Father Geek here, now that Harry and his newly acquired robo-leg are finally entrenched a mile NW of The Geek Headquarters Compound here in central Texas at his (not soooo crowded) Fortress of Solitude I will more than likely be free to return to column posting duties on a regular basis. Meaning that weekly reports such as this one will fall back into a routine of sorts appearing roughly every 7 days or so. Scott put together a huge one for you this week, soooo grab some snacks and liquid refreshment, get comfortable, annnnd prepare to surf the worlds of Manga & Anime...

In honor of the return of the anime column, or by coincidence, I have 50 Google GMail invites to give away. These seem to be dirt common now, but I was very excited to receive mine. First come, first serve, send requests to request@skuldo.com

AnimAICN...

by Scott Green

Anime Spotlight: Mind Game

Japanese R2 DVD release available through many Asian DVD importers A few years ago Triplets of Bellville grabbed plenty of attention by artistically capturing the freedom and possibilities of animation, rarely seen outside the classics such as Warner Brothers'. The Oscar winner nominee wasn't just applying the audience connotations of the medium, or using the medium to shift the effect style in an over familiar genre as too often happens in animated movies. Studio 4°C's Mind Game is the stunner that animation fans, particularly 2d animation fans have been awaiting for since Triplets. It's a reminder of the joy and impact of animation.

From what looks like what a creative animator might produce from a session of sensory depravation comes a feature that's medium expanding and thought inspiring. Rather than Triplets' beautifully clever Rube Goldberg, Mind Game is something more flexible, and more likely to involve the audience. It's a great life in a bottle work that is turn exhilaratingly absurd and familiar.

In design, it is more work to make something simple than it complex. In story telling, the work comes in making something natural. Mind Game must have been excruciatingly planned in ever detail to have produced something so very freeform in the flows with its own logic.

Studio 4°C has been making surgical attacks on what to expect from anime, in Mind Game they demonstrate new effectiveness in the mix of 2d and 3d animation, both experimenting with and stunningly mastering style and technique with attractive and effective results.

As technology has changed animation, and film making in general, possibility has begun to conflict with creativity. There is something about the working within the limitations that added more humanity to older pictures. In Mind Game, the animators use the cutting edge in a manner that is not just stylistically impressive, always surprising, and always with an attention to a human presence

Based on Robin Nishi's self inspired (not exact autobiographical) manga about what spirals about of an accidental meeting between an artist (Nishi) and the now-engaged girl he cared for growing up, but never had the guts to commit to. The movie takes a turn for the surreal when Nishi is killed by a gunshot from rectum to skull in a mob collection call at the girl's family's eatery. After a meeting with a Duck Amuck style form shifting God, Nishi tears out the chance to re-play the situation, only to find himself, his former girlfriend and her sister running from the mob. Never falling into a clear, predictable pattern, a bump in the chase sends the movie into a strange turn that maintains the avent guard spirit of the feature. Despite throwing off structure, there is enough of the characters' lives the give the movie weight beyond it visual effects.

Manga Spotlight: IWGP: Ikebukuro West Gate Park Story by Ira Ishida Art by Sena Aritou

Released by Digital Manga Publications

Beyond middlegound shoujo and shonen, there are plenty of manga genres and sub-genres that could use more representative exposure. Despite what looks like teen-school romance dress, IWGP: Ikebukuro West Gate Park is more of a late-teen Tarantino-ish mixed of violence and irreverence, and a surprisingly dark and brutal older audience manga with the wouldn't be that out of place with the unrestrained works of Hiroya Oku (Gantz) or Hideo Yamamoto(Ichi the Killer). It was originally serialized in Shonen Champion, an anthology that has had run some classic works, such as Tezuka's Black Jack, but not one that universally carries mature content. Still, with people having their eye-lids slowly removed, or, to borrow from Digital Manga's description, teen prostitutes being getting hooked on drugs after being sodomized with speed (not to mention genital-less nudity), the series certainly goes at it like they mean it.

