Anime Preview: Salaryman Kintaro
Volume 1

to be released by ArtsmagicDVD

Featuring a hero worth rooting for, and a scheme of interesting corporate politics Salaryman Kintaro overcomes low end animation and a plot that can be predictable (it's right out of Even a Monkey Can Draw Manga's lecture on salaryman manga).

The salaryman genre capitalizes on wish fulfillment for the work force, viewing office life as quest. With a corporate nobody being able to assert himself with total authority, and overcome huge job-based obstacles Salaryman Kintaro is a super hero for the over worked and under-appreciated. Consequently, it features more for twenty somethings than anime's more frequent teen appeal works. It's not directly parodying or deconstructing office work. In the case of Kintaro, the story of an outsider battling up the corporate latter is magnified by making the outsider the former chief of 10,000 member biker gang (there's a touching asterix to this figure that gets explained over the course of the first volume).

The tropes of the salaryman genre have been appropriated for other audiences and are more familiar to North American viewers in series like GTO. While these more youth oriented descendant works have made it into anime, and been quiet popular, there haven't been many anime adaptations of the original, older audience, manga genre (more often appearing as live action movies or TV dramas).

In tribute to his dead wife, Kintaro raises his infant son by giving up a position of renown as the head of an enormous biker gang and beginning to work his way up the white collar world by taking a job in the cooperate office of a construction firm. In a characteristically unconventional prelude, on the night before fate has him rescuing a group of businessmen from the thugs they stumbled into, such that the next day, not only is his arrival greeted by some former associates who got into their gang clothes for the occasion, but he's dropped off by a police officer who took him into custody after the scuffle.

Kintaro initially tackles corporate life like someone who's heard about the concept,but who's understanding is limited to its twisted second half depictions. He puts on a suit, but he also puts on a hachimaki headband, and ties his son to his back. On the job, he puts his feet on his desk and begins carving the points on pencils (actually part of his job, they're to be used by the firm's architects). Of course he soon begins butting heads with entrenched corporate officers who don't receive the right deference from Kintaro, and of course the people who he saved the prior evening work for the same company, and help Kintaro with the right introductions. But, some of the confrontations lead to interesting conclusions. Not everyone he initially confronts is a heel, and Kintaro finds that he was lacking in his initial approach to corporate life. He also finds battle lines in the company with the president and his allies trying to take the business in one direction, the founder losing power, and some of the younger, more independent thinkers expressing unhappiness with the company's direction.

In the post boom economic era, there is an irony in these salaryman stories, as if they haven't completely reconciled their stance on corporate dominated culture. Though they celebrate bringing in other, more personal values in tradition about corporate world, they walk an odd line between affirming and rejecting the life style. On one hand Kintaro doesn't become a trailer blazing entrepreneur. He begins working his way through the system, and at that, buying into the holistic corporate life approach of making his coworkers his out of office social circle. In a number of ways, Kintaro is fixing the institution, not changing or breaking it. He brings in the qualities of good leaderships, and tries to take things back to their pre-corruption days. On the other hand, given Kintaro's background and that the company president and his cronies are ex-government officials there is a bit of counter-culture to the conflict.

Despite popularity of other incarnations of Salaryman Kintaro in other media, the anime isn't an example of high production value. The series aired on Japanese TV in 2001, and the change to digital animation didn't help the simplistic designs. The storytelling works, and its able to support character emotion, but the look is dull, and aesthetically unappealing.

The novelty of Kintaro has been dampened by GTO in particular, but there is some worth while entertainment in an endearing hero telling corporate institution to clean up its act in its treatment of its employees.

Anime Spotlight: The Galaxy Railways
Station.1 Ahead Full!

Released by FUNimation

Galaxy Railways is another Matsumoto-verse dialogue on existential seeking set within a truly operatic space opera. It's a universe is governed by concepts and intentions rather than physics, chemistry or other other sciences. At this point in his legendary career, Leiji Matsumoto's (Star Blazers/Battleship Yamato, Captain Herlock) involvement tends to be limited to a high level (and frequent implementor Rintaro isn't involved with this project), but the brand value of his name is a license for a mix of wild possibility and terrible burden: titanic movements of tragedy, high melodrama, and imagery in which power trumps logic. A Matsumoto hero with a gun and an iron will can stare down fleets, or unfurl sails and banners and fly through space.

