AnimeNation Anime News Blog

Ain’t It Cool News has published a spoiler free but very adult-oriented review of Takeshi Kitano’s latest film, Brother, Kitano’s first movie directed in America. “Beat” Takeshi is widely recognized as one of Japan’s most significant and influential contemporary figures, and one of contemporary cinema’s greatest film makers.

Also according to Ain’t It Cool News, Sony has plans to revive the Shura Yuki Hime (Lady Snowblood) samurai film series, originally created by Lone Wolf & Cub creator Kazuo Koike, with a new, futuristic action film for scheduled for release later this summer.

Source: Anime News Service

Question:
Where does the term “anime” come from? Is it derived from the French word for cartoons, which is also “anime,” or is it a shortened form of the English “animation”?

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Toynami displayed and previewed a number of toys from their Robotech license at the San Diego Comic Con including prototypes of the poseable batteloid figures, the “third generation” Alpha fighter morphers, deluxe Super Veritech morphers with detachable armor, and the Robotech Masterpiece Collection transformable action figures.

Toynami revealed that the Robotech Masterpiece Collection die-cast and plastic fully transformable figures will be packaged in collectable boxes designed like books to line a bookshelf. Each figure will include a reproduction animation cel featuring new art of the valkyrie’s pilot drawn by Imaji Narigai, and all 5 cels will combine into a single larger image. The Robotech Masterpiece Collection figures are tentatively scheduled to retail for around $100 each and be available exclusively through Robotech.com.

Source: Figures.com

AD Vision has revealed that the first four episode DVD volume of the 26 episode, child-friendly Power Stone TV series, based on the Capcom fighting game franchise, will be released on October 30th at a retail price of $19.98. Because AD Vision is handling only the DVD replication and distribution of the show but not the translation, Power Stone will be released domestically dubbed only.

Contrary to earlier reports that the Kids’ WB had the license to only the first two seasons of DBZ and that they would be broadcasting the first five episodes, Saiyanz Rage now claims that the Kids WB version of Toonami will broadcast five random Dragonball Z episodes at 4:30 PM beginning on the 30th.

The current Kid’s WB Dragonball Z schedule looks like:

“Gohan’s Metamorphosis” (Season 1) at 4:30 PM on Monday, July 30
“Home for Infinite Losers” (Season 1) at 4:30 PM on Tuesday, July 31
“Laboratory Basement” (Season 4) at 4:30 PM on Wednesday, August 1
“Super Vegeta” (season 4) at 4:30 PM on Thursday, August 2
“Faith in a Boy” (Season 4) at 4:30 PM on Friday August 3

Akadot has published an interview with Madhouse Studios animator Hisashi Abe discussing his evolving career. Abe has served as a designer on shows including Petshop of Horrors and Twilight of the Dark Master and worked as animation director on the 2001 Vampire Hunter D movie.

Akadot also currently features an interview with the Japanese and English voice actresses for Noelle of Tenshi ni Narumon, Tomoko Kawakami and Diana Kou. Meanwhile, Synch-Point Productions has confirmed that they are preparing the DVD version of Tenshi ni Narumon, which they anticipate being finished and ready for sale around the end of the year or early next year.

Ain’t It Cool News has posted a positive and relatively spoiler-free review of Hayao Miyazaki’s Sen to Chihiro no Kamikakushi.

Source: Anime News Service

The Gaming Intelligence Agency has posted five short QuickTime video clips from the upcoming Playstation 2 Xenosaga prequel to Xenogears. The clips focus on the individual characters and their voice acting, and also feature new music from composer Yasunori Mitsuda, who composed the score for Xenogears.

Question:
There are so many shows where the main character’s mother died while they were an infant/young child. Is there a reason for this?

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Question:
What exactly are OAVs, and how are they different from anime we see on T.V.?

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Anime on DVD has posted a detailed list of the supplemental material expected to grace the upcoming Utena movie DVD, as well as an early cover image for the disc. AnimeNation’s representative at Central Park Media has informed us that the current cover image is not the finalized design but rather a temporary “placeholder;” although the final commercial cover may very closely resemble the just issued “placeholder” image.

Dark Horse Comics revealed prototypes of a number of American sculpted and produced anime related figures at last weekend’s San Diego Comic Con including Gunsmith Cats action figures of Rally and May, a Gunsmith Cats statue featuring both girls, and a Dirty Pair statue of Yuri based on an Adam Warren design vaguely similar to the original Haruka Takachiho novel descriptions.

Source: Figures.com

Kotobukiya subsidiary Koto premiered the vinyl figure version of Final Fantasy X’s Kamahri at the San Diego Comic Con, along with the already available 11 1/2″ tall vinyl figures of Tidus and Yuna.

Koto also revealed a 1/8th scale resin statue of Final Fantasy VII’s Yuffie Kisaragi scheduled for release this fall.

Source: Figures.com

Ain’t It Cool News has posted a link to the theatrical trailer for Tsui Hark’s kung-fu fantasy special-effects spectacular Legend of Zu, scheduled for theatrical release in Hong Kong next month, and already licensed for American theatrical release by Miramax. The trailer is available in .ASX format for 300K broadband download through Ain’t It Cool News and in 28K dial-up on the French site that originally posted the clip.

The feature length anime adaptaion of the fairy tale “The Clever Princess” entitled Princess Arete, opened in Japanese theaters on July 21st. Produced by Studio 4C, the studio behind Spriggan and Memories, the film has a look very similar to Production IG’s Popolocrois Monogatari, and features Houko Kuwashima (Kirika of Noir, Yurika in Nadesico) performing the voice of Princess Arete. The official Japanese Arete Hime homepage features film stills and a long theatrical trailer in Real Media format.

Sham Neko, the latest film written and directed by Monkey Punch, creator of Lupin III, is scheduled to open in Japanese theaters on October 6th.

Azumanga Daioh will graduate from manga to a theatrical short film this Christmas. The manga is actually a series of humorous 4 panel comic strips about the daily lives of a group of Japanese high school girls, created by Kiyohiko Azuma, character designer for Battle Athletes and Pretty Sammy. Azumanga Daioh is currently one of the most popular comic strips in Japan.