The DC Anime Club in collaboration with the Japan Information and Culture Center, Embassy of Japan, will host a free public screening of the live action Death Note 2: The Last Name motion picture on August 28 at 6:30 pm at the Japan Information and Culture Center in Washington, DC. The screening is free and open to the public but reservations are required.
Question:
Why are reviews towards Ponyo more “mixed” than for that of Spirited Away? While the Rotten Tomatoes score for Miyazaki’s latest is strong, the critics don’t sound entirely enthusiastic, and the fans on boards seem very jaded about the film. Personally, I thought Spirited Away was more derivative than his usual work, even thought it was deliberately trying to a show a different take than what’s currently popular in Japan. Yet Ponyo seems to be criticized for its “lack of plot,” particularly from Oshii after Sky Crawlers, ironically enough. But what exactly happens in Spirited Away, except for Chihiro running around a creepy fun-house for a couple hours? Why does every film have to have some sort of epic battle or drama in the foreground to get people’s attention?
The October issue of Monthly LaLa magazine that goes on sale next week will include the announcement of a TV anime adaptation of Hiro Fujiwara’s shoujo manga Kaichou wa Maid-sama! (Student Council President is a Maid!). The romantic comedy stars Misaki Ayuzawa, a strict, boy-hating girl who acts as her school’s student council president in hopes of taming the predominantly male student body and allowing the female students to feel safe and comfortable. Her reputation is jeopardized when fellow student Usui Takumi learns that Misaki works part-time at a maid cafe.
The ongoing manga series premiered in 2005 and presently has 8 complied volumes. Tokyopop publishes the series in English under the abbreviated titled “Maid Sama!”
Source: Anime News Network
Japanese movie news site Cinema Today reports two new “Eagle Talon” anime installments on the way. A new Himitsu Kessha Taka no Tsume anime television series will premiere in October. And Himitsu Kessha Taka no Tsume The Movie 3 ~http://é·¹ã®çˆª.jp wa Eien ni~ (Secret Society Eagle Talon The Movie 3: http://TakanoTsume.jp is Forever) will hit Japanese theaters on January 16, 2010.
The third movie is aiming to set a record with the largest voice cast for an anime by having 10,000 fans submit a recording of themselves shouting, “Taka no Tsume!” The recordings will be featured in a giant chorus scene in the film, and all 10,000 fans will have their names listed in the film’s end credits.
The third movie does include a working URL in its title, taking advantage of a little used update which allows non-alphanumeric characters in website URLs.
Source: Anime News Network
The Gundam Big Expo event held yesterday in Tokyo formally announced that the highly anticipated Mobile Suit Gundam Unicorn anime will consist of six 50 minute OVAs. Novelist Harutoshi Fukui’s series is set 3 years after the events of the “Char’s Counterattack” motion picture. Fukui revealed earlier this week that the first OVA will adapt the first 2 books of the 10 volume novel series.
The Gundam Unicorn OVA series will be released internationally simultaneously beginning next spring.
Source: Anime News Network
Just a reminder, folks, the official homepage for the Uchurei TV series is now streaming the show’s first 3 episodes. And Nico Nico Douga has just released Ontama episode 2. (Access to videos on Nico Nico Douga is free, but requires registering as a member on the site.)
The Sankei Sports newspaper reveals that the recently announced Real Clothes TV drama will be a sequel to the TV special that aired on the Fuji TV network last year. The cast of last year’s special, including star “Karina” and co-stars Hitomi Kuroki, Anna Nose and Erena Nose will reprise their roles. The live action TV series adaptation of Satoru Makimura’s manga will premiere on October 13.
Source: Tokyograph
Question:
What’s keeping titles like Mazinger, Great Mazinger, and UFO Robo Grendizer from ever seeing some kind of English release? Is it Toei (whom I’m assuming holds the rights) that has no interest or maybe does it end at the lack of any American company support? I know it wasn’t popular, but Anime Works did a tremendous job with their Tekkaman Blade, Golion, and GaoGaiGar releases. Why don’t more companies attempt these kind of releases? What Go Nagai releases have come out on DVD that wasn’t limited, is not now out of print, and doesn’t cost way beyond what anything on DVD should cost?
