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Animation and Anime

AICN Anime - Yokaiden, Blade of the Immortal and a Special Holiday Treat - Evangelion Movie US Bound?

Logo handmade by Bannister Column by Scott Green
First....
Reviews
Manga Spotlight: Blade of the Immortal
Manga Spotlight: Yokaiden
News
International City Hunter TV Series in the Works
The Business
New and Upcoming North American Releases
Bob Sapp vs Kinnikuman for New Years
In the Law
Anime x Games
Digital Distribution
Event News
Upcoming in Japan
Anime on English Language TV
Cool Figures News
Worth Checking Out...
Signoff

First....

I've been aware of the the jam band The Disco Biscuits because one of my brothers is/was a follower. I'm not entirely suprised to learn that The Disco Biscuits did a set inspired by the classic anime sci-fi Akira, or that I hadn't heard of it before. Fortunately, reader The Brahphecy send this great holiday treat in to AICN. Way back on 12/31/1999, The Disco Biscuits had an inspired idea to make their New Years celebration stand head and shoulders above the rest...on that night, for their 3rd set, out of four total, they projected, behind the stage, the film AKIRA, and while the film played, the band themselves watched it on their own monitors and improvised a score for the film - much like the in house pianists used to do for Metropolis. Unlike the Metropolis experience, however, the Biscuits NYE Akira Jam has gone down in the lore of their rabid, fiercely loyal fanbase, as one of the greatest nights that they ever put on for the fans. I thought to email you, AICN's anime correspondent, because of the obvious...I mean - It's Akira - one of the all time greats. I am sure not a lot of readers are huge Disco Biscuit fans, but even if this doesn't convert them, it's a damn fine piece of improvised music that fits gloriously on top of a classic anime film. (Just when you thought Akira couldn't get any more psychedelic!). Here is the link to the full streaming audio set Unfortunately, the exact timing as to when to start has been lost through the ages - the only certain reliable way to sync it is to start the, ":Basis for a Day" right when the credits begin to roll, and work backward mathematically from there. I know this isn't exactly breaking news, but folks who got a kick out of Dark Side of the Rainbow will probably dig this.

Evangelion Movie US Bound?

North American anime distribution FUNimation is hinting at a release of the Evangelion: 1.0 You Are [Not] Alone movie The movie is the first chapter in a retelling of the influential 1995 giant robot series Neon Genesis Evangelion, released in North America by ADV Films. Comments from creator Anno Hideaki indicated that the themes of his work have been updated, and that the new version is intended be more accessible than the original.

Manga Spotlight: Blade of the Immortal Volume 19: Badger Hole Volume 20: Demon Layer By Hiroaki Samura Released by Dark Horse Manga

