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Anime Spotlight: Le Chevalier D'Eon Volume 2 Released by ADV Films
Unless the 18th Century aesthetic is a deal breaker, there's no reason why anyone should miss Le Chevalier D'Eon. As they did with the Ghost in the Shell anime, the series' studio Production I.G turns out an immense series where the talent at work keeps pace with the ambition. It is more disappointing to be failed by an anime that aimed to be mature than it is to come up short with something that was either intended for a younger audience, or rehashing favored elements from earlier work. However, getting burned makes a series like Le Chevalier D'Eon all the more satisfying. All of the interlocking facets of storytelling fit together to form an immense work. It tries to be literate, exploring figures of history and conspiracy legend as they scheme to arrange France and Europe in such a way as to cement their power. It tries to be a swashbuckler, featuring fast, precise sword fights courtesy of the director of one of anime's most admire sword-centric in Ruruoni Kenshin's director Kazuhiro Furuhashi. It tries to incorporate ideas from classic shoujo. It tries to get fancy with recreating environments, putting together elaborate 3D models of rococo decor. Amazingly, the anime is able to work these threads together so that they complement each other rather than fighting for attention. There is little in volume two that commands reassessment. The quality certainly has not dropped off. Nor have there been any substitution gimmicks. Instead, the episodes of the second volume establish an intense level of intrigue as intelligent, able people attempt the treacherous cross-currents of Enlightenment Europe.
The heroic "Four Musketeers" at work are D'Eon de Beaumont, a member of the court who dedicated himself to the Secret Police after the mysterious murder of his sister, Robin, a young servant of the queen of France, Durand, a with connected to D'Eon system who has more than a passing familiarity with games of intrigue and Telliagory, an old knight who served as D'Eon's fencing instructor. The volume is dominated by the mission to track a conspiracy from the Duke of Orléans to the court of the Russian Empress Elizabeth. This is challenged by the work of the Count of Saint-Germain. In one of the series key supernatural twists, the Count's revolutionary followers have gained alchemic powers, producing a selection of "poet" antagonists. This mix of invented, historical and semi-historical charlatans and dabblers can really light a battle with their abilities. However, the series keeps both the protagonists and antagonists nicely off balance. By extension, the viewer is kept guessing. All of the players are too smart and determined to fall into familiar traps and as a result, when it seems like a cat and mouse game is going to follow one pattern, it frequently spins into a new direction. There is an intriguing moral ambiguity in play, where even the characters themselves are ambivalent about the nature of their work. Like Stand Alone Complex the protagonists are struggling to navigate the agendas of a convoluted landscape. Ironically, though this is history based and not fully speculative, there is less certainty. Unlike Stand Alone Complex, the protagonists have not earned the audience's faith. We simply do not know who stands for what and who knows what. We don't know whether D’Eon is following his better angels; whether Durand is compromised or double dealing; whether Robin has enough judgment at his age and whether his relationship to the Queen will set him on cross purposes to D’Eon's work; whether Telliagory's mindset is modern enough for the task. The loyalties of these characters become entangled with the concerns of the age. Seeing the unrest in the streets, it is impossible to ignore the liberal theory involved or the rise of the disenfranchised. The French Revolution in the Reign of Terror might be on the horizon, but the attempt to reconcile monarchism with compassion is already producing some interesting conflicts. Where this goes is open to speculation, but it is hard to imagine a scenario where Production I.G keeps this distinct from current, relevant politics.
Shoujo came into its own as a genre with cross dressing tales: when it was first written by men with Tezuka's Princess Knight, later as the genre written by women with Riyoko Ikeda's Rose of Versailles. The elements of Le Chevalier D'Eon that had seemed like a plot conceit or reference to this history having begun coalescing into something potent and in keeping with the traditions powerful stories. The historical D'Eon achieved legendary status by living part of his life as a woman. As captured in the anime, D'Eon in his sister's dress is anything but goofy. These scenes look at the transformation with dangerous tension. The unease doesn’t stem from homophobia or gynophobia. Part of it is how the implied power play fits into the social movement of the age. The anime didn’t really need Empress Elizabeth to note the significance, but when she does, the statement underscores the politics of the action. The other side, is the mutability of identity. This, along with D’Eon’s work for the secret police and the higher powers of French royalty seem to be heading in an interesting direction in terms of someone sliding away from their comfortable definition of themselves.
