Father Geek here deep in the Heart of Texas... in the liberal conscience of the Lone Star State... Austin, with a non-election distraction... here is the bountiful text for this week's Manga-Anime column. Yep, its all here on AICN once again, soooo clear your mind of the world's troubles and scroll on down through the latest hot-off-the-presses edition of...

AnimAICN...

by Scott Green

Anime Spotlight: ROD: The TV Volume 2: The Undercover Student Volume 2: The Past

Released by Geneon

In the first five minutes of original Read or Die, director Koji Masunari is able to utterly convince the audiences that a woman fighting historical entomologists, aviation tinkerers and philosophers using paper that can cut through steel, shield bullets, and support a gliding human is far from as patently stupid as it sound. It snapped like Indiana Jones running though South American ruins, establishing Yomiko Readman as a character that should own a franchise. The prospect of the TV series follow up without Yomiko, and without the chain of events like Yomiko against Journey to the West's Sanzo and a submarine in a flooded city seemed a disappointing prospect.

The television follow-up focuses on the Paper Sisters, pretty, outgoing and care-resistant to spacey Michelle Cheung, tall, socially remote Maggie Mui, and young, aggressively discontent Anita King. Each of the trio shares a degree of Yomiko's paper user powers, but has a limited specialty. Initially their role appears to be an also-run aftershock of the Read or Die's open war between the British Library and the re-incarnated geniuses of the I-Jin. The Sisters are hired on as bodyguards to prominent but creatively struggling Japanese author Nenene Sumiregawa (who happens to be a friend of the now missing Yomiko), while occasionally moonlighting as globe trotting book-retrievers for the Dokusensha company.

ROD: The TV redefines the role of slack time in anime. The majority of the first half of ROD is generally low key. It is dominated by bodyguarding Nenene, which in practice accomplishes little more than filling her apartment with the compulsive book acquisition of Michelle and Maggie, occasionally interrupted by Dokusensha sponsored field trips. The expectation is that in an action series, a non action centric episode is time to scale back the effort and fill time with easy character humor.

In ROD, to a remarkable degree, plot slackness does not translate to lax implementation. Koji Masunari gives like to characters who could be sitcom or overwrought, but instead, in their quirky mannerism own the screen. From their position in each shot, movements and facial expression, there is a draw to the presence of the Paper Sisters and Nenene.

Nor do the character have their feet up looking for arbitrary means of killing time. There is history at work, and more significantly these are characters who difficulty personalities require effort to maintain a semblance of normality. Dramatically, the series pays dividends with the same strength it apply to providing its show stopping action sequences, lending almost as much weight to a writer's award dinner as to a particularly impressive three party battlefield showdown.

The ditz, the strong, silent supporter and the loud child aren't necessarily likeable types, with without resorting to unnecessary theatrics or goofyness, it is a set of character who, going about their daily business, can be engaging and entertaining.

Still, by the end out the third volume, the series seems to have exhausted its slack space. Original Read or Die-ers begin making their presence known, some at some unexpected times. The agendas of innocuous sound British Library, and of the Paper Sister's corporate employer Dokusensha begin to, if no emerge from the shadows, then at least make the force of their presences felt.

ROD's action episodes haven't failed to deliver. The episodes offer a range of exploits, with the Sisters facing Victorian sci-fi, odd perception gambits, and eventually going to war. The surprising effect and inventiveness of paper manipulation as a nearly beat-all super remains intact in the series. It is something that has been thought through, and maintains an internal logic.

ROD is a good franchise for a mature audience to indulge in some super-hero wonder. It provides plenty of spectacular, larger than life visuals without falling back on clobber-fests of fire balls, and it knows to tweak mental interest and emotional pangs at the right times.

Anime Spotlight: Yu-Gi-Oh! Original Uncut Edition

Volume 1: The Shadow Games; Volume 2: The Insector Combo

As merchandise tie-in anime goes, Yu-Gi-Oh is fairly watchable. Even if it isn't an exemplary action anime, thanks to some game geek play mechanics and a plethora of interesting monsters designs it is a show that non-players of the original collectable card game can enjoy. The original Japanese isn't substantially different enough to change opinions of the series, but it is a bit less over protective of the viewer. There is shaper edge of mortality and sexuality, along with some flicks as other socially guarded content (ie pentagrams).

