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AnimAICN: Fist Of The NorthStar; Initial D; Rahxephon; Angel'sEgg; Naruto; Steamboy; Witch Hunter Robin

Published at: Jan. 16, 2004, 8:30 p.m. CST by staff

Father Geek reporting in with Scott's latest episode of our long running regular column on all things Manga & Anime... Games, Toys, Videos, DVD's, Comics, Feature Films, Corperate Politics, annnnnd even Govermential Politics. (when it applies, like this week) Yep! The real world sometimes infects the cartoon one, although they are sometimes hard to tell apart these days. At any rate, here's this week's edition of...

AnimAICN...

by Scott Green

Anime Spotlight: King of Bandit Jing Volume 2

Released by ADV Films

Animation is a medium of possibilities. Live action special effects are getting more and more sophisticated, but animation remains the easiest, and one of the most effective means of expressing wild ideas of form and motion. Jing is a testament animation's visual possibilities, and a reminder that attractive visuals alone aren't always enough to make a work entertaining.

King of Bandit is beautiful looking series that rings all the strange possibilities out of ruleless fantasy in a manner that is more Lewis Carroll meets Grimm's than straight swords and sorcery. It stretches fairy tale villages, keeps, and castles with vibrant colors, odd characters, and alluring hues.

The first of the volumes episodes, "The Little Girl from Technicolor Town" is uniformly amazing to watch. The story of a city of artists, and a girl repeatedly auction off after her body was used as a canvas by her father sprints through a track of eye imprinting settings: the fantastically painted warped city, its candle lit halls and stained glass by night, dark snow fields, and torch lit caves.

The problem with King of Bandit Jing, is that despite its impressive visual creativity, 25 minute episodes are a stretch to watch. While everything looks interesting, rarely does anyone do anything interesting. Jing is a young master-bandit who travels with his womanizing talking bird Kir as the pairs walks through a host of fractured fairy tales, searching out and librating various rare and valuable oddities. He combats threats with quick moving, quick thinking, and a knock out punch that consists of Kir stretching over his arms, and firing an energy blast. Often he's simply a catalyst firing off a situations, riding it out, and leaving; occasionally adding a needed Kir blast. He isn't an engaging character to watch. In addition to a static MO, his passionlessness goes beyond what's probably intended as practiced disinterest, leaving no draw to see how he will act or react.

Kir, the loud comic relief sidekick is practically the only lively character. Villains, supporting personal, and other placeholder characters who fulfill functions in the plot often appear interesting at first glance, such as blonde voodoo doctor or the old man obsessed with perpetual motional machines, but in practice they're extensions of both the skilled design, and lack of personality verve.

In the last scene of volume's last Jing mentions his quest with a mildly intriguing comment. This final piece of information is enough to cause a smack to the forehead, obvious after the fact theme to bind the previous adventures. Jing's mystery wasn't intriguing, but purpose has already shaded his character in a more appealing light.

Anime Spotlight: Witch Hunter Robin Volume 2: Belief

Released by Bandai

The second volume of Witch Hunter Robin bridges the visual finesse of anime with the intrigue of police procedurals.

Set in a modern world, a few shades more gothic, and a few shades more fascist, the STNJ is a special unit of investigators, hunters, psychics and technicians who operate in the shadows of mundane law enforcement cases that have or may have a connection to witches. Robin Sena returns to Japan from her European upbringing to join the unit, offering a combination of muscle via her flame craft, and an aptitude for investigations work.

The five episodes of the second volume offer, minor character insights, but the time is spent fleshing out the world, and telling good stories that utilize its distinctive qualities. The episodes are frequently comparable to a Law and Order or CSI in terms of case complexity (which is to say, generally few suspect, but a well designed if gimmicky crime, and frequently a twist or two).

While criminology, forensics, and psychology are bent by the prism of magic, they retain their logic. The motives of its array of criminals are as diverse and fascinating as good law enforcements show: unexpected hardened sociopaths, vigilante avengers, organized crime, well meant intentions taken too far. The means utilize the criminal or damaged mind, horror standards, and the sparked of creativity, yielding the likes a woman with multiple personalities subconsciously controlling razor wielding dolls.

Witch Hunter Robin in an attractive series, heady sense of design, applying the attention fashion and architecture often reserved for machines and creatures. Starting with its music video like opening it goes for long glance aesthetics rather than quick sizzle. Characters have visually mystery that keep drawing attention to search for new details.

