Father Geek here once again with our regular weekly report on the whole wide world of Anime & Manga. So sit back, take a long sip of your favorite thirst quencher and prepare to explore the far corners of...
AnimAICN...
by Scott Green
Anime Preview Full Metal Panic? Fumoffu
Based on English Dub of episodes 1-3
To be released by ADV Films May 10th
The original Full Metal Panic! alternated between episodes of military strategy with detailed mech and commando combat with episodes of humorous high-school relationship drama, handling both genres well, but keeping them largely distinct. It's re-envisioned follow up, Full Metal Panic? Fumoffu, animated by Inu-Yasha's Kyoto Animation rather than Gonzo, is straight comedy with the Metal Gear action and giant combat robots stripped out. The anime odd couple pairing of Sagara, a straight, military from birth, Tom Clancy elite boy, and Chidori, an outgoing but generally normal girl has the legs to carry a short series on its own. Kyoto Animation doesn’t have the cache of the pioneering Gonzo, but they do put together a bright, energetic work.
Full Metal Panic? Fumoffu is anime material that works brilliantly in a short, 13 episodes or less series. There isn't that much dramatic running room, the joke old would get old in longer series, and there doesn't appear to be much of an over arching plot.
The humor is more hit than miss. The crux of the series is how far you can take commando in a high school environment. It turns out, pretty far. This despite the facts that there's something uncomforting about guns and explosions in a high school environment, and the franchise has continued its history of running afoul of current events (the original Full Metal Panic! was delayed after 9/11 because of a plane high-jacking, and a episode of proposed 12 episode run for Fumoffu? was cut because it's kidnapping plot was too reminiscent of Japanese crimes).
Fortunately Sagara's gun heavy action more often comes across as humorous discongruity than reminders of real world tragedies. The series starts with the Sagara detonating his foot locker after noticing a disturbance, which turned out to be a love letter a girl slipped in. The episode ends with Chidori slipping a boxed lunch with a note saying "try to take care of yourself, and eat something, signed, a terrorist".
It goes heavy with the sitcom material of a quiet, attack the problem soldier confronting the foreign protocols of high school life; assaulting the stimuli that are mystifying to him, but familiar to the viewer and most of the cast, with near lethal force. It gets plenty of mileage out of the bring SWAT gear to a fight joke, with the physical humor of Sagara dead-pan popping people with non-lethal projectiles The jokes work best when they keep a connection to mundane life. They still work as long as Sagara continues to misread the situation, such as maniacal gym teacher who has it out for Sagara, who Sagara in turn regards with affection in the mistaken belief that the teacher is acting in the role of a drill instructor.
When the situations meet Sagara on his terms, as they do in the volume's third episode, where he fights a delusional ultra-rich kid and his highly trained body guards, the humor flails and brings attention to the silliness of the teen super-operative concept.
On the flip side of the loud are cute moments between Sagara and Chidori, who the series and characters don't pretend not have some feeling towards each other.Drama isn't a large part of the Fumoffu, but the chemistry does work as fuel for the jokes.
Anime Spotlight: Gantz Volume 2 and 3
Released by ADV Films
Gantz has received some flak relying on pushing sex and violence buttons (and for it's 2 episode per volume release). And it is pushing the buttons of base interests hard. The narrative addressed the fact. But in terms of raw, unsympathetic teensploitation, Gantz holds the title. The material certainly isn't for everyone, but Gantz does handle shock turn-on with intelligence that plays off emotions of the characters and the details of the violence to fully invoke the appropriate anger, frustration and exhilaration of the situations. So many themes, ideas, and angles are currently being put out, the series seems to be going to sensory/emotional buzz rather than an intellectual statement.
The series follows brave, idealistic kid that turned into a sullen, misanthropic teen. He's living alone, supported by parents who are elsewhere, and not so much angry as generally frustrated. After he bumps into a childhood friend who has grown into a compassionate and physically powerful teen, who peer pressures the protagonist into helping a homeless man off the subway tracks, an act for which the two are crushed by an oncoming train while cell phone cameras capture their decapitations.
