Father Geek here once again with Scott's regular Manga & Anime column for your information and entertainment, annnnd as is the usual in his reports he has covered the whole scope of the worlds of Anime and Manga. So dive in and enjoy...

AnimAICN...

by Scott Green

Anime Spotlight: Chobits Volume 1 Persocom and Volume 2 Empty City

Released by Pioneer/Geneon

CLAMP's manga (comics), and animation by production studio Madhouse have been a winning combinaiton. Chobits is part of shoujo (female demographics) powerhouse excursion towards in shounen (male) territories. In this case its the story of a hapless boy who meets the girl of his dreams.

Hideki is another of anime's young ronins, who finds himself in social limbo after failing his college entrance exams. He leaves his provincial home (cows and all) for the city, where he will work and attend cram school in hopes of passing his next attempt at the examines.

The city is full of Persocons, androids computer shaped like animate objects, typically people, and typically women (the term Persocon likely being a contraction of personal computer/PC). Though he can't afford to buy one, the powers that be provide one, wrapped up in the curbside trash. After starting the pale young woman/computer, Hideki learns that in place of the useful functionality one would expect from the construct, this one can says "Chi", mimic his movements, and gaze off in a distinct manner.

The first two volumes of Chobits are its cute honey moon period. Hideki learns that the Persocon, who he names Chi may be one of the rumored Chobits models, an she begins to exhibit a free will and emotionals responses not found in other models. The pair then go through the comedic routine of file with a robot: first hiding Chi, then introducing her to the world, and generally dealing with an artificial intelligence devoid of any human common sense (or much programming for that matter).

The restraint applied to Hideki's character, in that he's a believably average college age male, a bit of a loser, a bit of a slob, and a bit horny with no traits radically overplayed, gives a semi-plausibility to the relationship and raises the oddity above sitcom goofiness, or some of its hammer fisted peers.

Obviously Hideki grows to care about Chi. Some of the other characters seem close to their Persocons, but the affection doesn't seem deeper than what a person might feel for a car, a piece of equipment, or a computer that they have invested themselves in, and which has served them well. Hideki on the other hand is bonding with Chi.

There are some off putting aspects of the relationship, and it can very creepy. At this stage in what has been revealed about the situation, the consentuality of the arrangement is a bit questionable. Chi comes across as a combination child, pet and needy girlfriend, which make the sexual aspects tough (he's still practically dressing her by the end of the two volumes). Not that there has been much intendancy, but there have been strategically placed on switches and like.

Despite the fact that she can't effectively interact with people, her ability to learns is genuinely striking, so she appears more alien than unintelligent. There is a idea bubbling in the background that Chi will choose the one who is right for her, but her judgment is clearly questionable if at all existent, and the idea or at least it romance really bounces off the fact that Hideki found her on in a garbage heap.

Still, by the end, it is hard not to be won over by Chi. It is sweet, and it is easy to get caught up in. You'll find yourself rooting for Hideki to make the right decisions. That much of the relationship is built of Hideki protecting Chi, and making the right decisions for her isn't going to win the series any feminist awards, but rather than indifference, or disaster, the strongest impulse is to wish the two well.

CLAMP are notorious for turning familiar stories on their heads, so more twists are likely in the works. Already Chobits has begun playing against expectations, in particular the harem configuration, in which a male character is surrounded by a collection of frequently strange women who are all interested in his affections. (Tenchi Muyo being the almost prototypical example, but Love Hina is best recent sample) Though the women seem to find Hideki a cute and endearing, for the most park he's a hard luck case worth looking after rather than sexually attractive or worth romantically pursuing.

By the end of the volume, the series has fallen through the fluff, and hit some terra firma. Noticing that Hideki has been lamenting a lack of physical comforts, partially due to expenditures on her behalf, Chi decides to find a job. Without any social conceptions she is easily corralled into working at a peep show. The scene starts off wildly comedic, Chi doesn't know how to remove a bra, so repeatedly pulls up on alternate straps, but then it doesn't flinch or pull back at the expected moment, leaves a heavy residue to gravity and consequences that hardens what follows.

The relationship is further underscored "The Empty City", a children book that Chi picks is attracted to about a town where humans are connecting because they're with "it". The book haunts the edges of events, and rings out "things aren't going to end well."

