Manga Spotlight: Nodame Cantabile
by Tomoko Ninomiya
Volumes 1 and 2

Released by Del Rey

Nodame Cantabile, a manga about students of classical music, wouldn't be called experimental, but it is atypical work that stands out from the pack. The tone is reminiscent British situation comedy, Spaced for example, with the same mix of what's real and concrete and what's fanciful. Nodame Cantabile is frequently labeled a shoujo manga, but at times it seems as much like a shonen relationship comedy/drama driven by something other than hormones. It's for an older audience than most shoujo, though not quite josei. The characters are training for a profession. They have sex lives (off page). They engage in the minutia of life, cook, eating, cleaning.

The participants are artists, specifically music students, so they act like people with that passion and disposition (and they act like college students). There's an extraordinary spark and extra dimension to these people, especially compared to the relationship consumed protagonists of many like minded manga. Shinichi is a perfectionist who's driven to be a conductor. He doesn't like his fellow students. He doesn't like his instructors. No one lives up to his expectations and he's stuck continents away from the European school he thinks he should be at thanks to his mortal fear of travel. His neighbor is the opposite. Nodame is an artist of the living on inspiration school. She's a mooch and slob. She lives like she plays, following her gut instinct. Besides a passion for music, the only thing they have in common is the habit of reacting loudly and visibly to everything.

Classical music is both essential and irrelevant to the appeal of the manga. On one hand, it?s the best example since Hiraku No Go, about the stone and tile strategy game go, that with the right storytelling any topic can be captivating. That here, it?s the dynamic between characters that makes Nodame Cantabile an engrossing read. Shinichi and Nodame are the kind of couple whose conversations are worth making the effort to listen in on. Not that it?s a train wreck relationship, but one whose dynamic is always going to yield a noteworthy clash of mindsets.

Classical music matters because the title isn't just paying minimal service to the fact that it?s what its characters have dedicated their schooling and careers to. Rivalries, friendships and crushes are all structured by a generally plausible retinue of rehearsal, exams, performances and instructor input. These are people who have to work together in the morning. How they perform reflects their personalities in both apparent and subtle ways. They have real philosophies to their work and lives that makes them more interesting than participants in the average relationship Shoots and Ladders.

There are things that are difficult to capture in manga, the rapid shifts of direction and pacing of a chase scene for example. There are things that are impossible to capture in the medium, music for example. It?s probably more difficult to capture music in sequential arts that it is even in prose, because in prose there's available space to fill with description without effecting the narrative flow or content.

When Nodame Cantabile became a popular ,established title in Japan, this issue was addressed thanks to the phenomenon of image albums, sound tracks of music associated with or inspired by a work. Even works that already have soundtracks (movies, anime or games) may have image albums. The likelihood of the CD being released in North America is minimal at best, but it is a noteworthy testament to the series' draw.

Tomoko Ninomiya's illustration doesn't fall into typical way of stylizing characters. Frequently the alternate ways of differing from the norm have a jarring look that takes a little time after the first reaction to digest and appreciate. Ninomiya uses the minimal amount of lines to make the point. Its a little round, the characters look their age, and don't look doll like, but there's a cuteness. There's a fluid flow to the characters and panels, but if you dissect it, you'll note that in every panel, every character has an explicitly telling expression on their face. It's almost as if they're continually exchanging Greek dramatic masks.

The style helps to circumvent the limitations of telling a music intensive story in manga by pantomiming it. Plenty can be read from the expression of the characters: who's an exhibitionist, who's lost in the music, who's struggling to master a work, and who's playing it with precision. Even unnamed characters offer a window through their expressions while playing.

The volume features some interesting translation about that detail the decision behind some difficult to translated jokes, generally regarding phonetics.

Manga Spotlight: Eden: It's an Endless World
By Hiroki End
Volume 1

Released by Dark Horse

Eden is the type of work that begs time to establish itself before making an informed judgment. The first volume is certainly intriguing. From illustration to storytelling to ideas, all aspects are brilliantly executed through its morality plays and hints, but it?s also still laying groundwork for the direction that it will be taking. It starts off brutal and survival centric and engaging in its own right for those qualities. It's clearly going somewhere, but it seems to have only peeked out the window, and started towards the front door rather than really getting underway.

In some sense it?s reminiscent of Evangelion, it has young teens reenacting biblical roles, a breath of technology partially popping up like icebergs, events orchestrated by the character's parents. In another sense, it is reminiscent of the Akira manga. There's some sense of the ideas working behind the scenes, and it?s more than evident that it has something to offer, but exactly how its going to develop is a big question.

After the first volume, the series still is engaging in a process of unfolding. As it opens a boy and girl name Enoah or Ennoia and Hannah and a dying scientist act and to some degree presume that they are the only survivors of a plague that killed much of humanity, leaving ironically beautiful hardened shells. (The back-story invokes a number of factors that are uncomfortably close to modern events). Specifically, they're the survivors of the UN's attempt to deal with the plague. They discuss that group's desperate mix of brilliance, emotion and isolation. They garden and forage, they discuss religion and what it is supposed to be like at the end of the world. Ennoah finds a robot named Cherubim that was instrumental in the fate of the project. The things change for these survivors. Things didn't end they way they presumed. As that revolution is resolved, the narrative twists again, and launches into a new perspective on these events.

The characters movements through events work within a triad of knowledge, action and guilt. If not literally the spiritual struggle of the Bible and Gnostic teachings, it is seem from within those lenses. The scope is partially Judeo-Christian, but is also sci-fi informed or inspired by Gnostic ideas. So far, it?s been raising more discussions points than answerable questions. If you kill a bird then find that she was protecting a nest of chick do you 1) ignore them, 2) give them a quick death 3) take and raise them. What's the nature of sin? It especially seem incomplete because it feels like it is inching towards and hinting a a bigger or more explicit idea that the narrative will more thoroughly explore.

Manga Spotlight: Nana
Volume 1
by Ai Yazawa

Released by Viz

If you're going to start one new shojo manga, Nana should be the one. It captures the best of what the manga medium and the shojo genre have to offer, distinguished by masterful storytelling and a character driven plot without an obvious trajectory. From the pages of Viz's Shojo Beat anthology comes Ai Yazawa's (best known for fashion design manga Paradise Kiss) existential drama of two twenty year old women named Nana living distinct parallel lives. The volume takes the Nana's to a point where they realize that they're a distance away from the direction that they'd like to steer their lives as they pass out of their teen years.