Manwha Spotlight: Banya: The Explosive Delivery Man Volume 3 by Kim Young-Oh Released by Dark Horse Manwha
By the end of the volume, there is some suggestion that Banya: The Explosive Deliveryman is heading somewhere, or at least substantially expanding the background of its hero, but through the midpoint of the five volume series, the Korean low fantasy action manwha is still comprised of short, localized quests. While it is not even trying to be the next great epic, the fight storytelling and well thought out world construction have been sharp enough that the manwha has not needed plot momentum. It doesn't feel like an essential work, but it has been a reliable source for thrilling swords and monsters action. This is kept more interesting with a dynamic introduced by design that is less myth and legend based than something like an alternate reality. While there hasn't been a strong, continuing narrative, all of the elements of the manwha have contributed to satisfying, small stories. It starts with a world that enforces the logic behind the skirmish sized engagements that its action is suited for, and a need for the titular courier system. Despite battles between monasteries or armed fortresses and the series' The Lord of the Rings style orc-like Torren, the civilizations on display seem loosely managed, highly localized. Every spot seems isolated by geography and untamed wildness, without much in the way of resources. Each battle is made fiercer by the long, slow trek for help or salvation. This dark age isolation establishes the brutality of the journey and encounters, with the characters too crazy or young or desperate to stay away from the moving between the hot spots. One of the manwha's chief attractions continues to be the thrill of its monster design. It is unique in this regard given its success in having creatures look outstandingly dangerous by making the unreal look plausible. From its first pages, the series had been teasing with small cuts of Torren battles. This volume meets with the creatures in a sustained fight, and they stand up impressively under the exposure. The way that their skin fits over the frame, suggesting fat and muscle, the way their faces stretch to reveal exposed gums and cracked teeth, along with the details in their hide clothes and crude weapons adds up to tangibly barbarous foes. The most effective characteristic of Torren in a battle is that they look ready to bite you, not because the ugly foes are gifted with fangs or especially powerful jaws, but because they are brutal, nasty fighters. The less humanoid monsters have also been repeated to some extent by this volume, and after reestablishing the familiar creatures, the illustration is a bit lighter on details. Even if there is no expectation that the heroes or even faceless characters are in real danger from the creatures, it is still fun to see the series' handling of monsters as real animals. With the ecology of these creatures that might be real, such as dragon-things that act like bears, toads that act like jackals, or inspired re-creations of other fairly logical fiction, such as Tremours graboid-type worms, the grounded touch makes for something more inspiring that the typical imaginary fauna of fantasy. Though the manwha is exceptional at keeping its creatures relatable, when it builds up, it can also project concrete design on onto a larger, more forcefully unreal level. The volume's Torren filled lead-in story was already producing some legendary monster smash-mouth, but really capped off its status as a classic fantasy action with the climactic introduction of the "earth demon." This alien dinosaur-like creature might not look like the product of earthly evolution, but the attention to how its anatomy fits powerfully establishes the scale of this impactful beast.
Manwha Spotlight Priest Volume 16: Zealot's March by Min-Woo Hyung Released by TOKYPOP
The rumor was that Gerard Butler was penciled in for the titular undead smashing priest in the development of a live action adaption of Min-Woo Hyung's manwha. If Daniel Craig can go from Ted Hughes to James Bond, anything is possible. But post 300, it is difficult to envision the transition from Leonidas to Father Ivan Isaacs, a man whose boiling rage is housed in a hollowed out Leone meets Rob Zombie shell. A rail frame a duster and a gaunt, cross branded face with goth long straight hair doesn't fit easy onto the figure that is going to be best remembered as the king of Sparta. However, the point is moot in regards to the manwha's latest volume. Isaacs appears in reference, but not in person. Only six months past between the release of Priest volume 15 and 16. Not bad for this series, but still, the break does the work no favors. Reading volumes of the manwha in proximity to each other, the dizzying complexity of its back-story helps establish a heady impression of the series. Stretched out, the large cast and all of the details become encumbering baggage. 16 volumes in, Priest's perverse cosmology, set up as a spaghetti western style cycle of revenge and retribution between the followers of God and those who rebelled against the higher power, it is difficult to re-acclimate everything, even with an extensive volume introduction summary. The events of volume 16 vent the series' antagonisms. With dire intensions being played out, the narrative dives into a maelstrom of carnage as a mentally and psychologically warped crusader brotherhood swoop down to exterminated a sinful community. The interval between volumes detaches the effect from the depth of the cause. Consequently, it plays out as a melee between colorfully dangerous people, with no substantial moral or emotional grounding. Freak church zealots versus a rough, bankrupt town isn't incomprehensible, but there were enough twists to get to that point and enough complexity to Priest that figuring out what was previously said and retrofitting these event into the remember/reconstructed theme of the work is a mentally labor intensive exercise. Priest is not an entirely vacuous work, but whether is the effort is warranted is still debatable. Unhinging the violence doesn't entirely rob it of its impact. A guy with a minigun versus an iron-masked hulk able to rip foes' heads off, James Coburn (well, the character is just named Coburn) versus a swashbuckler and plenty of fictional Native American style smack down are still impressive spectacles. Min-Woo Hyung's fight illustration is less about a choreographed exchange of blows than it is setting the stage for impact: alternating between weapons being drawn/guns being leveled and the bloody aftermath. The angular, straight line based design gives the characters the look of game sprites. As a result, every character looks like part of the action. Even in a town full of bystanders, each seems ready to pick up a gun, or become a victim of the violence. The angular forms also help to maintain clarity in visually intense events. Priest has a clamorous quality to the action, not just full of speed lines, but also debris, most shards of glass and wood. The regular forms of the characters ensure that as the chaos off explosions and speed lines heat up, the manwha remains easy to follow. Volume 16 yields a particularly crowded battle field. With secondary characters stepping over bodies to fight, it is just coherent enough to be exciting. The particular engagement seems of secondary importance to the over-arching plot, a minor annoyance given the gap between volumes, but, there is enough blood, splintering wood and explosions that the mad rush is never dull.