It's an interesting time of year to be reading these volumes of Blade of the Immortal. As many film critics have recently noted, the further into the *ber months you go, the more you'll see movie release calendars populated by Oscar worthy films. By the time you hit mid December, you're up to your eyeballs in Holocaust, suburban discord, literary adaptations, combinations of the three and their like. Blade of the Immortal is genre manga that runs in a mainstream anthology (Afternoon, home to a number of thoughtful, violent manga such as Eden, and Parasyte, as well as geek friendly comedies like Oh My Goddess and Genshiken). Yet, among the flaming throwing daggers, plucked eyes and a head, sprung from its shoulders like a line drive, Hiroaki Samura plumbs Oscar-bait topics. His exploration of humanity's capacity to dehumanize has come to a head with men being disappeared to serve as subjects in medical experimentation. He addresses the history of the superlatively unconventional relationship between an emotionally unbalanced young woman, raised by Japan's indigenous Ainu people and a hulking, mildly show witted Christian. His manga pulls in heated discussions of abortion, substance abuse and gender politics. I'm not trying to say that Samura has prepared a considered treatise on these provocative issues. Nor am I suggesting that Blade of the Immortal is worth while just because a character screams about ending the life of her unborn baby and the plot echoes the worst atrocities of World War II. You don’t' have to look any further than the recent, negative reviews of movies like the Boy in the Stripe Pajamas for reminders that evoking weighty subjects is not sufficient in an of itself to grant a work importance. Blade of the Immortal succeeds by being a beautifully illustrated bit of chanbara that draws in these hot button issues honestly. Without being reductive, without turning the characters into instruments with which the author can make a point, Samura constructs situations in which his characters live out the dilemmas that fascinate him. Blade of the Immortal is undeniably a genre work, populated by exotic personalities. These volumes in particular introduce a particularly gonzo combatant whose design should not be spoiled. At the same time, there is a naturalism to Samura's illustration and a naturalism to his storytelling. Ostensibly, Blade of the Immortal is about a ronin given immortality in order to kill 1,000 evil men in penance for killing the 100 good men sent to bring him to justice. Actually, it never really seemed that simple. After slipping the savage warrior Manji some wound closing kessen-chu blood worms, 800 year old nun Yaobikuni seemed to just smile and nod at Manji's proposal to atone through violence. However, that didn't stop Yaobikuni from setting up a partnership between Manji and Rin, a young woman hunting the Itto-ryu rogue sword school responsible for her parents' death. So, the first set of Blade of the Immortal collections featured the immortal samurai and the unworldly girl locating and fighting men with blood on their hands, including the man who violated Rin's mother in life and the man who violated her in death. The moral accounting involved in trying to balance the books through revenge killings did get a bit messy, but it was essentially traditional chanbara, distinguished by Samura's classical art education informed illustration, with its precise anatomy and its mix of graphite and ink. A bit less than half way through Blade of the Immortal's run, Samura stated that he never intended for the manga to be his defining work, and that he had planned on ending it after five volumes. In a way, that easily reducible Manji and Rin versus the Itto-ryu model for Blade of the Immortal does end five volumes in. After that, Samura began changing emphases, replacing essential elements, and recasting his work. Manji, Rin, and the revolutionary clique of the Itto-ryu were joined by the Dirty Dozen-esque Mugai-ryu, the more traditionally based Shingyoto-ryu, shogun's black ops captain Kagimura Habaki and Samura's take on other genre figures like Decapitator Asaemon. With all of those players involved, the manga began to be ruled by its own sort of chaos theory. Any effort, by any character, sympathetic or unsympathetic was bound to find itself turned on its head. Starting with volume fourteen, Samurai took the radical step of removing Blade of the Immortal's eponymous immortal. Manj remains a crucial element of the story, but as an agency free test subject, locked in a basement of Edo Castle. With the *-ryu factions on their heels, obliterated or disbanded, sans Manji, with Rin and her new allies lost and confused, Samura stripped Blade of the Immortal of the martial mechanisms of chanbara. In that vacuum, the manga set its focus on a rapidly maturing Rin's quest to locate Manji while the Shogun's doctor's desperately try to unlock the secret of Manji's immortality. These efforts hit a critical confluence in volume 19. The doctor Burando and the executioner Asaemon have institutionalized a procedure in which men are turned into anonymous test subjects with their faces hidden behind otter-featured masks, before being treated by Burando and administered lethal chest wounds by Asaemon . Volume 19 has another of the torture scenes that seem to fascinate Samura (he's dedicated an art book to the subject), and it similarly projects affection upon Rin's homicidal young ally as she severs hands and punctures chests, but the results of Burando and Asemon's work transcends the grisly exchange of brutality inherent in a sword on sword revenge action story. That bloodletting does not inure the reader from the disturbing consequences of this systematic process. Intention plays a role in establishing why this is more unsettling than one of the manga's many duels. Blade of the Immortal is largely populated by killers, but there's one particular character who is a serial killer. In a world of brawlers, people willing to kill for an ideology or a principle, and those who have abandoned morality for one reason or another, the notion of a man who enters that maelstrom for the purpose of hurting people is notably alarming. In the case of Burando/Asemon, you have detached, results driven mania. These aren't even the goriest passages of Blade of the Immortal, but the unquestioned purpose juxtaposed against the smears of blood and piles of bodies make the experiment some of manga's truly disquieting moments. Rin originally embodied chanbara clarity. She was driven by revenge. She was raised in the strictures of formal tradition. 19 volumes in, she's been sculpted by her time with Manji, who memorably instructed her that sweating in training is no substitute for bleeding in a real life and death battle. Manji certainly had the scars and missing eye to prove the adage. And, she was formed by her conflict with the anti-dogmatic iconoclasty of the Itto-ryu. Few aspects or characters in Blade of the Immortal are reducible to a brief description and the formed Rin is no exception. You can write a thick treatise on gender politics studying how Samura depicts the shaped Rin. On one hand, she's stoic, commanding and as willing to grip a sword and run into danger as any of the manga's kenshi swordsman or homicidal maniacs. On the other, she's not entirely a XX version of Manji and his brothers in conflict. Speaking to another woman who is similarly enmeshed in the bloody existence, Rin argues that she knows the correct course of action because of her woman's intuition. Say that a character in Blade of the Immortal is faced with a force that likely outmatches them. An arbitrary Itto-ryu punk is staring down Manji. Manji, who's never been sold as the greatest swordsman in the game, is faced with a legend like Asaemon or Habaki. The veteran male kenshi of Blade of the Immortal will direct their warrior spirit, their anger, their masochism or their machismo at that overwhelming foe. There's instantly a scowl on their face. That's not the case with Rin. There's a moment where her nerves fray, in which she puts her arms across her body or hands to her mouth and expresses shock. There's a great attention to body language on Samura's part. Then, she pushes aside this instinctual reaction and throws herself into the same sort of violent redress as any of the male characters. It's evident that Samura thinks through every expression and posture, so reading into the intend of the manga in transformations like this is as compelling as simply following the story. Volume 20 begins to close the circle as matters are settle within the framework of the genre. In other words, swords are drawn within a couple of pages of the volume commencing. Over the years, Samura has made comments to the effect that he's not entirely satisfied staying within the confines of a Blade of the Immortal story, but that has not prevented in from making the genre his own. Beyond working in a discussion about our species capacity for brutality, Samura takes the sort of violent resolution that a chanbara fan expects and elevates it as its own grotesque art. Very early in Blade of the Immortal, there is a character whose love of banned foreign art drew him into accepting work as a spy in the service of the shogun. As we first see him, he has a sort of painter's block. He stares at his canvas, unable to complete his work until the fight between Rin, Manji and the Itto-ryu taking place in his courtyard results in a spray of blood hitting his canvas. In an instant, he's inspired, and settles the fight, before buying the corpses from Rin to fund her quest and use the blood in his works. The manga expresses some exasperation for the character, but, Samura has been working in similar manner throughout Blade of the Immortal. Whether it’s been the stumpy Asemon using a magician like mastery of the sword to poke holes in Manji or a particular stomach turning method for hiding a scalpel, Samura has routinely reinvigorated Blade of the Immortal by painting in blood.

