Well, Scott's back with another great edition of AICN's Anime & Manga column that he sends weekly to ol' Father Geek to edit up for all you fans of the genre, and its a whopper as usual, soooo dig in...

AnimAICN...

by Scott Green

Anime Spotlight: Chrono Crusade Gospel 1: A Plague of Demons

Released by ADV Films

The adventures of a high spirited nun fighting monsters in America's roaring 1920's is novel concept by any measure. Packed with fire arms, bloomer shots, digital pans and camera movements from Studio Gonzo, the series bursts onto the scene with a model t burning rubber in the rain and immediately engages in a new generation of the big visuals and personality common in fantasy works, distinguished by a mythos that borrows pieces from the early twentieth century and Christian lore (or at least a "...For Dummies" version).

The series follows Sister Rossette, a field exorcist for the Order of Magdalene and her bound devil assistant Chrono. In the years between the World Wars, they find themselves in conflict over the Apostles of God, embodiments of the seven virtues with great potential to benefit or harm humanity. The battle lines of the conflict are less than clear, with plenty of factions on the sides of heaven, hell and free agents along who remain to be explained, but the relationship between devils and bound humans already takes a few dramatic turns in the opening episodes.

The series spare little time before engaging the plot. The first episode of Chrono Crusade surprisingly takes a first character of the origin manga series that seems patently made for anime adaptation and largely scrapped it. Some of the imperialist ambiguity of manga's introductory scenario is abridged out, replaced by a Se7en-looking opening crime scene, but the alteration bring the series closer to the heart of the concept more quickly.

Gonzo lends their crowd pleaser animation to a quick paced mixed of horror, gun battles and character humor. The studio has excelled at developing a brand of deep staging, and color emphasis that gives their works an extra degree of pop. The technique's benefits travel well from the morbid tableaus, to the flashy action, to Rossette's brash character humor.

In terms of mechanical design, from guns to zeppelin airships, the series works heard to establish its unique on-off historical settings, but there is a bit of a conservative air in the more unique back drops. Natural settings such as a mountain lake are elaborately rendered, but more exotics sets are kept small or shrouded.

Featuring a cute nun with tommy gun (not to mention a contingent of maid outfits in the periphery) the series flirts with a few too many fetishes, but an endearingly earthy lead, along with an anime take on jazz era pulp is a winningly entertaining combination.

Manga Spotlight: Dolls Volume 1 By Yumiki Kawahara

Released by Viz

One reason that comics may tend towards genre material, super heroes in the US, other genres, but genre none the less in manga, is the high value afforded by costume. An expressive and distinctive look allows the creator to pantomime many qualities of characters or environment through their characters' garments.

Dolls defines itself through the elaborate Victorian design of its living dolls: porcelain life sized figures with decked in an overwhelming collage of patterns, curled or flowing hair, and frills. It is a look that has taken on goth connotations, and it does give the series a distinctive look. Yet, the role of appearance bumps into the limitation of the medium. The beauty of the dolls plays a key role in the series, but whether what appears in the rendering supports the full weight it needs to support in the events is questionable. Where as prose would allow the reader to imagine or accept the qualities of the doll, no matter who well illustrated they are, attributing the ability to enthrall characters to their appearance requires effort on the part of the reader in putting faith in the in-story observer's reaction.

Set in a monolithic, Blade Runner like city the series collects short stories about people who lives are accelerated towards fate after receiving their desire in the form of a "plant doll". The currents travels along the lines of fairy tale mixes of love, crime and tragedy, but structurally the stories are similar to Petshop of Horrors, or other themed horror anthologies

After meeting the dolls in their mysterious show the young and earnest, the corrupted or flawed are taken towards their fate by the catalyst of the doll. The weigh of the crux of the stories falls on an infatuation or love with a womanly creation that occasionally emotes and rare does much else. The zenith emotions, not always believable when projected onto a very doll-like objects of physical beauty.

Reaction to Dolls is dominantly a matter of aesthetic taste, whether the elaborate Victorian meets manga illustrated figures is a draw for the reader. If so, the range of design should hold the reader's interest.

