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Recent Sci-Fi Reviews 009-1, Xenosaga: The Animation, Kurau: Phantom Memory and Space Pinchy Ghost in the Shell 1.5 and Freedom

Manga Spotlight: To Terra... Volumes 2 and 3 (of 3) by Keiko Takemiya Released by Vertical

To Terra... affords an opportunity to read the work of a creator who made a significant contribution to the current shape of the manga tradition. Keiko Takemiya is grouped as a member of Nijuyon-nen Gumi, or the Year 24 Flower Group. These were women born in year 24 of the Showa era (1949) who pioneered a place for women writing manga for a female audience (shoujo). With works from the likes of Yasuko Aoike (From Eroica with Love), Moto Hagio (They Were Eleven) and Riyoko Ikeda (Rose of Versailles), these peers established the tone and subject matters that are still tenets in the shoujo genre. Keiko Takemiya's To Terra... is not specifically shoujo. It ran from 1977 to 1980 in Gekkan Manga Shonen, and as the anthology's name suggests, that was a periodical primarily read by a male audience. The manga follows Jomy Marcus Shin, an emotional boy who was the proverbial nail that stuck out, about to be hammered down by the forces of the SD (Supreme Dominance era). As a key feature of how humanity was guided by the SD rule teenagers were given a "Maturity Test," after which they were removed from the foster parents who raised them since their artificial birth. The process was design to cull out Jomy and his ilk, found to be unfit or different. In escaping the authorities, Jomy found that he was not just nonconforming. He was a psychic Mu, and one of the very rare Mu whose mental gifts did not come at the price of a frail physical body. With a powerful body and mind, he inherited the role of the Mu's savior Soldier Blue and the mission to take the Mu back to Earth. To pitch To Terra..., the immediate asset to note is the manga's importance. If modern manga is a robust and flexible tradition, that also happens to tend towards certain patterns, To Terra is one of the works that both broadened the form and helped to establish some of those routines. In the scheme of the manga tradition, To Terra is not so much a singular landmark that you could point to as a sign post for exactly why the tradition adopted certain features, as it is a demonstration of the creative forces that were brought to bear on the field. The magnitude of the imagery and emotions displayed in To Terra still resonates. You can feel how it might have influenced later creators. While manga is frequently tied to commercial endeavors, and as such, thrives on hot, immediate works, the latest and greatest new series stand on the shoulders of achievements like To Terra. However, even if you have little or no interest in manga as its own subject, Keiko Takemiya's radically beautiful take on science fiction warrants reading as a unique experience. From its Star Wars fleet battles to its weeping Buck Rogers space men melodrama, to the abstract imagery of its star fields, the manga offers an approach to a heroic, interplanetary foundation mythology not found elsewhere. There was a moment in the 60's where Marvel comic's rejuvenated approach to super heroes reached an outlook that was parallel to the Timothy Leary counter culture. In particular Steve Ditko's mystical dimensions of Dr Strange and the spiraling, warped space of Jack Kirby's Fantastic Four struck a chord with the proponents of mind-expansion. With its monochromatic illustration, To Terra veers closer to 2001 than the bursts of unearthly travel in 60's Marvel, but Takemiya's still similarly uses the comic form to stage an expansive mental landscape. Even the straight action seems to be occurring in a dream. Takemiya's mecha design has the air of hard-ish sci-fi, akin to something like earlier Gundam series or the model-kit formed Death Stars and X-Wings of Star Wars. As the opposing forces exchange sorties, the plot mechanism of psychic powers and Takemiya's approach to chronicling motion bend events. Pages laid out with the standard grid of panels are rare in To Terra. With figures and words breaking through the border lines or irregular shapes, such as pages broken into a series of trapezoids, events seem to bleed beyond the moments in which they occur. Impact is then accentuated when large panels halt instant to instant progression. This all breaks down further in the blackness of space, in which, in some cases, the actual panels fade out and the progression is merely implied. Manga (or comics) reach their optimal impact when the illustrations do not just present an effective image in each panel, but suggest aspects about the nature of the story in the progression between panels. In this case, Takemiya finds a very particular way of illustrating how her characters' minds bend the expanses of space, and how space in turn bends their minds. Anyone who appreciates comics will find something to marvel at in this approach. To Terra would be best received by an audience who is either an appreciator of manga and comics, or an unjaded reader. As with something like Kazuo Umezu's Drifting Classroom, one has to be jealous of those who have the opportunity to read the work at the young age. It's genuine, counter-authority zeal would have left quite an impression. After a more extensive diet of media, the problem with To Terra is while Takemiya's illustration still presents a new and evocative experience and specific events remain powerful, as a narrative, the manga's very author driven progression is more like a yarn than a series of novels. With characters in holding patterns until events arrive to move them along, if the story is not actively capturing your imagination, then