Father Geek here with one more edition of AICN's popular mid-work-week report on all things Anime & Manga. Scott has put together another slam-bang column for you this Wednesday, and as is the usual case it has truely tested ol'Father Geek keyboard skills in typing all the code to post the one-stop look into DVDs, VHS, Theater releases, comics, gaming, toys, conventions, and behind the scenes company politic'n. Annnnnd as always Father Geek has a bit to add that came directly to our Geek Headquarters computers here at our barbed-wire enclosed Central Texas compound in Austin...

AN Exclusive Sneak Preview of MILLENNIUM ACTRESS will be introduced by Producer Taro Maki at a Special Saturday Night Screening at The Big Apple Anime Fest this year...

Big Apple Anime Fest 2002 (BAAF 2002) will present the Exclusive Sneak Preview of DreamWorks Pictures' award-winning film, Millennium Actress, Saturday August 31st at 7:30pm. The screening will be introduced by Taro Maki, the film's producer, at the Loews State Theater in the Times Square Virgin Megastore. Mr. Maki will also be hosting a question and answer session directly following the feature.

Millennium Actress, which recently became the first Anime picture acquired by DreamWorks Pictures, has received wide critical acclaim since the moment it debuted at the 2001 Fantasia Film Festival, where it was named Best Animated Film. The film also received the Fantasia Ground-Breaker Award for Artistic Innovation, and was recently named the Media Arts Festival Grand Prize by Japan's Agency for Cultural Affairs. Millennium Actress was the first recipient of the Sitges Orient Express Award spotlighting Asian genre films.

Directed by renowned Anime director Satoshi Kon, Millennium Actress is a compelling romance/adventure where fantasy and reality fuse together. The story is set in Japan, where Genya, a director, is hired to film a documentary about the legendary Chiyoko Fujiwara, a superstar actress who 30 years earlier abruptly ended her career and vanished from the limelight. Genya becomes obsessed with this fallen star, determined to unravel the truth behind her mysterious disappearance. The result is a passionate, timeless homage to history and cinema.

Taro Maki is President of GENCO, Inc., one of Japan's leading Anime production companies. He has been involved with Anime for 13 years and is responsible for some of the genre's best-selling titles including "Tenchi Muyo in Love" (1996), "Super Doll: Rika-chan" (1999) and "Tree of Palme" (2002).

Taking place this year over Labor Day weekend, the Big Apple Anime Fest is known as the "Cannes Film Festival of the Anime Manga Culture." Japanese animation (anime) is one of the hottest media trends among today's global youth. Having established itself in 2001 as the largest anime film festival in America, the BAAF 2002 Film Festival will feature premieres, retrospectives, symposiums and autograph sessions. BAAF is also the biggest sponsor of Anime Expo New York (AXNY), that includes events such as an exhibitors' hall, video screening rooms, creative panels, and a costume party. The events will be held at locations around Times Square, including the Marriott Marquis Hotel and the Virgin Megastore.

Jose Cardona

Father Geek back juussstttt long enough the turn you over to our M & A editor Scott Green...

Anime Preview: Carried by the Wind: Tsukikage Ran Volume 1: A Tale of Two Travelers

Released by Bandai

Take note of the name Akitaro Daichi, an anime director able to bottle energy in his works like few others. In his past works like Jubei-Chan, Elf Princess Ren, Kodomo No Omocha (Kodocha or Child's Toy), and Now and Then, Here and There, he's shown amazing skill mostly in blindingly fast comedy, but also in more thoughtful, and somber drama. While some of his works capture his entire range, Carried by the Wind is simple samurai fun. Add the name Studio Madhouse (of Ninja Scroll fame) on animation production, and you can really expect some blazing visuals.

Carried by the Wind is a series on one episode comedy/adventures of the traveling women fighters, the ronin samurai Tsukikage Ran, and her companion Meow, a Chinese practitioner of Iron Cat Fight fung fu, a homage to the wandering wrong-righting ronin stories. Ran is a highly skilled swordsman, the epitome of samurai stoic Zen, except for an unbridled love of sake (which she can hold exceptionally well). In contrast Meow is flighty and naïve, who can usually win her fights (and can't hold her alcohol).