Anime Spotlight: Gundam SEED Volume 2 and 3

Released by Bandai

The commercial success of the Gundam franchise has perpetuated the trap inherit in its premise since its first series. The densely plotted and exciting SEED is an undeniably engaging sci-fi war chronicle, but there is a nagging echo that these attractive qualities betray the heart of its social message.

Gundam means to paint war as a base endeavor, largely or wholly engineered as a tool in the intrigues of the powerful, or for faulty motivations. Yet as a fine tuned sci-fi war epic, the fulcrum of story telling is combat between attractively designed war robots. With several counter weight examples, Gundam 0080 - War in the Pocket notably, the tragedy is overshadowed by glorification of ace pilots, and despite painting the architects of war on both sides as suspect to criminal, militarism, and particularly a fascist motif is glamorized. Not unaware of the irony, it circumvents its disavowment of war by finding reasons why admirable people would fight, and forcing them to examine their actions, playing to emotions rather than challenging the ethics of the characters or viewers.

Running contrary to the examples of decaying franchises, particularly popular sci-fi examples, Gundam SEED is an example of revitalizing the familiar, tempered by the experience of past endeavors. Following the Gundam hallmark of a reluctant, but gifted teen thrust into center stage of a war between Earth and its orbiting colonies after finding himself the pilot of a state-of-the-art battle robot, SEED has a forward, episode to episode momentum that makes every scene seem significant. A large cast of diverse personalities and wide base of political back story supports a gradually unfolding story that doesn't just seem to be marking time to next battle.

Past Gundam annoyances are greatly mitigated in this incarnation. The hero is allowed to be conflicted about his role, yet assertive about his values and self value. Crushing scenes of doubt come in lulls without stretches of wallowing in self pity, allowing high and believable emotions without festering angst. Secondary characters establish themselves as unpredictable and interesting, particularly the love interests, the hero's classmate driven to a Shakespearian agenda of vengeance, and the daughter of a high ranking enemy who at first seems an empty headed cute face to sing music video like sequences, but proves to be capable of canny political speeches.

These episodes lay cobblestones of the franchise's conscious, establishing reprehensible manuevers on both sides of the war. An interesting new facet in the relationship between Earth born humans and the genetically space-inhabitants modified is a twist of racism. The development that, even for the liberal minded Earth-borne, attribute every positive quality of the space-borne to gene alteration.

Anime Spotlight: Gokusen Volume 1: The Unteachables

Rekeased by Media Blaster's Anime Works Line

Gokusen is a quirky gem that deserves not to be overshadowed by loader or broader genres. As high concepts comedy goes, the story of a Yazuka heiress turned school teacher, told in the motif of a samurai serial drama is an odd, and oddly successful leap off the back of a popular predecessor.

Gokusen is built from the popularity of Great Teacher Onizuka (GTO), a comedy/drama (told in manga, anime and live action) about a former bike gang leader who put his energy into becoming a teacher for a variety of reasons: meeting attractive women, showing that he can be a success, rejecting the false promise of a narrow corporate ladder. Late night comedy Gokusen remixes GTO elements in the manner of genre extensions (Gokusen, like GTO managed the meidum triple crown of manga/anime/live action).

With her parents dead, and her grandfather impaired by age, Kumiko Yamaguchi is a tough, competent, but very young head of her Yazuka crime family. Kumiko has also been able to follow to ambition of becoming a teacher, landing a job as a math instructor at a school for delinquents so bad that the teachers wear track suits to more easily escape their students.

From an old almost passive observer/narrator (played and internally narrated by Kumiko's dog) to the ballad closing theme a samurai aesthetic permeates Gokusen. It isn't something that would be completely obvious without exposure to the genre, more of a gag within a gag and comparable to how stretches of a homage work like Kill Bill resemble a spaghetti western or other cinema motif. In part, Kumiko is fit into the mold of the warrior whose identity hides their strength, almost perpetually underestimated by their adversaries.