The sentiment can at least be appreciated, and anime fans looks to collect the series would do well to direct themselves to the Uncut Edition. Anime fans who are Yu Gi Oh fans will find what they are looking for in the Uncut Edition, but anime fans who have sampled and passed on Yu Gi Oh will not find a radically different experience in this version.

The uncut edition of Yu-Gi-Oh! still starts with what was the 28th episode of the Japanese series, with the opening volleys of first large card battle tournament arc. The release consequently skips the character introductions and a series of game based morality lessons, darker than the advent of the fighting card-monsters phase due to its more mundane grounding.

In addition to the original Japanese dialog and content, the Uncut Edition features the original opening/closing animation and music. There aren't any surprises in the series' Japanese voice work(nothing to equate to the first time hearing the gravelly Japanese voice for Pokemon's Meowth). To an English speaking ear, there seems to be more of an emphasis on intonation than accent to convey personality. Other than the more accented character, the English and Japanese voice generally complement each other. The young master gamer hero Yugi has an odd, slightly annoying voice that fits his idiosyncratic look . His alter ego voice isn't quite as deep or distinctive has the English version. Yugi's rival Kaiba has a good samurai confidence to the work.

Villainous competitors sound a bit more reasonable, which adds more ambiguity to the characters, and makes it slightly more surprising when they do something rotten.

The wealthy English speaking arch-villain Pegasus is even more eccentric sounding character in the Japanese language version. He slips English into his Japanese. Apparently, referring to the hero as "Yugi boy" came directly from the Japanese. However, there are some odd choices in subtitling the character. There are a number of instances where the subtitled version is a variant of what he is obviously saying in English, ie "unbelievable" is subtitled "surprise of surprises".

The DVD feature 3 episodes. A non-skippable, front loaded advertisements (dated wrestling action figures) on the DVD, and a lack of non-previews extras (and to be pickier, no translation of the Japanese credits or menu driven inner-episode chapter breaks) marginally sours the package. Still, there is plenty of value in the anime fan in the eventual domestic release of an uncut Japanese language version of popular television edited anime.

Anime Spotlight: My Dear Marie

Release by ADV Films

My Dear Marie is one of the 90's catalogue titles that has long been awaiting a DVD release. It wasn't remembered as a classic, but as a fold remember, charming 3 episode direct to video OAV about a boy who creates a robot that looks exactly like the girl he's chasing (but with pink hair). The series was the heyday of short anime adaptation of manga series that would just capture the premise and a few highs points.

The premise of My Dear Marie doesn't necessarily sound appealing to those who feel the concept of a loser with a magical girlfriend, or worse yet a harem of interesting girls, has been well over played, but this series, at least in its anime incarnation, finds a nice way of side stepping the expected.

Hiroshi Karigari is a gawky, bespeckled student who has a friendly relationship with the girl of his dreams, tennis ace Marie, but thanks to his awkwardness he hasn't been able to advance the relationship. His solution to re-create Marie as an android, and doppelganger Marie, also named Marie, who likes exactly like her model, except for pink rather than blue hair, and a few measurement inaccuracies.

The creepy stalking/obsession aspects are quickly exhausted. Android Marie's personality, and her relationship with Hiroshi is where the premise starts making some interesting swerves. Android Marie is literally a self starter who kind of just takes her existence in strides. She isn't enamored with being a copy, but she has accepts being a robot and explores the nature of her existence with a happy disposition. In an amazing feat of Freudian compartmentalization, Hiroshi continues to pursue human Marie, but his relationship with android Marie is heavily protective older brother, with aspect of a benevolent creator, and in instances where her working are addressed, a mechanics objective and pragmatic view in fixing the often in the nude Marie.

The OAV follows the Best Of adaptation scheme of similar series, providing three enjoyable stories but not the complete arc generally expected in an. An introductory episode quickly leads to a meeting between the Marie's and Android Marie's Job-ian journey to rendezvous with a first date between Hiroshi and the human Marie. The episode has fun with the level of disbelief that the series casually asks for, and cements android Marie as a sympathetic character. Hiroshi is far from as annoying as others of his archetype, but the series more asks for him to be indulged than welcomed. Human Marie and Hiroshi's male friend are situational place holders. They have some personality, but nothing not enough of the presence to establish them.

