Father Geek here... and I've got another post from Scott on the Manga/Anime Industry, and its another big one so prepare yourselves and fine out what's been happening around the world concerning Anime & Manga... You'll be glad you did...

AnimAICN...

by Scott Green

Manga Preview: Princess Ai by Misaho Kujiradou, Courtney Love & D.J. Milky Based on Advance Uncorrected Proof of 40 page first chapter.

To be released by TOKYOPOP July 6th

There is so much of the con game in celebrity that it is often nearly impossibly for a disconnected observer to determine what they see is a genuine and what is a work to mold public perception. It seems too often that an actor's public persona is another assumed role, or their involvement in a game of image creation has made them a magnet for half truths. The fun or the frustration is that whether a piece of information is manufactured lore, by who, for what, and how much is true. Courtney Love is the icon of the collision of grunge and fame, living a very public life, the facts of which, from public pronouncements, celebrity gossip, legal news, or documentaries always demands a filter through a lining of skeptical doubt.

Princess Ai is Courtney Love's manga alter ego (Ai meaning love in Japanese), inspired by an appreciation for manga (Japanese comics) picked up while performing in Japan before breaking out domestically. To suss out the credits, Love along with DJ Milky are the series co-creators, the character was designed by Paradise Kiss' Yazawa Ai, and the manga was written and illustrated by Misaho Kujiradou. Probably even more then comedians, rock stars thrive on collecting alter egos, so regardless of origin, Princess Ai fits well on Love. Part of the celebrity shroud calls into question the degree of Love's involvement and the veracity of the back-story ("big in Japan" or "came up working in Japan" has become almost a punch line), but in practice the truth matters little.

Princess Ai is the trashed princess and protector of a fantasy land dumped on the streets of Tokyo. She's immediately greeted with ogling and repulsion by the alienating crowding, until she meets her new confidant Kent, and finds the door her singing will open.

The character has a punk-cute, spitfire charm. Glamorously ripped clothes and dishevelment, along humorous or dramatically emotive expressions quickly establish the character as a projection of Love's public persona onto manga's field where fantasy meets shorthand rendered reality. The metaphor does get hammer a bit over zealously at times: a "heart shaped box" as the emblem of her connection of "Ai Land" is a little too cute.

It is hard to pin down to what degree the character is supposed to be spacey and what degree ethereal, but despite being lost and confused, she is able establish herself as not completely naive and as an active, empowered heroine.

In design and content Princess Ai is comparable to other well regarded works in the teen shoujo (manga for female audiences) genre. It is a solid introduction to the shoujo style of story telling, focusing on personalities and relationship, with illustration that's emotionally impressive and detailed in its use of outfits and fashion as in aid. Conversely, psychical action is often out of focus, so when it is employed, it doesn't have a well practiced flow.

On its own, the opening is somewhat generic. The first chapter establishes the series within the framework of the genre, but doesn't diverge enough to illustrate any substantive points of distinction beyond its pedigree. Character descriptions do suggest a rich array of material for the series, including mixed parentage, fame, and sexual identity, but it is too early to expect any strong evidence of depth. It does seem to have value beyond its novelty and Courtney Love's mystique, but chapter one doesn't fulfill the minimum for a summary judgment.

Sample pages can be seen here

Manga Spotlight: Berserk Volume 3 by Kentaro Miura

Released by Dark Horse Manga and Digital Manga Publishing

The Berserk manga (comic) comes into its own in its third volume. Up to this point the series has been a simple revenge tale featuring a single minded swordsman hacking his way to the once human monsters who have assumed positions of authority in his world. Though the level of graphic violence made the series novel, an impenetrablely defined and unlikable hero made the series harsh noise.

Volume 3 turns these qualities on their head. The "Guardians of Desire" story arc propels the swordsman Guts' battle with a monstrous count into a meeting with the object of his vengeance, history's malevolent architects, known as Godhand. The series then steps back into "The Gold Age", the story of Guts life from birth.

Though the supernatural aspect is submerged as it passes into Guts' personal history, Berserk has evolved in a gripping, unflinching look at horror and personal pain, marked by starkly discomfort inducing tableaus. Before scraping down the layers of Guts own life in "The Golden Age", Guts causes Godshand to lay bare the history of the hellishly transformed count he had been fighting before the count's daughter. She is the type of character wandering heroes are made to protect, but after the count's soul his consigned to vengeance hand the hands of his mutilated victims, and his grizzly physical remains are spat out, the daughter's sadness, turned disbelief, turned despair, turned to hatred for Guts is a chilling as revenge fiction is capable. The child holding onto Guts' sword to save herself is pure psychical and emotional brutality.