Much of what makes Matsumoto unique is present in the Galaxy Railways, which helps to make the series intriguing, but is also tempered with more familiar episodic hero stories. While still hardened by determination, unlike most of the stories build out Matsumoto's reaction to post World War II devastation, Galaxy Railways is less single minded in that is focused on a calling (to maintain the connected network of the titular railways) than achieving a specific goal (save a society, defeat an enemy, quest for something). The hero is steeled, but climbing rather than burning. He's a young man who feels and acts immortal despite undertaking a mission that seems certain to kill him. This look more like youth than Matsumoto's pillars standing refusing to succumb to sees of maddening despair, but it is a potentially interesting variant.

Galaxy Railways finds a place in Matsumoto's fragmented space opera lineage (overlapping characters, but not a tight continuity) through the younger brother of Kei Yuuki, the girl from Space Pirate Captain Herlock's crew (and the Emeraldas replacement in the recent late career OAV released by Geneon), and the interplanetary trains introduced in Galaxy Express 999. So, rather than space fairing galleys, zeppelins or World War II battleships, Galaxy Railways features locomotive trains traveling space, complete with tracks, whistles, and depots. There are a number of designs at work, but mostly with elements of the classic geared steam models.

The series looks at fate through the lens of the Space Defense Force (SDF) who protect the passengers on the Galaxy Railways, sent on missions by a strange woman named Layla Destiny Shura, who sheds tears as she sends men to their deaths in the line of duty. The first episode outlines the trail ofthr Yuuki family (minus Kei). Manabu Yuuki drags his older brother Mamoru onto the SDF's elite Big One to see their renowned father at work. The journey soon turns dangerous. Fending off astroids and a ship coming out of a hole in space to attack a train, their father sacrifices himself to protect his charge. As they return home, Mamuro takes his father's gun, and dedicates his life to the SDF. In the episode's epilogue, the younger brother Manabu learns that Mamuro has died in service fighting for the Space Panzer Grenadiers special forces.

In the second episode enforces the likely end of Yuuki men who join the SDF. Manabu breaks his mother's heart by following that path that killed his father and brother by joining the SDF. In a twist of fate, on the way to the SDF home base, the train he's traveling on falls into a time warp, taking him to the battle that served as his brother's last stand.

The roadmap of deaths of the father and brother take the place of a personality as the series' compass, with a glimpse of Destiny the closest thing to a demigod of the caliber of Herlock, Emeraldas, Toshiro, or Maetel. With a full length 26 episode TV series to work with, Galaxy Railways has plenty of time to develop, but so far it has conveyed a smaller scale than many Leiji Matsumoto works. Even the design is more human, less stylized than most Matsumoto based design (though it does have many of his standards represented, including a few potato people).

It does occationally sound grandiose with comments like "the universe, home to all life on the physical plane", but Manabu's journey works on a more recognizable scale. Working within an operating unit of almost peers rather than legends, Manabu has a more obtainable role to emulate. He's working with captain who a companion of his father, and there's also a good natured guy on the team who has a bit of a senpei relationship, but there's also a young woman who he shares a antagonism that is sure to eventually romantic, and a veteran with an immediate and vocal dislike of Manabu (for some good reasons, ie, Manabu carries an old, non-fuctioning gun that belong to his father in lie of the standard issue, which can't be comfortable for team mates reader to go into potentially lethal confrontations).

Watching Galaxy Railways is perfect example of how English dub scripts differ from many subtitle translations, and why many object to dubtitles, which use the less literal dub script for the subtitle track. Playing the English dub on the DVD with the subtitles enabled starkly illustrates that the dub is often less subtle and more confrontational, as if to ensure that the point of a scene was conveyed without the aid of visual clues. It's more different than poor and the dub tells a fine story on its own, but for some scenes, it's almost as if it were invented by watching the animation rather than translating the dialog.

Anime Spotlight: Patlabor: The Mobile Police
The original series DVD Collection

Released by Central Park Media

The seven episode original Patlabor series offers a blue print of the fascinating career of director Mamoru Oshii, serving as a compromise between his lighter TV work of Urusei Yatsura (TV), his interests in police versus counter culture revolutionaries from the panzer corps/Jin-Roh world, and his interest in the implications of technology from Ghost In The Shell. For the series, Oshii is accompanied by the impressive talent of the HEADGEAR team, several of whom went along to cooberate again on the Ghost in the Shell movies, including Kazunori Ito (script), Kenji Kawai (music) and Hiromasa Ogura (art director, also of Dead Leaves, FLCL, Ninja Scroll and Wings of Honneamise), with the team rounded out with the illustrious talents of mechanical designer Yutaka Izubuchi (Gasaraki, RahXephon, Char's Counter Attacked, Gundam Wing), and character designer Akemi Takada (Kimagure Orange Road, Maison Ikkuku).

