The official Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children Complete web page now hosts a lengthy Flash trailer that includes a good look at some of the 30 minutes of new footage that will appear in the Blu-ray edition of the film. The “Complete” edition of the Advent Children movie is scheduled to go on sale in Japan on April 16th.
Source: AV Watch
AD Vision’s Happy Carrot label has announced an April 14th release for the subtitled adult anime DVD “Karma Saiyuki.” Based on its description, it appears to be 2007 OVA Iyashite Agerun Saiyuki.
Critical Mass has scheduled an April 28 release for “Sinners Paradise: Genesis,” the first volume of the 2 episode Shitsu Rakuen OVA series from 2008. The 30 minute adult anime DVD will retail at $19.99.
Among the variety of vague announcements made in the just released March issue of Dengeki G’s Magazine by a number of Japanese anime producers is the concise statement from Media Factory that the upcoming Queen’s Blade anime will be available not just through TV broadcast, but also on YouTube and through the series’ official mobile phone website. The Queen’s Blade anime is scheduled to premiere in April.
Source: Anime News Network
The Innocente Seraphim two-day conference devoted to ball-jointed dolls and Japanese street fashions will be held at the Bellevue Westin Hotel in Bellevue, Washington on August 8 and 9. The first annual conference will be a gathering for fans of Japanese street fashions including Gothic and elegant Lolita, visual kei and FRUiTs; and for those who adore ball-jointed dolls from Japan, Korea, and China. Attendees can participate in panels and workshops, meet Designers and professional artisans, see fashion shows, and explore the exhibitor’s hall and artist alley.
Question:
Is Afro Samurai anime? I know it animated from Gonzo, a Japanese studio, but lack of a Japansese audio makes me think not. Did you see it? if yes, what do you think? I must admit I am curious. But I need an expert’s opinion before giving Funimation more of my cash.
Keisuke Iwata, the executive in charge of the Japanese AT-X animation only television network (a subsidiary of the TV Tokyo television network) spoke about the international state of the anime marketplace and his predictions for the future at the Anime Business Forum + 2009 held in Tokyo yesterday.
Iwata theorized that the international market for Japanese animation has reached its saturation point and, “It is easy to imagine the global marketplace shrinking from 2010 onward.” As a result, the Japanese anime industry, “may have to go back to the way it was in the past — back to selling Japanese animation only to the Japanese marketplace.” Iwata asserted that the American market for anime has weakened, the European market is even worse, and the Middle East, Asia, and other regions cannot be relied upon as new markets.
American television networks are reducing their anime broadcasts, and the American DVD market has become so stagnant that some American release anime DVDs have sold fewer than 400 copies nationwide.
In order to sustain its market presence in the US, the TV Tokyo network has begun distributing its “strongest media content” online to American viewers to great success. In just over a month, the Crunchyroll website gained over 10,000 paying subscribers accessing new TV Tokyo anime. TV Tokyo’s own AT-X television network took ten years to gain 10,000 subscribers. A Naruto episode receives an average of 160,000 accesses from three American sites where it streams for free a week after its Japanese broadcast.
Source: Anime News Network
The official website for the upcoming 07-GHOST anime television series now hosts a streaming trailer. It’s the same trailer that was first screened at last month’s Comic Market convention in Tokyo. The 07-GHOST anime is scheduled to debut in April.
Source: Anime News Network
Toei has announced plans to launch a series of five minute “Mari & Gali” anime shorts beginning March 31. The anime segments starring the middle school “goth-loli” girl Marika and the middle-aged scientist Galileo introducing scientific concepts to children through gag humor, music, and dancing will air during the NHK Educational network’s weekly Suiensa “scientific entertainment” program. A Mari & Gali “episode zero” aired in November 2008 when the Suiensa program itself premiered.
Mari & Gali will be Toei Animation’s first production for broadcast on the NHK Educational channel since the 1978 Captain Future series.