Spotlight: Chinese Hero - Tales of the Blood Sword By Wing Shing Ma Volume 1 Released by Dr Master
In terms of the American comic tradition, the storytelling of Wing Shing Ma's wuxia epic Chinese Hero feels like something Jack Kirby wrote. Rather than space odysseys and ancient alien gods, the yard is spun around pulp martial arts heroes and villains. While Chinese Hero begs lenience in matter of coherence, the reward to working through the comic is watching its strange, dense mythology unfold. The chief thrill id the constant revelation of new bizarre organizations of foes or predicaments that appear to challenge the martial arts hero. The volume opens with a 20 page pictorial recapping the earlier life of Yin Xiong Hua as he encounters traveling masters, hidden techniques, and secret societies, in an intricate and creative, but also shaggy doggish tale of convoluted twists and turns. While this reads like a reader's digest of decades of comic book mythology, given the eventfulness of this first volume's content, it probably boils down to much shorter stretch. Chinese Hero is an odyssey of unending tests, and impossible odds, with an emphasis in the history behind the events and the virtue of the characters. The volume commences mid-adventure, on a steam ship back to China. In typical fashion, this trip if horribly upended, with Hero's wife poisoned, his children stolen and an ally coerced to work against him. The only person reliably on his side is his confident, Sheng Nu, a timid round medical expert and practitioner of soft style kung fu. This ocean going death trap soon begins springing some of the series' most enjoyable features, its bizarre or bizarrely poached adversaries. In the former case, there is an abundance of outlandish martial arts foes. On the ship, this includes women who can suck blood through their palms and turn it into rejuvenating chi. Later, the comic offers the likes of the beard ed master of the death gate, who the bonded with a silver eagle after retreating into hermitage or the 7 No Shadow Kicks, which includes immense brute with the "bully elephant kick", and a hunched man with a putty sculpted face who employs the "yin snake kick." These are noticeably augmented by a host of American pop media knock-offs, including the Incredible Hulk, Apollo Creed (in the Rocky IV pre-fight show regalia) and Clubber Lang. The work does not appear to be terribly concern with the sum of its parts, but watching it spin out these weird characters, then seeing how it explains their action and abilities is a compellingly manic exercise. As with other wuxia comics published by DrMaster, Chinese Hero - Tales of the Blood Sword's color printing is a noticeable asset. In addition to the flashy attack effects, it is difficult to imagine some of these literally colorful villains in black and white. There is some variability in the color quality, but in most panels, the comic offers the bright glint of digital coloring. Panel to panel fight coherence is not the chief priority in the comic. There isn't always discipline in ensuring that the position of bodies in one panel with one kick logically transitions to the next panel with the impact of the first blow and movement of a second. Instead, the intent of the illustration is on getting the most out of a particular frame. The speed lines, expressions and posture of attacks are employed to speak to the velocity and deadly force of the movements.
Anime Spotlight: Tetsujin 28 Volumes 4 - 6 Released by Geneon Complete Set to be Released June 19, 2007.
