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AnimAICN: Harlock; Priest; Sgt Frog; Hot Gimmick; Rurouni Kenshin; X/1999; Alien Nine; Banner of the Stars 2

Father Geek is here once again with another of Scott's reports on the worlds of Manga & Anime for all of you that don't have the time to surf the web for all the news you're interested in... He does that for you and puts it all right here each week for your "one stop shopping pleasure." Soooooo here it is for this week...

AnimAICN...

by Scott Green

Manga Spotlight: Alien Nine Volume 2 by Hitoshi Tomizawa

Released by CPM Manga's Authentic Manga Line

As unbelievable as Alien Nine's first volume was, it proved little preparation for the second, where a container of Cell Gel is used to replace a girl's stomach which was eaten by winged eyeballs. This is some of the most intense, disturbing human alien interaction created. The Alien movies have nothing on this.

In the first volume three girls were elected as their school's Alien Party representatives. They were given cute symbiotic aliens called borgs which sat of their heads like hats, consumed body waste such as sweat, and protected their hosts from the various other aliens which the Alien Party were assign to capture and care for. It was a bit of a conscript soldier type job, with tragedy, but mostly irritating drudgery.

Volume 2 opens with a sports coach style "we will not lose to the other school" journal entry from the director of the Alien Party and a yellow knife sitting on the school's roof. The yellow knife is a whale size, warty lizard-platypus that moved once during the day. It is known by other aliens as a good food source. Not the sort of creature you would expect to be the harbinger of a sequence of scathing disasters that would leave the three Alien Party girls maimed physically and psychologically.

What began as a girls on roller blades batting creatures with lacrosse stick strange fun with an uncomfortable edge has become an emotional jackhammer. Hitoshi Tomizawa's Super Flat art school influence show in adorable girls, and merchandisablely cute oddball aliens juxtaposed with excruciating interactions. Here are creatures that really fit the word alien. They aren't simply metaphors for some human concepts. They are more like sophisticated, intelligent viruses that view humans as just another animal, albeit one with certain capabilities that other's don't have.

Volume 2 has built some enigmas for the third and final to answer. The "what?" questions of Alien Nine have mostly been answered, but their remain many "why?"s.

Manga Spotlight: X/1999: Prelude By CLAMP

Released by Viz Shojo Division

Proving once again that they can mak any tried story their own, queens of manga CLAMP took the super-hero twilight of the gods, and made it into the apocalyptic grand guignol of their own world.

Kamui is CLAMP's psychic-apocalyptic warrior James Dean, handsome, untamed and moody, determined not to play by the rules with a disconcerting amount of determination, but secretly caring. He looks good. He even bleeds impeccably. Everything in X/1999 is glamorous, everything is attractive from the people and outfits to the spells. buildings getting crushed, and the world splitting are encompassingly big, and gorgeous.

In the first volume, after the death of his mother, Kamui returns to Tokyo, and reunites with a childhood friend who he loved, and her over protective brother. Briefly he's thrust into the role of high school super hero, fighting off men in black before being late to class. Soon the seers and physics begin to converge and a cast large enough to choke Dickens begin hinting at destinies and the breaking of the world.

X/1999 is big screen shojo. Even for CLAMP, who are often noted for the quality of their illustration, X/1999 is a visually dominating work. Images pop. Panels are large. Lines are thick. It is the pinnacle of their house style, hot and heavy on the aesthetic markers from cherry blossoms to Tokyo Tower.

An attention grabbing aspect of X/1999 is its length. 18 volumes of a speculated 20 or 22 (it's tarot influence, but there is some back forth over whether art books should count) have been released in Japan.

Anime Spotlight: Banner of the Stars II Volume 1: Hunteres

Released by Bandai Entertainment

Banner of the Stars II is the third installment of the culture and war sci-fi story of the human colonized space, and the genetically altered Abh (Crest of the Stars being the first volume).

After Banner of the Star's Operation Phantom Flame the Triple Alliance has been shattered. Operation Hunter has begun to seek out and destroy remaining opposition. The young human vassal duke Jinto, imperial Abh heiress Lafiel, and their rebuilt ship Basroil are reassigned to the line.

