Bloody Disgusting reports the uncited and unconfirmed news that Takashi Shimizu (Ju-On, Marebito) will produce a feature film adaptation of Satoshi Kon’s 2004 anime television series Paranoia Agent (Mouso Dairinin). Shimizu has never worked on an anime project, suggesting that this feature adaptation will be live action. Furthermore, it’s not clarified if Shimizu will personally direct or if he’ll only serve as a producer.
Question:
Why do most anime fights seem to be where the hero is naturally weaker than the villain, yet during the middle of the fight, the hero learns some new ability or technique that helps him completely defeat his opponent? Rurouni Kenshin is the only anime where the hero was consistently stronger than or equal to his opponent, while shows like Inuyasha, Bleach, Dragon Ball and so on, had the hero weaker than the villain and then after the hero is turned into a bloody mess, he learns that his has to actually punch the enemy in order to win.
Studio Ghibli has formally announced its development of an anime feature film adaptation of British novelist Mary Norton’s Carnegie Medal winning 1952 novel The Borrowers. The original novel was set in the 1950s and told the story of four inch tall “little people” who live under the floorboards of an English country house, “borrowing” the things they need to live comfortably. Ghibli’s “Karigurashi no Arrietty” (The Borrower Arrietty) will move the setting to present day Koganei, Tokyo and revolve around a human boy discovering the existance of 14-year-old Arrietty Clock and her family of “little people.”
36 year-old Hiromasa Yonebayashi, who has been with Studio Ghibli since 1996 and served as assistant animation director on the studio’s 2006 feature Ged Senki and director for the 2003 Mei & the Kittenbus short film will direct the picture. Ghibli co-founder Hayao Miyazaki initially proposed an anime adaptation of The Borrowers 40 years ago. When asked why he revived the idea last year, Miyazaki said, “The situation of karigurashi (borrowing life) is very nice. It just fits to our present age. The age of mass consumption is ending now and the idea of borrowing proves the advent of it with depression.” The movie will open next summer. The film’s theme song, “Arriety’s Song,” co-written and performed by French musician Cecile Corbel will be released in Japan on the 19th.
Source: Anime News Network & Ghibli World
Kadokawa has officially added a TV commercial for the upcoming Omamori Himari TV series to YouTube. The “slightly risqué cat-ghost story” romantic action comedy will premiere on January 6.
Warning: Contains pantsu
Source: Japanator
Toho has formally announced the development of a Metal Fight Beyblade feature film spin-off from the ongoing anime television series. The movie will premiere in Japan next summer. The television series, which is co-produced by Canadian licensor Nelvana, will debut on North American television next fall.
Source: Anime News Network
Although this isn’t really any surprise, Japanese film studio Toho has confirmed that a seventh Naruto motion picture (Naruto Shippuden movie 4) will hit Japanese theaters next summer.
Anime News Network has published an exclusive interview with Kadokawa Pictures CEO Tsuguhiko Kadokawa on Mr. Kadokawa’s views of the evolving distribution of anime and the impact of the Suzumiya Haruhi franchise on anime viewers.
It’s gratifying to hear Mr. Kadokawa recognize the promotional value of free anime distribution, but it’s also surprising, and I wonder if not misguided, to hear influential figures in the anime business refer to the Suzumiya Haruhi anime franchise as not “otaku” anime and a title with “mainstream” potential.
USA Today newspaper pop-culture journalist Whitney Matheson has published her list of favorite comics of 2009. Yoshihiro Tatsumi’s A Drifting Life, Tetsu Kariya and Akira Hanasaki’s Oishinbo, and Kiminori Wakasugi’s Detroit Metal City top her list.
Article provided by Daniel Zelter
The following was provided by a friend presently living in Japan.
