Father Geek here with a slightly tardy edition of our regular weekly report on the wonderful worlds of Manga & Anime. No fault of Scott's... ol'Father Geek's PC kept automaticly deleting the column everytime Mr. Green sent it in to our Geek Headquarters Compound computers nestled in among the oaks and tall range grasses of the Central Texas Hill Country under the watchful eyes of our resident circling family of hawks, buuuuuuut Father Geek finally located it (the report)buried in with the 10s of thousands of trash-can filed spam-letters and virus infected mail we receive weekly, and so now I present you with the latest phantastic edition of...

The AICN Anime Report...

Anime Spotlight: .hack//SIGN
volume 1:Login

Released by Bandai Entertainment

.Hack is set in a fantasy massively multiplayer game.
Massively multiplayer online role playing games are
video games where large number of player log on to
adventure and interact in a virtual world. Even for a
non-video game fan, the phenomenon is pretty
interesting. It is an immense technical, creative and
financial task creating the game, one which has proven
difficult to duplicate. Then, once the game becomes
successful, player culture begins to develop in
unpredictable ways, or in odd variations of known
behaviors.

An example of what goes can happen in these game
recently made various technical news site. The game
Shadowbane was hacked, giving participating players god
like abilities in the game, which they used to teleport
hostile forces into safe areas, the population of a
city to the bottom of a sea, and form hordes of
monsters. In response the game's administrators did a
Rome on Carthage to the offending guild. Its members
were banned, and their city was left to die.

.Hack//SIGN looks to be nearly entirely inside the
game. There are other incarnations of .Hack, including
video which is a non multiplayer game in which you play
a massively multiplayer online player, have different
relationships with the real world.

The characters in the series are players of in the very
successful "The World". Player characters talk changes
to world such as new skill, they have the typical
colorful, appealing, but unpractical costumes with over
sized weapons. There is an etiquette to behavior in
"The World", that is ignored or willfully violated.
The players set themselves up as lone wolves, form
random parties, more complex organization, or in some
cases creator a self appointed governing body which
polices the world.

Strange occurrences have begun to effect "The World".
First, a player who modified his character beyond the
specification of the game such that he has the face of
a cat appeared. Then a character named Tsukasa became
noticed. Tsukasa claimed that he could not log out of
the game. Other players who have encountered him have
little idea who he, or possibly she is really is, but
learned that a player who fought the character is now
in a coma.

Tsukasa is a damaged protagonist in the Evangelion vein
whose problems seem to infecting the game, and a group
of the game prominent players who have encountered him.

.hack sometimes gets lost its own mystery, and
uncertainty. When the character or events are confuse
they become mire and uncompelling. When they are
inert, and the confusion is just seeping in, there
isn't much to attach to.

However, when the characters begin to interact, .hack
locks into focus. One of the more interesting aspect
of the series is to see how the characters operate in
the world. Some build skills or alliances; others
become information brokers, or literally become
offensive. Likewise, the .hack is punctuated by scenes
of faced paced, unpredictable action.
Part of the equation is that the world that there are
very few consequences in the world, something which
Tsukasa represents a change to.

The design and animation of .Hack do a brilliant job
creating a new world with the right degree of game-ish
eye catching qualities that look designed rather than
organic.

There's even a trademark cute beast of burden, in this
case a cow crossed with hippo known as grunties, with
charming walk into a wall stupidity. In one memorable
scene one of these creatures is feed a plant which ages
it, where upon it develops speech, regrets the event,
realizes the futility of its existence, and walks into
the sky.

.hack has a fantastic soundtrack. Yuki Kajiura, the
series' composer, is anime fans should know. Her mix
of electronic style with often melancholy vocals
produces great anime music. Its versatility is
constantly adding to .hack. The original soundtrack CD
makes the special edition release of the first volume
worth hunting down.

Anime Spotlight: JoJo's Bizarre Adventure
Volume 1

Released by Super Techno Arts

"JoJo" refer a line of men descended from Jonathan
Joestar who have feuded with the vampire Dio Brande
since the mid 19th century. The anime adapts the star
of the third JoJo, Japanese street punk Jotaro Kujo,
grandson of pulp age globetrotting adventurer Joseph
Joestar, who in turn was the grandson of Dio first foe,
Victorian gentleman Jonathan Joestar.