some of its passages come off as a stretch. The campaign to Earth moves at a rate that feels arbitrarily fit into the room afforded by a publication. Perhaps because the manga was written for serialization, arguments are re-iterated. Events follow each other in a rational order and there might not be a jarring line between cause and effect, but cases where there is enough information to forecast and anticipate what is coming next are rare. While faith in Takemiya's plan for the series is rewarded, the journey involves sitting back and waiting for To Terra to arrive at its destination. At the same time, Takemiya's use and extension of a sub-genre that has largely been shelved can be fascinating. Anime and manga have largely moved away from the high melodrama that was represented in the 70's classics for both the female shoujo and male shounen targeted works. During this period, while Leiji Matsumoto (Star Blazers/Battle Ship Yamato, Space Captain Harlock) was sending his Romantic figures into the eddies of space, Takemiya launched the era's regal figures and open emotions into a stark black and white cosmos. As To Terra comes into its own with the second volume, its scope begins to dwarf some of the concerns about whether the approach was dated, as well as the issue of whether manga is rightly categorized as shoujo or shounen. Brave New World and 2001 parallels speak to the kind of sci-fi that informed To Terra. Concerns for the environment and totalitarian governments might be relevant, but one volume in, they were tied to a post-expiration fear of monumental super-computers and Soviet style administration. At that point, the manga did look like a dusty relic. To draw a comparison, Asimov's Foundation series is still provocative, but its faith in nuclear power marks the novels as dated. In To Terra's case, the idea of a building sized super computer with walls of blinking diodes that would micromanage the population representing a threat seems quaint. However, as the series progresses, these elements become less literal. The computer might be as farfetched as Martian invaders, but , that mechanical voice comes to credibly represent an argument about reining in volatile elements of human nature for the greater good. A similar process happens with the manga's gender issues. Takemiya is working with elements of what the Nijuyon-nen Gumi brought to manga. The most immediate of these is the majestic look of 70's shoujo. Takemiya might depict those capital star ships and phalanxes of fighters as well as anyone, but, there is a shine to her character's eyes and a flowing gracefulness to their hair that ties the aesthetic to era shoujo. Initially, To Terra was the story of a boy who learns he's special and has the power to affect history. Takemiya mixes a palpable threat from the governing authority with power fantasy for something along the lines of your typical only hope, super hero/Jedi/religious messianic figure. As the nature of the forces involved are revealed, these sentiments are mediated by the yin-yang relationship between Mu and humans. Thematically, the manga works in elements of yaoi: male love affairs as a genre for a female audience. This is especially seen in that the antagonist's redeeming, human characteristic is his close relationship with a male comrade. Shonen Jump editors are now aware that their works can be read by a female audience. They've acknowledged this that in how they handle titles like Hikaru no Go and Prince of Tennis. There's an argument that Hayao Miyazaki put the idea of romancing inappropriately young girls into the open through Castle of Cagliostro. 18 years later, moe is a driving force in anime production. The gender flip might be the unspoken suggestion of affection between male characters in shonen works. That's not to equate a "lolita complex" with homosexuality. The appeal has matured into a conscious design decision. The issue is between the reader and the creator/editor and involves knowing suggestion of a subtext to catch the attention of readers who might be looking for it. In the case of To Terra, the work does not feel consciously yaoi. It is not an attention grab or marketing point. At the same time, there is a point, or series of points being made in To Terra. There are a few blaring messages such as the striking danger of authority and the crushing weight of war, as well as a directed impression about the future of humanity. The manga is not showcasing a character who could be read as homosexual. Within the context of the series, the principal protagonist and antagonist are performing grand roles. Both are too human and simultaneously too vague to be defined by a one-on-one relationship. In his space operas, Leiji Matsumoto presented characters like Harlock, Emeraldas and Maetel who were ideals, worthy of aspiration. In To Terra..., Takemiya is offering an expansive new mythology. Its demigods might exhibit a super-human purity of purpose, and they do not always function on a human level, but they are essentially relatable. The boy savior introduction was effective in establishing an empathetic link to the protagonist. It remains possible to connect to his motivations and those of the man opposing him as the scope broadens. Many of the manga's most powerful moments depict the point in these forces who seem to command the fate of the human species as they react to loss. To Terra... is bookshelf manga, the way that a DVD collection should have some Kubrick or a personal library could benefit from C. S. Lewis' Space Trilogy. The mythological bombast is not going to be universally love, but if you turn to any page, there is an creativity and expressiveness calls for a lingering, admiring glance.

