AnimeNation Anime News Blog

Gonzo Digimation Holdings has revealed its fiscal year’s financial figures including the percentage of its profits that come from international sales. For its fiscal year ending next month, Gonzo anticipates total earnings for the year to be approximately 6.8 billion yen (US $65 million). 449 million yen (US $4 million) of that total is profit. 8.2% of the company’s revenue comes from American sales. 1.7% of Gonzo’s revenue comes from European sales. .7% of the company’s revenue comes from Oceaniac and Asian sales outside of Japan.

54% of Gonzo’s business consists of creating animation. 43% of the company’s business consists of licensing and property rights management. Gonzo’s most profitable productions and co-productions of the past year have been Samurai 7, Gantz, Bakuretsu Tenshi, Sunabozu and Transformer: Galaxy Force.

Source: Anime News Network

Question:
I have to question Saiyuki’s status as “shounen” anime because I don’t think having a ten-year old boy in the opening sequence wearing nothing but black leather pants and tied up in bondage chains is really appealing to a male audience. And it’s also just weird how the DVD covers feature the boys looking sexy but have gaping, bloody wounds on their bodies. I’m reminded of Evangelion Episode 1 Rei in bandages porn.

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Anime News Service has published an exclusive interview with Gunnm (”Battle Angel Alita”) creator Yukito Kishiro.

AD Vision’s latest retailer solicitation has officially scheduled the release of the double disc High-Definition Full Metal Panic DVD volume 1 for April 5th. The two disc set will retail at $29.98.

Anime Expo has officially announced its first Japanese guests of honor:

Ms. Kazue Yamamoto, character designer for adult PC games including Castle Fantasia and Izumo

Mr. Hiroshi Osaka, character designer and director on titles including the Full Metal Alchemist movie, Wolf’s Rain, G Gundam, and Cowboy Bebop

Maaya Sakamoto, vocalist and voice actor for titles including Risky Safety, Escaflowne, Wolf’s Rain, and Gundam Seed Destiny.

Source: Anime News Network

DVD Vision Japan has updated with its first galleries of cosplay photos from last weekend’s Katsucon convention.

Reviews of The Ring manga and Hellsing DVD volume 3

And a “Voice Box with Lauren Synger” article focusing on Key The Metal Idol

Question:
In Miyazaki’s Nausicaa movie, this was one of the most questioned questions of the last 10 years since I saw it, and I really wanted to know that if during the fly scenes of Nausicaa in her “glider” thing, does she wear underpants or not? That bothered me for years and no one dared to answer it. I wonder if you can answer it. No, I’m not a pervert. It’s just struck me since I saw it and many have asked it.

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DrMaster has announced plans for an English language release of several manga titles including Stellvia, Tsukihime, 888, Category Freak, Hinado Girls, Tori Koro, and Mani Girls.

Also announced for English language release is the Korean comic King of Fighters 2003.

Source: Jagged Team

Adult Source Media has revealed plans to release “Hyakki Yakou ~Warashi~” on American DVD this year under the title “Haunted Sluts.”

Source: Anime on DVD

The Magic Box now hosts three pages of the screenshots from the Playstation 2 fighting game Saint Seiya: Chapter Sanctuary. The game is scheduled for release on April 7th.

The Magic Box also hosts screenshots of the Jissen Pachislot Hisshouhou Hokuto no Ken slot machine simulation game for the Nintendo DS and Sony PSP.

Konami has opened its official Japanese website for the upcoming Gantz Playstation 2 game.

Source: Moon Phase

IGN FilmForce has revealed that Chan-wook Park’s Korean film OldBoy will open in limited American theatrical release on March 25. The film, which won the 2004 Grand Prix award at the Cannes Film Festival, is based on the Japanese OldBoy manga by Garon Tsuchiya and Nobuaki Minegishi.

Source: Ain’t It Cool News

The official Japanese website for Azumi 2 now hosts a pair of 30 second long streaming Windows Media trailers. The film opens in Japanese theaters on March 12.

Source: Kung Fu Cinema

Question:
The other day I was thinking about how long the series Dragonball Z has gone. Yes, I am a DBZ fan, though I have not seen a lot of it lately. But the latest of the series has good old Goku a kid again. Again, like I said, I have missed a lot of it. But how in the world did that happen? What I am asking is should there be a limit when it comes to how long a series for anime can be? Yes, I like the idea of something going on forever that is enjoyable to watch. Just the idea has been done over and over again don’t ya think? I’m just wondering how long should an anime series go?

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Media Blasters revealed several new license acquisitions at last weekend’s Katsucon convention: Ah! My Goddess television series, Hi no Tori television series, Genshiken TV series, Phantom the Animation OAV series.

Media Blasters has not confirmed whether or not the acquisition of Genshiken includes the three Kujibiki Unbalance OAVs.

Also according to Media Blasters, Berserk creator Kentaro Miura is interested in approving the production of more Berserk animation some time in the undetermined future.

Media Blasters’ DVD release of American animated series Invader Zim outsells any of their Japanese animation titles.

Source: Anime on DVD