In the second episode, a violent entrepreneur falls for Hiroshi, who has gets blackmailed into a date and has some interesting experiences with screwdriver (the drink, called a "screwdriver" in Japanese). It's a fun exercise in the case of an interesting woman who inexplicably (or in this case, eventually explicably) falls for the loser hero with pleasant decisiveness on the parts of android Marie and Hiroshi.

The collection ends with a rather good dream episode, not overly pleased by its vision of metaphysics or caught up in loud bursts of surrealness. It is an engaging look at the character's personality composition without disappearing too far down the "what is a human" hole.

Character design is a distinctive feature of My Dear Marie, namely in the character's monkey ears, which service to keep the tone a bit lighter and more comedic. The characters' wealth in the series is an odd, uncommented upon feature in the look of the anime. Even the hard up character has a pretty comfortable apartment.

My Dear Marie is exactly a feminist parable, but more balanced than most harem or magic girlfriend anime. It serves as a good antidote to Love Hina and the like. For those who saw the series in the VHS days is it a fondly remembered series, and now in its re-release, its charming character bear out how fun it remains.

Manga Spotlight: Until the Full Moon Volume 1 By Sanami Matoh

Released by Broccoli Books

Yaoi is an exceedingly strangely founded genre that, if done well, can be fun beyond its directly targeted audience. The appeal of homosexual male romance for a female audience sounds very target specific, and in many it is, but there are also instances that use it as a launch point to have some fun with romance conventions.

Sanami Matoh, the creator of yaoi favorite Fake, Until the Full Moon is more soap opera than out right comedy, but it does more than wink at its contrivances. Cases like Until the Full Moon aren't laughing at homosexuals or homosexuality, but circumstances of relationship dramas.

The series follows the relationship between the sons of two well heeled supernatural families. David Vicent is a vampire. Marlo Vicent is David's childhood friend. Marlo's father is a vampire, his mother is a werewolf, and thanks to some odd genes from up his mother's family tree, on the full moon Marlo becomes a woman. To solve Marlo's affliction, David's doctor father suggest that Marlo and David wed. The two had always been very affectionate, so the suggestion is greeted with acceptance, and Marlo's mother is soon finding gowns for Marlo and planning the event.

Trouble soon besets the couple in the form of wake from David's past womanizing, Marlo's past relationships, and the perspective of a relationship after Marlo stops becoming a woman once a month. Marlo and David are both attractive bishonen (beautiful, feminine looking me, typically with lithe bodies and long hair). Both in design and personality, they firmly in the mold yaoi fans enjoy. The character's parents and contemporaries help to establish the series. Small details, like Marlo's mother's sunglasses to keep her from transforming into a wolf, his father in Ward Cleaver mode with pipe and newspaper, or his frazzled hippy-meets-Flashdance attired American ex-girlfriend give the series plenty to smirk at. It is exotic people reacting to exotic circumstances, taking larger than life character types, and hyper-inflates them to a degree where the series is only making occasionally passes at recognizable experience.

Manga Spotlight: Slayers - Super Explosive Demon Story Volume 6 By Hajime Kanzaka & Shoko Yoshinaka

Rekeased by CPM Manga

Beyond the explosive teen chick sorceress Lina Inverse who still holds the crown for anime's volatile warrior-esses, one of the achievements of the Slayers franchise is how it dealt with the problem of having to repeatedly create demon overlords to threaten existence. While the story line did hamstring the heroin's powers after she zapped the first all powerful demon king, but it also began an interesting cosmology with a mixture of mystery and appealing characters.

Super Explosive Demon Story beings to integrate the mysterious, perpetually smiling priest Xellos into the ensemble cast, now including sorceress Lina, her dim swordsman companion Gourry, the sour stone-chimera Zelgadis, justice obsessed spitfire sorceress Amelia, and her burly, similarly obsessed father Phil. The group begins to become involved with the politics of the demon world beyond the stock raise the dark lord plot.

Fans of Slayers lore will not see too much of a new perspective on the material, but there are several nice moments, including a depiction of Lina's older sister.

The volume is substantially more coherent that past entries in the manga. The detrimental factor in the manga incarnation of Slayers has been that the mad cap bounce is taken too far. Jumping for jumps from point to point, it has allowed little attachment to a scene.

Manga gets blamed making what has become known as "decompression" in American comics, stretching the story telling to spend more pages on a scenes. Think of the single confrontations that span multiple chapters. This works well in anthologies or graphic novel collections, but not on single issues.