Manga Spotlight: Yokaiden Volume 1 by Nina Matsumoto Released by Del Rey

Given the amount of time that I spend putting this column together, it will probably surprise no one to learn that I'm not a parent. I do however have friends with children of ages ranging from toddler to grade school. As someone who laments that children aren't allowed to read Kazuo Umezu manga, I'm unfortunately familiar with the reality that if manga is labeled "13+," there are parents who aren't going to let their kids near the book question. The reason for Yokaiden's 13+ rating is evident. Showing a limb caught in the steal jaws of a trap, then severed with an axe will do that. However, I do find the fact that Yokaiden is graphic enough to warrant that rating a bit perplexing. The number of English language/localized manga that can be given to a young child is small. The number of those manga that are actually any good is miniscule. Yokaiden is a darkly enchanting fable, along of lines of Yokai Wars cross with Labyrinth. As such I'd love to share it with my god child. Unfortunately, I know that if I gave it to the kid, their parents would spirit the book away. I'm not going to pretend to understand age ratings, but I'm inclined to think that if Yokaiden was a little less graphic, it might have been able to manage a more open rating. Undoubtedly, there are plenty of readers who are the perfect age for appreciating Yokaiden. I think younger audiences as well as older ones can enjoy the manga. I just wish it could have been tuned a bit such that it could have really been an all ages title. The greats of manga, including the above mentioned Umezu (Cat Eyed Boy), Osamu Tezuka (Dororo) and especially Ge Ge Ge No Kitaro creator Shigeru Mizuki (probably name checked in the Yokaiden's fictional authority Inuaki Mizuki) have demonstrated that the Japanese yokai mythology is fertile ground for enthrallingly haunting manga. To steal from my own impression of Hiroko Yoda and Matt Alt's Yokai Attack!: The Japanese Monster Survival Guide, there's something powerful in depicting a congress of yokai creatures... the subject of a story stumbles into the wrong moonlit forest clearing and finds that it is crammed with animated heads floating in the air or rolling on the ground, animal-human hybrids who may be beckoning cat girls or ferociously judgmental crow-men tengu, cannibal hags, prosperity house spirits and other representatives of a psychedelic host. The Japanese spirit realm of yokai offers a perspective on the world that is missing from much of our own mythology. Modern American folklore tends to be very human: urban legends of serial killers and other super-predators or creature cryptozoology. In contrast Japan's millennium long yokai tradition tends towards the anthropophagic... closer to banshee, harpies or fauns than chupacabra or hook-hands. A good yokai story breathes life into a murky corner of perception. It takes the fright of a dark corner, the wonder of a natural phenomenon, some metaphor or word play that sticks in the mind and gives it semi-human form. It might take some ferreting out, but one of the fascinating attributes of yokai is that they generally trace back to some mental hang-up. The Jack of this fairy tale is Hamachi. This self-described "classic, archetypical orphan" is alone in his love of yokai. While the rest of his non-present time period is anxieties to get a jump start on modernity by working to exterminate or at least actively forget about the spirit world, Hamachi is a devotee of Inuaki Mizuki, a traveling scholar who argued for coexistence with the yokai. The yokai start off hiding in the shadows around Hamachi; he'd pass out in a glade and then a rokuro kubi, stretching necked woman, would emerge to attend him. This involvement became more active when Hamachi stumbled into a kappa turtle-man-like water spirit, caught in a trap, on the verge of expiring. When Hamachi freed the kappa, the yokai grudgingly gave the boy his gratitude, but also promise to take revenge on who ever set the trap. Unfortunately, the trappist turned out to be Hamachi's cantankerous grandmother, and after a trip into town to sell bamboo, Hamachi discovers that the yokai have returned to take his grandmother soul. So, Hamachi set out for the yokai world to revive his stricken guardian. Yokaiden features a unique stylization that makes it look like a singular work, set apart in any field. I started getting a suspicion that it was originally written in English. For one thing, it was drawing together a lot of yokai from diverse regions and context, and taking pains to work introductions into the flow of the narrative or the margins of the volume. Secondly, the linguistic world plays caught my attention. A joke about a kappa dubbed "Madkap" struck me as too integrated into the conversation to be the product of a liberal translation. Then, I did what I should have done far earlier and looked at the cover to see who actually created the manga. That was sufficient to warrant a self-administered slap to the forehead. Yokaiden is the work of Nina Matsumoto, perhaps better known as Space Coyote, the artist who is internet famous for the manga Simpson's illustration. I'm certain that a Japanese version of this material would be quite different. That does not mean that I think a Japanese Yokaiden would be better. There's a look and personality to the manga that is uniquely Matsumoto's, and terribly charming. There's a great head for dual natures in Yokaiden. On one hand, its world is governed by banal troubles. There's plenty of illness, apathy and meanness. On the other, almost like a Roald Dahl children's book, in Hamachi, we're seeing this through the eyes of an indomitable spirit with its eyes on the wondrous elements of the world. Similarly, while the human population is aimed to eliminate the yokai from their lives, they are also deeply entangled with the spirit world. This goes back to the notion of yokai as embodied metaphors. If you frame experience through a suspicion that you're surrounded by yokai lurking just outside your field of vision, you can't stumble in the dark without thinking that a shin-rubber moved into place to trip you or hear an inexplicable noise without attributing it to something like an azuki-arai bean washer. The notes at the back of Yokaiden describe the minor characters of Hamachi's community. In one case, the notes give a yokai explanation and a psychological one for a woman's habit of gossiping. Again, Yokaiden demonstrates how the yokai serve the purpose of turning a metaphorical explanation into a spirit-entity. The book itself offers a duality in it's handling of the yokai. Hamachi is demonstrated to be an incessant speaker. As such, it's no stretch to put a deluge of introductory explanations concerning the yokai into his voice. The character can spend as much time as the author wishes laying out basic yokai information, and while there are some fourth wall jokes, the explanations don't break the spirit of the narrative. While the manga energetically introduces the yokai through Hamachi, it also let's those who are already familiar with the mythology join the fun. There are a lot of meta-bits for those who are in on the joke that aren't obscured to those who may not be. For example, the Hyakumonogatari Kaidankai (gathering of a hundred ghost stories) is a traditional Japanese social activity in which participants took turns snuffing out a candle after reciting a tale of the supernatural world. The Ouija board-ish part of the process has it that, when the last candle is extinguished, a supernatural presence is drawn to the location of the ceremony. The first chapter of Yokaiden basically introduces the concept. Then, each chapter of the book is a "candle," generally ending with a light being extinguished or some other sort of fade-out. If you are already familiar with what you're looking at, there is a lot to appreciate in Matsumoto's vivid depiction of the yokai. I am a mark for mythology stories in general, and yokai specifically, but I imagine that someone coming into this fresh would similarly be delighted by the look and actions of the beings in Yokaiden. The manga builds from rather than relies on the traditional fascination with these spirit beings. As yokai should be, they twist the familiar into something captivatingly weird. They invite the curiosity that a child might have for looking for hidden worlds under a rock or in the shadows, and still seem a bit dangerous. Matsumoto has a dynamic look to her cartooning that makes these creatures seem very present. When you're looking into the eye of a cyclopean sandal, that eye really seems to glisten and stare out the page. Yokaiken might not be a realistic manga, but Matsumoto's illustration is effective in suggesting the experience of encountering one of these bizarre out-of-a-dream creatures.

