AnimAICN: Miyazaki; Eroika; Mekakushi no Kuni; BigO II; Samurai Executioner; IntronDepot4; BarefootGen; ChronoCrusade -- Ain't It Cool News: The best in movie, TV, DVD, and comic book news.

Anime Spotlight: Grrl Power

Released by ADV Films

Always the attention grabber, Akitaro Daichi (Kodomo no Omacha, Fruits Basket) has constructed a unique work with some interesting conceptual foundations in his energetic short about three young girl problem solvers for hire. Content wise, the series is designed to appeal to a younger audience (it is rated 12+, but apart from some flirting, there is little objectionable material), but due to Akitaro Daichi 's involvement, its unusual history, and the packaged bonus material, the release is at least in part targets at older anime fans. Ultimately, the quality of material and presentation is bound to win over both audiences, but not to a degree that memorable classic or brilliant disposable fun of other Daichi works.

Apart from a few great names, Neon Genesis Evangelion for example, there aren't many great English names for anime work, but "Grrl Power" loses points for lack of creativity and mild inappropriateness (the original Makasete Iruka is an almost clever pun, which loses some humor when culturally transposed, but still would fit the work's content better). Put the term "Grrl Power" into Google, and within the top 5 results are links to this anime, porn and feminism, at least some indication that it has been pounded into catch phrase uselessness.

The adventure of a trio of pastel urchins is an engaging, highly animated little all ages tale, but almost more appealing for its baggage than its contents, starting with the direct to video OAV's production credentials.

Umi, Sora and Ao are three complimentary "sisters" (Umi is charming and feminine, Sora's energetic and active, Ao, who is deaf and talks through sign language, is analytical and cerebral) who live a self sufficient life (solar energy, vegetable garden and all) on Shonan Beach, making money through any task in order to one day purchase their own island. They're children in the rare, adult position, through will, ability and circumstance, of controlling their own lives and destinies. And as children they have the pure idealism and consciousness (social and ecological) that many adult lose or mitigate by the time they've achieved similar positions of self-sufficiency and determinacy.

The episode, based on an entry in the original Makasete Iruka manga series, puts the trio in the uncomfortable of defending an institution that is antithetical to their own lives... school. Hired to convince a spoiled boy to return to school the three sisters take him on a partner to show him their world, and the opportunity he has been given in is life.

Ingrained with Akitaro Daichi's trademark exuberance, Grrl Power is a colorful, fast paced experience. Reflecting its comic strip origins, the characters' cute and caricaturized appearance make them immediately endearing, and the ship in a bottle, self contained feel of the Shonan Beach community gives it a familiar air.

The use of sign language fits Daichi's style well, and works with the series' design to make to give it its unique presentation.

Among the work's rare qualities is that it was independently product under and that it was simultaneously in Japan and the US. The results of Daichi's decision to go it alone are evident. The work rings with uncompromised purity, a quality not without its drawbacks.

Round of the packaging and history, like the other Daichi short work to be release domestically (Animation Runner Kuromi), it Grrl Power is a single anime episode length story (25 minutes) augmented by plenty of extra material, in this case a lengthy interview with Daichi, the Japanese and English voices actresses and its premiere, providing a wide breath of offerings for various fan preferences.

Daichi has done other commentaries and interviews, and it stands out that he's provides an interesting perspective, but he's always a little disappointing. Though it is naÃ¯ve to expect an artist to resemble their work, as the most prolific of anime's can't miss directors (though Satoshi Kon is catching up with his output the last couple years), one would think that Daichi would have some of the spontaneity and dynamic energy of his style. Interviews and commentaries by Daichi frequently paint him as far more literal and measured, occasionally explaining fascinating ideas or inspiration, but more often keeping discussion at a high level, and concrete

Almost by design Grrl Power is abrasive to older audiences. While idealistic rather than politically correct it touches a point of preachiness in its undiluted presentation of the right way to live. Though far from a blanket pandering to youth, Daichi does go out his way to stick a thumb in the eye of accepted social institution, with a special contempt for the old and entrenched trying to symbolically recapture their youth. Simplicity also works against its adult appeal. The characters don't actual deal with anything in the episode. They've molded themselves into an ideal model, exert pressure and wait for the world to accept its shape

Independent anime series are rare, but based on the ones that have been released domestically, but despite a lack of polish, they have been consistently rewarding. Grrl Power probably isn't Daichi's best work, but with its full hearted expression of an idea, it possesses merits that are impossible not to appreciate.

