AnimeNation Anime News Blog

According to Matt Greenfield at last weekend’s Fanimecon convention, a DVD version of All Purpose Cultural Cat Girl Nuku-Nuku is now in production. According to AD Vision’s David Williams at last weekend’s Sakura Con, the Nuku-Nuku DVD is being delayed to allow for the production of an English dub.

Matt Greenfield revealed at Fanimecon that AD Vision will be distributing the recent live-action Japanese futuristic samurai/action movie Shurayuki Hime under the American title “Princess Blade.” Mr. Greenfield also explained that the reason the Sailormoon Sailorstars television season has not yet been licensed for American release is because Toei Animation of Japan is hesitant to allow American distribution of the series for fear that its potentially controversial subject matter may detriment American sales of Sailormoon videos and merchandise and adversely affect Sailormoon’s “family friendly” status in America.

Bandai announced at last weekend’s Sakura Con that they have acquired the American distribution license to Chikyuu Shoujo Arjuna, commonly known as Earth Girl Arjuna. The series will be released in America under the name “Earth Maiden Arjuna.” The American release will consist of the extended “director’s cut” version that was released to Japanese home video which featured footage not broadcast on Japanese TV and a home video exclusive episode. The 12/13 episode series from early 2001 is a stunning ecological/philosophical/metaphysical action/adventure story created by Shoji Kawamori (Macross. Escaflowne) featuring music by Yoko Kanno (Escaflowne, Cowboy Bebop).

The 2000 female samurai drama TV series Kaze Makase Tsukikage Ran will be released in America under the title “Carried by the Wind: Tsukikage Ran.” The American release of Jizo Ningen Kikaider: The Animation has been delayed indefinitely in order to prioritize other higher profile releases.

In response to the successful theatrical tour of Escaflowne, Bandai is planning a limited North American theatrical release for the fourth Gundam movie, Char’s Counterattack, this fall. Char’s Counterattack and G-Gundam will both premier on the Cartoon Network this fall. The original Gundam TV series will be re-broadcast on the Cartoon Network beginning in June.

While earlier this month the Cartoon Network announced that a second season of Big O anime was now in pre-production, as of this past weekend Bandai America president Jerry Chu was not aware of any plans for more Big O animation. It remains to be seen if Bandai America was uninformed or if the Cartoon Network’s statement was made without factual support.

Bandai will be importing and reproducing a large amount of Japanese Cowboy Bebop merchandise for the American market beginning this fall, including resin busts and figures, Zippo lighters, Ein dog dishes and a plush Ein stuffed doll.

Source: Anime on DVD and Anime News Network

Manga Entertainment revealed at last weekend’s Fanimecon that their American release of the Ghost Sweeper Mikami movie will be edited to include background music during “quiet” scenes where the original Japanese version did not include music. The American release of the cyber-punk anime TV series Virus: Virus Buster Serge will not be edited in any way.

According to Manga representatives, the American acquisition of the Read or Die OAV series was unintentionally leaked to the fan community prematurely. The series will be released in America sometime next year on one DVD with 3 separate episodes- not edited together as was done with Shadow Skill.

A second Street Fighter Zero (American name: Street Fighter Alpha) OAV series is now in pre-production for release next year.

The Evangelion movies will contain multiple layers of removeable subtitles, presumably implying no digital editing. The movies will be released on double-sided single layer DVDs with the feature on one side and supplemental material on the opposite side of the disc.

Manga has secured the UK distribution rights to the Fist of the North Star motion picture, but American distribution rights are still uncertain. The Manga license of the Fist of the North Star TV series still includes only the first 36 of 152 total TV episodes.

For trivia, Manga Entertainment USA has 14 employees.

Source: Anime on DVD

Pioneer representatives revealed at last weekend’s Sakura Con that the recent X TV series will be released on 8 American DVDs with 3 episodes per disc. The first DVD will include TV episodes 1-3 plus the prequel X: Omen OAV.

The 13 episode Vandread Second Stage will premier in American in September.

Pioneer will continue to make DVD boxed sets, but has no plans to offer the slipcases for sale alone.

Source: Anime on DVD

Super Techno Arts revealed at last weekend’s Sakura Con that Jojo’s Bizarre Adventures will tentatively premier in America later this year. The original 6 episode OAV series will be released first, two episodes per DVD, followed by the 7 episode prequel series.

Super Techno Arts’ expects to release the 2000 anime TV series Sci-Fi Harry in America sometime next year, and an American re-release of Robot Carnival will be on the way as well.

Super Techno Arts has not yet announced who will be distributing their American releases.

Source: Anime on DVD

Viz announced at last weekend’s Fanimecon convention that they have licensed the 20 episode fantasy comedy anime TV series Trouble Chocolate, originally broadcast in Japan in late 1999, for American release.

Viz will be publishing English translated versions of the 5 volume Spirited Away film comics and the Animage Art of Spirited Away book. They will also be compiling an original American memorial book devoted to the film using stills from the film as well as Studio Ghibili’s original digital film materials.

As mandated by the Japanese licensor, Viz will resume the English language release of the X manga by CLAMP, but it will be released only in graphic novel form, not in monthly serial installments in comics or anthology magazines.

Viz again confirmed that they do own the American distribution rights to Hideaki Anno’s first live-action film, Love & Pop, a license first acquired nearly 4 years ago. The film is a study of teen-age prostitution in contemporary Japan.

There are no plans for a DVD release of Maison Ikkoku this year, at least.