The first Nana describes herself as the non descript child in a non descript family from a non descript town. Her life is comfortable, but she feels cursed in love. Her story opens by being brushed off by a young businessman, a cruelly brusque breakup that was preceded by an aborted affair with a young art teacher and a video store clerk and a restaurant chef and other people she never had the guts to approach. Nana isn't a complete idiot, but she ignores warning signs, doesn't address difficulties and she gets carried away with chasing the idea of a boyfriend rather than a specific relationship. She excuses herself from building connections, saying that she has a tough time making male friends. An honest friend introduces to a peer who she connects with but who is a bit more focused on attending art school than Nana with her flighty academic record.

The second Nana has never seen her father, doesn't remember her mother or where she was born. She was raised by a cold, critical grandmother (though that relationship is more complex than it sounded like at first introduction). Choices, hers and other's have had a harsh impact on her life, but, she's driven. She's the singer for a punk band and she's dating the group's up and coming star. Ultimately, she lacks confidence in whether what she's offering as a singer is enough or if there should be another way for her to contribute to those she cares about.

Both stories live up to the potential inherit in the phase of life it aims to capture. The characters are late teen/early twenty years old who act like people their age who have broken from parental/guardian supervision. There's a perfect scene of people drinking too much for the first time. There's also sex at times when it fits the characters right, and a frank view of ancillary matters like birth control.

Ai Yazawa's illustration offers a throw back to classic manga storytelling composition, but instills a modern look. It utilizes an expanded, bolder expressiveness like what was seen in the classic shoujo manga of the 70's, seamlessly going from traditional manga layouts, or more cinematic ones, to innovatively abstract and symbolic page illustrations without breaking the narrative. Still, nothing that looks like a show-off. She's content to put intricate design in small panels, as long as it is in service of the story. Fans familiar with Yazawa's earlier Paradise Kiss will be familiar with her skill at fashion design down to small details where small pieces like piercings, patterns on skirts are all taken care of.

One concern is that the dialog is generally natural and fluid, but it occasionally sounds forced and uncreative when it attempts to be colloquial. "Ladies and germs", "yo dude it's my life, you're not the boss of me" or "don't be talkin' that smack" stand out like catch phrases, but when the characters break them out, its almost as if the delivery is bad. It might be a case like a Joss When script, the needed inflection isn't always apparent from the flat page, but it?s certainly not clear from a default internal voice that it works.

Manga Spotlight: Cantarella
by You Higuri

Released by Go Comi

Cantarella starts with a promising high concept, brewing elements of yaoi (homosexual male romance), Berserk's ominous supernatural doom, and historical fiction reminiscent of the classic Rose of Versailles. It?s a mix of human and supernatural intrigue spun out of the infamy of the Borgia family and Italy?s political wrangling of tail end of the 15th century layered on a shojo/yaoi web of relationships. As the volume?s after-word points out, it is hard to separate history from the smear campaigns of the time, but the manga takes the family's notorious history for unscrupulous methods obtaining and maintaining power and lends it dark necessity.

Cantarella, named for the poison reputedly used by the Borgias, follows the fiction entangled life of Cesare, illegitimate son of Rodrigo later Pope Alexander VI and older brother of Lucrezia (associated with various rumored poisonings and incestuous acts). As part of an ambitious aristocratic family, Cesare moved from a path within the church to a more military role, along the way becoming a model for Machiavelli's Prince.

Cantarella attributes Cesare's dark path to a demonic pact signed by Rodrigo with Cesare's newborn soul used as payment. He grows up the black sheep of the family, only sharing compassion with Lucrezia. The harsh treatment from elders and peers as well as the spirits hounding him require that Cesare defend himself by responding to cruelty in kind with a sharp sword and a sharp mind.

From its opening, Cantarella builds sympathy and fascination for an unpleasant person, or at least a person who's capable of decidedly unpleasant acts. The man and his times lay an abundance of hooks, partially seeing how the plots and counter-plots as he frees himself from the role of pawn in the plans of others and opens his own games, partially in the looming supernatural context, and partially as a yaoi romance.

This incarnation of Cesare appears to be bisexual. His feelings towards both Lucrezia and some of his male peers, such as the assassin Michaelotto are quite intimate. The yaoi mating game is also in evidence, with its peculiar routine of power struggles. There's a bit of rape and dominance that seems common in many yaoi works. Nothing is consummated, but Cesare does get thrown around and his clothes torn off

You Higuri'a illustration are effective, but given the palette of 15 century Italy, at times it sees that serviceable isn't enough. In keeping with the costume drama nature, the there is plenty of detail arranged in the period-eque wardrobe. In keeping with the other elements, there's enough attractively brittle hardness in Cesare's face. There is some well drafted architecture, and a few good ideas such as a traveling sorcerer with his head on the body of a moth that's quite memorable. But the illustration in the series is merely competent rather than a strength. There are backdrops where it seems like the aim was to get it done, leaving over simplicity or skewed lines. Faces are another issue. There's a general idea of who has what facial structure, but there's fluidity in design from panel to panel, and for distinctions to morph together when characters gather. Action suffers from perspective problems, especially when blades are at work and not parallel to the plane of the panel.

The biggest problem is that the subject matter, in terms of time and spirit invite comparison to Berserk, with few illustrators looking good next to Miura's work.

Cantarella may not be the second coming of Berserk, but it is adding some interesting twists to an already fascinating historical personality. For yaoi fans, it's told genre material with some considerable depth to the interplays. For Non-yaoi fans, it's worth while historical fiction.

Anime Spotlight: Avenger

Released by Bandai

Bandai's decision to pack the entire 13 episode Avenger series in an inexpensively priced complete set makes the release far more attractive than it may have been separated into three or four volumes. It's engaging action sci-fi, with a considerable staff crossover from .hack, but it doesn't sell itself well on a first impression. Simple, generic designs give it an also-ran looking B series, even if the actual implementation doesn't represent such as wide quality drop off.
It's not trash, the calibre of sci-fi is a few notches above the norm of unbacked visuals, and hopefully packing it in this way will attract more eyes.

Avenger is set on a colonized Mars that has taken on a quasi-Roman look in its culture. The most striking social evolved traits in the colony are that allocation of resources between cities is decided by gladiatorial combat, and that children have been replaced by robots after natural reproduction halted. Three wonderings find each other and threaten to upset the culture: a mysterious, androgynous gladiator woman named Layla Ashley seemingly suffering from some sort of post traumatic disorder, a stray doll with mismatched eyes named Nei, and a grifter/"jack-of-all-trades" who fancies himself a "doll breeder" named Speedy.