The visual acuteness of Witch Hunter Robin extends into its excellence in direction and story telling. Action moves with an intelligent grace, frequently violent and disturbing without being graphic. The animators act through the characters. Not just in the big movements, but in small, subtle, and unspoken ways that indicate thought mood, and atmosphere.

There are a few visual elements do clash as strangely incongruous. Most the series locale feel uneasy: the work place is forbidding, cafe seems decompressed, secret tension in home apartment, yet for some reason, hospitals are warm and inviting, or at least placid in this series

It is more or less guaranteed that the series is going to move on to address the hidden agendas behind the STNJ, and Robin's history. The crime solving aspects of the series are rich enough to sustain a long run, but the operations of the STNJ hold its own intrigue. While the agents of the unit have been humanized to the typical cop show degree, a frigid draft is rising from the so thus unexplored aspects of their operation. Their obsession with genetic lines, and the ways the agents look away when one of their captures is a taken off looks ripe for creepy possibility.

Manga SpotlightL Flowers & Bees Volume 1 by Moyoco Anno

Released by Viz's Editor's Choice Line

Flowers & Bees is further testimony to the fact that given the right manga creator, any topic could be interesting: sport, cooking, or in this case, male fashion. If sit-coms were this mean, funny, and true, prime time TV would be worth watching.

Masao Komatsu is an average male teenager whose mind is constantly spinning with Byzantine plots to get attractive, find the right girl, and be happy. He isn't huge with confidence or personality, but he does have some ambition when it comes to women. After seeing the attention garnered by a man leaving a salon, he decides to put his fate and money in the hands of the two flamboyant hair dressers of "World of Beautiful Men". He soon learns that the attention he receive can take some odd routes, and that attractiveness is a journey rather than a destination. The journey becomes more arduous when the manager of "World of Beautiful Men" leaves the shop in the hands of his sisters. With the agreement that they will inherit the business if full off the feet of making Masao attractive, the pair decode to torture him into ideal boyfriend shape.

Moyoco Anno is a savage, savage woman, whose blend absurdity, recognizable situations, and complete irreverence never fails. Every situation pitting Masao against a member of the opposite sex, with the possible exception of his approaching genuinely dramatic infatuation with a trouble model/peer, is comedic torture: from being dissected by a chorus of classmates, to getting played by a lonely housewife looking to some to listen to his problems, to a "mid-range" classmate who calculatedly assault him with heart-feltedness. Masao getting paid date with a social outcast office woman (he on the receiving end of the financial transaction) is a masterpiece of mutual humiliation

While Flowers & Bees is sold as making of a "bishonen" or beautiful man, but in practice it the term is more universal. The term works on a literal level, but while the fashion has some feminine aspects, it isn't the wispy, feminine style many fans associate with bishonen. The overused "metrosexual" term is probably a better description.

Viz's translations of Flowers & Bees is excellent. As needed per for a frequently verbal comedy, it captures the spirit of the individual characters, and the right cadence and tempo to make the statements funny. The glib dialogue fits perfectly with Anno's devilishly attractive illustration.

This Week's Releases

Anime

Manga

Iraco is the collaboration between Jiro Taniguchi (Benkei in New York), and French manga artist Moebius

Steamboy News

Anime News Network reports that official site for Katsuhiro Otomo's Steamboy indicates that the movie is now scheduled for a July release, pushed back from an originally planned October 2003 release. According to a separate press release from Bandai Visual, production on the movie is nearly finished, it is expected to be complete in March.

At roughly 2.4 billion yen, the 9 year production of Steamboy could potentially edge out Princess Mononoke as the most expensive anime ever made. Princess Mononoke cost 2.35 billion yen to produce. In comparison, at 800 million yen, The Wings of Honneamise was the most expensive anime of its time.

South Korea Legalizes Anime

Animation Blast points out an LA Times article about South Korea's repeal of a post-WWII regulations banning the importation of Japanese films, music and computer games. The remaining ban of animation will be lifted in a few months.

Japanese Manga Obsenity Ruling

Manga publisher Monotori Kishi has been given a one-year prison sentence, suspended for three years after the manga series Misshitsu, or Honey Room, was too graphic, and in violations of laws restricting distribution of obscene literature..

Judge Yujiro Nakatani stated "bodies were drawn in a lifelike manner with little attention to concealment (of genitalia), making for sexually explicit expression and deeming the book pornographic matter."

