Father Geek here with this week's report on the wide worlds of Manga & Anime. Hopefully this will stay on the frontpage long enough for all of you to spot it, buuuuuut with all the breaking news and reviews coming out of Toronto I don't hold out much hope. See the front page only holds 20 stories and we've been getting 25 to 30 from Toronto every day sooooooo... of course the story will still be on the site for those long time readers that know to click the "Cool News" icon right under the Harry animation on the top left of the front page to view stories rotated off the leadoff page, or the "More AICN" icon and then the "Animation" icon on the pop-up menu to find ALL the anime & manga columns in their massive archive.

Now here's Scott's regular weekly column...

AnimAICN...

by Scott Green

Manga Spotlight: Shaman King by Hiroyuki Takei

Released by Viz in Shonen Jump and Collected in Shonen Jump graphic novels

Like many heroes of Shonen Jump's manga series Yoh is a young male driven to perfect skills and prove himself, generally through progressive one-on-one fights, and tournaments. Like many of these heroes, he has a wide anti-authority streak. Unlike these comparable characters Yoh isn't a firecracker, raring to prove himself. Instead he is a laid back hippie, with a very Tao outlook on life , taking things in stride, getting riled up about injustice, but flowing with everyday efforts and tribulations.

Yoh is the latest in a long line of spirit chandlers, the son of a shrine cleric and ascetic monk. Trained by his grandfather, he opted out of an obstinate dedication to comfort and hedonism in order to become the Shaman King. The role of Shaman King is more than just a supremely ranked channeler, it is a guiding force or savior like Jesus or Buddha with the potential to change the course of humanity. Seeing that the mankind's expansion and the cycles of nature are progressively coming into conflict, Yoh sees the need to fill role.

The series gets off to a slow start, with the cast being introduced, a few one shot stories, a few running gags. Initially there is Yoh, and Manta, his large headed neurotic sidekick. Then there is Amidmaru, Yoh's spirit ally who was a feared and disgraced samurai. With a few more characters the series starts coalescing. Yoh's domineering fiancée Anna shows up, and she lights fires under Yoh.

The philosophic underpinnings and hints at the potential of the spirit world in these chapters are interesting. Despite a similar base to the controversial anime Arjuna, Shaman King is a soft sell. Depicting the appeal of Yoh's easy going philosophy and attunement to aspects of existence and people ignored in the bustle of modern like. He isn't an evangelist, nor does he seem to be consciously live by a code. He seems more naturally drawn to it.

In the chapters of the most recent Shonen Jump (chapters 14 & 15), the pieces have begun to fall into place. Sparks of interest have ignited, and the series has begun to live up to its promise. With the arrival of Yoh's first Shaman rival the series begins to have some, pardon the pun, spirit. Yoh faces off against the older sister of this first rival, and her zombie warrior, a Bruce Lee doppelganger who was killed to serve that family's dynasty of shamans.

The story channels the tragedy of Bruce Lee's life, and it also begins to utilize the cast that it has build, as desperation exposes the different personalities. It captures a small scale, personal intensity, and shows how a do or die situation effects its cast.

Viz has recently released the first collection of the series, entitled "A Shaman in Tokyo"

Anime Spotlight: Najica: Blitz Tactics Vol 1

Released by ADV Films

The Najica: Blitz Tactics deluxe first volume with box ships with panties. It comes with panties! There tends to be an implicit promise of tasteless, unnecessary sexuality in a great deal of anime, aka fan service. Najica has build a series on this, dominantly the up-skirt shot. It may sound like thin foundation for an anime series longer than a brief direct to video OAV, and by most logic it is, but by running with the ridiculous premise using a straight face a la The Con or the Rock it works.

The Najica lineage probably starts with Project Ako, which spoofed 70's and early 80's anime with jabs at anime's proclivity to put young women in skirts, then find ways of exposing their panties. Slicing the skirt, using camera angles looking up the skirt, ect. A decade after the first A-Ko, the series creator Katsuhiko Nishijima put together the infamous Agent Aiko, which a featured pair of women battling battalions of maids, and some of the most extreme painty shots every animated.

Najica is a moderately toned down tale from the same world as Aika. It opens with a shot of a woman's derriere, then goes into a training gunfight that looks like something out the Half Life shooting game. The woman performing this exercise in a tight, legless body suit is the titular Najica, a perfume chemist by day, James Bond/Lupin III secret agent by night. After her first mission, in which she takes on the requisite battalion of women in maid outfits, Najica rescues a girl who turns out to be a robot, and her new partner.