The revelation of the count's past also removes any question as to whether Berserk will be altered to for its domestic release in the series first real example Miura's periodically use of a scenes that is shockingly, simultaneously aiming, and succeeding wildly to be titillating and stomach turning. In this case the history of how the count returned home from hunting heretics to find his wife engaging in a pagan orgy. After slaughtering the participants, the count decides not kill himself, and instead offer the survivor, his wife as a sacrifice to the Godshand's host of demons to escape his pain.

In moments like this, the series probably has the most objectionable material of a non pornographic manga series to be domestically released. The orgy, which is a hair's breath from hard core juxtaposed with Tim Burton meets Clive Barker demon host is the kind of visual that should seem base or manipulative, but instead is fascinating and memorable for its drama and emotional resonance. The characters so frighteningly believable, emotional it doesn't feel excessive.

Following the conclusion of the count's tragedy, the series begins to construct Guts as a character rather than a spirit of pure hatred and violence. Guts' meeting with Godhand contains as flashback to his time as soldier and confidant of a charismatic general of sees himself as a rare individual with the will and ability to transcend class and the cheapness of life, to find his own, greater destiny. This flashback foreshadows the beginning of a much longer look at how Guts a person was raised as a tool, sought to hone himself, and ultimately found an outlet to which he would apply himself.

"The Golden Age", which begins the approximately ten volumes that constitute the Berserk anime series, leaves story arcs of hunting demon turned big bads and begins a sweeping personality and character driven epic set against a landscape of medieval politics and warfare with the unromanticized viciousness of Paul Verhoeven's Flesh & Blood.

Like the orgy, Guts' early childhood off sets intensely powerful imagery with believability. The newly born Guts was found under the corpse of his hung mother, umbilical cord attached, by the wife of a mercenary. At three his adopted mother died of plague. At age six Guts was already employed on the battlefield as a spear carrier, face to face with death and receiving his first scars training with his adopted. At nine, he's fighting on his own, and after challenging the pride of his adopted father, set up for a fate that that will scar him more deeply.

If there is a flaw in the volume, a direct confrontation between Guts and Godhand proves problematic to the scope of the series, and has remained a difficulty through its run, even as it has passed the 27 volume mark. The introduction of these five demonic beings is significant. Guts' world has become a reflection of the worst aspect of human nature and fear, and Godhand are the catalyst of the world's pain and Gut's in specific. They exude an amused distain as the forces that control the forces of history who aren't fond of humanity and are willing to take advantage of weak points.

Kentaro Miura wrestles with how to deal with creatures of unrelenting evil, the insignificant servants of which are enough to conquer land and nearly kill the hero. The design lives up to their magnitude, but a psychical confrontation between Guts and creatures whose minions nearly beat him death feels like a mistake. After seeing Guts thrown around like a rag doll, seeing him tossed again does little to promote the ultimate foes' danger.

Manga Spotlight: Vagabond Volumes 7-10 By Takehiko Inoue

Released by Viz's Editor's Choice Line

While few have noted the phenomenon, Viz's Vagabond is one of very few manga titles collected into English language graphic novels on a monthly basis. In and of itself, rapid translation doesn't set of a manga title apart, but, like many of Viz's "Editor's Choice", Vagabond is a work of unique scope and skill. It is the fictionalize biography of a great mind, whose real and imagined life has enough action, drama and humor to enthrall any reader.

The series tells the life story of Miyamoto Musashi (1584-1645), self taught genius, swordsman, artist, philosopher and tactician. Foremost Musashi was a swordsman, his natural disposition, personal history and historical context made it the essential focus of his thoughts and outlet for energies. This casts his life story as an action, and the series' depiction of swordplay is second to none, but like its protagonist, battle is means of exploration rather than a final ends. Nor is Vagabond constructed or paced like a Shonen Jump adventure, where progressively more powerful foes are dealt with by incremental increases in the hero's skill, virtue or knowledge of the past.

Musashi's life tends to receive long retellings. Hiroshi Inagaki and Toshiro Mifune made a trilogy of it. Eiji Yoshikawa's novel, on which Vagabond is based, ran 1200 pages (an English translation is available). Musashi is commonly credited with 60 duels, so there is an abundance of material to work with, but his career, particularly his feud with the Yoshioka and rivalry Sasaki Kojiro are commonly familiar to fans of the samurai genre.

These volumes depict a phase of Musashi's life in which sought to experience and test himself against the masters of his time. In particular transitioning from the monk practitioners of the Hozoin Spear Technique to the famed Yagyu clan, inspired by seeing a flower cut by their patriarch (the family of the legendary government agent samurai Jubei Yagyu and fictionalized antagonists of Lone Wolf and Cub).