With the exception of flashy effects you might find in a movie or high budget OAV, the fight animation in Carried by the Wind are as the peak of what you can find in animation. They are complex, fluid, well choreographed, and cinematic. While the character design is simple, and very stylized, few corners are cut in the swordplay and martial arts. The series doesn't fall into the traps of making the characters do one on move over, and over again, or disappointing the viewer by resolving an episode long build-up with one sword stroke. The styles of the characters, and situations they are placed in are robust enough to supported battles of sufficient length and variation, while staying without in the bounds of samurai movie logic (not quite realistic, but not wildly fanciful either).

Fans of the samurai genre are probably familiar with all of the stories of kidnapped heirs, or corrupt town officials. There are wacky moments or character, and nice variations (like the town how bans sake for moral reasons on behest of the official skimming off the speak-easy(, but it plays as a straight homage to samurai cinema. If you're in the mood for light, but energetic fair, the fights every 10 minutes beat half hour waits between Toshirô Mifune, or Zatôichi fights.

Manga Spotlight: Priest volume 1 by Min-Woo Hyung

Released by TOKYOPOP

Out of Korea comes the ultra-violent undead western Priest. It's part spaghetti western, part Resident Evil, alot like the most violent moments of Steven King's Gunslinger stretched over a couple hundred pages, with a tinge From Dusk Till Dawn's half seriousness. Animated, rotting corpses rend or decimate their human victims, and are in turn mowed down, or slice through by the titular man with no name-style priest.

Ivan Isaacs gave up loves for his belief, but was fated to become a tormented priest who sold half of his soul to the devil. Now he's a gun slinger, traveling the deserts in search of his demonic prey. The story opens with Isaacs ripping through an army of an army of stammering zombies on his way to a taunting priest. The story then cuts to Isaacs boarding a train that is carrying both the captured, beautiful young leader of a band of bandits, and a cargo of undead. As the bandits attempt to free their leader, the gunfight between the marshals and bandits awakens the demonic cargo, and starts a free for all slaughter.

The art has a unique style to it. While its doesn't use less gray than other manga, its heavy lines an intense use of black, make the black and white more stark. It is very effective in conveying the hard atmosphere, and emotions of the characters.

There is a slight weakness in the depiction of the action. Though it is good, the visual narrative isn't as crisp as it could be; like there are some potential energy people lost in the execution. Some complex motions are done well. Complex sequences work well, and have some fluidity, such as one involving a surrounded Isaaces shooting, and reloading a shot gun, spinning, drawing and slashing with a knife, blocking, reloading, reloading and shooting again, but simple transitions from one location in a action to another (such as the shooter, and then the receiver), don't work as well, and the battle come off as a bit jerky. It is as if when there isn't constants, focused movement, time and distance are off. It action scenes still works well, there is just a nagging imperfection.

While the undead make superb bullet fodder, Priest doesn't spare its human inhabitants. It doesn't require the strong stomac of George Romero fan, but it is fun for thoroughly violence-desensitized. Action junkies will not be disappointed, the volume barely slows down. Like the train were most of the volume is set, it keeps chugging along through death and damnation. To its credit, it doesn't get bogged down in the pathos of its lead, it presents his tournament, its doesn't like the reader forget it, but doesn't dwell on it. It knows the reader wants zombies killing humans, and vice versa.

Anime Spotlight on Getter Robo Armageddon Power Pack

Released by ADV Films

Getter Robo came very close to doing a nostalgia send off/revival right, mining several brilliant, pitch black episodes out of the concept of three space craft that can combine into three different giant robot forms is quite the accomplishment. It does the series' mad genius creator Go Nagai proud.