The latest Tetsujin 28 television series is anime as direct, poignant commentary, that operates by placing the original giant robot in the context that gave birth to the steel powerhouse. Plenty of distanced observers who have only seen anime in small, still design work snap shots have been willing to speculate on how the traditional fascination with these machines was grounded in the trauma of World War II. Then again, artists far closer to the form, willing to dissect it, have made similar conjectures. Takashi Murakami's controversial Superflat movement being a prime example. The 2004 Tetsujin 28 revival actively engages that idea as a political exploration. The opening animation of Tetsujin 28 casts the work as a children's pulp adventure. Accompanied by brassy music and a men's chorus vocal, its unambiguously hopeful, as if to proclaim, with bravery, fortitude, and a huge robot, there's no problem that can't be handled. Tetsujin 28 himself is seen flying unencumbered through the sky: a riveted silo body, with adorned super hero colored bands and a head that is part European knight's helm, part Pinocchio. Every so often his low, mechanical growl of recognition punctuates the chorus in a manner that is comforting, the way a familiar train's rumble might be. Shown driving a car, Tetsujin's boy commander looks confident, equipped and ready. Throughout this sequence, there is even a glee in the threats. Cartoon terrorists blast Tetsujin 28 with tommy guns and missiles, but the robot barely stumbles. Soon, he is crushing various mad scientist creations. Even flying past the smoke stacks of sprawling factory complexes, for the moment, the tone is less about pollution and resources than it is industrialized possibility.
This introduction is not so much ironic, as it is an idealized version of the concept. The design of the series maintains the hallmarks of late 50's/early 60's animation, with more shape-based character models, but the tone of the series is far from retro or nostalgia. Instead, it acts without pretense of innocence or glee in constructing a metaphoric recreation of the transformation from occupied post war Japan to economic, manufacturing power. This Tetsujin 28 project was helmed by Yasuhiro Imagawa, who previously worked with Mitsuteru Yokoyama's mecha primogenitor (known as Gigantor in North America), in the seven part direct to video OVA Giant Robo. That operatic series pulled in Yokoyama's other works, including manga adaptations of Chinse classics such as Water Margin and Romance of the Three Kingdoms, as well as other giant robot franchises, spy adventures, and even Bewitched turned magical girl Sally, the Witch. Fans of Giant Robo should note, that in addition further exposing robots that only appeared as cameos in the OVA, Tetsujin 28 prominently features the investigator Kenji Murasame in a complex role that typifies the differences between the two works. Tetsujin 28 does build its characters around archetypes, but in cases like Murasame, Giant Robo seems like the heroic fiction built around Tetsujin 28's grittier reality. As a giant robot introduced before such constructs where piloted, Tetsujin 28 is remotely directed through a control box. The name of the boy detective commanding the titular giant robot has gone back to Yokoyama's original Shoutarou Kaneda rather than Giant Robo's Daisaku Kusama. In either case, the robot was developed by the boy's now deceased father as part of a war effort. Without any other family, the boy sees his father's creation as a brother and at times as a surrogate father. Despite the uplifting opening sequence, Tetsujin 28 is not a trap door anime, that sets up a formula for problem solving before dropping out the false bottom to reveal a world that is far more complex and harsh. Shoutarou might be brave, eager and bright eyed, but the adults around him can't forget that their nation has been shaped by the war, after which no is one innocent, but no one is not a victim. Through volume three, the series continues to utilized stand alone episodes or short, largely self contained plots to underscore how efforts to push forward into a new beginning are hampered by war wounds. In most of the cases for these short stories, the antagonists are those trapped in the war, rather than just the opportunists ready take advantage of the new age. These include doctors still caring the deceases that they struggled to beat on the battlefield, women who can't reconcile untouched cities with the damage they saw, soldiers who sacrifice to achieve something, only to see it superseded. Shoutarou's unique mix of youth and adult capabilities puts him in a difficult spot. He works within a society that is already on its feet, but in which he is only one who does not remember the horrors of war or the hardship that followed.
The series' second half is largely continuous, but viewers looking for the series to prioritize story or recapture the fantastic buoyancy of Giant Robo will continue to be disappointed. Instead, it re-enforces the same post-war quandaries with heavier weapons, better organized foes and more lingering mysteries. The plot works well enough to maintain a firm focus, but the appeal of the series has little to do with these telegraphed mysteries. That there is more than some indication of who will be found holding the smoking gun in the final act is more evidence that the series is more concerned about the impact of the implication than the revelation of the facts. These events serve to push Shoutarou further than even his torture at the hands of the laughably named gangster Thrill Suspense in the series' early episodes. That confrontation revolved the debate of whether Tetsujin 28 was a tool or a weapon, which continued to be a key concern throughout the run of the series. Shoutarou's sentimental third option, to identify with the giant machine as family, almost seems to reference the relationship those who grew up with giant robot anime might have had with the construct. As the events of the anime become more imperative, Shoutarou is forced to consider how the history of his machine still has a bearing. The atomic bomb is hardly explicitly invoked in the anime series, but it not until that Shoutarou realizes that his robot has the power of mass destruction and that he might have need to use it that he personally suffers the trauma of war. By suggesting that giant robots are the product of a post war subconscious, Tetsujin 28 is not necessarily offering anything new in its instruction. What the anime does accomplish, is that it establishes an emotional reality, from which a viewer might appreciate the role in history played by the idea of the giant of robot. Giant robot fans will not find the anime the fun, nostalgia work that they might hope for in a Tetsujin 28 anime, but viewers will not likely forget how the anime addresses the elephant in the room that is always present when the genre is evoke.