Given the initial audience's familiarity with Musashi's exploits, there's no hurry to laundry list his accomplishment. Knowing a general progression of Musashi exploits, leading up to the capping duel with Sasaki Kojiro, the narrative has time to explore the mental processes and construction of the participants. Firstly, this builds tension in the moment, despite the fact that the reader knows the results. Secondly, it allows the series work within the minds of fascinating characters and great thinkers.

The action is amazing and frequent, but not quickly resolved. Much of volume 7 is the thoughts as Musashi prepares for a duel and stands face to face with his opponent. As the prepare to engage, sweat begins to drip and eyes begins to pierce the essence of their personality and the act of betting their lives in a test skill, mental state and philosophy is distilled, but also given its full texture. The same attention given to motion and thought is given to precisely depicting surrounding, attire, and expression.

Samurai stories, especially the story of a wandering samurai out to prove his skills In part due to influence of westerns on Akira Kurosawa's film and his greater influence back on the genre the tale of the wandering samurai and the wandering gunslinger have become tied together. It is easy to link the aesthetics of the duel, law by combat and a class of men who live by their reputation for physical prowess.

Rather than wandering samurai as gunslinger, Vagabond casts them as artists and genius. The clash of traditions, personalities, styles and innovation more closely approaches Paris than Deadwood.

The story depicts Musashi's 99% perspiration and 1% inspiration, thinking through problems, training, attempting to resolve problems as well as the moments of revelation. Volume 10 is the flip side of volume 7, a lengthy and dynamic fight against four Yagyu retainers. It is an amazing gambit of strategy and terrain, testing the combats psychical prowess and mentally flexibility.

In any medium, vision, style and execution come together as well as they do in Vagabond. For a audience looking for something beyond simple shoujo or shounen, the domestically manga industry is offer is offering few favors, but rapid release of Vagabond is proof quality still finds an outlet.

Anime Spotlight: Demon Lord Dante Volume 1: Dante Resurrection

Released by Geneon

Go Nagai's Demon Lord Dante, and later Devil Man, found an interesting intersection between the tradition of horror and teen super heroes: the teen slowly discovering their destiny toward power and ability to exert control over situations joined with the slow dawning of consequence and damnation. It's the nearly universal dream of a secret, superior identity turned upside down. Devilman takes its dichotomy of hero and demon to an apocalyptic end, but Demon Lord Dante focuses more closely on the shock. The form of creature Dante is designed to be solidly disturbing, a Book of Revelations chimera with the face of its host human emerging from between the eyes of its giant head, locked in ice in tribute to the final level of Dante Alighieri's Inferno.

The concept is tailor made for anime, a destruction packed with the monstrously grotesque. Unfortunately the implementation doles out its visual flare in half measures. Go Nagai series work best when nothing is left to the imagination, but while Demon Lord Dante aims for strange excess it often masks or undercuts sights that should have driven the series.

Demon Lord Dante finds a new host in moody teenager Ryo Utsugi. Ryo is driven to whit's end by dreams of Dante's icy prison in the Himalayas, and precognizant visions of young women being attack by a bestial create. Ryo, and his angelically innocent sister soon find themselves in the middle of the machinations of a cabal Satanists and the followers of God (led by Ryo's father).

It almost hits a point of fun campyness, the height of which is the direct God, who does more personal leg work than in the majority of the Old Testament, and appears Monty Python's Holy Grail like from an opening in the sky, advising his follower, recruiting and threatening moles in the opposing camp, freezing his enemies. Other aspects of the story become campy because they are overdone, but not with energy or style to blindly rush through rationality. The Satanists' black masses and virgin sacrifices are perpetually being interrupted by god's commando teams. The black masses themselves are an odd mix, on hand these all stars of evil employ the stolen Holy Grail (in one of several aspects of amusing divergence from Christian mythology the Grail was sitting in a church where it was regarded as little more than a tourist curiosity) and ground ancient mummies, on the other they're ripping apart chickens and smattering the blood on the to be sacrificed virgin. The virgin sacrifices themselves aren't nearly salacious enough for a Go Nagai work. The Nagai standard is that nothing is teased, it is always taken past the line. Granted this was a televised show, but the handling of near nudity, tied girl first cover by a sheet then chicken blood (probably one of the strangest instrument of modesty) is softer than the expectation.

There are a number of great visuals, the best being a conference between the lead Satanists from the possessed bodies of fish in a giant aquarium tank, but more often it is less overtly demonically exotic. To often the bizarre creatures lurch in the shadows stay in the shadows and appear all too briefly. Not just the rampaging killer hidden for plot purposes, but the hosts of fiends meant to be seen in their grotesque glory.

