Father Geek here to introduce you to a NEW regular weekly column here at AICN. Scott Green will be filing his weekly report on the state of ANIME and/or MANGA in a stand alone late week column now after a several week trial run as part of our Asia-AICN Thursday column. His section of that long running series has proven so popular that it has earned this position under its own byline from now on. Sooooo Anime/Manga fans here you go... support this column by sending Scott all your news on the world of anime to His Space Platform in stationary orbit high above the Pacific somewhere...
Toriyama's Dragon Ball Parody
According to Toriyama's World the new manga named "Neko Majin Z" that will be running in the June Monthly Jump by Dragon Ball creator Akira Toriyama is in fact a parody of Dragon Ball staring "Neko Majin ga Iru" Planet Namek has a preview image at here
Release Information
A number of interesting new releases have been announced. The mecha series Detonator Orgun will be released on 9/11/01. The 159 minute collection will retail for $29.99.
The first five episodes of the sci-fi police drama Patlabor television series will retail for $29.999 on its 8/14 release.
The 100 minute collection of Garaga, about a star ship that crashes on a planet inhabited by militaristic ape creatures, will be released on 9/11 for $29.99. The long await fourth volume of the gross-out comedy Ping Pong Club will arrive on 9/111 and feature four episodes.
According to Diamond's Preview magazine Arc the Lad Volume 3, Boah, and Getter Robo: Resurrection will be released on DVD in July.
Baoh is a science fiction about a secret organization called "Doress" that has funded the development of a genetically engineered parasite code-named "BAOH". Organisms infected by BAOH become living survival machines, virtually indestructible, able to mutate their body structure to meet any threat. Properly controlled, the BAOH parasite could allow Doress to control the World. Getter Robo: Resurrection is presumably the new name for Shin Getter Robo, a retro mecha series from Go Nagai, who helped to found the genre with Mazinger (Tranzor). The series' character design at a noteworthy bend towards Go Nagai's horror style.
Hand Maid May from Pioneer
The recently anime series Hand Maid May will be released in the US through Pioneer. Early information that has been called rumors by Pioneer have stated that The 11 episode series will be released on three discs in a 4/3/4 format. Right Stuf has listed a two episodes volume for release on 8/13 for $29.99
Anime News Network has learned from their Pioneer Entertainment contact that the rumors that Hand Maid May has been set for a release date later this summer are true. However, the exact date will not be announced until some time in May, and any previous Internet conjecture about this title is no more than conjecture. Hand Maid May is about a student of Osza no Mizu Industries University who is creating an artificially intelligent robot when his rival gives a CD rom with a virus that causes him to accidentally order a May, a 4" robot programmed for household chores.
Otomo Manga Update
It was reported that the new Katsuhiro Otomo (creator of Akira) manga, Orbital Era would be published by Ultra Jump, but it turns out it will come out in Young Magazine, published by Kodansha, which published his earlier works, including Akira, Domu, and The Legend of Mother Sara.
Akira Information
Anime on DVD has learned that the released on Akira on VHS and DVD has shifted from 7/3 to 7/24. The speculation is that the new date is better for retail reasons. The other information is about the deluxe edition with the special tin being made for it. Apparently the first 75,000 copies will be packaged in this collectors tin and after that it will be a typical two disc case. Digital Bits is running a piece of Akira artwork that they're calling the upcoming DVD artwork. No indication of whether this is the standard edition cover or the deluxe edition cover. According to a press release Akira made $22,000 in its first week on one screen in New York and will be shown in digital theaters when it heads out West. Pioneer expects to recoup the restoration costs through ancillary sales of DVDs and videocassettes.
Akira's shown in Los Angeles and San Francisco 4/27/2001:
Digital Screenings at
AMC MEDIA CENTER NORTH 6; 770 North First Street, Burbank, CA, 818-953-9800
AMC 1000 VAN NESS; San Fransisco, CA, 415-922-4262
Battle of the Planets Release
Two volumes of Battle of the Planet (originally Gatchaman) are scheduled for VHS and DVD release. The VHS and DVD editions will be released at the same time (day-and-date).
VHS editions - $9.95 each
Battle of the Planets - Volume One
· Attack of the Space Terrapin
· Rescue of the Astronauts
Battle of the Planets - Volume Two
· The Space Mummy
· The Space Serpent
DVD editions - $19.95 each
Battle of the Planets - Volume One
· Attack of the Space Terrapin
· Rescue of the Astronauts
Bonus Materials:
· Animated menus
· Gatchaman episode 1 (Gatchaman Vs. Turtleking)
· Gatchaman episode 2 (The Evil Ghostly Aircraft Carrier Appears) · G-Force (one episode - to-be-determined)
Battle of the Planets - Volume Two
· The Space Mummy
· The Space Serpent
Bonus Materials:
· Animated menus
· Gatchaman episode 3 (The Giant Mummy That Calls in Storms)
· Gatchaman episode 4 (Revenge on the Iron Monster Mechadegon)
· G-Force (one episode - to-be-determined)
All episodes should all be presented uncut. Gatchaman episodes on the DVDs will be in Japanese, and the viewer will have the option of watching them with or without English subtitles. There are likely to be additional DVD bonus features announced. There should also be some surprise printed extras included with the videos
The exact release dates are to-be-determined, but Rhino is now looking at having the two VHS and DVD volumes available in July. Catalog numbers are also to-be-determined.