Slayers story telling pace is more ultra compressed, or maybe just more similar to the pacing on American single issue comics.

Manga Spotlight : Geobreeders Volume 2 by Akihiro Ito

Released by CPM Manga

The world probably has a sufficient supply of blockbuster action spectacles, but Geobreeders take the institution of where it belong, undiluted, unpretentious action.

There is not much plot in Geobreeders to speak of; a point of view techie character, and surrounded by a group of cute personality dolls comprising a security firm that takes on eclectic cat spirits and maybe a shadow government. It's familiar in inconsequential enough to relegate the series to manga background noise if not for the series' jaw dropping action.

Each volume of the series contains at least one smash action gauntlet per volume. In the case of volume 2, it is The Great Battle of Ayagane Harbor, a confrontation that starts with a jetsky and speed boat exchanging volleys of fish and ends with an assault on a battleship.

Comics tend to be better as moments than progressions, you'll find far more good explosions than chases. Akihiro Ito gets away with a what you wouldn't expect in manga. He imaginatively chain event, catch the right highlight instances to leave the impression of blockbuster-beater escalation of feats.

Next Round of Miyazaki DVDs Delayed Again?

Numerous sources are indicating that Disney's next round of Studio Ghibli/Hayao Miyazaki DVD releases, set to include Porco Rosso, Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind, and My Neighbor Totoro have again been removed from Disney's release schedule. The DVDs have previously been scheduled for August 31 2004 and February 22 2005.

There is still no word on the set of Studio Ghibli movies directed by Isao Takahata, which included "Pom Poko", "My Neighbors the Yamadas" and "Only Yesterday". The set was initally scheduled for November 2004 when Porco Rosso, Nausicaa and Totoro were scheduled for August.

Cartoon Network Premieres

Cartoon Network will commence weekly episodes of Full Metal Panic and Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex starting Saturday November 6th between 12:00 and 1:00 am (technically Sunday). Episodes will be repeated Thursday between 12:30 and 1:30 AM (technically Friday).

The official site for Full Metal Panic has been updated with a new character page and English dub clips

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Domestic Theatrical Releases

Sony Picture has annoucned that Akira creator Katsuhiro Otomo's Steamboy will begin its theatrical run starting March 18th, 2005. The movie has received a PG-13 rating by the MPAA.

Anime News Network reports the new CGI movie based on Ghost in the Shell creator Masamune Shirow's Appleseed will begin its theatrical run in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, San Francisco, Philadelphia and Miami starting January 14th.

Casshern Licensed

Dreamworks has licensed the right to the live action version of cyborg action Casshern.

Live Action MPD Psycho Domestically Licensed

Anime Nation and Kung Fu Cinema point out that Takashi Miike's (Ichi the Killer) live action television adaptation of gruesome manga series MPD Psycho will be released domestically by Adness Home Video. The first volume is scheduled for release in February, with subsequent volumes in April and June.

New Full Metal Panic

Anime News Network reports Kadokowa Shoten has officially announced that a new Full Metal Panic! TV series, Full Metal Panic! The Second Raid, is to be produced. The series will once again be directed by Yasuhiro Takemoto, but is expected to be a serious adaptation of the two Full Metal Panic! Owaru Day By Day novels.

Anime Nation reports that Kadokawa Shoten also announced the following new series.

Trinity Blood, based on the novel series by the late Sunao Yoshida, will be produced by Gonzo Digimation. The series will be supervised by Tomohiro Hirata (Peacemaker Kurogane) and feature character designs by Atsuko Nakajima (Get Backers).

Shuffle, adapted from the popular adult anime computer game, will be animated by Studio Aslead.

New Viz Shojo Anthology?

Viz's web site is currently survaying visitors to their preferences for the name of potential new shojo (female demographics) manga anthology.

Viz has not confirmed the cancellation of their current anthology Animerica Extra, but the periodical is not listed among their January releases.