The dolls are weirdly hard to mentally digest. Constructs that are both meant to be surrogate children and servants is a difficult one to fully grasp. On a meta level of getting into the heads of the series creators, trying to figure out who they are trying to appeal to, these dolls aren't cute, thankfully they aren't sexual (although a few enforcer models have chests and disconcerting dominatrix/spandex super hero like outfits). They look a bit like the Zatch Bell creatures minus that design's distinctive eyes.

There are plenty of sci-fi gems within the story of Avenger, but it needed a masterful script writer and director to re-gear it for better efficiency. Meaning, it isn't easy to point to a small set of factors as the reasons it went a little astray. As it is, it is a bumpy ride. If offers plenty an interesting and unique colonization back-story, with a fascinating look at decisions made by pioneers and complex cultural evolutionary forces at play. To delve into this, to attempt to change the course and to create the effect of journeying and time passing, it well fills 13 episodes. Still, the conversations are amazingly obtuse. Characters, without completely convincing plot reasons, seem to go far out of their way o not say anything explicit. Not to ask for over exposition, there are good pieces to discover in the series, but the series acts like its trying to draw itself out

Avenger isn't packed with spectacle action, but its fights stand out as good, even compared to explicitly fight centric anime. There's a nice combination of wuxia acrobatics and plausible strikes. It's has the rare ability to balance what's impressive with what looks logical.

Anime Spotlight: Gunslinger Girl
Volume 3

Released by FUNimation

After three quick volumes the anime about young girls mentally and physically rebuilt after being victimized by horrifically violent crimes is brought to a conclusion. Unlike many girls with guns stories, there's little that's slick in Gunslinger Girl, instead focusing on the dehumanization of the girls who serve as selfless tools of their handlers (though it is well animated and firearm enthusiasts will probably appreciate the details).

Besides the fact that the characters aren't running up walls with bubblegum action that casts the events as spectacle, as in a feature like Kite, the series compounds the disturbing nature of the events making the characters look like regular people. Not literally, but the effect of the design is that a handler with an assassin wouldn't look out of work in an officer on bring your daughter to work day. It?s bright, clean and real. It isn't decked in black, set with over cast skies, and granite government agents. These look like regular people doing a job in of all places sunny and historic Italy, except the little girls are carrying cases full of guns.

With an episode by episode exploration of the characters' lives rather than a real over-arching plot the options for a finale are limited. The emotional returns of the events have lessened as, as it progressed, it has built a level of familiarity with the condition. After a kid kills a friendly peer as a triggered instinct then fails to process the event, the next horrible fate, and especially the ultimate one, are going to have a hard time competing with what has already been seen and what has been imagined. The everyday existence of these characters is a tragedy. A too sunny wrap-up betrays the concept. The best you can hope for something bittersweet.

The final set of Gunslinger Girl episodes are true to the series' concept, and if you appreciate anime that gets under you skin and scrapes around a bit, it?s a satisfactory serving. For the final course, its, not unexpectedly, a bit of a fizzle. It?s the conclusion that the series needed, but along the way it ran out of insight.

Anime Spotlight: Tetsujin 28
Volume 1 Monster Reborn

Released by Geneon

Excuse the pun, but who would have thought Gigantor was going to be this heavy. This is the 2004 remake of Tetsujin 28, the grandfather of giant robot shows, whose original anime incarnation aired on American TV as Gigantor. It's based on the work of Mitsuteru Yokoyama, who library was smelted together to forge Giant Robo from sources as diverse retellings of the Chinese classics Romance of the Three Kingdoms and The Water Margin to cute girl's series Magical Witch Sally, but mostly is was the operatic testament to the boy who controls and loves his giant metal behemoth.

This Tetsujin starts out looking like the same sort of potent kitsch as Giant Robo. Secret organization spies who look like secret organization spies rush out to perform mischief terrorism and their own giant robot, which looks like arms, legs and a crude face riveted to a water tower is met by young teen detective Shotaro with his Tetsujin 28 (Shotaro in look, origin and disposition is pretty much Giant Robo's Daisaku, Robo's Kenji Murasame and Dr Franken show up with variant personalities and histories, characters/machines from the Giant Robo opening also have key roles). There's a look and sound in Tetsujin from its chorus opening to the satisfying in the grind growl of the mecha, especially the growl, that feels like the firm backbone of industrial might. It's progress when progress is a pure goal. Things will be bigger and better.

The series quickly steps back from the spies and metal fists and shows that it is well aware of this metaphor. This isn't the bubbling unconscious of the generation that created the genre, those can afterwards who played with the toys left behind by a previous generation's semi-conscious fantasies or those who cashed in on the remnant interest. This is an exploration of the post war Showa period centered on an idealistic boy who's part of the brighter post war future with a machine that's both war time weapon and symbol of the upcoming industrial prosperity. Shotaro's eyes are on the present in future, he's fighting what he sees are black and white threats. Other characters are still haunted by the war. They're participants or grown orphans who are still scrambling to survive in the moral grey areas. These characters are more inclined to see an artifact of the war as a threat or tainted, and ask questions like what did X learn in the war.

Giant robots are many things, one being part of the bedrock of academic and quasi academic discussions about anime/manga pop culture. It you want to be scared by a fandom discussion, listen to some of the arguments about womb versus shell symbolism of Gundam and Evangelion. Clearly, plenty has been overloaded on the metaphor of the giant fighting robot, but is probably never been a simple power fantasy. Maybe the idea was less tied with self image in the early days, and this is why the stands on its shoulders and holds a remote control rather than enter into the body of the construct. Tetsujin 28 finds something intellectually and emotional engaging in an exploration of the original metaphor set in the context that spawned the metaphor. Part of the trapping its still bright pop culture, but there's alot mixed feelings and old wounds behind it, making the series required viewing for giant robot fans.

