Anime Spotlight:
Tokko
Volume 1

Tokko represents GTO (Great Teacher Onizuka) creator Tohru Fujisawa's take on B movie horror. It turns out that his vision does not forcefully distinguish itself from the pack. With antics reminiscent of GTO, Tokko shifts between irreverence and grizzly horror. Working of Fujisawa's short series, director Masashi Abe (Blue Gender) offers little evidence of an intension to knowingly play the horror and humor off each other in the manner of films like Gremlins, Tremors or Slither. Further undermined with low production values, the work installs itself in the middle of the horror curve.

While Tokko is not a field leader, the series can at least serve to entertain. With the blood and especially with joking incestuous overtones, it's a half-naughty work, neither too gory nor too tame. For horror minded fans of GTO or viewers seeking the look of horror anime, but not in the mood for a real downer, Tokko can offer enough smirks and cringes to divertingly fill time. Packaged with 5 of the series' 13 episodes, the first volume of Tokko offers a fair deal.

Fujisawa's touch can be seen in the works leads, which mixed serious principles with clownish attitudes. Ranmaru and his sister Saya were two of the survivors of a mysterious massacre that killed hundreds of residents in an apartment complex. Shaped by the traumatic events, both grow up to be police, Ranmaru an inspector and Saya a patrol officer. Ranmaru in particular is dedicated to solving the long abandoned mystery of the massacre. Except, they live together, she cooks/cleans for him, teases him about his love life, and parades in front of him in a state of undress. As this incestuous tease might suggest, the series is uninterested in committing to an atmosphere of tragedy.

The gravity of the violent deaths of the pair's parents and their neighborhood community is quickly undermined by a first episode that might as well have been scripted for a school comedy. On the day of Ranmaru's graduation from the academy, the siblings rush to work late. Ranmaru tries to sneak in, and winds up with his head up a woman's skirt. Trying to settle in, he ends up trading barbs with a classmate. As the series progresses, boss-work, and dating scenarios far more closely resemble school than a work place. The characters are lively enough that they carry the jokes for viewers who have a mind for the material, but considering that the subject is the characters' livelihoods and police work, the approach is a missed opportunity to develop a dynamic for older characters who are invested in careers.

"Tokko" is an abbreviation for Tokubetsu Koto Keisatsu or Special Higher Police. In reality, it is an FBI like agency with a history of anti-subversive work. In the anime, they are the cops in the black super team uniforms who get to fight monsters with swords and grind the fleshy parasite bugs into pus. Little surprise, they are fighting the creatures that caused the apartment massacre and Ranmaru becomes entangled in their work. Revelations invoke a portal to another dimension, demon phantoms, alchemy and black government projects. None of this is any way novel, but the conflict does at least have the makings of a committed feud, with the humans and monsters really committed to exterminate each other.

The series breaks in and out from comedy into a mode of horror. Memories of the massacre have a forceful dissonant quality that captures a sense of hell visited upon familiar settings. Yet, adult characters coming face to face with life threatening foes is depicted with unaccentuated atmosphere. Winged devils and screaming faces melded onto human chests, look familiar, but do stand in well for a supernatural threat in the manner of well suited video game monsters.
The devastation caused by these creatures and the reciprocal monster slaying yields enough spurts and splats that the series will appease a non-pathological degree of viewer bloodlust.. However, music, lighting and especially character body language are too matter of fact to suggest a sense of dread.

There has been a steady supply of well animated action anime of late. As such, you do not have to look far to find anime that overshadows Tokko's fight scenes. Police officers lining up like bowling pins with pistols raised to shoot charging zombies do not make for an inspiring battle. The sword work is similarly static. The Tokko combatants strike impressive poses before the animation falls back on lightning strike effects to convey the actual sweeps of the swords.

Manga Spotlight: Lupin III: World's Most Wanted
Volume 8
By Monkey Punch

If you're looking for proof that manga isn't a monolithic tradition, take a peek at Monkey Punch's work. There is a coo-coo-clock quality, in which he contains a potent dose of volatility in a spring loaded package. The results are diverting and memorable and not constrained to the model that one might expect.