Anime Screenings
Tekkon Kinkreet has the following North American screenings scheduled: MoMA - The Museum of Modern Art Roy and Nita Titus Theaters 1 & 2 Wed 4/25 (T1), Thurs 4/26 (T2), Fri 4/27 (T2) - 8:30 pm Sat 4/28 (T2), Sun 4/29 (T2) - 2:00 pm Mon 4/30 (T2) - 8:30 pm Director Michael Arias will appear at the April 25th screening. Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival Laemmle’s Sunset 5 Sun 5/6 - 5:00 pm Hawaii International Film Festival Dole Cannery Thurs 4/26 2007 - 8:45 pm AniPages Daily has a must read interview with director Michael Arias here Anime Network reports that Satoshi Kon's Paprika and the two Death Note live-action films will screening at next week's Newport Beach Film Festival Paprika will also be playing at the Minneapolis/St. Paul International Film Festival on Friday, April 20 at 9:30 p.m. Appleseed Follow-Up Preview A preview image for the "Appleseed: Ex Machina" sequel to the earlier CG anime is online here. The earlier movie was the second adaption of another of Ghost in the Shell creator's Masamune Shirow's sci-fi cop series.
FUNimation Picks Up One Piece
FUNimation representative Lance Heiskell informed AnimeOnline that the distributor has picked up popular Shonen Jump pirate action One Piece after episode 144, the point where 4Kids left the series. FUNimation has both broadcast and DVD rights. Uncut releases of the anime are planned. More questions are answered during an Arlong Park thread.
Viz Media On Blue Dragon Anime
Viz Media has announced that the company has secured the television, home video and non-video game merchandising rights for the Americas, Europe and Oceania to BLUE DRAGON, a new anime series based on the popular Microsoft Xbox 360 Role Playing Game. Dragon Ball creator Akira Toriyama provided character design and has stated that this will be his last anime work. The Xbox 360 game “BLUE DRAGON” is developed by Hironobu Sakaguchi (the creator of Final Fantasy). The anime series debuted in Japan on TV Tokyo on April 7, 2007 and is produced by Studio Pierrot, which is well known for its work on NARUTO and BLEACH, also licensed by VIZ Media. BLUE DRAGON television broadcast and key licensing partners will be determined shortly. The BLUE DRAGON video game has already established itself in Japan as one of Microsoft’s hottest releases in the RPG category and will be released in North America and Europe in August 2007. The BLUE DRAGON Anime is a classic adventure story of magical Shadow powers, flying air fortresses, and unbounded heroism! Brought together by fate, Seven Soldiers of Light must awaken the Shadow within themselves in time to overcome a despotic power and bring peace to their land. Their ensuing journey through a rich fantasy world is also an internal journey to awaken the great power within each of them. Kotaku has posted opening and closing animation here
Ah! My Goddess Two Anime Channel Premiere
Anime Channel has announced that Ah! My Goddess Two: Flights Of Fancy, the first episode of the second season, will premiere on the Video On Demand service May 3rd 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.. The DVD version of the anime will be released on May 8th.
Gigantor Picked Up
Digital Music Group, Inc. has announced of Gigantor to its catalog. DMGI says of Gigantor that the English language version of the Japanese animated show, "Tetsujin-28-go, Gigantor" was one of the first anime-style cartoons introduced to American audiences. Created in 1963 and the first "giant robot" series of its kind, Gigantor was an immediate hit with young audiences and was the predecessor to similar themed animated shows of the 1980s and 1990s. Other recent acquisition include: * Bozo the Clown * Howdy Doody * Batfink * Milton The Monster
Orguss, Nobody's Boy Remi and Cat's Eye from ImaginAsian
Anime News Network reports that ImaginAsian Entertainment's iaTV will begin broadcasting Orguss, Nobody's Boy Remi and Cat's Eye season 1 on June 5 Monday through Friday as part of an "TMS Presents: Anime Classics" block. The three series will be released on DVD, print to order with TitleMatch Entertainment Group, which uses CSS encryption and region coding on DVD-R media. Each series will run 8 volumes. The first volume and a case will well for $12.99, and later will sell for $9.99 The Super Dimension Century Orguss is the second part of Big West's Super Dimension trilogy, between The Super Dimension Fortress Macross and The Super Dimension Cavalry Southern Cross. Nobody's Boy Remi is a World Masterpiece Theatre adaptation of a Hector Malot's Sans Famille Cat's Eye is a cat thief action anime from the creator of City Hunter.