Manga Spotlight: JoJo's Bizarre Adventure
By Hirohiko Araki
Volume 1

Released by Viz's Shonen Jump Advanced Line

With the Jojo's Bizarre Adventure anime finally released with a good rush after years of process, its time to turn to the commencement of the manga. Hiroki Araki focuses on the moment of danger, but mixes in array of his passions: 80's rock, travel, horror and pulp. The name is laughable, and so are plenty of other elements, but its still unparalleled smash-mouth super-heroics.
You can go through the volume quickly passing from pop to pop, or you can go slowly and appreciate little things make even a jaded spectacle junkie smile, such as the hero ripping an evil spirit out of possessed with his teeth after a kiss, or a guy firing out barrages of small crystals that look disturbingly organic and gall-stone-ish. The result is a unique brand of flesh ripping violence. From Kirby to Miller American super hero comics had offered a considerable spectrum of aesthetics and variants, but none bare a resemblance to Hiroki Araki's. It pairs off some elements that have been prevalent in modern American comics. There are no soap opera relationships. There's a socially avoidant hero who doesn't event want to be touched. Instead, it focuses on delivering something new, which is always memorable.

JoJo's is one of Japan's longest running manga series, with over 80 volumes through 7 phases (counting the latest Steel Ball Run tangent). With a few exceptions, it follows the lineage of the Joestar family, starting with feud between aristocrat Jonathan Joestar (the first JoJo) and his sociopath adopted brother Dio Brando. The Victorian power squabble turns manga magnitude when Dio acquires vampiric immortality and Jonathan is taught wave energy martial arts by a wondering eccentric. Two generations later Jonathan's grandson Joseph, an archeologist martial artist (Indiana Jones with a little Doc Savage) engages a host of other vampires.

Viz's release of the manga starts with the third phase. Araki's illustration abilities were developing in the earlier entries, so maybe its best that Viz is starting with part three, one of the most popular chapters and the one that has been animated. Viz does address the previous parts from the commencement of the release, opening with summaries, family trees and time lines.

The third chronicled JoJo, Jotaro Kujo was a good kid who grew into a huge, detached, sullen teen. The storm shadow over his head is what he believes to an evil spirit haunting him. He hospitalizes a group of roughnecks hoping to isolate his infection from a prison cell. His mother comes to plead that he right his path, bringing along Jotaro's grandfather, Joseph Joestar accompanied by Joseph's mystic associate Avdol. Jotaro doesn't respond well. A force brings a guard's pistol to Jotaro's hand. Jotaro level's it to his head, pulls the triggers and before the bullet can hit his head a spectral hand catches it.

From a survey of American comic reviews, it seems like editorial big ideas at the major houses plain aren't working, or are stringing readers along in hopes of pay offs. JoJo's is the perfect antidote for the superhero doldrums. With, maybe five page intervals, some stunning happens in JoJo's, and that stunning thing is bound to last 10-20 pages. It never keeps you waiting for long for something new, fresh, and generally gory.

Ghibli Announces News Shorts

Nausicaa reports, according to the Studio Ghibli Museum site the three new short films will be screened at the museum starting January 3, 2006.

Films include
"Yadosagashi (Looking for a Home)" 12 minutes, original story, written, and directed by Miyazaki.

A spirited girl, Fuki, takes a journey to look for a new home. She puts everything in her big backpack, and leaves. How will she deal with strange things she encounters one after another? There are only a few lines in this film, and all the sounds (music, sound effects, and lines) are done by human voices. Letters to express the situations and sounds according to the scenes will appear on screen.

"Hoshi wo Katta Hi (The Day I Cropped a Star)" 16 min. Original story by Naohisa INOUE, written and directed by Miyazaki.

A strange story in an imaginary world, Iblard. A boy, Nona, is walking in a desert alone. He meets a strange woman, Ninya, and starts living in her farm. One day, Nona gets a seed of a star in return of vegetables, and decides to grow it.

"Mizugumo Monmon (Water Spider Monmon)" length undecided, original story, written, and directed by Miyazaki.

Monmon, a water spider, one day meets a pond skater girl. Monmon falls in love with her. Will his love be ever fulfilled?

October 31, 2005 Next Studio Ghibli Project to be Announced on December 13
A talk event between Mamoru OSHII and Toshio SUZUKI of Studio Ghibli took place at the Tokyo International Film Festival to promote Oshii's new live-action film "Tachiguishi Retsuden" in which Suzuki appears.

Suzuki announced that he can't talk about the next feature film since the contract with the original author hasn't been finalized; but it will be announced by Toho on December 13th.

Kimba Release Details

The Right Stuf International has announced their definitive release of anime?s first and brightest stars, Osamu Tezuka?s Kimba: The White Lion, painstakingly remastered and restored on DVD for release on November 29, 2005.

Credited as the ?Father of Manga?, Osamu Tezuka?s single handedly revolutionized modern comics and animation in Japan with thrilling works like Kimba: The White Lion and Astro Boy. First aired in 1965, Kimba is known worldwide as one of Tezuka?s greatest masterpieces bringing to life one of the "first-generation anime classics" to reach American TV and the very first Japanese animation to be broadcast in color. Fans have long remembered its catchy theme song, spectacular designs, pioneering animation techniques and gentle stories.

This definitive remastered and restored DVD release of Kimba: The White Lion features an 11 disc Limited Ultra Edition which promises to look better than ever! With completely restored video, interviews with animation historian Fred Ladd, deleted scenes, the original Japanese pilot episode and more, animation fans young and old will fall in love with the adventures of the original lion king!

This Special Limited Edition will include: all original 52 Kimba episodes masterfully restored across 11 DVDs; a special "How Kimba Came to Be" booklet written by Fred Patten and Robin Leyden; the original Japanese Episode 1 (with English subtitles); an interview with Fred Ladd; deleted scenes; the textless English opening; the original English closing; original Character Art Gallery; a merchandise gallery; and character profiles. And to top it all off, the whole set will be released in a sturdy, high-quality. Fully telescopic artbox.

Kimba: The White Lion (1965 TV Series) Remastered Limited Edition Ultra Collector?s DVD Box Set
Dolby Digital Stereo, Color
Approximate TRT: 1345 min.
Genre: Adventure
Suggested Rating: ALL
Catalog #: RSDVD2012
ISBN#: 1-57032-941-9
UPC#: 7-42617-2012-2-6
SRP: $129.99

Oshii News

Anime News Network reports in a talk with Toshio Suzuki, Mamoru Oshii announced that he is going to make a new feature-length anime. He said that it will be a very straightforward ("very rare for me," he said) love story. Very few other details were announced. While the animation studio was not mentioned, Oshii has stated in the past that he would never create anime at any studio other than Production I.G

TwitchFilm reports the official site for Momuro Oshii's Tachiguishi Retsuden is online here.