The results are especially unexpected if you only know Lupin III from the decades of anime adaption’s, particularly Hayao Miyazaki's Castle of Cagliostro, From he anime approach, you'll be familiar a character who is a comically course, hammy, largely good natured, pastiche of various adventurers. He partly carries out the capers of his borrowed ancestor, French literary gentleman thief Arsène Lupin. He partly springs across the globe in the manner of a James Bond super-spy. This character, softened by heart of gold, gentlemanly side, represents a shadow of Monkey Punch's original.

The manga incarnation of the character is a cartoonish fiend. He's the suave romancer, slick, sticky fingered burglar turned into Tex Avery's wolf. Part of the joke is that while Lupin III is a howling creature of id, his adventures rely on solving problems through devious intellect. Manga's reputation in North America is heavily weighed by the notion of extensive, building stories. The Lupin III manga has none of that. Unlike its anime incarnation, its plots aren't even that epic. For volume after volumes, Monkey Punch constructs set pieces in which, when not pissing, screwing or attempting to screw, its title character, his allies and rivals try to pry loot out of deadly set pieces.

Lupin III spends the volume in requisitely daffy scenarios, such as trapped in a hole in the ground by an absurdly large stick of dynamite. Additionally, the other regulars all make appearances in the volume. His taciturn, scruffy gunman partner Jigan duels a woman while bathing in a hot spring. Stoic swordsman Goeman is trapped in a cabin while a village of killers attacks. Luckless police inspector Zenigata attempts to match wits and resolve with Lupin. And of course, Fujiko Mine, the woman whose name is a pun that gives the worst of the Bond girls a run for their money, plots, fights a bit and mostly disrobes.

Monkey Punch stages the series with Mad Magazine like set pieces. Each of the distinct stories runs about 20 pages. Design for each character is apparent enough that little if any prior knowledge is required to establish a notion of the involved players. Then, the objective is introduced immediately or the object of the story's motion immediately begins rolling. Monkey Punch then locks in the story into a restricted space and lets the opponents scramble for the prize.

As an illustrator, Monkey Punch's work is characterized by irregular lines and gesticulation. The images are not simple. They require details and precision to achieve the cartoonish motion and very specific environments. However, the looseness of the forms and impression of shaky quickness gives the look a sketch-like quality. This contributes to a Three Stooges like appeal to the Lupin III. As clever as the lengths to construct the jokes might be, the appeal is in its unsophistication. The wacky mechanisms put into motion yield slapstick humor, often blue, often involving physical or psychological humiliation. Like The Street Stooges, Lupin III can be a polarizing work. In the eye of the beholder, it can be appreciated for the offbeat artistry it uses to lay out its jokes. It can be appreciate for sadistic sense of humor. Or, it harshly disliked.

Genius Party Premiere

Anime News Network reports that the world premiere Studio 4°C's shorts collection Genius Party will be held at J. F. Kennedy Center's Japan Festival in February 2008. The work's director's include Koji Morimoto (Memories: Magnetic Rose), Shinichiro Watanabe (Cowboy Bebop, Samurai Champloo), Hidekia Futamura (Beyond and Detective Story in the Animatrix), Tadashi Hiramatsu (Nadia: The Secret of Blue Water, Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex) and European comic artist Nicholas de Crecy.

More FUNimation Anime on iTunes

FUNimation entertainment has announced that the anime series Gunslinger Girl and Basilisk are now available for purchase through iTunes. The two are currently airing on IFC Friday nights beginning at 11:00 p.m. ET. The first 10 episodes of each series are currently available on iTunes. The remaining episodes in each series will be available on iTunes the day after they air on IFC and fans also have the option to order a season pass so new episodes are automatically made available for download.

Upcoming Dark Horse Releases

Blade Of The Immortal #126
Written and art by Hiroaki Samura.
"Barefoot," part 5 of 5.
Features the final image in Hiroaki Samura's "China Cat" pinup series. Full color Manji pinup by Guy Davis.
32 pages, black and white, $2.99, in stores on June 13.

