AICN Anime Report: TOKYOPOP; Kenshin; ADULT SWIM; DragonBall; ROBOTECH; Nadia Vs. Atlantis controversy

Father Geek here again with another of Scott Green's AICN Anime Reports...

Some of the biggest Anime news surrounds the ongoing controversy over "Nadia: Secret of the Blue Water" Vs. "Atlantis: The Lost Empire".

Check out the following sites to fill yourself in on all the details of the debate: For the Nadia point of view, or click here For the Atlantis point of view.

Ultimately you'll have to makeup your own mind by viewing BOTH these phantastic works in their completed form, not just clips, although to Father Geek it does look like there may be too many simularities to be just a case of spontanious creativity. Of course that doesn't mean anything sinister was going on over at The Mouse. We've seen this many times, in pop music especially, with the most infamous incidents surrounding musical numbers (and their resulting court actions) by George Harrison and also Johnny Winter. It's a danger ALL artists (in every media) face... influences you don't remember, dominating a work you think is totally original and yours alone.

Now on to Scott's column...

Gatekeepers

Pioneer has announced that the first volume of Gatekeepers, entitled "Open the Gate" will be released on dubbed VHS, and subtitled DVD on 9/25.

Gatekeepers was produced by Studio Gonzo, best known in the US for the computer animated Blue Submarine No. 6, which appeared on Cartoon Network. The series is set in 1969 is about young people with special powers in a world invaded by strangers from space, and the ethical implications of their actions.

TOKYOPOP Anime Announces Recall of Spring and Chaos DVD

Tokyopop has sent out a press release recalling the Spring and Chaos Limited Edition DVD as a result of encoding and subtitling errors.The standard edition DVD of Spring and Chaos is unaffected by this recall - shipment of that edition will take place once the re-mastered discs are ready.

"We are completely committed to delivering the highest quality products and are incredibly excited about the launch of our new TOKYOPOP Anime line. For us to have missed the encoding errors in Spring and Chaos - our first anime DVD - was inexcusable" said Joel Baral, Director of Film and Music. "Upon review of the issues, it was clear that nothing less than a recall of the discs would be fair to our customers. We want to say thank you to the fans that contacted us regarding this. We apologize for any inconvenience this has caused our customers and retail partners. We have discovered the cause of the problem and have revised our Quality Control process to ensure that this type of error does not happen in the future. We would like to assure both the fan community and our distribution partners that the exciting forthcoming releases from TOPKYOPOP® Anime - Vampire Princess Miyu, Saint Tail, and others - will meet the most exacting standards on the market today. "

In addition to completely re-mastering the DVD to fix the encoding issues, the current subtitles based on the dubbing script will be replaced with an English subtitle based on the original Japanese script. Literal translation subtitles will be included on all future TokyoPop Anime releases.

The following explains the recall procedure: 1. Remove the DVD from the case and send it to the address below. Please do not send the DVD case. (If you prefer, you can send us a copy of your receipt instead of the DVD.

TOKYOPOP; Attn: Spring and Chaos; 5900 Wilshire Blvd., Ste. 2000; Los Angeles, CA 90036

2. A replacement disc and Spring and Chaos poster will be mailed to you. Replacement discs will be ready for shipping in mid-July. Please allow 2 - 4 weeks for delivery once the discs are ready.

If you have any questions or concerns, please e-mail at customerservice@usa.TOKYOPOP.com or call 323.692.6700. The information regarding the recall is also available on www.TOKYOPOP.com.

Newly licensed?

The fansub site Kodocha Anime http://www.animemetropolis.com/kodocha/main.html is one of the better ones out there that removes titles from their list pretty much the second it's known. One side-effect of this practice is that often titles become known to them in advance of the regular sites and sometimes even the people at the various studios. Kodocha listed Gatekeepers this week, which we learned was coming from Pioneer. What we hadn't heard is that according to the Kodocha site, Synch Point has acquired the Di Gi Charat show.