Plucked from death by a mysterious black sphere, along with a random selection of similarly almost dead, the hero and his companion are cross section line-by-line reassembled, equipped with a skin tight black suites that gives them super strength (generally activated when the protagonist is aroused), and strange weapons and told to hunt down and kill "green onion aliens" in a survival/horror video-game like operation.
The hunt doesn't go particularly well for its participents. After killing a small, ugly, child like alien, most of the group is killed in a host of rather graphic ways by a large, green, clawed man, who incomprehensiblely tries to growl out his heartbreak and rage over the death of the smaller alien. Only the hero, his companion, a female peer, and a snarky middle school know it all who played "the game" before survive.
Free to go, after being berated in "leet" by text that appears on the black sphere, the survivors are given an opportunity to return to their lives. By day, the protagonist is dealing with the brutalities of school life (such as a particularly sadistic bully who enjoys collecting teeth). By night, he's sacking up with a fellow from the dead teen, and waiting for be called in for his next assignment
Though the narrative bounces to examine other lives, the tone matches the perspective of its lead. It's horny, misanthropic, salacious, and self aware that it's appealing to prurient interests, which it delivers with sexy bodies, and graphic deaths in a panoply of forms. Putting together the original manga creator's flair for busty cheesecake with Gonzo's digital skill in adding volume to the gory dimensions both the sex and violence are delivered.
Along with it’s presentation quality, it is engaging because it keeps the characters and their reactions believable under the circumstances. It builds an investment in the situations so that the viewer gets caught up in the moment. The characters my not be sympathetic, but you hang on the their decision, such as the leads' new roommate who finds out that the suicide attempt that she made failed, and turns to the lead for a place to stay building to an uncomfortable situation, the tension in how far he will press it, and where she will stop it
There been some controversy concerning ADV's decision to release Gantz with two episodes per volume. It is a bit more expensive per episode than many series, but maybe it's the perspective of collecting series Evangelion at $30 for two episode on VHS over the course of three years or that flow of the series isn't effected adversely by the segmentation that makes the release seem like a minor sin. The announce seems on par front loaded (though thankfully skippable) promo enlist fans in their video on demand turf war or a trailer for the HD Edition that maybe delayed indefinitely, more maybe a shelfed extra on the upcoming Thinpak collection that fans developed some "misperceptions" about.
Anime Spotlight: Aquarian Age: The Movie
Released by Synch-Point
Aquarian Age: The Movie shouldn't be as enjoyable as it was. Going against it, it’s not just the tortured motivation and story, but that it's the introduction to a new phase in a franchise of card game based media (Aquarian age has been adapted into a number of anime, and including spin-off Juevinile Orion, manga series). But the animators at Madhouse have a history of putting together top quality destruction-fests, going back to Demon City Shinjuku, Doomed Megalopolis and Wicked City, and they deliver with Aquarian Age. The movie offers the kind of imagination you want from an anime super powered beat-em-up, even if it doesn't inspire much thought; nothing to ponder afterwards, but clever enough with its magic swords, undead legions and flying castles, spiked with moments of gore in the tradition of the Madhouse horror/action movie, to engage attention every step along the way .
The concept of Aquarian age involves four factions of super powered individuals, E.G.O., people born with psychic abilities who claim to be a new race, Arayashiki, Eastern magic users, WIZ-DOM, western magic users, and Darklore, vampire, werewolves, fairies and other mystical creatures. They form a coalition to take on an invading power, and in the movie's prologue they banish the invaders known as Erasers with a large contingent of beam casters sending away an Evangelion angel-like creature. While the nation of Earth are rebuilding from the last attack, a new threat moves in, the extra-dimensional conquerors known as the Polestar Empire, commanded from a citadel on a skull-carved outcropping, that floats over a field of man-made land marks such as the Easter Island heads and the Egyptian pyramids.