With each generation, the JoJo's Bizarre Adventure
manga series modeled itself after a different genre,
but retaining a constant high level of bloody action.
The third part, which was adapted into anime series in
two sets of direct to video OAV series resembles a
super hero comic, with the chronologically first
episodes being an origin story. This gives way to
super hero action, where the heroes and villains use
their powers to in the nastiest ways that they can
device.

Jotaro, a fast thinking and intuitive young man with a
violent sense of justice, and an anti-authority
attitude has been lead to suicidal frustration by the
manifestation of what he interprets as an evil spirit.
He has allowed himself to be locked in prison, and his
mother has sent to Joseph Joestar. After seizing a
guard he, in front of his mother and grandfather, he
fires it at his own head, only to have a translucent
green hand form and catch the bullet. The spirit is a
Stand, a tarot card like manifestation which have begun
to appear to the Joestar descendents in connection to
the revival of Dio, who has affixed his head to the
body of Jonathan. Spurred by a malignant Stand which
ties itself to Holly, Jotaro and Joseph begin to seek
of Dio.

The confrontation between the JoJo's and Dio is chess
game between two intelligent sets of antagonists
looking to brutalize each other, usually taking the
form of the JoJo's moving towards Dio, and then having
to think to neutralize an assault or road block.
However, the concept of Indiana Jones, and his troubled
super hero grandson searching out a vampire, its an
inherently silly concept. The genius of JoJo's Bizarre
Adventure is to make the silly concepts, into ones
exotic, and compelling.

Case in point... JoJo's features an intelligent
orangutan who at one point dons a ship captains uniform
that exudes threat, and malice. It is believable that
the sadistic will of this ape can threatened five men,
who each in their own right, possess terrifying powers.
Even the JoJo naming scheme is ignorable in the face of
what has to one of the most graphically disturbing
exorcism/de-possession on film. (Some anime/manga
series get cute with themed character names. In Magic
Knights Rayearth characters are named for cars, it's
plants in Blue Seed, Dragon Ball and Ranma both has a
number based on affiliation. In JoJo it's western
music acts. In the anime version there's Speedwagon,
the dog Iggy, J Gails pronounced Geils, and his mother
Enya. This doesn't scratch the surface of the manga,
which features the likes of Captain Tennille, Middler,
and Chaka Khan )

OAV series like JoJo's Bizarre Adventure often seem to
have a rapid pace, which is the case here. The series
doesn't fall victim to an ADD bouncing narrative, but
is moves on very quickly once it is finished with a
scene.

The negative aspect of the JoJo's Bizarre Adventure is
the degree to which it is a male show. It isn't just
that JoJo franchise is built on oddly dress mean,
action, extreme gore, and send-ups to male genres, it's
that in this anime that all of the female characters
that appear, aside from one looming threat are victims.
It fits the source, and it isn't a show about well
rounded character, but when Dio's villainy is
established by gruesomely killing random women, and
Holly's sudden affliction is attributed to the fact
that she can't develop the fierceness to control her
Stand, it leaves a bad taste.

JoJo's a well packaged DVD, especially considering it
is Super Techno Arts' first . The audio includes 5.1,
and stereo options, which is nice to have considering
the series sound was done by Skywalker Sound. Bonus
features include optional running storyboards for the
first episode, the beginning of a background feature,
and interview with the production staff.

Manga Spotlight: Chobits Volume 1
By CLAMP

Released by TOKOPOP

Chobits is one the manga team CLAMP's rare forays into
shonen (for male demographics) manga. Set in a world
where computers called persocoms are given human shape,
Hideki a struggling young man who comes to the city to
work while applying to college finds Chi, a discarded
persocom that can't do much of anything, but may be one
of the rumored Chobits, persocoms with free will.

Chobits isn't really sci-fi. Instead it combines
likable, reasonably believable people with an amusing
refitting of technology and techie culture. It offers
up its version of labtop, PDAs, screen-saver mode, an
alternative to printers.