The titular Ikebukuro West Gate Park is a nexus for late teens-early twenties. Among the gangs, and young women going on paid dates, Makoto is a bit of a social avenger, and sometimes more. He's on good terms menagerie of park regulars from the G Boys gang to some cops, but his stomping grounds also servers as a magnet for more unpredictable, dangerous elements. When the park's populations if increased by a serial rapist/straggler begins attacking prostitutes and a pierced tank with a reputation for killer Dobermans single handed returns from juvenile detention, Matoko finds himself personally involved with the area's dangers.

IWGP is excellent urban pot-boiler, that compares very favorably to manga series with similar intentions, such as Tokyo Tribes. It is quick to establish a palpable emotional intensity. Smiles and light heartedness are balanced with the intention, and execution, to kill or maim if necessary. There's a sense that the character aren't just exchanging dummy hits which everyone can easily walk away from. The first volume ends with two characters facing off against each other, one wielding a knife, the other a sledgehammer. While being glib, the illustration conveys that these two aren't going into the encounter lightly, that the possibility of substantial physical harm is real.

IWGP isn't quite a guilty pleasure and the characters don't seem cardboard during the stories, but it doesn't great a critical eye too kindly. After the fact there is a lingering echo that the series isn't exactly exploding any mental health or society stock caricatures. The style is novel factor rather than the characters or circumstances.

Anime Spotlight: Full Metal Alchemist Volume 1: The Curse

Released by FUNimation

Two marks for Full Metal Alchemist make are a serious contender for the Next Big Thing. It's sure to capture the imagination of plenty of anime fans. Expect the ranks of cosplayers at the anime conventions of the next few years to boast a large rank of Full Metal Alchemist uniforms.

First, it is a great action serial that knows how to keep a story interesting and inventive, what to keep known, what to keep mysterious, and how to populate of world with multiple of contingents of armies and networks of agents for the heroes to work within and against. It has the uniforms, conspiracies, depth of mythology and characters who are appealing in appealing in look, personality and ability to seize and hold attention. The look and feel of Full Metal Alchemist's world are immediately engaging visually and mentally. Layer on plenty of interesting characters, and you get a sure winner.

Second, and maybe in what give it its real distinction is that it is shonen with conviction. It's neither the typical shonen "I'll be the best" or fantasy quest story. Regardless of how well these text book series construct their characters and situations, they're still tournament fights against opponents of escalating ability. Consequently, even well regarded series like Ruruoni Kenshin, One Piece or Naruto may remain engaging, thanks to how the characters are maintained, they become predictable because of the dictates of the formula, an lose the ability to cause suspension of disbelief due to need to continually up the ante. It takes the energy, action characters of shonen without the simple victory through moral value, determination, and believing in your friends, and joins it a more complex, and not always sympathetic view of life.

In Full Metal Alchemist, alchemy is a science that follows the law of equivalent exchange. Matter can be transmuted into a new form with proper know how. A broken radio can become a fixed radio, a mound of sand can become a wall or a weapon. When the goal is more sophisticated, the equation becomes more complex, and for the alchemist, uncertain. For the characters of Full Metal Alchemist, the law is always waiting with its jaws open, ready to bite them, not only in alchemy, but life in general. More than the typical shonen unarguable themes of friendship, the value of life, dedication or the like, Full Metal Alchemist is a harsher, morally complex lesson in the cost of getting what you want.

Full Metal Alchemist accomplishes the frequently attempted, and often failed effort to attach decisions to consequence, not even forgiving of its protagonists. Uniformly, at some time the heroes of the Full Metal Alchemist do what to a detachment observer could clearly be labeled the wrong thing. Aspects of the quest include why people get involved in harmful movements, what is sacrificed for advancement, as well as the limitations and frustrations of the search for a goal.

The series establishes its own steam in progression without resorting to conventional methods, eschewing the typical stepping stones such as skipping the opportunity to increase the characters' powers. Down to an economy with characters, where little is thrown away, and with an absence of "it's a small world" coincidences story telling is impressive.

At ages 10 and 9 Ed and Al Elric lost an arm and a leg, and a body respectively attempting to resurrect their deceased mother. In the wake of the accident, Ed is able to bind Al's body to a hulking suit of armor, and thanks to a close, mechanic neighbor outfit himself with prosthetic automail limbs.