Manga Spotlight: Geo Breeders Book One by Akihiro Ito

Released by CPM Manga

The concept of a "stunt" is a bit foreign for comics. Beyond the given that there are no actually people at risk, the reader is too trained to expect effortless flight or swinging between buildings to readily deal with smaller excesses in human ability unless they are well rendered. More importantly, few illustrators are able to build the visual momentum for a leap between cars, or a near fall off a build to carry weight.

For all its weaknesses in character and concept, GeoBreeders' ability to translate big budget summer blockbuster action onto a comic page makes it an undeniably fun read. There a contagious buzz from seeing its characters dangle from buildings or scrape through collapsing amusement parks. The manga series that isn't going to win any awards for intelligence or inventiveness, but makes up for these deficits with a staggering gun fire and explosion to page ratio.

Layering manga quirks (ie a girl who fights on roller blades using butterfly knives) on cinematic minded spectacles from car chases and office building room to room gun fights, Akihiro Ito brings a story board quality to his illustrations that easily relates the proceedings to its live action brethren. A good car chase makes alot of tired senerios forgivable.

Geobreeder's plot is skeletal, head together by the over-use worn ligaments of conspiracy (which has to plot plumber's puddy for the past decade). A shlumpy techie goes to work for a security firm without realizing he had signed himself up for field work. Along side a collection of exotic girls he fall head long into the world of fighting electric cat spirits (called Phantom Cats in English, but Japanese mythology fans may note that they Bake-Neko, seen in various anime, including My Neighbor Totoro's Catbus).

The action is consistantly high quality, but there is a propensity in the series for uncomfortable bumps into real world associations. Forgoing terrorism, there are enough incidents between work place violence, road ways disasters and amusement park accidents to hit some raw nerves.

The action surivives unfatally marred, but Geobreeders was first released as individual issues a number of years ago and to an annoying rather than detrimental degree the quality of the manga's reproduction is substandard compared to what is commonly seen today. The tone is frequently far from crisp, and artifacts often appear in the copy.

Manga Spotlight: Chrono Crusade by Daisuke Moriyama

Released by ADV Manga

Chrono Crusade is a gimmick adventure story, but a persistently fun gimmick adventure story, utilizing history and profession in the manner of Indiana Jones or Ruruoni Kenshin to construct brisk entertainment with a novel concept.

Drenched in anime/manga only oddity, it follows the exploits of a cute, gun wielding nun fighting evil in the Catholic mythos supernaturally augmented New York of 1924 (originally 1928). Though the series doesn't emphatically concern itself with working within the restrictions of date or religion, using them more for of a look than an active factor, enough of the flavor permeates to leave Chrono Crusade a distinctive experience. With good reason, it is a series many are antipicating

Chrono Crusade's nun with a gun heroine is Rosette of the Magdalene Order, a bit hammy bearer of the cute, competent, and a bit too destructive tradition going back to the Dirty Pai or Slayers' Lina Inverse. With her assistant Chrono (part Sherpa for her arsenal of church modified vintage and not-so-vintage firearms, part ace in the hole) Rosette serves as the Order's field agent exorcist, but also keep a feisty eye open for her own opportunities. Much of the series' humor springs from the fact that Rosette hasn't necessarily freed herself from the sway of the seven deadly sins, displaying just about all at one point or another. That, and an excess of impressiveness, ie pocketing some experimental demon-housing shell, taking them to the firing range and causing mass-damage by shooting them off.

A quick introductory story deals with a demon accidentally sent in a payment of colonial plundered gold artifacts transferred from England to the US as part of its World War I war depts. The brief chapter quick runs through the strengths of the series: moral ambiguity, sense of humor, a touch of destructiveness, and unflagging action.

The second, longer story, looks suspiciously like elements of overarching plot set in gear as it explores the nature of Rosette's assistant Chrono, while dealing with a girl tied to the Prophecy of Fatima.

Overly literal history and religious buffs aren't going to be thrilled with Chrono Crusade, but it doesn't have its fun integrating the designs of aspects. The mouser pistol and Tommy gun, along with other interesting the pieces that the more fire armed attuned could probably recognize make appearances, as do the Model T Ford, the Zeppelin and other historical artifacts. On the religious end, Rosette is one of more modest attire than most anime/manga heroines (though she quickly ends up in an evening gown for the second story).