Hideki and Chi are perfect bookends that exemplifies
the series sense of balance. CLAMP avoids making a
girl who can only make cute posses, say "chi" and stack
beer cans annoying, and they avoid making Hideki the
typical pratfall-ing sex-comedy hero. Similarly they
give him enough troubles to root for him, without
establishing a Dickensian piling of woe. He has the
human faults (a bachelor's slobby lifestyle and porn
collection) she has an ethereal innocence. Even
visually, there's a good counterbalance between his
dark hair and her ghostly paleness. There are a number
of good comedic devices, including Chi's attempt to
learn, and Hideki's attempts to take care of her.

Chobits is a justifiable well popular and well liked
series. Its an enjoyable light comedy with innovation,
heart, and characters who feel more human than
cardboard story devices.

Manga Spotlight: Yu-Gi-Oh
Volume 1
By Kazuku Takahashi

Released by Viz

Yu-Gi-Oh is the game/merchandise/anime/manga that
replaced Pokemon in Japan, and eventually the US. The
series is primarily known of the Duel Monsters card
game, which doesn't appear until the next volume, but
is has the same feel of the later card stories.

Yugi is a student who developed a second "King of
Games" personally after completing the reconstruction
of an Egyptian artifact known as the Millennium Puzzle.
Since then he begun challenging bullies, and threats
to The Shadow Games, small but dangerous competition
designed to exploit their characters flaws.

The first volume, which collects first seven chapters
of the series. It's a bit formulaic, but it is
distinct formula different. It creates innovative
situations with a subversive edge. The bullies that
Yugi confronts aren't just traditional student bullies,
but media, teachers, and hypocrites on all arenas. The
dark morality tales make it a modern Grimms'.

While Kazuki Takahashi's intricate game and situation
design should hold the interest of older readers,
Yu-Gi-Oh's fan based tends to be very young. Due to
violence, language, alcohol and tobacco use, Viz
recommends the book for audiences 13 and older. The
warning is pretty justified. Beyond knife wielding
violence prone bullies, the volume features a rather
violent and potential lethal hostage situation, not to
mention a girl getting chloroformed. Audiences younger
than 13 are certainly going to want the book, and at
$7.95 for the 200 page volume, it's a very accessible
manga for younger reader. It's a judgment call on the
purchasers part. There good stories, with girl moral
lessons, but not a lot of padding.

This Week's Releases

Anime

• The Animatrix
  
• Argentosoma - No Tears (Vol. 3)
  
• Beyblade - Hidden Tiger (Vol. 3)
  
• City Hunter - Bay City Wars / Million Dollar Conspiracy
  
• Dragon Ball Gt:Baby - Creation
  
• Dragon Ball Gt:Baby - Proliferation
  
• Dragon Ball King Piccolo Part 2
  
• Eden's Bowy - The Hunt is On (Vol. 1)
  
• Inu-Yasha:Deadly Liasons
  
• Ronin Warriors - OVA Volume 2
  
• Rune Soldier- Adventures for Dummies (Vol. 2)
  
• Spectral Force

Manga

• Bride Of Deimos Gn #4
  
• Red Prowling Devil Gn #4
  
• Oh My Goddess #98 The Phantom Racer (Part 3 Of 4)
  
• Onegai Teacher Gn #2
  
• Raijin Comics #25
  
• Red Prowling Devil Gn #4
  
• Shonen Jump Vol 1 #7 July 2003
  
• Vampire Dahlia Vol 1 Gn
  
• Weapons Of The Gods Gn #6
  
• Wolverine Snikt #2 (Of 6)

Also

• Masamune Shirow's art book Intron Depot Vol 3
  
• Ballistics Tp

Live Action Gigantor In Development

Production is beginning on a live action Japanese
version of Tetsujin 28 aka Gigantor. Filming on the
live action, which will use cgi for the giant robots is
set to begin this July.

New Anime and Manga Licenses

ADV Films

ADV has announced that they have acquired th rights to
Panyo Panyo Di Gi Charat and Aquarian Age - Sign for
Evolution.