Speaking of Production IG, phots of their exhibit at the Parco Museum in Shibuya, Tokyo are online here

Otomo To Direct Live Action Mushishi

Anime News Service reports that Akira creator Katsuhiro Otomo will be directing a live action adaptation of Yuki Urushibara's manga Mushishi, a sci-fi about a strange new form of life. A TV animation based on the work began broadcast in Japan on October 22nd, directed by Hiroshi Nagahama. Starring will be popular actors Joe Odagiri and Ezumi Makiko, the opening is planned for winter of 2006. A production capital of about one billion yen will be procured.

Media Blasters Licenses Loveless

Anime News Network reports that Media Blasters will be releasing the strange supernatural fighting partner anime Loveless with the 12 episodes released across 3 volumes

Evangelion Perfume

Just when you thought Evangelion was merchandise and could only spin out subtle varients, Anime News Service points out that Bandai Network's LaLa Bit Market is marketing perfume based on the scent of Eva-girls Rei and Asuka. The "unisex" perfume, which is shipped in bottles shaped by entry plugs used for the series' giant robots is set to smell like Marine floral for the Rei version and spicy foral for Asuka?s.

FMA Cards on Ebay

ICV2 reports select cards for the recent Full Metal Alchemist collectable card cape are fetching upwards of $100 on Ebay. A Roy Mustang, Master Manipulator topped $100 in an auction that closed last week. The previous record was $91 for a Lust, Femme Fatale chase card in an auction that closed in September. Fourteen Fullmetal Alchemist TCG cards have sold for $50 or more since the game's launch in August.

Love Hina Novels From TOKYOPOP

An Anime on DVD forum user has pointed out that Amazon now lists that TOKYOPOP will be releasing the prose novel version of romance comedy Lone Hina in April 2006.

Extended English Shonen Jump Issue

To celebrate its third anniversary, the January issue of Shonen Jump USA will be bumped to a 392 page count. It will feature a 55 preview of the manga series samurai story Gintama, with addition features about the series' anime version.

EOL to Be Syndicated

TOKYOPOP points out an AP article citing that newspaper comic syndicator Universal Press Syndicate is aiming to attract younger reader with two of TOKYOPOP's original English language manga releases, Van Von Hunter and Peach Fuzz. Newspapers signed to feature the series in their Sunday section include the Los Angeles Times, Denver Post, Vancouver Sun and Seattle Post-Intelligencer.

Media Blasters February Releases

AnimeWorks
2/14
Rurouni Kenshin TV Series - Season 3 ($79.95)
2/28
Phantom - The Animation
Phantom Game Bundle
Sukisho Vol.3 - Cruel Intentions(of 3) (episodes 9-13)$79.95

Tokyo Shock
2/12
Goyokin
Scorpion - Beast Stable
Sukeban Deka the Movie

Gackt joins Dirge Of Cerberus

From Gunoata and Game Watch JPop star Gackt will be performing the theme song and vocal work for the Final Fantasy game Dirge of Cerberus.

Dark Horse February/March Manga

Blade Of The Immortal #109, "Shortcut," part 3 of 5
Written and art by Hiroaki Samura.

Crying Freeman Volume 1 Tpb
Written by Kazuo Koike, art by Ryoichi Ikegami.
He is Yo Himomura, deadly assassin for the 108 Dragons, the Chinese Mafia. But to the criminal underworld who fear him, he is known as Crying Freeman, the killer who sheds tears at the fate of his victims. Young, handsome, sensitive, an artist, Yo has been hypnotically programmed by his Dragon masters to kill on command: he cannot resist his masters' commands to kill, his masters cannot stop his tears of remorse. Written by the legendary Kazuo Koike, creator of Lone Wolf and Cub, and illustrated by the incomparable Ryoichi Ikegami, Crying Freeman is adult manga at its most challenging: dark, violent, morally complex, erotically charged, and regarded worldwide as one of the classics of adult graphic fiction. Dark Horse Manga is proud to present Crying Freeman, yet another of the jewels in the crown of manga classics, presented in its original right-to-left reading orientation.
408 pages, black and white, $14.95, in stores on March 8.

Harlequin Pink: Idol Dreams Tpb
Written by Charlotte Lamb, art by Toko Hanabusa.
Quincy wouldn't have seen this coming in her wildest dreams. What ordinary girl-next-door would? One minute you're sitting down to tea in your kitchen, talking with a friend, and the next

Harlequin Violet: Holding On To Alex Tpb
Written by Margaret Way, art by Misao Hoshiai.
Alex's life was moving in a dream direction. A beautiful prima ballerina with a promising career, she had long ago sacrificed many thingsto pursue her dream of dancing on the world's most prestigious stages. When fate strikes Alex a terrible blow, and a devastating injury leaves her unable to dance. As if the loss of her hard-earned career wasn't enough, Alex is shocked when the first visitor to call on her in the hospital is Scott -- the man whose love she denied to pursue her dream to dance. Will fate strike another devastating blow to the fallen ballerina, or does Scott have something more to offer her than a regretful look at a long-lost love?
120 pages, black and white, $9.95, in stores on March 1

Ju-On: Video Side Tpb
Written and art by Miki Rinno.
Ju-On: Video Side is the manga adaptation of the Japanese horror movie that spawned an enormous franchise in Japan ... and inspired a blockbuster Hollywood remake. This chilling tale of murder, secrets, and revenge centers on a home and the ugly events that transpired there. The place now has new owners, but there is a vile presence that permeates the building and pollutes every surface. What wickedness set off this unstoppable angry spirit? Why has its bloody grudge infected the home and its inhabitants? In the spirit of The Ring, Ju-On delivers a dark warning of a cursed spirit and the corrupting influence it has on the living. 232 pages, $9.95, in stores on March 15.

Lady Snowblood Volume 3: Retribution Part 1 Tpb
Written by Kazuo Koike, art by Kazuo Kamimura.
Lady Snowblood is a woman born with a singular purpose, revenge. Revenge for the death of her father at the hands of greedy criminals. Revenge for the life of her mother, who birthed her in a prison to continue this demon's path of death. Sometimes this path is odd, sometimes sexy, often painful, and always violent. By means of a world's worth of skills, Lady Snowblood will find her revenge. But who knows what lies at the end of this path.
224 pages, black and white, $14.95, in stores on March 22.