There is some outrageous humor in the boosted reactions of Kumiko's yazuka family, but largely the humor the mundane disparity in the roles or skill sets in mousy teacher, and street general. To the extend that the premise is acceptable, it is fairly believable in execution, which builds to plenty of double take moments at Kumiko's abilities and shifts in demeanor.

There is a degree of introduced ugliness in the character design that enhances the humor. Not just the plain Kumiko, or her scarred underlings or reject students, even the attractive teacher on the faculty has a rounded anti-idealized face (the exception to this rule is a student who is a social rebelling, but handsome, physically and intellectually gifted).

Like GTO, Gokusen is a rejection of the institutionalized path to success. It treats the yazuka and school world as serious tenements of character's life while authority is undermined as ineffectually as best. Familiar stray men (cops and administration) are construction, but both Kumiko's value placed on personal quality and skill (scholastic and otherwise) rather than arbitrary markers create drama worthy of emotional investiment.

Gokusen was probably a difficult series to translate. Fluxes tradition and slang, shifts in context, audience and emotion require distinctions in speech patterns. Purist could quibble about how the translation is handle, with some very localized, and others left untranslated. While it often accomplishes this goal, at times it seems without a universal formula. Mafia terms are mixed with Japanese terms, there are references to underbosses, and a lawyer called the "consiglieri", but Kumiko is called "ojou", a respectful form of "miss", and acting "kumicho", a term that sometimes gets translated "godfather" or "don". Likewise a large student named Kumai's nickname Kuma (bear) its kept untranslated though whether the joke is supposed to be a pun is debatable.

Animation Spotlight: Gregory Horror Show

Released by Geneon

Gregory Horror Show is a frustrating mix of the overly familiar and the creative. The CGI animated collection of shorts follows a first person narrative through a decrepit mouse guided tour of horror house. While the inhabitants of this Gregory House offers a sizable, and in several instances memorable collection of the amusingly macabre, the father and son dog's with literally splitting head-aches for example, the collection is hampered by its resemblance to a video game (it fact, it is spawned from a game), and a progression not perfectly suited for a DVD-suggestive continuous viewing.

The CGI work is engaging, successfully in creating a 3 dimension world, world rather than just looking like an exercising in technology utilization, but it is missing a property that would abstract it from itself from a chain of video game cut scenes . The first person metaphor, vignette length, and design style all create an experience that doesn't distinguish the work from its origins. Each quality plays a role in the narrative, but together there is almost the implication that the task of solving a puzzle will soon be presented.

Whether the design leaps out to someone who grew up with a minimal diet of video games varies from creation to creation. Apart of shading of morbidity on cuteness, the anthropomorphized animals, mechanics and plants don't leap out of the continuity going back to when video games evolved behind iconic shapes. Some, such as the titular Gregory extend into a decayed, corrupted video-game world, both others, such as a bandito-cactus out of central video game casting, seem to strictly rely on the inherit surreal quality of their existence. What once may have been a startling William S. Burroughs image has been watered down by decades of video game design.

At times the animation seems to be caught in a game mindset, relying on pop-up jumps that work if you are expected to react, ie in a video game, but trivial annoyances in non-interactive story telling.

The situational vignette almost build to a redeeming idea that put the video game experience into an interesting prospective, but a progression of truism philosophy too often sucks strength from a final thesis. Watched in continuous fashion, events often flirt with merging into a drone of pieces that just make noise. Frequently, elements don't pay off, leaving an impression that the sum of the parts may have be greater if the parts had not been stacked.

Gregory Horror Show isn't without novelty, and it is strikingly well animated, but it doesn't find a voice to distinguish itself from a its origins. At times it nearly becomes self aware or irreverent enough to utilize its limitation but ultimate leaves too much to its ending.

Howl's Site Update

The site for Studio Ghibli/Hayao Miyazaki's upcoming Howl's Movie cast at /www.howl-movie.com has been updated in anticipation of the movie's November 20th Japanese premiere.