Demon Lord Dante is almost a fun over-the-top horror. Considering that the series aired in 2002, it is disappointing that it allowed short cuts in the animation to cut so deeply into the effectiveness of a visually vital source. There is definitely appeal for horror action fans, beyond Go Nagai completists, but it feels like less than it should have been.

This Week's Releases

Anime

• Angel Tales - Sweet Transmigration (Vol. 1)
• Aura Battler Dunbine:Battlers of Byst
• Azumanga Daioh:Festivals Vol 2
• Beyblade:Russian Challenges Vol 9
• Black Jack - Incubation
• Grrl Power
• Happy Lesson:Mama Mia Ova
• Infinite Ryvius:Retribution
• Kiddy Grade:Present Future Vol 4
• Last Exile - Breakthrough (Vol. 4)
• Machine Robo:Revenge of Cronos Vol 3
• Master Keaton:Life and Death
• Panyo Panyo Di Gi Charat - Nyo (Vol. 1)
• Soul Taker:Monster Within Vol 1
• Spirit Warrior - A Harvest of Cherry Blossoms
• Spirit Warrior DVD Collection (Vols. 1-5)
• Tenchi in Tokyo:New Legend Vol 3
• Urusei Yatsura - Movie 2: Beautiful Dreamer (Collector's Series)
• Witch Hunter Robin - Determination
• Lone Wolf and Cub-Baby in the Land of Demons
• Zatoichi 23 - Zatoichi at Large

Manga

• Alice 19Th Vol 5 Gn Jealousy
• Bleach Vol 1 Gn
• Couple Vol 1 Gn
• Hard Boiled Angel Vol 1 Gn Blue Angel
• Inu Yasha Visual Manga Vol 3
• Inu Yasha Vol 11 Tp 2Nd Ed
• Shirahime Syo Snow Goddess Tales Gn
• Suki Vol 3 Gn (Of 3)
• Tezukas Buddha Vol 4 Hc Forest Of Uruvela
• Yu Gi Oh Vol 5 Tp
• Yu Yu Hakusho Vol 4 Tp
• Usagi Yojimbo Vol 18 Travels With Jotaro Tp

Genndy Tartakovsky on Astro Boy

Variety reports that Sony Pictures has replaced Eric Leighton with Dexter's Laboratory and Samurai Jack creator Genndy Tartakovsky as director of the live action/CGI mix adapation of Osamu Tezuka's Astro Boy.

4Kids Licenses One Piece

4Kids Entertainment has announced that they have licensed popular pirate anime One Piece from Toei Animation for domestic distribution. The series will be appearing on Fox Box in fall 2004.

4Kids also acquired the rights to the anime series based on the F-Zero racing video game.

From the press release, the '04 Fox Box lineup is:

ONE PIECE - As a young boy in a small port village, Monkey D. Luffy was inspired to become a pirate by his childhood hero "Red-Haired" Shanks. But when he accidentally ate the cursed Gum-Gum Fruit, he gained the power to stretch like rubber ... at the cost of never being able to swim again! Despite this limitation, Luffy vowed to grow up to become the king of the pirates, and find the greatest pirate treasure of all - the pirate Gold Roger's legendary "One Piece." Created by Eiichiro Oda, ONE PIECE was introduced in Shueisha's Weekly Shonen Jump, which has a weekly circulation of three million, in 1997. ONE PIECE graphic novels in Japan have sold more than 100 million copies in 33 volumes. It has already gained a wide fan base in the U.S. through the monthly Shonen Jump magazine, as well as the four graphic novels that have been released to date by VIZ, LLC. The property also boasts five theatrical releases, eight video games and more than $1 billion in retail sales in Japan since 1999, with more than 70 licensees producing toys, games, apparel, stationery, home furnishings, collectibles and more.

F-ZERO GP LEGEND - Introducing the race to end all races: Nintendo's F-ZERO GP LEGEND. The year is 2201 and across the universe rabid fans flock to F-Zero tracks everywhere. The prizes are enormous and the stakes grow even higher when the outlaws compete to win ... at any cost! But the Elite Mobile Task Force, a team of high-risk racers, stands at the ready. Driven by a need for speed and a thirst for victory, the Task Force is determined to keep the prize money out of evil hands by defeating the menacing Black Shadow and bringing peace to the entire galaxy. The licensing campaign is expected to launch in 2004/2005.

