AnimeNation Anime News Blog

A new trailer for the upcoming Takeshi Yamazaki (Juvenile) directed sci-fi action film Returner, staring Kaneshiro Takeshi (perhaps best known to Americans as the “star” of Capcom’s Onimusha) is now available on the film’s official site. How interesting the film looks depends largely on how much Matrix homage/rip-off one can stand.

15 second and 60 second trailers for the upcoming fan-service heavy action/adventure TV series G-On Riders, produced by the staff of Hand Maid May, are now available in narrowband and broadband streams on the Japanese Animate homepage.

The TV Tokyo homepage has added new streaming TV ad spots for upcoming anime TV series starting early next month including Samurai Deeper Kyo, Witch Hunter Robin, and Dragon Drive. Other TV spots for current and older shows including Tokyo Underground, Azumanga Daioh, .hack//SIGN, Rockman.exe, and Prince of Tennis are also available.

Source: Anime News Service

According to Anime on DVD, Pioneer has canceled the scheduled release of Cardcaptors volume 10 on VHS and DVD. There’s no word on whether this volume is simply being delayed indefinitely or if Pioneer is discontinuing the Cardcaptors video line. This cancellation affects the edited, dubbed version only and has no effect on the continued release of the uncut, subtitled Card Captor Sakura videos.

Also according to unconfirmed rumor, TOKYOPOP has canceled the individual DVD releases of St. Tail volumes 6-8, the final 3 volumes of the series. According to rumor, these DVDs will be released in a boxed set sometime in the future. The official response to the rumor from TOKYOPOP appears to be, “No comment.”

SoftCel Pictures has announced that their first DVD release will be all 3 episodes of F3 on a single disc available on September 2nd. The DVD will be subtitled and include the existing dubbed version of OAV 1 as a supplemental bonus.

Source: Anime on DVD

Bandai has released the first screenshots of the upcoming Wonderswan Color fighting game From TV Animation One Piece: Grand Battle Swan Colosseum. The game’s storyline is based on the current TV series storyline of Lufy and crew vs Mr. Crocodile and henchmen.

Bandai will also be releasing yet another Inuyasha action RPG for the Wonderswan Color on July 27th, Inuyasha: Storm Scroll

Source: The Magic Box

Capcom has announced that the upcoming American releases of Resident Evil 2 & 3 for the Gamecube will be straight ports of the original Playstation versions and therefore will retail for only $19.99 each. Both titles are scheduled for release on November 1st.

Source: GameSpot

Question:
I was wondering why so many anime shows air so late at night in Japan. I just read that Ken Akamatsu’s new show is premiering at something like 2:30 AM, and I know Hack Sign is on at around 1:45 AM. There are lots of examples like this and I have to wonder where the logic is. Do people really stay up that late to watch these shows?

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In light of objections from creator Leiji Matsumoto to potentially negative representations of the Jewish Star of David in the new Space Pirate Captain Harlock: The Endless Odyssey anime TV series, VAP has officially announced that rather than extensively revise the existing animation, the project is simply being canceled altogether.

Source: Anime News Service

The official Japanese Overman King Gainer homepage now has a streaming trailer for the upcoming television series available. The series, created by Gundam creator Yoshiyuki Tomino, shows a distinctive Gundam influence in some of the character and costume designs, and maintains Tomino’s penchant for combining influences in styles as seen in previous creations such as Dunbine, Brain Powerd and Turn A Gundam.

Source: Anime News Service

According to Anime News Service, Manga Entertainment will release Production IG’s second full digital anime movie (following Blood the Last Vampire), Kaidohmaru, in May 2003. The samurai action film was released in Japan earlier this year. The highly anticipated 3 episode Read or Die OAV series will be released in America in June 2003.

BusinessWeek Magazine has published a light-hearted yet still analytical perspective piece on contemporary Japan’s obsession with things “cute” ranging from Hello Kitty to “kogals.” Anime fans and those interested in Japanese culture should find the article especially informative and enlightening.

Source: Anime News Service

Bandai has announced that the first of 4 sequential .Hack RPGs for the Playstation 2 will be released in America in October. The first game is now available in Japan and likely based on interest from the currently on air anime TV show adaptation, has sold over 120,000 copies in its first four days of release.

Source: GameSpot

Konami has announced that it is currently at work on a full 3D soccer game for the GameCube titled Captain Tsubasa: Golden Generation Challenge. The game, obviously, is based on the popular Captain Tsubasa manga and anime series.

Konami’s latest Yu-Gi-Oh game, Yu-Gi-Oh: Falsebound Kingdom, for the GameCube will be an unusual hard fantasy strategy RPG.

Source: The Magic Box

According to The Magic Box, Treasure has officially confirmed that Ikaruga, the unofficial sequel to Radiant Silvergun- one of the most highly acclaimed shooting games ever created, will be ported from arcades to the Dreamcast. The Dreamcast version is already 99% complete and will be available in Japan beginning September 5, for 6800 yen.

Question:
Is hentai manga usually drawn by the original artist of the “clean” manga?

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The “Ask John” article of June 21st titled “Are “Uncensored’ Hentai DVDs Actually Censored?” originally included the statement “…AD Vision apparently not releasing Steel Angel Kurumi episodes 25-28.” At the time this statement was made, it was accurate, as by all appearances AD Vision was not planning an American release of episodes 25-28. AnimeNation news reader Jonathan has pointed out that the following day, in response to the AnimeNation news report, AD Vision representative David L. Williams confirmed on the Anime on DVD Forum that AD Vision will in fact be releasing these 4 “special” episodes, apparently just not as part of the episodes 1-24 release.

We apologize for any confusion the initial report may have caused, as the original “Ask John” article may not have made clear enough that the statement regarding Steel Angel Kurumi was based on speculation rather than confirmed fact. Rather than include a retroactive explanation in the original “Ask John” article, the offending phrase has been removed from the article entirely.