Panyo Panyo Di Gi Charat is another manic comedy
starring Gamer's super deformed girl-haired cat girl
mascot.

Aquarian Age is a trading card game adaptation. The
cute girl style game featured cards illustrated by the
likes of Haruhiko Mikimoto (Macross), Narumi
Kakinouchi (Vampire Miyu)Koge-Donbo (Digi Charat),
Keiji Goto (Nadesico), and Kia Asamiya (Silent
Moebius).

Bandai

Bandai has licensed Cyber Formula GPX, Yukikaze, and
the Love Hina Again OAV series
Cyber Formula GPX is a sci-fi racing series.

Yukikaze is Studio Gonzo cgi-heavy series, based a
sci-fi novel, follows a fighter pilot, with an AI
craft, and his squad who initial an counter attack
against an alien invader through a portal in the south
pole.

FUNimation

FUNimation has licensed Kiddy Grade, a popular new
sci-fi series a pair of women working for the Galactic
Organization of Trade and Tariffs (GOTT).

Media Blasters

Media Blasters has acquired the rights to anime series
Figure 17 and Darling

Pioneer

Pioneer has acquired Earth Defender Mao-chan and Last
Exile.

Earth Defender Mao-chan follows three eight year old
girls who are pointed by their grandfathers to defend
eather from cute aliens. The likewise cute Mao, one of
the three girl's grandfather plans to use her to for
his own motivations.

Dark Horse Comics:

The manga version of horror novel/movies The Ring with
story by Hiroshi Takahashi and art by Misao Inagaki
will be released this November. The 304 page
adapatation will retail for $14.95.

Yasuhiro Nightow's sci-fi western Trigun manga will be
released starting in a 360 page volume this November
that will retail for $13.95

Kouta Hirano's action-horror Hellsing will be released
starting with a 208 page volume for $13.95 this
December.

Viz

Viz will be releasing the manga version of Please Save
My Earth, the story of seven people who dream of other
idenities who lived on the moon.

Upcoming Anime Releases

From Anime on
DVD and Right
Stuf

Bandai has announced release dates for three new titles
including the 3 episode Love Hina Again OAV series,
which will apparently be edited together into a single
feature.

Infinite Ryvius vol. 1 Limited Edition - September 2nd

Love Hina Again Movie - September 9th

Infinite Ryvius vol. 1 - September 16th

Witch Hunter Robin Vol. 1 Limited Edition - October 7th

Witch Hunter Robin Vol. 1 - October 21st

Media Blasters

Darling - $29.99 - 08/26/2003

Twelve Kingdoms #2 - 125 minutes - $29.98 - 09/30/2003

Figure 17 - 3 episodes (unsure runtime) - $29.98 -
09/30/2003

Gun Frontier Vol. #3 - 75 minutes - $24.95 - 08/26/2003

Mirage of Blaze Vol. #2 - 75 minutes - $24.95 -
08/26/2003

Samurai Deeper Kyo Vol. #2 - 125 minutes - $29.98 -
08/26/2003

Zenki Vol. #4 - 275 minute - $39.95 - 09/30/2003

8/12/2003

• Inu Yasha DVD 8 (Hyb): Kikyo's Wandering Soul
  
• Inu Yasha DVD 9 (Hyb): Origin of the Sacred Jewel
  
• Project Arms DVD 6 (Hyb): Won't You Join the Dance?
  
• Ranma 1/2: Ranma Forever 8: Someday, Somehow DVD (Hyb)

Missing Ghost in the Shell to be Reprinted

Kodansha will be releasing a Japanese edition of Ghost
in the Shell, which will include the four chapters left
out of the original Ghost in the Shell release. Ghost
in the Shell 1.5 will be released January 23rd, with a
screensaver CD Rom.

Second Berserk Video Game

Yukes is developing a second Berserk video game for the
Playstation 2. The game is reportedly a sequel to the
1999 Dreamcast game, and will take place after the TV
series.
Magic
Box has screenshots href="http://www.the-magicbox.com/game052703g.htm">here

Three New Anime News on Tech TV

Techi TV has announced three new anime series, Soul
Taker, Gatekeepers 21, and Boogiepop Phantom for its
Anime Unleashed block.

