AnimeNation Anime News Blog

Question:
Is there a reason why anime and manga often feature female characters with markings on their foreheads? Examples from the top of my head are Belldandy from “Ah, My Goddess” and Miharu from “Girls Bravo.” Where did this trend come from? I’ve heard some say this is because statues of Buddha in Asia often have a dot in the center of the forehead, but Buddha is attributed as being male. If this character design practice is indeed Buddhist-inspired, why is it almost exclusively female characters that sport forehead markings?

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After once acquiring the rights to produce an American live action adaptation of Katsuhiro Otomo’s manga series Akira then letting those rights expire, Warner Bros. has re-acquired adaptation rights, this time in conjunction with Legendary Pictures, the studio behind 300, and Leonardo DiCaprio’s film production company Appian Way. According to The Hollywood Reporter and Variety Magazine, first time feature film director Ruairi Robinson has been hired to helm the production of two live action Akira movies that will cover the first and second half of the Akira manga story. Relative newcomer screenwriter Gary Whitta will write the films. Leonardo DiCaprio will reportedly serve as one of several producers.

The setting of the movies will be changed from Neo-Tokyo to “New Manhattan.”

The first film is tentatively scheduled for theatrical release in the summer of 2009.

The official Japanese homepage for the Yu-Gi-Oh 5D’s trading card game now hosts an official announcement of the April 2nd premier of the Yu-Gi-Oh 5D’s anime television series, and images of the new cast of characters that will appear in the upcoming fourth Yu-Gi-Oh anime television series.

TOKYOPOP is now accepting resumes for an entry level position as a receptionist and office assistant. The position requires a high school diploma or equivilant, 1-2 years of relevant work experience, and computer/internet literacy.

Viz Media is now accepting resumes for a position as a digital media and art assets coordinator. The position requires a Bachelor’s Degree or equivilant, 1-2 years of practical business experience, fluency in English and Japanese language, and Mac OSX knowledge of Photoshop, Illustrator and Adobe Acrobat.

Source: Anime News Network

Japanese film distribution company Shochiku has delayed the Japanese theatrical release of Madhouse and director Rintaro’s 3D CG fantasy family film Yona Yona Penguin from this year to 2009. No explanation for the delay has been given.

Distribution rights for the film have already been sold for 11 international markets, including the UK, France, and America.

Source: Anime News Network

Question:
What would it take for the modern generation of [American] anime fans to get interested in older anime and possibly even want on DVD?

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Question:
After watching some older 80′s anime with a friend, we found ourselves in a discussion about “Why do early Japanese mechs have so much needless adornment”. Large head decorations and needless add-ons seem to serve no real purpose. I personally think that it’s a cultural thing. The largest and best mechs have more decoration to make them look more like samurai armour, which also had a good amount of decoration around the head and arms. What do you think?

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FUNimation Entertainment has awarded Toy Vault a license to produce plush figures based on [Crayon] Shin Chan. Toy Vault plans to release its Shin Chan toys this summer and the line will include plush figures, talking plush figures, plush pillows and puppets.

The Shin Chan anime series has been airing on the Cartoon Network’s Adult Swim, and FUNimation is planning to release its first multi-episode Shin Chan DVD set in May.

Source: ICv2

Bandai has revealed plans to release domestic toys based on the Blue Dragon anime series, which is itself based on the Blue Dragon RPG for the Xbox 360. The American line of Blue Dragon figure toy lines will debut this fall and consist of 3″ character figures, 4″ figures, and 7″ action figures. Each 7″ figure will include a DVD containing one episode of the Blue Dragon anime series.

Source: ICv2

The TV Tokyo network has announced that a live action TV drama adaptation of Horito Kei’s manga series Hisyo no Kagami ~The Model of Secretary~ will premier in April. The Hisyo no Kagami manga is published in Shuukan Manga Goraku magazine.

Source: Ultimatum

Question:
Is it just me or does the whole “being out in the cold makes you sick” myth seem unusually common and serious in anime? Colds are caused by a virus. Being chilled or wet has very little to do with catching a cold. In America we have old wives tales like chocolate causing zits, gum takes weeks to digest in your stomach, etc. But these are told in a rather tongue-in-cheek fashion and are said to children who don’t know any better.

However, in anime it seems that people take the “cold giving you a cold” myth very seriously. If a character is a little bit wet or a little bit cold it’s always “we must get you warmed up and dry or you will get a fever!” Characters are even depicted as actually getting sick because they didn’t warm up! Perhaps it is being said in a tongue-in-cheek fashion. They don’t really believe it to be true, do they?

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The April issue of Champion Red Magazine has formally announced that Tetsuya Takahashi’s current manga series Penguin Musume will be adapted into an anime. The “Penguin Girl” manga is a high school life comedy starring a rich otaku girl whose eccentric behavior and obvious “otaku” characteristics surprise and bother her “normal” classmates.

Source: Moon Phase Comments

Video Game developer Konami announced at last weekend’s Tokyo’s AOU 2008 Amusement Expo that AIC (Ah! My Goddess, Tenchi Muyo!) will produce an anime OVA series based on Konami’s popular Quiz Magic Academy franchise of fantasy trivia games.

Source: Anime News Network

Studio 4°C’s anime film Tekkon Kinkreet was recognized as best animated film at 31st annual Japan Academy Prize last Friday. The film was in competition against Evangelion: 1.0 You Are [Not] Alone, Summer Days with Coo, Piano Forest, and Detective Conan: Jolly Roger in the Deep Azure.

Source: Anime News Network

The Middle Tennessee Anime Convention (MTSC) is now offering a limited number of lifetime convention memberships for purchase. The $200 pass guarantees the owner admission to all future MTAC annual conventions.

Advance registration for attendance to the 2008 convention, scheduled for April 25-27 in Nashville, Tennessee, is available until March 17th.