Oreskaband At AX
Anime Expo has announced that the conventions second quest of honor is Oreskaband, a ska rock band described as "the hottest teen girl sextet from Osaka". Formed in 2003, ORESKABAND is composed of middle school classmates-TOMI (bass & vocals), TAE-SAN (drums), SAKI (trumpet), MORIKO (tenor sax), LEADER (trombone) and IKASU (guitar & vocals). They began playing at local clubs and quickly built a following with their energetic live shows and colorful personalities. From performing at local venues and appearing in a TV commercial for POCKY, ORESKABAND continues to showcase their unique and fresh "ska-pop" sound and has performed at the prestigious annual FUJI ROCK FESTIVAL. ORESKABAND kicked off their first tour starting from SXSW music festival from Austin, TX and continues to amaze American audiences throughout the U.S. The convention is held June 29-July 2 at the Long Beach Convention Center.
Media Blasters Licenses Space Pirate Mito Anime
Anime on DVD reports that Media Blasters will be releasing Space Pirate Mito follow-up Aoi & Mutsuki: A Pair Of Queens starting on July 31st. Dragon Ball Online Hitting Xbox 360? Kotaku reports that a NTL is looking for a programmer "With Xbox 360 experience" for the development of "Dragon Ball Online/"
July/August Manga Premieres
From MangaCast, based on Diamond Previews for May 2007 ADV Manga YOTSUBA MANGA VOL 4 TP (Returning after long hiatus) GUNSLINGER GIRL MANGA VOL 4 TP(Returning after long hiatus) ARORA PUBLISHING Walkin Butterfly Vol 1 Gn Broccoli Books Coyote Ragtime Show Vol 1 Gn CMX King Of Cards Vol 1 Dark Horse Translucent Vol 1 Tp Del Rey Alive Vol 1 Gn Deux Hate To Love You Vol 1 Gn DMP Books Heroes Are Extinct Vol 1 DramaQueen Sm Hunter Vol 1 Gn Go!Comi Hikkatsu Vol 1 Gn Infinity Studios Ichigeki Sacchu Hoihoi-San Gn June Dont Say Anymore Darling Gn Not Enough Time Gn NETCOMICS 10 20 & 30 Vol 1 Gn Seven Seas Aoi House In Love Vol 1 Gn Free Runners Vol 1 Gn He Is My Master Vol 1 Gn Venus Versus Virus Vol 1 Gn 9 TOKYOPOP Peace Maker Vol 1 Gn (Of 6) (Mr) Atelier Marie And Elie Zarlburg Alchemist Vol 1 Gn (Of 5) Pick O/T Litter Vol 1 Gn (Of 4) Stand By Youth Vol 1 Gn (Of 5) We Shadows Gn Bombos Vs Everything Vol 1 Gn (Of 3) Undertown Gn Missing Kamikakushi No Monogatari Vol 1 Gn (Of 3) St Lunatic High School Vol 1 Gn (Of 2) Ai Land Chron Book O/T Second Revolution Vol 1 Novel (Of 5) Trinity Blood Reborn On The Mars Vol 1 Novel (Of 6) Viz Media Pretty Face Vol 1 Tp
Right Stuf/Kadokawa Releases
Anime producer and distributor The Right Stuf International and Kadokawa Pictures USA are announced the North American DVD debut of THE THIRD: THE GIRL WITH THE BLUE EYE. The first of six volumes, Encounter, contains the series’ first four episodes and will be available on July 31, 2007. The 24-episode anime, also known as “The Third – Aoi Hitomi no Shoujo,” is based upon a popular series of novels and short stories written by Ryou Hoshino and illustrated by Nao Goto. Spanning more than 16 volumes, the original fiction has appeared in Japan’s Dragon Magazine since 1999, alongside the serialized novels that inspired the hit Full Metal Panic! and Slayers anime series. Additionally, a manga adaptation ran in Dragon Age magazine, home to the Full Metal Panic!, Slayers and Chrono Crusade manga. XEBEC (D.N.Angel, Negima!, Fafner, Elemental Gelade) produced the animation for the TV series, which ran on Japan’s WOWOW satellite channel from April through October of 2006.