Macross Frontier The Movie: The False Songstress wildly exceeded all expectations and established itself as the best mecha theatrical motion picture since 1984′s Macross: Do You Remember, Love. I would have been pleased with a TV footage recap movie with a handful of new cuts, but instead I was presented with a new remake of the TV series with 95% brand-new animation and the remaining 5% coming from small tidbits of in between TV animation which already looked very good. And the animation is spectacular: once again Macross proves it shall always display the most fluid and exciting sexy mecha action in all of animedom. The concert footage of Sheryl and Ranka is unique and extremely vivid. Ranka’s string of promotional events, including a botched one for natto and Akiba in Macross Frontier was very amusing, though I confess some disappointment that Family Mart paid advertising money to have their store be the location of a key scene yet did no real life crossover Macross promotion.
At 130 minutes, the film is long, but it has to strip much of the story and marginalize the supporting cast, choosing to focus heavily on Alto, Sheryl, and Ranka. The moé-parody Zentradi girl really gets the shaft here, as she’s only in two scenes – the first as a background character with no lines and the second looking for her boyfriend on the battlefield. I hope they give her a new scene on the home video version because it doesn’t make sense for her introductory scene to be an emotional one that assumes viewers know and relate to her. Though the film is loud and exciting, I foresee some fans complaining that the only real mecha battles occur at the beginning and end of the film – this film is primarily a character drama with an added mystery of whether or not Sheryl is a spy from Galaxy included to buoy the dramatic tension. But I loved this DYRL x Eva 2.0 and eagerly look forward to its sequel: The Wings of Goodbye.
Crunchyroll has announced the launch of a new “drama service” offering thousands of episodes of live action television drama series from Japan, Korea, and Hong Kong. Episodes will be available for free streaming viewing. Subscribers to the Crunchyroll “Drama Membership” pay as little as $4.99 per month for access to 480p streams with no advertisements. Current Crunchyroll subscribers can upgrade their memberships to “all-access” status that includes live action dramas for as little as $1 more per month.
The music video for best selling J-pop vocalist Amuro Namie’s new single, “Defend Love” will be a short Gundam anime in which the singer meets well known Gundam hero Amuro Ray. The video will reportedly be the first time that a real-life person has appeared in a Gundam anime. Amuro Ray’s original voice actor, Tohru Furuya, reprises his role in the music video.
Reportedly Amuro Namie has felt a lifelong affinity with Amuro Ray due to their unusual, similar names, and she personally asked for Amuro Ray to appear in her “Defend Love” video to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the Gundam anime franchise.
Amuro Namie’s new album, Past Future, goes on sale December 16. The CD includes a DVD with 6 music videos, among them the animated “Dr.” and “Defend Love,” both animated by Sunrise.
Is that an animated Amuro Namie standing in for Lala Sun?
Source: Anime News Network
The official website for next year’s Fate/stay night: Unlimited Blade Works motion picture is now hosts a short streaming trailer. “Unlimited Blade Works” is an alternate version of the Fate/stay night story that concentrates more heavily on Rin and Archer than on Shiro and Saber. The movie will begin its limited Japanese theatrical release on January 23.
Source: Anime News Network
Starchild’s official website for next year’s Chu-Bra!! TV anime series is now streaming a 30 second TV commercial. The adaptation of Yumi Nakata’s risqué school comedy revolves around a middle school girl who tries to convince her classmates of the benefits of wearing sexy underwear. The series will premiere on January 4.
Source: Anime News Network
The homepage for next year’s Durarara!! anime television series has added a second TV commercial. The supernatural “high tension suspense” drama premieres on January 7.
Source: Anime News Network
Sony Pictures Home Entertainment has scheduled a March 9 DVD release for Hachi: A Dog’s Tale, an American remake of the award winning 1987 Japanese film Hachiko Monogatari, itself an adaptation of the story of real-life Japanese dog Hachiko (1923-1935) and his master, Hidesaburo Ueno.
Hachiko, the unwaveringly loyal dog that patiently awaited his master’s return every day for ten years, has become a Japanese national hero. A bronze statue of Hachiko is a familiar landmark outside of the Shibuya train station. Hachiko’s stuffed and mounted remains are on display at the National Science Museum of Japan in Ueno, Tokyo.
Article provided by Daniel Zelter
