AnimeNation Anime News Blog

Business Jump magazine has announced that artist Man Gataro’s surreal gag manga series “Yo Nimo Kimyo na Man Gataro” (Extremely bizarre Man Gataro) will be adapted into a video. Whether the video will be animated or live action hasn’t been clarified yet.

Man Gataro may be best known to international fans as the creator of the “Jigoku Koshien” (Battlefield Baseball) manga. In 2003 Jigoku Koshien and Man Gataro’s “Babaa Zone” gag manga anthology were both adapted into live action feature films by director Yudai Yamaguchi.

Source: Anime News Network

Animate now hosts a 20 second long teaser trailer for the upcoming 5 episode Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Rei OVA series.

The current issue of New York City local area magazine Chopsticks features an interview with acclaimed anime director Satoshi Kon.

Anime News Network likewise hosts another, exclusive Kon interview.

The Philippine Daily Inquirer newspaper now hosts a video tour of Toei Animation’s Philippine production studio. Toei Animation Philippines produces “in-between” animation for major anime productions including Dragon Ball, Sailor Moon, and One Piece. The video includes interviews with the studio’s general manager and one of its animators, and a brief tour of the Toei Animation Philippines office.

Source: Anime News Network

Keizo Tsukamoto, the cover illustrator for Houbunsha’s Weekly Manga Times magazine, has earned recognition from Guinness World Records for having the world’s longest continuous career illustrating for the same magazine. Tsukamoto drew his first Weekly Manga Times cover in April 1970. Tsukamoto has drawn the cover image for every weekly issue since: 1,937 cover illustrations so far.

Each illustration takes three days to produce entirely by hand, with pencil and airbrush. Tsukamoto does not use a computer to assist his work. Tsukamoto has been drawing his cover illustrations every week for 38 years. He tells the Yomiuri Newspaper that he’s now aiming for a 50 year milestone.

Source: Anime News Network

Are you a young person obsessed with a certain book, comic, or video game? MTV’s True Life is looking for young people who are die-hard fans of certain brands, characters, or fantasy series.

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In its fifth week of Japanese theatrical release, director Hayao Miyazaki’s latest film Ponyo on a Cliff has held the #1 box office position since its release, and passed 10 billion yen in ticket sales on its 31st day of release, two days earlier than Miyazaki’s previous film, 2004′s Howl’s Moving Castle. Ponyo is reportedly the first Japanese theatrical release to earn 10 billion yen ($92.53 million US) at the box office since Howl’s Moving Castle.

Source: Anime News Network & Tokyograph

ImaginAsian Entertainment has announced a partnership with TOKYOPOP that will see ImaginAsian handling advertising for TOKYOPOP and the iaTV cable network broadcasting TOKYOPOP video content.

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AnimeStylePro has launched the 2008 REGION FREE Japan Artists Network online silent auction of 15 different illustrated “shikishi” (autograph boards) from artists including Makiko Kanada, Masahiro Kimura, Idumi Kimuraya, Kazuhiro Soeta, Osamu Sugimoto and Cindy Yamauchi. Bidding opens on August 19 and ends on August 30, 2008.

Article provided by Mark Giambruno

Question:
I think it’s absolutely great that Saber Rider finally will get a DVD release. The only thing that is a letdown is that it’s the edited version. That is really disappointing that there is no news yet for a DVD release of Saber Rider in it’s original, uncut version. Many other titles that was edited for American TV are now released uncut on DVD such as Dragonball Z, Macross, Voltron. Do you think that Saber Rider has a chance of being released as a uncut version as well on DVD?

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The official homepage for the upcoming Michiko to Hatchin anime television series now hosts a new streaming trailer, the first trailer to reveal extensive footage from the show. The series is scheduled to premier in October.

Source: Anime News Network

Japanese publisher Tokuma Shoten has formally announced that author Kagurazaka Atsushi & illustrator Koike Sadaji’s light novel series Taisho Yakyuu Musume (Taisho Era Baseball Daughter) will be adapted into anime.

Source: Moon Phase Diary

The New York Anime Fest, scheduled for September 26-28, has announced that its weekend program book will include the world premier of the Vampire Hunter D short story “Vampire Hunter D: The Wanderer’s Ship,” written by franchise creator Hideyuki Kikuchi.

The story is one of three existing Vampire Hunter D short stories written by Kikuchi and awarded to random prize drawing winners that attend Kikuchi’s regular “Talk Live” public discussion group gatherings held in Tokyo. The owner of the “Wanderer’s Ship” story, Ms. Hitomi Yasue, consented to the English language premier publication because of her desire to encourage increased international awareness of the literary origin of the Vampire Hunter D franchise.

Source: Anime News Network

The official homepage for the upcoming Akikan! anime television series – an adaptation of Riku Ranjo’s light novel series about soda cans that magically transform into human girls – is now online. The series is scheduled to premier next year. The series will be animated by Brains Base (Kurenai, Kamichu, Innocent Venus).

TBS has “pre-opened” its official site for the 2009 Tonari no 801-chan television series. Yaoi-chan is pink now?

TBS has also “pre-opened” its official site for the Asu no Yoichi! martial arts harem anime.

Source: Moon Phase Diary

Question:
With shows like Code Geass and Gundam 00 airing in HD in Japan, US DVD releases feel like a downgrade from the HD fansubs that are now posted on the ‘net. With Code Geass, I am torn between going ahead and purchasing the DVDs and holding out for the Blu-ray discs. Is there any hope that HD versions of popular shows like Code Geass will see light of day in America? Or am I simply hurting the already limping anime industry with my desire to have the best possible legitimate copy of an anime that I can get?

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