Winners of 9th Kobe Animation Award Announced

From Anime News Network

• Individual Award: Kenji Kamiyama (his works include Jin Roh, Blood: The Last Vampire and Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex)
• Special Award: Shigeru Watanabe (a lengthly career as producer from Akira, The Wings of Honneamise and Memories to Stand Alone Complex)
• Best work, Theatrical category: Innocence Ghost in the Shell
• Best work, TV category: "Hagane no Renkin Jutsushi" (Full Metal Alchemist)
• Best work, OVA category: "Jungle Wa Itsumo Hale Nochi Guu Final "
• Best work, Network category: "Skiijanpu Pea" (official English title: Ski Jumping Pairs)
• Radio Kansai award (theme song award): "Danzen! Futari wa Pretty Cure" (artist: Gojou Mayumi)

Hyperion to Publish Manga

ICV2 reports that Disney's publishing arm Hyperion has won a bidding war with Henry Holt and will publish manga created by Misako Takashima, who grew up in Japan but currently lives in Madison, Wisconsin. Takashima, whose first published effort was a 15-page story ("Rock'n Roll Love") in the British anthology Manga Mover (see "New Manga Anthology From England"), went to New York and made presentations to Marvel, Scholastic Books, Henry Holt, Hyperion Books and Nickelodeon. Both Holt and Hyperion were very interested and Hyperion ended up signing her to a multi-book contract.

Yu Yu Hakusho Pre-Priced

FUNimation has announced that starting November 2nd the first 7 volume story line of supernatural action anime Yu Yu Hakusho will be re-priced to $16.98 for DVD and $11.98 for VHS

Earthquakes Delays Pokemon

TV Tokyop has delayed a November 4th episode of Pokemon Advance Generation due to connections between its earth quake content, and a recent 6.1 magnitude earthquake in northern Japan.

Bandai to Release Zatch Bell Card Game

Bandai America has announced that it has licensed the card game based on anime/manga series Zatch Bell. The anime version of the series will be shown on Cartoon Network in 2005.

Anime Merchandise Previews

Figures.com's images from the Fall Toy Show 2004 include the following previews:

Playmantes (Speed Racer)

Toyamani (Chobits, InuYasha, Robotech, Voltron)

Yamato USA ( .Hack//Sign, Appleseed, Berserk, Bubblegum Crisis, Cutie Honey, Gergory Horror, Guilty Gear, Hellsing, Kenshin, Love Hina, ROD, Trigun)

New ImaginAsian Anime

Asian entertainment network ImaginAsian TV has announced that they have acquire the broadcast rights to Roujin Z, A Wind Named Amnesia, GoShogun: The Time Étranger , The Heroic Legend of Arslan, Venus Wars and They Were 11.

January Manga Premieres

The following manga titles, available for pre-order in specialty comic shops through Diamond Distributor's Previews catalogue commence in January 2005.

BOYCHILD PRODUCTIONS

MANGA MOVER #1 by Sakura Mizuki, Misako Rocks, & Tomoko Amemiya

Showcasing new Japanese manga to a Western audience! Mature Readers-level stories with an intelligent mainstream flavor. This first issue features a new story, seen for the first time anywhere, by Sakura Mizuki, artist of the popular Ringu series. Also Misako Rocks of The Onion newspaper, and Tomoko Amemiya in her English-language debut. 68pgs, B&W SRP: $5.99

Boychild Manga describes the new anthology as a showcase for new manga ka (creator) to a western audience. This will be a distinctive effort in comparison to many manga translations as most of these creators will be new and upcoming manga ka, who are unknown in the west.

The stories will be mature level, some with an intelligent mainstream flavour, others being more alternative in approach. The book is split into two sections, with two stories being read in western format from the front and two in Japanese format from the back - meeting in the middle. One of these Western format stories will normally be by non Japanese creators in a broadly manga style or influence.

COMICSONE.COM

Lunar Legend Tsukihiime Volume 1 Tp by Type-Moon & Shyonen Sasaki

A life threatening accident leaves young Shiki Tohno with an incredible ability and a deadly impulse. Upon awakening from in his hospital bed, Shiki Tohno begins to see lines on people objects and even himself. Theses lines allow him to cut through an object like a hot knife through butter. With the urge to slice and dice any and everything, and vampires running amuck - Shiki Tohno' life just got whole lot "messier."

Pretty Maniacs Volume 1 Tp by Shinsuke Kurihashi

The final volume of Maniac Road has come and gone, but author Kurihashi delves deeper into the otaku crazed world of fandom with Pretty Maniacs! Hoping to further the manga/anime craze, Takezou sets up and sister shop in the U.S. Watch as this new zany bunch of cute otaku girls match wits with other fans in this humorous and off beat romp through the world of Japanese fandom.

