Faulconer Productions has announced that they will be releasing 2 domestic Dragonball Z soundtracks on July 15: the Trunks Compendium and the Best of DBZ. Both CDs will contain the controversial background music that Bruce Faulconer created for FUNimation’s DBZ dubs. Ironically, neither soundtrack will utilize any actual DBZ artwork. AnimeNation will carry these discs when they become available.
Wired Magazine has published a brief review of the first volume of Gasaraki.
The Japanese Challenger HP video game arcade chain homepage has posted 4 short video clips of game footage from Tekken 4. The clips show Yoshimitsu vs Xiaoyu, Steve Fox vs King, Xiaoyu vs Paul Phoenix, and Steve Fox vs Kazuya. Tekken 4 is scheduled to appear in select Japanese arcades beginning July 21st.
Tsui Hark’s Legend of Zu, sequel to his influential 1983 kung-fu fantasy film Zu: Warriors from Magic Mountain, will premier in Asia on August 9th and come to America through Miramax films this Christmas. According to MonkeyPeaches.com, Hark is already considering directing a third Zu film, possibly to star Joey Wang, who stared in Tsui Hark’s Chinese Ghost Story films.
Question:
Why do people in America, specifically in the media business, copy from anime? Recently, this trend seems to be on the rise. Have you seen the Fox Kids’ show Big Guy and Rusty? That looks like a complete rip-off of Astro Boy; then there’s Disney’s Atlantis, which seems very similar to Nadia. Also, in my opinion, the trailer for Artificial Intelligence really smacks of Armitage III. Then last year, No Doubt’s video for “Ex-Girlfriend” was Kite inspired. Are they allowed to use anime to get ideas from without paying? You know they all say it’s a complete coincidence, but how far can they go before they give credit?
Sega and Red company revealed four upcoming “Sakura Wars” releases at an announcement ceremony in the Tokyo Imperial Hotel earlier this week.
Fulfilling their promise of supporting Sakura Taisen on the Dreamcast, Sega announced that Sakura Wars 4: Koi Seyo Otome will be released for the Dreamcast in the spring of 2002. The game will feature all 13 main characters from the first 2 games, allowing players to form their own hanagumi team. Sakura Taisen 4 will be the final Dreamcast release for the series.
Sega also announced two other Sakura Taisen games and the long delayed Sakura Taisen movie. Sakura Taisen Online for Dreamcast will be released this December and is described as an “online theme park.” Little is known about the game, but from the genre it will most likely have little in common with the core series’ gameplay. The other title, Sakura Taisen GB 2: Thunderbolt Sakusen, is coming to the Game Boy Color, not the Game Boy Advance, and will likely be a direct sequel to the previous GBC Sakura Taisen game.
Originally announced as a future project in 1999, the Sakura Wars anime movie will finally open in Japanese theaters on December 22nd, 2001.
Source: Mad Man’s Cafe
A Cartoon Network representative has officially confirmed for Toonami Revolution that, “Sailor Moon and/or the Sailor Stars series will not be joining the Toonami line-up July 27th or anytime in the near future.”
Furthermore, the premier of the original Dragonball TV series has been delayed again until late August.
Animaxis has published an interview with Toshiki Hirano, director of the current G Dangaioh TV series, based on the 1987 Haja Taisei Dangaiou OAV series.
Shounen Jump has published new color images and revealed new detail on characters and events in Final Fantasy X. Mad Man’s Cafe has translated the information and posted the screen shots.
Korean site Ruriweb.com has posted the latest promotional video footage for Final Fantasy X in MPEG format. The video features extended footage of scenes previously released by Square.
Ruriweb has also posted MPEG footage of an interview with Final Fantasy music composer Nobuo Uematsu. The interview is conducted with “Pure Heart,” the vocal version of Final Fantasy VII’s Aerith theme sung by FFX singer Rikki, as background music. Uematsu states, in translation, “I didn’t want to vocalize Aerith’s theme since it would be hard, but people seemed to like it since it came out. I guess it left a strong impression… This [new arranged version] may sound Irish… Yes, I like Irish music… but I also I thought that Rikki’s voice may go well with Irish instruments.” Both the Japanese language interview and an MP3 of the vocal version of “Pure Heart” are available on the Ruriweb site.
The Honolulu Star Bulletin has published a brief article introducing the rest of America to the popular anime TV series Crayon Shin-chan, which has been airing on Hawaiian television in uncut subtitled form for the past several years. TV Ashai has tried to promote Crayon Shin-chan to continental American television, so far with no success.
“Despite only modest box office for Atlantis: The Lost Empire, Disney is pushing ahead with an animated spin-off TV series inspired by their current adventure flick. The series, Team Atlantis, does not have a set date for broadcast, according to animation chief Thomas Schumacher, who said the series will feature most of the film’s vocal cast, including Canadian Cree Summer as the voice of Princess Kida. The key exceptions are Michael J. Fox, who will be replaced as Milo; James Garner, whose character is killed in the movie; and Jim Varney, who died after making Atlantis.”
Source: JAM! Showbiz
Jeff Willerth who played Kosh on Babylon 5 is currently putting together a sci-fi “anime” titled Genesis Factor. The animated series will include voices provided by members of the Babylon 5 cast as well as a few other sci-fi shows. The animated series seems to be influenced by anime, but apparently has no Japanese creative involvement. Image Comics has announced a comic book adaptation. The Genesis Factor website features news, production art and more related to the project.
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has revealed the criteria it has set in place for the award of Best Animated Feature, which is likely to be presented for the first time next year. Under the rules, at least eight eligible animated films must be produced during the year. Each must be at least 70 minutes long, feature a significant number of animated characters, and animated scenes must account for at least 75 percent of the running time. The academy said that the Oscar in the new category will be presented only to “the key creative talent most clearly responsible for the overall achievement” and that no more than two Oscars will be presented in the category.
Source: Internet Movie Database
Right Stuf has announced the price and release schedule for the post-modern horror series Boogiepop Phantom. Four 90 minute volumes will contain all 12 episodes and be released on dubbed VHS and bilingual DVD on September 25th, October 30th, November 27th, and January 29th respectively. The individual volumes will retail at $29.95 each. A four tape/disc boxed set will also be released on January 29th at a discounted price of $99.95. The DVD version will include a 2.0 stereo and a Dolby Digital 5.1 English dubbed audio track. The original Japanese language track will be presented only in its original 2.0 stereo.
FUNimation has announced that translation has begun on the violent, post-apocalyptic sci-fi TV series Blue Gender. Eric Johnson, the voice of Dragonball Z’s Trunks, will portray Blue Gender’s main character, Yuji. Dragonball Z’s Laura Bailey, who plays the voice of young Trunks, will play the female protagonist Marlene. No release date for the series has been announced yet.
Source: Right Stuf International