The series, about police officers using large humanoid robots in their work, does not completely hold to hard sci-fi and sociology, but integrates intention to think about it. It tries to determine what the use would of police robots would be. It find particularly spectacular uses of for giant robots, and consequently the chief purpose of the fragile, constantly maintained machines seems to be moving large weapons and blocking access.

Their pilots are similarly kept on a more reasonable scale. The series look more at the work of imperfect people than grand efforts. Even the efforts of the greatest minds it depicted just dent society. Oshii's interests in the parallel worlds of those who work to keep society moving, and those working to change are kept at a light level. Social commentary is tempered by immature and starkly average characters who only half get the significance of what's happening. The character aren't that young, especially by anime standards. Faced with brushes with high magnitude political conflicts or someone going out of their way to drive home the implications of something, they reflectively spring back to the kinds of interests that drive most people, worrying about family tension or fascinations with the trappings of their occupation (in this case, maybe guns or giant robots).

The major new technology of Patlabor is industrial sized robots, generally used for construction, and knows as labors. It is debatable as to whether they are a revolution like cars, or even the internet, but they've but instrumental in undertaking major building initiatives.

The criminal use of the machines is enough that a small, but specialized policed for is dedicated to combat the problem. Beyond the opportunist criminals, and unique cases, the boogie-man labor threat is eco-terrorists protesting the Babylon Project, an initiative to reclaim land lost by global warming by filling part of Tokyo bay. In order to order to deal with labor related crimes, the police formed the Special Vehicles Division (SVD) who work with enforcement designed labors. With labor crime being significant, but not rampant, the SVD teams aren't staffed with elites, and under the lazy gaze of laconic, dry witted Goto (an expert whisper manipulator, Goto us one of the more exceptional characters), it probably wouldn't be too false to say that the bureaucracy wants patlabor teams ready, but out of the way and to call the second devision the B team (though as the anime opens, they're receiving the good new model patlabors).

The SVD teams, organized into a system of pilots paired with support partners, along with a larger team of technicians to maintained the often damaged Patlabors, are more on the level of people who would stick out in an office than general anime oddness.

Given the use of the patlabors and that the series tries to capture an element of realism, it is a bit slower than many mecha slows. Being something of a procedural, the show firmly adheres to the procedure of waiting: waiting for a case, waiting criminals to make their move, waiting to try to catch the criminals. These scenes allow the characters to reveal themselves, though it doesn't go overboard using the character to spice them up.

The culmination, in that's a two-part story, and featuring a serious threat, sort of pits the SV2 against a military coup, puts the characters on a national stage, but the OAV never redeems them as more than half baked (other than Goto and the Hawaiian exchange member Clancy Kanuka, who's kindof a super-cop)

Despite the departure from the standards, Patlabor does show an affection for genre. The characters share the creators interesting. A character whose dying for the opportunity to fire a gun seems to be a parodied aspect of Oshii's own interest. Other characters show a relationship to giant robot anime that an aerospace worker may have to Star Trek. Headgear even dedicates an entire episode to monster movie parody, great reference to the original oxygen destroyer.

At times aesthetic feels a little dated. From the cheerful opening song to the character design, it is a distictly late 80's looking work. But the kind of scenes and camera work that Oshii would dazzle views with in Ghost in the Shell are also in evidence. His fish eye lense makes an appearence, as does his mind for stategy eye for moving through city streets, and road tactics, with the kind of high way chases and road blocks that he later expounded upon.

Manga Spotlight: Zatch Bell!
By Makoto Raiku

Released by Viz

Zatch Bell is a video game/Yu-Gi-Oh or Pokemon type series made infinitely more enjoyable by featuring a smarmy genius having his mini, hyper active companion spit lightning at his adversaries. For a series of this model, it nicely is less concerned with its sense of precise mechanics of strategy and acquisition, and more possessing of an infectious sense of action.

Zatch Bell is instantly recognizable as Zatch Bell thanks to the impressive saucer eyes Raiku sprinkles through his characters. Not for every one, but to show innocence, and in some cases complete malevolence. In the larger scheme of the illustration, Raiku succeeds in balancing cuteness with attitude. He also conveys an animated or game sense of motion with well applied speed lines. With the all the yelling and action, the series is rarely static.