Najica can be a fun, check your brain at the door series. The episodic stories feature a few comedy of errors, but usually they are more action oriented, with a bit of the Miller Lite Catfight Girls appeal: lots of women's pro-wrestling style jostling in tight outfits, and lots of video game style gunplay. Sometimes the misogyny warning bells ring too loud, especially when the violence is rough or bloody, but you have to credit a director who can fit panty shots into so many scenes without it looking like he just mounted the camera on a shoe.

Anime Spotlight: s-CRY-ed volume 2: The Alter Hunt

Released by Bandai

The super hero genre has been run pretty far into the ground in America. s-CRY-ed is familiar X-Men territory, but it comes from the distance needed to breeth some life into the material. It is an engaging adventure serial, with characters you want to know about, frequent changes or surprises, well punctuated with action.

s-CRY-ed takes the humanity versus new super powered mutation/adopted family dynamic, and adds an extra dimension of class. Twenty two years ago a mysterious phenomenon broke off a piece of Japan, and released a radiation that gave 2% of those born to the effected area Alter powers. Those with these powers are able to transmute surrounding matter into strange creations from water producing tentacles, to robot like constructions to strange chimeras. The effected land divided itself between a white collar city class, and blue collar rural class on the desolate outskirts. The mainland and city formed a police army known as HOLD to control Alters, with a division of elite trained Alters known as HOLY.

Among the Native Alters, outside the control of Holy is Kazuma, a head strong young man who uses his relatively unimpressive Alter power to perform mercenary jobs in the city and the wasteland. As HOLD's agenda begins to encroach on the native Alter users Kazuma finds himself butting heads with HOLY.

s-CRY-ed features some unique character dynamics for super hero story. HOLY the antagonists work for someone who undoubtedly going to turn out to be a villain, and they employ some sick, cruel people, their organization walks the fine like between military and fascism but for the most part, they aren't villains themselves. They're more of the X-Men type family unit than random body of Native Alters, which features enough bullies and thugs in their own right. One on one, the rivalries and antagonisms between the two sides are more political and social than anything else. HOLY members are loyal to their adopted family, which they view as providing them a save haven and security, who view the Natives as savage terrorists. The Natives see the city's exploitation and abandonment of those living in the outskirts, and hate HOLY for their jack-booted operations.

Beyond compelling characters and presentation, s-CRY-ed is driven by excellent pacing. Super hero stories tend to be static. The hero saves the day and moves on, and the situation repeats itself. Maybe with a new, similar villain, maybe the old on breaks out if jail and returns. s-CRY-ed is a series with a very light status quo. The characters and plot are consistently moving forward in decisive logical steps. There is a sense that you don't know what will happen in the next episode. Furthermore, it pays attention to continuity. A character who is injured slowly recovers over the course of a number of episodes, with bandages and casts.

s-CRY-ed is being released through Bandai's Platinum Edition line, which denotes that the release features some extra material, and a slightly better presentation, but the series is a more general testimony to the quality of the material that Bandai releases. It isn't that rare for an anime series to plug a changing scene into its opening animation (like the Simpsons). A number of domestic anime releases have neglected this, but Bandai includes credit free, clean versions of all of the openings with s-CRY-ED You seldom hair complaints about Bandai's translation, but they've done an excellent job in s-CRY-ed, including nuances that hint at character's personalities.

This Week's Anime and Manga Releases

Anime

• Animation Runner Kuromi
• Boys Over Flowers: Declaration Of War!
• Cardcaptor Sakura - Confessions (Vol. 17)
• Chobits - Love Defined (Vol. 4)
• Dagger Of Kamui
• Original Dirty Pair: Project Eden
• Rahxephon - Synaesthesia (Vol. 5)
• Revolutionary Girl Utena Vol. #8: Unveiling
• Sakura Wars: The Movie

Manga

• Alien Nine Book 3 Gn
• Blade Of The Immortal Shadows One Shot #82
• Crayon Shinchan Gn #5
• Full Metal Panic Manga Vol 1 Tp
• Priest Vol 8 Gn (Of 9)

Animation Runner Kuromi is a parody of anime production from energetic director Akitaroh Daichi.

Cat Soup is a surreal feature that has been described as Hello Kitty meets An Occurance At Owl Creek Bridge.

Also

• Barefoot Serpent Gn (Scott Morse's Tribute To Akira Kurosawa )
• Ultraman Tiga #1 (Of 10)

Millennium Actress on DVD

According to Dreamworks, Japanese dialog/English subtitled, widescreen special edition of Satoshi Kon's Millennium Actress on October 28th for $19.99. Bonus features include a making of the film feature.