The shows will air Monday through Friday from 1am to
1:30 am (ET, PT), with rebroadcasts on Friday from 11
pm to 1 am (ET/PT) and 1:30 am to 3 am (ET/PT).

Dororo Coming to US

IT was announced at the E3 video game export that
Dororo, the game based to Osamu Tezuka's manga will be
availabe for the American Playstation 2.

TV Asahi Picks Top 20 Anime

From href="http://www.animenation.net/news/index.php">Anime
Nation:
TV Asahi has published its list of picks for the top 20
all-time greatest anime. The list includes 2 titles
that most Japanese natives would call "American anime."

And the Winners are...

• 01. Ganba no Boken (1975 TV series)
  
• 02. Panda Kopanda (1972 movie)
  
• 03. Goku no Daiboken (1967 TV series)
  
• 04. Akakichi no Eleven (1970 TV series)
  
• 05. Beauty & the Beast
  
• 06. Nintama Rantaro (1993 TV series)
  
• 07. Meitantei Holmes (1984 TV series)
  
• 08. Akage no Anne (1979 TV series)
  
• 09. Esper Mami (1987 TV series)
  
• 10. Cutey Honey (1973 TV series)
  
• 11. Jarinko Chie (1981 TV series)
  
• 12. Midori no Makibao (1996 TV series)
  
• 13. Tom & Jerry
  
• 14. Mitsubachi Maya (1975 TV series)
  
• 15. Ojaru-maru (1998 TV series)
  
• 16. Tom Sawyer no Boken (1980 TV series)
  
• 17. Totoko Hamutaro: Maboroshi no Princess (2002 movie)
  
• 18. Captain (1983 TV series)
  
• 19. Hana no Ko LunLun (1979 TV series)
  
• 20. Atashi'n chi (2002 TV series)

Tezuka Productions

The English version of Asahi has an interesting href="http://www.asahi.com/english/weekend/K2003053100201.html">here about Takayuki Matsutani president
of, Tezuka Productions, who talks about Tezuka, the
licensing of Astro Boy, and upcoming Japanese and
American Astro Boy movies.

Synch-Point FLCL Release

Images of the box art for Synch Points FLCL box can be
seen at href="http://www.synch-point.com/production/flcl/flcl-info.html">here.

For more information see href="http://www.synch-point.com/press/press052703.html">here

Upcoming TOKYOPOP Releases

From the press release:

.hack/LEGEND OF THE TWILIGHT (Sci-Fi / Action /
Fantasy, Volume 1: September 9, 2003)

This highly anticipated manga is part of a multimedia
phenomenon in Japan where it simultaneously released as
a series of Playstation 2 games, two unique anime shows
and a manga-all of which were extremely successful.
Additionally, the first anime series aired here on
Cartoon Network, and the first two Playstation games
have been released in the U.S. to critical acclaim.
Written by Tatsuya Hamazaki with art by Rei Izumi,
.hack is the exciting story of two 14-year-old twins
who enter and win a contest to portray legendary
avatars in an ultra-advanced online game called "The
World." What starts as a game turns out to be a quest
to save the world!

BABY BIRTH (Sci-Fi / Action / Adventure, Volume 1:
September 16, 2003)

Comics pro Jim Krueger (Foot Soldiers, Earth X,
Universe X) delivers the English-language adaptation of
this riveting manga originally created by artist
Haruhiko Mikimoto (Macross) and writer Sukehiro Tomita.
In Baby Birth's futuristic world, an ancient seal has
been broken, sending a flood of demons into the mortal
realm. The only hope of saving Earth from their horrid
wrath lies in the hands of two individuals-both
descendants of the great savior who banished these
demons in the first place.

FORBIDDEN DANCE (Romance, Volume 1: August 5, 2003)

Sure to challenge the boundaries between men and women,
this manga by Hinako Ashihara (Girls Lesson, Homemade
Home) provides a clever commentary on love and the
lengths that some will go to find it. Its story follows
a young aspiring female dancer who attempts to join an
all-male dance troupe in order to improve her skill and
hopefully snag a guy in the process. So what if she's
missing a Y-chromosome? She's got spunk, skill, and
passion-and, in the end, she hopes that love will
conquer all.