A Few AIC FAQ Questions
From the English AIC page: http://www.a-i-c.co.jp/e/index.html
Q1: Is there any plan for AIC produce more Dual?
A1:No. AIC and Pioneer LDC has no plan to produce more Dual at the moment.
Q2: When will Tenchi Muyo 3rd OVA come out in Japan? Will it go to USA?
A2: We only got the permission of release production news. That is only thing we got as Tenchi fans. Other than that is confidential. Dual has often been compared to a satirical retelling of Neon Genesis Evangelion. Some viewers have criticized the series for being far too derivative, while others have praised it for being less pretentious than Evangelion.
4 Kids Acquires Pokemon Replacement
4 Kids, the company that brought Pokemon to the US is now being over the fad that killed Pokemon in Japan, Yu-Gi-Oh. Yu Gi Oh is the story of a boy named Yuugi Mutou who must defeat the Game King from the Millenium Puzzle by defeat him in a series of games. A reoccurring game played by Yuugi and his rival Kaiba is "Magic and Wizards", a cross between Magic: The Gathering and Pokemon. The 27 episode television series, based on manga by Kazuki Takahashi from Shonen Jump Comics, aired in 1998. In December of 1999 there were reports that FUNimation, who releases Dragon Ball in the US had acquired the domain names yu-gi-oh.net and yugioh.net leading to speculation that FUNimation would be acquiring the series.
Anime Sound Tracks
Usually I only report on Anime merchandise on my own site, but several sound tracks have been announced for domestic release that are worth a looking. Two volumes of Macross Plus music, from Yohko Yanno of Escaflowne/Cowboy Bebop fame are returning to the domestic market through Right Stuf's AnimeTrax pm 6/26 for $14.98 each. Music is performed by the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra.
Track listings can be found at here and here
Jellybean Recordings will be releasing presenting "Anime Toonz Presents Kikuko Inoue", a compilation of dance remixes of songs from various hit anime series. Each song on the collection is covered in its original Japanese language by popular seiyuu (voice actor) Kikuko Inoue, who is well known to anime fans as the voice of Belldandy in "Ah! My Goddess", Kasumi Tendo in "Ranma 1/2", and Rune Venus in "El Hazard". The vocals layed down by Ms. Inoue were tremixed by DJ/remixers: Small Jet from Japan, KGK from NYC, and BETA from NJ/NYC. The remixes vary in genre from deep house to progressive house to trance to drum & bass. Artwork for the CD and printed inserts was illustrated by Mr. Shinya Hasegawa, who is famous for this character design and work for Sailor Moon R, S and SuperS, as well as for Neon Genesis Evangelion and the Utena TV series and movie.
For more information see here
Broccoli/Digi Charat Come to US
Broccoli Co, LTD (http://www.broccoli.co.jp), Japan's second largest distributor of Japanese animation (anime) and game merchandise, invested in Digital Manga, Inc. (http://www.emanga.com), a California corporation, who distributes anime and related merchandise in the US. Digital Manga will begin distributing Broccoli's original products, which includes "DiGi Charat" and "Aquarian Age" character goods, exclusively in the US. Digital Manga also plans to open a retail store in the Los Angeles area by July 2001. Broccoli, which operates a chain of retail stores in Japan called "Gamers," will be supplying the retail store with merchandise from Japan.
There are also plans for Digital Manga to begin licensing Broccoli's character goods in the US.
Dragon Ball Re-Scheduled Again
From www.dragonballz.com:
The Dragon Ball air date has been rescheduled from June 4. The new date that Dragon Ball is to begin airing on Cartoon Network is June 25. We apologize for the delay and hopefully this will be the last reschedule. Dragon Ball is still slotted for 5:30pm Eastern Standard Time, immediately after Dragon Ball Z.
Gamers Coming to US, Bringing Digi Charat?
Broccoli has invested US$2 million with the Digital MANGA corperation and will open their first US "Gamers" store this July in Los Angeles. A second store in the LA area is also planned, and-5 more stores are expected to open on the West Coast by 2002. Hopefully they will bring their animated mascot Digi-Charat with them. Digi-Charat is a green haired girl in a cat costume who works in the Gamers store. A hyper paced anime series of five minute shorts was developed based on her.
