AnimeNation Anime News Blog

Question:
I ask a question from Japan. I believe sports are a universal language. Indeed, sport-themed manga and anime are popular ranging from nerds to mainstream, and even overseas Japan. However, I have not heard that sport-themed anime and manga are popular even among the fan community in the U.S. in spite of the country known as the kingdom of physical sports. I’d like to know why they are less interested in anime and manga focusing on sports?

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IGN has confirmed that AD Vision has acquired American distribution rights to the 2005 Xenosaga anime television series. The first disc is scheduled for release on September 11th.

IGN also hosts an interview with Xenosaga anime producer Takao Yoshizawa. The interview is reportedly “recent,” but reads as though it was conducted in 2005.

Production IG has formally revealed its plans to produce an anime film adaptation of Hiroshi Mori’s “Sky Crawlers” novel series. The Sky Crawlers movie, a sci-fi drama about genetically altered teenage jet fighter pilots, will be director Mamoru Oshii’s first full traditional anime film since 2004’s Innocence. The Sky Crawlers will hit Japanese theaters next year.

Source: Anime News Network

The official Flag website has announced a planned August 8th release of “FLAG Director’s Edition: Iisen no Kufra no Kiroku,” a condensed, 101 minute long movie version of the Flag internet anime series. The movie will be released on Blu-ray and DVD media. The official site hosts a streaming trailer for the Director’s Cut movie.

The original 13 episode Flag series has been licensed for American release by Bandai Entertainment.

Source: Moon Phase

Lionsgate has commissioned New York based Animation Collective, the studio behind the Kappa Mikey cartoon, to produce an original American sequel to the original Japanese “Speed Racer” anime series. The new American series will air an initial 26 episode season on the Nicktoons network next year.

Source: Variety

Starz Home Entertainment has formally announced plans to release high definition content in Blu-ray format only. Starz Home Entertainment is the parent company of American anime distributor Manga Entertainment. Manga Entertainment has not yet announced plans to release any anime titles in high definition format.

Source: Anime on DVD

Question:
Why is it that the afro appears a lot in anime? It has appeared in Keroro Gunso, Excel Saga, Bobobo just to name a few examples.

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The newly formed “Eyeshield 21 US PROJECT,” consisting of Japanese companies NAS, TV Tokyo, and Shueisha, has formally announced that the popular Eyeshield 21 TV anime series will debut online on the Toonami Jetstream and NFL Rush websites this fall.

Source: Anime News Network

Japanese publisher Akita Shoten has formally confirmed that Yoshitomi Akihito’s sci-fi manga series Blue Drop will be adapted into an anime television series. No further details are available about the production. Akihito may be better known to Americans as the creator of the Eat-Man and Ray manga series.

Source: Moon Phase

Japanese site Galge.com now hosts the first revealed screenshots of the upcoming Moetan anime television series. The series is scheduled to premiere on July 8th.

Source: Rakuga Kidou

Anime on DVD reports that Warner Bros. will handle international theatrical and home video distribution of Appleseed: Ex Machina, the second CG Appleseed film. The film will hit Japanese theaters on October 20 and international release next year.

Question:
With the huge popularity of pirate themes right now, why aren’t there any pirate anime besides One Piece? There are many space/air pirate shows, but I haven’t seen any others featuring traditional sea pirates.

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The official homepage for the upcoming anime OVA Strait Jacket is now open. The first of three planned OVAs is scheduled to go on sale in Japan on the 20th.

The anime is an adaptation of the Strait Jacket light novel series by writer Sakaki Ichirou and illustrator Fujishiro You.

Source: Moon Phase

TOKYOPOP has revealed its plans for domestic releases of a number of manga and manhwa titles. Some are original licenses while some are re-releases or continuations of titles formerly released in America by other publishers.

Boku to Kanojo no XXX (”Yours and My Secret”), by Morinaga Ai
Element Line, by Takizaki Mamiya
Futari H, by Katsu Aki
Gakuen Alice, by Tachibana Higuchi
Gosick, by Sakuraba Kazuki
Harukaze Bitter Bop, by Betten Court
Mamotte Shugogetten, by Sakurano Minene
New Petshop of Horrors, by Akino Matsuri
Shin Megami Tensei (KAHN), by Yanagisawa Kazuaki
The Third, by Ito Yuko
V.B. Rose, by Banri Hidaka

Deja vu - Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter, by Youn-In Wan and Byun Byung-Jun
Devil’s Bride, by Kim Se-Young
Fever, by Park Hee Jung
Hotel Africa, by Park Hee Jung
I-Doll, by Choi Mi-Ae
I Wish, by Seo Hyun-Joo
Seduction More Beautiful Than Love, by Lee Hyun-Sook

Source: Anime on DVD

At its 2007 Editors’ Day presentation, held in San Francisco last week, Namco Bandai announced its development of a “M” rated Afro Samurai console video game.

Source: Gamespot