Madhouse has adapted CLAMP works before: X(both the movie and TV series), CardCaptor Sakura. The studio knows how to capture the team's visual finesse, and emotional magnitude. Their work with Chi is what makes the series succeed. She could easily have come across as a dull character. Her ghostly pale tone, and soft voice would have made it easy for the character to fade into the background. From color still shots of Chi, its easy to pin the series has dull and sterile. In motion, her motions paint her as the strange being that she is.

Anime Spotlight: Yu Yu Hakusho: Ghost File Deadly Toguro (Episodes 60-62)

"Deadly Toguro" is the beginning of the end of Yu Yu Hakusho's "Dark Tournament". Of the commonly used anime formulas, tournament fights can be one of the more restricting. A relationship drama can tie you to a school, or residence but these are fountains of both universal and unique experiences. Generally fighting tournament binds the participants to a set location, and fairly predictable progression: hero teams battle various opponents leading to a showdown with their villianous rivals. Yu Yu Hakusho escapes the potential monotony with a character progression that goes beyond the plateauing of righteous anger.

Yu Yu Hakusho doesn't transcend the limitations of the format, it isn't fantastically well animated, or plotted, and in many regard it is the epitome the anime stereotype of colorful characters, colorful hair, and wild action, but it has a sense of humor, attractive design and an emotional core that makes it consistently entertaining, and broadens its appeal. Not just that of its ilk, Yu Yu Hakusho is well regarded by female audience, but that generally anime fans can it a highly watchable series.

Yusuke Urameshi was the son of a troubled, and possibly alcoholic single mother, who grew up to be a trouble maker himself. After establishing a reputation has the toughest, and most irredeemable student in his school, he died a saving a young boy from an oncoming car. Upon reaching the afterlife, he learned that his dead was not only selfless, but pointless. The boy wasn't going to be killed. Yet for his intentions receives a second chance. His is given an egg and sent back to earth as an agent of the underworld. If he performs good deeds, he will receive a new life, else the creature that hatches from the egg will consume his soul.

After spending a number of episodes as supernatural Quantum Leap, the series evolves into a more standard fighting/tournament anime. In addition to Botan, his blue haired goddess/messenger of death guide, Yusuke is joined by Kuwabara, a psychically if not mentally endowed contemporary and wanna-be rival, Hiei, a short angry demon who is a true rival, and Kurama a cool, and potentially ruthless demon fox who protected himself by supplanting a to be born human.

The fighting anime segment of Yu Yu Hakusho culminates in the Dark Tournament, which culminates in the fight between Yusuke and Toguro. While the series continues beyond this tournament it has built to and groomed for this moment almost since departing from the earlier episodic good deed format. While the plot has established typically momentous stakes on the fight (demonic invasion of the Earth and like), it doesn't feel as cataclysmic as like confrontations in similarly series. Instead, it is a right of passage. Yusuke has learned what he can from the world and now he has to prove himself against a man who has poured his entire life and competition, and surpassing others.

The payoff rewards a lengthy build with a one on one grudge match against an opponent whose grotesque abilities and coldly brutal tactics complement Yusuke's anger and loss. Another interesting counterpoint is the surprisingly mundane, yet satisfying explanation for the events' puppet master, and his motivations.

Yu Yu Hakusho has remained engaging, to this point because it never allowed itself to devolve into battles of who can punch faster and throw the bigger fireball. Yusuke began the series as a discarded youth, and has grown into position of responsibility, and in the midst has lost one of the few pillars in his life.

Manga Spotlight: Phoenix: Yamato/Space By Osamu Tezuka

Released by Viz's Editor's Choice Line

The third volume of Phoenix collects Yamato and Space, the third and fourth entries in manga virtuoso Osuma Tezuka's opus. These chapters continue working forward from the beginning and backwards from the end of the cycles of human existence. However, they don't appear to share a tighter bond than other chapters of greater work. Instead, the threads that began to show in the stories' interconnections have begun to weaves themselves into patterns. In addition to the reincarnations, and reused templates, characters from early works, and their decadents have begun to re-appear.