Eden: It's An Endless World! Volume 8
Written and art by Hiroki Endo.
224 pages, black and white, $12.95, in stores on August 1.

Gunsmith Cats Revised Edition Volume 3
Written and art by Kenichi Sonoda.
The volumes formerly known as "Bean Bandit" and "Kidnapped" comprise this 450+ page book.
472 pages, black and white, $16.95, in stores on August 29.

Hanami International Love Story Volume 2
Written by Plus, art by Sung Jae Park.
208 pages, black and white, $9.95, in stores on August 29.

The Kurosagi Corpse Delivery Service Volume 4
Written by Eiji Otstuka, art by Housui Yamazaki, cover by Bunpei Yorifuji.
With an appearence by Reiji Akiba, the gun-toting exorcist of Mail
224 pages, $10.95, in stores on August 22.

Oh My Goddess! Volume 27
Written and art by Kosuke Fujishima.
Plus nine "Adventures of the Mini-Goddesses" strips and an exclusive preview of the upcoming Oh My Goddess!: First End novel.
168 pages, black and white, $10.95, in stores on August 8.

Old Boy Volume 7
Written by Garon Tsuchiya, art by Novuaki Minegishi.
216 pages, black and white, $12.95, in stores on August 1.

Path Of The Assassin Volume 8
Written by Kazuo Koike, art by Goseki Kojima.
302 pages, black and white, $9.95, in stores on August 29.

Shaman Warrior Volume 4
Written and art by Park Joong-Ki.
208 pages, black and white, $12.95, in stores on August 29.

Anime News Network reports that Dark Horse will be releasing Vampire Hunter D creator Hideyuki Kikkuchi's A Wind Named Amnesia novel. The post apocayltic work was adapted into an anime movie by Kazuo Yamazaki, previously release by CPM.

According to ICV2 MPD-Psycho and June is XS Hybrid, a manhwa by S. Ji-Hyung (Til Death Do Us Part) will be released in June and the 2003 "Manhwa of the Year" winner in Korea, Chunchu: The Genocide Fiend in August.

Dark Horse is launching several manga and manwha series this summer, including an unedited version of MPD-Psycho in June. The 2003 "Manhwa of the Year" winner in Korea, Chunchu: The Genocide Fiend and Kazuhiro Okamoto's shoujo Translucent will be released in August.

Upcoming in Japan

The official Macross site reflects the upcoming 25th anniversary project.

GONZO's New York supernatural murder mystery Red Garden will receive an OVA follow-up on August 8th.

A fourth season of Keroro Gunso/Sgt. Frog begins on TV Tokyo on April 4th.

The web site for a five episode Kyo Kara Maoh OVA is online at www.maruma-ova.jp.

A trailer of the new TV Terra e/To Terra can be seen in narrowband and broadband.

The site for Oh! Edo Rocket is online.

A site for the upcoming Code-e has gone online here

A site for the visual novel based Clannad has also recently been launched. A trailer can be seen here.

A trailer for Fafner creator Ubukata Tou's Heroic Age can be seen here

ComiPress notes that a new My-Hime manga, entitled My-Otome Arashi will begin serialization in Akita Shoten's Weekly Shonen Champion issue 18 starting March 29th. The manga is Higuchi Tatsuhito and Yoshino Hiroyuki and drawn by Sato Kenets.

Detective Conan/Case Closed creator Gosho Aoyama will be producing one-shot story Tell Me A Lie -Lies being Attached to Me- for Shogakukan's Weekly Young Sunday issue 16, on sale 3/22.

Yua Kotegawa (Anne Freaks) will be producing manga based on Masuno Koichi's novel Short Song.

Anime/Manga Business

Toei Animation has launched a new English language site at www.toei-anim.com to promote series including One Piece, Pretty Cure, and Bobobo-bo Bo-bobo.

ICV2 reports that as part of a content allience Namco Bandai has bought stock in Toei Animation and Kadokawa while Toei and Kadokawa have purchase stocks in Namco Bandai.

AnimeNation notes that the February 25-March 3 issue of Home Media Magazine confirms that FUNimation dominates the North American anime mark with 23.2% of all 2006 American anime DVD sales.

