A Look Ahead to What Might Featured in the Third Black Lagoon Anime

Going Hollywood

Akira
MTV's Splash Page recently suggested that reports of the death of live action Akira might have been premature. IF Magazine is now echoing the sentiment.

While talking about JONAH HEX at the San Diego Comic Con, producer Andrew Lazar revealed exclusively to iF Magazine plans for an upcoming AKIRA live action film.

“We are working on the script,” Lazar says about AKIRA. “It is a real priority project for Warner Bros. and so [the writers] are working on a draft.”

Astro Boy
Charlize Theron and actor Samuel L. Jackson will have small or cameo roles in Astro Boy

Macoto Tezuka will have a bit part voicing Osamu Tezuka

USA Today on the project


"I hope the fact that he's been away for so long makes our movie seem fresher and newer," says director David Bowers (Flushed Away). "Still, we're looking back to see what's come before to learn from it and draw upon it. I hope people who are nostalgic for the old show will really get a kick out of seeing Astro again. And for kids who haven't seen it, he's just a kid like them, but with rockets for boots and cannons for arms. He's really like a junior Iron Man."


Kristen Bell and Freddie Highmore promoting Astro Boy

Astro Boy World collects other links - more here

Battle Angel
At SDCC James Cameron updated his plans for cyborg action/drama Battle Angel Alita

"It's a good idea to get a gig lined up in case Avatar tanks," he said jokingly to a packed house. "Battle Angel's definitely something that I still love, and that's something we're looking at very seriously."

"I have other projects as well, so it's [a question of] how much appetite am I going to have for another big effects movie when I finish this one," he explained. "But you know, it's not a good time to ask a woman if she wants to have other kids when she's crowning."

The Yukito Kishiro manga followed a cyborg brain found in the refuge heap known as the Scrapyard. After being given a human body her career and life evolves as she goes from bounty hunter to sports hero to revolutionary.

Dark Horse
At San Diego Comic Con, Dark Horse revealed that there are talks with Universal to adapted Clover, a starkly illustrated sci-fi work by the popular quartet of women manga creators CLAMP. An omnibus of the manga was recently released by Dark Horse.

AICN Anime loved horror manga Kurosagi Corpse Delivery Service is still being planned for film development. The liberal arts minded series follows a group of Buddhist university students who move corpses to where they need to be for lack of more profitable work.

Gungrave
Variety reports that Convergence Entertainment ("The King of Fighters") has picked up the live action rights to Yasuaki Nagoshi (Trigun) designed sci-fi gunslinger game/anime franchise Gungrace. The adaptation will have a budget in the $30 million-$35 million range.


Magdalena
According to Hollywood Reporter that director Ryuhei Kitamura (Midnight Meat Train) has been tapped to direct a Holly Brix written adaptation of Top Cow comic Magdalena. Jenna Dewan ("Step Up") and Luke Goss ("Hellboy II: The Golden Army") are attached to star

Ninja Assassin
A trailer for Ninja Assassin - written by Matthew Sand and J. Michael Straczynski, starring Rain, and produced by the Wachowskis. Once rumored to be a Ninja Scroll remake

Movie Trailers - Movies Blog

Western IPs Go Anime

Halo



"Halo Legends" is being produced by Microsoft's 343 Industries and with creative directors by Shinji Aramaki (Appleseed" and "Appleseed: Ex Machina") and Mamoru Oshii ("Ghost in the Shell") movies, with additional production from Joseph Chou of J-Spec Pictures.

The compilation will include a series of short stories that explore different times, themes and characters from the video game based "Halo" universe and will be distributed globally by Warner Home Video.

Studios involved in the "Halo Legends" project include Bones, Inc., Casio Entertainment Inc., Production I.G, STUDIO4 Degrees C and Toei Animation.

According to IGN
Studio 4C will produce episodes
Origins (a two-parter) - a history of the Halo-verse piece
Babysitter - featuring interactions between Orbital Drop Shock Troopers (ODSTs) and Spartans several years before Halo 1

TOEI will produce "Odd One Out," a non-conical children's oriented piece

Bones will do a mecha piece involving Aramaki and Ichiro Itano (famous for Macross' missile barrage) disciple Yasushi Muraki.

Production I.G will be behind to episodes
Homecoming looks at the history of the Spartans, focusing of a female member of the group

Duel is a watercolor style piece looking at the Elite as they are first interacting with the Covenant.

Casio Entertainment's The Package will be a CG animated episode from one of Cowboy Bebop's writers



Marvel




Non-anime projects include more Wolverine and the X-Men and Iron Man: Armored Adventures and upcoming Superhero Squad - featuring Tom Kenny, Charlie Adler, and Grey Delisle and Stan Lee - and BET's Black Panther

Iron Man watchers can look forward to seeing Black Panther, Ultimo, Ghost, the Controller, Living Laser, MODOK and SHIELD

X-Men will see Angel become Archangel, Havok, Magik, and Deadpool.