Compared to similar series, Zatch provides,a more interesting journey of virtue with a lead who is a little older, definitely more dispassionate and a different kind of reluctant hero. Kiyo's a junior high student who has pretty much given up on school. He's a non-book worm genius who is alienated and bored thanks his well above grade level intellect. Even the imploring of his mother, and a girl he's tutored (a space case who's founded the fruits fanclub) can't convince him to commit to school. Kiyo's traveling archeologist father sends him Zatch, a thigh heigh boy,cloaked with saucer eyes that have trailing groves running down his face along with a red book, in hopes that the loud, active creature will provoke Kiyo's out of his funk. Kiyo accidentally discovers that speaking a magic word will cause zatch to spit lightning, and after a few bully encounters, he begin to meets people teamed with beings similar to Zatch. By the end of the volume, Kiyo finds out that Zatch is a Mamodo from another, invisible world. The Mamodos are on the human world to develop their powers and fight for the role of king and if their book is burned, they vanish from the world.

As noted on the indicator page, the series has been edited with &some scenes of nudity and violence modified from the original Japanese edition.& It isn't flear what violence was taken out (unless it was some blood), but its very evident take boxers were drawn on Zatch when he's running around in the early goings. They're not content altering changes to the degree that Tenjho Tenge's were, or even enough to damage a point in the series, like some of the coverings in Shaman King. Still, the the alterations could have put in more seemlessly.

Anime Spotlight: New Getter Robo Volume 2

Released by Geneon

The new revival of Go Nagai's early combining mecha show continues to work brutal giant robots and Japanese legends into an amusingly dark and ugly conflict. The anime riffs off the idea of the dark update of a fondly remembered, simple concept, but instead of becoming depressing, it goes manic. A thick, almost cell shaded look helps to keep the action cartoonish rather than dire. When the "hero" Ryomi goes after the hordes of oni (ogres) with a set of axes, you almost feel bad for the chopped up beasties.

While the series seems to have used its best ideas for giant machine versus monster havoc in the early episodes, the torrent of insane ideas have continues as the series has progress.

New Getter Robo emphasises that the pilots of Go Nagai and Ken Ishikawa's creation, despite bearing the names of legendary heros, might not have been pleasant people. In this incarnation, the pilots of the three planes capable of linking into three different giant robots depending on which ship is the head, torso or legs are an anti social (in the real psychological definition) martial artist, a sadistic terrorist mastermind and a monk trained savage. The giant robots itself, with horn like protrusion, glowing eyes, and axes has a sharply demonic look, and its blocky, disheveled creator distinctively looks like a mad scientist (his graveyard full of Getter-radiating glowing defeated mecha wouldn't go much for his public image).

A cast of people who could handle a bad situation rather than good guys was making the series pretty interesting, but the second volumes takes the unique sensibilities to the next level. After some instigation from Getter Robo's creator ("you're not brave enough to follow the enemies to their lair"), the pilots find themselves scattered in a corrupt version of the imperial Heian period where legendary heros of the time like Tsuna Watanabe and Raikou Minamoto have built themselves airships and takes to fight off legions of oni monsters under the control of onmyouji/yin-yang master Abe Seimei (Raikou's retinue may be familiar from Otogi Zoshi, Seimei is also in Otogi Zoshi, but also all over Japanese fiction and anime, maybe most notably of late from Magical Shopping Arcade Abenobashi)

Evangelion Air Date

Anime News Network reports Cartoon Network will begin airing Neon Genesis Evangelion on their Adult Swim Block starting October 20th, at 12:30 a.m. The next set of new Full Metal Alchemist episodes will start September 17th at midnight.

Hollywood Voltron Movie

According to the Hollywood Reporters Voltron, the renamed Go-Lian localization about give robot lions that combine into a giant robot, will be adapted for a North American movie from producer Mark Gordon music producer Pharrell Williams, World Events Productions and producers Mark Costa and Ford Oelman.

Production IG Site Updates

AnimeNation points out Production IG has added English language pages for the Tsubasa Chronicle motion picture, xxxHOLiC motion picture, and the IGPX television series.

xxxHOLiC and Tsubasa Chronicle are CLAMP's recent linked genre remix series. xxxHOLiC is a stylish horror anthology with a boy who can see spirits running errands for an elegant, wish granting witch. Tsubasa Chronicle is a quest adventure with alternate versions of CardCaptor Sakura's heros. A trailer for xxxHOLic is online here
Production IG has an English language interview with Tsubasa Chronicle movie producer Tetsuya Nakatake here.

A trailer for IGPX, the racing mecha series co-produced with Bandai and Cartoon Network can be seen here

Naruto in Canada

Zannen, Canada reports Naruto will be airing on Canada's YTV.

5 Mitsukazu Mihara Manga at TOKYOPOP

Anime News Network reports TOKYOPOP has confirmed that they will be releasing Mitsukazu Mihara's R.I.P. - Requiem in Phonybrian, Haunted House, Beautiful People, Shigeshoshi and IC In A Sunflower.