Other distributors include:
AD Vision, with a 12.6% market share
Geneon, with an 11.1% market share
Sony Pictures, with a 9.3% market share
Viz Media, with a 9.2% market share

The Beat recounts the rumor/speculation that since graphic novel buyer left at Kurt Hassler Borders, a number of publishers have begun experiencing a downturn.

Live Action Adaptations

ComiPress reports that Ken Akamatsu's promised Negima-related is rumored to be a live action adaptation of the boy-wizard-teacher manga. Ai Tanimoto's blog mentioned she will be playing one of the series' school girl in a live drama.

From Anime News Service
Slam Dunk creator Takehiko Inoue has denied that a reported new lie action Slam Dunk adaptation is in the works.

Viz Pictures lists that the live action adaptation of Black and White creator Taiyo Matsumoto's Ping Pong will be released distributed in North American.

Bey Logan's Dragon Dynasty blog notes that the company will be distributing Riki-Oh.

UC Irvine Extension Offers New Course on Manga & Anime

In response to the high demand of their charter course, “Manga & Anime Explosion: What, Why, How & Wow,” UC Irvine Extension is offering “Manga & Anime Explosion: Story Development, Marketing and Adaptation,” a follow-up course designed to help writers and artists finish developing their characters. Course work will focus on putting characters into compelling story arcs and creating the visually dynamic imagery for which anime and manga are famous. The course, held Tuesday evenings from May 8-June 5, 7-10p.m., supports a growing demand for courses that assist budding manga and anime creators.

Guest speakers will include Dallas Middaugh, Associate Publisher of Del Rey Manga, Christine Yoo the co-writer of the English language adaptation screenplay for "Afro Samurai" and other buyers/executives from top manga publishing and anime companies.

Bandai Entertainment to Release Galaxy Angel AA

Bandai Entertainment has announced that the North American anime distributor will be releasing Galaxy Angel AA on DVD across four volume starting June 19th.

The separate entity Bandai Visual recently announced that they will be releasing Galaxy Angel; Rune in North America.

Awards

TOKYOPOP has announced the results of their latest Rising Stars of Manga talent competition. Best of Action: Ares Maier, by Daniel Lucius Cross

Best of Comedy: B is for Bishie, by Margaux Hymel and Russell Herrick

Best of Drama: Melody, by Stacy Nguyen

Best of Fantasy: Fortune Finders!, by Jerry D. Garcia

Best of Horror: Gagaku Berceuse, by Erick Melton and William Ruzicka

Best of Mystery: Scratched, by Crystal Hawkins

Best of Romance: I’ll Be Waiting, by Lanny Liu

Best of Sci-Fi: Argosy, by Megan Spence and Erin Simpson

People’s Choice: BlueBlood, by Ryan Mauskopf

For more information,see here


Anime News Network lists the results of Japan's Seiyu Awards.

Best Actor in a leading role:
Jun Fukuyama as Lelouch, Code Geass - Lelouch of the Rebellion

Best Actress in a leading role:
Romi Paku as Nana Osaki, NANA

Best Actors in supporting roles:
Akira Ishida as Athrun Zala, Mobile Suit Gundam Seed Destiny
Kouki Miyata as Kazumi Yoshinaga, Yoshinaga-san'chi no Gargoyle

Best Actresses in supporting roles:
Ami Koshimizu as Kallen Stadtfeld, Code Geass - Lelouch of the Rebellion
Yuko Goto as Mikuru Asahina, The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya

Best Rookie actors:
Tetsuya Kakihara as Mikoto Yutaka, Princess Princess
Masakazu Moritaas Ichigo Kurosaki, Bleach

Best Rookie actresses:
Yui Kano as Momoko Kuzuryu, Sumomomo Momomo
Aya Hirano as Haruhi Suzumiya, The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya

Best Musical Performance:
Nana Mizuki, Justice to Believe

Best Personality:
Masumi Asano, A&G Super Radio Show - Anispa!