The Getter Robo team fought off an alien invasion using their transforming robots, but crumbled in the subsequent years of piece. The fracture began when Michiru Saotome, the daughter of Getter Robo's creator, Dr. Saotome was crushed to death during a maneuver with two other Getter Robo pilots. Later the team's psychotically fearless leader was jailed killing Dr. Saotome. After witnessing Saotome's death his other child, the rambunctious young Genki entered into a vegetative state. Now strange creatures are beginning to attack Earth again,

The first three episodes of the 13 episode OAV (direct to video) are series brilliantly manic under the direction of Giant Robo's Yasuhiro Imagawa. Giant Robo fans will recognize the style from the super powered battles in that works. Left and right, truly strange things are happening that must have made sense to the director, but to the viewer just look a baroque sequence of strange, but appealing visuals. In a positive sense, it is the car wreck you can't keep your eyes off of. It's an ever intensifying maelstrom of horrific images in which the Getter Robo team fights a doomed battle against a very non-human and vicious adversary. Events happen too quickly to follow the story in a traditional ,analytic sense, it is better just to recognized that heroes worst traits have been allowed to blossom, and that those traits are both what are needed to win, and their greatest liability. Beyond that, let the strange fight between crazed giant robot pilots, made scientists, and inky toothed monster wash over you.

After the third episode, the series mostly settles on a new generation of Getter pilots, and takes its joy in introducing new machine, and revealing the sordid destinies of its characters. The story becomes more focused. What you see is explained, and it becomes more akin to standard giant robot fair. The 70's giant robot roots show through, and the tired, overwrought melodrama and silly ideas threaten to overshadow more enjoyable aspects. Their are still fun aspects to the show, such as giant robot meets Lovecraft/Moorcock edge to the battle between human pilots, and the avatars of primordial powers, and inspired visuals such as demonically festering head wounds, but it never really captures the insane energy it started with. If you are a fan of 70's team/giant anime, whether its Getter Robo, or Mazinge/Tranzor, or battle of the planets, you'll appreciate ending, a nice farewell to that style of character (even if does send them off to make way for 90's style characters).

Getter Robo Armageddon Power pack is another of ADV's bargain collections, with the four volumes for $59.98.

This Week's Releases

Anime

• Betterman - Metamorphosis (Vol. 2)
• Blue Gender 4
• Blue Gender 5
• Galaxy Fraulein Yuna
• Love Hina - Love Hurts (Vol. 4)
• Medabots - Time to Robattle (Vol. 3)
• Saber Marionette J to X - Program 3

Manga

• Futabakun Change Vol 6 Gn
• Kazan Vol 1 Gn #7
• Magical Pokemon Journey Vol 6 Gold & Silver Tp
• Oh My Goddess! Leader Of The Pack Tp
• Oh My Goddess! Part Xii #2 Learning To Love (Part 2 Of 3)
• Silent Mobius Vol 8 Advent Tp
• Storm Riders Gn #4
• Wounded Man Gn #8

Comics Of Note

• Vertigo Pop Tokyo #2 (Of 4)

Cartoon Network Anime News

From anime-tourist.com and SaiyanZ Rage:

The Cartoon Network Adult Swim panel at San Diego Comic Con revealed that Inu Yasha, the upcoming Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex TV series and Big O 2 will be coming to Cartoon Network.

Big O2 as commissioned by Cartoon Network, enabling it to be made despite a lack of demand for the series in Japan. Likewise, although the series creators expressed their desire last year to not make any new Cowboy Bebop animation, the Cartoon Network is apparently pressuring Sunrise Animation to create new Cowboy Bebop episodes specifically for American release.

A Japanese Producer working with Raijin Comics claims that there will be a new anime shown simultaniously both here and in Japan after September. The series will be shown here on Cartoon Network. Details about this new show will be revealed at Nan Desu Kan where he is a guest.

The Cartoon Network will be partnering with Viz and Shonen Jump at an undetermined future date to host a "Adult Swim Reactor" website that will feature manga samples from the American Shonen Jump magazine, and streaming, possibly subtitled, anime episodes. According to a panel transcript published by Anime Tourist, the Cartoon Network has no intentions of broadcasting subtitled, Japanese language anime on American television.

There has been another round of Dragon Ball GT announcements and retractions.

It was first stated that Dragonball GT is being prepared for broadcast on the Cartoon Network next month, but then it was confirmed that there are no plans to show Dragon Ball GT on Cartoon Network this fall.

Toon Zone reports Mobile Suit Gundam: Char's Counterattack movie will be broadcast on the Cartoon Network. The movie features the last confrontation between the chief protagonist of the original Gundam series, and his rival.