Haunted House, Beautiful People, Shigeshoshi and R.I.P. are due to be released in the third quarter of 2006, while IC In A Sunflower is due out in early 2007.

Sukisho Sub Only

AnimeNewsNetwork has learned that Media Blasters will be releasing upcoming shonen ai series Sukisho without an English language dub (but with English subtitles).

The series follows a student with lost memory who falls in love with his new roommate.

Ninja Scroll Collection Price Drop

Urban Vision has announced that the price of their upcoming collected release of the Ninja Scroll TV series has been dropped to $59.95 for the limited edition and $44.95 for the standard edition.

Comic License News

Fans of American comics based on licensed properties should check out this week's Lying in the Gutters comic rumor column, including Devil's Due's upcoming GI Joe's Sigma Six, UDON's upcoming Rival Schools and new Street Fighter, and the state of Dreamwave's Transformers.

DBZ Game Screens

The Magic Box has screenshots of Banpresto's arcade toon-shaded fighting game Chou Dragon Ball Z here.

Banpresto announced there will be at least 12 playable characters in its System 246 arcade fighting game Chou DragonBall Z, the game will support memory card for game saves, and the final version may have as many characters as in the DragonBall Z series for PS2.

Piano 3 Release

The Right Stuf International will be releasing Piano: The Melody Of A Young Girl's Heart Dvd 3: Heartstrings on October 25th.

From director Tatsuo Sato (DIRECTOR: COMIC PARTY / ASST DIRECTOR: CASTLE IN THE SKY), with character designs by Kosuke Fujishima (OH MY GODDESS! /SAKURA WARS) and art direction by Junichi Higashi (MIDORI DAYS / AI YORI AOSHI: ENISHI TV)

Mind Game Buzz

Animation fans are continuing to show great love of Mind Game. The Fantasia Festival wrapped with Mind Game being awarded best film, best director (shared with Survive Style 5), best script and a special award for visual accomplishment.

FPS interviewed director Masaaki Yuasa here.

Cartoon Brew points out that animator Bill Plimpton commented on the feature here

A review can be read here.

Go!Comi Talks Site Launch

New manga publisher Go!Comi has formally announced the launch of their site, 3 weeks after it went online at www.gocomi.com.

Go!'s CEO, David Wise, explained: "First, I wanted us to stay clear of the July Fourth weekend and all the announcements coming out of Anime Expo. The second week, I wanted to wait until all of the Flash movies promoting our series were online. Then my astrologer told me that mid-July was an inauspicious time for making public announcements, so I stayed in my room all week. By now I was thinking maybe we shouldn't announce the site at all, since having an elite website only a few fans knew about might give Go!Comi the air of respectability we so desperately crave. But everyone else in the company threatened to quit, so here it is."

The website features information on Go!'s first four series: "Cantarella" by You Higuri, "Her Majesty's Dog" by Mick Takeuchi, "Crossroad" by Shioko Mizuki, and "Tenshi Ja Nai!! (I'm No Angel!)" by Takako Shigematsu, with character descriptions, background on the manga artists, and information on the first volumes.

In addition, the site features polls and contests. To celebrate the upcoming publication of "Cantarella," Go! will give away five autographed volumes of the original Japanese manga over the next five months - each personally signed by the series' creator, You Higuri. Contestants can enter daily on the website. The first contest, for an autographed Volume 1 of "Cantarella," ends July 31st. The volume 2 giveaway starts the next day.

Perhaps the most unique element of the site is the personal blogs of Editorial Director Jake Forbes and Creative Director Audry Taylor. "Not only will the blogs keep the fans up-to-date on the daily doings at Go!, but we also intend to pull the curtain back on the process of publishing manga," said Forbes. "We want to involve fans in an intimate way with our series and our methods of working." Added Taylor: "As we begin developing our original series, the blogs will give our readers first-hand access to the creative process." Currently, Taylor is running excerpts in her blog from the Go! Comi panel she hosted at Anime Expo, "Stop Imitating Manga and Become a Pro."

The website will shortly start adding 15-page previews of Go!'s series. The first manga preview will be online the in early August, with the remainder of the series to be added in the following weeks.

CEO Wise concluded by noting, "The Go! Comi website offers a variety of experiences unlike any other publisher's site. It's all part of our mission to involve fans more deeply in the total manga experience...with a three-week time lag."