Special Achievement Award: Kei Tomiyama

Achievement Awards:
Toru Ohira, Ohira Production
Masako Ikeda, Tokyo Actor's Consumer's Cooperative Society (Haikyo)
Noriko Ohara, Production baobab
Mariko Mukai, 81 Produce

Synergy Award: Pokémon

ComiPress lists the winners of the geek culture Japan Otaku Prize

Grand Prize: Ultra-man 80 (from Ultra-man Mobius)

Okada Toshio Prize: Aso Taro
Karasawa Shin'ichi Prize: Lion-maru G
Fujitsu Ryota Prize: Gintama
Ishiguro Naoki Prize: Inukami
Miya Shotaro Prize: Yomigaeru Sora – RESCUE WINGS-

Tsuruoka Hosai Prize: Monthly COMIC Ryu


Kodansh will mark the 25th anniversary of Weekly Morning Magazine for an international manga competition. The grand prize winner will recieve $5,000 and see their work published in Weekly Morning Magazine. For more information, see here

Kekkaishi creator Yellow Tanabe has won the annual Shogakukan Manga Award for his work in the field. Kekkaishi is published in North America by Viz.

Linear Coverage for Anime Network in Texas

Beginning this month, the 24/7 linear carriage Anime Network is available to Digital Cable customers through Grande in the following Texas cities:

* Austin, channel 171
* Corpus Christi, channel 174
* Dallas, channel 170
* San Antonio, channel 171
* Waco, channel 174


Anime Network’s launch with Grande comes on the heels of 24/7 linear cable launches into new markets in Puerto Rico, Missouri, Houston, Florida and Wisconsin, and marks its continued growth as a linear cable offering.

Tofu Records Reorganizing

J-pop music distributor Tofu records has announced that they have shut down their web forum and they will be reorganizing their operations. The company sights the trend towards digital music distribution as the reason for their current hiatus.

Irresponsible Pictures looks at difficulties faced by j-pop in the North American market here.

AMG Release Planned

ADV Films will be releasing volume one of Ah! My Goddess: Season Two, entitled "Flights of Fancy" on May 8th. The series release is planned for 6 volumes.

Synopsis: It’s been almost a year since the Goddess Belldandy came to live with college student Keiichi Morisato, and he’s almost gotten up the nerve to kiss her. Unfortunately, the encounter with the Lord of Terror damaged some of Yggdrasil’s systems, and the contract binding Belldandy and Keiichi is among the lost data. The lovebirds can only hope the information can be retrieved before the Almighty One orders Belldandy back to Heaven. Naturally Skuld and Urd try to help, but it might be better if they didn’t. Then, with Christmas at hand, Keiichi works himself to the bone to buy a present, and the rivalry with Sayoko may have driven Belldandy to drink?! What happens when a Goddess is (literally) drunk with power? Find out what happens next in Ah! My Goddess Two - Flights of Fancy.

Final Wasabi Animusical At Jacon 2007

Wasabi Anime will represent their third and final "Wasabi Animusical" at the JACON 2007 anime convention. The convention takes place at the International Plaza Resort & Spa in Orlando, Florida. The show is scheduled for Friday, May 4th at 8:00 PM.

The Wasabi Animusical 3: The Last Crusade is scheduled to be, according to Wasabi Anime, the final Animusical. Just like the previous two, this year’s show will feature over one hundred costumes from popular anime, Japanese television, and video games. The show puts the characters into short stories played out to show tunes from Broadway and popular motion pictures.

The first two Wasabi Animusicals are available online for viewing on YouTube. You can find out more by visiting www.animusical.com.

Nintendo on Wii

TOMY Corporation and D3Publisher of America, Inc. ( announced the upcoming release of NARUTO™: Clash of Ninja™ MVZ (working title) for Wii will be released in North America, with content exclusively creator the market. The game is scheduled to be released in Fall 2007. NARUTO and will include characters that have never been featured in the hit Clash of Ninja game series. The game will take advantage of the Wii Remote and support up to four players in nine different gameplay modes.

