AnimeNation Anime News Blog

AD Vision has issued a formal press release officially announcing its acquisition of translation rights to 37 manga and “manwha” (Korean comics) titles. Several of the titles revealed have been known acquisitions only now formally announced while other titles in the list are new announcements.

The manga titles are:

• Blue Inferior by Kyoko Shitou. An ecological science fiction adventure and story of budding young romance.
• Daemon Hunters by Seiuchiroh Todono. A story of a world of humans, elves and demons.
• Demon Prince Yoshida-kun by Natsuki Yoshimura. A light-hearted modern-day teen comedy that follows the hilarious exploits of demons searching for “Yoshida-kun.”
• Desert Coral by Wataru Murayama. A fantasy epic of a boy sucked into a dangerous land of his dreams.
• Dream Gold by Tatsuro Nakanishi. A fast paced mystery with a kind of lighthearted sci-fi feel.
• Enmusu by Takahiro Seguchi. A boy (with the help of his attractive maid) attempts to take over a massive corporation.
• FirstKing Adventures by Moyamu Fujino. This heartwarming fantasy was a huge hit in Japan.
• Gadget by Hiroyuki Etou, super-popular creator of Japanese hit manga Mahoujin Guruguru. A comedy about UFO hunters.
• Gamerz Heaven by Maki Murakami, author of the hit manga Gravitation.
• Gate by Hirotaka Kisaragi. Four teenage boys become gatekeepers between our world and a magical world beyond.
• Gunparade March by Hiroyuki Sanadura. Basis for the popular anime of the same name about teenage robot pilots fighting the alien invaders, the Phantom Beasts.
• Jinki: Extend by Sirou Tunasima. Jinkis—giant human-piloted robots—battle for good and evil.
• Kids Joker by Maki Fujita. A hard-boiled thriller with a romantic triangle thrown in.
• Mythical Detective Loki RAGNAROK by Sakura Kinoshita. A popular series in Japan (with considerable fan buzz in the U.S.); the Norse god Loki is a boy detective in this manga.
• Peacemaker Kurogane by Nanae Chrono. At the violent last gasp of Japan’s shogunate, a group of swordsmen called Shinsengumi protect the city of Kyoto. Their newest member is a boy named Tetsunosuke Ichimura, who is about to be drawn into a dangerous web of violence and intrigue.
• Princess Tutu by Mizuo Shinonome. A magical girl story in the classic mold.
• R2 by Maki Hakoda. A pizza delivery boy must save the world.
• Ray by Akihito Yoshitomi. An underground group runs a “farm” to raise children as human commodities for selling organs.
• Tactics by Sakura Kinoshita. By the same author as Mythical Detective Loki RAGNAROK, this is a humorous fantasy set in medieval Japan.
• Taimashin MASHIN Taidou-hen by Hideyuki Kikuchi and Misaki Saitoh. The story of a suave demon-fighting acupuncturist and his beautiful assistant.
• Tengai Retrogical by Rin Asano. Set in a bygone Japan, a comedy with fantasy elements.
• Vaizard by Norihiro Yoshida. A boy “vaizard” (tomb protector) teams up with a female archaeologist to fight evil.
• Yo-u by Sanami Matoh. A title from the best-selling creator of Fake. A fantasy adventure set in a medieval Japan full of supernatural creatures. The heroine is a witch searching for her father, whose spirit has been trapped inside a sword for decades.
• Your & My Secret by Ai Morinaga. A teenage boy and the girl he’s in love with switch bodies, with hilarious (and excruciatingly embarrassing) results.

The Korean titles are:

• Fantasy Land by Lee Shi Young. A teenage girl trades her unhappy life for a thrilling and dangerous fantasy adventure.
• Gadirok by Jung Ho Hwang. A young prince and his faithful comrade-in-arms fight to regain the throne.
• Lineage by Shin Il Sook. Based on one of the most popular MMPOGs (online computer games) called Lineage (available in the US from NCsoft). A magical medieval fantasy that pits young Prince Deporojue against his wicked step-father.
• Love Blossoms by Lee Jong Eun. A romantic comedy starring teenage triplets.
• Pastel Green Spell by Lee Young Yuu, author of the very popular series Kill Me, Kiss Me.
• Pretty by Shi Hyun Ha. Pretty is the story of a middle school girl who is interested in stars and astronomy, who meets and becomes infatuated with a biy sharing her interests. But there are complications…
• Quantum Mistake by Sohn Eun-Ho and Choi Myung-Soo. The story of what happens when a tough high school punk switches bodies with a 90-pound weakling nerd.
• SIU Special Investigation Unit: NY Police Story by Kye Seung Hee. A New York City police mystery and thriller.
• Saint Marie by Yang Ygo-Jin. Good and evil fight it out on the grounds of an exclusive private school.
• Sky Blade, Sword of the Heavens by Hyun Kang Suk and Ah Shin. Two warriors, each sharing the same destiny for greatness, meet for adventure.
• Sweet & Sensitive by Park Eun Ah. One girl and two boys in a high school love triangle gone wrong.
• The Boss by Im Jae Won. Fists fly in this tale of high school gang war.

Source: Anime News Network

JVC Japan now hosts streaming samples of the opening and ending theme songs for the Madlax, Kenran Butou Matsuri The Mars Daybreak, Keroro Gunso, Bakuretsu Tenshi, and Boukyaku no Senritsu: Melody of Oblivion.