Determined to restore their bodies, Ed and Al burn their house and enter the world to find an alchemy solution. Setting aside his reservations about becoming a "dog of the military", Ed enlists in the army of State Alchemists, earning the code-name Full Metal Alchemist, and a reputation that outstrips his youth

note: there are a number of "Full Metal" anime and manga series around. In this case it is a translation of "hagane", a word more often, and less title-impactfully translated as "steel".

The volumes first volumes of the series features long one-off story, early origin and a short one-off. Generally the series' stories are tied to a more direct progression than these early blocks. The first story starts building on the number of agendas Ed and Al work within, and the inertia set against any changes they may try to make. Ed and Al hit a small country run by a corrupt priest who sways its people with alchemy, and the object of Ed and Al's search, the philosopher's stone.

Resource Spotlight: Japanese The Manga Way: An Illustrated Guide to Grammar and Structure by Wayne P. Lammers

Released by Stone Bridge Press

Knowing Japanese is certainly invaluable for an anime and manga fans, but knowing a little beyond the emphasized words tend anime fans pick up on still pays dividends. It doesn't take much knowledge to pick up different nuances than a translator may choose to emphasize, and add more of your own interpretation to anime viewing.

Though, barring linguistic savants, you're not going to pick up Japanese from Japanese The Manga Way alone, meant to be used in conjunction with a program, the book is an excellent tool for learning, and more importantly remembering key rules of grammar in Japanese.

The book uses recognizable manga, including Crayon Shinchan and What's Michael among other works, to demonstrate key exchanges of language use. Accompanied by the text of the manga panels line by line in kanji (Japanese character) romanji (English letter phonetic spelling), word by word translation, and meaning, the manga serves as excellent mnemonic by establishing context, conversation flow and use. An ancillary benefit is that these examples of manga that are good in their own merits, and liven up the flow of exposition.

For manga readers of translated manga, the book will also help a reader to pick up on the meanings of often user, and increasingly seldom translated, sound effect illustrations.

Japanese The Manga Way isn't just a how to book with a good gimmick. Wayne P. Lammers has formally taught in addition to translating Japanese, but his didactic text is free of linguistic study baggage. From its preface on text and pronunciation through the steps of grammar and use, Lammers builds the rules and use of the language in a clear, easily followed manner.

Regardless of whether you plan on making a serious attempt to learn the Japanese Language, Japanese the Manga Way is sure to the an asset for any anime viewer.

Manga Spotlight: Phoenix: Resurrection By Osamu Tezuka

Released by Viz

Osamu Tezuka's Phoenix cycle has been building an examination of humanity through a series of reincarnation linked stories, alternating between moving forward and backward through human history. The future segments have reach a point where the science is more concrete and at issue than its alien or cataclysmic predecessors, look at the point where humans begins reinventing the natural order of like through robotics and prosthetics.

Resurrection looks like part of the pre/early space flight mind expansion zeitgeist of Kirby's comics or Kubrick's 2001 and reads like a Hitchcock chase/mystery with Philip K Dick sci-fi perception paranoia and Tezuka humanism.

It begins with that's almost Tezuka's equivalent of a man with a gun walking through the door, a young man in an auto accident. Is this case, Leona makes a certain to be fatal fall from his flying car, only to be brought back in an experimental replacement body. Psychologically Leona remains the same, but he undergoes a metamorphosis in perception. He wakes to see living humans as artificial constructs. First as piled cairns, then as chipped flint, eventually into rough statues and into more immediately recognizable forms.

Tezuka followers will note that while he has maintained his cartoonish still, and still wields with as an emotionally devastating weapons, his gags have faded out. Strange visual jokes are rarer and never inappropriate. He no longer breaks tense moments with inserted humor or background spots.

The convolutions of the story, for the most part, aren't quite as gripping as another entries in the Phoenix cycle. The since of a life's progression is more focused on a late teen/early adult point, it losses the melancholy of a full life's decision. But to see Tezuka's interpretation of this brand of chase/discovery story is spectacular. The Tezuka-meets Kirby-space look of Leon's resurrection and vision, and the natural desolation of the mountains that Leon journey are moment mental evidence to the span, impact and possibilities of comic illustration.

