AnimeNation Anime News Blog

AN Entertainment will be officially attending this weekend’s fourth annual JACON anime convention in Orlando, Florida. In a last minute schedule change not yet reflected on the JACON website, the AN Entertainment panel will help open the convention at 1 PM tomorrow. The Florida convention will host the first ever public sneak peek at the English language Risky Safety DVD volume 1, the debut release from Florida’s first and only anime translation and distribution company.

AnimeNation will also attend the convention with an exhibitor’s booth in the dealer’s room.

According to Ain’t It Cool News, Porco Rosso, Nausicaa, and an as yet undetermined Studio Ghibli film will make up the second wave of American Ghibli DVD releases to be available in stores before the end of the year. If this is indeed true, Nausicaa will be the first Ghibli movie released on DVD outside Japan before its Japanese DVD release.

Hayao Miyazaki’s latest animation work is a series of 4 TV commercials for House Foods Corp. Miyazaki directed the image content and provided the original music. Although the commercials are scheduled to begin airing on Japanese television next month, Nausicaa.net currently has 3 of the spots available for download in a single 7Mb MPG video clip.

Article provided in part by Kiji-Anime

In the years that Wizard Entertainment, the people behind Anime Insider and Wizard: The Comics Magazine, has run Wizard World Chicago (the second largest genre entertainment convention in the country with 42,000 attendees), we’ve wanted to hold a masquerade contest, and with our 2003 show it’s finally going to happen!

Contest rules and information will be available by Monday June 9th on the Wizard World Chicago page of www.wizarduniverse.com.

Synch-Point/Anime Gamers USA has announced that American voice actors Kari Wahlgren and Jennifer Sekiguchi, both known for their performance as the English voice of Haruko Haruhara and Mamimi Samejima, respectively, in FLCL (Fooly Cooly), will be attending FanimeCon 2003 on June 20, 2003 in Santa Clara, CA. Both will be available to meet and answer questions at the FLCL panel.

Sony has officially announced its latest upgrade of the Playstation 2, the PSX. The PSX will essentially be a Playstation 2 console with a 120GB hard drive, built-in ethernet support, a TV and broadcast satellite tuner, and a DVD±RW recorder. This means that the new system will allow users to not only play games, but also record digital television programs to recordable DVDs and work as a basic internet server. Although no pricing information has been released yet, the PSX will be marketed as a high-end electronics product rather than as a game console. The PSX will be released in Japan this year, and in other international markets in 2004.

Source: GameSpot

Question:
I was wondering if there was more to the Grappler Baki series after parts one and two. It ends and just leaves you with nothing and then says something like “Grappler Baki Resolution.” I was just wondering if there was more?

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Softcel Pictures has scheduled the DVD premiers of two former AD Vision released adult anime titles.

The Elven Bride DVD will be subtitled only and contain both 25 minute OAVs and retail at $29.98 beginning August 12th.

The Akiko DVD will be subtitled only and contain both 30 minute OAVs and retail at $29.98 beginning August 19th.

TV Asahi has published its list of picks for the top 20 all-time greatest anime. The list includes 2 titles that most Japanese natives would call “American anime.”

01. Ganba no Boken (1975 TV series)
02. Panda Kopanda (1972 movie)
03. Goku no Daiboken (1967 TV series)
04. Akakichi no Eleven (1970 TV series)
05. Beauty & the Beast
06. Nintama Rantaro (1993 TV series)
07. Meitantei Holmes (1984 TV series)
08. Akage no Anne (1979 TV series)
09. Esper Mami (1987 TV series)
10. Cutey Honey (1973 TV series)
11. Jarinko Chie (1981 TV series)
12. Midori no Makibao (1996 TV series)
13. Tom & Jerry
14. Mitsubachi Maya (1975 TV series)
15. Ojaru-maru (1998 TV series)
16. Tom Sawyer no Boken (1980 TV series)
17. Totoko Hamutaro: Maboroshi no Princess (2002 movie)
18. Captain (1983 TV series)
19. Hana no Ko LunLun (1979 TV series)
20. Atashi’n chi (2002 TV series)

Source: Natsume Goushin Ryu Dojo

The official Japanese Last Exile homepage now hosts a free 10 minute long digest episode in Real Media format, along with short commercials for the TV series and opening theme song CD single.

Source: Natsume Goushin Ryu Dojo

According to the Japanese Playstation.com, Kodansha will release a Ghost in the Shell 1.5 manga with bonus screensaver CD-ROM on July 23rd. The book will be a reprint of the four chapters of Masamune Shirow’s original Ghost in the Shell manga that were left out of the original tankouban: “Fat Cat” published in 1991, “Drive Slave” published in 1992, “Mines of Mind” published in 1995 and “Lost Past” published in 1996. The 184 page long book will retail at 2,381 yen.

Source: Natsume Goushin Ryu Dojo

Question:
Is there an Inuyasha Movie 3? What kind of store can I get the other Japanese Inuyasha movies on DVD?

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Anime News Network (ANN) has confirmed that Viz has acquired the American translation license to the Hana Yori Dango anime TV series. According Diamond Comics, the first DVD volume will be available sometime between August and October.

Also from ANN, Viz announced at the recent AnimeCentral convention that they have licensed the frequently requested Flame of Recca anime TV series for US release.

Media Blasters has scheduled a pair of new anime DVD releases:

Darling, possibly the adult anime series that premiered in Japan last February, will debut in America on August 26th.

Figure 17 DVD 1, available on September 30th, will include the 45 minute long Figure 17: Tsubasa & Hikaru TV episodes 1-3 of 13.

Source: Anime on DVD

Cyborg 009: The Cyborg Soldier will debut on the Cartoon Network on Monday, June 30 at 6:00 p.m.

Kikaider will debut on the Cartoon Network on July 6 at 1:00 a.m.

Trigun will debut on the Cartoon Network on July 6 at 1:30 a.m.

The Big O Second Season will premier on the Cartoon Network on Sunday, August 3 at 11:00 p.m.

Source: Animation Insider

According to Natsume Goushin Ryu Dojo, Pony Canyon will produce a 4 episode Kidou Shinsengumi Moeken OAV series late this fall, presumably based on the Playstation 2 RPG featuring character design by Rumiko Takahashi.

Studio Fantasia, the producers of AIKa, Najica, and Stratos 4, will be producing an anime TV series adaptation of the popular Kimi ga Nozomu Eien adult PC game.

The Triangle Heart: Sweet Songs Forever OAV will be released in Japan on July 24th. Triangle Heart, based on an adult PC game, has already had a 5 episode OAV series released in Japan.