Source: Rakuga Kidou

The Alamo Drafthouse Cinema in Austin, Texas has announced its animation screening schedule for April and May. A new animated film will screen theatrically every Tuesday evening at 9:45.

• Puni Puni Poemi will screen on April 6th.
• A 35mm, subtitled theatrical print of Mobile Suit Gundam: Char’s Counterattack will screen on April 13th.
• A subtitled print of the Korean tragedy Oseam will screen on April 20th.
• The world premier of Jean (Moebius) Giraud’s animated series Arzak Rhapsody will screen on April 27th.
• The Korean sci-fi film Wonderful Days will screen on May 4th.
• The first four episodes of Please Teacher will screen on May 11th.
• The award winning Hong Kong animated film My Life As McDull will screen on May 17th.
• The Japanese live-action and animation film Space Travelers will screen on May 25th. The film is what the Space Travelers anime OAV was spun-off from.

Question:
Since Hayao Miyazaki is becoming more recognized in North America, and the market for anime is growing, is there any possibility we’ll see his classic TV series, “Future Boy Conan?” The show is timeless, and recognized as a classic, but I realize the visual appeal probably isn’t going to sway many. Are there any opinions on seeing this anime released domestically, or any classic series’ being made available?

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Anime News Network has published an exclusive interview with Scott Houle, the head of Phoenix Post Sound, the descendant of dubbing studio Coastal Carolina Studios. Phoenix Post Sound is presently producing the English language dub for AN Entertainment’s upcoming anime release Miami Guns.

TV Tokyo’s homepage now hosts streaming Real Media trailers for several anime series scheduled to premier next month, including:

Kenran Butou Matsuri The Mars Daybreak
Saiyuki Reload Gunlock
Dandoh!
Keroro Gunso
Marshmallow Tsuushin (Marshmallow Times)
Mutsu Enmei Ryu Gaiden: Shura no Toki
Ragnarok the Animation

Source: Natsume Goushin Ryu Dojo

The manga creative team known as Kaishaku, the creators of Steel Angel Kurumi and UFO Princess Walkure, have announced on their BBS that there will be a third Walkure anime series produced.

Source: Natsume Goushin Ryu Dojo

TechTV’s Anime Unleashed website has updated with an interactive anime Flash memory card game, and voting for the Otaku’s Choice Awards to determine “what’s best in anime.”

ICv2 News has learned that when TechTV is dissolved, presumably later this year, the Anime Unleashed program will migrate to the G4 cable television network.

The Magic Box has published screenshots of the upcoming Japanese Mobile Suit Gundam Seed Battle Assault fighting game for the Gameboy Advance, and Gundam: Battle Assault 3 for the Playstation 2.

Question:
Is it Lamu called Lum? And I’m currently watching the series in Asia, yet it is called “Lamu the Invader Girl” not “Urusei Yatsura” even though it is in Japanese with English subtitles. What is the real name of the series and its heroine? By the way, where did the English title come from if the series is called “Urusei Yatsura” in the US?

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A number of major announcements were made at the recently ended Tokyo International Anime Fair:

• Imagica Entertainment announced plans to produce “To Heart ~Remeber My Memories~” for television broadcast this fall. The first To Heart TV series was broadcast in 1999.
• The staff of Kiddy Grade will reunite to produce an anime TV series titled “Uta ~ Kata.” A promotional image is hosted by Moon Phase.
• Nakamura Takashi, the creator of the anime film Tree of Palm, will write, direct, and provide character designs for an anime TV series titled “Fantastic Children” to air this October.
• Toei Animation announced plans to revive the 1976 giant robot action series Gaiking with a new TV series titled “Daiku Maryuu Gaiking Neo.”

Source: Natsume Goushin Ryu Dojo

The following are the major results from the Tokyo Anime Awards, presented during last weekend’s Tokyo International Anime Fair.

The Korean animated film “Africa a.F.r.I.c.A,” a 10 minute film about African nature and enviromental problems, won the Grand Prix award among films submitted in open competition.

Within the category for Japanese animation only:

Animation of the Year: Gundam Seed
Best TV Anime: Astroboy, Gundam Seed, Fullmetal Alchemist
Best Theatrical Anime: Tokyo Godfathers, Nasu ~ Andulusia no Natsu
Best OVA: Animatrix (special edition), Macross Zero
Best Foreign Animated Film: Lilo and Stitch
Best Director: Kon Satoshi
Best Script: Aikawa Shou (Fullmetal Alchemist)
Best Background Art: Ike Nobutaka (Tokyo Godfathers)
Best Character Design: Hirai Hisashi (Gundam Seed)
Best Seiyuu: Paku Romi (Edward in Fullmetal Alchemist)
Best Music: Kanno Youko (Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex)

Source: Natsume Goushin Ryu Dojo

The Animate.tv site now hosts a 1:20 long streaming Windows Media trailer for the upcoming 2 episode Tales of Phantasia OAV series based on the popular Namco RPG. The trailer is available in narrowband and broadband resolutions.

Source: Rakuga Kidou

The official Japanese homepage for Honoo no Shinkirou (Mirage of Blaze) has announced that a 3 episode OAV series titled “Minagiwa no Hangyakusha” will be released beginning July 28th.

Source: Natsume Goushin Ryu Dojo