Anime Spotlight: Gundam SEED Volumes 4-7

Released by Bandai

In the Gundam tradition SEED sets up a teen genius as the pilot of pivotal robot in a war between Earth, and its orbital colonies. SEED's addition is a racial divide between the Earth born Natural and the genetically modified coordinators.

Gundam SEED is Gundam at is most addictive. Especially after watching a large block, the greatest disappointment is seeing that the next release is over a month away. The animation, sci-fi and characters are all good, but it's the pacing and the forward momentum that drives the series. While politics are present, SEED is less conflicted about balancing an entertaining series with a political message than the Yoshiyuki Tomino original. A viewer couldn't ask for more in a pop sci-fi war serial. It's exciting, engaging and attention riveting, but everything is service to plot, and to an aesthetic. The series' architects has learned the appeal of big action, bright visuals, and flamboyant characters, and crowded some of the franchise's not always successful social intentions.

Over previous Gundams, SEED has a more viewer friendly logic, fitting the ideas into what works best for a animated series. The flow and objects of the war, along with the Gundam-tech aren't the esoteric knowledge that requiring additional source material that other franchise entries have used as a crutch. With its characters, the hero is allowed to be conflicted about his role, and even weepy without dragging down the series. Together these make the series easy to follow, with few encumbrances.

Comparisons can be made to the original Gundam, which SEED in some ways updates. The hero's look more like teens than children, and many of the support cast are given more attractive presences. It's Gundam having learned the appeal of Wing. The best example is SEED's replacement for the original's Ramba Ral, the sympathetic genius general of the opposing army (Gundam's answer to Rommel). In place of an old, large veteran, SEED's Andrew Waltfeld is a more Harrison Ford-ish rogue, with a common law wife/companion whose similarly fashionably updated.

Unlike many longer anime series, there very little lag in SEED's pacing. Apart from occasional re-cap episodes or summary blocks, there is no waiting for something exciting to happen. While threads develop, there the progression doesn't forced delays waiting for payoffs. Characters don't suffer from inaction, and the breath of material provides between of areas to swap attention. The cast is large enough, and there are enough facets to the story that it an always be hitting something of significance and it consistently delivers on the promise of high emotions and big battles giant invasions, fleet battles and dog fights on, interweaved with secret family histories, Shakespearian vendettas, and chilling confrontations.

The series isn't changing direction quickly or consistently revealing many new points, and doesn't move with distracting rapidity, but because the episodes carry right into the end theme, moves cliff hanger to cliff hanger, there's rushing sense of forward momentum that ensures no scenario stagnates.

Not just fast and moving, the direction is well managed, highlighting the positive, minimize the faults. The impression isn't that the new hero-giant robot is far too complex and colorful, shooting 6 beams in five color, or that the mystery girl is a fairly textbook runaway princess, but that the robot makes an incredible and entrance and that the princess is rather competent and likeable.

What does leave a negative impression is that the hand of a scripter is too visible. Despite believable character motivations, the staging feels like the work of plot dictates rather than natural evolutions of the character's actions or reactions. The most obvious example is the hero's first combat robot, that had power limitations which forced it too loose power at plot opportune times (an end of the episode, when the hero shouldn't be pursuing his enemies, or when he needs to be overpowers). Equally, it's too clear at specific points, the decision was made to bounce the conflict to the next level, and escalate the brutality. Often a character reaction or death comes across more as charted points to move along the path than part of a natural continuum. Deaths in particular are problematic, and especially in how telegraphed they are. Moments are often shockingly brutal, but, between the opening animation, and the leads up, its has been obvious when someone will die

If SEED is aspiring to be something more than a very engaging serial, it isn't accomplishing the goal. Social relevance is present, it is looking at genocidal racial hatred, but in service to the plot. Maybe for the original Gundam in its original context it was subversive to have the heroes working for under morally bankrupt leaders, but for SEED its too familiar. The heroes are never weighed down by agendas of those above them. They resent their role in the war, but aren't really weighed down by who they've become. There are deeper character conflicts, and characters who actually level some emotional momentum, but consequent to the pacing character arcs fade in and out as needed.