Upcoming ADV Releases

9/6
Magical Shopping Arcade Abenobashi: Complete Collection
Yugo The Negotiator Pakistan 2: Honor (of 4)

9/13
Area 88: A Lonely Crossing Of Paths (volume 2 of 4)
Full Metal Panic? FUMOFFU: Full Metal Fervor! 3 (of 4)
Peacemaker: Decision (7 of 7)
Rune Soldier: Complete Collection

9/20
Azumanga Daioh: Class Album
Elfen Lied: Vector 3 (of 4)
GetBackers: Return To The Limitless Fortress (9 of 10)
Saiyuki Double Barrel Collection 5
Madlax: Elda Taluta (4 of 7)
Samurai Gun: High Caliber Entrapment (2 of 4)
Slayers Movie Box

Area 88
First broadcast on Japanese television a little over a year ago, Area 88 is based on the classic manga by Kaoru Shintani with a screenplay by Hiroshi Onogi (RahXephon, Macross Zero). It tells the story of Shin Kazama, an ace pilot on the verge of a comfortable life with a commercial airline. Tricked into joining a motley crew of mercenary fighter pilots, Shin?s only way out is to complete the three year term or pay $1.5 million to break the contract. Truly innovative animation and heart-pounding suspense transport you to a world where every breath could be your last. At Area 88, there?s no such thing as a normal day.

Azumanga Daioh
Azumanga Daioh is based on the hit manga by Kiyohiko Azuma (Yotsuba&!), a long-running newspaper strip collected for publication in the US by ADV Manga. Azuma?s winning style is distinguished by rare comic timing, a great eye for characterization, and a peculiar point of view that is all his own. Azumanga Daioh?s adaptation to the screen was produced by Genco (Serial Experiments Lain) and JC Staff (Excel Saga) and premiered in early 2002 in Japan.

The wait is finally over! Class is in session for the long-awaited comedy series Azumanga Daioh! Join charming Chiyo-chan, closet softie Sakaki, rambunctious Tomo, studious Yomi, bashful Kaorin, and oblivious Osaka as they brave instructors at the fringes of sanity, dodge murderous volleyballs, and grapple with unceasing homework, ultra-impossible quizzes, and an unrelenting case of hiccups that makes for some rather hilarious "cures!" And that?s just beginning! So crack open those books, copy those notes, and get ready for a serious lesson in laughter with Azumanga Daioh!

Azumanga Daioh: Class Album (SRP $69.98 DVD) is a five disc DVD release presented in both English 5.1 and Japanese 2.0 with English subtitles.

Elfen Lied
Lucy, a beautiful young mutant, is bred by the government to be the ultimate weapon. Armed with unfathomable powers, she escapes her handlers, but loses her memory in the process. Fortunately, our young waif is taken in by two well-meaning students. Now, with government killers on her trail, the disposition of a five year old, and a hair trigger for ultra-violence, Lucy and her young friends must unravel the dark secret of her legacy before it?s too late.

Elfen Lied showcases the beautiful character designs and mind-bending animation fans have come to expect from ADV Films. It?s the story line, however, featuring the dichotomy of a sweet young girl and blood-soaked violence, which has caught fans? attention. Provocative yet tantalizing, Elfen Lied is as entertaining as it is unsettling.

GetBackers
Get Backers, animated by the famous Studio Deen (King of Bandit Jing), is the story of Ginji Amano and Ban Midou, two chronically broke but supernaturally empowered youths who run a "recovery service." Their motto? "If it was taken, get it back."

Full Metal Panic? FUMOFFU
Full Metal Panic? FUMOFFU is only the latest face of the Full Metal franchise, which includes the original prose novel, two successful manga series, and the first hit anime series ADV Films brought to America in 2003. But whereas the first Full Metal Panic! anime series was a sci-fi drama with bits of comedy mixed in, this new series doesn?t even pretend to be serious! Featuring more explosions, more high school drama, and a batch of hilarious new characters, FUMOFFU really is a whole new Panic!

Madlax
Directed by Koichi Mashimo (Noir, .hack//sign, Sorcerer Hunters) and designed by the full Noir team of Satoshi Osawa, Minako Shiba, Satoko Miyachi and Kinji Teraoka, MADLAX was produced by animation powerhouses Bee Train (Noir, .hack//sign) and Victor Entertainment (Excel Saga, Ghost In the Shell: Stand Alone Complex, RahXephon).

CARROSSEA DOON - Only he understands where his loyalties lie. On the one hand, he is a highly secretive employee for Bookwald, the largest corporation in the world. On the other, he works in a clandestine manner for the mysterious Friday Monday. Carrossea is a chameleon. He weaves in and out and through not only the civil-war-torn Gazth-Sonika, but also some of the most powerful and influential minds on the planet. And he does it all because he is searching - searching for something of his own. But what that something is; only he knows for sure.