THE WINX CLUB - The WINX CLUB tells the story of five fantastically fashionable teenage girls who use special powers to transform into magical fairies and save the day. Influenced by top Italian designers, the series ties together key girls topics of love, friendship, magic, music and fashion. Master toy licensee Mattel is scheduled to debut its magical line of dolls and accessories this fall. The toy line is expected to be complimented by video games and trading cards specifically designed and engineered for girls, as well as exciting fashion, apparel, shoes, accessories, stationery and jewelry to debut in Spring '05.

TOKYO MEW MEW - This Japanese animated property follows the adventures of five girls who possess the powers of endangered animals. They must battle aliens who want to destroy mankind -- when they're not busy with homework and boyfriends, that is. Fifty-two half hour episodes are now in production and a licensing program is planned to launch in 2005.

FOX BOX airs at 8:00 AM ET / 7:00 AM CT/PT to NOON ET / 11:00 AM CT/PT.

License and Releases News

From Anime On DVD's report on the A-Kon anime convention:

ADV

ADV has licensed Mermaid Melody Pichi Pichi Pitch, E's Otherwise and Cromartie High School.

Cromartie High School is an odd comedy series of short episodes featuring the exploits of boys school for delinquents, populated by various strange students, along with a gorilla, a robot and Queen's Freddy Mercury.

Mermaid Melody Pichi Pichi Pitch is a magic girl's series with some similarities to The Little Mermaid.

E's Otherwise follows a boy with psychic powers trying to escape the organization that recruited and trained him.

Trailers for the Excel Saga IMPerfect Collection, Chrono Crusade, Peacemaker Kurogane, Mezzo DSA and GetBackers were shown.

Peaceamaker Kurogane is a Shonen Jump-style young adventuring hero in which the hero seeks to excel within the historical Shishen Gumi samurai militia.

Messo DSA is a bubblegum punk action TV series follow up to the Mezzo Forte direct to video OAV, which in turn was a tangent to popular violent gunplay tragety Kite.

The status of the original Slayers movie and Slayers Book of Spells is still currently up in the air but is being considered for the Essential Anime Collection.

Bandai

Bandai licensed basketball drama Dear Boys and Gundam's Yoshiyuki Tomino and Sunrise's post ecological distaster mecha giant robot series Overman King Gainer.

Zeta Gundam will be released in September. The highly regarded military giant robot series follows up One Year War with redraw battle lines, in which representatives from both sides of the previous war fight against a new fascist government.

Galaxy Angel Z, and odd comedy about an underworked girl team of civilizations protector, will be released in October

Please Twins, the alien relationship comedy follow-up to please teacher will be released in November

FUNimation

FUNimation has licensed the Gunslinger Girl anime and possibly games.

An uncut version of 4Kids's Shaman King will be released starting October 19th. The English dub language track will use the character names that appear in cut version which airs of Fox. An uncut version of Yu-Gi-Oh will also be released on October 19th.

Figures of Kiddy Grade's Eclaire and Lumiere will be released in August through FUNimation's website.

Yu Yu Hakusho Dark Tournament DVD Boxset 2 will be released October 19th.

Sakura Taisen Sumire, which was delayed due to voice actress approval, will be released October 26th.

Spiral will be released starting November 8th.

Dragon Ball GT Lost Series DVDs will contain autographed cards by one of 3 voice actors, and some of them will have ones signed by all 3.

xxxHolic to be Animated

Japanese Young Magazine has announced that CLAMP's recent manga series xxxHOLIC, released domestically by Del Rey is being adapted into a movie, shedule to be released theatrically in Japan in 2005.

Steamboy Release Info

Anime News Network reports following it's July 17th release in Japan, Akira creator Katsuhiro Otomo's Steamboy will be released in North America and Parts of Europe (England, France and Italy) this October. According to Yahoo Japan the North American release date was picked in part to make sure that the movie would be eligible for an Oscar at next year's Academy Awards.

At 2.4 Billion Yen, Steamboy may be the most expensive anime ever produced (US$21.6 Million).

Geneon Announces and Confirms Licenses

Anime News Network reports Geneon announced at the 2004 Licensing International show in New York that they had licensed Tenjou Tenge, Samurai Champloo, Hana Ukyo Maid Team and Daphne in the Brilliant Blue.

Tenjou Tenge is a highscool martial arts fighting series based on a popular, and somewhat edgy manga.

Samurai Champloo is the latest work by from Cowboy Bebop director Shinichiro Watanabe, featuring a scratch style take on samurai fighting with a chilly samurai, and wild Okinawan swordsman, and young waitress who find themselves unlikely traveling companion.