The Yamato chapter is a tragic quadrangle from the beginnings of Japanese history. The four spokes of this revolution in the wheel of the Phoenix are the King of Yamoto, his son Oguna, Takeru chief of the Kumaso and his sister Kajika. The story opens with the remains of an unfinished stone tomb, then cuts to swarms of dragon flies attacking the back of the king of Yamato, (the land that would become Japan). Before the king can see, or show his face, a page dipectives a series of portraits of this king, each in its own motif: cubist, kabuki, abstract, absurdist, Mad Magazine style. Though this king shares much in common with the Dawn chapter's Queen of Yamatai, he's more of a nondescript dictator. He doesn't have charisma or grand schemes. He just wants to be immortalized: in art, in his own version of history, and most importantly in his grand tomb. The remainder of the quartet are cultural heroes who abilities and actions are the stuff of epics, legends or holy books.

Takeru is a poet, scholar, and historian, but his is also a hyper-competent warrior and statesman. While following his passion of writing a history of Japan, he has been wining and dining the tribes neighboring his Kamuso in hopes of uniting them to resist the Yamato, much to the chagrin of warrior maiden sister Kajika who councils for the glory of a direct attack.

Oguna, the king of Yamato's youngest son has been locked up for protesting his father's planned tomb, especially the interment of live citizens in the monument. Upon hearing of Takeru's plans to rewrite a competing history, the king dispatches Oguna to subdue Kamuso. Rather than take an army, Oguna takes two soldier in order to cleanly assassinate Takeru.

Like the "Future" chapter, "Space" is astrange and wildly unpredictable journey. The story opens with a group of four space travelers going at slightly less than light speed woken from their hibernation to find their pilot dead, and their ship irreparably damaged. Forced to abandon ship they escape in separate pods each holding six months of food, and a year and a half of oxygen. Drifting in space the captain reveals that when he examined the pilot's body, he found a scratched message relaying "I am being murdered". He also repeats a story that the pilot had told him concerning a meeting with a bird of fire who gave him a taste of its blood, which would bestow immortality. Crewmember Saruta, the latest person to hold that often cursed name, had heard the tale from the pilot, with a woman in place of the fire bird. After crashing on a world that seems to maintain itself in a constant state, the survivors find themselves subjects to consiquences of their pilot's past.

Both Yamato and Space are challenges. Their roles in Tezuka's humanist philosophy, and the greater Phoenix cycle aren't obvious. As with many Tezuka works, it is can serve as a call to self examination. Questions are raised on the level of the stories' events, and their effect the greater flow of humanity. The work deals with how life should be lead, but invokes more questions answers. Degree of loyalty, braveness and justice are challenged, and morality often doesn't mesh with expectations.

In contrast to the other chapters Yamato is a story that doesn't product any direct progeny. Though it focuses on finding one's role in life, the work and aims of the lives it depicts often don't yield concrete or satisfying results. Some gestures are buried immediately, some through time. Instead they add pressure to cultural tectonics rather than immediate yields.

Even compared to Future, Space feels battered by laws outside normal human experience. Ultimately it is resolved by choice, but leading to that point the situation is shaped by events outside familiar experience. Other chapters have featured people whose lives are caught in the swells of the immense and often uncontrollable forces of nations and nature, but here they are subjects to laws and consequences that parallel reality, but at a more abstract level in a manner that resembles myth.

Space also features one the Phoenix cycles more invocative characters. Tezuka has a host of characters that are reused frequently throughout his works. For the most part it is almost a meta-binding, but in the case of the Phoenix works, it takes that added significance of reincarnation. There's Shinsaku Ban (aka Mr. Mustachio) the gruff pompous but ultimately kind hearted detective or authority figure, Rock the sun glass wearing plotter and trouble maker, a weasel-looking man who tends to be the adversary's unprincipled agent, and a host of others. Phoenix's most frequent reincarnation is Saruta a large man with a disfigured nose sometimes resembling Astro Boy's caretaker Ochanomizu. The trouble is, this character whose near ubiquitousness suggests a tie to a more general state of humanity is also being cursed. He's been cursed for compassion, and for inserting himself into cycles of vengeance.

Both stories are testaments to his stills as composing location, and action with true cinematic grandeur. A new facet, beyond the considerable genius shown in the earlier chapters (Dawn and Future), is that in both works he stretches the distortion of perspective in storytelling and memory. He utilized the comic format by breaking the confines of uniformly laid out panels to bend the narrative flow to the movements of the subjects mind: claustrophobic enclosures, spiraling associations, snapshot moments. While these movements would easily be jarring in other mediums, Tezuka is able to seamlessly integrate into the flow of his comic.