Anime Spotlight: Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex, Solid State Society Released by Bandai Entertainment and Manga Entertainment

In theory, Production I.G's Ghost in the Shell efforts are now being focused on brokering a Hollywood live action movie, leaving Solid State Society to stand as the cap stone for the Stand Alone Complex phase of the franchise. If that is in fact the case, cheers to Kenji Kamiyama and company for leaving a new standard in intelligent. The two television series and this movie might not have had the immediate artistry of works by Studio 4C or Satoshi Kon, but, like the Sopranos or The Shield, Stand Alone Complex deftly integrated thrills that brought the viewer into the tension of the event, with well architected long term storytelling and a provocative engagement of relevant matters. Solid State Society continues to excel in the areas where the previous Stand Alone complex entries excelled: it's well paced, it evolves and it is engaged with specific, concrete concerns. The model for the anime shifts to fit its format. While the initial Stand Alone Complex took the form of a procedural, Solid State Society models itself after an action movie. It opens with an emergency evacuation of an airport terminal and police cruisers swarming onto the scene. Set to a techno beat, SWAT teams rush in and the cyborgs of Public Security Section 9 begin asserting their commanding presence. What happens in the airport kicks open the manhole cover and the remainder of the movie remains bound in the tensions of what is unveiled in that confrontation. Through action set pieces, information warfare and personal danger, the movie tracks a twisted route that is never the less mounting the stakes in preparation for a final shoot-out. Like the Laughing Man, the target is more of a named system of manifested behaviors than an antagonist who can be the target of fire, but in this case, the promise that this threat will be removed in a violent confrontation still looms large as Section 9 scrambles in pursuit. Stand Alone Complex assumes a level of attentive investment on the part of the viewer. Without any grand visual markers to signify the movement, the three iterations of Stand Alone Complex have mapped a speculative evolution for Section 9 and the Japanese society in which it operates. In 2nd Gig, the Laughing Man chastened Section 9 sought to advance their troubleshooting efforts such that they would not just be prepared, but possibly proactive. Solid State Society catches Section 9 at a point where the force is looking to reorganize for a wider, more sustainable model. The suggested idea is that this new Section 9 could not only handle multiple situations, but thrive in the absence of the group's hyper-competent heroes, such as its father and political/administrative head Amaraki, and its gifted agents: the Major and Batou. On one hand, in terms of hacking scenes and the deployment of pavement pounding, heavily armed operatives, Section 9 as it is introduced looks a lot like Section 9 as it leaves Stand Alone Complex. The difference is its outlook and its role in a changing nation. A lot of this is strictly presented in dialog and a lot of it shakes out in day to day, off screen, procedure, and as such, it's left to the view prescribe the full significance. Yet, even though Solid State Society opens with many of its prominent players in new roles, approaching the changes to the Section 9 team from the perspective of a work of fiction, the escape route is plainly apparent. Always, the plot leaves the door open to return Section 9 to its familiar Major centric state. And yet, Kenji Kamiyama's scripts acknowledges this and goes on to play the "I know that you know, that I know" game with The Major's return to Section 9. All of the obvious "yes"'s and "no"'s are teased before the feature reveals something of what's really going on. Stand Alone Complex has always had a meta component, in which the works have commented on how media presents ideas. In many cases, this specifically concerned other Ghost in the Shell incarnations, and Solid State Society assesses the post-Major Section 9. Both how this is reflected by members of the Major's squad (as in Mamoro Oshii's Innocence) and the unrestrained, conscience-expanded Major (Shirow Masamune's Man-Machine-Interface) are explored. If this is in fact the end of Stand Alone Complex, the sub-franchise has gone out in a provocative note. It has charted a course for where Section 9 might go, and addressed the direction for this world when it is left on its own, outside the scope of the narrative. And, it has commented the pivotal moment in the franchise: the Major's transcendence at the end of the original Ghost in the Shell. In Solid State Society, Caesar is neither praised nor burried. There is a figure in the movie who is the spiritual grandfather of Section 9. Unlike many characters and situations that were appropriated from the manga, Solid State Society does not adjust this one for the look and feel of Stand Alone Complex. Especially given that this character is attended by a pantless, cleavage sporting squad of sexy-nurse-bots, it is tempting to see this character as a Shirow Masamune stand-in. The character is not rejected outright. Nor is the Major's transcendence. However, the movie does offer a rebuttal to the awe of the Major a a net goddess. Though "the net is vast and infinite" once again closes out the work, the new Major is cast as a complex and unpredictable force. Solid State Society implies that figuring out the new Major is like forecasting stocks or trends. The idea is that the number of factors involved approaches those of a prominent social issue. In other words, she is build up to where she is almost equal to the task of solving or creating a real problem. And, it is in those key civil concerns that Solid State Society plants its footing. There is a component of international affairs to the movie, and in that case, it looks to fictional states and fictional wars that occurred in Stand Alone Complex's history rather than actual geo-politics. Solid State Society is informed by terrorists, or at least the threat of terrorism, as exhibited by a concern that compromised people could be turned into bombers/bombs. These topics stand as background to what amounts to a collection of the non-national security topics for political campaign ads. Though the movie is propelled by guns and speeding cars and mecha, and it does credibly cast the issues as a cause for an immediate threat, the real concerns at work are the non-violent threats to a modern society. Stand Alone Complex has not always transitioned perfectly to an international audience. In particular, some of 2nd Gigs core motivations were particularly Japanese. In this case, that is not a problem. Many of the issues raised in Solid State Society are from the overlap between Japan's concerns and America's. America might not as worried about declining birth as Japan has, but immigration and an aging population fit into the group of shared hot buttons. The threat of Solid State Society is not directly caused by these concerns. It falls closer to the kind of sci-fi where a scheme or disaster is used to illuminate a social issue. Katsuhiro Otomo's 1991 Roujin Z was a farce in which the machine used to care for the elderly went on a rampage. Solid State Society is not about to blow up Tokyo to demonstrate the stresses on the modern consumer driven social order. As in Roujin Z, the movie has the threat direct the viewer to evaluate how the problem is, or is not, addressed. In creating a volatile scenario, it ultimately peels back the rhetoric to offer a view of how the debate is framed and what the scale of the potential solutions would look like.

ADV/Geneon Agreement Cancelled

Anime News Network has learned agreement by which ADV films would have assumed a sales and distribution role for Geneon USA has been canceled. Geneon USA has reportedly laid off the majority of its sales staff. ANN has also been informed that Geneon USA parent company Dentsu Inc was planning to close Geneon USA in-house production by the end of 2007.

Media Blasters Acquires Tweeny Witches

In an Anime on DVD forum conversation, Media Blasters' John Sirabella revealed that the company had licensed Studio 4C's (Mind Game, Tekkonkinkreet) TV series Tweeny Witches. "OH Yeah...almost forgot we just got the materials in for Tweeny Witches... I never mentioned it at the cons. Do not worry the titles announced will be coming and more on the horizon..maybe even some bigger ones to announce..who knows."

ADV Anniversy Sale

To mark their 15th Anniversary, the North American anime distributor has announced that over 900 titles will be on sale at $15.00 until September 24th. Thanks to Nonsensical for pointing this out.

Pop Japan Planning for 2008 Tours

Pop Japan Travel is now accepting reservations for three tours in the first half of 2008: the Cold Steel Tour departs first, in January (1.28-2.6, $2,500,plus a $200 fuel surcharge). The tour includes four days in Tokyo, a day tour of Kamakura, and two days in Sapporo, Hokkaido for the opening of the Sapporo Snow Festival. April tours include Fujoshi Paradise yaoi themed tour (4.11-4.18, $1,998) and the Tokyo Darkside, gothic-lolita themed tour (4.11-4.18, $1,998) in April. Yaoi manga creator Makoto Tateno ("Yellow" and "Hero Heel") will be having a chat on the Fujoshi Paradise tour.