Intentional City Hunter TV Series in the Works

According to Anime News Network, South Korea's Chosun Ilbo reports that American company Fox Television Studios signed a tentative agreement to co-produce and distribute a joint Korean-Japanese live-action adaptation of Tsukasa Hojo's City Hunter crime manga. According to KBS, a 13 episode has been written in English with the intention of casting Hollywood stars alongside Jung Woo-sung (Beat, A Moment to Remember), who has been cast as the lead. Shooting will be done in shot in Seoul and Tokyo.
The crime manga follows woman chasing "sweeper" (private investigator/problem solver) Ryo Saeba. It's anime adaptation was released in North America was released in ADV Films while the original manga was released in Gutsoon's Raijin anthology. A previous, Hong Kong based live action adaption featured Jacky Chan in the lead role.

The Business

FUNimation parent company Navarre Corporation announced that BCI Eclipse Company, its wholly-owned subsidiary, will shut down its licensing operations in connection with the implementation of a restructuring plan. This restructuring will include a workforce reduction, a write down of assets and the incorporation of BCI's exclusively distributed DVD business into the company's distribution segment. Cary Deacon, Navarre's Chief Executive Officer, commented, "To deal with the effect of the recession, we are moving quickly to decrease expenses in all areas of our business. BCI's operations have been unprofitable for the past two years. Although strides have been made this year to improve operating results, it has been mainly due to the strength of BCI's exclusive distribution business. Rapidly changing conditions in the licensed and budget DVD markets during this holiday sales season have prompted us to make more fundamental changes. In response, we are closing BCI's licensing unit in order to position our overall business for enhanced financial results upon the improvement of macro economic conditions." Deacon continued, "We continue to be very excited about the DVD content that will now be exclusively sold and marketed through Navarre Distribution Services. These changes will allow us to focus our efforts on growing the sales of the DVD content that is most appealing to our retail customers and consumers. Mr. Bob Freese will be the executive in charge of this restructuring and will be responsible for the smooth transition of our BCI distribution partners." The company indicated that its financial results for the fiscal 2009 third quarter, ending December 31, 2008, will include a significant charge related to the impairment of the carrying value of certain balance sheet assets and in connection with severance costs. This restructuring is expected to be substantially complete by the end of January 2009 and is a part of the company's strategy to reduce its overall cost structure. BCI had release Asian live action films such as Kitaro, Tokusatsu such as Ultraman and Super Robot Red Baron and anime animated shows such as He-Man. Steve Harrison offers commentary here and "The Angry Otaku" weighs in here (make sure to read the comments) Steve Harrison said... Well, I go into this some at my blog. I contend that the problem wasn't the product itself (niche, boutique titles) so much as the lack of B & M stores carrying them, combined with lackluster advertising support. Consider: BCI is losing money for about two years? Just about the amount of time since the closing of Musicland Group's stores and Tower, plus the downsizing of the DVD area that Best Buy has been doing. Online stores just don't do the job for niche titles, because people don't know they're out, and the solicitations are poorly composed, and the minimum wage folks doing the data entry can't see past just typing what's on the page and nobody oversees to properly 'flag' titles for easy searching.
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ICV2 reports that the feud between Upper Deck and Konami has expanded into Europe. Upper Deck International and Upper Deck Panoceanic have announced that they have filed for an injunction in the Netherlands against Konami on the basis of unlawful termination. Konami announced on December 12th that it was taking over all operational and business aspects of the Yu-Gi-Oh! Trading Card Game.
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Katherine Dacey offers a few thoughts about the state of manga publishing
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Chris Beveridge (Anime on DVD) lists Top Five Things Anime Companies Did Wrong in 2008
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ICV2 lists Top 300 Graphic Novels Actual--November 2008 Manga from the top 10 include (listed with rank, index, title, price, publisher and estimated quantity) 9 - 5.14 - NARUTO TP VOL 32 - $7.95 - VIZ - 5,302 10 - 4.38 - FRUITS BASKET GN VOL 21 (Of 23) - $9.99 TKP - 4,518 19 - 3.27 - BERSERK TP VOL 26 - $13.95 - DAR - 3,373 41 - 2.31 - TRIGUN MAXIMUM TP VOL 13 DOUBLE DUEL - $9.95 - DAR - 2,383 44 - 2.24 - YU GI OH GX GN VOL 02 - $7.99 - VIZ - 2,311 48 - 2.16 - TSUBASA GN VOL 19 - $10.95 - RAN - 2,228
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Ed Chavez on the demise of MangaNovel
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Matt Blind talks Borders here and here
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The market for Yen+ anthology issues on eBay.