Source: Anime News Network
Wild Boar Media, the development studio co-founded by former GDH International vice-president Eric Calderon, has announced that Ryuhei Kitamura (Azumi, Versus, Godzilla: Final Wars) will direct the studio’s 50 minute long anime film “Baton.” The short film will be produced with “traditional rotoscope animation with added 2D and 3D effects.” It will be conceptually developed in Japan, but the animation will be produced in America by Studio Titmouse. The Japanese language film will be screened during the 150th anniversary celebration of the Japanese city of Yokohama, from April 28 to September 27.
Source: Twitch
Japanese boy band Arashi’s upcoming single “Believe” will be getting two music videos. One will be in conventional live action. The other will be an anime video produced by Tatsunoko Productions in which the members of Arashi transform into heroes from Tatsunoko’s Time Bokan anime franchise. The song “Believe” is the theme for the upcoming live action Yatterman movie, based on the Time Bokan series: Yatterman anime television series. Arashi’s Sho Sakurai also stars in the live action Yatterman film.
In the anime music video, Sho Sakurai will become Yatterman No. 1. Kazunari Ninomiya will transform into Yattodetaman. Satoshi Ohno will become Time Bokan’s Tanpei-chan. Masaki Aiba will become Hikaru from Time Patrol-Tai Otasukeman. Jun Matsumoto will become Zendaman.
The “Believe” CD single and music video will be released on March 4. The live action Yatterman movie will open on March 7.
Source: Anime News Network and Tokyograph
Anime Vice now hosts an exclusive interview with Nick Mamatas, editor for Viz Media’s Haikasoru line of translated Japanese sci-fi and fantasy novels.
The Young Adult Library Services Association has announced its 2009 Top Ten Great Graphic Novels for Teens covering books published in the US in 2008. The list includes Hinako Ashihara’s shoujo drama Sand Chronicles, Takehiko Inoue’s sports drama Real, and Junji Ito’s horror manga Uzumaki.
Other manga titles recognized as 2009 Great Graphic Novels for Teens include:
Yuki Fujisawa’s Metro Survive volumes 1-2
Yumi Hotta & Takeshi Obata’s Hikaru no Go volumes 12-13
Takehiko Inoue’s Slam Dunk volume 1
Yukako Kabei & Shiori Teshirogi’s Kieli volume 1
Kazune Kawahara’s High School Debut volumes 1-2
Masashi Kishimoto’s Naruto volumes 29-31
Satoko Kiyuduki’s Shoulder-a-Coffin Kuro volumes 1-2
Nari Kusakawa’s Two Flowers for the Dragon volumes 1-2
Yuki Nakaji’s Venus in Love volumes 1-3
Kyoko Shitou’s Key to the Kingdom volume 1
Natsuki Takaya’s Fruits Basket volumes 20-21
Osamu Tezuka’s Black Jack volume 1 and Dororo volumes 1-3
Chica Umino’s Honey and Clover volumes 1-3
Yu Yagami’s Hikkatsu! Strike a Blow to Vivify! volumes 1-3
Ai Yazawa’s Nana volumes 8-12
Personally, I’m very satisfied to see Shoulder-a-Coffin Kuro get more recognition.
The Motion Picture Producers Association of Japan has announced its official tally of Japan’s box office results for 2008. Studio Ghibli’s Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea dominated box office revenue by earning 15.50 billion yen (over US $172 million), more than double the second highest grossing film, Boys Over Flowers Final.
The Pokemon: Giratina & the Sky Warrior anime film ranked fourth. The Doraemon: Nobita & the Green Giant movie was last year’s eighth highest grossing film. Including the first 20th Century Boys movie and the L: change the WorLd movie, 6 of the 10 highest grossing theatrical films in Japan last year have direct connections to manga and anime.
Source: Twitch
The official Final Fantasy XIII web page now includes a stunning new streaming trailer.
Question:
I was wondering other than loli why does it seem American fans not want to acknowledge any artistic ability of artists who do ero guro since it is a genuine art form?
