and entertainment show used during intermission and seating periods between regularly programmed events. Similar to seating times at movie theaters, I-Show will feature Anime/Manga related trivia and information from organizations/industry companies including attendees who wish to send information to one another for meetings , cosplay gatherings and messages. Additionally I-Show will also provide information about events occurring on that day at Anime Expo. It will also include updates and changes to scheduling that may affect programmed events.

The I-Show will name locations where attendees can purchase in-expensive advertisement slides to relay messages and contact each other. These slides will be available for purchase at the convention through the AX Merchandise area. Attendees interested in communicating on the I-Show will fill out a form when they buy their ad space at the AX Merchandise booth in which they can place their message on. The I-Show will also accept pre-printed ads, from attendees, in both color and black and white files on either CD or DVD (720 x 480 in size, landscape format, Image Files accepted ­ tiff, jpg and bmp. Ads will be in the I-Show the day after day of purchase.

The Gallery of Fantastic Art (GoFA), in conjunction with the Anime Expo Art Show, is sponsoring an Illustration Contest open to all AX attendees GoFA invites you to submit an illustration of any theme that best represents your portfolio. Illustrations must be submitted to GoFA (located next to the Art Show in the Exhibit Hall) by the end of the second day of the convention (Sunday, July 2nd). The GoFA staff will announce a winner the following day. The winner will be awarded a cash prize and a portfolio review by the director of GoFA himself. Only one entry per entrant, art must be their own original art (probably no fanart allowed), art must be submitted by 6pm day 2.

For the 1st year, fans can experience Anime Expo through www.axbackstage.org, a web site launched by the Society for the Promotion of Japanese Anime, the parent organization of Anime Expo. The site offers visitors an insider's look at the hottest new titles in Anime and Manga and peripherals through exclusive videos, images and news at the convention

Features of the site will include a "Fast Find" area that will provide information on exhibitors, manga titles and anime titles that will be announced during the convention. In addition, there will be features Video News from the AXBackstage news crew, AX2006 News, Downloadable versions of the AX2006 Newsletter, Podcasting of authorized Main Events by Stickam?, Cosplay Photos and exclusive Anime Trailers.

Viz has announced that their booth will feature licensed items for purchase in the retail area, which will include NARUTO headbands and wristbands, INUYASHA messenger bags, Kagome backpacks and more. There will also be an array convention exclusives including advance release manga and exclusive gift-with–purchase premiums including a free SHONEN JUMP NARUTO baseball cap with purchase of the NARUTO Uncut DVD Box Set

Viz will host a special preview showing of the film TRAIN MAN on Saturday, July 1st at 7:30pm. KAMIKAZE GIRLS will also be screened on Saturday July 1st at 9:45pm.

Viz's cpmvemtopm freebie will be the The VIZ Media Canvas Convention Bag – will be a vibrant green adorned with artwork from INUYASHA: The Movie 4 and SHONEN JUMP BLEACH. Viz will also be handing out "VIZ Media Bling", beads that make enable the wearer to be elliable for prize give-aways. New editions of the free VIZ Media manga samplers will be given away all throughout the show. Raffle will be held once a day with the prize being one of two NARUTO TCG holographic uncut sheets

Dedicated panels on VIZ Media anime as well as manga topics are scheduled for Monday 7/3 at 1:00pm and 2:00pm respectively. In addition, a panel on Toonami Jetstream, the recent joint venture with Cartoon Network that will offer a dedicated television broadband platform to stream anime 24/7, is scheduled for Sunday 7/2 at 3:00pm. A final panel on VIZ Media’s smash hit magazine SHOJO BEAT will round out the roster for 2006.

Convention Appearances

From Anime News Network
Yasuhiro Imagawa, director of Giant Robo and G Gundam will be appearing at Toronto's CN Anime

Kazuto Nakazawa, best known as the character designer in the anime segement of Kill Bill will be appearing at Baltamore's Otakon.

Other Localized Anime

Anime News Network reports Captain Harlock and UFO Robo Grendizer will be featured on Teletoon Retro's French feed when the station launches in fall 2007.

Anime Nation reports that the American edit of "Zatch Bell" will premier on the Cartoon Network in Brazil on August 1st. Gungrave will premier on August 7th.

TOKYOPOP Launches Music Label

TOKYOPOP has announced "in line with its expansion into a fully integrated media entertainment company focused on the 'manga lifestyle,'" TOKYOPOP has joined forces with Digital Rights Agency (DRA), to launch the record label, TOKYOPOP Music.

The label premieres with three compilation albums:

TOKYOPOP Presents Drift 2 Die, a mix of electronica and hip hop from Initial D., (produced by b_nCHANt_d and D.J. Milky)

TOKYOPOP Presents Anime Trax Volume One, with music tracks from anime properties including GTO, Rave Master, Princess Ai, and more, (music by D.J. Milky and b_nCHANt_d)

TOKYOPOP Presents Beats 4 Riderz, featuring hip-hop music from Street Fury, Initial D and various other properties, (produced by D.J. Milky and b_nCHANt_d)

The Digital Rights Agency currently distributes more than 350 leading independent record labels in 15 countries with a total catalog of 380,000 tracks to more than 300 mobile and Internet outlets worldwide.

"There is a rising thirst amongst fans to access this niche music category and now TOKYOPOP is the exclusive company to quench that thirst," said Ben Chan, Music Supervisor, TOKYOPOP. "We have plans to release more than 20 albums per year featuring the coolest music from Asia and we feel that DRA’s excellent technology platform, worldwide reach and marketing expertise will serve TOKYOPOP Music very well."

"The launch of TOKYOPOP Music marks the beginning of our move into the music space," said TOKYOPOP CEO and CCO Stu Levy. "In the near future, TOKYOPOP will be producing anime and manga soundtracks, mangapods (audio books), ringtones, manga podcasts, and much more. We are currently considering building a satellite radio manga channel." Levy continues: "With these plans in mind, DRA is the perfect partner for TOKYOPOP in expanding our audio business to Internet and mobile outlets."

According to DRA Managing Director, Tuhin Roy: "We are very excited to partner with TOKYOPOP and to have the chance to connect millions of manga and anime fans worldwide with the music they love."

The alblum are now available on I-tunes and worldwide wherever digital music is sold.

Priest Cast

The returning Love Manga reports that Gerard Butler and Steven Strait have been cast for the Hollywood adapation of Korean religous horror epic Priest.

Avatar Gets Third Season

ICV2 reports that Nickelodeon has ordered 20 additional episodes of Avatar: The Last Airbender. An hour long Avatar movie, The Fury of Aang, will debut on Nickelodeon on Friday, July 14th at 8pm (ET, PT).

Animated Dragonlance

ICV2 reports that Paramount will be producing an animated featured based on Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman's Dragonlance fantasy novels. Lucy Lawless has said that she will be voicing the character Goldmoon.

Scary Godmother on DVD in August

ICV2 reports Anchor Bay is releasing a DVD of Scary Godmother: The Revenge of Jimmy, Mainframe Entertainment's (ReBoot) CGI adaptation of Jill Thompson's charming comic.

Paul Pope Animated

The Beat points out that comic artist Paul Pope (100%), who spent time working at manga publisher Kodansha, is currently directing the animation for an unnamed feature film.

Original Godzilla on DVD

The original cut of Godzilla/Gojira and the American cut (respectively, without and with Raymond Burr) are scheduled to be packaged in a 2 DVD from Classic Media on September 5th.

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