New and Upcoming North American Releases

Anime Midstream New anime distributor Anime Midstream will enter into the market with 51 episode Sunrise mechan anime Zettai Muteki Raijin-Oh.
Zettai Muteki Raijin-Oh is a 51 episode Japanese anime television series, and the first series produced for the Eldoran franchise funded by Tomy and produced by Sunrise. It aired in Japan from April 3, 1991 to March 25, 1992. The story revolves around a group of elementary school children who are given command of a mecha named Raijin-Oh and their efforts to defend the Earth from the evil Jaku Empire. The Jaku Empire targets Earth to be conquered. They launch a missile attempting to flood the world with Akudama, balls of darkness which materializes various human miseries into monsters (the words of humans which bring their troubles into monsters.) However, the guardian of light Eldoran appears piloting Raijin-Oh to thwart them. In response, the missile is detonated prematurely scattering its payload and sending Raijin-Oh down to crash into a school. There, Eldoran protects the 5th grade class whose classroom it was about to fall into, and grants each of them medals which grant them control over different aspects of Raijin-Oh. He reconfigures the school so their classroom becomes a command center when activated, and charges them with the task of protecting the Earth. Release dates and other details are to be determined. Bandai Entertainment Via Anime on DVD 03-03-2009 Mobile Suit Gundam 0080: War in the Pocket Anime Legends
03-17-2009 Gurren Lagann Best Sound CD Gurren Lagann Part 3 (also w/Limited Edition) Lucky Star Vol. #6 (also w/Limited Edition)
Del Rey Del Rey Manga announced the acquisition of the manga NINJA GIRLS, by Hosana Tanaka.
In Japan’s distant past, ninja warriors ruled the land. Raizo, a young man disfigured by a strange horn in the middle of his forehead, is an outcast who has a long way to go before becoming a ninja. But an encounter with a beautiful female ninja leads him to realize his destiny—he’s the last living descendant of a feudal lord family, and now he has a group of gorgeous, glamorous ninjas who will do anything to help him regain his throne! The martial-arts-themed manga is an ongoing series that currently has five volumes published in Japan under the title Rappi Rangai. NINJA GIRLS marks Tanaka’s US manga debut. First Second First Second will be releasing Korean manhwa The Color of Earth by Kim Dong Hwa in April and June 2009
FUNimation The first announcement in FUNimation New Year's count down as he 13-episode action-adventure anime series Ikki Tousen from Enoki Films. FUNimation now has broadcast, digital, merchandise and home entertainment rights to the series in the U.S. and its territories as well as Canada.
This is battle-action series is based on the popular manga comic entitled "Ikki-Tousen" created by Yuzo Shiozaki and inspired by the classic novel "Romance of the Three Kingdoms". The anime was directed by Takashi Watanabe (Slayers, Desert Punk, Wallflower) and produced by J.C. Staff Co. There was a time when ambitious warriors fought for their lords, their people and their country. And there was a time when warriors battled for honor, pride and their own name. It was said that the spirits and souls of such brave warriors were sealed into distinctive comma-shaped beads called "magatama" which were handed down to their descendents.The magatama dispersed widely throughout time and history. Now the young girls who inherited these strange jewels are suddenly awakened and set out for battles of conquest just as the ancient warriors fought for their dream some 1800 years ago. Their strong spirits lead these young fighting beauties to battle for ultimate victory. FUNimation Entertainment will release the series on DVD in 2009. The anime was previously released in North America by Geneon. FUNimation Entertainment also announced that it has acquired broadcast, digital, mobile, merchandise and home entertainment rights to the 26-episode mech action-adventure anime series Gad Guard from GDH. Gad Guard was directed by Hiroshi Nishikiori (Jyu Oh Sei) and produced by Studio Gonzo (Afro Samurai, Witchblade, Samurai 7). The animation director was Masahiro Aizawa (Hell Girl)
Many people have searched for it, many have stolen it, and many will kill for it. The Gad is a seemingly magical stone that, once making a strong spiritual connection with someone, will grow into a very powerful robot known as a Techode: a mechanical being that embodies the will of the bonded person. This is the story of Hajiki Sanada, a boy struggling to help support his fatherless family in an electricity-impoverished city known as Night Town. One day he encounters a Gad. Now his life will never be the same... FUNimation Entertainment will release the series on DVD in 2009. A review can be read here
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Via ToonZone FUNimation will be debuting a collection Shonen Jump adaptation D.Gray-Man on 3/31/09 for $59.98 martial arts comedy Kenichi: The Mightiest Disciple Season 1 DVD Part 1 will be released March 10th for $49.98, and violent samurai anime Shigurui: Death Frenzy for $59.98 on DVD and $69.98 on Blu-ray. 3/10 Darker Than Black vol. 3 - $29.98 Fullmetal Alchemist Season 2 Box Set - $69.98 Paniponi Dash Box Set - $69.98 Speed Grapher Box Set - $49.98 3/27 Tsubasa vol. 12 - $29.98 3/24 Baccano vol. 2 - $29.98 Claymore vol. 4 - $29.98 Fruits Basket Box Set (Viridian) - $49.98 Solty Rei Box Set (Viridian) - $49.98 Trinity Blood Box Set (Viridian) - $49.98 Tokyo Majin Season 1 Part 2 - $59.98 3/31 Dragon Ball Z Movies 8, 10, 11 $29.98 DVD $34.98 Blu-ray Negima!? Part 2 - $59.98 One Piece Season 1 Part 4 - $49.98 Shuffle! Box Set - $69.98 Wallflower, The Part 2 - $59.98 Anime on DVD found clues suggesting an upcoming release of Tsubasa on Blu-ray Go!Comi Kuriousity has posted an unannounced Trill on Eden by Maki Fujita (the Devil Within) on Amazon. Right Stuf Right Stuf announced that the 13 episode DVD set ARIA The NATURAL – Part 2 DVD Collection will be released on March 24, 2009 for $49.99 Based on Kozue Amano’s best-selling ARIA manga, the ARIA anime consists of three television seasons – ARIA The ANIMATION, ARIA The NATURAL and ARIA The ORIGINATION – plus an OVA (original video animation). The entire anime adaptation features direction by Junichi Sato (Princess Tutu, Sgt. Frog, Sailor Moon/ Sailor Moon R) and animation by Hal Film Maker (Boys Be…, Pretear, Slayers Premium, Sketchbook ~full color’S~). The ARIA The ANIMATION DVD Collection – containing the franchise’s complete 13-episode first season – is currently available from Right Stuf and Nozomi Entertainment. Amano’s 12-volume ARIA manga and its two-volume prequel, AQUA, are both published in North America by TOKYOPOP. In Japan, the ARIA manga was originally serialized in MAG Garden’s Comic Blade magazine. Akari, Aika and Alice continue to strive toward their goal of becoming Neo-Venezia’s top gondoliers. But as their skills improve, they find themselves faced with new challenges. On their journey to become Primas, the three girls will have to paint a palina, serve as hostesses at the Festa del Redentore, and even learn how to be brave in the face of a dangerous passenger! Contains episodes 14-26 of the second ARIA television season.
ARIA The NATURAL © 2006 Kozue Amano / MAG Garden - ARIA Company. Smith Micro SMITH MICRO SOFTWARE'S CONSUMER GROUP ANNOUNCES MANGA STUDIO 4.0 FOR MAC AND WINDOWS Smith Micro Software, Inc. announced the availability of Manga Studio™ Debut 4.0 and Manga Studio™ EX 4.0 sofware pages. Manga Studio 4.0 offers a suite of screen tones, content and special effects as well as built-in drag and drop word balloons and a color palette. Manga Studio EX 4.0 offers new features including specialized color correction tools, enhanced filtering sets and special effects, new vector tools to create resolution-independent vector images, and hundreds of 3D objects. The MSRP for Manga Studio Debut 4.0 is $49.99. Previous users can upgrade for $19.99. Manga Studio EX 4.0 is available for $299.99, with upgrades from previous versions priced at $129.99. Warner Home Video A two DVD set of Max Fleischer's Superman will be released on DVD 4/7/09 for $26.99