Tezuka's illustration style causes some problems for Yamato. The work also features his poorly controlled comedic impulses. His style, which is reminiscent of the classic Disney features, which takes some acclimation time. The problem is that he has a propensity to undercut his serious works with gags, and wild anachronisms. Not just comic relief, or bits of wildness in the light moments, but random forth wall breaking aside, and interjections. Some work well, but others can't help but call Tezuka's judgment into question. In the way that Spielberg frequently can't help over utilizing his skill to insert the occasional over-hammy scene, Tezuka seems compelling to insert an entire page of Custer's Last Stand in between a page of characters being observed as they travel through a canyon, and a significant first meeting.

Tezuka does appear to be growing out these tendencies. Yamato shows a slowing compared to Dawn, which hijacked a tense and near death moment with a author cameo and joke. His later adult works like Buddha, or Adolf have few examples of inappropriate gags.

Any Tezuka manga is well worthy of note, but Phoenix is one of the great works of manga.

This Week's Releases

Anime Akira (Geneon Signature Series)

Angelic Layer:Idol Worship

Armitage III Poly-Matrix (Geneon Signature Series)

Beyblade - Bladebreakers (Vol. 2) (Geneon Signature Series)

Beyblade - Let It Rip! (Vol. 1) (Geneon Signature Series)

Boys Over Flowers:Love Beyond Horizon

Cardcaptors - Tests of Courage (Vol. 1) (Geneon Signature Series)

Catnapped! The Movie (Geneon Signature Series)

Full Metal Panic-Mission 6

Gate Keepers - Open the Gate (Vol. 1) (Geneon Signature Series)

Jojo's Bizarre Adventure Vol 2

Mao-Chan (Volume 2)

Panda Go Panda (Geneon Signature Series)

Pretear Vol. 2

Sailor Moon R - The Movie (Geneon Signature Series)

Sailor Moon S - The Movie (Geneon Signature Series)

Sailor Moon S TV Series - Heart Collection 1 (Geneon Signature Series)

Saiyuki-The Gods of War Vol. 7

Serial Experiments Lain - Navi (Layers 1-4) (Geneon Signature Series)

Slayers: Great

Tenchi In Tokyo - A New Start (Vol. 1) (Geneon Signature Series)

Tenchi Muyo OVA - (Vol. 1) (Geneon Signature Series)

Tenchi The Movie - Tenchi Muyo! In Love (Geneon Signature Series)

Tenchi Universe - On Earth I (Vol.1) (Geneon Signature Series)

Trigun - The 60 Billion Dollar Man (Vol. 1) (Geneon Signature Series)

Manga

• Demon Diary Vol 5 Gn (Of 7)
• Di Gi Charat Vol 3 Gn Viz Ed
• Record Of Lodoss War Lady Of Pharis Collectors Ed Book 2
• Shonen Jump Vol 2 #2 Feb 2004
• Trigun Vol 2 Tp

Ghost in the Shell II Collection, and Dark Horse News

An Anime on DVD forum post points out Galaxy Anime's interview with Dark Horse editor Chris Warner. The interview revealed that a collected edition of Ghost in the Shell II may be released in June. It will be the size of the Japanese release, and will shipped shrink rapped. The first Ghost in the Shell series will be re-released in a smaller format with the deleted pages (an extended version of the protagonist's vacation romp).

Gunsmith Cats will be re-released and re-priced.

Berserk is selling well, and more volumes will be released.

Page for Courtney Love's Manga

TOKYOPOP has posted a web page for Princess Ai, the upcoming manga series by Courtney Love and Paradise Kiss's Ai Yazawa.

TOKYOPOP Licensing Survey

Tokyopop has opened a web survey to take the pulse of what titles readers would like to see licensed. The survey can be seen here. 10 readers will receive a copy of the first volume of "Kill Me, Kiss Me!"

Cowboy Bebop Movie on Starz!

Cowboy Bebop: The Movie will be shown on the Starz! cable network starting January 15th.

Viz Licensed Prince of Tennis Manga?

Anime on DVD notes that it look like Viz may have licensed the Prince of Tennis manga. Barnes and Noble is listing the first volume for a May release.