Upcoming Anime on Japanese TV

New anime series starting this October include Mobile Suit Gundam Seed, Get Backers, BomberMan Jetters, Gainax's PuchiPiri Yushii and MahoroMatic Motto Utsukuhsii, Pokemon Advanced Genration, and the rumored Naruto.

Get Backers is based on a new manga series about two boys who go into business retrieving things the official site for the manga can be seen here.

From Anime News Service and Natsume Maya:

Gainax's new TV series Puchipuri Yushii will get an early start in Japan and now air Sept. 30 as opposed to the previously scheduled Oct. 30.

According to Web Newtype and Info Anime, the TV anime series Maou Dante (Dante the Devil), based on the manga by Nagai Go, begins it's run on AT-X in Japan from August 31st (originally scheduled for July).

The Manga Spiral: Suiri no Kizuna, which runs in Monthly Shonen Gangan, with story by Shirodaira Kyou and art by Mizuno Eita, is to be animated as a TV series. More details will be released in the September 2002 issue of Gangan.
Source: TA Group BBS

Akira Cleans Up on Eisner Awards

Dark Horse and Studio Proteus' collections of Akira have done exceptionally well in the prestigious Eisner Awards, winning both the Best U.S. Edition of Foreign Material and Best Archival Collection/Project awards. Osamu Tezuka was a Judges' choices for the Hall of Fame

Kia Asamiya X-Men Designs

Marvel Comics has sent out four design of Kia Asamiya's upcoming X-Men. Newsarama has posted them here.

Manga artist Kia Asamiya (Steam Detectives, Silent Mobius, Dark Angel) will be a regular penciller on Uncanny X-Men, beginning with issue #416.

Comics One To Release Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon Comic

ComicsOne has announced that they will be publishing the comic adaptation of Wang Du Lu's martial arts novels, include Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.

From the press release:

Fans of the Academy Award winning film will be thrilled to read about the early exploits of Li Mu Bai and Shu Lien, how they got into the emotional entanglement we remember from the movie, as well as learning the backgrounds of a host of new and intriguing characters. Plus we get to see how Shu Lien fares after the tragic loss of her beloved Li Mu Bai.

Wang Du Lu's epic series encompasses five books and ComicsOnes' Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon begins with book three and continues through book five.

Availability Volume One of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon is available in November 2002 and will be released bi-monthly. The full color 120 page graphic novels will be priced at $13.95.

English Five Star Stories At Akadot

Akadot Retail has opened a Five Star Stories store with the hard to get Five Star Stories manga by Mamoru Nagano (Heavy Metal L-Gaim, Brain Powered).

From the site:

Launched in 1986 in the pages of the anime magazine, Newtype, Mamoru Nagano's Five Star Stories has been compared to the epic work of legendary storyteller J.R.R. Tolkien and Hugo Award-winning author Vernor Vinge (A Fire Upon the Deep). Diamond Comic Distributors is now bringing the acclaimed space opera to Western audiences by offering the first two volumes of the Five Star Stories English Edition Manga (AUG022653-4H) and the Five Star Stories 1/144 Plastic Model Kits (AUG023075-6H) in the August issue of Previews.

Beginning Diamond's offering of the complete run of the series in English for the first time ever - and in the tradition of Astro Boy and Lone Wolf and Cub - the editions of Five Star Stories solicited in the International section of the catalog are a landmark publishing event that manga fans won't soon forget, and that retailers will profit from for some time to come. These 80-page, 9" x 12" softcover volumes begin Nagano's history of the Joker Systems, five galaxies that are home to politically volatile kingdoms defended by giant robot-wielding knights known as "Headliners." With the help of the humanoid bio-computers called "Fatimas" (that possess expanded physical capabilities to control the Headliners' giant robots) and the scientists who create them, the Headliners defend this galactic realm, as they ascend to the greatest heights through military and political victory, and spiral to the lowest depths through chaos and interstellar war.

First Tokyopop 100% Authentic Manga Printing Sold Out

Only weeks after the launch of their unprecedented "100% Authentic Manga" campaign, TOKYOPOP has sold out its first printing of authentic manga books, causing U.S. retailers to trumpet a true success story.