Thor: Tales of Asgard - featuring the character as a teen - is slated for direct to video release in 2011.

Planet Hulk, in which the character is exiled to a planet on which his is forced to engage in gladiatorial combat, will hit stores in February.



Writer Warren Ellis is attached to the Madhouse produced anime project

The Wolverine anime is loosely based on historic Chris Claremont and Frank Miller miniseries that sees the character operate in Japan

Iron Man will look at culture clash and Japan's unique post World War II position as a nation without a military.

The prospect of Blade and X-Men anime were also mentioned.

Ghibli, Miyazaki and Ponyo News

Hayao Miyazaki spoke to the LA Times about why he was not present to accept to Oscar for Spirited Away in 2003.


"The reason I wasn’t here for the Academy Award was because I didn’t want to visit a country that was bombing Iraq," he said. "At the time, my producer shut me up and did not allow me to say that, but I don’t see him around today. By the way, my producer also shared in that feeling."


Footage of Miyazaki at SDCC

Weigy on meeting Miyazaki

Time on meeting Miyazaki

Variety's online feature on Hayao Miyazaki

NY Times on Miyazaki's visit - also the implacation on SDCC on the Oscars - including when it comes to Ponyo

Variety spoke to Don and Cindy Hewitt about the localization of Ponyo


"On 'Spirited Away,' we had no idea what we were doing. We didn't have even a template," Cindy recalls. "There are so many Miyazaki fans, I thought, 'Oh we're going to do this bastardized version, and they're going to be so upset.' "


Industry tribute

a look at the Totoro Forest Project

EW spoke to John Lasseter and Hayao Miyazaki

A collection of Miyazaki's statements from SDCC

footage of the appearence - also on Ghibli World, a look at the Ghibli Museam Ponyo exhibit

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Neil Gaiman, who worked on the localization of Princess Mononoke, on Miyazaki, Coraline and other topics


Coraline’s been compared to The Wizard of Oz, Narnia and Alice in Wonderland, but I also saw a lot of Spirited Away director Hayao Miyazaki in here. Do you think he could have directed this movie?

I would have loved a Miyazaki version of this. I did the English translation of Princess Mononoke, which means I’m one of the luckiest people in the world because when I go to Japan I get to hang out with Miyazaki.

Last time I was there I visited him at Studio Ghibli and expected just to shake him by the hand, but he took the rest of the day off, showed me around and looked after me. It’s like having Walt Disney spend the day with you, it's awesome.

So, with the Miyazaki stuff, we have very similar things. People said to me Coraline and Spirited Away are very similar, and I say, yes but Coraline was finished in 2000 and Spirited Away came out in Japan in 2001. We were just working on the same kind of thing at the same time.

Mr Miyazaki of course is always retiring, and then comes back and does another film. But, if one day he read one of my things and wanted to film it then I would just be very happy.


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Nausicaa.net notes
Previews, the solicitation catalog for direct market comic shops, lists that North American DVD ($19.99), special edition DVD ($32.99) and Blu-ray ($39.99) of Ponyo for 10/28 release.

Also of note, Amazon has a placeholder listing for a December 2010 release of the Totoro Project book

Ghibli Blog points out reports that the French DVD and Blu-ray of Ponyo for a December release

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New York Int'l Children's Film Festival is presenting the first East Coast screening of the film in a special pre-release event 3:00pm on Sunday, August 9th at Symphony Space.

Tickets can be purchased here
NEW YORK - TOKYO will be giving away 5 pairs of tickets to this event through a random raffle.



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Miyazaki's adventure caper Lupin III: Castle of Cagliostro will be screen by the DC Anime Club and Japan Information and Culture Center, Embassy of Japan July 31st

When:
Friday, July 31, 2009
7:30 PM to 9:30 PM EDT

Where:
Japan Information and Culture Center, Embassy of Japan
1155 21st Street, NW
Washington, DC 20036

for tickets, e-mail jiccrsvpsummer09@embjapan.org


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Comparisons between the Japanese and Miramax version of Princess Mononoke

Upcoming in North America

CMX

DEKA KYOSHI VOL. 1
Written and illustrated by Tamio Baba
CMX/FLEX COMIX. A teacher’s body is discovered on the ground. Did she jump from the building or was she pushed? Toyama, a burly but kind-hearted detective, goes undercover to find out the truth. His determination to solve this mystery is tested by the rowdy student body. But there’s one student, in particular, who is going to occupy a lot of Toyama’s time. Makoto is a troubled young man who can actually see the demons inside of people, which manifest themselves as visions of horrible monsters. This strange student’s disturbing visions may provide the information that Toyama needs to crack the case!
on sale November 11 • 5" x 7.375" • 162 pg, B&W, $9.99 US • TEEN +