DC Manga Licensing Hints

ICV2 reports DC Comics display art from the titles Gals, by Mihona Fujii, from Shueisha; Musashi #9, by Miyuki Takahashi, from Akita Shoten; and Madara, by Sho-u Tajima and Eiji Otsuka, from Kadokawa Shoten for the rumored CMX manga line at the Bookexpo America show at McCormick Place in Chicago. DC has already announced schedules for distributing non-domestic produced material, including British 2000 A.D. (source of Judge Dredd) and other European comics from Humanoids.

Gals is the series the anime released by ADV Films as Super Gals. It is a shoujo relationship and fashion comedy about a hip girl whose family are renowned police officers.

Musashi #9 is about a woman government bodyguard who becomes attacked to the boy she is assigned to protect.

Madara is about a teenage cyborg who dismembered as a child by an evil ruler he was prophesized to overthrow.

Linkin Park Anime and Manga

Anime News NEtwork points out Linkin Park's anime music video "Breaking the Habit" can be seen online from MTV.com and Linkin Park's website.

The video was produced by Gonzo Digimation (Full Metal Panic, Last Exile), but many originally assumed that it was from Production IG, due to comments that it was from "The people that animated Kill Bill".

TOKYOPOP will be releasing a 48 page Cine-Manga (comic composed of screen captures) of the music video.

Q3 Viz Manga Premieres

Viz will be releasing the first volumes of Beyblade and Case Closed as part of their Action line and Kare First Love as part of their shojo line this summer. All three graphic novels will ship in July and be available at retail outlets nationwide beginning in August.

Beyblade following the fighting top merchandising franchise, which as also been adapted into an anime currently airing on North America on ABC Family, Toon Disney, and YTV. The series is currently ongoing in Japan. 12 Volumes have been released so far.

Case Closed, known as Detective Conan in Japan, is a murder mysterious series following a renowned teenage detective who reduced to a child by criminals he was tracking.

To date 44 volumes of the series have been released in Japan. The series has been adapted in over 300 episode of anime. The anime series is being released by FUNimation, and airing on Cartoon Network.

Kare First Love is an ugly Duckling relationship drama about a girl who never though herself attractive until she catches the most popular boy in school taking pictures of her.

Megaman NT Warrior Preview

Viz has a preview of their upcoming release of the Megaman NT Warrior manga here.

You Higuri Manga Licensed

Anime Tourist reports shonnen-ai (male homosexual romanc) manga creator announced at the Fanime anime convention that CPM Manga has announced her series Kantarella. She will also be illustrating a manga series writtelen by Audrey Taylor.

Geneon Talks Upcoming Series

Dokkoida!? Volume One - Ultra Diaper Man, a mad-cap satire of seizure-inducing Japanese pop entertainment, blasts onto DVD August 24 from Geneon Entertainment. From magical girls and crazed robot-driving scientists to live-action super-hero shows like Ultraman and Power Rangers, Dokkoida!? parodies the full spectrum of sensory overloaded pop culture that has come to typify the rest of the world's view of Japanese entertainment. The latest work from acclaimed anime director Hitoyuki Matsui (Inu-Yasha), Dokkoida!? will have a strong presence at the summer anime conventions this year, with 20,000 Dokkoida!? antenna balls to be given away to fans.

Dokkoida!? Volume 1 - Ultra Diaper Man is available as a limited edition DVD, including an iron-on Dokkoida!? patch for $39.98. The starter DVD is priced at $29.98.

Ikki Tousen Volume One - Legendary Fighter Ride the wave of the increasingly popular sexy-female combat anime with Ikki Tousen: Volume One - Legendary Fighter debuting on DVD August 10 from Geneon Entertainment. Acclaimed director Takashi Watanabe (Slayers, Rave Master) and the animation studio behind Ai Yori Aoshi, Sugar and Someday's Dreamers introduce the traditional codes and combat styles of ancient battle to a modern Japanese high school, pitting buxom and bubbly schoolgirls against each other in a shameless - and thoroughly comical - show of panties, cleavage and legs.

A limited edition collector's box containing a sports towel, sacred bead and sexy mini pencil board is available for $44.98, while the starter DVD is priced at $29.98.

Last Exile: Volume Five - Grand Strem will also be released August 10th and Texhnolyze: Volume Three - Retaliation on August 24th.

Ai Yori Aoshi -Enishi-: Bound (volume 2) and Gad Guard - Corruption (volume 2), along with sound tracks Fooly Cooly Original Soundtrack 2 - King of Pirates, Neon Genesis Evangelion - The Day of Second Impact and R.O.D the TV Original Soundtrack 1, will be released September 7th.

Fooly Cooly Original Soundtrack 2 - King of Pirate will feature 3 drama tracks, and vocals Crazy Sunshine," "Blues Drive Monster," "White Ash," "LAST DINOSAUR" and "I think I can" from J-Rock group the Pillows.