The Madhouse brings to the table creatively grizzly visuals such as flying down a dragon's gizzard then tossing by it's intestines, or cleaving cross sections off a giant horse and the Aquarian Age concept is leveraged to put out more than the fall back of flying people exchanging volleys of fireballs. It's populated by battles like Hannibal leading an undead legion, complete with zombie elephants against the castle of another anime vampire prince name Alucard, and his army of werewolf woman, a bloody duel between large Voltron-villian looking Chinese general and a run-on-water Shinto priestess, and Lancelot and a troupe of nights against a witches' college are enough to make the movie. It's enough to make the format of 3/4 of a movie dedication to introducing wood characters and their familiar motivations, and 1/4 final confrontation, acceptable.
Anime Spotlight: Fullmetal Alchemist Volume 2: Scarred Man of the East
released by FUNimation
Volume 2 of Fullmetal Alchemist starts to provide a sampling of what the series has to offer. It's keeps the viewer moving, jabbing with a host of intriguing characters, then it delivers devastating crosses by following through with the consequences of the characters' actions. The volume expands on the three years ago phase of Fullmetal Alchemist plot. Ed Elric, having lost an arm and leg, and young brother Al Elric, having lost his body, with his soul preserved within a metal suite of armor, in an attempt to resurrect their mother, seek to increase their knowledge of alchemy by joining the military's corps of State Alchemists.
In the series, alchemy follows the law of equivalent exchange. The first exchange is Ed’s prerogative for the resources of nation, following Flame Alchemist Roy Mustang's invitation to become a "dog of the military".
With Roy and the army, Ed and Al are brought into an adult world, were it isn't just cosmic law enforcing the law equivalent change, but politics, and agendas. At first introduction, Roy, his assistant Riza Hawkeye, his family obsessed intelligence officer comrade Hughes, even the King/Fuhrer (referred to as both) Bradley, all seem to be likable personalities. It doesn't take long for Ed and Al to encounter another, painful reminder of the sacrifices that are made to get what one desires.
Character work and quality animation have begun feeding into each other. The series is set apart in anime by it's tight feed back look in the plot driver and the characters and the characters drive the plot, all of which is given it's full effectiveness by animation that can deliver on the emotional weight of the events.
Even when the twists are predictable (and they’re made more predictable because while the packaging for the series is beautiful, part of the design section of the inset book gives away several developments within the volume' episodes) it can still be effective and painful.
An annoyance with FUNimation's attractive presentation of the series is one exceptionally long, front loaded, unskippable promo for the new Dragon Ball movie.
Miyazaki/Ghibli News
Dark Horizons has an image of the Howl's Moving Castle poster at here
From Nausicaa.net Hayao Miyazaki has confirmed that he will be directing Studio Ghibli's adaptation of the Chinese book "Wo diushile wode xiaonanhai (I Lost my Little Boy)," about the strange journey of a boy with a heart illness. The movie will likely be released in 2006. Trailers are being shown for the domestic theatrical showing on Nausicaa, which may run this summer.
My Neighbors The Yamadas, the Ghibli adaptation of a family comic strip, has been given a PG for "mild thematic elements" rating by the MPAA for the American release. The movie, directed by Isao Takahata, was the first completely digital from Studio Ghibli, giving the short daily family life sketches a water color look.
My Neighbors The Yamadas was to have been part of the late 2004 third wave of Ghibli DVDs released by Disney, along Isao Takahata's Pom Poko and Only Yesterday. When the second wave (at the time Nausicaa, Porco Rosso, and Totoro) was delayed, the Isao Takahata series fell off the schedule, and haven't been given a new date.
Vagabond Manga returns
Anime News Network reports Takehiko Inoue has announced that the fictionalized biography of Miyamoto Mushashi, Vagabond will return after its hiatus on May 19th. It will run in weekly installments then take a short break after a graphic novel's worth is run.