One Girl. One Tank. No Problem. In a devastated world overrun by monstrous bugs and ravaged by outlaws, there’s only one person to call when you really need a job done right: Honoka. With a sixth sense for danger, sword skills that are second to none, and a smart-aleck A.I. tank by the name of Bogie, she’s ready to tackle any job and solve any problem for her clients. But while crossing the desert one night, she finds a young man alone in the wasteland. It’s the first step of a journey that will challenge even Honoka’s amazing skills to their very limit! Contains episodes 1-4. For more information about The Third: The Girl With the Blue Eye, visit the series site at www.thethirdanime.com. Right Stuf will also be handling distribution of the official The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya “logo” T-shirt, timed to coincide with the release of the anime series’ first North American volume on May 29, 2007. The shirt will sell for $17.99
Geneon Entertainment Named Independent DVD Vendor Of The Year
Geneon Entertainment was recognized on as Independent DVD Vendor Of The Year (2006) by the Trans World Entertainment Group, the parent company responsible for over 1,000 mall-based retail stores including SunCoast, f.y.e. (for your entertainment), Wherehouse Music, Coconuts Music & Movies and Strawberries Music & Video. The award was presented to the Geneon sales team last month. Geneon's innovative methods for driving catalog sales was creditied for securing the award over competitive anime distributors, as well as other independent non-animation studios.
ADV Talks 009-1 Premiere
ADV Films will be releasing the first volume of the 009-1, from legendary creator Shotaro Ishinomori (Kamen Rider, Kikaider, Gilgamesh) with help from veteran production companies TBS (Ah! My Goddess, This Ugly Yet Beautiful World) and Aniplex (Fullmetal Alchemist, Blood+, on June 19th. ADV Films is proud to bring you the first volume of 009-1, a new sleek and sexy sci-fi Synopsis: In a world where the Cold War never ended, East and West continue to battle for technological and political supremacy. Mylene Hoffman, field commander of the elite Double Zero intelligence division, exists in this world with her eyes open and her body always ready to do battle. She puts the intelligence into “intelligence agent” and her body into “body of evidence!” Liberating benevolent scientists, tagging along with would-be monster-slayers, meeting her match in the world’s most hard-boiled assassin and navigating a deadly labyrinth of horrors are all in a day’s work for Mylene. There’s no problem she can’t solve with the proper application of high explosives, fast-talk, deceptive jewelry, make-up and the right moves behind closed doors! In a world of -spy mystery and intrigue, discover who she kisses one minute and kills the next. Don’t miss this first action-packed volume of 009-1! 009-1 Volume 1 (SRP $29.98 DVD) is an anamorphic DVD-only release including the first four episodes, presented in both English 5.1 and Japanese 2.0 with English subtitles. Extras include an interview with the director and staff, how the manga became an anime, information on the weapons and gadgets in the show, plus clean opening animation, clean closing animation and previews of upcoming ADV Films releases.
Viz Titles At MIPTV
Viz Media announced that the showcased the following titles at this year's MIPTV. MIPTV provides the key decision-makers in the TV, film, digital and audiovisual content, production and distribution industry with the only market conference and networking forum to discover future trends and trade content rights on a global level. BLEACH, 52 episodes x 30 minutes BLEACH, by creator Tite Kubo, is an animated, hyperkinetic, all-purpose, ghost-busting action series targeted to teens. BLEACH is the story of an average 15 year-old, Ichigo Kurosaki, who was born with the ability to see ghosts. When a Hollow attacks his family – a malevolent lost soul – Ichigo encounters a Soul Reaper and absorbs her powers. Now he is dedicating his life to protecting the innocent and helping the tortured souls find peace. A dedicated website is forthcoming at bleach.viz.com. MÄR, 52 episodes x 30 minutes MÄR, created by Nobuyuki Anzai, is targeted to kids ages 6-14. Ginta, a 14-year-old boy has his world turned upside down when a mysterious portal suddenly transports him into the fairy tale realm he envisions as a dream. This is the World of MÄR, where Ginta acquires superhuman strength and a strange new friend named Babbo, a talking magical weapon known as a ÄRM. Together, Ginta and Babbo embark on a quest to save the World of MÄR from total domination! DEATH NOTE 37 episodes x 30 minutes DEATH NOTE, based on the Shueisha manga series of the same name, is currently one of the hottest anime titles in Japan. It depicts the adventures of Light Yagami, an ace student with great prospects but who is bored