Upcoming Figures

Sideshow Collectables have the following anime/manga related releases planned. The figures can be pre-ordered from the company's site. Quarter 4 2007 Witchblade Masane Amaha Statue $49.99 8" PVC Figure by Organic USA Death Note Ryuk VCD $134.99 12-inch Figure Medicom Toy VCD Death Note L Real Action Hero Figure $124.99 articulated 12-inch Figure Manufactured by Medicom Toy Death Note Light Real Action Hero Figure $124.99 articulated 12-inch Figure Manufactured by Medicom Toy Death Note Misa Real Action Hero Figure $124.99 articulated 12-inch Figure Manufactured by Medicom Toy Death Notes Light CraftLabel Statue $79.99 From the Jun Planning CraftLabel Series Polystone Statue w/ Fabric Product Size: 12" H x 7" W x 5" D Death Note L CraftLabel Statue $79.99 From the Jun Planning CraftLabel Series Polystone Statue w/ Fabric 10" H x 8" W x 7.5" D Quarter 2 2008 Fist of the North Star - Kenshirou Real Action Hero Figure $149.99 articulated 12-inch Figure Manufactured by Medicom Toy Organic Hobby, Inc will be releasing two of Kaiyodo's 2G Revoltech Series, "Revoltech Yotsuba" & "Revoltech Shin Getter 1" in October for $22.00 each. These PVC figures feature the Revoltech figures for possiblity. Revoltech Yotsuba is a fictional character from the ongoing manga series "Yotsuba&!," as well as the one-shot manga Try! Try! Try!, both by Kiyohiko Azuma. Revoltech Shin Getter 1 is the robot based from an original video animation (OVA) "Shin Getter Robo." Organic Hobby, Inc in conjunction with CM's Corporation is introducing its two new products for the U.S. market, "Patlabor ASUKA-MPL96 & ASUKA-SSL96 Taisyo." The characters "Patlabor ASUKA-MPL96 & ASUKA-SSL96 Taisyo" are based on the famous Anime action series "Patlabor, Mobile Police. The figures are 6" tall and have multiple articulation points and come equipped with accessories. "Patlabor ASUKA-MPL96 & ASUKA-SSL96 Taisyo" will be available in October with a SRP of $60.00. Organic Hobby, Inc in conjunction with Happinet will be releasing trading box packaged "Space Adventure Cobra Collection Figures" in the US this November for $6.80 each. "Space Adventure Cobra Collection Figure" is based on a sci-fi manga created by Buichi Terasawa, later turned into an anime movie and a TV series. The series features the infamous space-pirate Cobra who was once forced to hide from enemies by surgically altering his face and erasing his own memory. "Space Adventure Cobra Collection Figure" is a ten piece assortment (full color and rare color) of 5" scale trading figures and includes three secret items. Each figure comes in a closed box along with a handy eight piece counter display case. Yamato USA is selling the EX: Ikkitousen - Sonsaku Hakufu (Sitting) 1/7 PVC statue for $55 (regularly $68) now through September 24. Yamato USA is also taking pre-orders for CREATORS' LABO: #13 Air Gear - Simca and <#14 Shunya Yamashita - Arisa Jsocs: Tandem Twin Animal Girls: Lynx (Ruby) Redux Neon Genesis Evangelion: Eva-01, Eva-02, And Eva-00 Action Figures MEGAZONE 23: 1/15 Garland - Factory Color MEGAZONE 23 PART II: 1/15 Proto-Garland The GN-U: Groizer X (Anime Version) ATV: 1/12 Fyana (Woodo) CREATOR'S LABO #13: AIR GEAR - SIMCA Based on the manga Oh! Great Yamato's CREATORS' LABO #13: AIR GEAR - Simca comes complete with set of decorative decals and themed base, all packaged in a collector's style window box. Available this winter for MSRP of $68. CREATORS' LABO #14: SHUNYA YAMASHITA - ARISA Fashioned by Sunny Day of the sculpting team Cerebus Project TM, a companion piece to Yamato's CREATORS' LABO #12: Shunya Yamashita - Non Non (available October). Window boxed, Arisa comes with a host of accessories including bass guitar, eyeglasses, decorative arm parts, display base, and removable blouse and skirt. Available this winter for MSRP of $68. JSOCS: TANDEM TWIN ANIMAL GIRLS: LYNX (RUBY) REDUX A follow-up to Kouichi Yamazaki (TANDEM TWIN) work from Japanese Sculptor Original Character Series. The limited offer which includes additional eyepatch and double edge sword. But be quick, this one will be gone as quick as a swipe of her paw. Available this Winter for MSRP of $68. NEON GENESIS EVANGELION: EVA-01, EVA-02, AND EVA-00 ACTION FIGURES . Each 7" scale, metallic painted figure features 11 points of articulation and comes complete with a host of themed armor/weapon accessories such as assault rifle, machine gun, and knife (EVA-01); positron rifle, spear, axe, and knife (EVA-02); and bazooka, shield, and Lance of Longinus (EVA-00). Available this Fall at $14.99. EVA-01, EVA-02, AND EVA-00 sold separately. MEGAZONE 23: 1/15 Garland - Factory Color 1/15 Garland - Factory Colothis Winter for MSRP of $168. MEGAZONE 23 PART II: 1/15 Proto-Garland 1/15 Proto-Garland. The Proto-Garland also comes with a newly designed Shogo action figure, rifle with interchangeable body, and Hagan (enemy robot) shield and gun with which to duplicate the final battle scene of Megazone 23. early next year with an MSRP of $178. The GN-U: Groizer X (Anime Version) Constructed of die-cast and PVC material, and transformable through interchanging parts from its robotic to fighter mode. It also features a host of functioning parts and comes complete with three miniature G-machines - G-Jet, G-Shark, and G-Tank --, the weapon "Flying Torpedo", and an isplay base. Packaged with paper craft which when combined with packaging recreates the famous take-off scene from the Akane-Jima island base. Approximately 7.85" in robotic made and 6.00" in fighter mode. Available early next year for MSRP of $158. ATV: 1/12 Fyana (Woodo) Sculpted by Maki Asai, the same sculptor of Chirico Cuvie, fits into a 1/12 Brutishdog Includes two kinds of helmets, interchangeable face and body parts, and themed weaponry. Packaged with new head parts for the ATV: 1/12 Chirico Cuvie Available October 2007 for MSRP of $48.