Octopus Girl Volume 1 Tpb
Written and art by Toru Yamazaki.
Toru Yamazaki made a big, bloody splash in the mid-1990s when his outrageous Octopus Girl horror stories debuted. This talented and twisted manga artist has found recent popularity in different fields, as a major Japanese television personality and a recording artist. Be prepared to be mind-boggled with his first insane manga collection, as the delightfully disturbing Octopus Girl is finally presented in English. Teenage monsters lose their hearts and heads in a relentlessly gory collection of dark humor and horror! Carving a comical niche in modern horror manga, Toru Yamazaki's Octopus Girl serves up the most disgusting dishes of heartbreak and revenge found on land or at sea. Have a side order of nervous laughter with your main course of bloodcurdling fear, some gore with your teen angst, and some killer instincts with your kawaii! These shocking vignettes will hypnotize fans of the macabre and the absurd, as intestines, eyeballs, and fluids of all sorts shoot enthusiastically across Yamazaki's pages!
192 pages, black and white, $12.95, in stores on March 22.

Reiko The Zombie Shop Volume 2 Tpb
Written and art by Rei Mikamoto.
The last time we saw Reiko, the beautiful, young necromancer, she had her head sliced off! But you can't keep a bad girl down. Our Miss Reiko has got a few friends in dark places who'll make sure she hasn't shuffled off this motal coil just yet, even if she has to borrow a body or two. Part Sixth Sense and part Evil Dead

Space Pinchy: The Pinch Of The Illegal Brain Intrusion
Written by Tony Takezaki.
It's hilarious! It's sexy! And it's completely different. From the crazy mind of Japan's freakiest manga creator comes Space Pinchy, a fantastically rendered. 3-D comics odyssey that defies logic, decency, and...gravity! In space unfathomable, adventure awaits! Especially when you're the last of a lost tribe in search of relics. And super-especially if you're Pinchy Pink! A sexy vixen with a skintight suit and a no-nonsense attitude, Pinchy cannot be stopped by even the nastiest of alien perverts.
32 pages, $3.99, in stores on Feb. 22.

School Zone Volume 1 Tpb
Written and art by Kanako Inuki.
The Queen of Horror Manga, Kanako Inuki, brings you School Zone, a series about ordinary children who encounter the strange and terrifying at their very own school, and discover that many ghost stories, urban legends, and superstitions are truly and horribly real.
192 pages, black and white, $12.95, in stores on March 29

Yoshitaka Amano: Fairies Hc (art book)
Written and art by Yoshitka Amano.
Yoshitaka Amano's lush ethereal paintings of magical creatures, spirits, goblins, and apparitions have been praised and admired all over the world. In Fairies he turns his considerable talent to capturing in breathtaking images characters from such beloved stories as Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream, the wizard Merlin and his muse the intoxicating Nimue, mermaids of the deep as well as his interpretation of fairies from Celtic and Japanese mythology.
80 pages, $24.95, in stores on Feb. 8.

Broccoli Planning Original Juvenile Orion Art Book

Anime News Network reports Broccoli Books planning for a Juvenile Orion illustration book based on the collectable card game/anime/manga featuring the artwork of Sakurako Gokurakuin & others. . SRP will be somewhere between $19.99 and $24.99. There will be roughly 100 pages of illustrations.

ADV Bittorrent Promos

ADV's Bittorrent site has posted promos of Yumeria and Ghost Stories here.

Japanese Site News

AnimeNation points out that the English site for 3D-CG anime Funny Pets is online here. The series is scheduled to start in January 2006, consisting of 12 6 minute episodes.

The official Japanese website for One Piece: Karakuri Shiro no Mecha Kyohei ("Karakuri Castle's Mecha Giant Soldier"), the 7th One Piece theatrical movie, is now online and hosts a pair of streaming trailers.

AnimeNation and Anime News Service point out that a 30 second long streaming clip of the upcoming Itsuade My Santa OAV series, based on Ken (Love Hina) Akamatsu's manga, is now available. The first of two Itsudate My Santa episodes is scheduled for Japanese release on December 7th.

Anime News Service reports the official website for the upcoming Sergeant Keroro / Zerori double theatrical feature is online at www.kerozoro-movie.net. The film opens on March 11, 2006.

FUNimation Schedules Sunabozu

According to Anime News Network, Sunabozu, which will be renamed Desert Punk, will be released starting February 28th.

Blood For PSP

AnimeNation reports a Blood: The Last Vampire Yarudora (interactive anime movie) game will be released in Japan on January 26, 2006.

.hack//GU News

Anime News Network reports a new .hack title called .hack//GUI The World with art by Yuzuka Morita and story by Tatsuya Hamazaki be go on sale starting November 26th.

Legend of the World digest shorts are online here

Christian OEL

For those curious as to what Christian didactic OEL might look like check out Real Buzz Studio's Serenity.

Upcoming in Japan

From Anime News Service, Miami Gun creator Takeaki Momose's manga Majikano, currently serialized in K?dansha's Magazine Z, will be adapted into a TV anime series.

A new incarnation of Tenchi Muyo spin-off/parody Prettty Sammy/asami - Mahou Shoujo Club is being animated by for an upcoming TV series. A recent new post to The Official Japanese Tenchi Muyo Website indicates some new information on the Tenchi universe could be announced in November. According to our sources, production is considerably advanced on the series with as many as 10 episodes already completed. Broadcast could come as soon as January 2006.

A tailer for Gaiking: Legend of Daiku-Maryu is online here.

Magicu ("Magical Cute") Magazine volume 20, scheduled for Japanese release on the 25th, will officially announce an anime TV series adaptation of artist Taguchi Sennendo's manga series Yoshinaga Sanchi No Gargoyle

Government Crime Investigation Agent Zaizen Jotaro ("Naikaku Kenryoku Hanzai Kyosei Torishimarikan Zaizen Jotaro") will be adapted into a 13 episode anime television series next year.

4Kids Announces Yu Gi Oh 4.1

4Kids Entertainment Home Video, Inc., the home video unit of 4Kids Entertainment, Inc. (NYSE: KDE), in association with FUNimation Entertainment, will release Yu-Gi-Oh! Volume 4.1: A New Evil on DVD on December 6, 2005.

This first release from Yu-Gi-Oh!?s fourth broadcast season on Kids? WB! brings new battles and non-stop action as a terrifying new villain emerges, the three Egyptian god cards are missing, and if things couldn?t get any worse, real monsters are appearing around the world terrorizing the population! Are these strange events somehow connected and can they be resolved?