Neon Genesis Evangelion feature classic Evangelion background music such as "Angel Attack", along with vocals from the television series, such as A Cruel Angel's Thesis (Director's Edit Version) and Fly Me to the Moon, and movies, such as THANATOS -IF I CAN'T BE YOURS- and Komm, susser Tod.

September CPM Manga Releases

CPM Press will be releasing Armageddon Volume 1, Hard Boiled Angel: Blue Angel II, Couple Volume 2, Slayers: Lina the Teenage Sorceress, Geobreeders Book 2, and Nadesico Book 4 this August for $9.99 each.

Armageddon Volume 1 (manhwa) Writer and artist: Hyun Se Lee.

He-Sung has dreams of the Earth being destroyed by alien invasions. In these dreams, he is a motorcycle-riding warrior, the Earth's last defense against the alien armada. By his side is a beautiful armor-clad woman with strange powers and futuristic weaponry. But these are just dreams, and dreams don't mean anything.right?

Hard Boiled Angel: Blue Angel II (manhwa) Writer and artist: Hyun Se Lee.

Detective Jiran Ha is a hard-hitting female cop in a city filled with crime and corruption. Dealing with mistaken identities and investigating strange murders are everyday tasks that seem almost mundane to this cop who's seen it all. But when a criminal from Jiran's past escapes from prison intent on revenge, she faces the decision of a lifetime: sacrifice her own life to stop him or let dozens of innocent people die.

Couple Volume 2 (manhwa) Writer: Jae Sung Park, artist: Sung Jae Park.

"What's the big deal about living together," Young Ho Han thought. Ever since the sweet and innocent country girl YuMi Yu moved in with him, Young Ho's life has been a swirling mass of conflicting emotions. Are they just friends? Are they like brother and sister? Could their relationship turn into something else???

Slayers: Lina the Teenage Sorceress (manga) Writer: Hajime Kanzaka, artist: Shoko Yoshinaka

Geobreeders Book 2 (manga) Writer and artist: Akihiro Ito.

Nadesico Book 4 (manga) Writer and artist: Kia Asamiya (final volume)

Toycom Becomes Yamato USA

Toycom, who releases an array of anime merchdise and figures has changed its name to Yamato USA to reflect its status as a subsidiary of Japanese collectables company Yamato Co., Ltd.

Yamato will be appearing at July's San Diego Comic-Con where they will preview upcoming products and star a special guest appearance by manga artist Kia Asamiya (Dark Angel, Silent Mobius, Uncanny X-Men, Batman: Child of Dreams).

Uncut Gatchaman to Air On Anime Network

Anime Network has signed a deal with Sandy Frank Entertainment to bring all 105 episodes of the original Gatchaman series to television viewers and anime fans alike.

Considered a true classic and one of the preeminent anime series of all time, Gatchaman began more than 30 years ago and has become one of the longest-running drama series in anime history. The series, which spawned G-Force and Battle of the Planets (named among the all-time, top-10 animated series in the U.S. by Wizard magazine), the much-edited versions that aired in the U.S. in the 1970s and 80s, follows the adventures of five teenagers who come together and change into superheroes to save the world from monsters and intergalactic evil. The complexity of the characters and their everyday struggles, including sometimes just getting along with each other, has helped the anime genre attract more adults than children.

CPM To Provide Anime Cell Phone Content

Central Park Media has sign mobile media company Zingy have teamed to offer anime cell phone wallpapers from Project A-ko, Alien Nine, Animation Runner Kuromi, DNA2, Legend of Himiko, Maze, Voltage Fighter Gowcaizer, and The World of Narue, which will be available for download purchase here until April 2005.

July Media Blasters Releases

Media Blaster's Anime Work line will be releasing the following in July 13th

• Figure 17: Memories Remain Vol. 6 of 6 (Eps. 12 & 13)
• Knight Hunters Eternity: New Blood Vol. 1 of 3 (Eps. 1-5)
• NaNa 7 of 7: The Luckiest Number Vol. 1 of 6 (Eps. 1-5)
• Rurouni Kenshin: Meiji Era Premium Box Vol. 15 - 22 (Eps. 63-95)
• Saber Marionette R Vol. 1 of 1 (Eps. 1-3)

NaNa 7 of 7

Nana's grandfather always wanted to capture the rainbow. After years of tinkering, he finally found a crystal that separates light from a rainbow into its seven basic colors. The experiment only needed to bake for a few more seconds. That 's when Nana accidentally opened the microwave... Now there are seven Nanas!! There's a grumpy Nana, a giggly Nana, a crybaby, a slowpoke, a cool Nana, and one who's just strange in addition to the original Nana! She's got seven times the problems, seven times the hopes and seven times the love for the cute boy Yuichi. How can Nana compete with herself and what will her parents say now that they've got seven daughters? Who said seven is a lucky number?