More than 1,400 authentic manga floor displays are in storefronts nationwide, and with shipments of authentic manga to over 2,000 retailers, including such major accounts as Waldenbooks, Barnes & Noble, Borders and other book and comic stores, the sales have resulted in TOKYOPOP exceeding its normal manga release distribution volume by 200%.

New Investor For Viz

Viz announced at the San Diego Comic Com that the company is now partially owned by Shueisha, the Japanese publisher of Shounen Jump.

"This is significant because this is no longer a licensor-licensee relationship, it's a business partnership," Viz's Dallas Middaugh told Newsarama.com. "We now are partnered with two of the top three publishers in Japan, and we consider that to be very significant."

Prioer to this investment, Viz was a division of Shogakukan.

Robotech Comic From Wildstorm

Comic Book Resources reports DC/WildStorm announced that Tommy Yune would be returning to shelves at the end of the year\ with a new Robotech miniseries, taking place during the Macross saga. The series, co-plotted by Yune, leads into the 2004 Robotech cartoon series, which Yune left WildStorm to work on.

Plans call for the first issue of a miniseries to debut in December, written by Jay Faerber, with art by UDON's Long Vo, Charles Park, and Saka. Yune will plot the series and said that he and Faerber would have a close collaboration throughout the project.

The series will be a Macross Saga book, focusing on the original cast of characters, Roy Fokker, Rick Hunter, Lynn Minmei, Lisa Hayes, Admiral Gloval, the invading Zentraedi forces, and the SDF-1. The base story of the Macross Saga begins when an alien spacecraft crash-lands on Macross Island in the South Pacific in 1999.

Over the course of ten years, a city is built around the ship, allowing scientists to study and adapt the alien technology, which they called "Robotech" into a system of mecha. As the earth quickly learns, the ship (christened the SDF-1) was an important player in a larger interstellar war, into which the planet is unwillingly drawn.

Megatokyo From Ironcat

Frequent manga publisher Studio Iron will be releasing a collection of popular manga influenced web comic Megatokyo. The 120-page Megatokyo Collection will be available through online orders, comic shops, and bookstores. The cover price will be $8.95 and the book will include more than just comic strips, but extras not available anywhere else.

Youich Amano Wins Tezuka Prize

21 year old manga artist Youich Amano has won the prestigious Tezuka prize for his work on Cross Beat in Shounen Jump.

Monkey Punch Site Updated

The Anime News Service mailing list reports Lupin III creator Monkey Punch has updated his site at www.monkeypunch.com.

Macross Zero Delay

The first volume of the new Macross OAV (direct to video release) Macross Zero has been delayed from October 25 to December 21.

Naruto Anime?

Natsume May reports that there is a rumor that the Shounen Jump manga series Naruto (which will appear in the English edition) is being adapted into an anim seies. The series tells the story of Uzumaki Naruto, a boy growing up in a ninja village, but with a fox demon sealed within him.

Latest Galaxy Anime Interviews Online

Fan site Anime Galaxy has posted interviews with Anime Expo New York chairman Mike Tatsugawa on the upcoming convention, and in the "Industry Dispatch" portion of the program, an interview with Manga Entertainment's Keith Burgess regarding breaking into the industry, Manga's plans on publishing manga, and a explanation confirming that Manga did not edit or alter Evangelion: Rebirth.

New Anime DVDs Announced

AD Vision has announced that the first volume of Burn-Up Excess will debut in America August 20th.

Viz will premier Project Arms on October 8th, the fantasy comedy Trouble Chocolate on October 22nd, and the highly anticipated Inu-Yasha TV series on November 5.

AD Vision Opens new Websites

AD Vision has opened its official website for Excel Saga and its official homepage for the five year old series Burn-Up eXcess. .

Ghost In the Shell Stand Alone Complex News

From Anime News Service Ghostwriter of Production I.G. BBS

http://www.production-ig.com/bbs.htm just mentioned that anyone who can make the August 10 GITS TV premiere event in Japan is invited and encouraged to attend. "This series is not a sequel, nor a remake. It is a completely new series based on several new plots by Shirow Masamune. But of course, I cannot give any information about the storyline at this point of time."