Anime Spotlight: Big O II Volumes 2-4

Released by Bandai Entertainment

Big O II isn't the first, but an early peak at the output of coproductions, anime titles produced with funding from American companies, in this case by Cartoon Network.

A spectrum in quality is already asserting itself, but Big O II evidences the statement that some of what will be seen is an opportunity to excise the interesting ideas that have been kicking around, but shelved for lacking a direct root to profit (merchandising, licensing, ect) . The results looks like a group of bright genre fans had a ball playing Jackson Pollock favorite elements of design, familiar constructs and innovation, and produced something baroque, new and captivating.

Roger Smith is The Negotiator of Paradigm city. Part Bruce Wayne and Batman, part James Bond, part Philip Marlowe, he's a hired problem solver, with the help of his butler confidant, his robot ward and maybe something more R Dorothy (fiction's greatest vehicle for deadpan delivery) and when needed his black art deco behemoth Big O, he juggles the often intersecting tasks of a freelance case load, and protecting the city.

In the film noir tradition, everything revolves around a commodity and its control. In the domed, corporate controlled city of Paradigm, the commodity is memories. 40 years ago The Event robbed the city's inhabitants of their memories, leaving behind rare monuments of lost technologies, such as Roger Smith's megadeus Big O.

The operating mechanism of Big O II uses the cliff hanger ending of the first 13 episode series as a catalyst to confront the mysteries of Roger Smith, his city, his giant robot, R. Dorothy, his female fatale working ally/adversary Angel, and in brief every presented element in the work. The second 13 episode outing quickly begins playing Prisoner style mind games with its viewers and characters. Ultimately, every answer and conjecture leads to more questions, leaving this set as open ended as the previous, but the experience of watching the unfolding is more satisfying than frustrating. Rather than a story arc its a Russian doll, where each layers can be enjoyed as for its own intricacies.

One of the Big O II' unique features is its tendency towards meta fiction, starting with the first episode's medium scrambled re-introduction. Part of this thread is the series' habit of wearing its influences of its sleeve, from a book entitles Metropolis to a cameo by Lois Lane and Jimmy Olsen, but also more direct assaults on its medium. The oddest example of being an exercise in recursive parody in which Roger Smith's half-smart, for a lack of a better term arch-enemy Beck allies himself with a group of racistly caricaturized Japanese businessmen to take Roger Smith and Big O out the picture then build his own combining giant robot.

Without more insight into the mind of the creators it is a bit hard to pin point the precise target (anime style American production? co-productions?), making it difficult to discern whether it is meant to be cutting or irreverent, but still, even if it isn't strictly edifying, it is entertaining. As a whole the exercise doesn't always doesn't mesh seamlessly with inner story mythos, but more importantly, it is clever without coming across as self indulgent.

As anime's answer to Tim and Dini DC super hero cartoons, as anime's answer to Hammett and Chandler, and as anime's standard bearer for urban giant robot on giant robot and giant robot on giant beastie combat, Big O bows to no one. Still its the room for completion and conjecture that sets Big O apart, and validates the next open ended increment in a strange progression.

This Week's Releases

Anime

Gad Guard - Lightning (Vol. 1)
Kaleido Star - All Things Great & Small (Vol. 2)
Kino's Journey - Not Without Reservation (Vol. 4)
Saiyuki - Following the Scriptures (Vol. 11)
Superior Defender Gundam Force Vol. #05
Superior Defender Gundam Force Vol. #06
Wolf's Rain - Leader of the Pack (Vol. 1)
Yu Yu Hakusho - Old Rivals, New Problems (Uncut)
Yu Yu Hakusho:Dark Tourment Saga V 1

Manga

Animerica Extra July 2004 Vol 7 #7
Bastard Vol 4 Tp 2Nd Ed (Mr)
Chronicles Of The Cursed Sword Vol 7 Gn (Of 12)
Crescent Moon Vol 2 Gn (Of 6)
Culdcept Vol 1 Gn (Of 3)
Cyborg 009 Vol 6 Gn (Of 8)
Dragon Hunter Vol 7 Gn (Of 12)
Eerie Queerie Vol 3 Gn (Of 4)
Escaflowne Vol 7 Gn (Of 8)
Eternity Vol 1 Gn (Of 5)
Fantasy Land Manga Vol 1 Tp
Full Metal Panic Manga Vol 5 Tp
Fushigi Yugi Vol 3 Tp 2Nd Ed Disciple
Girl Got Game Vol 4 Gn (Of 10)
Inu Yasha Vol 18 Tp
Iron Wok Jan Gn #9
Louie The Rune Soldier Manga Vol 2 Tp
Lupin Iii Vol 14 Gn (Of 14)
Model Vol 2 Gn (Of 7) (Res)
Peach Girl Change Of Heart Vol 9 Tp (Of 10)
Pita Ten Vol 4 Gn (Of 8)
Priest Vol 12 Gn (Of 15)
Project Arms Vol 5 Tp
Psychic Academy Vol 3 Gn (Of 10)
R2 Manga Vol 1 Tp
Red River Vol 1 Gn
Rising Stars Of Manga Vol 3 Gn (Of 4)
Saint Legend Gn #9
Sky Blade Sword Of The Heavens Manga Vol 1 Tp
Snow Drop Vol 4 Gn (Of 12)
Steel Angel Kurumi Manga Vol 5 Tp
Storm Riders Part 2 Invading Sun Vol 4 Tp
Sweet & Sensitive Manga Vol 1 Tp
Those Who Hunt Elves Manga Vol 4 Tp
Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicle Manga #3
Vagabond Vol 12 Tp $
Vampire Game Vol 7 Gn (Of 12)
Video Girl Ai Vol 1 Tp 2Nd Ed
Video Girl Ai Vol 2 Tp 2Nd Ed
Video Girl Ai Vol 8 Tp
Weapon Of The Gods Gn #9
Wild Act Vol 7 Gn (Of 10)
Your & My Secret Manga Vol 1 Tp

September/October Dark Horse Comics Manga Releases

July 14

Intron Depot 4: Bullets Tpb Written and art by Masamune Shirow.

The next volume in Masamune Shirow's best-selling art book series is orbiting cyberspace and preparing to touch down onto bookstore shelves in late summer. This volume concentrates primarily on Shirow's character, robot, and vehicle designs for interactive games. Shirow is world famous for being equally skilled and creative in the realms of computer-generated graphics and traditional drawing and painting. It is logical then that his unique and imaginative studies are among the most interesting being done in the high-tech game field. With commentary in both English and Japanese, this new collection provides a fascinating insight into the creative process of one of Japan's premiere talents. 128 pages, $49.95

Sept. 1
Oh My Goddess! #112 Sora Unchained," part 8 of 8
Sept. 8
Blade Of The Immortal #93 "Last Blood," part 4 of 5
Sept. 29
Super Manga Blast! #45
Oct. 13
Berserk Volume 5 Tpb Written and art by Kentaro Miura.
He is Guts, the Black Swordsman, a warrior of legendary prowess--relentless, fearless, merciless. As cold and brutal as the iron of the massive sword he wields. Bent on revenge against the unholy forces that have branded him for sacrifice, but especially on Griffith, one of the demon lords of the Godhand. But Griffith was once a man, the leader of the Hawks, a renowned cadre of elite fighters with a young Guts as its fiercest champion. Though forged in a crucible of cruelty and violence, nothing could prepare Guts for a confrontation with Nosferatu Zodd, a superhuman beast who slaughters Guts' comrades as easily as a scythe cuts wheat. Even Guts and Griffith are no match for the abomination's power ... but something Griffith wears around his neck may well be. 240 pages, black and white, $13.95
Samurai Executioner Volume 2 Tpb Kazuo Koike and Goseki Kojima
It's the same classic style you came to expect from Koike and Kojima. The same tale of an honorable samurai and a similar great sword in the hand of a similarly fantastic swordsman, but make no mistake, Samurai Executioner is very different from its brother, Lone Wolf & Cub, sometimes frighteningly so. In a prison world, there are few good stories, and this is the world of Kubikiri Asa, the beheader and master samurai under the Shogun. It's a world full of vengeance, greed, and violence. A world of depravity and sin. One man can set things straight if he can keep his wits. This is a story of extreme proportions, of sword study thick in tradition and with grim purpose, of blood rivers, agonizing screams, bondage, torture, and the evil prevalent in human failure. Drafted by the confirmed masters of the international medium of manga, Samurai Executioner is a shocking combination of darkness and fire, fine lines, and a fine man in the face of human decline. 304 pages, black and white, $9.95 .
Oct. 27
Hellboy: Weird Tales Volume Two
Tpb featuring a short story by Kia Asamyia
Trigun Anime Manga Volume 1
A comic take from screen captures of the Trigun anime. 160 pages, $14.95
Dark Horse will also be releasing a hard cover of The Art Of Usagi Yojimbo: 20Th Anniversary Edition on October 27th, a 200 page volume retailing for $39.95, which features a 12-page primer illustrating how Stan creates each of his Usagi stories, 48 full-color pages of Sakai's painted artwork and more and pinups by Frank Miller, Sergio AragonÃ©s, Jeff Smith and Matt Wagner among others.
Merchandise News
Diamond Comics will be distributing Kaiyodo's third series of 3" Akira capsule figures this Setember. Figures.com has images of the line, which includes Kei (Catalyst), Takashi (No. 26), Kaneda on Bike (new), Tetsuo on Bike, and Tetsuo 'Attack', and Yamagata here.
A Diamond exclusive PVC statue of Galhound from Ghost in the Shell creator Masaume Shirow's art book Intron Depot can be seen at Figures.com here. The 8" figure will be released in December and retail for $24.99.
Raving Toy Maniac has images of Kaiyodo's strange Neon Genesis Evangelion Rei Ayanami & Asuka Langley Wonder Showcase 2 Figure Set, due to be released in September here
ADV Essential Anime Re-Releases
Anime on DVD reports ADV has announced plants to re-release Nadesico as 3 2-disc sets for $19.98 each starting in September. The digtal overlays for translating on screen tv will be removed.
Burn Up W will also be re-released for the Essential Anime line on August 31st, and Slayers The Movie in early fall.
Planned Geneon Premiers
9/21 Requiem from the Darkness (fan translated as One Hundred Stories)
10/12 Tsukihime, Lunar Legend
10/19 eX-Driver The Movie
10/26 Paranoia Agent
11/2 Burn-Up Scramble

ADV Announces Anime Tribute Compilation
ADV Music has announced the July 13th release of Anime X-PLODE, a mixed genred compilation of anime tribute music. Excerpeted from the press release:
The Anime X-Plode! compilation CD was the brainchild of Rod Boaz and Mike Eckart, co-founders of Elastic Media Corporation ? an anime dubbing and music production company based in Los Angeles. During the process of working with a variety of voice actors and musicians, Boaz and Eckert noticed that many artists had an interest in anime that reached farther than simply ADR production. The firm first initiated the concept by asking members of the eclectic band Jambalaya to write a song based on the Gunparade March series, which Elastic Media was in the process of dubbing into English. The idea to make a compilation CD featuring American music inspired by the best in Japanese animation was born.
Artist Title Inspiration Genre 1. Atom & Eve Who Do You Choose To Be Anime X-Plode! Theme Techno
2. Jenessy Breathing Under Water Beyblade Pop
3. Starchild High Life Stratos 4 Dance
4. Jambalaya Gunparade March Gunparade March Hip Hop
5. Kaleo Oceanic Blue Submarine No. 6 Hip Hop
6. Snapt Dying Day Jin Roh Metal
7. Rick Robles Happy Day Cowboy Bebop Rock
8. Elisa Fiorillo Change Demon Lord Dante R&B
9. 8th Day Fall Pass the Bones Vampire Hunter D Alternative Rock
10. Shawn Alexis Down Akira Folk Rock
For additional information, please visit www.animex-plode.com.
Get Backers Premiere
ADV has announced that the first volumes of the Get Backer anime, entitled "G & B on the Case" will be released on August 24th.
Everyone knows the feeling of coming home and finding their home broken into. Your possessions thrown around, dresser drawers are ransacked and everything you own has the unmistakable feel of a stranger's fingers on them. Then you realize some of your belongings are missing. Don't despair, call Ban and Ginji, the Get Backers. They'll dodge bullets, go up against evil foes and risk their lives to get back your stuff. They're one phone call away, and they're ready to take your case!
Other August 24th ADV releases include:
Knights Of The Zodiac: The Master Of Sanctuary (volume 6 of 10)
Megazone 23: Part 3 (of 3)
Wedding Peach: Angel Bell (volume 5 of 10)

Japanese Sites
From Natsume Maya
Gainax has launched a new site for their upcoming Gunbuster 2 here (in addition to the site at /www.top2.jp, and update the site for the original Gunbuster.
WOWOW's website for the TV anime series Monkey Punch Manga Katsudou Dai Shashin is now open. In addition, TMS Entertainment has a page up for the variety anime.
Production IG's upcoming fuedel TV anime
Otogizoushi is planned to be 26 episodes. Broadcast will commence in the early hours of 7 July 2004.
A manga version of Otogizoushi will commence serialisation in the August 2004 issue of Comic Blade magazine. Author will be Seto Narumi.
Chrono Crusade Dub Cast List
Anime on DVD has posted the cast for the ADV's English dub of Chrono Crusade here.
Viz Plans
From Anime News Network's report from the Anime Next anime convention, Viz will be releasing the Inu-Yasha's, Rumiko Takashi's story of a modern girl's time traveling relationship with a feudel half dog demon, first movie mand a box set of the first season in September. The forth box set of Rumiko Takahashi's epic lengthed soap opera drama Maison Ikkuku is in production.
Talks are currently underway regarding possible theatrical release of certain Viz properties.
English One Piece Opening
Anime Nation points out that Galaxy Anime is currently screening 4Kids' English opening to popular pirate anime One Piece.
Media Blasters Giant Robo Command, and Berserk Manga Comment
From Anime News Network's report from the Anime Next anime convention, Media Blasters confirmed that the first DVD collection of Giant Robo, the retro grand guignol tribute to the works of Gigant creator Mitsuteru Yokoyama, will be released in October. A "superbox" for the series 3 DVDs, and the parody spinoff Gin Rei OVA will be made available.
It was also commented that the Berserk manga is currently on hiatus, but it is expected that creator Kentarou Miura will restart working on it sometime in mid 2005 to early 2006.
Star Blazers Online
From Anime News Network's report from the Anime Next anime convention, Voyager Entertainment announced that the Star Blazers TV (the English adaptation of Leiji Matsumoto's space opera Battleship Yamao) series and its fives movies will be available online through MovieLink.
ImaginAsian TV Announcements
From Anime News Network's report from the Anime Next anime convention, the Asian programming cable network ImaginAsian TV will debut August 15th on basic cable. Anime will be shown weekday mornings and early afternoons, primetime (one night per week), and Saturday mornings, generally in Japanese audio with English subtitles. Initial titlles include Figure 17, Twelve Kingdoms, Kurogane Communication, and Armored Trooper Votoms.
DC Comics Talks News Manga Line
From their press release, first posted on Grotestsque Anatomy
Forthcoming titles include THE INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLERs Kamikaze Kaitou Jeanne AND TENJO TENGE, AS WELL AS TITLES by Tajima Sho-u (who created the character designs for the anime sequences in the FILM Kill Bill: VOLUME 1) and FUJII MIHONA's GALS! (THE BASIS for the popular anime series SuperGals!)
Paul Levitz, President and Publisher of DC Comics (a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company) announced today that DC Comics will launch CMX, a new imprint of manga graphic novels, with the publication of three titles in October, 2004. The first three to be released are the initial volumes of MADARA (art by Tajima Sho-u and written by Otsuka Eiji from Kadokawa), Mekakushi no Kuni (illustrated and written by Tsukuba Sakura from Hakusensha), and EROIKA YORI AI WO KOMETE (illustrated and written by Aoike Yasuko from Akita Shoten.)
"There's tremendous enthusiasm for manga in the States," said Levitz. "New readers, particularly girls and women, have rushed to embrace new talent from abroad, which we're excited to bring to American audiences as part of DC Comics' commitment to publishing diverse and exciting works from around the world."
Each of the CMX titles are Japanese manga, which are being released for the first time in the United States, and will be published in the traditional manga format-sized at 5 X 7 3/8", with black and white interiors. Subsequent volumes of each series will be released on a quarterly schedule.
Upcoming titles include Fujii Mihona's Gals ((GALS has been adapted as the popular anime series SuperGals!) from Shueisha), TENJO TENGE (by Oh! Great from Shueisha), 9 Banme no Musashi (by Takahashi Miyuki from Akita Shoten), Swan (by Ariyoshi Kyoko from Akita Shoten), MONSTER COLLECTION (by Sei Ito from Kadokawa Shoten), Kamikaze Kaitou Jeanne by Tanemura Arina (from Shueisha), and AKUMA DE SORO (by Takanashi Mitsuba from Shueisha).
"We believe that manga readership is going to continue its rapid growth and also evolve in the US," said John Nee, Vice President of Business Development at DC Comics. "CMX is committed to publishing all genre of manga including horror, fantasy, science fiction and adventure titles and the line will be as diverse, and as author friendly, as that of DC Comics, Vertigo, and WildStorm."
Nee also announced today that DC Comics has hired Jake Tarbox as the Group Editor of the CMX imprint. Tarbox has spent the last 14 year living in Tokyo, Japan where he worked at Coamix, Inc. as the International Affairs Manager and Vice-Editor-Chief of Raijin Comics, administered the creation of the American subsidiary company Gutsoon! Entertainment, and edited the manga magazine, RAIJIN COMICS. Tarbox will handle the editorial responsibilities for the CMX imprint including overseeing the translation and printing of manga titles into English.
ABOUT THE LEAD TITLES AND TALENT:
MADARA Volume 1 (originally serialized in MARUKATSU FAMICOM magazine) represents the first work done together by the creators of the hit series MPD Psycho, artist Tajima Sho-u (who created the character designs for the anime sequences in the movie "Kill Bill") and writer Otsuka Eiji. When his village is attacked by demons, Madara, a blacksmith's apprentice, discovers that he possesses fantastic powers.
Artist Tajima Sho-u debuted as a manga artist in 1987 with the publication of Madara. He has worked on illustration and character design for computer games (including Galerians) and animation. He has illustrated MPD Psycho, Brothers Baby Baby, Madara Colors, and his current hit series Gorilla Kick.
In addition to his work with manga, writer Otsuka Eiji is a critic, essayist, and author of several successful non-fiction books on Japanese popular and "otaku" sub-cultures. In the 80s, Otsuka was editor-in-chief of MANGA BURIKKO, a leading women's manga magazine where he pioneered research on the "otaku" sub-culture in modern Japan.
Mekakushi no Kuni Volume 1 was originally serialized in LaLa DX magazine from 1998 to 2004. In this nine volume series, creator Tsukuba Sakura tells the story of Otsuka Kanade, a high school girl who can see visions of the future. Should she act to change their fate, or sit back and wait for events to unfold?
A rising young author in the shojo manga world, Tsukuba Sakura decided to become a manga artist in high school. As she was about to graduate college, she furiously distributed her work to publishers. Her first published work was A Bright Spring Day, in LaLa magazine. She has also written and drawn Invisible World: a Dog's Story (published in LaLa magazine) and Past Day Present (published in LaLa magazine).
Eroika yori Ai wo Komete Volume 1 was originally serialized in PRINCESS magazine from 1977 to the present. Eroika yori Ai wo Komete follows the adventures of a British aristocrat and international art thief who taunts his nemesis, Major Klaus Heinz von dem Eberbach, by leaving notes behind at the scene of his crimes, signed "From Eroica with Love."
Aoike Yasuko's first manga, Sayonara Nanette, was published in RIBBON magazine when she was fifteen years old. Afterwards, she garnered attention by publishing several hit stories in rapid succession, including Shojo Blend, When Roses Cry, Oh Carol, "I love you, Tetsu-sensei," and "Hey, Young Guy." In 1976 her sci-fi comedy Sons of Eve in PRINCESS magazine, represented a switch from pure shojo stories to a new kind of storytelling.
Debuting in 1977, Eroika yori Ai wo Komete became a huge best seller, and its sequel series is still being serialized today. The series is built on a great deal of research about European art history, and has helped to popularize many European painters in Japan as well as Japanese tours of European art museums.
Aoike Yasuko has continued a long and productive career in the pages of PRINCESS, a highly popular girl's manga anthology magazine. But her work is so popular that she is at present concurrently publishing stories in several magazines. She is the creator of Miriam Blue's Lake, Sons of Eve, Seven Seas, Seven Skies, The Castle, Ivy Navy, Trafalgar, Z, Der Freischutz, Alcasar, The Tale of a Priest and a Doctor, The Day of Saladin, Richard, the Lion-Hearted, Brother Falco, The Temptation of Scarlet, The Carthaginian Fantasy, The Melancholy of Her Majesty, The Knight of Drachen, and Plus Ultra.

Foist... by Frietag	Jun 25th, 2004 04:43:01 PM
Blade Of The Immortal #93 "Last Blood," part 4 of 5 by Andy_Christ	Jun 25th, 2004 05:19:08 PM