Magical Shopping Arcade Abenobashi: Complete Collection
Magical Shopping Arcade Abenobashi?s unique brand of excitement fuses thrilling action, slapstick comedy and a bit of family drama into uproariously clever parodies of anime, video games and any other pop culture target that stumbles into its crosshairs. An instant classic upon its release in 2003, Abenobashi was created by GAINAX, the mega-talented production studio that revolutionized the anime industry in the nineties with Neon Genesis Evangelion and the early 21st century with FLCL. The series was directed by Hiroyuki Yamaga (Neon Genesis Evangelion, Wings of Honneamise) and co-produced by Madhouse (Vampire Hunter D, Trigun, Ninja Scroll). SRP $49.98 DVD

Peacemaker: Decision
Known for its winning combination of elegant design, serious adventure, and sharp comedy, Peacemaker was produced by the acclaimed GONZO Digimation (Gantz, Chrono Crusade) with character designs by noted craftsman Akemi Hayashi (Fruits Basket). The series follows the career of 15-year old Tetsunosuke Ichimura, who joins the elite Shinsengumi swordsmen after his parents are murdered by Choshu rebels.

Rune Soldier
Rune Soldier was created by Ryo Mizuno, the mind behind the acclaimed Record of Lodoss War anime. It is an anime adventure tale combining fantasy, magic and epic quests in a hilarious, irreverent package. PLAY magazine described Rune Soldier as having "an excellent script and beautiful detail... a production that?s polished in every respect."

Armed with Merrill?s cunning, Genie?s strength, and Melissa?s prayers, this all female band has no trouble raiding ancient ruins-unless a magic seal blocks the way. As an investment, the girls decide to hire a magician. Any magician. But all the magicians prefer reading to raiding-except Louie. Swallowing their pride (and several pints), the girls take on the loud, brash novice. In return, the hapless Louie gives them all the adventure they can handle-and then some!

Rune Soldier: Complete Collection (SRP $39.98 DVD) is a six disk DVD-only release in both English 5.1 and Japanese 2.0 with English subtitles.

Saiyuki
Based on the original 16th-century Chinese novel Xiyouji by Wu Cheng-En, Saiyuki first began to take shape with an animated version of the tale in the late 1960s. The current incarnation features a colorful cast of characters based on the popular manga by Kazuya Minekura and features the production work of TV Tokyo (Noir), Dentsu Inc. (Final Fantasy Unlimited) and Studio Pierrot (The Super Milk-chan Show, Naruto).

Samurai Gun
Samurai Gun is a blood-drenched tour of the bakumatsu years, a turbulent time that ultimately brought an end to Japan?s feudal system. A special breed of samurai stands against the corrupt Shogunate, armed with superior strength, speed, agility... and guns! Morally ambiguous "heroes," razor sharp dialogue, and hair-trigger violence give Samurai Gun the feel of a taut Western. When one lone gunman takes on an army of samurai, they don?t stand a chance.

Based on the popular manga by Kazuhiro Kumagai, Samurai Gun was produced by Studio Egg and Avex, Inc. (Initial D) in association with ADV Films. It was first aired on Japanese television less than a year ago. The DVD series will include a never-before-seen 13th episode.

Slayers Movie Box
In the annals of fantasy there is no mage as feared, no sorcerer as powerful as the fiery redhead Lina Inverse. And when the exceptionally well-endowed Naga the Serpent accompanies her, the forces of evil will find there?s nowhere to hide. From Hajime Kanzaka, creator of Lost Universe.

The Slayers Movie Box contains 285 minutes of Slayers goodness, including not only Slayers: The Motion Picture, but also the standalone Slayers: Return, Slayers: Great, Slayers Gorgeous, and Slayers: Premium.
SRP $49.98 DVD

Yugo The Negotiator
Yugo the Negotiator is an anime tour of the world?s hot spots, where terrorism is hatched and kidnappings are commonplace. Our hero is not a dashing spy or unstoppable soldier, but a globe-trotting negotiator whose mastery of multiple languages, psychology, and iron will set him apart from all others in his trade.

Based upon the original manga by Shinji Makari and Shu Akana, Yugo the Negotiator breaks into a fresh new genre of anime by featuring a highly realistic storyline and setting. Sometimes, a strong wit and a sharp tongue are the deadliest weapons a soldier can wield.