Stand Alone Complex Schedule on Cartoon Network

Anime Network reports that Cartoon Network will be running Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex on its Adult Swim block weekly on Saturdays November 6th at 12:30am (EST) and repeated the following Thursday at 1:00am (EST).

Viz Announces Special Wolf's Rain Manga Box Set Exclusive To Borders And Waldenbooks

Viz has announced the release of a special box set for the new action manga series, WOLF'S RAIN. The new manga box set includes Volume 1 of a two volume Graphic Novel series and a collectible 3D lenticular card. Available exclusively at Borders and Waldenbooks stores nationwide beginning November 2004, the series is rated "T+" for Older Teens and has an MSRP of $14.99.

WOLF'S RAIN takes that struggle between humans and wolves to another level in an exciting manga story from Studio Bones and Keiko Nobumoto, the creators of the popular Cowboy Bebop and Escaflowne series. WOLF'S RAIN is set in a post apocalyptic future where humans and wolves find themselves at vengeful odds with each other. An old legend speaks of a hidden paradise on Earth - a Paradise that only a wolf can find. A pack of outcast wolves takes on human form and sets out to find Paradise. Each wolf is driven by their own personality and desires, but together they are pursued by relentless humans seeking to quench their own thirst for power. A difficult journey lies ahead with Paradise waiting to be found.

Anime News Network points out that the end of Satomi Ikezawa's Othello volume 1 that Del Rey will be releasing her Guru Guru Pon-chan in 2005.

ADV posted on Anime on DVD's message board that they announces the following titles at Houston's OniCon anime convention

Anime:

Godannar (26 eps) parody mecha series official site at here

Onto the North (working title) (13 eps) (Kita e : Diamond Dust Drops) romance official site

Papuwa (26 eps): official site

Five Star Stories: The anime movie adaptation of Mamoru Nagano's intricately designed giant robot series

Ghost Stories (20 eps) (Gakkou no Kaidan) official site

Korean live action titles:

• Guns & Talks
• Jail Breakers
• Jungle Juice
• Marrying the Mafia (aka Marry or Die)
• No Blood, No Tears
• Public Enemy

Anime Release Delays

Bandai's release of the first volume of highly enjoyable sc-fi comedy Galaxy Angel Z has been delayed to December 12th.

Media Blasters has delayed the special edition versions of the first volumes of Giant Robo and Gokusen to November 20th

Anime News Network has learned that Bandai has again had to delay their box set released of Zeta Gundam, this time to December 14th.

Australian Ghibli Movie Releases

Anime News Network points out that Australian anime distributor Madman Entertainment lists that it has recently release Studio Ghibli's Hayao Miyazaki movies Princess Mononoke, Kiki's Delivery Service, Laputa: Castle in the Sky.

Bandai Solutions and Woes

Bandai has announced that it resumed Canadian anime distribution with the creation of Bandai Entertainment Canada.

Unfortunately, Anime on DVD and Anime Corner Store report heavy rains have flooded Bandai's west coast warehouse, necessitating a suspension of shipping operations during the clean-up. Late October releases, including the .Hack//Sign, Escaflowne, and Witch Hunter Robin has not shipped yet, and may missing October 26th release date.

Pokemon Movie 7

Anime News Network reports that 7th Pokemon Movie, Pokémon - Destiny Deoxys will be released on DVD and VHS on February 15th.

Geistars 3 Scheduled

Anime Jump will be releasing the third volume of power suit political sci-fi Geistars on January 11th.

January DC CMX Manga releases

After scheduling no CMX manga releases in December, DC's comics CMX line has the following schedule for January:

Land Of The Blindfolded Vol. 2

Written By Tsukuba Sakura Art By Tsukuba Sakura

Cmx. Most People Live Life "Blindfolded," Unable To See The Past Or Future. But When High-School Student Outsuka Kanade Touches People, Sometimes Her Blindfold Slips, And She Has Visions Of Their Future. Should She Act To Change Their Fate? This Compelling Tale Follows Kanade As She Explores Her Gift And The Difficult Choices It Brings. On Sale Jan 19 O 5" X 7.375" O 208 Pg, B&W, $9.95 Us