Manga Release Forecast

MangaBlog notes that Authentic Mango picked up the following release plans from the Osamu Tezuka Panel at the Asian Art Museum. Dark Horse is planning on releasing more Tezuka works "beyond Kimba". Astro Boy volumes 1 and 2 will be reprinted and an omnibus re-release is being considered. The God of Manga's Crime and Punishment adaptation is something that they are looking at. On the subject of works that had been serialized in the Super Manga Blast anthology, Makoto Kobayashi's cat comedy What's Michael? may be published in an omnibus, but Kobayashi's country girl in the big city Club 9 is a dead property. According to Carl Horn, an early cancellation of Eden is doubtful, he could not promise that the series will be completed. Vertical also has plans to release more Tezuka manga, and manga beyond the works of Tezuka and Keiko Takemiya. Vetical's releases of Tezuka manga will remain flipped for a left to right pace flow. It was noted that adaptations of Tezuka's works are highly unlikely due to high resistance from Tezuka Productions. The company says that they will not be able to publish any of Moto Hagio's classic shoujo due to rights issues. Beyond To Terra... and Adromeda Stories, Keiko Takemiya works, including Kaze to Ki No Uta/The Poem of the Wind and the Trees are unlikely in the near future. Future plans include a website re-design (in October) and a separate manga imprint. Viz is also considering more Tezuka releases, and noted that the creator's shoujo forerunner Princess Knight, received good fan response in Shoujo Beat. Phoenix still is a financial loss for Viz. This does not encourage them to reprint Black Jack. Black Jack is something they'd love to print if they were sure they'd profit off of it. Reprints of the original Adolf series or Black Jack run are impossible as their original runs pre-dated digitization. The entire Phoenix series reprinted including volumes 1, 3, and 7. Tekkon Kinkreet/Black and White fans will be disappointed to hear that Taiyo Matsumoto's No. 5 was Viz's "worst selling manga of all time" and will not be coming back. His Blue Spring likewise sold extremely poorly. Even a Monkey Can Draw Manga, is a favorite of theirs, though a reprint is unlikely in the near future. Kekkaishi not actually as big a loss for Viz as some have thought, but it's still highly overlooked however. Last Gasp plans to continue publishing Barefoot Gen in the near future. The third volume of TOKYOPOP's OEL title Off*Beat has been delayed until August 2008. Udon Entertainment is picking up Range Murata's Robot where DMP left off. Volume 4 is slated for December.

Upcoming ADV Releases

November 13 Venus Versus Virus: Outbreak (1 of 3) Xenosaga: Voices From The Past (2 of 3) Blade Of The Phantom Master: Shin Angyo Onshi From Oriental Light and Magic comes a full-length anime feature about a lone warrior and the strange living weapon he commands. Synopsis: In the ashes of Justice, Two Heroes Stand Alone! Long ago, the legends say, there was a secret army. Unseen until needed, these warriors struck from the shadows, protecting justice and defending the Jushin Empire from both tyrants and thieves. They were called the Amen Osa, The Phantom Masters. But now Jushin has fallen, its kingdoms destroyed and its citizens left to the mercy of zombies, beasts and sadists. Yet from the ashes of destruction, a hero has appeared to defend the people. His name is unknown, and no man knows who he serves... But there are clues: the strange symbol he wears around his neck and the female living weapon he commands. Is he the last of the Amen Osa? The answer will be revealed, when the Blade of the Phantom Master is unleashed! Shadow Skill Complete Collection Synopsis: The kingdom of Kuruda has known many warriors, none greater than the Sevalle, an elite breed whose mastery of martial arts has made them legendary. But for the 59th Sevalle, Elle Ragu, a.k.a. Shadow Skill, being a legend is shaping up to be something of a drag. After all, adventure alone doesn't pay the rent, and living check to check takes its toll on even the fiercest warrior. Strong as an ox and stubborn as a mule she may be, but it's drinking like a fish that usually gets Elle in trouble. And as she travels alongside her brother Gau, leaving property damage and unpaid bar-tabs in their wake, a new threat looms on the horizon: spies from the kingdom of Solfan have entered the picture, and Kuruda seems to be headed for war... Venus Versus Virus Gothic Lolita action veteran director Shinichiro Kimura (Maburaho, Burn Up Excess) and the production team at Studio Hibari (Nerima Daikon Brothers) Synopsis: We all have our demons. Lucia has our backs! Sumire is your average everyday schoolgirl. That is, if your average everyday schoolgirl can not only sense ghosts and demons, but can also dispose of them accordingly. So, when she finally meets Lucia, a specter-fighting, eyepatch-wearing power-girl from the Venus Vanguard, it's a match made in heaven. Or rather - Hell, as it were. Together, these two will work to rid the world of the dark forces called Virus that lurk amongst us - trying to add innocent souls to their masses. They will learn from each other why a life is worth saving. They will learn from their enemies that they each have their own potential for evil. And they will hunt down the Virus and give it the beating it truly deserves. Get ready, it's time for your vaccination. Anime on DVD has a list of Venus Versus Virus' English dub cast here

Stone Bridge Press Releases Anime Classics Zettai

Stone Bridge Press announced the September release of ANIME CLASSICS ZETTAI!: 100 MUST-SEE JAPANESE ANIMATION MASTERPIECES. The book features extended reviews of 100 essential Japanese animation films, TV series, and made-for-video series, with over 100 black & white images, plus summaries, style notes, rare facts, viewer-discretion guides, and critical comments from Brian Camp and Julie Davis. Julie Davis is the former editor-in-chief of Animerica: Anime & Manga Monthly. A writer and editor in San Francisco, Davis has translated manga for Viz (now Viz Media) and has also contributed to Otaku USA and Manga: The Complete Guide (Random House / Del Ray (manga) Brian Camp, Program Manager at CUNY-TV in New York, was a regular contributor to Animerica: Anime & Manga Monthly, and has taught a course on anime at the School of Visual Arts. Camp has also contributed to Animation World, Film Library Quarterly, the Motion Picture Guide, and the New York Daily News.