Upcoming Viz Releases

Manga Cast reports that the April issue of the Shojo Beat anthology announces that Viz has picked up shoujo titles Fall in Love Like a Comic by Yagami Chitose and Sand Chronicles (Sunadokei) by Ashihara Hinako. Sand Chronicles will be serialized in Shojo Beat

Unscrewed Benefit Update

Unscrewed has announced that their first round of fundraising auction has raised over $1,000. Kurt Busiek, Marv Wolfman, Jamal Igle and Scott Shaw have donated work to aid those harmed by illegal and unethical practices by a would-be publisher. New auctions can be seen at here

Yaoi News

To celebrate the echo Valentine's White Day (March 14), 801 Media Inc. announced the following upcoming yaoi titltes

Sensitive Pornograph by Ashika Sakura: love affair with a novice manga artists
October 22, 2007

I’m Not Your Stepping Stone by Shiuko Kano: a brawny man is enamored with a woman who is only interested in educated men. He enlists her brother in order to help him win her over. Her brother has other intensions
November 21, 2007

Juné by DMP announced that they will be hosting Hinako Takanaga as their guest at Yaoi Con 2007

Most widely know for her 3 part series Little Butterfly, Hinako Takanaga debuted in 1996 with Goukaku Kigan and has published more than 20 comics, illustrated more than 10 novels and has had many of her works adapted into drama CD’s. For those of you who can’t make it to San Francisco this October for the festivities, check the Juné Manga website for details on how to win Little Butterfly related prizes and other autographed character goods.

Upcoming Viz

Cartoon Network's Saturday night Toonami Jetstream has picked up sports anime Prince Of Tennis and fantasy action Mär for second seasons.

Viz's upcoming premieres and sets schedule includes
April 24
The Prince of Tennis Box Set 1 $ 39.98

May 8
Linda Linda Linda (live action VIZ Pictures)

May 22
Naruto OVA $ 12.98
Pokemon All-Stars Box Set (Digipack) $39.98

May 29
Naruto Uncut Box Set 3 $ 49.98

June 12
MAR 1 $ 19.98

July 3
The Taste of Tea (live action VIZ Pictures)

July 24
The Prince of Tennis Box Set 2

July 31
Ranma 1/2 Season 2: Anything Goes Martial Arts 2007 edition $49.98

August 7
Naruto Uncut Box Set 4

Upcoming Geneon Releases

6/12
3x3 Eyes Volume 1:Immortals
A horror action title from 1991 concerning a slacker who becomes undead after an accident concerning a girl triclops. featuring the first four episode OVA series. $14.98

Hellsing Ultimate volume 2

Ikki Tousen Complete Thinpak Set $79.98
13 episodes
Risque fight working following a busty girl who is one of group of resurrected Chinese warrior

New dates:

5/29/07
Rozen Maiden volume 1 Doll House
Based on the PEACH-PIT manga of a shut in who encounters living dolls fighting the "Alice Game"

Karin Volume 1 Infusion
Highschool romance concerning a cute/bustry "reverse" vampire. The manga released by TokyoPop as "Chibi Vampire"

Geneon also announced that they will be distributing the first volume of Bandai Visual's release of The Wings of Rean on May 12.

Two episode, retailing for $39.99
Terrorists have attacked the US military base in Iwakuni City, Yamaguchi Prefecture. When it's discovered that the culprits are two of Aesap Suzuki's friends, Aesap is also mistakenly hunted by US forces and the Japanese police. As the innocent Aesap escapes arrest, he spots a flying warship suddenly emerging from the luminous ocean. At the bow is a young woman with wings of light on her feet. Her name is Lyukus, daughter of King Sakomizu of Byston Well--a world located where land and sea meet. "My father is a Japanese man named Shinjiro Sakomizu," she says. "You will help me, won't you... Aesap Suzuki?" Unwittingly drawn into war of an unknown land, Aesapcan only wonder what fate the future holds for him--and the world he though he knew. 13 UP Merging historical fact with fantasy, anime legend Yoshiyuki Tomino (Mobile Suit Gundam) explores two war-torn worlds on the road to redemption - or revenge. Featuring stunning landscapes with 5.1ch sound, The Wings of Rean three-volume, six-episode set marks Tomino's long-awaited return to Byston Well, first depicted in his groundbreaking work, Aura Battler Dunbine.