Madara Vol. 2

Art By Sho-U Tajima Written By Eiji Otsuka

Cmx. It's Madara Versus Kaos In Volume 2 Of Eiji Otsuka's Epic Masterpiece Madara! In This Volume, Madara And Kaosu Must Team Up To Fight A Deadly Duo Out To Kill The Both Of Them. And Now, As Fate Would Have It, Madara And Kaos Prepare To Face-Off One Another In The Corridor Of Fire. Will Destiny Prevail? Or Will Desire? On Sale Jan 5 O 5" X 7.375" O 176 Pg, B&W, $9.95 Us O Mature Readers 98

From Eroica With Love Vol. 2

Written By Aoike Yasuko Art By Aoike Yasuko

Cmx. Sometimes Risqué, But Never Routine! Welcome To The World Of Earl Dorian Red Gloria, A.K.A. Eroica. In This Volume, The Relationship Between The Earl And The Nato Officer Reaches A Whole New Level. Plus, A Bonus Story In Which A New Officer Discovers More Than He Bargained For On A Ship That's All Play And No Work. On Sale Jan 12 O 5" X 7.375" O 208 Pg, B&W, $9.95 Us

High Profile Japanese DVD Releases

The live action adaptation of manga/anime sci-fi Casshern was released on DVD in Japan October 23rd in a standard and 3 disc special edition.The various incarnations of Casshern follow the war between a cyborg and a menace originally created to clean up Earth for humanity.

Akira creator Katsuhiro Otomo's Steamboy will be released on R2 DVD April 25th, 2005. The DVD will not feature English Subtitles.

Studio 4°C's (Memories' Magnetic Rose, AniMatrix's Kid's Story and Detective Story) Mind Game will be released December 22nd with English subtitles.

November ADV Releases

November 16

Chrono Crusade: Holy War (Volume 2 of 7)

Neon Genesis Evangelion Platinum: 03 (of 7)

Wedding Peach: Scarlet Tears (Volume 7 of 10)

November 23

Aura Battler Dunbine: Terror From Byston Well (Volume 10 of 12)

Azumanga Daioh: Graduation! (Volume 6 of 6)

November 30

Martian Successor Nadesico: Essential Anime Collection, Volume 2 (of 3)

Sorcerer Hunters: Essential Anime Collection (volume 1 of 4)

BASToF Syndrome: Endgame (volume 6 of 6)

Aura Battler Dunbine

Inspired by the novel Wings of Lin by Yoshiyuki Tomino and adapted by the creators of Gundam and Robotech® comes an epic science-fiction fantasy about love, duty and the tragic spoils of war. Long hailed as a "golden age" classic, Dunbine remains a perennial favorite among giant robot fans and its innovative design work and storytelling techniques are the acknowledged inspiration for many of today's hottest anime releases. Aura Battler Dunbine - the stuff that legends are made of. An epic, one-of-a-kind adventure which dives headfirst into a rich, fully defined world to create one of the most unique anime experiences ever envisioned.

Neon Genesis Evangelion Platinum:

Biblical prophecy, human drama and blistering hi-tech battle action collide as the award winning anime classic unleashes new fury with breathtaking re-mastered video and jaw-dropping digitally re-mastered 5.1 surround sound, creating the ultimate Evangelion DVD experience.

New Yamato USA Merchandise Releases

Yamato USA has announced the release of Cowboy Bebop PVC statues of Faye Valentine and Julia, and Capcom's Tron Bonnee. See www.YamatoToysUSA.com for images and details.

AOL and Dragon Ball

Viz has announced that AOL's Red service will feature 13 flash manga episodes of Dragon Ball.

Each Friday for the next thirteen weeks, AOL's RED service for teens will offer an exclusive premiere of a new episode of the popular fantasy action series at 3:00pm EST. Teens on the RED service will have exclusive access to the episode for a period of 48 hours, before it becomes available to all Internet users at www.shonenjump.com. The compelling flash manga takes storylines from the pages of Akira Toriyama's famed graphic novel series and combines unique, full color and movement provided by Macromedia flash technology. The original incarnation of the DRAGON BALL flash manga began on Jumpland, a Japanese website featuring the most popular characters from the Japanese version of Weekly Shonen Jump, maintained by Shueisha, Inc., one of the largest publishers in Japan and a parent company of VIZ.