CPM MANGA

SLAYERS PREMIUM VOLUME 1 GN by Hajime Kanzaka & Tommy Ohtsuka

All Lina and Gourry want is to enjoy a delicious seafood dinner at a world-famous seaside restaurant, but when Lina offers to rid the townsfolk of a vicious sea monster, you can bet that her actions will be far more destructive than the actual monster!

SWORD OF SHIBITO VOLUME 1 GN by Hideyuki Kikuchi & Missile Kakurai

In the hidden bowels of a strange castle where it's rumored that demons reside, the Saezuki family performs a forbidden rite when they attempt to bind a living soul into the cold flesh of a sewn-together corpse. From eternal sleep, Shibito returns!

TOKYOPOP

ALICHINO GN by Kouyu Shurei

Beautiful creatures called "Alichino" grant any wish to thos in need - but at a price! A young lady searching for an Alichino wants to bring her brother back to life. She meets a man who has a mysterious connection with the rare creatures that brings him and those around him grave danger! SC, 5x7, 192pgs, B&W (1 of 3)

GUNDAM SEED: ASTRAY R GN by Hajime Yatate, Yoshiyuki Tomino, Tomohiro Chiba, & Yasunari Toda

The year is Cosmic Era 70. The world is a dangerous place, and the universe has been taken over by thieves and pirates. Lowe Gear, a brilliant junk-tech mechanic, discovers a top-secret Mobile Suit in the midst of space debris. This mysterious Mobile Suit seems to have been at the top of everyone's holiday shopping list - and now everyone is after Lowe! SC, 5x7, 192pgs, B&W (1 of 3)

LILING PO GN by Ako Yutenji

Master thief Liling Po has finally been captured! However, the government gives him a second chance and proposes to release him, if he "retrieves" some special items for them. Liling Po must work with two agents to test his skills as he travels to recover mysterious treasures that can grant wishes when all assembled. SC, 5x7, 192pgs, B&W (1 of 7)

Viz

YU GI OH: DUELIST VOLUME 1 TP by Kazuki Takahashi

Duel Monsters is the world's most popular collectible card game-but to Yugi Mutou, whose body contains the spirit of the world's greatest gamer, it may be the most dangerous game he's ever played! A mysterious videotape sends Yugi and his friends to Duelist Kingdom, the island home of super-rich American game designer Maximillion Pegasus. There, Yugi must compete with the world's greatest Duel Monsters players for the honor of fighting the man who made the game!

NO NEED FOR TENCHI VOLUME 1 2ND EDITION TP by Hitoshi Okuda

First Time in Previews! Previously offered in Previews Update #641.The trouble and fun all began when ordinary teenager Tenchi Musaki inadvertently released the legendary demon Ryoko from his grandfather's shrine. It turned out Ryoko was actually a marooned space pirate! Since then, she's become Tenchi's unwanted houseguest, attracting a host of other troublemaking alien women: Ayeka, a haughty alien princess; Sasami, her mischievous little sister; and Washu, Ryoko's mad-scientist "mother." Add Ryo-Oh-Ki, an adorable little carrot-eating spaceship, and you've got one full Shinto shrine!

WOLF'S RAIN VOLUME 1 GN by Toshitsugo Iida

First Time in Previews ! Previoulsly offered in Previews Update #641.Four wolves on the run from mankind answer the highest, most dire calling - they seek the legendary Paradise. From the creators of Cowboy Bebop and Escaflowne comes this new manga take on the hit suspense anime Wolf's Rain. Humans thought the wolves died off two centuries ago in this bleak post-apocalyptic wasteland. But some survivors lurk among the humans by mentally cloaking their animal bodies. One white wolf, Kiba, scours the land for the scent of the Lunar Flower that will lead them all to Paradise.

Canadian Arrested in Japan for Anime Pirating

According to Anime News Network, a 24-year Canadian citizen living in Japan has been arrested for DVD piracy by selling bootlegs of Gundam SEED DVDs on Yahoo auctions.

Tai Seng Releases Condor Hero

Tai Seng has announced the release of the first volume of Hong Kong TVB and Nippon Animation's anime adpation of Louis Cha's classic Kung-Fu nove Legend of the Condor Hero. The 26 episide serues will released across 7 volumes.