New Upcoming ADV

ADV Films will be releasing Robotech Macross Saga DVD 3: Homecoming, DVD 4: Battlefront and the Robotech Macross DVD Box 2 all on 8/7. ADV's release of Robotech is the English dubbed, edited version shown on American TV. The Japanese subtitled original version will be release by AnimEigo If you're looking for something to watch until then, ADV will be releasing City Hunter TV Series 10 on 6/19

ADV Films David Williams has posted on Anime on DVD's forum that Sorcerer Hunters Vol. #3 has been set for release on 09/11/2001.

Sorcerer Hunters is a swords and sorcery action/comedy (like Slayers) about a group that hunters down the sorcerers oppressing the people of the Spooner continent.

International Channel Info

The International Channel will repeat some of the anime features from April in June. Here is the schedule (schedules are subject to change without notice).

• June 9 - Ninja Cadets - 1 am Eastern time (which is the same as June 8 at 10 pm Pacific time)
• June 9 - Princess Rouge - 2 am Eastern time (which is the same as June 8 at 11 pm Pacific time)
• June 16 - Earthian (parts 1 and 2) - 1 am Eastern time (which is the same as June 15 at 10 pm Pacific time)
• June 17 - Earthian (parts 3 and 4) - 1 am Eastern time (which is the same as June 16 at 10 pm Pacific time)

In addition, we'll repeat some of the Japanese movies. Visit here for more information.

Dragon Ball Info

The Official Site Reports: Dragon Ball, which was scheduled to begin airing on Cartoon Network June 25, is now scheduled to begin July 23. FUNimation deeply apologizes that the airdate has again been changed. "We do not anticipate any more rescheduling and appreciate your patience. We are taking every measure to ensure that the series is of the highest quality. Dragon Ball will remain in its original time slot, immediately following Dragon Ball Z. The first 28 episodes of DB will air and will contain the original music from the Japanese series. It's going to be a blast, so be sure to tune in July 23, 2001."

" We at FUNimaiton have been hard at work on the new Dragon Ball site. Dragon Ball is scheduled to begin airing on Cartoon Network in the time slot immediately following Dragon Ball Z, starting July 23. Now the official site is here for you at www.dragonball.com. We are still working on the site and have some more things to add, but we wanted to go ahead and give you, the fans, a sneak peek. Stroll through the site and then let us know what you think. Stay plugged in here for updates and news on Dragon Ball. Have a blast!

Secondly, movie #4 has also been "officially" announced: Lord Slug, the newest Dragon Ball Z movie to be released by FUNimation, will hit the market August 7. Lord Slug is a thrill ride as the mysterious villain has emerged from an asteroid and is an enemy to the earth.

There is a good chance that Lord Slug will release on VHS and DVD simultaneously. This is not official and things could change, with the DVD following shortly behind the VHS release. FUNimation is doing everything to ensure a simultaneous release. We will keep you posted here when things are final. "

FUNimation has informed Right Stuf that Dragon Ball Z 22 Frieza: Revealed Uncut DVD is coming on 7/10!

Unfortunately, they've also delayed the release of DBZ 51: World Tournament: Junior Division DVD and DBZ 21 Frieza: Transformation DVD until 6/26.

From Michael LaBrie "Daizenshuu EX" Head Maintainer:

"Following in the tradition of dubbed series like "Rurouni Kenshin," the opening and ending theme to "DragonBall" are the original Japanese songs, re-scored and sung in English. Some may ask, "Why wasn't an instrumental of the original Japanese version used, and vocals placed over that?" Simple, my good otaku. No actual instrumentals of these songs exist. There are instrumental-type versions on a few CDs, but they have extra instruments playing the melody in them, so they are not true instrumentals. However, rather than make a ridiculous new dub opening for the show (a la DBZ), FUNimation continues to press forward in their goal to be considered a real anime company; "Makafushigi Adventure" and the closing theme, "Romantic Ageru Yo," are in the videos, and will be there with the original Japanese score throughout the entire series. Our staff member Jon Allen recently took a trip to FUNimation Productions in Texas, and learned some key things that I'm sure fans of "DragonBall" will be interested in. The following is taken directly from his new feature on his trip (from our site,):

"The eye catchers are back.

