Howl’s Moving Castle was one of three animated films announced as official nominees for the 2005 Academy Award for Best Animated Feature by the MPAA this morning. The movie will compete for the award with The Corpse Bride, and Wallace & Gromit in The Curse of the Were-Rabbit. The Oscar presentation ceremony will be held on March 5th.
Source: Kung Fu Cult Cinema
Anime News Network has clarified with AD Vision that ADV’s recently announced “UFO Ultramaiden Valkyrie OVA” acquisition is UFO Princess Valkyrie Special, a two episode video series that consists of a recap episode of the first TV season, narrated by cat-girl maid Sanada-san, and a second original episode called “Shichiten Battou Hanayome Shugyou.”
ICv2 News reports that Geneon will release its first domestic DVD volume of Saiyuki Reload Gunlock (the third and, so far, final Gensomaden Saiyuki TV series) on April 25th in a $29.98 disc only version and a $39.98 disc with collector’s box and 2 mini pencil boards. The debut DVD release has been previously announced for release on May 2nd.
A band called “ZxR” headed by American guitarist Richie Kotzen, formerly of Poison and Mr. Big, will release a new CD in Japan on March 3rd. The album, titled “Ai Senshi” (Soldier of Sorrow), will include covers of 9 Mobile Suit Gundam series theme songs, and three original songs. Vocalist Cyndi Lauper will sing on one of the tracks, “Ai Senshi,” the theme from the Mobile Suit Gundam II: Soldiers of Sorrow motion picture. A concert tour will be launched in Japan in March to support the album.
The Mr. Big song “Shine” was used as the ending theme for the Hellsing anime television series.
Source: Anime News Network
The Sankei Sports Newspaper has reported that the Kurosagi manga series by Takeshi Natsuhara & Kuromaru will be adapted into a live action television series staring Tomohisa Yamashita, member of the popular J-pop group News.
Kurosagi is the story of a young man who seeks to avenge his swindled family by cheating other swindlers.
Source: Akadot
Atlanime, Atlanta, Georgia’s only off-campus anime club, is now switching to two new locations. Their original location for 3 1/2 years at the Comic Company closed down in December 2005, and they’re now moving to the Galactic Quest store in Buford, GA, and the Spring 4th Center in downtown Atlanta. The Galactic Quest meetings will be called “Atlanime North,” while the downtown Atlanta meetings will be called “Atlanime Intown.” Both places will meet on a monthly basis, making for two actual club meetings per month. Meetings include screenings of recent anime, free merchandise givaways, and discussion of recent events in fandom.
Question:
Having watched Girls Bravo, I’ve found it both entertaining and a tad perplexing. I knew going in this variation on the harem anime wasn’t for kids, what with modest amounts of nudity and sexual hijinks through the first 11 episodes. But in the 12th, the show suddenly went crazy with both, including all the female characters going from fully clothed to stark naked in the OPENING! Have you ever heard of a series going from PG-13 to NC-17 literally at the drop of a hat?
The official website for the Binchotan anime television series now hosts a new preview trailer. The series is scheduled to premier on February 2nd.
Source: Moon Phase
Hideaki Sorachi’s popular comedy adventure manga serial Gintama will premier as an anime television series this April. Official websites for the anime have been opened by Sunrise and TV Tokyo.
Source: Moon Phase
Madhouse Studios has announced plans to produce a 13 episode anime adaptation of Santa Inoue’s manga series Tokyo Tribes 2. The anime will debut this fall.
Source: Moon Phase
During last weekend’s Ushicon convention, AD Vision announced its acquisition of the “UFO Ultramaiden Valkyrie OVA series” (possibly the 6 episode UFO Princess Valkyrie: Seiretsu no Hanayome OAV series) and the 1986 Prefectural Earth Defense Force OAV.
The Valkyrie OAV series will be released after the “UFO Ultramaiden Valkyrie” TV series.
Prefectural Earth Defense Force will be released in March as a $12.98 subtitled only DVD, anticipated to probably have distribution limited to online and specialty retailers.
Source: Anime News Network
At the recent NATPE Conference (National Association of Television Program Executives), Viz Media was reportedly seeking to sell American television broadcast rights to the Mar ~ Marchen Awakens Romance, Zoids Genesis, Hikaru no Go, Prince of Tennis, Full Moon wo Sagashite, and “Grandpa Danger & Croket” (probably Croket!) anime TV series. Viz has not yet announced any plans for home video distribution of any of the “new” titles.
Source: Animation World Network
Del Rey has scheduled release dates for two new English translated manga titles.
Air Gear volume 1, by Oh! Great, will retail at $10.95 beginning July 25th.
Suzuka volume 1, by Kouji Seo, will retail at $12.95 beginning August 29th.
Source: Anime on DVD
Navarre subsidiary BCI has acquired American DVD rights to the 1966 Ultraman live action television series, and the 1980 “Shadow Warriors” (Hattori Hanzo: Kage No Gundan) series starring Sonny Chiba. BCI is tentatively expected to begin releasing Ultraman DVDs later this year.
Source: ICv2 News
ICv2 News predicts that there will be more English translated manga and manhwa releases in America in 2006 than there were in 2005. America’s most prolific publishers, TOKYOPOP and Viz Media, have announced only minimal increases in publishing over last year’s output, but other publishers including Bandai, CPM, and Del Rey, are expected to push American releases to an average of well over 80 new books released each month.