Non Animated Cartoon Network

Cartoon Network has announced that they have completed production on their live action Ben 10 spin-off TV movie Ben 10: Race Against Time. The movie will air on Cartoon Network this November. Cartoon Brew looks at Cartoon Network's latest push away from animated content, which also includes a David Duchovny pilot, here

Upcoming in Japan

A trailer for Yasuomi Umetsu's sci-fi follow-up to his action tragedy Kite, Kite Liberator has gone online. The anime is being co-produced by Media Blasters. Twitch reports that anime studio Gonzo will be contributing CG giant robots to the upcoming live action Robo Rock. A trailer for the upcoming Tsubasa Tokyo Revelation OVA is online here From AnimeNation A second live action Detective Conan TV special will air in December. Comic Blade Avarus Magazine has formally announced that Sorano Kairi's supernatural fantasy manga series Monochrome Factor will be adapted into an anime. The official Japanese homepage for the upcoming Hoshi no Umi no Amuri ~ Amuri in Star Ocean full CG anime sci-fi/action/adventure OVA series is now online. The website's "intro" and "story" sections feature streaming footage from the anime. The 30 minute long first episode is scheduled for Japanese DVD release on November 13th. The second episode will be released on February 22, 2008, and the third episode on June 27, 2008. An 85 minute 3D CG OVA called the .hack//G.U. Trilogy will be releases on DVD and Blu-ray on January 25th in Japan.

Bandai Visual USA Announces Jin-Roh In Blu-Ray

Bandai Visual USA announced the release of Production I.G's theatrical animation film JIN-ROH in Blu-ray Disc. The release date is slated for November 27, 2007. Hiroyuki Okiura directed the movie based on Mamoru Oshii's Kerberos saga. Set in an alternate history Japan in the 1950s, the story unfolds around Kazuki Fuse, a member of the military police force, who shuts down his human side for his duty. It develops into a psychological drama of Fuse who is torn between love and his loyalty to the Wolf Brigade. Title: JIN-ROH : The Wolf Brigade SRP: $79.99 Features: * New High Definition master captures the meticulously drawn images and subtle tones as never before possible on DVD * 5.1ch English / Japanese Language Audio * Optional English / Japanese Subtitles * Comes in Special Artbox Slipcase * 20-page Booklet exploring the world of Jin-Roh with new interview of director Hiroyuki Okiura * Complete 522-page storyboards book (Japanese)

Paprika Video Release

Sony Pictures Entertainment will be releasing Satoshi Kon's Paprika on DVD ($26.96) and Blu-ray ($38.96) on November 27th.

FUNimation Localized One Piece Start

ToonZone reports that Cartoon Network will air episode 144 of One Piece "Caught Log! King of Salvagers, Masira!" airs September 29th, at 10 PM Pacific/Eastern. This will be the first episode localized for the English market by FUNimation rather than 4Kids Entertainment.

TOKYOPOP Talks Dark Crystal OEL

TOKYOPOP and The Jim Henson Company announce Legends of The Dark Crystal: The Garthim Wars, the all-new manga prequel to The Dark Crystal, Henson's original movie. The graphic novel is written by Barbara Randall Kesel (Meridian), with illustrations by Heidi Arnhold & Max Kim and a special cover painted by Jae-Hwan Kim (Warcraft, War Angels, King of Hell). The book will be in stores this November. Synosis: Lahr and Neffi are gentle and fun-loving Gelflings who want little more than to enjoy the simple pleasures of life and love. But when their villages are attacked and plundered by the violent Garthim, their worlds are turned upside down as they narrowly escape with their lives. Now, united against insurmountable odds, the two Gelflings must put aside their peaceful ways and emerge as heroes to lead a frightened neighboring village into something they never thought they'd face-war.

Viz Pictures Licenses Live Action Death Notes

In addition to handling North American distribution of the Death Note manga and anime, Viz will be handling the live actiion Death Note movies. VIZ Pictures has acquires the North American theatrical and DVD distribution rights to the live-action feature film DEATH NOTE and its sequel, DEATH NOTE: THE LAST NAME. VIZ Pictures will open DEATH NOTE and DEATH NOTE: THE LAST NAME in a series of special screenings at Austin's Fantastic Fest 2007, September 20-27, and at the 2007 Vancouver Asian Film Festival, November 1-4. VIZ Pictures also plans to release DEATH NOTE and DEATH NOTE: THE LAST NAME on DVD in the summer of 2008. DEATH NOTE is based on the hit supernatural action mystery manga written by Tsugumi Ohba and illustrated by Takeshi Obata. The live-action film, directed by Shusuke Kaneko, known as a director of popular monster film "Gamera" series, was released in 2006 and mirrors the manga's story of Light Yagami, an ace student with great prospects 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 named Ryuk. 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 mysteriously 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. Both Light and L believe themselves to be on the side of justice, and the two match wits trying to show exactly which of them is "good" and which of them is "evil." DEATH NOTE and DEATH NOTE: THE LAST NAME will screen at: Sept. 20-27: Austin, TX, Fantastic Fest 2007 Alamo Drafthouse Cinema 1120 South Lamar, Austin, TX For show times and tickets, go to http://www.fantasticfest.com Nov. 1-4: Vancouver, BC, Vancouver Asian Film Festival For show times and tickets, go to http://www.vaff.org/ This will only be a screening of DEATH NOTE

Koike Starts Manga IP Protection Company

ComiPress reports Kazuo Koike, creator of Wolf and Cub and Crying Freeman, announced the creation of Gekiga Sonjuku program to educate manga creators about the protection and management of intellectual property of Japanese manga. According to the announcement, Koike has become increasingly frustrated with how he couldn't do much to protect his works from being used in foreign movies and other media. Koike says , "spreading Japanese manga to other parts of the world is great, but stealing them for business purposes is something I cannot forgive."

More Digitally Distributed Manga Entertainment Titles

Starz Media has announced that in addition to offering titles through Heavy.com, Manga Entertainment's anime will be distributed through Amazon's Unbox service and Xbox 360 Amazon's Unbox digital video download service offers digital content for rent or purchase through the PC or TiVo digital video recorders. The Starz catalogue available on Amazon Unbox includes anime movies from Manga Entertainment such as Ghost in the Shell, Ninja Scroll, and Blood: The Last Vampire and TV series "Astro Boy," and "Street Fighter". Titles that will be sold through the Xbox LIVE Marketplace video store include "Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex, Seasons 1 & 2," "Street Fighter II V," "Noein," "Tokko," "Virus," and "Astro Boy."