Also, Ghostwriter gave the following information about the Japanese premiere of GITS TV: "We have an event called ANIFES in Sesion Suginami Hall on 10th August Saturday from 4pm. I shall be there in the talk show togehter with the Director Kamiyama and the Producer Matsuka. We will have a preview for 2 episodes of the series."

Various Crew...

• [Original Story] SHIROW Masamune
• [Planning] ISHIKAWA Mitsuhisa (Production I.G.) WATANABE Shigeru (Bandai Visual)
• [Director/Series Composition] KAMIYAMA Kenji ("Mini Pato" / Dir; "Blood" / Screenplay)
• [Screenplay] SUGA Shôtarô ("Wild Arms" / Screenplay)
• SAKURAI Yoshiki (Aka "Ghostwriter")
• SATÔ Hiroshi ("Cowboy Bebop" / Screenplay; Satô was responsible for the episodes "Jamming with Edward ", "Bohemian Rhapsody" und "Brain Scratch")
• FUJISAKI Jun'ichi (Author of the 2nd and 3rd. "Blood"-novels) TERADO Nobutoshi ("Kaidohmaru" / Screenplay; "Sakura Wars: The Movie" / Screenplay)
• [Storyboard/Production Coordinator] KONO Toshiyuki ("Daiguard" / Animation Director; "Pretty Sammy" / Ani Dir; "Zoid Zero" / Storyboard, Prod Coor)
• WAKABAYASHI Atsushi ("Desert Pirate Cpt. Quappa" / Character-Design; "Flame of Recca" / CD, Ani Dir)
• MATSUMOTO Jun ("Blood" / Mecha-Design)
• NAKAMURA Ryûtarô ("Lain" / Dir; "Final Fantasy U" / Prod Coor; "Sakura Wars TV" / Dir; "Legend of Crystania" / Dir)
• YOSHIWARA Masayuki ("Ninku TV" / Storyboard, AniDir)
• YAMAMOTO Hideyo ("Ai yori Aoshi" / Storyboard; "Noir" / Prod Coor) GOTÔ Takayuki ("Hunter x Hunter OVA+TV" / CD; "Blue Seed" / CD; "Please save my Earth" / CD; "Video Girl Ai" / CD)
• SATÔ Masahiro ("GITS" / Key Animation; "Gundam X" / Key Ani; "Popolocrois Monogatari" / Key Ani)
• ASANO Kyôji ("Kaidohmaru" / CD, Ani Dir)
• MAEDA Akiyoshi ("Love Hina Again" / CD; "Tales of Eternia" / CD; "Nadesico - The Prince of Darkness" / Ani Dir)
• YAMAGUCHI Ken'ichi ("Romeo´s Blue Skies" / K-A; "Record of Lodoss War TV" / Key Ani)
• UEMURA Atsushi ("Tico of the Seven Seas" / Key Ani)
• [Character Design] SHIMOMURA Hajime ("Love Hina" / Key Ani;)
• [Mechanic Design] TERAOKA Kenji ("Dual" / MD; "Arc the Lad" / MD; "Generator Gawl" / MD; "Slayers + Next + Try" / Creature Design) TSUNEKI Yukinobu ("Crest of the Star" / MD; "AWOL" / MD)
• [Production Design Model] KATÔ Hiroshi ("Abenobashi" / Art Director; "Boogiepop Phantom" / Art Dir; "Now and Then.." / Art Dir; "Evangelion" / Art Dir.)
• [Art Director] TAKEDA Yusuke ("Yukikaze" / Art Dir; "Cyborg 009 (2001)" / Art Dir; "Blood" / Art Dir; "Slayers TV1" / Art Dir)
• [Color Setup] KATAYAMA Yumiko ("Jin-Roh" / Color Setup)
• [Director of Photography] TANAKA Hiroshi ("Kaidohmaru" / DoP; "Patlabor 3" / DoP; "Mini Pato" / DoP)
• [3D Director] ENDÔ Makoto ("Kaidohmaru" / 3D-Dir)
• [Editing] UEMATSU Jun'ichi ("Sakura Wars - The Movie" / Editing; "Mini Pato" / Editing; "YuYu Hakusho" / Editing)
• [Music] KANNO Yôko
• [Sound Director] WAKABAYASHI Kazuhiro ("GITS" / Sound Dir; "Mini Pato" / Sound Dir; "Avalon" / Sound Dir)
• [Sound Effects] JINBO Daisuke ("Spectral Force" / Sound Eff; "Pokémon: Mewto´s Counterattack" / Sound Eff)
• [Animation] Production I.G.
• [Work Cooperation] SHIROW Masamune
• [Production] Bandai Visual Bandai Entertainment USA Dentsu Victor Entertainment