THE LIZARD PRINCE VOL. 1
Written and illustrated by Asuka Izumi
CMX. Canary, princess of Linaria, has been unwillingly betrothed by her father to Prince Heath of Gazaria. The Prince isn’t crazy about this idea either so he hatches a plan to disrupt the pending nuptials. He gets his brother Sienna to pose as him on their first date, convinced he’ll drive her away. The plan backfires when chemistry ignites between Canary and Sienna. But a spell Sienna has been under has turned him into a lizard, a state he reverts to once he’s done posing as his brother. Will love really conquer all in this mixed-up triangle?
on sale November 25 • 5" x 7.375" • 200 pg, B&W, $9.99 US EVERYONE


FIRE INVESTIGATOR NANASE VOL. 3
Story by Izo HASHIMOTO / Art by Tomoshige ICHIKAWA
on sale November 4 • 5" x 7.375" • 192 pg, B&W, $9.99 US • TEEN +


KING OF CARDS VOL. 8
Written and illustrated by Makoto Tateno
on sale November 4 • 5" x 7.375" • 192 pg, B&W, $9.99 US • TEEN


JIHAI VOL. 3
Written and illustrated by Toshimi Nigoshi
Final volume.
on sale November 18 • 5" x 7.375" • 232 pg, B&W, $9.99 US • TEEN +


THE NAME OF THE FLOWER VOL. 3
Written and illustrated by Ken Saito
on sale November 18 • 5" x 7.375" • 200 pg, B&W, $9.99 US • TEEN +

New licenses announced at SDCC include
Nyankoi! by Sato Fujisawa - due July 2010

Shisso Holiday by Otsuichi/Hiro Kiyohara - due July 2010
One volume (13+)

The Phantom Guesthouse by Nari Kusawkawa - due July 2010
One volme (13+)

Tableau Gate by Rika Suzuki - due August 2010

51 Ways to Save Her by Usamaru Furuya due September 2010



Dark Horse
Dark Horse will be releasing a Metalocalypse comic by series co-creator Brendon Small and a collaborative team of Metalocalypse and Dark Horse artists and writers following Adult Swim collaboration Dethklok vs. The Goon.

Co-created by Tommy Blacha and Brendon Small, the Metalocalypse television series follows the on- and off-stage adventures of the world’s most brutal band as they create a wave of mayhem, death, and destruction wherever they go.

New manga include Devil

Devil is an original Japanese manga being created for Dark Horse by Torajiro Kishi and animation powerhouse Madhouse Studios, featuring genetically designed vampires in a sci-fi police drama set in Tokyo. Torajiro Kishi's previous work include risque work Colorful and Maka-Maka

Okimono Kimono, CLAMP's book on kimono design will be released in North America by Dark Horse

Other CLAMP plans include:
Robot girlfriend Chobit to be released across two omnibus collections in spring 2010
Magical girl Card Captor Sakura in four collections
Girls transported to mystical world Magic Knight Rayearth, in two collections

Chobits, Card Captor Sakura and Rayearth were previously released in North America by Tokyopop

The Art of Blade of the Immortal—Hardcover edition of the original Japanese book with 32 new bonus pages not previously available. This book will be in the style of the Dark Horse The Art of . . . and Library Edition series.

Final Fantasy Boxed Set—A luxurious edition that stays true to the original Japanese collection of the complete Final Fantasy artwork by Yoshitaka Amano.

Also of note, Blacksad—Collecting all three of the international award-winning European volumes, the third of which has not been published in English before. This crime noir about a cat detective, PI John Blacksad, is a phenomenal anthropomorphic story with fully painted artwork. By Juan Díaz Canales and Juanjo Guarnido.

Del Rey
New manga licenses include
Code Breaker by Akimine Kamijyo (Samurai Deeper Kyo)
Panic x Panic by Mika Kawamura
Pink Innocent by Kotori Momoyuki

The CLAMP in America book has been moved from October to March and expanded to 384 pages

The Last Airbender, written by Dave Roman with art by Nina Matsumoto and adaptation by Joon Choi is in the works, as is a Pride and Prejudice and Zombies graphic novel adapted by Tony Lee


FUNimation
via Toonzone, October FUNimations include

10/6
D.Gray Man Season 2 Part 1 - Shonen Jump based Victorian magic/sci-fi action
Mushi-shi Complete Collection (Viridian) - highly regard look at illness, death and disbility through the lens of an expert in supernatural bugs
Story of Saiunkoku, The Complete Collection - drama and politics in a fictional, Chinese inspired kingdom

10/20
Comic Party Revolution Complete Set - comedy covering doujinshi fan comic makers
Desert Punk Complete Collection (Viridian) - post apocalyptic comedy

10/27
Claymore Complete Series - monster hunting girls with swords - often compared to a Berserk
Shonen Onmyouji Complete Collection


IDW


Upcoming Transformers releases include

A new TRANSFORMERS ongoing, debuting in November, written by Mike Costa with art and covers by Don Figueroa

TRANSFORMERS: BUMBLEBEE a four issue miniseries by writer Zander Cannon and artist Chee, starting in December

TRANSFORMERS: Last Stand of the Wreckers by Nick Roche, starting in January

Max Brooks (World War Z) will be writting a five issue G.I. Joe mini-series in 2010

Starting with issue 8, classic franchise writter Larry Hama will be attached to G.I. JOE: Origins with art by Andrea Mutti



Starting in early 2010, IDW will offer Series II of the G.I. JOE: COBRA story line written Mike Costa and Chris Gage, with art and covers by Antonio Fuso and Howard Chaykin

Also in 2010, Robert Atkins returns to the G.I. JOE universe with a five-issue G.I. JOE arc

Media Blasters
10/6
OTOBOKU - LiteBox - Volumes 1-3, Eps. 1-13 - 3 Discs - $29.99


10/13

MORIBITO: Guardian of the Spirit - Vol. 6 of 8, Eps. 18-20

MORIBITO: Guardian of the Spirit - Vols. 5 & 6, Eps. 14-20 - 2 Discs - $34.99

MOUSE - LiteBox - 2 Discs - $19.99

10/20

AH MY BUDDHA - The Five Bare Aggregates - Volume 5 of 6, Eps. 18-21

LOVELESS - LiteBox - 3 Discs - $19.99


Ichi The Killer (Blu-ray)

10/27

GENSHIKEN 2 - Dressed for Success - Vol. 2, Eps. 5-8

MAGIC KNIGHT RAYEARTH - Season One Remastered LiteBox Volumes 1- 4, Eps. 1-20 - 4 Discs - $39.99


GODS LEFT HAND, DEVILS RIGHT HAND


LOVELESS
Ritsuka's innocent childhood days came to a bloody end when he lost the one person who understood him. His brother Seimei was always his guiding star, and without him Ritsuka was lost. The enigmatic Soubi appeared to change all that. Soubi was once partners with Seimei, a sacrifice who gave his energy so Soubi could fight. Now Soubi has come to Seimei looking for a new partner. Will Ritsuka find happiness chained to Soubi?

MAGIC KNIGHT RAYEARTH
Three junior high school girls hear a voice pleading for them to save Cephiro, a magical world where belief is power. It is Princess Emeraude, the pillar, whose will maintains the peace of Cephiro. When the peace is threatened, she uses her last bit of strength to summon forth the three destined to become Magic Knights and save her world.

• Slimmer Packaging.
  
• Digitally remastered from original film elements
  
• All missing sections restored
  
• Added slate track
  
• New menus
  

MOUSE
Sorata is an art instructor at Yamanoue School. At the young age of 20 he is already a full-fledged teacher with a meek and nerd-like disposition. Yet Sorata has a secret…he’s Mouse the internationally infamous thief and a shameless flirt to boot. This mischievous rogue is assisted by three scandalously endowed attendants. With Mei Momozono, the genius math teacher, Hazuki Kakio, the rough and ready PhysEd coach, and the lovely school nurse Yayoi there's nothing Mouse can’t snatch.

OTOBOKU
Mizuho, a young man from a well-off family, is told that his grandfather's last wish is that he attend his mother's high school. Such a mundane request would ordinarily not bother Mizuho, but unfortunately, his mother's alma mater is an exclusive academy for young ladies. With the help of his childhood friend Mariya, he manages to convincingly disguise himself as the fairer sex, but will he be able to keep up the act until he manages to graduate? To make matters worse, Mizuho can't seem to keep a low profile within the school and ends up thrown into an election for the schools most prestigious position.

Sony
Japanator reports from Otakon that Sony is finally a DVD/Blu-Ray release of Xamd: Lost Memories, a BONES (Fullmetal Alchemist, Cowboy Bebop: Knockin' on Heaven's Door), currently availably only on the PlayStation store and second half of Blood+ is coming out in October, to coincide with the DVD release of the live action Blood movie.





Cyborg 009 - The Battle Begins will be re-released on DVD on September 1

UDON
UDON will be releasing SF20: The Art of Street Fighter in Septembter.SF20: The Art of Street Fighter gathers over 1,500 illustrations by Capcom’s top artists over the past 20 years. Included are character designs, concept art, rough sketches, game covers, promo artwork, crossover pieces and even some never-before seen artwork from Street Fighter’s past and present.


Street Fighter

Street Fighter II

Street Fighter III

Street Fighter IV

Street Fighter Alpha

Street Fighter EX

Capcom Fighting Evolution

Marvel VS Capcom

Capcom VS SNK

Tatsunoko VS. Capcom



VIZ Media
At SDCC, Viz announced that manga Bakuman and Toriko have been licensed for the Shonen Jumo label


Bakuman is a manga about manga creation by Death Note creators Tsugumi Ohba and Takeshi Obata

Toriko is goofy parady about foody manga about a cool/consumer who in a world of monsterous delacicies


In addition to Rin-Ne and Kekkaish Shonen Sunday releases will include

Arata: The Legend by Yu Watase
Hyde & Closer by Haro Aso
Maoh: Juvenille Remix by Kotaro Isaka and Megumi Osuga

Rumiko Takashi's latest manga Rin-Ne, currently available online, will be released in a print edition in October.

On the anime side of the equation, Viz has picked up Inuyasha: The Final Act, the upcoming adaptation of the latter part of Rumiko Tahashi's modern girl in demon haunted past Inu-Yasha. The anime adaptation of Yellow Tanabe's awarding winning spirit hunter manga Kekkaishi has also been licensed.

The first 15 episode box set of morality thriller Monster is due in December 2009.

The anime adaptation Vampire Knight is due to be released in 2010

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VIZ Pictures, an affiliate of VIZ Media, LLC that focuses on Japanese live-action film distribution, has licensed a series of six new documentaries –The NEW PEOPLE Artist Series which will profile several prominent Japanese modern artists who tap their unique imaginations and pop-inspired visual styles to create captivating works of art.

The films will be screened at the new VIZ Cinema in San Francisco as part of the fall program titled LIFE ˜ ART. The films are scheduled to be released on DVD and will be distributed by VIZ Media beginning late 2009 and continuing into 2010.

TRAVELING WITH YOSHITOMO NARA captures a journey that the artist Yoshitomo Nara took during the creation of his exhibit, AtoZ, in his hometown of Hirosaki, Japan. The film was directed by Koji Sakabe and narrated by actress Aoi Miyazaki, who also starred in the hit film NANA. (Scheduled DVD Release: Fall 2009)

YAYOI KUSAMA: I LOVE ME documents the creative process of avant-garde artist Yayoi Kusama as she works to complete her new series of 50 large monochrome drawings. Directed by Takako Matsumoto (Scheduled DVD Release: Winter 2009).

DAIDO MORIYAMA: STRAY DOG OF TOKYO features the charismatic photographer, Daido Moriyama, who is known for his stark and contrasting black and white images that are symbiotic to his fervent lifestyle. (Scheduled DVD Release: 2010)

HISASHI TENMYOUYA: SAMURAI NOUVEAU introduces Hisashi Tenmouya, a contemporary painter and former graphic designer, acclaimed for his neo-traditional Japanese painting style that presents modern, urban street subjects rendered in a traditional Japanese style. Directed by Go Ishizaki (Scheduled DVD Release: 2010).

MAKOTO AIDA: CYNIC IN THE PLAYGROUND tells the story of Makoto Aida, and artist known for his diverse and controversial manga, paintings, and video installations. Directed by Yusuke Tamari (Scheduled DVD Release: 2010).

KATSURA FUNAKOSHI: WHISPERING GAZE features Katura Funakoshi, a visionary sculptor, known for his camphor wood carvings of human and human-like figures that feature his characteristic philosophical marble eyes gazing into the distance. Directed by Kenjiro Fujii (Scheduled DVD Release: 2010).

Yen Press
New licenses announced at SDCC include

Bunny Drop by Yumi Unita

Darker than BLACK - the manga adaptation of the super-powered spy action

Dragon Girl by Toru Fujieda

Kobato by CLAMP - prevously appeared in NewType USA

My Girlfriend's A Geek (Fujoshi Kanojo) Rize Shinba's adaptation of Pentabu's novel

Natsukashi Machi no Rozione by Sumomo Yumeka

Omamori Himari by Milan Matra

Otome (Otome-teki Koi Kakumei Love Revo!!) by Yuuki Fujinari

Romeo X Juliet - based on Gonzo's adaptation of Shakespear's play

Sasameke by Ryuji Gotsubo

Warner Home Video
Batman: The Brave and the Bold volume 2 will be released on DVD 11/10 for $14.98

Upcoming in Japan

Previews
To - based on sci-fi manga 2001 Nights
20th Century Boys the Final Chapter: Our Flag the third of the manga adaptation trilogy
Fresh Precure: Big Secret of the Toy Country
Haruhi Suzumiya - Bamboo Leaf Rhapsody the DVD release of the first new episode of the second season/airing, with new material

New Summer Wars preview

Summer Wars Virtual World Clip via Affenheimtheater

Utsurun Desu

Anime

Well regard, mature audience sentai show Garo will be continued in 3D CG movie Garo~Red Requiem, directed by Keita Amemiya (Zeiram, Tweeny Witches, Kamen Rider ZO).

Kohime Ohse's manga Heart Sugar Town will be adapted into anime

The Shakugan no Shana direct to video OVA will be four episodes, starting on October.

Via ANN
According to the official Gundam site, the site's Gundam MS Movie Files (Gundam MS Doga Zukan) video profiles will get DVD and UMD releases. The videos, which are narrated by Nobuyuki Hiyama (Gundam: The 08th MS Team's Shiro Amada, Gundam Seed's Muruta Azrael), are compiled from footage in the various television series, video projects, and theatrical films in the franchise.

Investigation anime Canaan will be combined into three compilations movies, scheduled to hit JApanese theatres in October.

Via Anime Nation
Beijing Glorious Animation and Future Planet’s co-produced Chinese/Japanese 52 episode Sangokushi (Romance of the Three Kingdoms) television anime will premiere on China’s CCTV8 network on August 1st and on Japan’s NHK network in October.

Manga
Shonen Jump will resume D. Gray Man on August 17th

Akihito Yoshitomi, whose sci-fi western Eat-Man was release in the US, commenced Chikyu no Hokago (Earth Afterschool) in Monthly Champion RED magazine

Moyoco Anno (Sugar Sugar Rune, Happy Mania) will be marking her 20th anniversary of writing manga with a collected edition of “Unsupervised Director Report” - the autographical work about her life with husband/Evangelion creator Hideaki Anno.

Live Action
Mamoru Oshii's short from sword fighting anthology Kill will be exapanded into live action Assault Girl with . Rinko Kikuchi, Hinako Saeki, and Meisa Kuroki as sand whale hunters

Misc
Via AnimeNation
The 30th anniversary of the 30th anniversary Fairy Princess Minky Momo TV anime will be commemorated with a stage musical that will premiere during the 2010 Golden Week Japanese holiday.
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And The Award Goes To...

Vertical's release of Osamu Tezuka's supernatural adventure Dororo has been recognized as the Best U.S. Edition of International Material—Japan in the prestigous North American comic industry's prestigous Eisner Awards
Other nominees included
Cat Eyed Boy, by Kazuo Umezu (Viz)
Naoki Urasawa's Monster, by Naoki Urasawa (Viz)
The Quest for the Missing Girl, by Jiro Taniguchi (Fanfare/Ponent Mon)
Solanin, by Inio Asano (Viz)

Nina Matsumoto, along with Ian Boothby and Andrew Pepoy won the award for Best Short Story, "Murder He Wrote," from The Simpsons' Treehouse of Horror #14 (Bongo)

The Business

Robert of Robert's Anime Corner Store expresses his not to fond regard for Bandai's plan to make Kannagi available to a limited selection of retailers.

Omonomono on Fulfilment Speed, Or Something about Having the Right Stuff to Go around an Anime Corner

LA Times Blog on how 3-D starting to look flat at the box office

Looking at reasons for declining manga sales

Localization magnate Haim Saban is being sued by his former tax attorney to prevent him from seizing $36 million in fees that Saban paid for tax shelters, resulting from his sale of Fox Family to Disney

Creator Passings

Scriptwriter Susumu Takaku died on July 22 at age 76. His work included Voltron, the Fist of the North Star anime movie, Gegege no Kitaro, Devilman and Mazinger Z.

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Animator Yoshinori Kanada died of a heart attack on July 21 at age 57. His work could be seen in Miyazaki's Laputa, Kiki’s Delivery Service, Porco Rosso, and Princess Mononoke, and included a school of animation

Other work included layouts on Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within

AniPages Daily on Kanada's work and influence







and on Kanada's Zambot 3


Zambot 3 is a classic example of a decent series dragged down by bad animation. It's easily the worst animated of the classic Yoshiyuki Tomino shows. And yet, it rises above the shoddy drawings and movement to be one of his best pieces due to the good directing, hard-edged story and surprise ending, which were a milestone in the day and certainly influenced a a number of popular shows in later years....

Standing out dramatically amongst this cavalcade of botchery are the episodes with animation by Yoshinori Kanada - 5, 10, 16 and 22.

Cool Figures News

The Junko Mizuno My Little Pony is available for pre-order


Spoilers images of Eva-02 Model


A 30th Anniversy Gundam mini-figure campaign is being run in Cup Noodle

Dimension Diver Samus and Megaman

Toybox DX Brog Shogun Warriors: GUILTY!

Neo Jumbo Machinder Mazinger Z
Soul of Chogokin Energer Z

Summer WonderFest 2009 Event Coverage

Digital Distribution

The Shonen Jump site features English translations of
Kagijin
According to legend, a war between the "Kagijin", beings of fearsome power, laid waste to the world and buried it in sand. Time moved on… and now, Chiruda Portman, a female soldier of the Gabbia Empire, has been ordered to exterminate a certain man.
The name of the boy is "Tsubame"!
The two meet by chance, but Chiruda senses something strange about Tsubame, who loves freedom and reading books... what is the big secret he holds!? A new-age fantasy of their adventures set in a breathtaking world!! "

Anedoki
When his father suddenly goes away on business, Kota is left living alone… until he suddenly meets a mysterious high school girl!? She's a total stranger, background unknown. And yet, seeing that Kota is in trouble, she forces him to let her stay at his house!? Who is this girl!? What does she want!? More than that, how about Kota's heart-pounding life with the beautiful older girl!? Can Kota control himself when confronted with her voluptuous body right before his eyes!? Mizuki Kawashita of "Ichigo 100%" and "Hatsukoi Limited" fame presents this pulse-racing older girl love comedy!!

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INUYASHA is now available on iTunes

iTunes is launching with episodes 1-13 for $1.99 per episode or $22.99 for one full season. More episodes will be added at future dates.

As a special promotion, the first episode of INUYASHA will be exclusively available on iTunes as a free download beginning today through August 31, 2009.

The first 32 episodes of INUYASHA will launched on Hulu, with new episodes launching every week.



NANA and HONEY & CLOVER also launched with the first 11 episodes of NANA and the first 12 episodes of HONEY & CLOVER

Based on the popular manga by Chica Umino, HONEY AND CLOVER is a romantic comedy about a group of art school students who try to find their way. But when an innocent and talented 19-year-old girl enters their lives, things get a lot more complicated as love triangles result.

NANA follows the adventures of two girls, both named Nana. While they share the same name, they couldn't be more different. Nana "Hachi" Komatsu follows her boyfriend to Tokyo in the hopes of making a new start, while Nana Osaki, who arrives in the city at the same time, is a punk rock beauty who has the ambition of making it big in the world of rock and roll. Although these two young women come from different backgrounds, they quickly become best friends while chasing their happiness and dreams.



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Crunchyroll launcheed the simulcast of KANAMEMO

KANAMEMO
Kana Nakamichi, a middle-school girl, had lost her parents and recently lost her remaining grandmother. Because she needs to support herself, she ends up living and working at a newspaper delivery office. Everyone else living at the office are all charming, self-assertive bishojo. The story follows Kana's daily life.

New Tai Seng Entertainment martial arts include
The Demi-Gods & Semi-Devils (Episodes 16-30)
C.I.B. Files (Episodes 11-20)
The Lost Kung Fu Secrets
Eagle's Claw
99 Cycling Swords

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IDW will be expanding its digital comics offered through iTunes with the G.I. JOE: The Rise of Cobra prequel comics, plus TRANSFORMERS and CSI. In the coming weeks, IDW will be offering more G.I. JOE and TRANSFORMERS, as well as new titles available digitally for the first time, such as the classic J. Scott Campbell series Danger Girl, as well as Astro Boy, Groom Lake, John Sable Freelance, and GrimJack.
For their online catalog, see here

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A suvery of the Ikki manga that Viz is posting online

Viz reps responded to a question at SDCC, saying that manga chapters posted on Ikki will be up for several months.

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Publishers Weekly looks at Red5's (Atomic Robot) iTunes app and Archaia's graphic novels on Kindle

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Tick iPhone "manga"

Event News

Keep an eye on Last Gasp's blog for information on an upcoming California Junko Mizuno screening

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San Francisco located Japanese pop-culture destination New People will the 2,000 square foot SUPERFROG Gallery on its third floor. Grand Opening celebrations for NEW PEOPLE and the SUPERFROG Gallery will commence on August 15th.

Named for the short story Super-Frog Saves Tokyo, by acclaimed writer Haruki Murakami, the SUPERFROG Gallery will offer a permanent outlet for established as well as emerging artists who draw inspiration from Japanese pop and modern culture.

Yoshitaka Amano will make a rare U.S. appearance to celebrate the grand opening of NEW PEOPLE and the SUPERFROG Gallery with his newest exhibit, DEVA LOKA, created especially for the gallery and named for the ancient Indian land of God. As an ode to his childhood love for American comics, culture and automobiles, Amano’s latest pieces are boldly coated with auto paint and metallic glitter. The exhibit will run through October 18th and admission is free.



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World Music quartet, the Berkeley-based Gojogo, will perform new original instrumental compositions set to films from the compilation “Masters of Russian Animation,” August 15 and 16, 2009, with a Sunday children's matinee, at the Community Music Center in San Francisco. In 2006,Gojogo began composing musical scores to accompany these short animated films created in an oppressed Soviet Russia between 1969 and 1984. Gojogo first premiered their compositions-set-to-animation to critical acclaim in 2007 in San Francisco.




“Masters of Russian Animation” exemplifies some of the best work of Russian film directors who, with little resources, abandoned the real world in favor of one over which they had complete control. Through innovative techniques like stop-motion animation, cut paper, and over-laid glass, these films defy “low budget” and convey meaning relevant to any time and any place. Gojogo was drawn to the directors' creative use of limited resources and materials to create pieces of unrivaled beauty and eccentricity. Inspired to bring these films to a contemporary audience, Gojogo collaboratively composed fresh music, as the original sound tracks used excerpts from Russian classical music by Rimsky Korsakov and Tchaikovsky.

The Saturday evening, August 15, 2009, performance begins with a lecture discussing the relevance of the “Masters of Russian Animation” films on modern society. Sunday's performance, August 16, 2009, will also begin with a discussion for children with the Gojogo members about how music influences the mood of films, featuring musical examples and interactive activities.


Perfomances will be Saturday, August 15, 2009, at 8:00pm and Sunday, August 16, 2009, at 4:00pm at Community Music Center, 544 Capp St, San Francisco, CA 94110

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Digital Manga Publishing announced that manga creator Makoto Tateno will be their guest at October's San Mateo event Yaoi-Con 2009

Her published works in the US include: Hero Heel (June'), Steal Moon (June'), Blue Sheep Reverie (June'), Angelic Runes (DMP), Red Angel (DMP), King Of Cards (CMX) and the much loved Yellow.
Digital Manga Publishing will be releasing her first DokiDoki comedy title, Happy Boys, which revolves around the lives of five young men who work in a butler cafe', and was recently made into a Japanese television live-action comedy series

To coincide with Tateno's US appearance, Digital Manga Publishing is also proud to announce the reissue of Tateno's first yaoi title in the US: Yellow. Collected into two omnibus editions, The Yellow: Omnibus Edition v.1 collects the first two volumes of the series into one special collection, with some new content.



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Updates on the Chicago screening of Evangelion 1.0 or potentially lack there-of

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New movies starting Kenichi Matsuyama (Death Note, Detroit Metal City) will be screening at the Toronto International Film Festival

Kamui" (directed by Yoichi Sai) is an action-packed adaptation of a classic manga about a fugitive ninja.

"Ultra Miracle Love Story" tells the story of an eccentric farmer from Aomori who falls in love with a teacher from Tokyo (Kumiko Aso).

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Otakon 2010 Dates will be July 30th - August 1st

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San Diego Comic con
On the figures front:
CollectionDX at...
Toynami's Booth
(the site's event tag)


Lorena Nava Ruggero's i (heart) manga features topically focused coverage of the event

Kuriousity looks at manga happenings at SDCC
Day One
Day Two

Manga Xanadu blogs the event

ANN at the event

Anime Vice at SDCC

Christopher Butcher on why Actually, the problem is that Comic-Con isn’t big Enough

Otakon
Erin Finnegan on Otakon at Otaku USA, Publishers Weekly and here blog

Ogiue Maniax on the event

Genji Press' photos

Anime x Games

The site for Ghibli / Level 5 (Professor Layton) collaberation Ni no Kuni: The Another World is online

SD Gundam G Generation Wars opening


A look at the Hello Kitty MMORPG



This, Perhaps, Is The Best-Named PS3 Trophy

Mad Catz Mocks Up Tatsunoko Vs. Capcom Fight Sticks - from the game seeing Ryu and company versus character from the studio behind Gatchaman, Karas and Tekkaman

SRW Neo is due to be released in Japan on October 29

New Macross F for PSP screenshots

Worth Checking Out

Insight
The NY Times on Live in 2D

Nemutan doesn’t really have a leg. She’s a stuffed pillowcase — a 2-D depiction of a character, Nemu, from an X-rated version of a PC video game called Da Capo, printed on synthetic fabric. In the game, which is less a game than an interactive visual novel about a schoolyard romance, Nemu is the loudmouthed little sister of the main character, whom she calls nisan, or “big brother,” a nickname Nisan adopted as his own when he met Nemu. When I joined the couple for lunch at their favorite all-you-can-eat salad bar in the Tokyo suburb of Hachioji, he insisted on being called only by this new nickname, addressing his body-pillow girlfriend using the suffix “tan” to show how much he adored her.


Katherine Dacey looks at Twilight of the Girls concerning the image of comics/manga for a female audience
Noah Berlatsky responds

Helen McCarthy comments And Tezuka Created Moe…

Why Shinbo (was: Wherefore shafting)?

Few figures in animation are more divisive than Akiyuki Shinbo, studio head and famously iconoclastic director at SHAFT animation studio. Some love his visually bizarre work, others loathe it for its apparent pretentiousness.


Also on the animation front Even in soft focus, there’s no substitute for “being there”

Vice talks to Chip Kidd about Bat-Manga among other topics


Mark Schilling on the Otaku Encyclopedia

the otaku term koujou moe

The Wall Street Journal on the Gundam Statue

The manga named best and worst by gManga: The Complete Guide's Jason Thompson, Deb Aoki of manga.about.com, Kai-Ming Cha of Publishers Weekly, Vertical Inc. marketing director and MangaCast writer Ed Chavez, and librarian/manga expert Eva Volin at the SDCC panel

Publishers Weekly on alt history manga Ooku

Pop Culture Zoon talks to Yokaiden's Nina Matsumoto

Liz Ohanesian on LA Weekly blogs Got Twilight Fatigue? 5 Manga and Anime Vampire Sagas You Should Check Out Instead

Colony Drop's Operation British, Phase 4: "The Don't Pay For Evangelion" Manifesto

Destroy All Podcasts DX on Franz Kafka's A Country Doctor