Banner of the Stars II is divided between Jinto and Lafiel's diplomatic mission to occupy a conquered penal colony, and court intrigue of the Abh elite as they undertake Operation Hunter. Bookend sequences with what appear to a dying Jinto hint at further development of the relationship between him and Lafiel, but what little the first four volumes offer of that thread keep it in the same state as what was seen in the previous series.

There's a new facet to the space-engineered Abh race, they aren't good at terrestrial administration. They tend to overreact, ie dealing with armed revolt by destroying part of a planet's atmosphere.

The world Jinto and Lafiel are assigned to is a political onion. Below each layer is another layers as complex as the first. The societies are depiction rationally. What may at first look like a Star Trek style theme society is revealed to have a history that explains its current state in a plausible manner.

Banner of the Stars II is mostly conversation, and little of the previous series' battles. Despite the very manageable number of characters, the amount of personality, history, agenda and information require a constant attention, and usually a few rewinds to make sure that all of the points are grasped.

Banner of the Stars II continues to add depth to one of the most interesting space science fiction stories. The series' flaws such as a too cute cat adoration, and a World War II homage two dimension style of combat/strategy, aren't as present in this new chapter. Despite a lack of buzz or flash, the Stars series are one of anime's real highlights.

This Week's Anime and Manga Releases

Anime:
  • Bandit King Jing (Vol. 1)
  • FLCL (Fooly Cooly) - Vol. 3 with Collector's Edition Box
  • Full Metal Panic - Mission 02
  • Saiyuki - Confronting Their Demons (Vol. 3)
  • X - Six (TV Series, Vol. 6)
  • Yu-Gi-Oh! - Best of Friends, Best of Duelists

Also:
  • Batman - The Animated Series - Out of the Shadows
  • Justice League - Paradise Lost

Manga:
  • Castle In The Sky Vol 2 Tp
  • Iron Wok Jan Gn #5
  • Raijin Comics #32
  • Vagabond Vol 6 Tp

Next Week on TV

Sunday July 20th
  • 12:00 Am Cartoon Network .Hack//Sign
  • 7:00 Am Family Channel Medabots (through Saturday)
  • 7:30 am Family Channel Beyblade (through Saturday)
  • 9:00 am Family Channel Beyblade
  • 9:30 am Family Channel Medabots
  • 10:00 am UPM Digimon: Digital Monsters
  • 6:00PM Cartoon Network Hamtaro
  • 10:30PM International Channel Dragonball GT
  • 11:00PM Internal Channel Slayers

Monday-Friday
  • 12:00 AM Cartoon Network Big O (Tuesday - Friday)
  • 12:00 AM Tech TV Anime Unleashed (not Monday, through Saturday)
  • 12:30 AM Cartoon Network Kikaider (Tuesday - Friday)
  • 12:30 AM Tech TV Anime Unleashed (not Monday, through Saturday)
  • 1:00 AM Cartoon Network Trigun
  • 1:30 AM Cartoon Network Lupin III
  • 3:00 AM Tech TV Anime Unleashed (not Monday, through Saturday)
  • 3:30 AM Tech TV Anime Unleashed (not Monday, through Saturday)
  • 6:00 AM Cartoon Network Zoids
  • 7:00 AM Cartoon Network Hamtaro
  • 7:30 AM UPN Digimon: Digital Monsters
  • 9:00 AM Cartoon Network Pokemon
  • 2:00 PM Cartoon Network Hamtaro
  • 4:00 PM Digimon: Digital Monsters
  • 4:00 PM WB Pokemon
  • 4:30 PM WB Yu-Gi-Oh
  • 4:30 PM Tech TV Anime Unleashed
  • 5:30 PM Cartoon Network Dragon Ball Z
  • 6:00 PM Cartoon Network Cyborg 009
  • 6:30 PM Cartoon Network Yuyu Hakusho
  • 9:00 PM Cartoon Network Pokemon
  • 11:00 PM International Channel Lost Universe (Monday)
  • 11:00 PM International Channel Fushigi Yugi (Tuesday)
  • 11:00 PM El Hazard - The Wanderers (Wednesday)