Bob Sapp vs Kinnikuman for New Years

MMA Junkie reports that figher/pro-wrestler Bob Sapp will be take on Japanese wrestling standout Akihito Tanaka (0-0) wearing a Kinniku Mantaro mask at K-1's New Year event FieLDS Dynamite!! 2008 event at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan.
Kinniku Mantaro is the manga/anime super-powered pro-wrestler, part of the MUSCLE figures line and the star of the animated series localized as Ultimate MUSCLE. Other fights on the card "Kinniku Mantaro" vs. Bob Sapp Hong Man Choi vs. Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic Daisuke Nakamura vs. Hideo Tokoro Artur Kyshenko vs. Yoshihiro Sato Semmy Schilt vs. Siala "Mighty Mo" Siliga Eddie Alvarez vs. Shinya Aoki Mark Hunt vs. Jerome Le Banner Kazushi Sakuraba vs. Kiyoshi Tamura Gesias "JZ" Calvancante vs. Joachim Hansen Tatsuya Kawajiri vs. Kozo Takeda Gegard Mousasi vs. Musashi Hiroya vs. Shimada Shota Kusakabe Ryuya vs. Urabe Koya For those unfamiliar with mixed martial arts, it should be noted that other fights on the card, such as Eddie Alvarez, Shinya Aoki, "JZ" Calvancante and Joachim Hansen are top rated fighters at the peak of their careers while Kazushi Sakuraba and Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic are legends in the sport.

In the Law

According to ICV2, a three judge panel of the 4th Circuit Court of Appeals have update the conviction of Dwight Whorley for possession of real and anime depictions of children. The court ruled that there is no necessity that an actual child be involved for a conviction. In the majority opinion, Judge Paul V. Niemeyer stated that under the PROTECT Act of 2003, under which Whorley was convicted, “it is not a required element of any offense under this section that the minor depicted actually exists.” Whorley is currently serving 20 years in prison. The Comic Book Legal Defense Fun is currently assisting in the defense of Christopher Handley who is being charged under the PROTECT Act for possession of manga. The case is scheduled to go to trial in early January. BBC reports that an appeal judge in Australia has ruled that an animation depicting well-known cartoon characters engaging in illicit acts can be considered illegal. The defense had argued that the fictional, animated characters were not real people, and clearly departed from the human form, but Judge Michael Adams decided that it could, and found a man from Sydney guilty of possessing the animated work. Rather than jail the man, however, he fined him Aus$3,000 blog@newsarama collects the pertinent information Otaku2 on Doujinshi and Law