The "bumpers" as they're referred to at Funimation, will make their return/debut to Dragonball and Dragonball Z DVDs that haven't already been produced. Discs containing Cell saga through Buu saga will have the little commercial bumpers both in both languages, with a bubbly little tune for English and the familiar Head Cha La instrumental for Japanese. The Freeza discs however won't contain them (except maybe the very last few) as Steve Simmons has already translated up to a good amount of the Freeza stuff, and it would screw up the time codes to go back and put the bumpers back in these episodes. Speaking of Steve, I let Carly know that a let of the Japanese fans would be interested to see an extra about his translations, so we'll see what comes of that."

So there it is. Finally, after nearly a year of complaining to FUNimation, they have indeed listened to us, and the eye-catches will make their return."

Media Blasters Delays

All of the following titles have had their dates official changed for upcoming

• Media Blaster Releases
• 6/26
• Samurai: Hunt for the Sword DVD
• 7/3
• Elf Princess Rane DVD
• 7/10
• Rurouni Kenshin 8: Ice Blue Eyes (DUB / SUB / DVD)
• 7/17
• Magic Users Club 2: Magic is So Easy! (DUB / SUB / DVD)
• Metal Fighters Miku DVD
• 7/31
• Jungle De Ikou DVD
• Rurouni Kenshin 9: Heart of the Sword (DUB / SUB / DVD)
• 8/14
• Magic Users Club 3 (DUB / SUB / DVD)
• Voogies Angel DVD
• 8/28
• Rurouni Kenshin 10: Between Life & Death (DUB / SUB / DVD)
• 9/11
• Apocalypse Zero 1-2 DVD
• 9/25
• Rurouni Kenshin 11: Faces of Evil (DUB / SUB / DVD)
• Rurouni Kenshin 12: Blind Justice (DUB / SUB / DVD)
• Puppet Princess (DUB / DVD)

Elf Princess Rane is two episode parody comedy OAV. Those waiting for ADV's release of Excel Saga can get a test of the manic brand of humor from Elf Princess Rane.

Third Daft Punk / Matsumoto Video Online

The third Daft Punk music video (after One More Time and Aerodynamic) called Digital Love has been posted as streaming video on mtvhome.de. The video can be seen at speeds: 56k and 300k

AnimEigo DVD Delays

AnimEigo has announced that they are indefinitely delaying the release of their science fiction Boah and the second volume of the horror series Vampire Princess Miyu due to authoring house problems. The company is still hoping to be able to release the two titles before the end of the year.

Cartoon Network Adult Block Name

Starting September 2nd Cartoon Network will open Adult Swim, a new block of animated programming aimed at adults ages 18-34.The block will air only on Sunday and Thursday nights from 10 p.m.-1 a.m. (ET, PT) and current plans include five new series and new episodes Space Ghost Coast to Coast.

"Almost one-third of our viewers are adults over 18, so it's a natural extension of our programming to create new shows specifically for the adult audience," said Betty Cohen, president of Cartoon Network Worldwide. "The humor in ADULT SWIM will definitely be aimed at a more sophisticated audience than our other programming. Our mission for these shows will be the same as for the network at large - to create shows that are enduringly smart, fun, funny and fearless but never antisocial or mean-spirited. ADULT SWIM will truly complement what we already do so well - present the best in animated entertainment."

ADULT SWIM's rotating line-up will be anchored by new episodes of Home Movies, the story of a socially awkward third grader named Brendon Small. There will alsobe a number of new shows developed at Cartoon Network's Williams St. facility, the launching pad for Space Ghost Coast to Coast. Sealab 2021 is a kitschy update of a Hanna-Barbera production about an undersea city, featuring the voice talents of Eric Estrada. Aqua Teen Hunger Force tells the story of an elite group of detectives who happen to be human-sized food products. Harvey Birdman is the world's first animated courtroom drama, trying the crimes and misdemeanors of the cartoon world, like when Shaggy gets pulled over in the Mystery Machine for "possession." Finally, demented space alien Brak returns in Leave It to Brak, which parodies the beloved tenets of classic family sitcoms but with a wry sensibility and plenty of catchy songs.