Live Action Sailor Moon Cast

Anime News Network reports that the cast of the upcoming live action Sailor Moon TV series will feature Miyuu Sawai as Sailormoon, Chisaki Hama as Sailor Mercury, Keiko Kitagawa as Sailor Mars, Ayaka Komatsu as Sailor Venus, and Myu Azama as Sailor Jupiter. See here.

Evangelion 2

The official site for Bandai/Gainax's Neon Genesis Evangelion has opened at here. Screenshots can be seen here. Magic Box has additional screenshots here

Evangelion: Girlfriend of Steel Manga

The manga adaptation of the second Neon Genesis Evangelion: Girlfriend of Steel (Seiki Evangelion Koutetsu no Girlfriend), which takes features the alternative, relationship comedy versions of the characters seen in 26th episode of the TV series has started in the latest issue of Monthly Asuka. Media Blaster Box Sets (Including Berserk and Kenshin_ From Anime on DVD

Media Blasters will be collecting a number of their previously released series in box sets.

The following will be released on November 18th: The Babel II: Testament of the Apocalypse Set collects all 13 episodes of the giant robot anime series for $39.98. Babel II was one of the series referenced in the classic Giant Robo

Medieval horror action Berserk will be collected in The Berserk Premium Collection Set for $139.98.

The first collection of Rurouni Kenshin will also retail for $139.98.

The 13 episode Genma Wars will be collected on December 16th for $39.98.

Japanese Manga News

From Natsume Maya

CLAMP's editor Sugawara Kiichiro states in his column that next month's instalment of Tsubasa - RESERVoir CHRoNiCLE - will contain "sugoi (cool) news".

Manga magazine Young Animalhas a website up for the Berserk manga by Miura Kentarou. There's a which you can download.

Shogakukan's manga releases for October 2003 are now up. Volume 1 of Watase Yuu's new Fushigi Yuugi manga Genbu Kaiden, which, appropriately enough, focuses on the Genbu no Miko, will be published on 25 October 2003, price 390 yen, ISBN 4-04-09138471-4. Same with volume 1 of her other new manga Zettai Kareshi - to be published 25 October 2003, price 390 yen, ISBN 4-14-09138461-7.

New Toriyama Design

Dragon Ball creator Akira Toriyama will contributing character design to the new Dragon Quest game Slime Morimori Dragon Quest for the GameBoy Advance.

Upcoming TOKYOPOP Manga

TOKYOPOP announced at the Big Apple Anime Fest that they had acquired the manga rights to sci-fi series Crest of the Stars, and CLAMP's RG Vega and Tokyo Babylon.

F-Zero Anime Site

TV Tokyo has opened a site for F-Zero Falcon Densetsu, based on the popular racing game here

Dark Horse Change Manga Release Dates

Dark Horse will be releasing the first volume of Trigun on October 8th, and The Ring on November 12th.

Date Set for Nadesico Movie

ADV Films has announced that Martian Successor Nadesico: The Motion Picture-Prince Of Darkness, the follow-up to the popular series will be released on DVD November 11th.

On its 1998 theatrical release, MARTIAN SUCCESSOR NADESICO: The Motion Picture-Prince of Darkness received acclaim from Japanese fans and critics alike for being a true-to-form follow-up to the television series. MARTIAN SUCCESSOR NADESICO was renowned for being a thrilling futuristic adventure tale (including loads of explosive mecha action) with an underpinning of satire. Knowing that the film sequel stays on track, U.S. fans have been eagerly anticipating its stateside release.

The Story: Two years have passed since the Great War. Akito and Yurika have vanished. The Jovians and the Earthlings have joined forces and Ruri is now captain of Nadesico B. As the popularity of Boson Jumping grows, a vast transportation network has been developed. Dubbed the Hisago Plan, this network of Chulip portals holds the answers to the mysteries behind Bose particles and their power. If those secrets should fall into the wrong hands, it could mean big trouble.

And big trouble there is. A Martian splinter group has launched an offensive, leaving the United Forces befuddled and desperate. So much so, in fact, that the former crew of the Nadesico is called back to active duty for a special unsanctioned mission-to save us all. Does this menagerie of misfits have what it takes? Who will win the race for the Boson technology? And what the heck happened to Akito and Yirika? The answers lie within-deep within-the NADESICO: Prince of Darkness.