New CMX Manga Titles

Publisher's Weekly has revealed that DC's CMX Mana will be release Yu Yagami's parody manga Go West! Wild West and Dokkoida?!. The former will commence in November 2007 and the latter starts in February 2008. The anime version of the sci-fi hero send-up Dokkoida was released in North America by Geneon. Daisuke Torii's Zombie Fairy will start in January 2008 and Arashi Shindo's Leader's High! starts in March.

Developments on Imagi Projects

Yan Chen has signed on as the lead CG supervisor for Imagi's Astro Boy movie. Chen comes to IMAGI with over ten years of experience at Hollywood studios including Disney and Dreamworks Animation, working on films like Dinosaur, Treasure Planet, The Matrix, Reloaded, Shark Tale, and Everyone's Hero. Pilar Flynn has been named Associate Producer on Astro Boy. Pilar Flynn began her animation career at Dreamworks where she worked for eight years on the development and Production of such films as The Road to El Dorado, Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas, Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron, Madagascar and Flushed Away. She also coproduced Dreamworks' first CG-animated short, the multiple award-winning First Flight. Most recently Flynn served as associate producer of the animated feature film Mean Margaret for Starz Media [Named IDT previously]. Astro Boy, scheduled for release in late 2009, is a full CG-animated motion picture. IMAGI Animation Studios (IMAGI) also announced that it has established a strategic relationship with Wowwee Ltd. (Wowwee) to market and distribute toys based on the studio's next two CG-animated feature films, Gatchaman (scheduled for early 2009) and Astro Boy. Under the agreement, Wowwee will be the exclusive distributor in global markets (excepting Japan and China) for toy lines developed by IMAGI and its OEM partner, Wah Shing Toys, Ltd. The Gatchaman and Astro Boy toy lines are expected to include action figures, vehicles, playsets, robotic figures, activity toys, and plush. In exclusive interview with director Kevin Munroe will appear on IMAGI Animation Studios' website. It is available in the "What's New" section, Munroe answers questions for the first time about his upcoming CG-animated motion picture, Gatchaman.

Events News

MangaNEXT announced three more guests for 2007, Jason Thompson (author of Manga: The Complete Guide, VIZ Media editor), Hiroki Otsuka(Boys of Summer at TOKYOPOP) and Mari Morimoto(translator, contributor to the English edition of Shonen Jump). MangaNEXT will be held on October 5-7, 2007 at the Crowne Plaza, Meadowlands, just 5 miles from New York City. Minneapolis College of Art and Design (MCAD) will host a three day anime and manga workshop Friday, Sept. 28 through Sunday, Sept. 30. Guests include as writer Helen McCarthy actor Crispin Freeman and TOKYOPOP editor Jeremy Ross. For more information see www.mcad.edu/anime Yuricon, a celebration of yuri in anime and manga, is pleased to announce the US Premiere of the "Simoun" anime at their 2007 "Yurisai" event. "Simoun," licensed by Media Blasters, media publisher of products targeted to fan-oriented specialty markets, tells the story of a world torn by war, and the trials of a squadron of warrior-priestesses, the Sibylla of Chor Tempest. "Simoun" was voted "Best Yuri Series" of 2006 by Okazu Reviews. Yuricon's 2007 "Yurisai" event, will be held Sept. 29th at the Newark, NJ Gateway Hilton!

Industry Deaths

Anime News Network reports Nobumichi Akutsu, editor of Osamu Tezuka during his work on pioneering manga magazine Boken-O, passed away at age 84. After World War II, the first generation children manga magazne featured Tezuka's Son-Goku the Monkey, The Fossil Man Strikes Back, X-Point on the South Pacific, and The Devil of the Earth. AniPages Daily belatedly reports that Reiko Okuyama, a pioneering woman in Japanese animation passed away.

DMP Launches MySpace, Confirms End of Robot

ComiPress notes that Digital Manga Publishing new MySpace has a post saying that the distributor will in fact be discontinuing their release of the Robot anthology. From here Unfortunately, we had sad news that we announced previously at Anime Expo 2007. Due to some licensing issues, we will most likely not be seeing Robot Vol. 4 +. In a nutshell, it's pretty much stuck in "licensing hell". We're very disappointed in the news and apologize to all the fans of the series. They've also posted a Heroes Are Extinct preview here

World Bank Animated Short

Anime News Network points out a Salon Magazine article about an anime short adapted from 1 World world manga, released in North American by Viz.1 World: Poverty - A Ray of Light is now available for viewing on the World Bank's YouTube channel.

Thai Maid Cafe Closed

The Akiba maid cafe in Bangkok's Siam Square was shut down on September 16th. Described as the "first maid cafe in Southeast Asia", the foray into otaku culture opened in April 2006. Police investigated the shop in July after complaints that minors were frequenting the cafe and viewing manga with adult content. As a result, two managers of the cafe were arrested on charges of exposing minors to obscene manga. On a related note, from Wired's blog Otaku Time: Why Maid Cafes Are Like Strip Clubs

Collections and Premieres

FUNimation will be releasing a thinpack collection of Fruits Basket on November 20th for $69.98 Ragnarok volume 1 will be released on December 4th. My Santa Special will be released on the 11th. Media Blasters will be releasing the collected Midori Days on December 4th for $24.95. A Collected Princess Princess will be released on December 18th for $24.95. The adult Flower and Snake: The Animation will be released on December 11th

True Crime Results in Anime Pulled

According to the Daily Mainichi, Television Kanagawa has decided to cancel the final episode of the anime "School Days," which shows a high school girl acting violently, in response to the recent axe murder of a Kyoto Prefectural Police officer by his 16-year-old daughter. "School Days" depicts a love triangle between three high school students: Makoto Ito, Kotonoha Katsura and Sekai Saionji. Episodes have been screened on Television Kanagawa and other UHF stations since July this year. The computer love simulation game on which the anime was based has about 20 different endings and one shows a high school girl slashing a victim with a knife. Television Kanagawa officials said that the last episode of the anime shows a schoolgirl acting violently. To tone down the scene, the victim's blood was made black instead of red, but after the killing in Kyoto on Tuesday, officials decided to cancel the episode. "We ask viewers for their understanding," a station official said. The killing in Kyoto occurred in the predawn hours of Tuesday, when a police officer's 16-year-old daughter attacked her father with an ax. According to Canned Dogs, Higurashi no naku koro ni kai, the second series of the anime released as When They Cry in North America, has also been pulled.