Saturday July 26th
  • 2:00 AM Tech TV Anime Unleashed (not Monday, through Saturday)
  • 2:30 AM Tech TV Anime Unleashed (not Monday, through Saturday)
  • 8:30 AM WB Yu-Gi-Oh
  • 9:30 AM Fox Kirby: Right Back at Ya!
  • 9:30 AM Fox MegaMan: NT Warrior
  • 10:00 AM Fox ltimate Muscle: The Kinnikuman Legacy
  • 10:00 AM WB Pokemon
  • 11:00 AM WB Yu-Gi-Oh!
  • 11:00 AM Family Channel Tokyo Pig
  • 12:30 PM Cartoon Network Transfomers Armada
  • 1:00 PM Cartoon Network Hamtaro
  • 8:30 PM Cartoon Network Transformers Armada
  • 9:30 PM Cartoon Network Rurouni Kenshin
  • 10:30 Cartoon Network G Gundam
  • 11:00 PM Cartoon Network Pokemon

Viz Title Plans (Kenshin, Alice 19th, Hikaru No Go )

Rurouni Kenshin and Hikaru No Go will be added to Viz's Shonen Jump graphic novels line.

Fans will be able to get a sneak peek into Rurouni Kenshin through SHONEN JUMP Magazine and Hikaru No Go will be serialized in SHONEN JUMP magazine beginning in January, its anniversary issue. The graphic novels will be launched "first graphic novel as early as November 2003."

One of the biggest manga hits of the 1990s, Rurouni Kenshin is set in Japan during the late 1800s and brings this remarkable period of Japanese history to life. It is the Meiji Restoration, and the feudal system separating the classes has ended. By law, the samurai must give up their swords - symbols of their traditional power - but a few still resist the changing times. In Japan, the accumulated sales for all volumes combined for Rurouni Kenshin was 4.5 million copies. Currently airing on Cartoon Network, Creator Nobuhiro Watsuki's first series, Rurouni Kenshin ran for 28 volumes in Japan. Translated in 14 countries worldwide, this is the first time the manga will be translated into English, but the anime TV, movie and OAV series are available in English, sometimes under the title Samurai X. Fans will be able to see a sneak preview of the series in the November issue of the SHONEN JUMP Magazine (on sale October 7, 2003).

Hikaru No Go

The latest hit game among Japanese students has nothing to do with cards or magical beatss. In fact, it's not even a new game, but one that used to be associated with old folks. How did it get to be so popular? Simple: It has really cool manga!

Currently at 18 volumes, Hikaru No Go (The Go of Hikaru) has been hitting the top of Japan's manga sales charts for several years. The series is a team effort, written by Yumi Hotta and drawn by Takeshi Obata, with young go master Yukari Umezawa as technical advisor and Japan's National Go Association as their willing supporters. The rest is a unique gaming comic that has resurrected the popularity of this traditional Chinese strategy game (superficially similar to Othello). In Japan, the latest volume of Hikaru (vol. 23) sold 830,000, and altogether (from Vol. 1 to 23) has sold 21 million to date. It's also been translated in 7 different countries.

This series will be making its debut as a serialization in the January issue of the SHONEN JUMP Magazine, to replace Sand Land that ends in the November issue.

Part science fiction, part fantasy. Alice doesn't think she lives here on planet Earth anymore.and she's right, Please Save My Earth, Volume 1

July 17, 2003 (San Francisco, CA) - Please Save My Earth is the story of sensitive high school student Alice Sakaguchi. The manga was written by Saki Hiwatari and first serialized in the Hana to Yume magazine and published as graphic novels from 1987 to 1994 by Hakusensha, Inc. Tokyo. The total number of graphic novels was 21.

This provocative manga stars high school student Alice Sakaguchi who has a recurring dream that she's part of a team of seven alien scientists from the moon. She doesn't believe it until the evidence starts building up. She keeps meeting other people who've been having these strange dreams as well, and fragments of a past life keep her wondering if it's not too crazy to be true. And now, even her eight year old neighbor is acting strange.