The hero, Kira Yamato is bland enough to cast little shadow over the series, but not bland enough for it to be a problem. His motivations to protect his friends, then end the war are generally unimpeachable. The proper course of his actions is always unambiguous.

The series does represent some thought out political and moral discord. The antagonist government hierarchy displays at least some political complexity weighing options, other characters have more interesting arcs.

The most impressive cast of a solid cast member for Gundam series is Flay Allster, the senator's daughter whose loses during the war turned her into a schemer, and sexual manipulator before being manipulated into role of genocidal poster girl.

Kira's childhood friend/antagonist enemy ace Athrun Zala is probably the series most compelling (sharing the Char slot with this series masked, skill pilot with his own agenda) . Fallible and more conflicted, but given to independent though, and works hardest to obtain his abilities and answer Athrun's action do invite thought from the viewer.

Anime Spotlight Get Backers Volumes 2-4

Released by ADV Films

What Get Backers does well isn't what it's premise, on paper, suggests it should do well. The story of a pair of homeless, penniless teenagers who use their unusual abilities to start their own business retrieving items that have been lost or stolen doesn't have the social foundation that might be expected. Poverty is more a running gag that the characters can't pay their diner bill. Instead, the series does an exceptional job of updating the idea of a teen superhero: distinct look rather than costumes, extended length, stories that aren't stretched or sprawling, characters with problems, but not ones that bog them down, attitude and a spirit of independence that both fits and rebels against modern culture. It does right that many main stream, American super hero comics and their adaptations do wrong.

The Get Backers retrieval service is run by Ban Midou, a cold thinker with darting hair and Natural Born Killer glasses who fights with Snake Bite martial arts, and illusion invoking Jagen Eye, and Ginji Amano, a more cheerful and open hearted blonde, who once held together the gangs of the Limitless Fortress slums with the help of the ability to generate substantial electricity through his body. (Get Backers is firmly an action anime, but one that flirts with shoujo audience appeal, including a romantic heart, and what to anime/manga fans is the familiar yaoi game: suggesting homosexual romance between Ban and Ginji, without ever going anywhere). After the first volume, the series build out a support cast the Get Backer's chesty negotiator, a girl from Ban's past with her own exceptions abilities, members of Ginji's former gang who are now operating on their own and reoccurring third parties. The result is the creation of plenty of material to work with an underground economy of retrieval services, transportation services, elimination services and the like.

Leading up to a grand guignol, everybody's in, return to Ban' Limitless Fortress are a number of linked small arcs. Get Backers is rarely great, but consistently good. It has the formula and characters to remain consistently entertaining. Not memorable, but fondly remembered. With the format, the characters and situations are good enough. The big stories aren't new Kenshin Kyoto story arcs, but the small ones don't feel like extended filler material. The key is that is it moves quickly, and doesn't over labor points. The character are as baggage laden as you'd expect for a long action series, but they state their case, exchanges blows and move to the next scheme quick enough to remain engaging.

The series features plenty of unattractive qualities: moralizing speeches, over obvious twists, Scooby-Doo reveals, and card board villains character and plenty of weaknesses, especially in the actions, where can't carry a good blow-by-blow fight, many of the visuals aren't as spectacular as their role indicate they should be, but it moves along at a chip not to linger on the negatives.

If there is one thing that the pacing, and characters don't make up for, it's stringing along the user in character potential. The series goes to "I haven't shown you my best" well far too often. Rather than force the characters and creators to be more imaginative, the catch is always to withhold something, and state that it is being withheld.

Through good design, or good luck, the stories are well spread between volumes, unlike some release (ie Full Metal Panic), stories with are generally 2 to 4 episodic aren't being cut off at bad breaking points.

ShoPro to be Naruto's Master Licensor... Show to Air on Cartoon Network

TV TOKYO Corporation And Shueisha Inc. have appointed ShoPro Entertainment, which recently announced it's upcoming merger with VIZ, LLC to represent TV, home bideo and merchandising Rights In North America and Latin America for much anticipated ninja hit, Naruto.

