Bandai has announced several new series releases and complete series DVD sets for release on November 23rd:
The Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam Limited Edition Box Set will retail at $199.98.
The Big O II and Please Teacher Complete Collections will retail at $49.98 each.
Please Twins volume 1 will debut in a $29.98 regular edition and a $49.98 limited edition.
Source: Anime on DVD
The official Japanese webpage for the Gakuen Alice anime TV series is now open. The anime is scheduled to premier in October.
Source: Rakuga Kidou
According to Anime News Network, the ImaginAsian cable network will launch in 6 cities nationwide at 6 AM on Monday, August 30th.
Las Vegas, NV: KTVY, channels 7 and 63
Ventura, CA: KIMG-LP, channel 23
Denver, CO: KKTV-DT, channel 11
Minneapolis, MN: K07UI, channel 7
Atlanta, GA: W55CR, channel 45
Seattle, WA: K58DP, channel 30
Additional carries are expected to begin offering the ImaginAsian channel later this year.
The Magic Box reports an unconfirmed rumor that later this year Atari will be localizing the Playstation 2 game One Piece: Land Land.
Question:
I was wondering, have you ever heard of anime or manga producers creating works based on ideas from people in other countries? For example, lots of comic books are drawn by people who didn’t create the original idea themselves, so I was wondering if anything like this has ever happened with anime or manga?
In its opening week, the Naruto movie became the most popular movie in Japan, unseating Harry Potter And The Prisoner Of Azkaban from the number one position at the Japanese box office.
The current Pokemon movie, in its 6th week of release, remains the fourth most popular film in Japan. The Konjiki no Gash Bell, in its second week of release, fell from 6th place to 10th. And Steamboy, the most expensive anime movie ever released, fell out of the top 10 in its 6th week of release. Steamboy never placed higher than 4th place on Japan’s box office gross list.
Source: Anime News Network
Synch Point has announced that I’m Gonna Be An Angel DVD volume 3 will be released on November 30th. The third out of at least six I’m Gonna Be An Angel DVDs will hit stores more than 2 1/2 years after the release of DVD volume one, and eight months after the release of DVD volume 2.
Source: Anime on DVD
Japan’s Yahoo News has revealed that the final, climactic battle in Ryuhei Kitamura’s upcoming movie Godzilla Final Wars will feature a traditional actor in rubber suit Japanese Gojira/Godzilla fighting a fully CG animated Godzilla from the 1998 American Godzilla movie.
See Ain’t It Cool News’ article for the full story.
Question:
Why don’t animation companies in Japan put more subtitles in their Region 2 DVD releases. In my opinion, Japanese animators can make more money if they release a Region 2 DVD with English subtitles. They wait 4 years and then have a company in the US claim the distribution rights and dub it with English. I’m willing to pay the price of a Region 2 with subtitles if it’s hot of the press rather than wait a year or two for it to be distributed in the US.
Bandai Entertainment has scheduled a number of American debuts and discounted series sets for release of November 9th.
Argentosoma Complete Collection (26 episodes) - $99.98
Fancy Lala Complete Collection (26 episodes) - $49.98
s-CRY-ed Complete Collection (26 episodes) - $149.98
Kikaider Perfect Collection (17 episodes) - $59.98
Tsukikage Ran Complete Collection (13 episodes) - $39.98
UC Gundam Movie Pack (Gundam movies 1-3, Char’s Counterattack & MS 08th Team movie) - $69.98
Galaxy Angels Z (second TV series) DVD volume 1 and the Mobile Suit Gundam F-91 movie will retail at $29.98 each beginning November 9th.
The Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complext OST Plus (included in Stand Alone Complex DVD 1 limited edition) and Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex - Be Human (included in Stand Alone Complex DVD 2 limited edition) soundtrack CDs will released individually on November 9th at $14.98 each.
Source: Anime on DVD
Broccoli Books has announced its acquisition of translation rights to Sanami Matoh’s two volume fantasy-romance manga series Until the Full Moon (Full Moon ni Sasayaite).
The first volume will be released on October 27th, and will be only available from Borders Bookstore, Brentano’s Bookstore, Waldenbooks, and Anime Gamers for its first three months of release.
Source: Anime on DVD
Forbes financial magazine has profiled the massive success of AD Visison, from its roots in founder John Ledford’s house to its present status of controlling a third of the American anime distrubution business. The article contains interesting and rarely revealed statistics, such as the fact that ADV pays $1 million to $2.6 million for licensing rights to anime series and $500,000 to $5 million for a feature film. Dubbing costs another $10,000 to $20,000 per half-hour; and AD Vision’s Anime Network hopes to break even on its relatively small $50 million start-up costs within three years, partially due to minimal content acquisition costs since the network already has access to 1,500 AD Vision titles.
Source: Anime News Network
The Magic Box reports an unconfirmed rumor that the Gameboy Advance Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories will be released in America on November 16th.
IT Media links to a downloadable 4 minute long Windows Media trailer for Sakura Taisen 5 Episode 0: Kouya no Samurai Musume.
Although it’s been available for some time, the official Japanese homepage for Konami’s upcoming female professional wrestling game Rumble Roses still hosts a 3 minute long Windows Media format trailer available in 5.8 MB and 24 MB resolutions, and a 30 second Reiko Hinomoto character introduction video.
Source: Moon Phase
Sunrise has pre-opened a mysterious new website for the 1996 After War Gundam-X TV series. The website will officially open on September 10th.
Gundam X was the first Gundam TV series since the 1979 original series to be canceled on Japanese television due to poor ratings.
Source: Moon Phase