FLCL (Sci-Fi / Comedy, Volume 1: September 16, 2003)

Known to its legions of fans worldwide as Furi Kuri,
FLCL burst upon the Japanese pop culture scene in early
2000. Its hyperkinetic visual flavor and utterly
bizarre storyline expressed themselves in a six-volume
direct-to-DVD anime show, three short text novels, two
popular soundtrack recordings, and an irresistible
two-volume manga series. FLCL-a product of the fertile
imaginations at Gainax (Evangelion, Kare Kano)-is the
story of Naota, a 12-year-old boy from whose forehead
sprouts a giant robot, and Haruko, a fetching alien who
rides a Vespa and wields a mean bass guitar ... who
could ask for anything more?

X-DAY (Action / Adventure, Volume 1: August 12, 2003)

Written in response to the Columbine tragedy, X-Day is
the gripping and controversial two-volume manga from
author Setona Mizushiro (Mr. Mermaid). The story
follows a group of teens whose mounting stress during
senior year finals culminates in a plan to blow up
their high school when nobody else is around.

Japanese News

From href="http://natsumemaya.terminus.net.au/news.htm">Natsume Maya
Hirokane Kenshi shared the grand prix (a prize of
500,000 yen) with Ishii Hisaichi at the 32nd Japan
Cartoonists Association Awards, held on 7 May 2003.
Hirokane was recognised for his manga "Tasogare
Ryuuseigun", serialised in Shogakukan's magazine Big
Comic Original. Ishii won for his manga href="http://www.futabasha.com/nonochan/">Nono-chan, which is serialised in the Asahi Shimbun.

Hirokane is also the author of the series of manga on
businessman Shima Kosaku. The Nono-chan manga was
previously called HouhokekyoTonari no Yamada-kun (My
Neighbours the Yamadas)and is the manga which the
Studio Ghibli movie is based on.

Itochu Fashion
System, the producer of the TV anime href="http://www.tv-tokyo.co.jp/anime/firestorm/">Firestorm, hopes to market the anime for broadcast
overseas by the (northern) summer of 2004. Target
markets are North America and Europe. Work will begin
on an English language version of the anime at this end
of this month.

Anime Sequel News

A manga version of the Onegai (Please) Twins, the
sequel to Onegai Teacher will accompany the TV
series.The manga version will run in Dengeki Daioh
starting on the August issue.

An sequel to Ai Yori Aoshi, named Ai Yori Aoshi Enishi
will air on Japanese TV this fall.

Japanese Anime Adaptations

From href="http://natsumemaya.terminus.net.au/news.htm">Natsume Maya

It's been href="http://www.kodansha.co.jp/zhp/guzzu/jing7kan.htm">announced in Kodansha's monthly manga magazine href="http://www.kodansha.co.jp/zhp/hp.htm">Magazine
Z that the Seventh Prison arc of the manga King of
Bandit Jing by Kumakura Yuichi is to be animated and
will be relased in the winter of 2003. But whereas the
kanji calls the arc "Seventh Prison", the announcement
calls it "7th heaven" in English. Sony's website for
the TV series based on the manga is href="http://www.sonymusic.co.jp/Animation/jing/">here.

Wonderfarm has announced that a manga version of the
upcoming anime series Saint Beast, (a bishounen
spin-off of the bishoujo series Tenshi no Shippo), will
commence serialisation in the July 2003 issue of
Monthly Comic Zero Sum (on sale 28 May 2003). The manga
will be authored by Yaezaki Kaoru. Source

The Kyoto Shimbun reports that the young adult novel
"Nodoshiro no Umi" by Okayama Kazuo is to be made into
an anime movie and released in the (northern) summer of
2004. Set in the 1970s at Shiretoko Peninsula in
Hokkaido, the story is about a youth Yoichi who seeks
revenge after his father, a fisherman and hunter, is
killed by a Steller sea lion

Sankei Sports reports that an eighth Detective Conan
movie is to be made.