For more information see The Mainichi Daily News

Media Blasters Collections

Media Blasters will be releasing the following on March 30th:

Iria: Zeiram the Animation Collection $39.95.

Gun Frontier: Gun Pack $39.95

Rurouni Kenshin Legend of Kyoto Premium Box (2nd Box set) $149.95

Twelve Kingdoms volume 5, and Figure 17 volume 4 will also be released March 30th.

First 24 Hour Anime TV Network Outside Japan Announced

IcV2 reports that Sony has announced that it will begin offering its Animax Japanese satellite network in Taiwan, Hong Kong, the Philippines, and Indonesia. The network features series by Toei Animation, Sunrise, TMS Entertainment, and Nihon Ad Systems.

Naruto Movie

Anime News Network points out that the first Naruto movie, "Naruto: Daikatsugeki!! Yukihime Ninpouchou Datte Bayo!" (Big Battle!! It's the Snow Princess Ninja!), based on the Shonen Jump manga series will be released in Japanese Theaters on August 21st.

An anime adaptation of the manga has been running on Japanese TV Tokyo.

Naruto is a wildly addictive series about a orphan outcast, and his two training partners as they training an move him the hierarchy of a village of ninjas.

Media Blaster Manga Line

Anime News Network has learned that Media Blasters, who released anime through their Anime Works line will be releasing a line of translated Japanese, and original domestically produced manga.

Their first release will be anthology based live action movie Flesh for the Beast.

Alamo Drafhouse Anime Screening

Austin Texas' infamous Alamo Drafthouse Cinema, home to many GREAT film events will be screening Yoshitaka Aman'so (best known for Final Fantasy character design) "Angel's Egg" on March 30th.

See here for more information.

Bandai Prepare For Repricing

Bandai has announced that they will be replacing a number of titles on moratorium before re-priced releases starting in March,

The new pricing includes Crest of the Stars for $19.98, Escaflowne for $14.98, and a number of Gundam releases for Gundam.

April Viz Anime Releases

April 6th:
  • Inu Yash Volume 16
  • Maison Ikkoku Set 3

April 27
  • Inu Yash Volume 17

Mystical Ninja Jubei II Trailer

The official web site for Jubei-chan 2, the followup to Akitaro Daichi's samurai/magical girl comedy has posted a trailer here.

Dead Leave at AX Tokyo

Galaxy Anime reports that Dead Leaves, the Production IG anime series co-produced with Manga Entertainment will be shown at AX Tokyo on January 17th.

A official site for the strange looking series can be seen here and here.

Midori no Hibi Anime

According to Anime Nation, Inoue Kazurou's Midori no Hibi manga serial will be adapted into an anime TV series this April. The comedy tells the story of a high school boy whose right hand transforms into a small girl.

New CPM Re-pricing

Central Park Media (CPM) will be re-releasing Harlock Saga, Maetel Legend, My My Mai and Roujin Z on April 27th for $19.99 each.

Harlock Saga is melds Leiji Matsumoto's space opera pirate Harlock with Wagner's Ring Cycle.

Maetel Legend is the tragic origins of Pirate Queen Esmeraldas, and Galaxy Express 999's Maetel, as well as tieing the two to the less known Queen Millennium.

Roujin Z is Akira creator Katsuhiro Otomo's elder care social criticism/comedy. The movie also features early work by Satoshi Kon, the director of Perfect Blue, Millennium Actress, and Tokyo Godfathers.

Upcoming Geneon Soundtrack Releases

April 13
  • Hand Maid May

May 11

June 8
  • Rave Master
  • Revolutionary Girl Utena Movie

Arjuna exotic song work by composer Yokho Kanno (Macross Plus, Cowboy Bebop, Escaflowne).

The Revolutionary Girl Utena soundtrack features music J.A. Caesar

Viz Talks New Titles

Viz has officially announced the upcoming releases of Rahxephon, Megaman Nt Warrior, B.B. Explosion, And Sensual Phrase.

BB Explosion and Rahxephon will be released beginning in April. Megaman and Sensual Phrase will be released starting in May.

From the press release:

From creator Yasue Imai (KIMI GA IRU KISEKI, SENSHI NA YATSURA, and TOTTEMO B.B.), B.B. EXPLOSION originally appeared in the manga anthology Ciao and has sold over 350,000 copies to date in Japan. The VIZ incarnation will feature a one page commentary from English adapter Trina Robbins, the former WONDER WOMAN artist and writer for Marvel's BARBIE and THE LITTLE MERMAID titles.

