AnimeNation Anime News Blog

Del Rey Manga has posted its artist submission guidelines for unsolicited proposals for original, manga-style graphic novels and comic artist art samples.

The first (of 7 planned) Kara no Kyokai motion pictures, based on the novel series by author Kinoko Nasu, has reportedly set an attendance record at one of the two theaters screening the picture. Since the movie’s opening on December 1, 2007, nearly 20,000 viewers have watched the film at the Theatre Shinjuku, establishing a record number of consecutive days for sell-out screenings at the 40 year old theater.

The first Kara no Kyokai movie is only screened at two theaters in Japan, both located in Tokyo, with a total of only 3 daily screenings, which partially accounts for the standing-room-only attendance at the screenings.

The second Kara no Kyokai movie opened theatrically on December 29, 2007. The third film is scheduled for theatrical release on February 9th.

Source: Canned Dogs

Variety Magazine has reported that “Flushed Away” director David Bowers has been selected to replace Colin Brady as the director of Imagi Studios’s CG animation Astro Boy movie, based on Osamu Tezuka’s classic Tetsuwan Atom manga and anime.

Question:
What anime has been heavily Americanized? I have noticed that ADV Films has Americanized the Ghost Stories anime and a few other titles. Why is that?

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The current issue of Morning Magazine, published by Kodansha, includes a formal announcement that Kanata Konami’s manga serial “Chi’s Sweet Home” will be adapted into an anime television series. The series focuses on the heartwarming story of a lost kitten taken in by a family living in an apartment that doesn’t allow pets.

Source: Anime News Network & Moon Phase Comments

The Japanese Moon Phase message board claims that Kadokawa Shoten’s Comp H’s magazine has reported tentative plans for an anime adaptation of Ramen Angel Pretty Menma, a fictional PC game played by characters in the Genshiken manga and anime. Ramen Angel Pretty Menma has already been adapted as a real life PC game, web radio show, drama CD, and manga serial.

The winners of the 53rd Shogakukan Manga Awards have been announced. The annual Shogakukan Manga Awards, sponsored by Shogakukan Publishing, is Japan’s longest running and one of its most prestigious manga competitions.

Kurosagi, by writer Takeshi Natsuhara and illustrator Kuromaru, and Sekiya Tetsuji’s Bambino! were selected as best general category manga series.

Noriyuki Murase’s Keshikasu-kun was named best children’s manga.

Yuuji Terajima’s Diamond no A (”Ace of Diamonds”) was named best shonen (boy’s) manga.

Kotomi Aoki’s Boku no Hatsukoi wo Kimi ni Sasagu was named best shoujo (girl’s) manga.

Source: ComiPress

Japan’s Association of Copyright for Computer Software (ACCS) has announced that the Kyoto Prefectural Police’s High-Tech Crime Task Force and officers from five police stations arrested three men on Thursday on charges of uploading anime episodes and images to the Winny file-sharing network. A 35 year old male and an unrelated 39 year old male were arrested for allegedly uploading episodes of the Idolmaster Xenoglossia and Mobile Suit Gundam OO anime series to the internet. A 24 year old male was also arrested on suspicion of uploading a computer virus that used images from the Clannad anime television series without authorization.

Japanese copyright law currently prohibits unauthorized internet uploads of copyrighted material, but does not prohibit downloads of copyrighted material for personal use.

Source: Anime News Network

Question:
Call me crazy, but I think another company, one of the big ones, will follow Geneon into oblivion either this year or next, and that could possibly signal the death knell for the entire U.S. anime industry. With that in mind, wouldn’t it be better in the long run if the industry were to downsize in order to stem the bleeding and survive? I mean, wouldn’t a smaller, leaner industry be preferable to no industry at all, which is where things might well be headed, and perhaps sooner than anyone realizes?

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Biglobe now hosts a streaming trailer for the home video exclusive 13th episode of the Moetan anime television series. Please note that the trailer contains brief, non-graphic nudity. The episode is scheduled for Japanese DVD release on March 25th.

Source: Moon Phase

Japan Focus now hosts an English translated interview with Barefoot Gen creator Keiji Nakazawa in which the artist discusses his childhood experience of the Hiroshima atomic bombing and his Barefoot Gen manga.

About.com now hosts an English translated interview with Toward the Terra manga creator Keiko Takemiya in which the artist discusses her work as a manga creator and teacher, and her thoughts on the current state of Japan’s manga industry.

Source: Anime News Network

Reportedly AD Vision has placed the continuing release of more than a dozen of its current titles on hiatus in the UK while the company reorganizes to a business and distribution partnership with an unspecified British home entertainment company.

Source: Anime on DVD

Director Makoto Shinkai’s 2007 feature film “5 Centimeters per Second: A Chain of Short Stories About Their Distance” was awarded the grand prize at the recent Future Film Festival held in Bologna, Italy. The film festival focuses on animation and special effects, and this year had ten films - five animated, five live-action - in competition. “5 CM” was awarded the Lancia Grand Prize for its ability, “to combine poetry, art and technical skills with animation and new technologies and a touching, deep-rooted story.”

5 Centimeters per Second is scheduled for American home video release from AD Vision in March.

Source: ICv2

Question:
Why don’t domestic anime distributors keep the Region 2 DVD covers? Using the artwork of the Japanese releases, translating the title/logo where necessary, would result in a more authentic and usually better-looking release while saving time and money on DVD production.

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Viz Media has announced plans to offer a number of anime titles to potential American television broadcast licensors at this month’s National Association of Television Program Executives (NATPE) Conference. Viz has announced plans to offer at least ten anime titles for possible American television broadcast licensing:

Bleach
Blue Dragon
Buso Renkin
Death Note
Deko Boko Friends
Honey & Clover
Hunter x Hunter
Nana
Naoki Urusawa’s Monster
Naruto

This list reveals that Viz Media holds the American master licensing rights for the Hunter x Hunter and Monster anime series but does not confirm that Viz has any plans to distribute either series in America.