Orchestra on Romeo x Juliet

GONZO has announced that Romeo x Juliet, a sci-fi Shakespeare adapation scheduled to air on Japanese TV starting in April, will feature a soundtrack (twenty-eight of the 39 tracks) performed by Sydney, Australia's Eminence Symphony Orchestra provided for the show by renowned composer Hitoshi Sakimoto will be performed by Eminence.

The story is set in an aero-polis called Neo Verona. Blessed with mysterious powers, the city had prospered under the rule of the Capulet family until 14 years ago when the House of Montague's mutiny overthrew the Capulet government.
Now under the rule of the Montagues, the city suffers from oppression and poverty. The trees have withered and the earth has dried. The water has become stagnant and a dense fog has enveloped the city.
Juliet is the only surviving member of the Capulets. She has vowed to avenge her murdered parents. Romeo is the successor of Montague, the oppressive ruler of Neo Verona who had destroyed Juliet's family 14 years earlier. When the star crossed lovers are drawn together, the fates of the feuding families and the city start to intertwine....


Based on story by: WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE
Directed by: FUMITOSHI OIZAKI
Series structure and script: REIKO YOSHIDA
Character design: HIROKI HARADA
Music score: HITOSHI SAKIMOTO
Sound editor: JUNICHI SATO
Animation Production: GONZO
Theme song: "Inori - YOU RAISE ME UP -" performed by LENA PARK (Universal Music)
Production: Chubu Nippon Broadcasting, SKY Perfect Well Think, and GDH

North American Animation

ToonZone reports that She-Ra Season 1 Volume 2 will be released in a 33 episode, six-DVD set on April 3. Bonus features include creator commentary tracks, a documentary on the making of the show, storyboard-to-episode comparisons, a cartographic study of the lands of He-Man and She-Ra. A clip is online here

Tad Stones's Hellboy Animated blog that announced the title for the third Hellboy Animated project will be The Phantom Claw.

Aranzi Aronzo Website

Vertical has launched a site to promote their "scary cute" Aranzi Aronzo releases here

Cartoon Brew Films Launched

Jerry Beck and Amid Amidi have announced the launch of CartoonBrewFilms.com , a new site that makes the world’s finest animated shorts available for convenient download to your iPod and personal computer. Their three launch films are Teddy Newton and Bert Klein’s Boys Night Out, Frank Tashlin’s The Lady Said No and Grantray-Lawrence’s The Hope That Jack Built. Films, both classic and contemporary, will be added to the library every week.

Worth Checking Out

ikimashou has upated their ikiKOYOMI anime calendar here

MangaBlog has found the story behind art manga publisher Fanfare/Ponent Mon at here

A translated interview of Ghibli Museum Director Nakajima Kiyofumi, Tales of Earthsea director Goro Miyazaki's replacement, has been posted on Ghibli World here.

Digital Manga CEO Hikaru Sasahara has been interviewed here

Cartoon Brew compares a recent GE commercial to a fantastic Osamu Tezuka short here.

Speaking of homages, Kotaku has YouTube'd a very Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children like Korean music video here

Patrick Macias and Matt Alt build the world's biggest Gundam model kit at Bandai HQ in Tokyo here. A video previews a photo session that will be featured in the first issue of OTAKU USA magazine in June.

In response the anime adaptation of Hayate the Combat Butler, a manga concerning a boy who inheritted massive dept, ComiPress has an amusing piece on manga's most debt-ridden heroes here.

Same Hat! Same Hat!! has photos of a woman's full back tattoo inspired by the work of guro/horror manga creator Suehiro Maruo here

Manga Cast looks at the definately delayed/cancelled manga titles here. The site also loks at the proper capitalization for CLAMP here

ComiPress looks at the downturn in Japanese manga sales here

PopCultureShock reacted to the ending of Kare Kano here

Japan Times intereviewed Mamoru Oshii (Patlabor, the Ghost in the Shell movie) here

For more commentary see the AICN Anime MySpace and AICN Anime on ComicSpace.