Anime x Games

Dynasty Warriors Gundam 2: Thousand-Army Screenshots
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The second expansion to online, anime-style collectable card game Alteil, Wrath Of The Four Gods, is available now. Rebalanced free Starter Sets and round of upgrades on the first two sets of cards are also available. The new cards feature art by by Rei (Code Geass Manga), Masaki Hirooka (Culdcept Saga, Sonic and the Secret Rings), Kazuno Yuikawa (Aquarian Age, Ragnarok Online), and more For more see trailer Set 1 and 2 card upgrades starter sets
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Jostiq notes that the special edition of Street Fighter IV will retail for $79.99. Both the Xbox 360 and PS3 versions come with the game, soundtrack CD, hint book, and either a C. Viper or Ryu figurine (360 and PS3, respectively). The Ties That Bind Studio 4°C animated feature is packaged on Blu-ray Disc for PS3 and a special game disc (not a standard DVD) for 360, which has allowed Capcom to encode it at 720p resolution.
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A trailer for the soon to be released source engine multiplayer mod NeoTokyo More info here

Digital Distribution

FUNimation Entertainment announced the test launch of its online video service, offering viewers the largest selection of streaming, on-demand anime programming for free. FUNimation will legally offer hundreds of high-quality, full-length episodes, including many full series, of current and catalogue programming from its library. Among the many titles of the video player launch are episodes of Darker Than Black, Guyver, Black Blood Brothers, Gunslinger Girl Il Teatrino, Jyu-Oh-Sei, Negima 2, Ouran High School Host Club, Romeo X Juliet, Shigurui: Death Frenzy, STRAIN: Strategic Armored Infantry and many other top titles that are not available anywhere else. Each week, FUNimation will be rolling out new episodes of the newest and best anime from Japanese producers -- including those currently airing in Japan -- as well other select video such as trailers, exclusive interviews, podcasts and other FUNimation original productions. Features of the site include:
  • Higher-quality video player
  • Both subtitled and English-dubbed episodes
  • Flash video streaming, ensuring ease of use and cross-platform compatibility
  • Same-screen video playback, without a separate pop-up window
  • Expandable video player
  • Lower lights feature
  • Ability to share video
"The site was created to bring together the largest selection of the best anime and offer it in the highest-quality video available – for free,” said Brandon White, Interactive Manager at FUNimation Entertainment. “We designed it with the anime fan in mind. They can watch their favorite series anywhere and anytime – as long as they are connected!”
During this beta period, FUNimation will continue to add features that will enhance the consumers viewing experience.
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Crunchyroll is offering pre-ordered the Anime Membership at a promotional price of $6.95/month through January 8, 2009. Members will receive a limited edition NARUTO virtual headband. For more information see www.crunchyroll.com All site visits will be able to see content including the first eight episodes of NARUTO SHIPPUDEN on Jan 2, 2009, but Anime Members will enjoy some additional special privileges. Crunchyroll Anime Member benefits include higher quality streams of all shows (in some cases at 720p High Definition Video) with no advertisement and early access to simulcast shows such as NARUTO SHIPPUDEN, GINTAMA, SKIP BEAT, SHUGO CHARA!, WEB GHOST, LINEBARRELS OF IRON, and additional titlesone (1) hour after its Japan Broadcast.
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Crunchyroll and Dream Kid, Inc. announced a partnership to premiere the Japanese live-action drama franchise DETECTIVE OFFICE 5 on Crunchyroll for North American audiences. "DETECTIVE OFFICE 5 is an important property to us," states Rob Pereyda, senior director and head of licensing at Crunchyroll. "By expanding our licensing portfolio and leading this new genre category with such an exciting piece of engaging, live-action Japanese drama, we are able to fulfill the needs of fans and continue our international licensing efforts." Program will launch today at the official Crunchyroll D-5 community and feature videos, interactive chat, forums, photos, and more. A suite of virtual goods for Crunchyland, Crunchyroll's browser-based MMO, will follow shortly after the launch to help sustain D-5's awareness and promote it to Crunchyroll's gaming fans.
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Naruto.com has begun streaming the final five episode of the Naruto anime series (216-220) before the follow-up Naruto Shippuden launches in January.
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Anime Vice tours Crunchyroll's office
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Publishers Weekly on New iPhone E-book Apps from ScrollMotion The New Yorker on reading novels on phones

Event News

Arizona's Phoenix Comicon has announced that the event will host voice actress Tara Platt. Tara Platt has lent her voice to many well-loved animes, American cartoons, and video games. Her voice can be heard in a variety of roles, from Temari in "Naruto," Dream Girl in "Legion of Superheroes," Hrist/Leone in "Valkyre Profile: Silmeria," Genie/Isabel in "HALO 2/ilovebees," and Tokiko from "Busou Renkin." She was also in other series and features like "Digimon: Island of Lost Digimon," "RaveMaster," "Tokko," "FateStayNight," "DearS," and "Boys Be." Tara has also acted in front of the camera for television shows like "Gilmore Girls," "Charmed," "The Playbook," "One Life to Live," and "Days of Our Lives." She can be seen in movies as well, including "Time & Tide," "Scarecrow III," "I'm Through with White Girls," and "BackSlash." Tara has been an actress since she was nine and has since acted in Europe and the United States. Currently she is working with Yuri Lowenthal, another guest at the Phoenix Comicon, on their new production company Monkey Kingdom Productions. She continues to work in acting as she expands into writing as well. Phoenix Comicon is bringing in costume experts Kaijugal (winner of Costume Con 26s Single Pattern Contest Best in Class award), Maral Agnerian "Sarcasm-hime" (winner of numerous Workmanship awards), Cosplay Zone (theatrical-based acting troup), and Christophe Tang (voted "Janime/Popjneo's Cosplayer of the Year"). For more information on the customing aspect of the event, see here The Phoenix Comicon will be held January 23-25 at the Mesa Convention Center in Mesa, Arizona
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LA's Cinefamily will be hosting Jerry Beck presents Juvenile Mindrot: Inappropriate and Disturbing Kids' Cartoons Tuesday, January 13th @ 8:00pm.
Too violent, too scary, too depressing and no longer suitable for kids! Animation historian Jerry Beck returns with a full program of classic cartoons both no longer shown on television, and not on DVD. Originally made for children, these roasters are no longer appropriate for small fry, whether it's because of the violence, cross dressing, smoking, sexism, or just straight-up bizarre ingredients contained within. If your childhood wasn't already perverted by hours upon hours of unhinged animation, this show will make it up to you. Ultra-rare 16mm and 35mm prints will be screened--bring your kids at your own risk. Tickets - $13/$9 for members Cinefamily calendar