Bandai News
From Anime on DVD's Sakuracon anime convention report, Bandai was promoting DICE, Please (Onegai) Twins, Hoop Days (Dear Boys), Scrapped Princess, Avenger, PLANETES, GitS: Stand Alone Complex, and Eureka 7.
The first volume of Mars Daybreak will be released in July.
When asked about releasing anime on discs for the Sony PSP, the said "likely", but no time frame or titles.
On Canadian distribution, retailers removing titles are probably clearing out old distribution back-log. Bandai is working on getting their own distribution out to retailers.
A Gundam massively mulitplayer online game is being planned. See www.universalcentury.net
The outlook isn't looking good for the Cowboy Bebop Playstation 2 game.
Geneon News
From Anime on DVD's Sakuracon anime convention report, Geneon confirmed the release of Gankutsuou, which they will be releasing as "The Count of Monte Cristo".
With regards to Viewiful Joe, they have no real control over the editing of the TV broadcast.
Jubei-chan 2 dub will be done by Ocean.
ADV News-Bandai News
From Anime on DVD's Sakuracon anime convention report, ADV has been looking at alternate methods of distributing anime, including pay-per-download and Sony PSP. The Video on Demand program is doing well. Cable companies have be reluctant to go for the ADV linear cable network, mostly due to wanting their own channels. ADV is attempting to resolve the problem by geting the linear channel on to satellite.
The second volume of the on hiatus Princess Tutu is basically done. ADV will be bringing the volume to conventions and they hope to make a push to introduce the series to fans unfamiliar with the title who would otherwise ignore it.
No news on Kaleido Star 2nd season yet. Some of the dub work done, but the director is currently busy working other stuff.
With the closure of the Monster Island Studio, if new seasons of the shows dubbed at the studio are licensed, attempts to reunite the original dub cast will be made.
For Super Gals ,the series was originally licensed before the second season was created. The license of second season was emphatically denied.
In the realm of their original titles, Mutineer's Moon is in production! English ADR work will start soon and the animation is being worked on. No exact date on when it'll be shown, but it is coming.
FUNimation News-Bandai News
From Anime on DVD's Sakuracon anime convention reports, the voice actors for Kodocha will be:
Sana: Laura Bailey
Akito: Jerry Jewel
Rei: John Bergmier
Aya: Monica Rial
Babbit: Chris Cason
Mama: Colleen Clinkenbeard
The dub will be screened at Anime Boston, which will also host a "Make-your-own-Mama-hat" event
FUNimation is actively trying to raise US support for a second season of Fruits Basket. New Fruits Baskets hats will be produced. Momiji and Shigure hats were shown at the convention. A Hatsuhari is also being developed. Fruits Basket t-shirts will be sold at Hot Topic and Dragonball capsole toys will be sold at Suncoast.
Ihe voice actress for Ryoko in the 3rd Tenchi OAV will also be announced at Anime Boston.
Funimation is also starting up a new website called "Funi Girls" to cater to female anime fans.
Exclusive FLCL Cover
Anime News Network reports Suncoast and Media Play will carry limited edition covers for the first volume of the FLCL manga/
Upcoming in Japan
Trailers for Kirameki Project Keroro Gunso tv, Harukanaru Toki no Naka de ~Hachiyou Shou~, Sukisyo and the Uta?Kata OAV can be seen here
A second season on My-Hime, based around a character from the last episode of the first season, is in development.
The site for the new TV series based on Production IG's Blood: The Last Vampire is online here
FullMetal Alchemist Airings
Anime News Network reports Full Metal Alchemestic will be re-airing on Japan's TBS in one of the rare cases where anime is re-shown on Japanese TV.
Canadian Teletoon has passed on Full Metal Alchemist, stating:
"Our programming department knows about Fullmetal Alchemist, and has decided that this title does not fulfill our brand requirements or the interest of the majority of our viewers. We understand that the animé genre is a popular one with a segment of the population, however, [Teletoon]’s priority has to remain being true to its brand – this commitment has served us well, and has allowed the network to position itself clearly amongst all other offerings."