Alice was a typical young girl - hopelessly in love and bored, until she follows a magical rabbit that literally jumps in front of her life. Alice 19th, Vol. 1 The Lotis Master

Alice Seno seems like a normal girl in high school. She¹s a bit shy; she's got a crush on a boy name Kyo; and she's got an older sister who is more popular than she is. Pretty normal stuff until Alice has an encounter with a mysterious and magical rabbit girl that changes the course of her life. Words have power, and Alice has the potential to become a master of this power. Uncontrolled use of these words, however, can have deadly consequences, and Alice inadvertently sends her sister into a world of darkness. Alice resolves to save her sister from the darkness, but in order to do so, she must become a master of the Lotis Words. Will the dark side be more than she can handle?

Sixteen year old Hatsumi Narita can't believe that life can get any worse --her family's landlady is a gossiping nightmare, and the landlady's son is a bully! To top it off, an act of kindness backfires and makes Hatsumi the bully's slave! Hot Gimmick, Volume 1

Hot Gimmick is the new manga by Aihara Miki. It started its publication with the December 2000 issue of shojo manga magazine Betsucomi (Bessatsu Shojo-Comic) (from Shogakukan), and has six tankoubon (graphic novels) released so far.

In company-owned rabbit-hutch apartments live tenants who can't afford to live anywhere else. And in the complex where sixteen year old Hatsumi Narita lives, everyone's lives are ruled by the rumor-mongering, self-righteous landlady, Mrs. Tachibana. Get on Tachibana's bad side, and life becomes hell.

When Hatsumi has to buy a pregnancy test because her popular sister Akane thinks she's pregnant, Mrs. Tachibana's son, Ryoki, who used to bully Hatsumi as a kid, catches her and promises not to tell the world about Hatsumi's secret as long as she becomes his slave.

Suddenly Azusa, Hatsumi's protector in their youth, reappears to save her again! He's moving back into the neighborhood! Despite the budding romance between Hatsumi and Azusa, Ryoki has control over her through the secret that could ruin the lives of everyone in Hatsumi's family, and he hasn¹t forgotten who his slave is! And he'll make sure Hatsumi doesn't forget either!

Manga at the Eisner Awards

Manga was shut out at this year's Eisner awards, one of the most prestigious awards in the American comic industry. Viz's horror manga Uzumaki lost Best U.S. Edition of Foreign Material to Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde, by Robert Louis Stevenson, adapted by Jerry Kransky and Lorenzo Mattotti, and Dark Horse/Studio Proteus' Super Manga Blast lost Best Anthology to SPX 2002 (CBLDF).

In a year marked by many as the one where manga before a force in the American comic industry, manga released received fewer nominations than previous releases. When releasing the nomination list judge and comic journalist Jen Contino commented:

When I saw the lists of publishers who submitted books for the Eisners, I was very pleased. It wasn't just the "mainstream" publishers, like I thought it might be, but tons of small pressers and even some webcomics. I liked the diversity represented and I liked that so many different creators decided to submit their works. I was also pleased to see the number of manga titles submitted for consideration.

A complete list of winners can be se saw on Pulse here.

ADV Picks Up Wandaba Style

ADV Films announced at Comic-Con that they had licensed Wandaba Style, a strange series about a rich genius and a quartet of idol singers who try to go to the moon.

Courtney Love to Write For TOKYOPOP

Courtney Love will be working with TOKYOPOP to create "Princess Ai", a manga series based on herself. Ai Yazawa will be providing character design, and D.J. Milky will be the creative director.

Goldberg in Dragon Ball Movie?

It looks pretty unsubstantiated, but wrestling news site Rajah WWF reports that the wrestler Goldberg has signed to play the character Nappa in the live action Dragon Ball Z movie.

New TOKYOPOP Manga Lines

Pulse has posted an article about TOKYOPOP's plans to expand into new comic/manga lines. A new Vintage line with start with the Cyberg 009 manga, and a new line with original work by American creators will start in October with @ Large, World of Hartz, and Shutterbox.

Del Rey Manga News

The Dely Rey imprint of The Random House Publishing Group has announced that they will be working with Kodansha on a new manga line which will launch with four titles in 2004, followed by eight editional volumes of the next 12 months. The titles will be released as trade paperbacks printed in the traditional Japanese format, reading right to left.