For main character Airi, the first step to fame and fortune is an appearance on an American Idol-like TV show called Boom Boom. But before that can happen, Airi and her three pop star wannabe friends must first enroll in a big city acting school where competition between classmates is ruthless and highly competitive. With the help of her guardian angel, Airi begins taking classes at the school. She wants a future in showbiz and also wants to fall in love and overcome her father's stern disapproval. No matter what, Airi is determined to make her dreams come true!

MEGAMAN NT, from creator Ryo Takamisaki, is the original manga version of the hit TV series airing on Kids' WB, set in the year 200X, when everyone is connected to the Cyber Network. Computers have turned the world into a bright and shiny utopia but trouble in paradise is not far away.

The manga version of the hit TV series airing on Kids' WB, set in the year 200X, when everyone is connected to the Cyber Network. Computers have turned the world into a bright and shiny utopia but trouble in paradise is not far away. While the invention of the PET (Personal Electronic Terminals) and NetNavis (an artificial intelligence program) has brought great benefits to the world, computer hacking, virus spreading, and other high-tech crimes are major problems. A sinister organization called the World Three has vowed to destroy this technological wonderland. Lan Hikari ? an intensely curious and cheerful fifth grader, synchronized with his NetNavigator called MegaMan ? becomes a super-charged dynamo. Both in and outside the Net, Lan and MegaMan do their best to thwart World Three's never-ending quest to take over the world.

RAHXEPHON is the latest offering from the popular mecha designer Yutaka Izubuchi (PAT LABOR, Record of Lodoss War), this 3-volume manga series will be available in Barnes & Noble stores beginning in April 2004 for a six month exclusive, and will be available channel-wide beginning in September. Also a popular TV series, a full-length RAHXEPHON movie is currently in development.

Set in 2001 A.D., a mysterious orb envelops the city of Tokyo, isolating it from the rest of the world. All forms of communication are severed, leaving the inhabitants of the newly dubbed "Tokyo Jupiter" ignorant to their fate. A clandestine organization known as TERRA is formed, with the mission to liberate Tokyo from the otherworldly Mu - the group responsible for Tokyo's capture. As a result of the calamity, young Tokyo inhabitant Ayato Kamina's life undergoes a drastic change when Mu agents in dark suits attempt to kidnap both him and his childhood friend Reika. Soon after escaping, a sassy TERRA operative brings him face-to-face with the mythical giant RAHXEPHON robot - a force he alone has the ability to control. With everything he has ever believed in falling to pieces around him, Ayato must fight the Mu and protect Reika at any cost.

From the popular mecha designer Yutaka Izubuchi (PAT LABOR), this 3-volume manga series will be available in Barnes & Noble stores beginning in April 2004 for a six month exclusive, and will be available channel-wide beginning in September. Also a popular TV series, a full-length RAHXEPHON movie is currently in development.

SENSUAL PHRASE, also known as KAIKAN PHRASE, the 17-volume series has sold more than 7.4 million copies in Japan, spawned a real spin-off band called Lucifer and a 44-episode anime program. SENSUAL PHRASE was created by shôjo artist Mayu Shinjo, who made her debut in 1994 with ANATA NO IRO NI SOMARITAI (I Want to be Dyed in Your Color) in the pages of Shôjo Comics and has created more than fifteen titles in addition to SENSUAL PHRASE.

As a budding poet and lyricist, Aine is on her way to an audition one fateful afternoon. Absentmindedly stepping into the street, she barely avoids being struck by an oncoming vehicle. Not only is the cute teenager lucky to be alive, but her brush with death also turns out to be a date with destiny. The driver of the car just happens to be the charismatic and fabulously handsome lead singer for a band called Lucifer. Is this Aine's chance to fulfill her dreams and become a professional lyricist? Or is she about to dance with the devil?

Anime Game News

Magic Box has images of Konami's GameBoy Advance action game Shaman King here, and the Playstation 2 fighting game here

Screenshots of SD Gundam G Generation Seed for the Playstion 2, which will feature characters and Gundam giant robots from the new Gundam Seed, as well as the original Gundam, Char's Counterattack, V Gundam, Gundam W, Cross Bone Gundam, Hi-v Gundam, V2 Gundam, Z Plus and more jrtr

Sega's Playstation 2 samurai action Dororo, to be released in the US as Blood Will Tell: Osamu Tezuka's Dororo can be seen here.