The DVD features seven episodes including:
A New Evil (Parts I & II), Legend of the Dragons, The Creator Returns, Deja Duel! (Parts I & II) and An Unexpected Enemy

RUNNING TIME: Approximately 155 Minutes
RATING: TV-Y
SRP: $14.98

4Kids will also release the much anticipated Sonic X Project: Shadow on DVD on November 15, 2005. Featuring six action-packed episodes from the popular series on 4Kids TV, Project: Shadow will hit stores the same day as the new Sega of America video game Shadow the Hedgehog.

CPM Anime downloadable for the iPod

Last week, Central Park Media began offering iPod downloads at www.centralparkmedia.com/ipod/ . CPM has just uploaded two new downloads, a trailer for "Wrath of the Ninja" and the entire first episode of "Descendants of Darkness / Yami No Matsuei." The files are formatted for the iPod but can be viewed on any Mac or PC.

Central Park Media has also just uploaded the entire first episode of "Record of Lodoss War: Chronicles of the Heroic Knight" and twenty minutes "Black Jack" for free download at www.centralparkmedia.com/ipod/ At the same time, CPM's dropped the price to the "Chronicles of the Heroic Knight" boxset to only $39.95.

TOKYOPOP's Juror 13 OEL

TOKYOPOP has announced that original English language manga Juror 13 will be released on in January from D.J. Milky (writer of Princess Ai, supposedly a pseudonym for TOKYOPOP founder Stuart Levy) and Makoto Nakatsuka(X-Men: Ronin).

TOKYOPOP descibes the series as "a psychological thriller dripping with the suspense of Hitchcock and the paranoia of Kafka""

With the arrival of a mysterious jury summons, a man's life is thrust into a dizzying downward spiral; his fiancée leaves him, he has problems at work, and his best friend is suddenly not so friendly. As the jury trial approaches, whom can he trust? Why does he suddenly feel that he has to defend his every move? And who exactly is 13? Juror 13 follows one man as he fights for his sanity in a paranoid world. It's a tale that will open your eyes...but can you trust what you see?

Marvel Mangaverse Returns

Marvl will be releasing the first a five issue New Mangaverse title written by C. B. Cebulski and illustrated by Tommy Ohtsuka (Slayers).

Creative Displeasure at TOKYOPOP

Comics column Lying in Gutters reports, on the heels of the recent ownership controversy in TOKYOPOP's EOL contracts, TOKYPOP has launched audio play promos of some their manga titles without creator input, which has displeased some who have mixed feelings about the voices attached to their characters, and the first impression that the plays may leave. From Amy Kim Ganter on the Van Von Hunter message board:

Why didn't anyone ask the creators for feedback? I mean, why did TokyoPop hire us? Really, I'm so confused.

"The mangapods have now implanted a voice onto the character before the reader is even allowed to creatively have one of their own, before the books even hit the shelves, and the voices were done in a way that doesn't reflect my intended characterization. Whether it matters to anyone or not, this makes me disappointed as an artist.

D.Gray-man Creator Ill

According to Anime News Network Katsura Hoshino, manga creator for D.Gray-man is reported to be seriously ill, therefore serialization of D.Gray-man will be placed on hiatus for at least two weeks. D.Gray has recently been licensed for domestic release by Viz.

Update on Star Trek OEL

Love Manga recalls TOKYOPOP's announcement of a "New Generation" Star Trek OEL manga written by Jake Forbes, Mark Paniccia, Jim Alexander, Chris Dows and Mike Barr, but points out a potentially different manga series by Joshua Ortega mentioned on Manga Life here:

As part of STAR TREK 40th-Anniversary celebration next year, ((FREQUENCIES)) author Joshua Ortega will be writing a brand new story set in the classic-era of The Original Series?meaning he?ll get the rare opportunity to work on one of the 20th-century?s most influential entertainment properties.

The original announcement was described as:

The stories in the anthology, according to editor Mark Paniccia..., will be mostly set in the Next Generation time frame (2363 and after, for the hardcore " with 2363 being the year Captain Jean-Luc Picard took command of the Enterprise-D), and will run 200-250 pages. "Think Animatrix for Star Trek in manga form," Paniccia said. "This is all new stuff. There might be a familiar face but this is a very unorthodox approach to the property. That?s what will make this book stand out from previous Star Trek comics. It will be published in our standard Tokyopop size.

Gantz Season One Set

Anime on DVD reports ADV will be releasing a box set of the first season of ultraviolent anime Gantz (the first 13 episodes) in January. The thinpak collection will feature discs in their original format, with the full set of extras.

New Kaleidostar OAV

AnimeNation reports Japanese satellite television network AT-X has announced that the new Kaleidostar ~Layla Hamilton Monogatari~ OVA will premier on December 11th.

New Animation from Blue Sky Creators

Anime News Service reports Maxmedia has optioned the rights to use Kameo: Elements of Power for an animated feature. Sunmin Park, co-writter and director of the Korean anime Sky Blue, will head the project, producing alongside Jungmin Ethan Park. Production is set to begin next year.

New Be Beautiful Yaoi Manga

Be Beautiful has announced four new releases in its yaoi line, a new Signature Edition DVD of Kizuna: Bonds of Love, based on the best-selling yaoi graphic novel of all time, and a special contest letting fans name yaoi superstar Ms. Kazuma Kodaka's newest work.

Midaresomenishi:
A tale of samurai love by Kizuna author and Yaoi-Con 2005 Guest of Honor Kazuma Kodaka, Ms. Kodaka herself made a surprise appearance at the Be Beautiful panel to make this announcement. Midaresomenishi is the story of the samurai Shirou, a man with violently red hair and a temper to match. Shirou is sent away to become a priest, but bandits capture him and his brother, Fujimaru, along the way. Shirou submits to becoming the bandit leader's love slave in order to spare his brother punishment; however, the event leaves Shirou forever changed. Midaresomenishi follows Shirou and his sexual odyssey throughout feudal Japan in search of the one man who can tame him. Violent, tragic, beautiful, and graphic, Midaresomenishi is the story of a man who lives by the sword and dies for love.

Midaresomenishi is coming in 2006, but before it does, Be Beautiful is giving fans a chance to be involved in the book's creation, allowing visitors to http://www.bebeautifulmanga.com/ to vote for one of three possible English titles. The poll is open until December 1, 2005 with the winning name to be announced the following day. One lucky voter will be selected to win the eight-foot Midaresomenishi banner unveiled at Be Beautiful's Yaoi-Con panel, autographed by author Kazuma Kodaka.