The first two titles that have been announced are Masatsugu Iwase's Gundam Seed, and Love Hine creator Ken Akamatsu's Negima.

Dallas Middaugh, formerly of Viz will be serving as Director of Manga for Del Rey.

CPM Picks Up Alien Nine Epilogue

CPM Manga will be releasing Alien 9: The Emulators, the follow up to the Alien Nine manga.

Japan Store Sued Over Stolen Cel

Toei has sued Japanese anime retailer Mandarake, seeking the return of Sailor Moon cels which were sold by the store.

I.C. Entertainment to Release No Bra

According to Gamepro.com I.C. Entertainment will be releasing Kawatsu Kenjirou's transvesite romance No Bra.

More Anime DVD Problems

Right Stuf has reported problems with the domestic DVD released volume 3 of El Hazard TV , volume 3 of Tiny Snow Fairy Sugar 2, and volume 13 of Yu Yu Hakusho.

Fall Anime Releases

Anime on DVD has collected the late fall's new anime release information that can be gathered from Diamond Comic's Previews magazine. Anime release information coming from previews generally should generallly be considered tenative.

Listings include:

Manga Entertainments will be releasing a Macross Box set with the four episode Macross Plus OAV, the Macross II movie.

Final Fantasy Unlimited, Nuku Nuku Dash, Power Dolls, Super Milk Chan and Steam Detectives

Angelic Layer

A $70 Reign box set from TOKYOPOP

Saint Seiya

More American Movies to Adapt Manga?

Holywood Reporter has posted a column speculating that Hollywood will look to Japanse Manga for the next round of movies adapting comic books. The column talks about the adaptions of Astro Boy and Lupin III.

Animerica Extra to Become Shojo Only

Anime News Network points out an editoril in the August issue of Viz's manga anthology Animerica Extra which states as of volume 7, Animerica Extra is becoming a shojo-only magazine."

The August issue marks the end of Marionette Generation, and both Revolutionary Girl Utena and Short Program 2 will be leaving before the end of the year. Steam Detectives and Video Girl Ai will also be moving to a graphic-novel-only format.

Chiho Saito's Utena movie manga and Yumi Tamura's WILD COM will begin in the January 2004 issue.

Ninja Scroll 10th Anniversay Features
  • Anniversary Poster Included!
  • Dual Sided - Dual Layered Dvd 18 Contains:
  • Side A: Digitally Remastered Original 4X3 Full Screen
  • Side B: Digitally Remastered Enhanced 16X9 Widescreen
  • Additional Features - (Both Versions):
  • Custom Motion/Interactive Menus
  • English And Japanese Language 6.1 Dts & Dolby Digital Ex Surround Sound
  • Additional French & Spanish Language Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo
  • Director Interview
  • Character Synopsis
  • History Of Jubei
  • English Cast Key Character Interview
  • English Subtitles

More Gundam Seed?

Anime on DVD's San Diego Comic-Con report states that Sunrise director Matsumoto Satoru a follow-up to Gundam SEED is in the works.

Production IG English Site

Anime News Network points out that Production IG has relaunched its English site with new infomation about Ghost in the Shell: Innocense, and an interview with director Kenji Kamiyama.

North American Sakura Wars Screenings

Pioneer's Sakura Wars movie site lists theatre screeningd in California, Montreal, and Maryland.

FUNimation Picks Up Tenchi Muyo OAV 3?

Anime News Network has been following up on ambigious statements about the licensing of the third Tenchi Muyo ! Ryo-Ohki OVA that were made on this summer's convention circuit.

When asked about the licensing of Tenchi Muyo GXP and the third OAV a Pioneer representative stated "We don't have that. Funimation got it/"

The statement was later clarified with: "...They have announced Tenchi GXP, and we believe they have announced or will annouce... you can look forward to an annoucement about the Tenchi OVAs, but I don't think it will come from us."

FUNimation is not commenting on the license.

