AnimeNation Anime News Blog

Anime News Network reports that at least 8 manager or assistant manager level staff members of the SPJA (Society for the Promotion of Japanese Animation) have resigned from the company, and reportedly over 80% of the remaining staff are prepared to resign in response to unaddressed conflict with SPJA CEO Michael Lattanzio and Interim (Anime Expo) Con Chair Joyce Lim.

The SPJA, formally established as a non-profit fan-run organization in 1992, became a professional organization last year, hiring former NBC Universal executive Michael Lattanzio as its general manager. Conflict within the organization appears to stem from conflict between staffers who perceive the SPJA as an organization that values volunteer involvement and grassroots values, and Lattanzio, who apparently operates the organization as a “results-driven company” with the approach and expectations typically applied to any professional, for-profit organization. The dissenting SPJA staff are calling for the removal of Lattanzio and Lim, accusing Lattanzio of harming the SPJA’s marketing efforts by ending the organization’s employment of the BAM! publicity firm; misuse of funds including purchase of business class plane tickets instead of less expensive seats; and marginalizing the traditional assistance provided by SPJA volunteers. Lattanzio has defended himself, saying that BAM! Marketing was terminated for being unproductive, citing that all of his business expenses have been properly approved in advance by the SPJA board, and that accusations of his disregard for volunteers has been misinterpreted.

Collider has published a excerpt of an interview with Mike De Luca, producer behind films including The Love Guru and Ghost Rider in which De Luca reveals that the live action Metal Gear Solid movie announced in 2008 probably won’t happen. De Luca explains that Konami, the producer of the Metal Gear Solid video game franchise, is unwilling to allow certain “freedoms” with the franchise which Sony deems absolutely necessary to the film’s marketing and distribution.

Article provided by Daniel Zelter

Question:
With so much debate in the anime world, I find it confusing why generic terms are used to discuss a series which may not include it, such as a Spice and Wolf discussion using tsundere to describe Holo. While I do try to ignore them when I see them, I wonder how many series are potentially not viewed because of the stigma (often negative) assigned to them. What’s your take on generic terms used to describe anime, such as “moe,” “fan service,” “tsundere,” etc.?

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FUNimation has announced its acquisition of distribution rights to the Hetalia – Axis Powers web anime series and The Sacred Blacksmith television series. FUNimation’s initial license for Hetalia appears to cover the ongoing series’ first 52 episodes. The series of 5 minute episodes will be released domestically on two DVD collections beginning late this year. The 12-episode sword & sorcery action series The Sacred Blacksmith will be released in a single DVD collection this fall.

Am I really the only person who thinks that Hetalia is just not that funny? (No pun intended.)

To little surprise, FUNimation representatives Adam Sheehan and Lance Heiskell have confirmed for Anime News Network that FUNimation has no plans to persue distribution rights to other baseball themed anime, including the second season of Ookiku Furikabutte, following poor of the domestic DVD release of Big Windup! (Ookiku Furikabutte season one).

This means that the liklihood of Cross Game reaching America is lower, but still not entirely out.

Source: Anime News Network

Animate.tv is now streaming the opening animation sequence for the upcoming Tales of Symphonia: Tethe’alla-hen OVA series. The first episode of the second OVA series based on Bandai Namco Games’ fantasy RPG series goes on sale in Japan on March 25.

Animate.tv also still hosts an earlier 90 second trailer and 120 second trailer.

Source: Anime News Network

The official homepage for the upcoming Fate/stay night: Unlimited Blade Works motion picture now launches with a new Flash trailer. The movie hits Japanese theaters on the 23rd.

Source: Moon Phase

Japanese producer/distributor King Records has launched a website announcing an anime feature film adaptation of Tow Ubukata’s sci-fi novel series Mardock Scramble. The novel series tells the story of young female prostitute Rune Barrot who is murdered then resurrected as living weapon. She then sets out to learn why she was killed. Ubukata has published six Mardock Scramble novels and three Mardock Velocity prequel novels since 2003. Ubukata is also the creator of Chevalier, Soukyu no Fafner, Heroic Age, and Pilgrim Jäger

Anime studio Gonzo announced plans to develop a Mardock Scramble anime OVA series in 2005, but canceled those plans in 2006 for unspecified reasons.