Upcoming in Japan

Previews Canaan - based in the Wii visual novel To Love-Ru -Trouble Wolf and Spice II Kamogawa Horumo Anime Via Anime News Network The Jump Festa event revealed that a new Prince of Tennis direct to video OVA entitled Tennis no Ouji-sama OVA Another Story ~Kako to Mirai no Message~ (The Prince of Tennis OVA Another Story ~A Message on the Past and Future~) is in production.

Anime on English Language TV

ICV2 reports that 4Kids Entertainment has unveiled their CW4Kids 5-hour Saturday, which will debut on January 3rd, 2009. Chaotic: M’arrillian Invasion and Sonic X will make the switch from the Fox Network to the CW. The new CW4Kids Saturday morning lineup looks like this (ET, PT): 7:00AM – Will & Dewit 7:30AM – The Spectacular Spiderman 8:00AM – Sonic X 8:30AM – GOGORIKI 9:00AM – Dinosaur King 9:30AM – TMNT: Back to the Sewer 10:00AM – Chaotic M’arrillian Invasion 10:30AM – Huntik 11:00AM – Yu-Gi-Oh! 5Ds 11:30AM – Kamen Rider, Dragon Knight
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via Nausicaa.net Howl's Moving Castle airs on SBS in Australia on Boxing Day (December 26) at 10:20pm. Boxing Day Film4 in the UK airs My Neighbor Totoro at 13:00. The Cat Returns starts at 16:50 on December 29.

Cool Figures News

Go Hero is taking pre-orders for Larry "Buster" Crabbe As Flash Gordon 1:6 Scale Figure, scheduled to be released in 1st qtr 2009 for $145.00 Go Hero's plans for the upcoming New York Comic Con include showcasing their Ray Harryhausen Skeleton Warriors and Cyclops, as well as a prototype of the newly announced 1:6 Buck Rogers Rocket
Go Hero contests are currently running at Figures.com / One Sixth Warrior - Future Villain Customizing Contest Toys R Evil - "Home-Made Ray-Gun" Contest Vinyl Pulse - "In the Future" Art Contest
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Interesting posts on CollectionDX include Bandai PROSHOP Limited model 1/72 VF-25F Messiah Valkyrie Clear Ver Daiapollon Dana Sterling from Southern Cross / Robotech Masters Dancouga Nova DX Chogokin GE-46 Phone Braver official Pix REVOLTECH NOT DEAD - New Gurrel Lagann Revoltech Revoltech Revolution 008 Uighur prison chief from Fist of the North Star Scopedog Turbo Custom Tokyo Cult Art by BEAMS and M1?
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Planet of the Apes Cosbaby figures
1/5 Gurren Lagann Yoko PVC DIY Vinyl Toy: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle Adfunture’S Hiroshi Fujiwara Figure
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Revoltech Christmas Nendoroid Puchi: Lucky?Star New Year Capsule

Worth Checking Out...

Insight Episode 82 of Right Stuf's Anime Today podcast features an interview with Fred Ladd – the producer of anime classics including Astro Boy and Kimba the White Lion and the author of the upcoming book Astro Boy and Anime Come to the Americas. In this new, four-segment interview, Ladd talks about what fans can find in his new book, his recent trip to Japan for the celebration of Osamu Tezuka’s 80th birthday, the similarities between “Kimba” and “Simba,” the history of anime in the U.S., the live-action Speed Racer movie, and his early impressions of Imagi’s CGI Astro Boy movie, which is scheduled to hit theaters in 2009. David Welsh puts in a good work for josei title Suppli and lists Five Memorable Moments in Manga for 2008, 2008 series debuts and 2008 series conclusions About.com:manga lists their 2008 Best New Manga MangaRecon's contributor's list effectively cancelled manga that they'd like to see rescued Justin Sevakis presents an interesting perspective on Sky Crawlers Reverse Thieves says "Your mother is a Fujoshi!" Matt Mullins Interview - Kamen Rider Dragon Knight Something Deeper: Anime presents Student Project: Preservation of Manga Part two Part three Part four The site also has Post NYAF 2008 with Ali T. Kokmen Pokemon Seizure - the scientific evidence MangaBlog points out these Death Note essays Manga leading to study of the Japanese language The second part of Destroy All Podcasts DX's look at Oshii's Urusei Yatsura Movie 2: Beautiful Dreamer Speaking of podcasts, Anime World Order celebrates their third anniversary with Bubblegum Crisis Iwa ni Hana on Kusumoto Maki, Jinyoung Shin, Imarang, Bing Shu Qing, Nonami Hiroshi also The 2nd anniversary of Iwa ni Hana, and a wishlist for 2009
Media full sized Gundam head New Rivkah (Steady Beat) art The first four minutes of the Street Fighter: Round One – FIGHT! animated comic Sneak Peek at Yuri Monogatari 6 Misc If you were paying attention, but didn't figure it out, the cover of Electric Ant was an QR code, and one that revealed a contest
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