Dark Horse Manga News

From Anime on DVD's San Diego Comic Con Report. There was little hard news from Dark Horse comic's manga panel, but there were a few hints of the direction that the company will take. When asked about Go Nagai's Devil Man, the Dark Horse representative stated that horror comics complement the other titles that the company are releasing, and that the fact that another company has attempted devil man before will likely make the license inexpensive.

Most of Dark Horse's manga titles are from Studio Proteus, who gets their titles from Kodansha, but with Kodonsha's ties to the new Del Rey line that supply has dried up. With the increasing popularity of the manga market it is becoming more difficult from smaller publishers to pick up titles.

Cannon-God Exxaxion is not selling very well and will probably be folded into Super Manga Blast.

When asked about translating the Crest/Banner of the Stars novels and the editor said that Dark Horse was very interested in doing translated versions of japanese light novels. He made note of the Crest/Banner novels as well as the Vampire Hunter D novels.

When asked about translating the rest of Spirit of Wonder, it was stated that Studio Proteus is looking into continuing some of their older titles that they hadn't completed.

TOKYOPOP Manga News

From Anime on DVD's San Diego Comic Con Report.

TOKYPOP announced the following manga titles.

Ghost! From Shuri Shiozu.

Ai Yori Aoshi True Blue Love from Kou Fumizuki March 2004 release

Sgt Frog Kero Gungo from Mine Yoshizaki, creator of Arcade Game Fubuki. Jan 2004 release

Macross 7 Trash from Haruhiko Mikimoto in first quarter 2004

Fruits Baskets will be out in February 2004

Niea_7 was delayed due to issue with the creator. T

okyopop is currently finding a way to get out Marmalade Boy in a decent pattern. They are waiting for Naoko to settle things with Kodonsha in order to re-release that.

Also they said a new Clamp piece would be coming out, which isnt a Mokona Apapa one, but a Mick Nekoi one.

Tokyopop has added a few new titles to their site.

Snow Drop by Choi Gyung-ah

Sana was kidnapped and raped as a child, but she is trying to put that experience behind her. When she meets Hayden in high school, they instantly click and fall in love with each other. However, a dark secret from their past threatens to tear them apart. Like a modern-day Romeo and Juliet, Snowdrop is about two star-crossed teens who fall madly in love.

Sgt Frog by Mine Yoshizaki

Sergeant Keroro is the Captain of the Space Invasion Forces Special Advance Team of the 58th Planet of the Gamma Storm Cloud System, sent to the planet Pokopen (aka Earth) to collect intelligence for his planet's invasion force. He is also a frog. After his ship crash-lands in the planet earth, he takes shelter in the Hinata household, but the two kids, Fuyuki and Natsume, find him and take away his alien weapons. When his people discover that the Pokopenians are aware of him, Keroro is abandoned - left to fend for himself in this hostile world. But he's not alone - four other pre-invasion agents were are also lurking on Earth. It's invasion of the weird in this wacky comedy hit!

TOKYOPOP Inc. is pleased to announce the addition of Macross 7 Trash to its 2004 manga release schedule. The legendary and complex Macross universe is seminal in the history of anime and manga. There have been thousands of Macross TV anime episodes, movies, manga volumes, toys, and videogames, spanning multiple distinct series. Macross - which was released worldwide by Harmony Gold - recently celebrated its 20th Anniversary and is known to many television viewers as Robotech.

One of the most popular incarnations of this franchise is Macross 7. The fan-favorite Macross 7 Trash manga is known as a side-story to the anime - set in the same world, but featuring different themes, characters and tone. Created by Mikimoto Haruhiko (Gundam 0080, Orguss), Macross 7 Trash features a complex, layered, character-driven narrative that adds immeasurably to the overall richness and diversity of the Macross experience. The story was originally serialized in Japan's Shounen Ace magazine from 1994 to 2001.

Raw Witch Hunter Robin

The Japanese Bandai Channel has posted the first episode of Witch Hunter Robin free online here. The episode is in raw Japanese.