Source: Anime News Network

The website for the recently announced Sokyuu no Fafner: Heaven and Earth project has updated with a confirmation that the project will be a new anime. Writer Tow Ubukata, character designer Hisashi Hirai, animation studio Xebec, and theme song performers Angela are confirmed to again work on this new project. Details on the format and length of “Heaven and Earth” have not been revealed yet.

74-year-old comic artist Mauricio de Sousa, known as the “Disney of Brazil” has announced plans to revive a project that he and Japan’s “god of manga” Osamu Tezuka were developing 20 years ago. de Sousa and Tezuka envisioned an animated film on the theme of world peace, starring Tezuka’s Astro Boy and Princess Knight characters and de Sousa’s Monica’s Gang characters. Tezuka’s death in 1989 due to stomach cancer put the film development on hold. Last year de Sousa had an opportunity to meet with Tezuka Productions, which eagerly agreed to his proposal to revive the project, this time in comic book form. de Sousa plans to publish his original comic about characters opposing the deforestation of the Amazon as an original comic this June, with a possible Japanese version to follow.

Source: Anime News Network

An 8 episode late night live action TV series adaptation of Atsushi Kaneko’s mystery manga series Soil will premiere on the WOWOW satellite/cable network on March 6. Takashi Shimizu (Juon, Rinne) and Yuudai Yamaguchi (Battlefield Baseball, Cromartie High School) will direct. Mari Hoshino (Air Doll) will star as rookie police detective Onoda. Ryosei Tayama (Gokusen, Kurosagi) will play police sergeant Yokoi. Kaneko’s ongoing “twisted mystery” about odd occurances in a suburban neighborhood premiered in 2003. Atsushi Kaneko may be better known to Americans as the creator of the Bambi and her Pink Gun manga series.

Considering the source material and these two directors, this seems promising.

Source: Tokyograph

Art Clokey, creator of stop-motion animation characters Gumby and Davey & Goliath passed away in his sleep on the morning of January 8. Born on October 12, 1921, Clokey was 88 at the time of his death.

Question:
Why is so much classic anime no longer in print? Animego has discontinued many titles. All the old Pioneer titles I know got bought by a company that went under, but why hasn’t anyone picked them up. None of the classics have merchendise available. No Ranma. No Evangelion. And where is all the Lum stuff? I guess the basic question is why is there so little support for the great older animes?

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FUNimation has formally announced its acquisition of distribution rights to the 26 episode Jyushin Enbu ~ Hero Tales television series from 2007 and the five episode Zettai Shougeki ~Platonic Heart~ OVA series from 2008. Jyushin Enbu ~ Hero Tales will premiere on American DVD this fall in two half-season sets. Zettai Shougeki will be released in one DVD collection in spring 2011 under the name “Master of Martial Hearts.”

The Hero Tales historical fantasy action series was developed by Studio Flag (Naruto, Galaxy Angel) and producer GENCO as an original anime and manga series. Fullmetal Alchemist creator Hiromu Arakawa launched the manga shortly prior to the debut of the anime. Arakawa also provided the character designs for the anime. The manga is presently distributed in English by Yen Press.

The Zettai Shougeki girl fighting OVA series was developed by a collective of 9 varied Japanese corporations as a multimedia franchise including the DVD anime series, a UMD anime, manga, collectible figures, audio CDs, “pachislot” arcade games, mobile device applications, customizable apparel, character goods, and more.

I’m never opposed to more anime reaching America, but honestly Jyushin Enbu is mediocre at best and Zettai Shougeki was absolutely awful.

Crunchyroll has announced plans for English subtitled streaming distribution of the upcoming Hanamaru Kindergarten (Hanamaru Yochien) and the new Sora no Woto TV series.

Director Seiji Mizushima (Fullmetal Alchemist, Gundam OO) and Gainax’s (Evangelion, FLCL) adaptation of Yuto’s Hanamaru Kindergarten comedy manga will be accessible to subscribers in the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and the UK within an hour of its Japanese broadcast.

Studio A-1 Pictures’ & TV Tokyo’s new original drama anime series Sora no Woto will be available to subscribers in the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, the UK, Sweden, Denmark, Norway, and Finland within an hour of Japanese broadcast.

Both shows will be accessible for free to all viewers one week after Japanese broadcast.