Bandai's One Piece Going Baseball for GameBoy Advance, a baseball game featuring characters from Shonen Jump pirate manga/anime series One piece can be seen here.

Del Rey Manga Release

Del Rey has announced that they will be releasing the first volume of Gundam SEED, Negima! Magister Negi Magi, Tsubasa, RESERVoir CHRoNiCLE and xxxHOLiC pm April 30th.

AD Vision Manga Figures

ICv2 has learned from ADV CEO John Ledford that the company has licensed more than 1000 volumes of Japanese manga and Korean manwha.

ADV will be launching their toys and merchandise line in February.

Initial D Filming

Anime News Network reports the live action adaptation of street racing anime/manga Initial D, directed by Tsui Hark and featuring Edison Chen as Takumi, is set to begin filming in Japan in March. The movie is set to be release simultaneously in Hong Kong and mainland China later this year.

Yu Yu Hakusho Site Update

FUNimation has updated their Yu Yu Hakusho site with information about the upcoming Chapter Black story line.

Kids' WB! Astro Boy Site

Kids' WB has opened the site for Astro Boy, which will air starting Saturday January 17th.

New Kiddy Grade Trailer

FUNimation has a new trailers for their upcoming release of adventure sci-fi Kiddy Grade in small, medium and large versions.

Yukikaze Site

Bandai has posted their official aviation/AI sci-fi Yukikaze site at Yukikazenet.com

Young Jump English Site

World's Within Worlds blog points out an English language site for manga anthology Young Jump.

ADV Films Announces Acquisition Of New "Fist Of The North Star" Anime

ADV Films formally announced the acquisition of the exclusive home video and broadcast rights for the new "Fist of the North Star" trilogy, a modern animated series based on the world-renowned "Fist of the North Star" manga. Anime Networktm is planning a broadcast run of the new trilogy to support the upcoming home video release.

The Story

In the aftermath of the great apocalypse, across an Earth that no longer bears a resemblance to the one we know, chaos is the rule and order the exception. Bandits and enterprising overlords hold survivors of the holocaust in an unflagging grip of terror. With "survival of the fittest" a grizzly epitaph for the vestiges of civilization, a lone warrior will rise from the ashes and cut a swath of justice across the Earth's ruined landscape with his unconquerable martial art.

He is Kenshiro. Believe him when he says, "You're already dead!"

About the new "Fist of the North Star" trilogy

The new "Fist of the North Star" trilogy, released in Japan this year, is based on the popular "Fist of the North Star" manga series and classic anime feature film. The "Fist of the North Star" manga first enthralled audiences with its debut in the early 1980s by selling over 60 million copies in five languages worldwide. The story's success made its creator, Hara Tetsuo, an internationally renowned manga artist and led to two smash hit television series, two animated movies and one live action movie. "Fist of the North Star's" over-the-top violence and wildly exciting action sequences quickly became legendary, making the series a staple of Japanese pop culture. The series has been parodied in several prominent anime titles over the years, most recently in "Magical Shopping Arcade Abenobashi," also available from ADV Films. "Fist of the North Star" has gathered impressive merchandising momentum with numerous video games, action figures, and other character related merchandise in stores around the world.

This latest incarnation of the anime updates the series with vibrant animation and modern audio technology. An added bonus is the participation of Japanese pop sensation Gackt, who sings the opening and closing theme songs and acts in the first volume of the DVD.

ADV Films' management is thrilled to be introducing the new material to the U.S. "The new 'Fist of the North Star' trilogy maintains all the explosive action of the original property by utilizing the latest in anime production techniques, " said ADV Films' CEO and Co-Founder John Ledford. "I am confident that the new trilogy will satisfy the title's countless fans and attract new ones."

ADV Films has not yet announced specific release plans for the title, but Ledford says he expects a home video release around late spring or early summer 2004. Also, look for exclusive airings of the new "Fist of the North Star" on Anime Networktm prior to the DVD release.

Gary Steinman Joins Newtype Usa As Editor-In-Chief

ADV has announced that Gary Steinman has been appointed Editor-in-Chief of the publication of NewType USA.

Steinman, the former Managing Editor of Ziff Davis' Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine, brings his love and enthusiasm for the genre and an extensive journalism background to the year-old publication. As Editor-in-Chief, Steinman will be responsible for the day-to-day operations while also defining the editorial voice of the budding magazine.

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