Fox Box

Fox has announced its fall Fox Box schedule, which will start on September 6th.
  • 8:00AM Cubix
  • 8:30AM The Cramp Twins
  • 9:00AM Ultimate Muscle: The Kinnikuman Legacy
  • 9:30AM Sonic X
  • 10:00AM Kirby: Right Back at Ya!
  • 10:30AM Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
  • 11:00AM Shaman King
  • 11:30AM Funky Cops

Interstella 5555 Trailer

A trailer for Interstella 5555 - the 5tory of the 5ecret 5tar 5ystem the Leiji Matsumoto's animated adapation of Daft Punk can be seen online here.

Anime Invades Japan

From Natsume Maya Pictures of a cruise ship converted into One Piece's pirate ship Going Merry can be seen here.

Pictures of a Sakura Wars themed cafe can be seen here

Priest Movie?

ICV2 reports TOKYOPOP is close to signing a deal that could pave the way for a live action movie based on Priest, a popular "manwha" (Korean manga) title by Min-Woo Hyung.

XXX Director On Live Action Kite Project

Anime News Service reports according to recent news published by Variety Magazine, Anant Singh's production division Distant Horizon has acquired remake rights to Hideo Nakata's (Ring) Don't Look Up and Yasuomi Umetsu's Kite, where Fast And Furious I and XXX Director Rob Cohen has been listed among the reported collaborators.

The End of Hand-Drawn Animation?

IMDB reports saying that the studio is "extremely disappointed" by the poor box-office performance of Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas, DreamWorks animation chief Ann Daly has told the New York Times that the film will be the studio's last hand-drawn animation feature. Sinbad, which reportedly cost $70 million to produce, has earned only $23.3 million since its opening on July 2. DreamWorks principal Jeffrey Katzenberg, who built his reputation by supervising some of Disney's biggest animation hits, suggested that the conventional "2-D" form of animating movies may now be obsolete. "I think the idea of a traditional story being told using traditional animation is likely a thing of the past," he told the Times.

Yu-Gi-OH PSA

A Flash Yu-Gi-Oh PSA can been seen here.

Anime Game News

Guardians of Order has posted core rules for their anime pen and paper anime role playing game Big Eyes Small Mouth (BESM) online here.

Highlights of the BESEM release schedule include:

August
  • Besm Slayers (Book 1)

September
  • Fushigi Yugi: Ultimate Fan Guide #2

October
  • Hellsing: Ultimate Fan Guide #2
  • Besm Revolutionary Girl Utena: Book 1
  • The Slayers: D20 System Rpg Hardcover

November
  • Fushigi Yugi: Ultimate Fan Guide #3

From Magic Box

Sega-AM2 and Bandai are creating a 3-D shooter Macross game for the Playstation. Chou-jikuu Yousai Macross will featuring the transforming Valkyrie jets.

Screenshots of Macross: The Super Dimension Fortress can be seen here

One Piece based fighting game Grand Battle 3 for the Playstation 2 and Game Cube can be seen here and adventure game One Piece - Chopper's Great Adventure for WonderSwan Crystal can be seen here.

Cyberconnect2, best known for the .Hack series is developing a Playstation 2 fighting game based on Naruta for a Japanese release in October.

Images of Bandai's Mobile Suit Gundam: Megurial Sora for PlayStation 2, the sequel to Mobile Suit Gundam: Journey to Jubaro can be seen here.

Gravitation Dubbing

Newline Studio's new preparing to start an English dub of yaoi (homosexual romance) series for release by Right Stuf. The domestic release has been delayed until spring 2004 because of rights to the music.

NewType News

NewType USA magazine has received the award for "Best Anime Publication-North America" at Anime Expo 2003 from the Society for the Promotion of Japanese Animation (SPJA).

French Harlock Movie a Bust?

It's been rumored that the French movie project that comic writer Warren Ellis had been working was a live action production of Leiji Matsumoto's Captain Harlock. It looks like the Ellis' project isn't going to happen. According to his Bad Signal mailing list/Die Puny Humans blog:

French Film Thing came to nothing because the Japanese rights holder decided to fuck the film producer. French Film Producer and I are therefore talking about putting something else together instead. I like this because it means I may get to spend more time in Paris listening to his stories. As some of you guessed, French Film Producer is Jean-Pierre Dionnet, co-founder of METAL HURLANT and Les Humanoids Associes. Brilliant, brilliant man.

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