January Bandai Releases

Bandai will be releasing the following anime titles on January 4th

• Dragon Drive Vol. #05
• Galaxy Angels Z Vol. #2
• Gundam SEED Vol. #06
• Gundam SEED Vol. #07
• Kaze no Yojimbo Vol. #6
• Please Twins Vol. #2
• Superior Defender Gundam Force Vol. #09
• Wolf's Rain Vol. #5

Anime Network Picks Ups 3 Slayers Series

Anime Network, the first channel in North America dedicated to anime, has acquired all 78 half-hour episodes of the "Slayers" anime television series, including season two "Slayers Next" and season three "Slayers Try," from Enoki Films USA. The series, based on stories and characters created by Hajime Kanzaka and Rui Araizumi, originally aired on Japan's TV Tokyo from 1995 through 1997. Anime Network will begin airing the "Slayers" series in early 2005.

In the first season of "Slayers," produced in 1995, Lina Inverse is a wandering sorceress and bandit-killer who joins forces with roving swordsman Gourry Gabriev in what's supposed to be a quick union of convenience. Instead, an artifact, Lina, "liberated" from a gang of thieves, turns out to be the key to the resurrection of the demon lord Shabranigdo. Urged on by the mysterious Red Priest Rezo, the pair has no choice but to fight the dark lord and his servants, accumulating new allies and enemies along the way.

The second season installment, known as "Slayers Next" by anime fans, finds Lina and Gourry coincidentally meeting up again with Zelgadis and Amelia and begin to search for the Clair Bible. During their search they run into a mysterious priest named Xelloss who seems to know a thing or two about the passages they're looking for, but he tends to get them into more trouble. Lina and her associates also discover that the Monster race has plans of its own, and that they themselves play a big part in the Monsters' evil intentions.

By season three, "Slayers Try," several months have passed since the barrier put in place by the Mazoku sublords was broken which provides Lina and her colleagues with access to the outside world. Once they cross over, they become wrapped up in a prophecy that foretells of a dark lord from another dimension, Dark Star Dugradigdo, who enters their world to spread chaos.

Anime Next Convention Details

New Jersey's Anime Next has announced that the convention will be held this year at the larger Meadowlands Exposition Center in Secaucus, NJ on June 17-19, 2005.

AnimeNEXT 2005's new venue is within walking distance of over 15 restaurants, many shops and two shopping malls. The exposition center has 61,000 square feet of exhibit space with five additional meeting rooms.

Just five miles outside of NYC, the exposition center is conveniently accessible via NJ Transit bus 320 from NY Port Authority Bus Terminal. Bus #320 has a stop right in front of the exposition center. The exposition center is also just minutes away from Newark Liberty International Airport for those attendees flying in to the event. The Meadowlands exposition center also has 6,000 free parking spaces. It is also accessible to major interstate arteries including the New Jersey Turnpike and Garden State Parkway.

Pre-registration for AnimeNEXT 2005 has begun at the convention's web site. The earlier you register for the convention the deeper the discount for your membership. The first deadline is coming up, so pre-register soon. The first deadline is December 1, 2004. The Adult rate is $30 and the child rate is $20 until December 1, 2004 for three day convention admission.

Register now at the AnimeNEXT 2005 web site, http://www.animenext.org/register

We've negotiated a special low rate of $99 per night with the hotel. You can book a room by calling the hotel at 201-348-2000. Make sure to mention AnimeNext when you book your room to get the special rate.