Upcoming Broccoli Releases

Broccoli Books will be releasing Leave it to Piyoko Volume 1 December 18th and 2005 calendars based on Aquarian Age, Juvenile Orion in November

Based on the fan-favorite comedy series Di Gi Charat, Di Gi Charat Theater - Leave it to Piyoko is a two-volume series that focuses on the lovable DGC villains Piyoko and her Black Gema Gema Gang, and the obstacles they face as they attempt to carry out their nefarious plans to kidnap Dejiko and hold her for ransom.

An animated OVA series of the same name comprised of 8 episodes will also be released by Synch-Point next year.

Anime Game News

From The Magic Box

Bandai announced a new PS2 title called SteamBoy, which is based on the movie of the same name in Japan.

Images of Dragon Ball Advence Adventure, with the story from the original Dragon Ball can be seen here. The game will be released in Japan on December 18th.

Nintendo has revealed some additional characters in its Nintendo DS dream match fighting game Jump Super Stars. The game now includes Goku, Gohan, Vegeta from DragonBall Z; Luffy, Zorro from One Piece; Naruto and Sasuke from Naruto.

New images of Dragon Ball Z fighting game Budokai 3, to be released domestically in November, can be seen here.

Screen shots of Bandai's PS2 detective adventure game Detective Conan: Legacy of the Great Empire can be seen here

TOKYOPOP Appoints Jim De Vico Director Of Operations

TOKYOPOP Inc has announced that Jim De Vico has been named Director of Operations. Jim will oversee the company's Human Resources, Information Systems and Administration team. With an impressive background that includes posts at Saronyx, Inc, 1-800-Dentist and Systems Development Corporation, De Vico offers TOKYOPOP a wealth of leadership and operational expertise.

Stone Bridge Press Announces Spring 2005 List

Stone Bridge Press will be releasing the following books in Spring 2005:

Stray Dogs & Lone Wolves: The Samurai Film Handbook

Finally, a readable book about the ever-popular genre of samurai film! "Stray Dogs & Lone Wolves" provides essential background on the samurai warrior in Japanese culture to help explain what makes these tales of loyalty, revenge, and explosive swordsmanship so watchable. Covering top directors and stars, this guide has over 50 original reviews of a wide variety of films, from classics such as Oscar-winning Samurai Trilogy and Yojimbo (remade five times including A Fistful of Dollars) to influential films such as Lady Snowblood, plus newly released hits such as Takeshi Kitano's Zatoichi. With American directors such as Tarantino increasingly influenced by Japanese films, this book is as much a guide to style as it is a solid film reference. Available in May 2005, $19.95, Paper, 7"x9", 240 pages, 40 b&w photographs,

jrock, ink.: a concise report on 40 of the biggest acts in japan

The growth of anime and new radio stations has spurred fan interest in Japanese music. Unlike its sweet-confection sister J-pop, Jrock is edgy, all about talent, and filled with dazzling musicality. This book introduces 40 of the hottest names in Jrock with histories, musical pedigrees, critiques, and up-to-date discographies, all in a stunning full-color package highlighted by original art. Among the more familiar artists featured are Shonen Knife, B'z, Love Psychedelico, L'Arc~en~Ciel, and Gackt plus Japan favorites like X Japan, Glay, and Luna Sea. Many of these bands have toured and released CDs in North America, and are known for their work on anime and movie soundtracks. Available in June 2005, $18.95, Paper, 8"x8", 128 pages, 50 color illustrations

The Anime Companion 2: More What's What in Japanese Animation?

This long-awaited "companion" volume boasts over 500 all-new glossary-style entries to help you decipher anime's distinctive content, images, and cultural motifs. Ranging from Aikido to Zero fighters (with Japanese Mountain Vegetables in between), Gilles Poitras covers the minutiae of anime in fascinating detail, including illustrations, anime images, film citations, and numerous references to the related art of manga. More than a guide, "The Anime Companion 2" is a pop survey of Japanese art, kitsch, history, food, and daily life. Now with entries in kanji (Japanese writing) and English, "The Anime Companion" remains the best friend an otaku (anime fan) ever had, and a fun way for the non-otaku to learn about Japan. Available in June 2005, $18.95, Paper, 7"x9", 176 pages, 50 B&W illustrations