"From a programming perspective, we wanted to expand our line-up to offer some innovative new shows for our adult fans," said Mike Lazzo, senior vice president of programming and production for Cartoon Network. "Animation has never been an art that was solely geared toward kids. Space Ghost Coast to Coast was created for an adult audience - and it has developed a loyal cult following. Now, we've created a group of shows that we think will become appointment viewing for fans of smart, funny television."

"We're being very careful to delineate ADULT SWIM from the rest of Cartoon Network's programming. We'll make it very clear that this block is for adults," said Tim Hall, executive vice president of Cartoon Network. "We learned that parents and adults were very receptive to this type of programming from Cartoon Network, provided it was appropriately marketed and differentiated from our other programming. With ADULT SWIM, Cartoon Network is taking a step in a new direction we think both adults who love animation and advertisers will enjoy."

Spotlight: Kenshin OAV

I will try to periodically spotlight anime releases that may interest people. The Rurouni Kenshin/Samurai X OAV (direct to video release) is a four episode series released domestically in two volumes, "Trust", and "Betrayal" by ADV Films.

In Japan's Meiji era the rule of Shogan had been overthrown, and Japan was entering the modern world. Himura Kenshin was a man of that time, and the violent periodic that lead up to it. He had a short feminine figure, with long, red hair, and was distinguishable by a crossed scar of his cheek. Though he carried a sakabato, a sword with a reversed blade, his skill was unmatched. Shinta was a child of misfortune. His family is taken by disease, and he is taken a group of slavers, whose captive include a group of girl who care for him until the slavers and their captives are killed by bandits. Shinta is taken in my a hermit sword master who teaches him the unmatched skill with a sword and renames him Kenshin (Heart of the Sword).

Kenshin leaves his master in hopes of protecting people, but ends up a political assassin known as the Hitokiri Battousai. The Rurouni Kenshin anime television series and manga (comic) series begin ten years after Kenshin has given up killing and has taken up a reversed edged sword. The anime series follows the manga that it is based on through its lengthy Kyoto arc, in which Kenshin is confronted by his rival from his days as an assassin, and must face his replacement. The anime series follows the Kyoto story with new material that became increasingly supernatural and unlike the manga it was based on. The manga continues through an additional lengthly story arc that would eventually end that series, in which Kenshin faces more ghosts from his path. In this story we learned of the events of Kenshins assassin days. This is what is told in the OAV.

The story is focused more on emotions and people that the action. Those desiring to see Kenshin battling with his rivals, the Shishen Gumi will see it, but they will see more slow moments that sword fights. It is a very deliberate series. It begins with many time jumps. Kenshin as a child, training, becoming as assassin, as an assassin, in non-chronological order. Those unfamiliar with the story may have difficulty following it the first time through. Mood is set through amazing background images which some of which use non-animated video, and music that vividly mirrors the ominous sitatuion of the characters.

The action is spectacular. Fights scenes are well choreographed and deliberate. There are no short cuts take. There are no jerky movements to hide details. Instead they are accentuated. a cloth wrapped around a sword. rain or snow falling on the combatants. But as good as the action is, it is not action that is enjoyable to what. The expressions of emotions, determination, will to live, bloodlust, and most effectively pain are too retail. The blood that the follows sword strokes and soak the ground makes the looks as real as any lice action feature will.

The Kenshin television series is fair for all ages. It has humor, it has fights that defy logic, and are fun to watch. He can hide his emotions behind a humorous mask, or his rage can explode with rage that causes his eyes to go yellow. Kenshin can jump up a cliff, he can survive a sword through the chest, because he's Kenshin, he's a pulp hero, he can do that. The OAV features characters who appear in a manner stylized to look more human. Their emotional impact clearly match their appearance. The appearance and mood of the series, as well as violence and blood make this a series for mature viewers.

The Kenshin OAV is an amazing achievement in animation. The animation is innovative. The music is encompassing. The story is emotionally charged. If you are looking for a quick paced story, with good fight scenes, and fun characters, there are much better choices. The Kenshin TV series, especially its Kyoto arc is one of them. If you are looking for a good example of a deliberately paced piece of animation that emotional and adult, try the Kenshin OAV.

That's it for this week...

Scott