Saber Marionette R

Romania is a kingdom far in the future, where the waning female population has been supplemented by androids called Marionettes. When the evil Starface is freed from prison, he executes a vicious plan to overthrow the kingdom. The only surviving member of the royal family is Junior, a harmless and wide-eyed innocent boy, who has three courageous Marionettes to protect him.

Lime, Cherry and Bloodberry will give their all to save the future king of Romania!

Knight Hunters Eternity

Koua Academy is a prestigious school for the future leaders of Japan. However, a dark plot between students and teachers spells doom for those who don't make the cut. During a rash of mysterious "suicides", Sena Izumi arrives as a transfer student. He seems to be an ordinary freshman, but by night he is a member of the assassin group that secretly attempts to rid the Academy of evil once and for all!

A trailer can be seen here

Rurouni Kenshin: Meiji Era Premium SRP: $149.95

Kenshin has learned the ultimate sword technique of the Hiten Mitsurugi Style and defeated his enemies from the time of the Revolution. Now he is aman ready to face the new era of Japan. But Kenshin still must cross swords with many new opponents and deadly Ninjas!

Mezzo Fort Internal Vesion Info

AnimeNation reports Green Bunny will be releasing an "International"version of Mezzo Forte on July 23rd with both episodes, and 20 minutes of extra footage, but without the sex scenes.

Viz to Research Anime TV Network Feasibility

Anime News Network reports Viz is looking for a sales and marketing assistant tp do "business planning for a potential launch of a Japanese Anime TV network." Duties would include a market analysis into the potential and feasibility of such a network.

TOKYOPOP Talks Rave Master Release

TOKYOPOP announced a full retinue of Rave Master products at Licensing International. The manga is already being released. The DVD release beings this October. Volume 1 will feature 2 episodes of the series.

A Cine-Manga comic based on comic using screen captures will also be released this October.

Hasbro will be releasing toy merchandise based on the property, Avalanche will be releasing interactive wall calendar, Dark Horse will releasing squishy toys, Jay Franco and Sons, Inc will be releasing bedding and home decor, Mad Engine will be releasing apparel and Toy Quest will be releasing motion activated games.

New Digimon

Bandai has announced the development of "Digital Monster Zevolution", a feature length CG movie based on the Digimon collectable merchandise franchise. The script was written by Itou Kazunori and Kawasaki Miu and will be directed by Kakudou Hiroyuki.

Viz Talks RIF Partnership

Viz has officially announced their partnership with Reading is Fundimental.

Founded in 1966, Reading Is Fundamental prepares and motivates children to read by providing free books and literacy resources to students and families who otherwise would not have adequate access to these materials. RIF operates through 450,000 volunteers at 25,000 sites nationwide. Beginning this summer, RIF will make popular VIZ graphic novels like those in the SHONEN JUMP graphic novel line, YU-GI-OH! and DRAGON BALL Z, available through the organization's national network of schools, libraries and year-round reading programs to help children develop an enthusiasm for reading. This is a first-of-its kind partnership between RIF and a leading graphic novel publisher/distributor.

Gravitation Volume 2

Right Stuf will be releasing Gravitation: Stars on the Rise, the second volume of the popular rock yaoi (homosexual male romance) on August 31st.

The cover can be seen here.

Start Date For New Bones Anime

Studio Bones (Wolf's Rain, Rahxephon) new series Kurau Phantom Memory will start on Japan's TV Asahi on June 24th.

New Nurse Witch Komugi-chan Magical Anime

Natsume Maya reports the official Nurse Witch Komugi-chan Magical te (Magi Karte) website has reference to Nurse Witch Komugi-chan Magical te Z. Ope 1 will be released on 10 September 10, 2004. There will be TV broadcast, tentatively scheduled for the summer, as well.

Nurse Witch Komugi-chan is a parody spin-off of action horror Soul Taker. The original Nurse Witch Komugi-chan Magical is being released domestically by ADV Films.

Japanese Ghibli Documentaries with English Subtitles

Natsume Maya points out CD Japan listings of the following region 2 DVD Japanese DVDs of Ghibli (home of Hayao Miyazaki's classic anime) documentaries, which will feature English subtitles.

Otsuka Yasuo no Ugokasu Yorokobi (Otsuka Yasuo's Joy of Animating) Sekai Waga Kokoro no Tabi (The World: Journey of Our Memories) (How the CD Produced by Miyazaki Hayao Came to Be)