MARTIAN SUCCESSOR NADESICO: The Motion Picture-Prince of Darkness ($29.98 SRP) is a DVD-only release presented in letterboxed widescreen format with an English 5.1 language version and a Japanese 2.0-language version, with English subtitles. Extras include a reversible cover and ADV Previews.

Upcoming CPM Manga Titles

Central Park MEdia has announced that they have licensed the rights to manga series Comic Party and Ahiru no Ojiisama (Duck Prince).

ADV Talks Saint Seiya Video Release

From the press release:

Adv Films Announces Saint Seiya: The Power Of The Cosmos Lies Within, First Volume Of The Highly Anticipated Anime Series

Hit Fantasy-Action Title Available In Stores October 21, 2003; Collector's Edition Available! DV Films, a leading distributor of Japanese animation in North America, today announced an October 21, 2003 release date for Saint Seiya: The Power of the Cosmos Lies Within, first volume of the highly anticipated fantasy-action anime series, and U.S. DVD premiere of the title.

The Saint Seiya series, an epic tale that became a sensation with fans in Japan after its original release, has been widely anticipated by the growing number of anime fans in the U.S. The series, which was acquired domestically by DIC Entertainment, is based on a manga by Masami Kurumada and produced by one of the top animation studios, Toei Animation (Digimon, Sailor Moon, Dragon Ball).

Collector's Edition Available!

Saint Seiya: The Power of the Cosmos Lies Within is available in a Collector's Edition, including a custom art box sized to hold the first five volumes of the series.

The Story: The cosmos is bound together by an incomprehensible web of strength, power and-some would even say-magic. And only by a select few may these forces be harnessed! Seiya is a mortal from Japan who has been trained and has excelled. The time has now come for him to test his skills in battle and to claim the sacred cloth: cloth that will change the order of the universe; armor that will earn Seiya a place in the cosmos; cloth that will establish his rank among the Saints. Through a series of tournaments and trials, Seiya must not only defeat some of the most powerful fighters ever to set foot in the ring, but he must also defeat the demons within himself... Long live the Saints! Long live Saint Seiya!

Saint Seiya: The Power of the Cosmos Lies Within (SRP $29.98 DVD; SRP $39.98 Collector's Edition) is a DVD-only release, including four complete episodes; English 2.0 and Japanese 2.0 audio, with English subtitles. DVD features include: "The Mythology of Saint Seiya" insert; and ADV Previews. The collector's edition includes the DVD and custom series art box which holds the first five volumes of the series.

Hellsing on Action Channel

Anime News Network reports, beginning October 4th, Hellsing will be broadcast on the Starz Encore Action Channel. Since the Action Channel is a premium cable network, Hellsing will most likely be broadcast uncut.

CPM Announces Doggy Poo

From the press Release

Immediately following its triumphant sneak premiere at the Big Apple Anime Fest (BAAF), held August 29-31 in New York City, Central Park Media acquired the domestic distribution rights to the award winning Korean animated film Doggy Poo. This unique 30-minute film, from Director Oh-Sung Kwon and Executive Producer Hong-Gee Kim, is based on the best selling children's book Doggy Poo by author Jung-Saeng Kwon.

"BAAF, which is the world's largest anime film festival, proved to be the perfect place to introduce the Korean animated film Doggy Poo to an American audience. We are very pleased to have been able to acquire this heartwarming tale which was so well received at BAAF" said Sam Napolitano, Director of Sales, Central Park Media. "We believe this story will appeal to audiences of all ages and are committed to making Doggy Poo a must-have DVD."

Doggy Poo has few friends and lives in loneliness until it finds out the real value of being a poo. In this tale, a seemingly worthless piece of a dog's excrement eventually discovers its self worth by sacrificing all of itself to help a flower bloom. This is an educational story that will inspire people of all ages.

Written by Jung-Saeng Kwon, one of the most famous writers of children's novels in Korea, Doggy Poo, his first children's book, won the children's literature award in 1968. He has had over 110 short stories for children, 8 children's novels including Tears of God and Mong-Shil, a book of poems as well as two volumes of essays published.

Doggy Poo won the "Best Pilot Prize" at The Tokyo International Anime Fair 2003 and was selected as a "Best Pilot For Domestic & International Market" by The Korean Culture & Contents Agency.

Bandai Launches Infinite Ryvius Site

Bandai Entertainment announced today the launch of www.infiniteryvius.net in conjunction with its upcoming DVD home video release of Goro Taniguchi's epic space drama, Infinite Ryvius. The website will showcase the world of Ryvius, story settings, background, character profiles, image gallery, DVD information, and the Infinite Ryvius trailer.