Boku No Koe:
From Youka Nitta, author of Embracing Love. Boku No Koe follows a young voice actor who dreams of making it big in the industry, but when he finally gets his chance he gets cold feet. Surrounded by voice acting legends, he can't help but feel insignificant. Will his seniors take him in and show him everything they know about voice acting -- and love?

YEBISU Celebrities:
By Shinri Fuwa. At a design firm called Yebisu Graphics, only the best ? and the best looking ? are accepted. It's a place for classy design, classy society, and classy love affairs. The cute new part-timer, Haruka Fujinami, happens to catch his boss's eye. Is he only getting teased, or is there something more between them?

Play Boy Blues:
By Shiuko Kano. Junsuke is the number one companion in a host club where Shinobu used to work. They have been in a relationship for a year, but as they start to get serious, Shinobu questions his commitment. With Junsuke's active lead, their relation has developed significantly but is sometimes disturbed by jealousy and pride. Where is their love going to end up with?

Kizuna: Signature Edition DVD:
Both episodes of Be Beautiful's Kizuna OVA will be made available in a special Signature Edition in March 2006. Collecting both volumes into one, the Signature Edition includes a special audio commentary by Kazuma Kodaka, a video interview with Kodaka, footage of her Japan Society and Kinokuniya appearances, and an English-language audio track in addition to the Japanese.

Viz Talks Holiday Releases

In preparation for the holiday gift giving season, Viz will be releasing the following in time for holiday purchases:

New VIZ Media Manga and Ani-Manga:

BEAUTY IS THE BEAST, Volume 1·MSRP: $8.99
The latest addition to VIZ Media?s Shojo Beat library is a romantic school dorm comedy that is sure to delight fans of the shôjo genre. When bubbly eleventh grader Eimi Yamashita discovers her parents are relocating for work, she decides to strike out on her own and move into an all-girl dormitory. Little does she suspect the exciting and romantic adventures that await her there.Eimi?s fellow residents are a little crazy, but a whole lot of fun. They rope her into a secret initiation that involves sneaking into the boy?s dormitory and returning unnoticed with a special keepsake. Can Eimi pull it off and gain the admiration of her fellow roommates without getting caught by one of the handsomest (and cruelest) boys in the dorm?

STEAMBOY Ani-Manga, Volume 1·MSRP: $19.99
Released in 2005, STEAMBOY is the latest animated project from acclaimed director Katsuhiro Otomo, who also directed the landmark film, AKIRA. This full-color volume presents a captivating action drama set in England in 1866, during the height of the industrial revolution. Young master Ray Steam the latest in a lineage of two generations of geniuses including his father Eddie, and his grandfather Lloyd. But the young man is caught between the conflicted goals of both his elders and their desire for control of the "steam ball," a powerful technology that could transform the world for better or for worse.

DEATH NOTE, Volume 1·MSRP: $7.99
The latest manga from Tsugumi Obata and Takeshi Obata (the artist behind the popular HIKARU NO GO series), DEATH NOTE weaves a supernatural story of a young ace student who finds a sinister notebook mistakenly dropped by a rogue Shinigami spirit. Any human whose name is written in the book dies, and now the young boy has vowed to use the power of the DEATH NOTE book to rid the world of evil. But when criminals begin dropping dead mysteriously, the authorities send a legendary detective known only as L to track down the killer and discover what is really going on. With the authorities hot in his trail, will the young student lose sight of his goal or lose his life? DEATH NOTE presents a fantastic tale that weaves magic, action and crime drama.

Limited Edition Box Sets:

FULLMETAL ALCHEMIST Box Set with Alphonse Figure·MSRP: $19.99
FULLMETAL ALCHEMIST Box Set with Edward Figure·MSRP:$19.99
Two special limited edition box sets, each bundled with volume 4 of the most popular manga series to hit North American shores and a special action figure. This is a must-have for any ardent fan. FULLMETAL ALCHEMIST tells the saga of the Elric brothers, Alphonse and Edward, who pay a tragic price after unsuccessfully attempting to use alchemy to resurrect their dead mother.Now, with Edward missing an arm and a leg - and Alphonse reduced to nothing but a soul in a suit of armor - the pair must set out on a quest to find the fabled Philosopher?s Stone which is the only thing that can bring them back to normal.

NARUTO Box Set·MSRP: $9.99
Following its massive success in Japan, where it sold more than 50 million copies, NARUTO debuted as one of the hottest selling manga titles in North America and the anime series on Cartoon Network has been top rated. This special box set combines Volume 1 of the manga series with a special 2006 calendar featuring an array of character art by series creator Masashi Kishimoto. NARUTO tells the story of a young boy who has had the spirit of an evil Nine-Tailed Fox Demon imprisoned within him since the day he was born, making him the object of hatred by people in his village. Countering this hate, young Naruto grew into the role of a clown, trying to attract attention by making a fool of himself and his teachers. But within Naruto dwells the dream of becoming Hokage, the strongest ninja of the village. Adventures ensue as Naruto and his teammates train hard and develop the skills needed to become mighty warriors and also learn valuable lessons in friendship and loyalty.

from the VIZ Media Fiction Line:

FULLMETAL ALCHEMIST MSRP: $9.99
FULLMETAL ALCHEMIST is currently one of the hottest anime and manga properties in North America. The manga?s popularity has placed it on several national literary bestseller lists and inspired a top rated 51-episode anime series that currently airs on Cartoon Network?s Adult Swim. This paperback novelization, written by Makoto Inoue, is aimed at younger manga fans and depicts the adventures of Edward and Alphonse as they try to use an alchemy technique called "human transmutation" to raise their mother from the dead with tragic consequences. Now beset with mutated mechanical bodies as a result of the accident, the two brothers set out to find the fabled "Philosopher?s Stone," an object of immeasurable power and the only thing that can return the siblings to their natural states.

GHOST IN THE SHELL 2: INNOCENCE, AFTER THE LONG GOODBYE Novel,·MSRP: $19.99
This dynamic hardcover novel by Masaki Yamada serves as the prequel to the GHOST IN THE SHELL: INNOCENCE full color Ani-Manga box set released by VIZ Media earlier this year. Originally serialized as a manga in the pages of Japan?s popular anime monthly, Animage, GHOST IN THE SHELL: INNOCENCE AFTER THE LONG GOODBYE depicts a vivid and futuristic world where the line between humans and machines has been blurred almost beyond distinction. Humans have forgotten that they are human, and those that are left coexist with cyborgs and dolls. Action and mystery ensure with many of the familiar characters f