The Japanese Kyou mo Yarareyaku fan blog reports that anime studio Ordet, the studio now associated with controversial director Yamamoto Yutaka, is producing an original anime music video for the Hatsune Miku song “Black Rock Shooter,” which was inspired by an original illustration by artist Huke. According to the unconfirmed advertising image, the “Black Rock Shooter” CD single with bonus DVD will go on sale on September 30.
Source: Rakugakidou
Vocalist & otaku celebrity Shoko “Shokotan” Nakagawa, Flash animator Rareko, Nabesan Design, female rock band Guruguru, and former Megadeth guitarist Marty Friedman have collaborated on the creation of an original Flash anime music video featuring original mascot character “Onigiri Neko” (rice-ball cat) – literally live cats embedded in the center of rice-balls in place of pickled plum. The NHK television network is now streaming a sample of the music video (the first video clip on the page).
The NHK network’s Gattai Animal Design art contest challenged participants to “gattai” (combine) an animal with another object to create an original mascot character. Rareko, creator of the popular Yawaraka Sensha Flash anime, decided to create a new anime based on the “Onigiri Neko” mascot created by Nabesan Design. Contest “special master” Shokotan wrote the song “Makka na Atashi” (Scarlet Me) for the video. Female rock band Guruguru composed and performed the music. Former Megadeth guitarist Marty Friedman produced the song and contributed some guitar work.
The “Makka na Atashi” music video premiered at last month’s NHK Paphooo Festival 2009 publicity event/concert and will probably air this Saturday during the NHK network’s broadcast of a one-hour TV special about the event.
Very bizarre. And very Japanese.
Source: Anime News Network
Anime News Network hosts a transcript of a press interview with Eyeshield 21 creators Riichiro Inagaki & Yusuke Murata conducted at the 2009 Comic Exhibition in Taipei, Taiwan.
Business Jump Magazine has announced that a late night live action TV drama adaptation of author Ryo Kurashina and artist Nao Kurebayashi’s Jouou Virgin ~Roppongi night GP part II~ (Princess Virgin ~Roppongi Night Grand Prix Part II~) manga will premiere on October 2. Cutie Honey The Live star Mikie Hara will portray the series protagonist, a young night club hostess competing in the “hostess grand prix” competition.
The Jouou Virgin Part I manga series was adapted into a live action TV drama in 2005.
Source: Anime News Network
Japanese publisher Fujimi Shobo has confirmed that author Takahiro Yamato passed away on Monday, July 20, due to an unspecified illness. Yamato was the author of the ongoing Kaze no Stigma light novel series and a winner of the 13th annual Fujimi Shobo Fantasia Novel Award. Gonzo adapted the Kaze no Stigma novel series into a 2007 TV anime. The novel series presently stands unfinished with six main volumes and five short story collections.
Yamato seems a bit enigmatic because his birth date, age, and the exact circumstances of his death seem difficult to ascertain.
Source: Anime News Network
GfK Marketing Services Japan reports that more than 50% of the money Japanese consumers spent to purchase Blu-ray discs during the first half of 2009 went to anime discs. Furthermore, continuing a trend that started last year, anime continues to be Japan’s best selling media category on Blu-ray. However, Blu-ray sales have not compensated for losses in DVD sales. During the first half of 2009 Japanese DVD sales declined by 15%, and revenue generated from DVD sales fell by 20%.
Source: Anime News Network
Phoenix Pictures (License to Wed, Pathfinder) has signed on to produce an original horror film co-created by Ju-on producer Taka Ichise and creator/director Takashi Shimizu. Ichise & Shimizu developed the concept of a haunted song that drives its listeners to suicide. Chris Philpott developed the concept into a script. Ichise’s Ozla Pictures and Phoenix Pictures will co-produce the Hollywood film, which Shimizu will direct. Shimizu has previously directed the American financed films The Grudge, and The Grudge 2.
Source: Variety
Article provided by Daniel Zelter