ShoPro Entertainment, the San Francisco based affiliate of ShoPro Japan, plans to introduce a dynamic roll-out strategy that will leverage the strong manga and entertainment brand into a broad licensing and marketing program. Naruto's television broadcast partner and key licensing partners will be determined shortly.

The manga version of Naruto has been running in Viz's Shonen Jump anthology.

"We are ecstatic about Naruto! It is a great privilege to be bringing such an outstanding property to the Americas," said John Easum, Senior Vice President of ShoPro Entertainment. "Naruto became an explosive hit in Japan after it was first launched in Shueisha's Weekly Shonen Jump magazine in 1999 and it continues to be an enormous success. Naruto has also established a very large American fan base through the US manga series published by VIZ. We anticipate a huge success."

The story of Naruto takes place in another world where ninjas are the ultimate power. In the village of Konohagakure live some of the stealthiest and most respected ninjas in the land. But 12 years prior, Konohagakure faced a fearsome threat - a nine-tailed fox demon, which terrorized the village and caused massive destruction before it was finally defeated. The Hokage, the village leader and most powerful ninja, was able to subdue the fox by sealing its soul inside the body of an orphaned baby boy. Now that boy, Uzumaki Naruto, has grown up to become a ninja-in-training, learning the art of ninjutsu with his classmates Sakura and Sasuke. The trio of student ninjas study under the instruction of their teacher, Kakashi. With Kakashi, the group faces a series of dangerous and daunting tests and challenges. Through their adventures, the young ninjas learn the importance of friendship, teamwork, loyalty, hard work, creativity, ingenuity, and right vs. wrong.

The key characters are Naruto, Sasuke and Sakura. Naruto, shunned by the village because he bears the taint of the fox demon imprisoned within him, is a rascally orphan who has grown into an attention-seeking troublemaker. Although his preoccupation with playful pranks leaves him struggling to graduate from Ninja Academy, he's determined to become the next Hokage. Sasuke, the top student in Naruto's class, comes from the prestigious Uchiha clan. Sasuke is driven by a secret desire to win revenge against a mysterious person who wronged him in the past. And the smart and studious Sakura is the brightest of Naruto's classmates, but she is constantly distracted by her crush on Sasuke. She hopes to some day win Sasuke's heart…if Naruto doesn't get in the way.

Despite ShoPro's relationship with Viz, the announcement is not a definitive pronouncement of who will be distributing the highly anticipated anime series in North America, but, it is an indication that the answer is actively being resolved.

However, according to Anime News Network Cartoon Network announced at their Upfront press conference today that Naruto and One Piece will be airing on the network this year. One Piece starts in May, with Naruto following in the third quarter.

Innocence Subtitle Problem Addressed

Dreamworks has announced a replacement program for the DVD release of Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence, which used a text for the hearing impaired rather than the intended subtitle track. The program can be seen here

Anime on TV

Cartoon Network has announced their 2005 aquisitions, which includes anime titles IGPX (The Immortal Grand Prix), Dragonball GT, Duel Masters, D.I.C.E (DNA Integrated Cybernetic Enterprises), Zatch Bell, One Piece, Naruto, and Bobobo-bo Bo-Bobo, as well as non-anime titles of note Teen Titans (17 new episodes), Justice League Unlimited (23 new episodes), Totally Spies(26 new episodes), Hi Hi Puffy AmiYumi, Star Wars: Clone Wars, Krypto the Superdog amd Code LYOKO.

atch Bell: The new series takes viewers to the world of good and evil demons as Zatch Bell seeks to become the benevolent king over all of the demons that have come to Earth to conduct the ultimate battle. Reluctant as he may be to fight against the evil demons, Zatch battles his adversaries with the help of his human friend, Kory. The power of the duo grows stronger as their relationship develops. Cartoon Network has acquired 52 episodes of Zatch Bell, which will debut in March.

One Piece: A boy, whose body has the properties of rubber, and his friends are on the search for the treasure left behind by a pirate king called "One Piece." Whoever finds this treasure will become King of the Pirates. One Piece will begin in May.