Source: Anime on DVD

In a surprise announcement, Japanese news site Akiba-K News has confirmed that a Welcome to Pia Carrot anime movie will premier in Japanese theaters this September.

Pia Carrot E Youkoso! first premiered as a pornographic PC game and has evolved through releases on the Sega Saturn, PC-FX, Dreamcast, and Gameboy Color, and at least 3 different anime OAV series, along the way phasing out virtually all of its original hentai content.

Source: Madman’s Cafe

Because John will be one of the three AnimeNation staff members representing AnimeNation at this weekend’s Fanimecon convention in Santa Clara, California, there will be no updates to the AnimeNation news page until next Tuesday, April 30th, and John will not be available to respond to e-mail or the AnimeNation Forum until that time.

AD Vision is apparently nearing the settlement of a licensing agreement for an American uncut, subtitled release of the first two TV seasons of Sailormoon.

Both of the OAV episodes to the recent second Rurouni Kenshin OAV series will be released in America on a single DVD disc “soon.”

Source: Anime on DVD

AnimEigo revealed at the recent Anime Central conventions plans to release all of the Crusher Joe anime on a single double-sided (DVD-10) DVD, eventually.

Since AnimEigo’s distribution license to Spirit of Wonder expired, the distribution license to the title has transferred to another company. There’s apparently little expectation of AnimEigo being able to recover the distribution license, but they do want to try.

The first of AnimEigo’s live action classic samurai films, including Lone Wolf & Cub and Zatoichi, will be available on DVD by the end of the year.

Source: Anime on DVD

Bandai announced that Escaflowne will not be re-broadcast on American television.

Bandai confirmed that name changes made in Mobile Fighter G-Gundam will affect only the dubbed version. The subtitled version will retain all of the correct, original Japanese names including “God Gundam” and “Hell Gundam.” Like Gundam W, the video footage in G-Gundam will be unedited and “as original as possible.”

Bandai officials admitted that fan petitions have very little influence on commercial decisions, saying of fan petitions, “They’re pretty useless.”

Bandai again confirmed that there are no plans for an American release of the Love Hina Christmas or Spring Special or the Love Hina Again OAV series. There are also no plans for an American release of the two television series sequels to Crest of the Stars.

Source: Anime on DVD and Anime News Network

CPM confirmed at last weekend’s Anime Central that they do now posess the distribution rights to Utena TV episodes 14-28, but not 29-39, yet. The first 13 episodes of Utena were released on 2 domestic DVDs; however the next 13 will be released on 4 DVDs beginning this December.

The third DVD volume of Patlabor TV episodes will also be released in December.

The Lodoss War OAV series will be re-released to re-mastered DVD in July, featuring new packaging and better image quality mastered from new source prints. CPM will not be able to offer a trade-in program for consumers that own the original Lodoss DVD set because the first set was manufactured by Image Entertainment, not CPM.

The re-mastered Slayers DVDs will at least correct the audio flaw and reorganize the chapter stops from the original set. There’s been no word yet on whether the new set will restore the footage missing from the original DVD release.

There are plans for a new 2 disc Graveyard of Fireflies special edition DVD release this November at a retail price of $30.

Source: Anime on DVD

Media Blasters confirmed at last weekend’s Anime Central convention that they have licensed 10 short TV series from Enoki Films including Babel II, Genma Taisen, Space Pirate Stellar Buster Mito’s Great Adventure, Wild Seven Another, Dog World, Go Nagai’s Dante’s Inferno, Leiji Matsumoto’s upcoming new series, Gun Frontier, Varoom One, and Mars (uncertain if this is the sci-fi OAV or a new adaptation of the shoujo manga).

The American release of Weiss Kruez was titled “Knight Hunters” at the request of the original Japanese licensor who was afraid of possible “negative Nazi connotations” with the original Japanese title. The series is selling well, and will be followed by an American release of the two part OAV series.

OLM Studios is currently early in pre-production on new Berserk animation; however, because the continuing story is so violent, it may not be suitable for Japanese television. If new Berserk animation is created in OAV format, it will almost definitely be much shorter than a typical 26 episode TV series. Surprisingly, Media Blasters also revealed that the translation and distribution license to the 25 episode Berserk was more expensive than the license to the 95 episode Rurouni Kenshin.

There are no plans for a TV series version of either Kite of Mezzo Forte due to lack of interest “on the Japanese side.”

Source: Anime on DVD and Anime News Network

TOKYOPOP confirmed at last weekend’s Anime Central convention that while they have only announced tentative plans to release Marmalade Boy episodes 1-24 in America, they do own the translation rights to all 76 episodes.

Initial D and J-pop Eurobeat fans will be pleased to know that Initial D will be released in America with 5.1 surround sound, and there will be domestic Initial D soundtracks released. TOKYOPOP currently owns the distribution rights to all of the existing Initial D animation. Due to “definite” interest in an American television broadcast, the American home video release of Initial D is being delayed indefinitely.

Source: Anime on DVD and Anime News Network

Viz announced at Anime Central plans to release a 13 monthly 80 page books of translated Golgo 13 manga, culled from the 30 year history and over 120 collected volumes of ongoing Golgo 13 manga. Viz also announced the translation rights to the Blood: The Last Vampire manga by Benkyo Tamaoki, best known for his work in hentai manga.

The third Ranma TV series DVD boxed set will be available in late July.

Viz has obtained the home video and manga translation and distribution rights to Hamtaro.

Source: Anime News Network