February Media Blasters Releases From the Anime Works Line

2/8

The Gokusen - The Road To Graduation (Vol. 3, Episodes 10-13)

Giant Robo: The Day The Earth Stood Still (Volume 3, Episodes 6 & 7)

2/22

Shrine Of The Morning Mist (Volume 2, Episodes 11-18)

The Twelve Kingdoms - Atonement (Volume 10, Episodes 41-45) (final volume)

Animeworks Press

2/5/2005

Pilgrim Jäger Book II

As the faces of the tarot are revealed one by one, the spiral of history draws tighter. What parts will Michelangelo, the Medici family and Francis Xavier possibly play in this dramatic story? And what of Adele and Karin? Will Adele's multiple personalities be drawn out to cataclysmic effect?

NewType Announcements

The Noember 2004 Newtype USA will feature will feature an article on the top 25 anime of all time, based on a three month poll. The top five are Neoen Genesis Evangelion, Cowboy Bebop, Inu Yash, Ruruoni Kenshin and Trigun.

Other features include 13 features on titles ranging from Fruits Basket to MY-HiME, a creator profile of Satoshi Kon (Paranoia Agent, Tokyo Godfathers) and an exclusive first look at the new Robotech: The Shadow Chronicles.

NewType USA is also running a subscription promotion that offers the periodical for $7.50 an issue (40%-off newstand), along with a bonus Cosplay Caps: Menchi from Excel Saga or Saizo the angry pig from Peacemaker Kurogane.

Geneon Talks G4Techtv Programming

Geneon has announced that G4techTV will be airing R.O.D-THE TV-, Gungrave and Gad Guard as part of their Anime Unleashed block. R.O.D-THE TV- and Gungrave will air throughout the month of October, Monday through Sunday, at 12:00AM ET/9:00PM PT. Action-packed episodes of Gad Guard will air every night at 12:00AM ET/9:00PM PT beginning Monday, November 8.

Inu Yasha YTV Schedule Change

Anime News Network points out that Canadian YTV has updated their schedule to air InuYasha Monday-Thursday at 8:30pm starting November 1st.

Viz Take Maison Ikkoku Box Sets

Viz has announced that box sets volumes 4 and 4, which feature of total of 24 episodes of Maison Ikkuku, a romantic comedy from famed manga artist Rumiko Takahashi, who also created such popular titles as Inuyasha And Ranma 1/2 will be available exclusively through the official VIZ online store at www.store.viz.com and through a new partnership with The Right Stuf (www.rightstuf.com)

Maison Ikkoku Box Set 4 will be released on November 9, 2004, with an MSRP of $49.98. Box Set 5 will be released on May 17, 2005, also with an MSRP of $49.98. Each set will contain 12 complete episodes of the series on three DVDs and will come with both the original Japanese dialogue with English subtitles and a first-ever dubbed English track.

Originally created as a manga, MAISON IKKOKU was made into a highly successful ninety-six episode anime series in 1986 that ran for two years. It presents a touching and classic love story revolving around the lives of a hapless young student named Yusaku Godai, the beautiful manager of his apartment block, Kyoko Otonashi, and the unique and sometimes crazed tenants of dilapidated Ikkoku-kan complex.

Mid-January Geneon Releases

Geneon will be releasing the following on January 18th:

• Burn-Up Scramble - Babes Battle Bandits (V.B) DVD
• Cybuster - The Battle in the Sea of Trees (V.2) DVD
• Gungrave - Die Trying (V.4) DVD

January CPM Releases

Central Park Media will be re-releasing Tokyo Babylon, (which has been newly re-packaged and re-priced), Battle Arena Toshinden, Voltage Fighter Gowcaizer, They Were Eleven, Wild Cardz, Silent Service, Garzey's Wing, plus the 20th anniversary collector's series edition of Harmagedon on January 18th for $9.99 each.

Time Bokan from the studio behind Battle of the Planets and Speed Racer, as well as Black Jack: Mutation, the penultimate volume to Osamu Tezuka's thrilling medical series Black Jack will be released January 11th.

Tokyo Babylon

From the fan-favorite studio CLAMP (Chobits) comes the prequel to the best-selling X - The Movie! Psychic investigator Subaru Sumeragi is hot on the tail of a serial killer who seems to have some supernatural powers of his own. The body count continues to rise, and Subaru must solve the case quickly, or he may become the killer's next target!