More Twists in Viz Distribution

An Anime on DVD forum post points out that it has been announced that manga publisher Shueisha, one of the three owners of North American manga distributor Viz, has worked out an agreement with Viz Media to grant German manga distributor right of a number of Shueisha titles (include Shonen Jump titles Bleach, Death Note and Prince of Tennis) to TOKTOPOP.

Kenji Yasaka, general manager of Shueisha's international department comments, "Tokyopop GmbH's vision of the future of manga is to our liking. After discussion with our American subsidiary, Viz Media, we agreed that, based on Viz Media's overall strategy for the European market, further development of the German market and a strengthening of Shueisha's properties will be best achieved cooperating with Tokyopop GmbH.

Doreamon Trailer

TwitchFilm points that trailer for movie incarnation of the classic children's anime character Doreamon is online www.dora2006.com

Figure News

From Figures.com

Robotech: The New Generation's VFB-9 Beta Fighter from Toynami, to be released in 2006, can be seen here

Statues and busts of Hellsing from Yamato USA can be seen here

Yamato USA's Blade of the Immortal figures can be seen here

1/4 Scale North Star 200x from Kaiyodo can be seen here. Figures in the 16"+ series will include two version of Rei , two version of Kenshiro, and Raoh.

Full Metal Alchemist Movie Opens Third

Anime News Network reports that the during its opening week, the Full Metal Alchemist Movie ranked third in box office revenue behind Star Wars Episode III (in its third week), and Pocket Monster (Pokemon) Advance Generation: Mew to Hadou no Yuushia Lucario movie, in its second week.

Kristine Sa's reBIRTH and AnimeToonz3

Nemesis Records has announced that "Queen of As-Am Pop" Kristine Sa is releasing her new album reBIRTH - Return Of The Queen, and "AnimeToonz3: Kristine Sa" will be released from Jellybean and Sony in October.

Clips of her work can be heard at
1. Consequence mp3
2. Take Me Somewhere mp3
3. Just Drive mp3
4. Happy mp3

AnimeToonz3 will feature popular anime themes remixed by DJ Jinnai

Anime News Network points out that the first two AnimeToonz CDs featured anime music remixed by non-anime DJs and received mixed reviews from fans and the media/ For the third CD the producers at Jellybean contacted Nemesis Records to bring in a DJ with an anime background. DJ Jinnai has made a career out of remixing anime songs and was tapped to work on AnimeToonz3

A partial track listing includes
1. Inuyasha - "Every Heart" Japanese
2. Cowboy Bebop - "The Real Folk Blues"
3. Ranma 1/2 - "Jajauma Ni Sasenaide' [the Yapapa song]
4. Gundam - "Find The Way"
5. Urusei Yatsura - "Lum No Love Song"
6. Candy Candy - "Candy Candy"
7. Inuyasha - "Dearest"

Bastard MMORPG

Galaxy Anime reports Tecmo is developing a Japanese MMORPG (massively multiplayer online role playing game) based on popular heavy-metal influence fantasty manga Bastard!!

Anime Industry Outlook

AnimeNation points out Home Media Retailing magazine's July 17-23 issue includes an article titled "Anime Taking Some Punches" which includes startling facts about the American anime industry. Some quotes from the article include:

"Anime DVDs account for less than 7 percent of the releases in the market since the format's inception, according to The DVD Release Report."

"This year, only powerhouse Geneon is on target to release more titles than it did last year."

"'A title that cost $2,500 an episode a couple years ago would now cost $20,000 or $25,000 an episode,' said one industry head. That's pricing some companies out of the domestic anime business."

"'Now, when it gets to be a bidding war for a title, we can't compete,' said Tokyopop spokesman Matt Nixon."

"Perhaps the biggest problem anime companies are facing is the relative stagnant growth of the fan base." "'We need to reach out to more than just these core fans,' Bandai's Jerry Chu said."

"Nobody at Anime Expo predicted the demise of the domestic anime industry. But industry executives did predict more than one company will bow out of the business."

Ninin Ga Shinobuden Licensed

AnimeNewsNetwork reports Infinity Studios has announced that they have licensed the Ninin Ga Shinobuden manga and will be releasing the first volume in May 2006.

Ichigo 100% to End

MangaNews reports shonen romantic comedy Ichigo 100%. will be ending in August 15th's Shonen Jump issue 35.

Navarre Sued over FUNimation Acquisition

Navarre has been sued by share holders relating to its purchase of North American anime distributor FUNimation. The suit targets the value of FUNimation stock leading up to the purchase based on the progression of statements about the purchase of the company, and paricularly Navarre wildrawing from the acquisition before ultimately going through with the purchase. Anime News Network has a detailed rundown here