out of his mind. All of that changes when he finds the Death Note, a notebook dropped by a rogue Shinigami death god. Any human whose name is written in the notebook dies, and now Light has vowed to use the power of the Death Note to rid the world of evil. But when criminals begin dropping dead, the authorities send the legendary detective L to investigate, and he is soon hot on the trail of Light, who must now reevaluate his one noble goal. HONEY AND CLOVER - 26 episodes x 30 minutes HONEY AND CLOVER, is a funny and sad story where unrequited love finds its beginning in two love triangles... College life is a good time, full of energy, promise and friendship. Sure, students are poor and live in old, small apartments, but they're in college - a time when happiness is based on all the little things in life. But add love to the equation, and things start getting quite complicated! Roommates Yuta and Shinobu are in love with Hagumi, a cute transfer student, yet none of them have any clue as to the others' feelings. And Ayumi's in love with Takumi who's in love with Rika who's still in love with her late husband. With so much love to go around, why is everyone still single? HONEY AND CLOVER began as a manga in 2000, generating a buzz that started with bookstore clerks and expanded to eager online chatter. Attracting an audience of teens, HONEY AND CLOVER expanded into anime, music, laughter and fashion. MEGAMAN STAR FORCE - 13 episodes, 20 minutes each In the year 220X, a new technology has been developed to enable contact with extraterrestrial life forms. A mysterious accident occurs during the first communication attempt and Geo Stelar's father, an astronomical scientist, disappears. After the accident, Geo is determined to follow his father's footsteps and unravel the secrets surrounding the disappearance. Geo finds his father's visualizer, which allows him to see invisible electromagnetic waves, and soon after witnesses a fight between two sporadic waves, one of which unexpectedly rushes toward him! Geo learns that what he's seen isn't an electromagnetic wave, but an extraterrestrial life form - Omega-Xis, and FM-ian who has escaped his home Planet FM with the mysterious Andromeda Key. Other FM-ians are determined to destroy Planet Earth and release FM viruses to succeed in their cause. When Geo and Omega-Xis merge by exchanging electromagnetic waves, they become Mega Man - the only one who can protect humankind and save the planet! ZOIDS GENESIS 50 episodes x 30 minutes ZOIDS focuses on Planet Zi, which was once decimated by global disaster and is reborn with new mega-life forms called BioZoids. This age of newfound hope is threatened by a new menace, Deguld. Young Zoid excavator, Ruji, awakened the might Murasame Liger just in time to defend his village against the invaders, but not before they destroy the village's life-giving generator. Can Ruji restore life to his village and peace to Zi?
Tsubasa Site
FUNimation has launched the site for release of the CLAMP fantasy action Tsubasa here
Upcoming In Japan
From AnimeNation Design illustrators for the upcoming Kite follow-up Kite Liberator can be seen here. The new OVA is scheduled for release this fall. A trailer for GONZO's OVA follow-up Red Garden: Dead Girls is online A new trailer for AIKa R-16: Virgin Mission OVA can be seen here . A trailer for the new Tales of Symphonia OVA series can be seen here The latest adaptation of a PeachPit (DearS, Rozen Maiden) manga, July's Zombie-Loan, has a site here A trailer for SkullMan is online here ComiPress reports Hobby Japan will be releasing a manga series based on Queen's Blade
Hellboy Animated: Blood & Iron on DVD
Starz Home Entertainment has announced that Hellboy Animated: Blood & Iron will be released on DVD June 12th. Hellboy Animated: Blood & Iron is described reminiscent of the classic ‘Hammer Horror’ films: an atmospheric tale of gothic thrills and chills – stunning to look at, terrifying in content. In 1939, the young Professor Broom destroyed the vampire Erzsebet Ondrusko. Now, decades later, it seems that someone is trying to bring her back and Professor Broom wants to investigate this worrisome development himself. The agents from the Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense – Hellboy, Liz Sherman and Abe Sapien – go with him, far more worried about defending their top researcher than with anything paranormal! But their view is soon revised when they find themselves battling werewolves, ghosts, harpies…even Erzsebet herself. DVD features include: * Widescreen Presentation (1.78:1) Enhanced for 16x9 TVs * ‘Reversal of Fortune’: Professor Broom’s Story * Blood & Iron’s Alternate ‘Crappy’ ending * ‘The Iron Shoes’: The Animated Debut * ‘Pennangalan’: An E-Comic Exclusive from Mike Mignola * Audio Commentary featuring Mike Mignola, Tad Stones and Vic Cook * Exclusive 32-page Hellboy Animated: Blood & Iron comic book