Harmagedon Collector's Series Edition

From anime giants Rintaro (X: The Movie), Katsuhiro Otomo (Akira), and the creators of Metropolis! A psychic princess suffers a horrifying vision: evil space invaders are headed straight for Earth! Now Princess Luna must lead the world's psychics into battle against this interplanetary threat!

Battle Arena Toshinden: Uncut Version

From the director of Fatal Fury: The Motion Picture, Detonator Orgun, and Bubblegum Crisis. Once a year, the greatest warriors in the world compete at the famous Toshin Tournament. Master swordsman Eiji Shindo has returned to test his skill with the blade once more.

Voltage Fighter Gowcaizer

From the director of Fatal Fury: The Motion Picture. In the post-apocalyptic future, the Belnar Institute is the training arena of the new superhuman youth. Of the students, Isato Kaiza is destined to be the most powerful fighter who ever lived.until a mysterious transfer student arrives to shake things up.

They Were Eleven

In the distant future, ten space cadets embark on a survival test that sets them adrift in a derelict spacecraft. Terror strikes when the cadets discover eleven of themselves aboard the ship. Who is the imposter, and what is his (or her) purpose?

Wild Cardz

From the directors of Cutey Honey and All Purpose Cat Girl Nuku Nuku! The Card Kingdom is in peril, and it's up to the adorable Crown Knights to save the day!

Silent Service

The most dangerous submarine and most closely guarded military secret in the world, Codename: Seabat has just gone rogue. One by one, the world's most powerful combat vessels are devastated by this silent, deadly enemy.

Garzey's Wing

From the creator of Gundam! Yesterday, Chris's biggest problem was getting into a good college. Now, his spirit has been summoned by an enslaved tribe to lead a bloody revolution.

Soft Cover Buddha?

An Anime on DVD message board poster reports that Barnes & Noble's internal database lists paperback releases of the first six volumes of Verticle's adapation of Osamu Tezuka's Buddha in April 2005.

Catwoman Director to Helm Akira

Anime News Network points out that in an interview with French website Té lérama, Katsuhiro Otomo has stated that Pitof, the director of Catwoman, is set to direct the live action adaptation of Akira.

ADV Clarifies the Status of The Place Promised In Our Early Days...

Anime News Network has received a clarification concerning ADV's theatrical run for Voices of a Distant Star creator Makoto Shinkai's The Place Promised In Our Early Days.

From the statement: ADV requested that its theatrical division explore theatrical opportunities in light of the Japanese producer's goal of releasing the film stateside in 2005. Without knowing the full background of that request and, in particular, without knowing that ADV had not, in fact, entered into a licensing agreement for the film, ADV's theatrical division assumed that ADV was more involved in the project than ADV actually was. Regrettably, that is reflected by Mr. Buck's less than optimal characterization.

It seems this is a classic case of an imprecise communication spawning an inaccurate conclusion-- namely that ADV had indeed acquired the film. ADV has not. Again, we'd love to host it, but that decision rests with the Japanese producers.

ITOCHU Corporation and Ishimori Group establish a Joint Venture Company ITOCHU Corporation, Ishimori Shotaro Pro Inc. (copyright holder of famous Manga author Shotaro Ishinomori's works such as "MASKED RIDER", "Cyborg009", "HOTEL", "KIKAIDER", and "GORENGER"), one of the major Manga productions in Japan, and Ishimori Pro Inc. have signed an agreement to establish Ishimori Entertainment Inc., a joint venture company that introduces the so-called "Ishimori World" to its fans. ITOCHU will hold 49% of its shares, Ishimori Pro and Ishimori Shotaro Pro will own 41% and 10%, respectively.

The new company, Ishimori Entertainment Inc., is planning to produce movies, TV programming, publications, and to develop merchandising business based on the titles of Shotaro Ishinomori. Ishimori Entertainment aims to achieve a turnover of 1.5-2.0 billion Yen every year.