Viz's has confirmed Barnes and Noble's listings of RahXephon, Imadoki, Bleach, and Tenshi Na Konamiki (Cheeky Angel), but has not confirmed or denied the release of Detective Conan.

Final Fantasy 7: Advent Children Trailer

Square-Enix has a trailer for their CGI feature Final Fantasy 7: Advent Children here.

Anime Game News

Bandai has announced that SD Gundam G Generation Seed for PlayStation 2 will be released February 19th in Japan.

DreamMix TV: World Fighters, which features a host of characters including Transformers has launched an official site at www.worldfighters.com/

February Media Blasters Releases

From Media Blaster's Anime Works Line 2/24/04

10 Tokyo Warriors (Eps. 1-6) - The complete series

A trailer can be seen here

Idol Project Pack: Super Pop Anthology - The complete series!

Sadamitsu the Destroyer Vol. 2 Invasion Squad (Eps. 5-7)

a trailer can be seen here

Samurai Deeper Kyo Vol. 5 Fire and Ice (Eps. 19-22)

Media Blasters will also be releasing Shintaro Katsu's Zatoichi from their Tokyo Shock line (trailer here

Upcoming Geneon Releases

3/23/04

L/R - Mission File 3: Broken Angel DVD

Twice the Agents, Twice the Action and Twice the Fun! A lull in Angel's activities makes active investigation difficult, so L/R gets assigned to retrieve a royal gem before the syndicate can smuggle it out of the country. Later Rowe attempts to relax and attend the first baseball game played in Ishtar. Unfortunately, he becomes trapped in an aerial tramway being buffeted by high winds with arguing passengers and an old man going into diabetic shock! Later, Jack investigates a connection between DTI's president and L/R's boss, Mister, while Rowe discovers the truth about Angel! Action oriented anime in the "kiss-kiss, bang-bang" style of James Bond

Featuring opening music by Billy Preston (Let it Be)

3/30/04

Heat Guy J - Haunted Past (V.5) DVD

Claire's fall unleashes the violent ambitions of Judoh's syndicates. In the middle of the hunt for the fallen Vampire, Daisuke discovers the truth about his father's assassination and Boma's past. Yet the most explosive shock comes when J battles J to the death! Animation production by Escaflowne staff!

Sound tracks Last Exile Original Sound Track (OST) 2, Love Hina Best Collection and Texhnolyze OST 1 will be released April 13th.

Signature Series editions of Sailor Moon S Vol. #3, Tenchi in Tokyo Vol. #2, Trigun Vol. #3 and Serial Experiments Lain Vol. #3. for $14.98 will be re-released April 13th,

Anime Merchandise News

Raving Toy Maniac has images of an upcoming line of 12" Lupin III figures, which will be distributed by Diamond Comics in May here

Figures.com has images of two sets of Big O mini figures to be released by Diamond here.

Bob Sapp in Live Action Devilman

MadMan Cafe's forum points out that Bob Sapp, a Mixed Martial Artist who is incredibly popular in Japan will be appearing in the live action adaptation of Go Nagai's super hero horror Devil Man

Sapp also appeared in the live action television show based on manga series You're Under Arrest/

Anime Magazine Editors Stepping Down

Anime News Network reports that both the editor-in-chief of anime manga NewType USA and Viz's Animerica will be leaving their roles.

Julie Davis has been the editor-in-chief of Animerica for 10 years while Kimberly Gueire has been the interim editor-in-chief of Newtype USA since the magazine was first launched.

Mezzo Trailer

AnimeNation points out that a new extended trailer for the Mezzo tv series is online on the official site at mezzo-tv.net/. The trailer features a good sample of violent action found in the earlier Mezzo Forte and its earlier tangent Kite.

Reviews of the first episode have praised the design and animation, but point out that it more light and comedic than the original OAV series, which had already taken an almost slap stick stance to its action.

Company News

IcV2 reports that Robert Boyd has jump from his position as Director of Sales at financially embattled CrossGen for a role as Marketing Manager for ADV Manga.

TOKYOPOP has announced that former Chrysalis Children's Books director Dennis Mcguirk has been hired to helm its U.K. retail sales

Tokyo Godfathers Trailer

Sony has posted a trailer for Satoshi Kon's Tokyo Godfather on the site here.