Upcoming on Cartoon Network
One Piece will be begins on Cartoon Network's Saturday Toonami block starting April 23rd at 10:00pm.
s-CRY-ed has been given a date of 12:30am Saturday, May 28th.
Early May ADV Releases
May 10th
Chrono Crusade: Between The Devil And The Deep Blue Sea (5 of 7)
Cromartie High School: Hey Dude (2 of 4)
Full Metal Panic? Fumoffu (1 of 4)
July CMX Reeases
DC Comics will be releasing the following CMX manga titles in July
Madara Vol. 4 Illustrated by Sho-u Tajima Written by Eiji Otsuka On sale July 7
From Eroica With Love Vol. 4 Written and illustrated by Aoike Yasuko On sale July 13
Land Of The Blindfolded Vol. 4 Written and illustrated by Tsukuba Sakura On sale July 20
Tenryu: The Dragon Cycle Vol. 2 Written and illustrated by Matoh Sanami On sale July 27
Apropos to leash on which DC may be keeping their CMX line, DC Comics has dropped dristributor of British 2000AD, and translated European line Humanoids. Disappointing sales, particularly in book stores is believed to be the reason that the lines were dropped. Comic retailer Brian Hibbs points out that of DC’s three imprints (Humanoids, 2000AD and CMX), only one title cracked the Bookscan list of top selling graphic novels for 2004, CMX’s Land of the Blindfolded. Hibbs said: “CMX, 2000AD, and Humanoids are all putatively ‘book store imprints,’ yet of all of the 2004 releases, only one makes the chart – volume 1 of Land of the Blindfolded with a, frankly, pathetic 1270 copies sold."
Dragon Ball Boosted for Return
FUNimation has announced that the popular super-hero martial arts epic will be returning to Cartoon Network in June 2005, and Dragon Ball Z movie Broly: Second Coming has been released April 5th.
Other franchise highlights include:
Broly: Second Coming achieved the largest first week sell-through numbers for a DBZ DVD release to date.
FUNimation will release the Dragon Ball Z Ultimate Uncut Special Editions (4-12-05).
Score Entertainment has designed a brand new DBZ Trading Card Game that they plan to launch in June 2005.
ODM recently debuted their spring line up of very successful Dragon Ball Z T-shirts.
Dragon Ball Z action figures continue to be one of JAKKS Pacific's top-selling lines
TMNT Interview
Gamerz Edge has posted an interview with hint about upcoming Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles projects here
Guin Saga Anime
Anime Nation reports that Micott & Basara, an investor in the Appleseed movie, has announced that an anime adapation of Kaoru Kurimoto's action hero Guin Saga will be developed. Guin Saga has been planned for a 100 volume run (it's currently in the late 80's), and old over 25 million copies. English translation of the first five volumes have been released by Vertical.
New Animerica Incarnation
Anime News Network reports that Viz has confirmed that anime/manga periodical Animerica be moved from a subscription/newstand title to a promotional freebies. There will be two version of the magazine going foward: a convention version with the same dimensions and Borders & Waldenbooks storessmaller page count, and a digest sized version
DramaQueen Announces Its First Two Manga Licenses
New manga publisher DramaQueen announced that they have acquired the official right to Brother by Yuzuha Ougi and Vision of the Other Side by Lee Yu-Chin.
Brother tells the story of two step-brothers who discover that their feelings for each other are not so brotherly. This is Yaoi at its hottest.