Naruto: Twelve years ago, a nasty demon decimated a village but was contained in a baby who is now a student at a ninja academy. But this antisocial boy does not know that he is possessed. As he evolves as a ninja, his inner demon gives him more and more powers. To become a master ninja, he must learn to control his powers without destroying those around him. The series is scheduled to air in third quarter.

Bobobo-bo Bo-Bobo: In this silly action series, BoBoBo can talk to and understand hair. With the help of his blond hair, he is out to save the land from the Hair Patrol posse and their leader, Baldy Bald, who is forcing everyone to be bald. The action series is scheduled to air in fourth quarter.

IGPX: IGPX (The Immortal Grand Prix) is set to debut in November and takes viewers inside the world of the "Immortal Grand Prix" with a team on their way to the championship race. For the new series, Cartoon Network partnered with Production I.G., the famed Japanese animation studio responsible for Ghost in the Shell and animation sequences in Kill Bill. The year is 2048 and the "IGPX" has become the world's most-popular sport. It's so big that an entire city was built for the racing industry and competitions are held on a huge, 60-mile track called "The Big Eye." Two teams of three robots, each with a human pilot, race at speeds greater than 350 mph for the checkered flag. Team Satomi, a crew of amateur pilots, has just won a minor-league championship and now find themselves vaulted into the sport's highest level- the IG-1. Now, the untested rookies of Team Satomi must overcome impossible odds and beat the world's most skilled pilots (and ruthless opponents) in the planet's biggest event, the "Immortal Grand Prix."

D.I.C.E: D.I.C.E (DNA Integrated Cybernetic Enterprises) is a large organization established to deal with emergencies occurring throughout the Sarbylion galaxy. D.I.C.E F-99 is the only unit comprised entirely of highly trained kids. When a problem arises in the Sarbylion galaxy, D.I.C.E is called to the rescue. And when their special training isn't enough, they rely on their Dinobreakers to help get the job done. Twenty-six episodes will air in 2005.

Dragonball GT: Goku, Trunks and Pan set out on their quest to recover the bizarre Black Star dragon balls, which were scattered across the entire galaxy after Goku was transformed into his boyhood state. If Goku cannot succeed in collecting the dragon balls, the planet on which the wish was made will explode. Goku has only one year to save the Earth. The quest continues with 16 new episodes in 2005.

Duel Masters: The animé series about Shobu, a master of an engrossing playing card game who can bring the cards' creatures to life, will return in March with 26 new episodes.

G4's Anime Unleashed block has begun running Gainax's parody anime Magical Shopping Arcade Abenobashi.

According to Anime News Network G4' upcoming lineup includes:

February 23rd will see the premiere of Magical Shopping Arcade Abenoshi.

New episodes of Gad Guard will premiere on March 7th.

New episodes of R.O.D -The TV- will premiere on April 4th.

New episodes of Gungrave will premiere on May 2nd.

The first 12 episodes of Gad Guard, R.O.D -The TV- and Gungrave will each air during the week prior to the premieres of the new episodes.

Anime News Network the first episode of Mew Mew Power, The Main Mew's Muse, will air on 4Kids TV this saturday at 8am.

4Kids' adaptation of Tokyo Mew Mew is current scheduled to air Saturdays on Fox starting in the fall.

Cartoon Network has moved Rave Master to weekdays, Monday through Thursday at 10:30PM. New episodes air on Saturday nights at 6:30 PM

Canada's Teletoon will air AniMAtrix March 14th and 18th. YTB will be airing .hack//SIGN and Inuyasha: Affections Touching Across Time .

Viz's New Shojo Anthology

Viz has announced a new shojo anthology, to complement Shonen Jump, and replace Animerica Extra. The monthly Shojo Beat will start with the July 2005 issue, in stores in June with the cover price of $5.99.VIZ will offer a special six-month introductory annual subscription special of $29.95 to coincide with the debut. There will be a special preview issue available at specialty retailers beginning in May and also distributed at summer anime, manga and comic conventions.

The first six serials will be: