Well, once again it must be Wednesday because Father Geek is here posting another "packed to the gills" with interesting info edition of the AICN Anime Report where our man in the know, Scott Green, lays out ALL the scoops on the worlds of Manga & Anime, from gaming to comics to cards to toys to VHS and DVD and Theatrical releases of your fave projects. Buuuut as is usual, there is a bit ol' Father Geek received here at Geek Headquarters directly that I know you will want to see...

Father Geek,

I know you guys probably never make it out to Columbus, Ohio. Or to our Drexel Indie/Arthouse Theaters here in Columbus, but this year we are doing a cool Anime Film Festival.

The link here below is to our site with some info on the festival and the films we are showing for it...

VAMPIRE HUNDER D: BLOODLUST, AKIRA(2001 Remastered version), METROPOLIS, A CHINESE GHOST STORY(anime version), and JIN-ROH: THE WOLF BRIGADE are the films being shown.

Also a science-fiction marathon kinda similar to Butt-num-a-thon here soon in the next few months also. Were really trying to put the word out about this anime festival. Not sure if you can post this info on your site for an old AICN fan who's been reading your site since it's early days.

Also figured if any of you were at all interested in attending, we can hook you guys up for free. Here's the link below with info and keep up the good work on the site. I visit over a dozen times a day, no kidding!!! Just Click Here to get all the info as to Dates, times, and places.

T. C.

Father Geek back! Make sure to click on their site even if you can't make it to their show because they have put up some great images, and have alot of cool info on the films that they are showcasing... Now here's Scott with our normal Wednesday column...

Manga Spotlight:

Black Jack by Osamu Tezuka

Osamu Tezuka is a rare individual who helped to shape two mediums. Today the topic covered in Japanese comics range from historical drama, to romance, to the story of an office worker. This can be traced to Tezuka's proof of the medium's ranges. From an adaptation of Crime and Punishment to Phoenix, his life long tale of reincarnation and human patterns. This lesson carried into the early days of anime, when in the sixties his manga (Astro Boy/Tetsuwan Atom, Kimba the White Lion/Jungle Taitei, among many) were adapted into anime in addition to original works.

Despite his prolific body of over 500 titles, a Tezuka work that has been translated into English remains a rare treat.

Black Jack was an outlet for some of Tezuka's passions, medicine, which he studied before becoming a cartoonist. The titular character, Black Jack, is an unlicensed mercenary surgeon, with a hard earned reputation of performing miracles. He's a sinister looking man with a scar across his half discolored face who wears a black suit and cape. He's a drinker and a fighter, who is willing to put himself in damager to collect a fee or find an answer. He unorthodox treatments include treating a psychosomatic disorder with a non-lethal gunshot wound.

The volume collects eight medical action stories. Black Jack is introduced in a tale where he is brought to a European country on behalf of its dictator in order to save the dictator's son, who sustained near fatal injuries while speeding through a crowded street. The son of a poor tailor is arrested in order to provided transpant organs.

Black Jack's high spirited, doll-like assistant Pinoco is introduced/created when he is called upon to operate a mysterious cyst on an influential woman. His own past is hinted at when the dying doctor who once saved his like sends Black Jack a scalpel coated in calcium.

The stories are a unique mix of an Isaac Bashevis Singer morality tale, and outstanding creative medicine. Despite his ruthless treatment of his wealthy client, like Tezuka, Black Jack is a humanist. While Black Jack collects exorbitant fees from wealthy patients , he performs his miracle work for an earnest sushi chief with no financial compensation. The stories do not all have direct message, but there is overtly design to invoke a line of thought in the user. There is mix of simple message about greed and vanity, but a less straight forward vein about becoming or being a doctor .

At first the art may look like an odd choice. Serious subject matter is paired with exaggerated and cartoonish illustration. Nothing in Tezuka's design is haphazard. Though his character design is highly abstract, there are meaning and logic to his choices. Emotion is exaggerated with little doubt left. However, the odd, absurd, Looney Tunes actions, performing contorted face faults, literally springing into the top of the pane, are reserved for the the characters with absurd priorities; the irrevocable corrupt, men who value money above human life, and their fawning sycophants. Medical scenes are portrayed with a high degree of anatomical detail. Tezuka uses a number of visual devises that aren't often seen, especially in western comics, but add a cinematic depth to many of the scenes.

Though Black Jack is aimed at a young audience, it has maturity not found in adult works. It's a piece of comic art that excels in form, and message.

Anime Spotlight:

Plastic Little: The Adventures of Captain Tita... Released By ADV Films

This 50 minute feature is eye candy of the highest order.

Energetic, young, orphan Tita is captain of the Cha Cha Maru. With her crew she captures exotic creatures from the planets clouds to sell as pets. Its a lucrative business, and given their impressive personal and ship armaments, its not an easy one. Unfortunately this interest concept is given only a cursory examination, and not explicitly shown.

The movie open with the crew of the Cha Cha Maru relaxing and retooling on a what looks like an idyllic Greacian island. While buying her crew lunch Tita finds trouble when she sees a squad of evil looking soldiers in black trench coat style armor trying to abduct a girl. The soldiers work for a dictator who recently killed the girl's weapon designer father.

The highlight is character design by Satoshi Urushihara, who provides the feature with weapons-grade fanservice (a term for gratuitous shots for titillation. It was popularized by its frequent use in the Neon Genesis Evangelion episode previews, from Studio Gainax, who, in their younger days, who include the "Gainax bounce even in their serious works). Urushihara's character design features distinctive broad or long faces, exceptionally large eyes, and most importantly, shinny skin. He also spends a lot of time on women's chest. There is no sex in the feature, but there is a great deal of toplessness.

The movie's center of gravity is the lengthy bath scene with Tita and her rescued companion. Its given its own character stop (one of eight), and it its features in the DVD's story board section. As gratuitous as it sounds, its seems more appropriate than the two separate occasions where the movie has grievously wounded characters recovering in sick bay for check shots.

The DVD's addition to humanity "jiggle counter", which ADV hopes to trademark. Hopefully no one steals the idea, the implementation is even more disturbing than the idea. Its not subtle.

The crew members have a look that suggests an interest back story, even if its not provided. Several of the male characters have a facial design reminiscent of Kia Asamiya's, with sharp features and narrow eyes. Asamiya is a favorite for some, and an acquire taste for others. It provides an interesting contrast to the rounded faces of the female characters. There is at least one glaring misstep with the character design. A slightly comparatively weak, would-be male love interest is a staple character in anime, but giving this character feminine physique, aqua eyes, and cotton candy pink hair seems to be going a little too far.

A few fun bits of mechanical design are thrown into the mix, with some interesting vehicle well suited for chase scenes, a very kitsch talking whale alarm clock, and a repelling cable that counts down how much length it has left.

Plastic Little looks astounding. It features interesting character design, and scenery. The story is threadbare. The movie does have some action, which is surprisingly brutal, but what the movie has to offer is T&A. If you're in the market for cute anime girls topless, put Plastic Little on the top of your list.

This Week's Releases

Anime

• Dragon Ball Z - Imperfect Cell - Race Against Time
• Jin-Roh
• Pilot Candidate Vol. #3
• Starblazers: Comet Empire Vol. #3

Manga

• 3X3 Eyes Blood Of The Sacred Demon Tp
• Ceres Celestial Legend Vol 1 Aya Tp
• Dragonball Part 4 #8 (Of 10)
• Dragonball Z Part 5 #3 (Of 12)
• Gundam Wing Episode Zero
• Juline Vol
• Ragnarok #2 (Of 4) $2.95
• Ranma 1/2 Part 11 #1 (Of 11)
• Silent Mobius Turnabout #3 (Of 6)
• Slayers Special #3 $2.95
• Slayers Super Explosive Demon Story #5

Also for interest: Usagi Yojimbo Book 1 The Ronin Sc 7Th

Ceres: Celestial Legend is a manga series shoujo artist Yu Watase, best known for Fushigi Yugi. The series is based on the legend of a fisherman who capture of celestial maiden by stealing her cloak. In the modern age the descendants of the man and the celestial maiden try to killer their daughter Aya before she can become an instrument of the revenge/

Anime Game News

Game Spot has posted images of Akira Psychoball for the PlayStation 2 here

From The Magic Box

Screen shot of the upcoming Japanese Dreamcast game Mobile Suit Gundam: Federation Vs Zion DX can be seen here Bandai announced Mobile Suit Gundam Vol. 3 A Baoa Qu for WonderSwan Color, the 3rd installment of the popular Gundam simulation game, the game is scheduled for a May release in Japan.

There is an unconfirmed report that Capcom and Bandai are working the sequel of their highly popular Gundam arcade action game, tentatively named Mobile Suit Gundam: Federation Vs Zion 2: Char's Counterattack.

Sammy will release Initial D: Another Stage for GameBoy Advance in mid-April, an adventure game based on the popular anime series Initial D. The game features a command based racing game, in which you have to use RPG like commands to control your car.

Bandai has released new screen shots of their PlayStation 2 RPG .Hack Vol. 1 Infection Expansion here, the game is developed based on an upcoming OVA of the same name. The story takes place in the year 2007, in which a very popular MMORPG called The World is infected by an unknown bug / virus, your mission is to enter the digital game world to correct the problem. There are a total of 4 volumes of this series, with the first volume scheduled for release in Japan on June 22, for 5800 yen. The .Hack Vol. 1 OVA DVD Movie is also included with the game.

Some amusing screen shots of the Lupin III typing game can be seen here.

Disney Acquires Sen to Chihiro

A Screem Daily article reports Disney has acquired the North American rights to Hayao Miyazaki's Sen To Chihiro (also called "Spirited Away"), who has already acquired the rights to the film in Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore and France.

According to he Screen Daily article, after being highly criticized for the way they handled Mononoke, Disney is working to quickly on releasing Sen to Chihiro to theatres, possibly as early as July this year. They have contracted Pixar's John Lasseter to serve as a creative consultant on the English dub, however no voice actors / actresses have yet to be announced.

Nausicaa.net is stating that Madman Entertainment will be releasing "Spirited Away" in Australia will a possible theatrical run in late 2002, and a VHS/DVD release in early 2003.

Bandai Announces Huge Initiative To Disseminate Anime Via Broadband

From Anime News Service

On Monday in Tokyo it was revealed 4 companies composing the Bandai group have invested in a newly formed company "Bandai Channel" which will soon begin broadband internet distribution of Bandai Visual and Studio Sunrise's vast library of Animation titles from September 2002. Sunrise director Matsumoto Satoru was announced as president of Bandai Channel upon launch on March 1st. Starting capital for the company is 10 million Yen. Bandai has invested 55%, Sunrise 30%, Bandai Visual 10% and Bandai Networks (5%). Content to be contributed will be derived from over 180 works (1,800 hours) which Sunrise has produced and holds copyrights to as well as Bandai Visual's library of 370 works. Mobile Suit Gundam has been named as one of the first series to be confirmed for the channel. Bandai is hoping to make the video contents available across a wide spectrum of venues with the advent of high speed data transfer technologies such as ADSL and Cable Internet. Viewers wil be able to access from Internet Cafes, PC's and current generation game machine consoles. But beyond the existing protocols, emerging technologies such as mobile phones are already being forseen to serve as platforms for transmission. Sailor Moon creator Naoko Takeuchi menation her new series "Love Witch" here.

New Anime from Gainax

Anime Dream reports that Gainax is preparing an Anime adaptation of the Melody of Oblivion (Boukyaku No Senritsu) Manga.

Macross Ruling Will Likely Not Effect Domestic Releases

Robert Woodhead of AnimEigo has stated, while matters are not set in stone, that the Japanese court ruling between Tatsunoko and Big West will not effect the series' domestic rights holder Harmony Gold, or AnimEigo's release of the series on DVD.

Gundam in North American Theatres

Anime News Network recently spoke to Bandai's Jerry Chu, who stated "Escaflowne isn't the last movie we're doing this year," suggested the Bandai Rep. He wouldn't however divulge the exact details on which film was next and when it would be coming out, other than to say "Gundam."

Toei Animation Fair

Anime News Service reports the spring, 2002 Toei Anime Fair has kicked off March 2 featuring latest productions "Soccer King of Chopper Kingdom, ONE PIECE / Rare Animal Island, DigimonTamers. "ONE PIECE" & "DigimonTamers" which won the greatest popularity by the screening of 2001.

New Kyoto Animation Previews Online - Munto - Kasajizou

From Anime News Service Kyoto Animation has uploaded video previews of 2 new series: Kasajizou and Munto. Kasajizou is an original work based on the well known Japanese folk tale in which an old man gives bamboo hats (kasa) to statues of Jizo-sama (the Buddha who protects the common people). Munto is a fantasy adventure featuring a 14 year old student Takahashi Yumemi. The world is a series of floating islands of land which exist in a parallel dimension above the Earth. Munto (in cat form) falls to Earth and Yumemi's life changes forever.

MTV Launches Cartoon Station

Animation Magazine reports MTV Networks has announced the upcoming launch of Nicktoons TV, a Cartoon only TV station aimed at children.

Lone Wolf 2100 Preview

Dark Horse comics has posted a preview of their first issue of Lone Wolf and Cub spin off Lone Wolf 2100 here.

"It's a hundred years from now and the world is coming apart. A deadly manmade virus known as the War Spore is spreading, its debilitating effects are felt by man and android alike. Whole populations have become refugees; barred at every border. Human-like android emulation constructs called EmCons, suspected of intentionally releasing the virus, are in revolt. Only a few places on earth remain safe havens from the Spore... Hiding among the displaced hordes are a man named Itto and a young girl, Daisy. She is the daughter of a renowned scientist who was working on a cure for the virus. He was her father's bodyguard, but now his accused murderer. They're on the run from the operatives of the Cygnat Owari Corporation, men -- and machines -- who will stop at nothing to kill the man and retrieve the girl. Whether Daisy is an infectious carrier of the virus, as the corporation claims, or something more, as Itto believes, escape is but the first step on their journey, the final destination of which is vengeance...

Part homage, and partly a re-imagining of the original Lone Wolf and Cub manga, this special project is being done in association with MegaHouse (the authorized licensors of Lone Wolf and Cub), and under the watchful eye of Kazuo Koike, the writer and co-creator of Lone Wolf and Cub."

Upcoming Releases

Bandai released the following for a June release

• Mobile Suit Gundam - Lalah's Fate (V.10)
• Betterman - The Awakening (V.1)
• Love Hina - Secret Lives (V.3)
• Saber Marionette J to X - Program 2
• Silent Mobius - DVD Collection I
• Ronin Warrior - Warriors Reunited! (V.3)

Betterman is a post-Evangelion young adult piloting giant robot show, feature machines that like to their pilot through an artificial blood.

Silent Mobius is the television adaptation of Kia Asamiya's manga series (previously adapted in movies) about a group of women fighting of a demon invasion in a cyberpunk-ish future Japan.

ADV posted on Anime on DVD's forum Steel Angel Kurumi: Angel on My Shoulder has been set to street on 05/21/2002. 6 episodes with Translator Notes, English VA interviews, Historical Background, Background on the Onmyou Tradition, Production Sketches, Clean Op, Extended Episode Previews, a Kurumi Fortune Teller (DVD-Rom extra) and ADV Previews. Steel Angel Kurumi is a series of 15 minute episodes set in the 1920's about a deadly robot made to look like a cute girl.

Central Park Media titles being released on June 11th include Patlabor:The Mobile Police/The TV and Series:2, and Slayers DVD Collection (enhanced) Patlabor is a highly regard sci-fi police drama about a the police force charged with patrol new construction robots.

Real Bout High School Preview

Anime on DVD has posted a preview of TOKYOPOP's upcoming Real Bout High School here Real Bout is about a girl who is a kendo (sword fighting) enthusiast charged with protecting the workld from a demon invasion.

Coastal Studios to Dub You're Under Arrest Movie

Anime on DVD has learned that ADV taken fan advice, and will be using Coastal Studios to dub the You're Under Arrest movie and specials.

You're Under Arrest follows two women traffic cops, the cool headed/ace driver/mechanic Miyuki, and the brash Natsumi. While the original OAV series and TV series (released domestically by AnimEigo, or the in the case of the TV series not yet released) mix light comedy with some drama the movie featured a more violent and suspenseful.

Coast Studios' English dub of the OAV is considered by many to be one of the best English dubbings of an anime series

GTO Back on VHS

Right Stuf has learned, due to many requests, TokyoPop has decided to release GTO: Great Teacher Onizuka on VHS. GTO follows a slacker/former motorcycle gang leader, and karate expert who decides his claim to fame and women will be as the world's greatest teacher.

Online Interviews

ICV2 has posted an interview with author and translator Fred Schodt about the upcoming Astro Boy manga here.

Akadot has interviewws ADV's Matt Greenfield about the company's plans for 2002 here.

TokyoPop's Saam McBride spoke with Animation Magazine about the Tokyo Anime Fair

More KTEH Anime

San Jose public television station KTEH will be showing Generator Gawl The Visitors, All Purpose Cultural Cat Girl Nuku Nuku Phase 01 and City Hunter on Sunday, March 10th starting at 9:00 PM.

AIC Official Web Site

The anime studio AIC has opened an English web site for the AD Police television series here, and a Japanese site for classic robot series "Hades Project Zeorymer" here.

The AD Police series was released domestically by ADV Films. It is set in the same context as Bubblegum Crisis (the original OAV connects better to the original Bubblegum Crisis OAV, and the new TV series connects to the Bubblegum Crisis 2040 series). The AD Police television series is action orient sci-fi about a group of police officers who are assigned to protect people from rampaging robots known as boomers. The original three episode OAV was a headier look at the relationship between humans and technology with episodes about a business woman who becomes a serial killer after she has a hysterectomy, a robot prostitute who humans a man who hurt her, and a very Robocop-ish story about a police officer whose damaged boy is replace by a robot one, except for part of his brain, and his tongue.

Periodicals Update

The March issue of Anime Fringe is online, with reviews of Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust NieA under Seven Vol.4: Under Seven Blues, Yu Yu Hakusho: Episode 1, Hayao Miyzaki's Spirited Away, Cowboy Bebop Manga, Sonic Adventure 2: Battle, Akira original sound track and the Cowboy Bebop Movie original sound track Future Blues. The feature article explains the new j-pop group Morning Musume Morning Musume

The anime and manga section of the March Sequential Tart focuses on horror anime and manga.

Other articles include part two of their Evangelion marathon, detailed looks at Dragon Ball Z, and X/1999: Serenade, anime reviews including Hellsing, Soul Hunter volume 1, The Movie Cardcaptors, Endless Waltz (Gundam Wing: the Movie), and Metropolis, and manga including Clover, Blade of the Immortal, and Vampire Yui..

Horror titles examined include (see the article for more detailed descriptions): Prince of Monster, a shonen-ai/yaoi (male love/romance) horrr story anthology.

Island, a Korean manga series about the exotic island of Cheju, a willing, young rich woman, and a hansome psychopath wth mystic pwoers.

Wicked City a movie about an alternate earth where demons and humans coexist.

The recent Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust movie.

Vampire Yui: A New Awakening, a manga series from the creature of Vampire Princess Miyu about the child of a male vampire, and a woman with mystical blood.

Puppetmaster Sakon about a young man, Sakon, who is both a puppeteer and something of a detective.

Parasyte, a gorey story about a boy who wakes up with an alien parasite in his hand, which was prevented from entering the boy's brain by headphones.

Yami No Matsuei, a shoujo horror/mystery/comedy about the troubleshooters for the afterlife beurocray.

Perfect Blue, a psychological thriller about a young pop idol-turning-actress named Mima. She starts out with a young girl group named Cham and does well there, when one of her agents decides it is in her best interests to become an actress in a TV drama.

Boogiepop Phantom, a sepia toned atmospheric horrors about a god of death who visits the streets around a school.

Issue 69 of Protoculture Addicts has shipped.

The cover story is an indepth look the recently released romance comedy Love Hina, which includes character and episode guides. The other spotlight article is on Yu-Hi-Oh, the recent merchandise based show that suprassed Pokemon's popularity in Japan.

Other anime reviews include:

Earth Girl Arjuna was one of the biggest hits in Japanese animation last year. The ecologically themed series was directed by Shoji Kawamori (Macross, Escaflowne). The series takes a look at human mismagment and materialism through the eyes of Arjuna, a girl who sees the future after dieing in a motorbike accident.

Miami Guns is a pop-culture parody shaped into a cop show about two young woman cops, the cool headed, shrewd Lou Amano, the the spoiled, arogent Yao Sakurkoji.

Noir is a series that has recieved a lot of buzz in North America, mostly due to ADV Film's attempt to license it, which appear to have gotten very close to closing before hitting an impass. The mix of French noir and Hong Kong action follows two young assasins, a girl who is haunted by her past, and one who can't remember hers. The soundtrack by Yuki Kajiura is a match for any other in recent memory.

Soul Hunter is a new horror series, recently released in North America by Pioneer. Protoculture Addicts is not nearly as enamored with the series as many online reviewers. They described the series "with its cheerless ambience, it rather looks like Tod McFarlane's Spawn, influenced by American comics (Batman, The Maxx) or even Bakshi's movies."

Sci-Fi Harry was a recent late night shows based by famous horror nobvelist Johji Iida. The series follows an American student who is shy and bullied by others, with psyic powers he isn't aware of. North American audiences find the show has an eeries simularity to school shooting events.

Kirby Vs. Pikachu

Anime Fringe reports 4Kids, the American distrubtors of Pokemon have expressed intrest in the new Nintendo anime Hoshi no Kirby (Kirby's Star). The anime stars everyone's favorite blob of Pink marshmellow, HAL Lab's Kirby, star of a myraid of Nintendo games. 4Kids plans to broadcast Kirby, along with Kinnikuman Second Generation (the sequel to the 1983 Kinnikuman series), on the FOX Network's FOX Kids block. 4Kids also plans on releasing Pokemon movies 4 and 5 in the U.S. and they've picked up 52 new episodes of Pokemon for a 5th season.