Known for his action packed series, s-CRY-ed, director Goro Taniguchi weaves together a brave new world, where children must learn to adapt and survive on their own during a time of catastrophe and no adults. Anime Insider's Editor Rob Bricken states, "Intense. Gripping. Dramatic. These are all words used to describe Bandai's latest anime offering, Infinite Ryvius. A worthy tribute to Golding's class, 'Lord of the Flies'."

2225AD an act of sabotage has sent a space station plummeting towards a dense plasma phenomena known as the Sea of Geduld. With only hours to spare before the collapse of the entire station, a group of teens, training on-board the ship will seek safety aboard the Ryvius, an interstellar spacecraft hidden deep inside the station. With the adult crew and instructors killed, these young astronauts must rely on their training, courage, and most importantly...each other. Prepare for the journey home.

The first volume of the series will be released October 21st.

Anime Staff on Red Game

Red Entertainment, best known for the Sakura Wars game are developing a new PlayStatation 2 game called Bujingau which will feature Trigun's Yousuke Kuroda, Cowboy Bebop/Golden Boy character designer Toshihiro Kawamoto and J-Pop star Gackt.

Galaxy Express 999 Online

Anime News Network reports the first episode of the Galaxy Express 999 TV series is available free online throughout September. The rest of the series will also be distributed over the Internet, but only episode one is free. Meanwhile, Matsumoto's latest anime, Ginga Tesudo Monogatari (The Galaxy Railways) to begin on October 4, at 24:00.

Macross Game Clips

Clips of the latest Macross game have been posted here

Lain Figures

Figures.com has images of Toynami's line of Serial Experiments Lain figures here. The line, which will be releasing this fall includes Lain in DJ Outfit, Lain in Urban Outfit and Lain with Guitar The 8" figures will retaul for $24.99 each.

Manga Entertainment News

From Anime News Network's Big Apple Anime Fest report: Manga Entertainment is describing its separation from former owner Palm Pictures as "a few changes, the majority of them good." The company is currently under the ownership of several unnamed private investors. Scheduling should remain unaffected.

Manga has given priority in releasing catalog titles on DVD to Devil Man, Wings of Honneamise, and New Dominion Tank Police.

The Street Fighter Alpha 2 OVA, which will focus heavily on the character Akuma, is currently set for release in March 2004. Manga's other title currently in development is the 13-episode Production I.G. OVA Dead Leaves.

FUNimation News

From Anime News Network's Big Apple Anime Fest report: FUNi,ation has announced that they have licensed Lupin III: Farewell to Nostradamus and Lupin III: Dead or Alive feature films, and the Blue Gender Movie. An interview with Lupin creator Monkey Punch that will appear on the Dead or Alive DVD.

Sakura Taisen Memorial Concert will be released on December 02 at a price point of US$9.99. Contract terms require that "Sakura Taisen," rather than the translation ("Sakura Wars") be used as the official title.

The first volume of Kiddy Grade will be released on February 17. In all, six volumes will be released at a price point of $29.98 each. A box set, including multiple unspecified premium items, will be released as well. New covers may be developed for the US release, and using the original Japanese artwork on reversible covers is being considered as well.

The Blue Gender box set, which will be made available shortly, will include a limited edition poster signed by the actors voicing the series' two main characters.

Although 4Kids Entertainment holds the rights to the Shaman King anime series, distribution of DVDs will most likely be through Funimation.

Volume Two of ADV Manga

ADV Manga has announced that volume 2 of the Azumanga Daioh Manga and Full Metal Panic! will be released November 18th.

This manga comedy, telling of the hilarious adventures of a group of Japanese high-school girls (including the precocious young Chiyo, who began high school a few years early!), ties in to the hotly anticipated Azumanga Daioh anime (forthcoming early 2004 from ADV Films). Azumanga Daioh: Volume 2 will be available at bookstores, comic/specialty stores and other retailers nationwide

The second hilarious volume of Azumanga Daioh takes Chiyo and the girls from end-of-sophomore-year hijinks into the general silliness of their junior year. Includes two Special Edition comic segments: "Osaka's Half Day" and "A Day in the Life of Chiyo-chan!"

Full Metal Panic!: Volume 2

The plane carrying the students of Jindai High School on a trip to Okinawa is hijacked, and they find themselves miles from their destination, and in great danger! It's up to the dangerously gung-ho undercover agent/student/clueless dreamboat Sosuke Sagara to save the day again!