A children's title from Bandai, directed by Tetsuro
Amino. Production by Sunrise, based on the work of 326.

Super Techo Arts Talks Jojo's Bizarre Adventures DVD
Release

From the press release
A.P.P.P. and Super Techno Arts would like to announce
that "JoJo's Bizarre Adventure" DVD volume 1 release
date, originally slotted for March 11, 2003, will be
coming out on June 10, 2003.

With our first traverse into handling DVD production
and distribution,
we have gone through some unforeseen delays in
production. We deeply apologize for this delay, and for
any inconvenience that this may have caused. However,
we are happy to announce that we are continuing to
move forward, and production is now in its final
phase. With the time and energy poured into this
product, we are excited by the high quality of the
DVD, and look forward to sharing this excitement with
you on June 10, 2003. Production on further DVD volumes
2-6 are in progress, and we are doing our best to
ensure a timely release on these volumes.

Superflat Art Sell Auctioned

Art work by the anime-inspired superflat artist Takashi
Murakami recent sold at Christies Auctions. The "Miss
Ko2" statue sold for $567,500.

Larocca Leaves Marvel's Namor

For those following the artist changes on Marvel's
comic Namor, Salvador Larocca, who replaced manga
artist Mizuki Sakakibara before the series started,
will be leaving the title to illustrate Uncanny X-Men.
The title, seemed to have been initially regarded the
flagship for the new manga inspired line Tsunami

Anime on Game Boy Advance

4Kids (Pokemon, Yu-Gi-Oh, ect) has announced GBA-TV,
which will allow animated episodes to be watched from
an Game Boy Advance catrige. The technology enables
the Game Boy Advance to function as a personal video
player with the Game Boy controls allowing the viewer
to Pause, Resume, Stop, Rewind and Chapter Search each
of the television episodes on the GBA-TV cartridge.
4Kids intends to roll out GBA-TV cartridges at retail
in the 4th quarter 2003. Each GBA-TV cartridge is
expected to retail for under $20 and feature two
television episodes from popular animated kids programs
such as Pokemon(, Kirby: Right Back At Ya and Yu-Gi-Oh.

Dragon Ball Sales Restricted in Finland

The Comics Journal
Journalista points out an href="http://www.helsinki-hs.net/news.asp?id=20030521IE3">aricle which reports Finnish retailer restricts
Dragon Ball sales under government pressure(Censorship)
Finland retailer Rautakirja has decided to stop selling
copies of the Dragon Ball manga to children under the
age of twelve, under pressure from a minister of the
Finnish Parliament. The minister, Susanna Rahkonen,
claimed that the comic book was paedophilic in nature.
Helsinki's Helsingin Sanomat explains:

"The controversial first issue of Dragon Ball has
almost been sold out. On one of its pages, a young girl
shows an older man her underwear. The man says he
wishes he had a camera with him.

"Later the girl realises that she was not wearing any
underwear, because the main character in the comic, a
young boy, had removed them while she was asleep.

"On Tuesday the women's network of the Finnish
Parliament sent a written question to the Ministry of
Justice concerning the Dragon Ball comic. The women MPs
asked what action the Ministry of Justice plans to take
to protect children against a comic that portrays
paedophilia as normal, as well as from other
objectionable material."

Rahkonen, who serves as chairwoman of both the women's
network and the nation's Consumers' Association, has
also threatened to organize a boycott of all products
by the comic's Finnish publisher, Kolibri, if the
company does not "withdraw the publication
voluntarily".

Upcoming Soundtracks From Pioneer

Two Of Japan's Premiere Talents, Yuki Kajiura And Yoko
Ishida, Highlight Slate Of Anime Soundtracks Debuting
This Summer

Edgy Sounds From Hellsing, Patlabor, Chobits, Lain,
Haibane-Renmei, Heat Guy J And Mahoromatic, Also
Arrive On CD

At the forefront of introducing Japanese animation to
North American audiences, Pioneer will release nine
soundtracks, seven from hugely popular anime television
series and films. Titles arriving on July 1, 2003
include Hellsing, Patlabor, Chobits and Lain, plus
compilations from two of Japan's rising pop artist.
Soundtracks for Haibane-Renmei, Heat Guy J and
Mahoromatic debut on August 5. The company plans to
release nearly three-dozen titles in several waves
through the remainder of the year.