Avatar Commencing, Comic On Stands

The long-awaited Season 3 of Avatar: The Last Airbender starts airing on Nickelodeon, September 21st. The official comics magazine hit newsstands Sept 18th. The magazine includes over 30 pages of all-new comics, featuring adventures that take place between seasons 2 and 3 of the highly acclaimed TV show. These comics are the collaboration of writers and artists from the show along with acclaimed comic artists Amy Kim Ganter (Sorcerers and Secretaries), Reagan Lodge (Flight), Bryan Ralph (Cave In, Daybreak), and Johane Matte (Teen Titans Go!, Flight). COMIC STORIES: "The Bridge" Story by Josh Hamilton and Tim Hedrick with Aaron Ehasz. Script by Frank Pittarese. Art and Color by Reagan Lodge. After the fall of Ba Sing Se, the gang meets up with Hakoda and the Water Tribe to plan their next move. With the Avatar wounded and out of commission, do they stand a chance against the approaching Fire Nation fleet? "Going Home Again" Story by Aaron Ehasz, May Chan, and Katie Mattila. Script by Katie Mattila with Alison Wilgus. Art by Amy Kim Ganter. Color by Wes Dzioba. Azula refuses to take no for answer when Zuko chooses to stay in Ba Sing Se, rather than return to the Fire Nation as a hero alongside her. Thus a plan is set in motion that involves false pretenses, the Dai Li, and reigniting an old flame. "It's Only Natural" Story by Josh Hamilton and Johane Matte. Art by Johane Matte. Color by Wes Dzioba. Sokka helps the Earth King prepare his royal bear Bosco for life in the wild. Hilarity ensues and lessons are learned but by whom? "Momo in Fruitstand Freestyle" Story and Art by Brian Ralph. A silent story about everyone's favorite wicked little critter doing what he does best getting into trouble! "Gym Time" Story by Alison Wilgus. Art by Ethan Spaulding. Color by Wes Dzioba. In the spirit of "School Time Shipping" the Avatar gang goes super-deformed for dodgeball antics. Oh, the mayhem! Other features include -Cover by show artist, Lauren Montgomery -An exclusive Season 3 preview by the show's head writer Aaron Ehasz, giving you the inside scoop on the season of fire along with production art and even a few possible "you read it here first" spoilers -A collection of the coolest Avatar-related fan art and cosplay out there. See many of your favorite internet fan artists in print! -Interviews with most of the voice cast, including the new Uncle Iroh -Spot the MYTHtakes, an illustrated puzzle by Kim Miranda (aka Isaia on DeviantArt). -BrainBENDERS, 4 assorted mini-puzzles by Alison Wilgus involving tea, haiku, boomerangs, and cabbages -Advice Column written by Azula?! With Katie Mattila handling the transcript. On sale September 18th, 2007 52 full color pages $4.99 For more see nickmag-comics.livejournal.com

4Kids Releases TMNT DVD

4Kids Entertainment Home Video, in association with FUNimation Entertainment, released Season One, Part Two of the 4Kids TV hit series, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles on September 18, 2007. The DVD will include the final 14 episodes from season one. Episodes Include: * Notes from The Underground Pt 1 * Notes from The Underground Pt 2 * Notes from The Underground Pt 3 * The King * Shredder Strikes Back - Pt 1 * Shredder Strikes Back - Pt 2 * Tales of Leo * Monster Hunter * Return to New York - Pt 1 * Return to New York - Pt2 * Return to New York - Pt3 * Lone Raph & Cub * Search for Splinter Pt 1 * Search for Splinter Pt 2 SRP DVD: $16.98

This Year's Project: Rooftop Fights, Flights, & Tights

Project: Rooftop has announced its second annual Fights, Flights, & Tights custome contest. Enter by submitting redesiging a classic superhero or villain costume. Take some photos and send them to tights@projectrooftop.com along with your name, age, and website (if any) by October 21st, 2007. The best entries will be featured on our site, and the first prize winner will receive an original sketch of their design by Project: Rooftop's Dean Trippe/ For further information, contact: Dean Trippe & Chris Arrant projectrooftop.com Last year's winner and top entries can be seen here.

Persepolis France's Oscar Entry

Newsarama Blog Marjane Satrapi and Vincent Paronnoud's animated adaptation of Satrapi's autobiographical graphic novel Persepolis has been chosen to represent France in the 2007 Academy Awards.

Worth Checking Out

A bonus City Pop music episode of Patrick Macias' Hot Tears of Shame. Also, from An Eternal Thought in the Mind of Godzilla, Cup Nude (think Cup Noodle, only not) Manga Entertainment has unveiled their redesigned site. Animation Insider talked to Frederik L. Schodt about Osamu Tezuka here Episode 49 of Right Stuf's Anime Today podcast (find it on iTines) features interviews with Patrick Delahanty, webmaster of AnimeCons.com. Speaking of AnimeCons, the site now has a convention map. Newsarama interviews TOKYOPOP editor Tim Beedle about their Jim Henson based Return to Labryrinth and Legends of the Dark Crystal here. MangaBlog intervies Glenn Kardy of Japanime here TitansTower interviews David Slack, Rob Hoegee, and Amy Wolfram about the end of Cartoon Netwrk's Teen Titans here. Comic Book Resources talks to OEL creator Amy Kim Ganter (Sorcerers & Secretaries) here GameSpot looks at Bleach: The Blade of Fate for the Nintendo DS here and Naruto: Clash of Ninja Revolution here Gundamaniac collects infomration on the Gundam vs Gundam Arcade Game here MangaBlog's Manga a la Carte ~ Co