CAST (* means that the actor has performed the same role in the GITS movie)

• [KUSANAGI Motoko] TANAKA Atsuko*
• [ARAMAKI Daisuke] SAKA Osamu (Movie: ÔKI Tamio)
• [Bateau] OTSUKA Akio*
• [Togusa] YAMADERA Kôichi*
• [Ishikawa] NAKANO Hiroshi*
• [Saito] ÔKAWA Toru
• [Pazu] ONOZUKA Takashi
• [Boma] YAMAGUCHI Tarô
• [Tachikoma] TAMAGAWA Sakiko

FLCL Delayed (Again)

From the release

We apologize for the slight delay (again), but the DVDs will definitely be in stores by that date. Distributors & Retailers who have ordered before pre-book will have them in hand well before the date.

FLCL is a highly unusual six episode sci-fi OAV from Evangelion's Gainax, and Production I.G. (http://www.production-ig.com),

Escape From... Anime?

There have been rumors on Cinescape and Hollywood reporter of an anime series or movie based on Escape From New York and Escape From LA.

Upcoming TOKYOPOP Releases

TOKYOPOP will be releasing a box set of the Vampire Princess Miyu TV series on 11/26/2002, with the TV seers, soundtrack, and "Mystery Friendship Charm" for $99.00

The Vampire Princess Miyu TV series is a mostly episodic series about Miyu a youthful looking vampire girl Miyu, who is assistanted by a tall, cloaked vampire adapted in physical conflict with scythe or claws, and small pink rabbit creature, with a hideously enlarged eyes. Miyu travels Japan sending stray vampires, Shinma, back to "The Dark". There are some excellent horror episodes in the series that very disturbing and memorable, of the caliber of good Twilight Zone episodes.

The fifth volume of GTO will be released on 11/12.

New title announcement (04:18 PM EST): From the release date given, it appears that Just announced today, Hyper Police Vol. #2 will street on 10/08/2002 for 19.99 and feature Japanese 2.0, English 5.1 and English subtitles.

Hyper Police volume 2 Release Date

According to Anime on DVD Image Entertainment will be releasing the Hyper Police series in a bi-monthly format. Volume 2 will be released on October 8th/

Viz and Bandai Releases

From Anime on DVD:

• Trouble Chocolate Vol. #1 - 24.98 - 10/22/2002 - 104 minutes
• Trouble Chocolate Vol. #2 - 24.98 - 12/17/2002 - 104 minutes
• Ranma 1/2: Outta Control Box Set - 119.98 - 11/12/2002 - 600 minutes
• Project Arms Vol. #1 - 24.98 - 10/08/2002 - 75 minutes
• Project Arms Vol. #2 - 24.98 - 12/10/2002 - 75 minutes
• Inu Yasha Vol. #1 - 24.98 - 11/05/2002 - 75 minutes
• Inu Yasha Vol. #2 - 24.98 - 12/10/2002 - 75 minutes
• Great Dangaioh Vol. #1 - 24.98 - 11/12/2002 - 104 minutes
• Ronin Warriors Vol. #9 - 24.98 - 12/17/2002 - 100 minutes
• Betterman Vol. #4 - 29.98 - 12/03/2002 - 100 minutes
• Saber Marionette J to X Vol. #5 - 29.98 - 12/17/2002 - 100 minutes

Cowboy Bebop Merchandise

Dark Horse Comics will be releasing Cowboy Bebop merchandise including 5" mini busts of Spike Spiegel, and Faye Valentine next February, and a Cowboy Bebop zippo lighter in January.