Popular Japanese artist Yuki Kajiura highlights
Pioneer's slate of soundtracks debuting July 1, with
the CD release of Fiction. For the first time,
English-speaking artists will sing all 11 tracks,
composed by Kajiura. Kajiura, who created the music to
the smash hit anime series "Noir" and ".hack//SIGN," is
currently recording Fiction in
New York and the album will be released in the United
States prior to its release date in Japan, representing
a first in anime music.

Pioneer also will release music from another widely
known Japanese artist, the singing diva Yoko Ishida.
All the rage among anime fans for her incredible
performances in her mega-popular dance-craze Para-Para
CD series, Ishida's Sweets features 11-all new tracks,
including songs from the hit anime series "Ai Yori
Aoshi," "Tiny Fairy Sugar" and "Pretear." A bonus
English track, the theme from Sugar (Sugar Baby Love")
will only be available on this U.S. Release.

Each anime soundtrack contains new and unique
packaging, English translations of lyrics, and phonetic
translations of lyrics for karaoke.

In addition, the following soundtracks also make their
domestic debut:

Chobits Original Soundtrack 001 - Following the highly
awaited Chobits anime series, comes the equally popular
and heavily anticipated Chobits Original Soundtrack
001. From the superstar artist group CLAMP (CardCaptor
Sakura, Rayearth, X), Chobits Original Soundtrack 001
features 12 tracks, including the memorable, bouncy
opening song, "Let Me Be With You" by Nino Tanaka.

Hellsing - Raid, Vol. 1 - From composer Kenji Kawai,
widely recognized for his music in live-action films
such as Ringu, Hellsing - Raid embodies the gritty,
gothic atmosphere of the hit anime series and delivers
19 tracks of the coolest, high-gear frenzy garage band
sounds and edgy instrumental cuts ever heard on an
anime CD.

Lain - As seen on TechTV, "Serial Experiments Lain"
is one of the most popular, stylishly intriguing and
thought-provoking anime series ever seen. Delve deeper
into the sounds of Lain's Wired world with the release
of the domestic Lain CD soundtrack. Featuring
eclectic, haunting instrumentals with an underscoring
of techno, this soundtrack features music by artist
Nakaido "Chabo" Reichi.

Patlabor WXII - From renowned composer Kawai, comes his
latest, haunting instrumental work, Patlabor WXIII the
Movie Soundtrack. Moody, evocative, frantic and
fantastic, this special soundtrack contains 16 of
Kawai's masterful instrumental renderings that enriched
the atmosphere of the critically acclaimed Patlabor
WXIII the Movie.

Haibane-Renmei - The thoughtful, ethereal melodies from
the fan-popular Haibane-Renmei anime series features 19
tracks, including the outstanding English language
songs "Wondering" and "Love Will Light the Way." The
latest anime release from the creators of Serial
Experiments Lain, the soundtrack comes packaged with a
booklet featuring English & phonetic song lyrics and an
interview with composer Yuki Otani and a vocalist
profile.

Heat Guy J Original Soundtrack - With 20 tracks of
instrumental and vocals, is an eclectic mix of cool
jazz, rave and other alternative music genres, the Heat
Guy J Original Soundtrack makes a memorable impression.
Packaged with a booklet featuring English & phonetic
song lyrics, the CD also includes a translated
interview with the "Tryforce" band members!

Mahoromatic - Automatic Maiden Original Soundtrack -
From the hit anime series Mahoromatic, this soundtrack
features 27 tracks, as well as five bonus tracks,
including both the vocal and karaoke versions of the
opening song,
"On the Way Home" and the catchy closing song "Mahoro
de mambo" translated into English. The latest anime
release from Gainax, Mahoromatic - Automatic Maiden
Original Soundtrack features comments from music
composer Toshiro Masuda.