Vision of the Other Side introduces us to a young princess who needs to marry the “Battle Demon” in order to save her country. However, no one has seen the demon Prince’s face or has lived long enough to tell…
ABOUT DRAMAQUEEN: DramaQueen, L.L.C. is a new publisher founded by manga fans from both the United States and Europe. DramaQueen is committed to introducing high quality mangas to both the American and European market. Sale releases, retail prices, and more detailed manga summaries will soon be available at http://www.onedramaqueen.com
Bandai Launces Scrapped Princess Site
An official English language site for Scrapped Princess has gone online here
New TOKYOPOP Licenses
Anime on DVD reports that TOKYOPOP will be releasing manga series November, Samurai Champloo, Earthian, Life and Kami Kaze starting in November.
Bleach Rock Musical
Anime News Network and Animaxis report that death god action manga/anime Bleach has been adapated into a rock musical to be directed by Takuya Hiramitsu, and scripted by Naoshi Okumura with music composed by Shoichi Tama. The musical is being produced by Nelke Planning, the same company that produced the Prince of Tennis musicals
Augut Media Blasters Releases
From the Anime Works Line:
8/16
Magic Knight Rayearth Economy Box II (season 2, 7 discs $44.95)
Phantom - The Animation
8/30
Mirage of Blaze OVA: Rebels of the River's Edge
Grenadier vol 2 Holy Hand grenades eps 5-8
Phantom - The Animation
Kei traveled to a new city to start a new life. There he sees the girl of his dreams, Ai, for the very first time. Strangely, he spots her from from 500 meters away, while she's crouched behind a military issue sniper rifle picking off mobsters. Soon Kei's uncanny alertness comes to the attention of Ai's employers, and he's given a simple choice: train to become an assassin, or be marked as Ai's next target.
Mirage of Blaze OVA: Rebels of the River's Edge
Takaya, a young man who is possessed by the spirit of an ancient warlord named Kagetora, now fights evil spirits in modern day Japan. Separated from his vassal Naoe because of their feelings for one another, he goes to high school like any other boy his age. Then, he hears of an assassination attempt carried out by a mysterious new Possessor with the power of fire. All paths lead to his friend Ayako, a male Possessor in a female body. But she had her own forbidden romance that's keeping her from revealing the secrets of the past.
Kirby Movie from 4Kids
Kids Entertainment Home Video, Inc., the home video unit of 4Kids Entertainment, Inc. in association with FUNimation Productions LTD, will release Kirby: Fright to the Finish—The Movie on June 14, 2005, a full length (85 minute) movie based on Nintendo's popular pink mashmellow character.
In addition to the movie, the DVD includes:
• Bonus Kirby Episode: Hour of the WolfWrath -- WolfWrath injures Meta Knight and Blade and Sword must now defeat him with Kirby's help.
• Music Video: Kirby ‘If Ya Can’t Beat ‘em, Eat ‘em
• Music Video: What’s Cooking on Kirby
The movie will retail for $14.98 on DVD and $9.98 on VHS
Anime Network And Cox Communications Ink SVOD Deal
Continuing its expansion throughout North America, Anime Network has signed an agreement with Atlanta-based Cox Communications, Inc. to make its programming available as a Subscription Video On Demand (SVOD) service via Cox’s Entertainment on Demand platform.
Cox will disclose launch details to its customers in the spring.
New Graphic Novel From Rising Stars Of Manga Winner
TOKYOPOP has announcd that the first volume in the new series MBQ by Rising Stars of Manga(tm) alumnus creator Felipe Smith. An expansion of his winning entry in TOKYOPOP's third Rising Stars competition, MBQ presents a comedic yet dramatic portrait of a young manga artist trying to find his place in Los Angeles. Set in and around the fictitious burger joint MBQ, the story follows Omario as he struggles to earn recognition, pay the bills and most important, get a chance to make a living through his artistic passion - making manga.
When asked about this exciting new project, TOKYOPOP Editor Luis Reyes responds: "Felipe Smith's work keeps a quick and fluid pace. His narratives, though humorous and self-mocking, resonate deeply with all of us trying to be true to ourselves in a world that doesn't want to let us. This book is about the very personal struggle of an artist trying to live his life on his own terms."
