AnimeNation Anime News Blog

Question:
Why has there been a lack of interest on the part of R1 companies to rescue Satoshi Kon’s Perfect Blue and Paranoia Agent? Considering all the posthumous exposure he’s gotten since being associated with certain nameless filmmakers, it should be a no-brainer. Do you think the situation is like Cameron and Battle Angel, in that the deal which allowed Perfect Blue to be remade by Darren Aronofsky prevents anyone from seeing it until the contract expires? Or do you feel Madhouse/VAP might be asking for more money for the rights than they would have if Kon was more niche? Meanwhile, on a recent ANNcast, FUNimation expressed no interest in bringing back Paranoia Agent, even though it’s gotten a recent Blu-Ray version in Japan.

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Question:
One thing that has me wondering is what your anime collection looks like? With all the things you get and watch I wonder how you store and keep your collection? I’m about to move soon and will be getting more bookcases for mine.

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Question:
One trend awhile back that I notice was that some anime were remade to fit with the original story present in the manga. A good example was Fullmetal Alchemist which was remade under the title Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood, which aside from the anime-only first episode, followed the original manga story very closely. The same thing happened with Hellsing when it was remade in a series of OVAs known as Hellsing Ultimate. And know Berserk, which first aired as an anime adaption in 1997 is being remade into a series of films set to come out in 2012. Which anime should be remade to follow the manga’s original story line.

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Question:
Are remakes of anime good business for studios or is there a reason why we see no true sequels to really popular anime? Taking Rurouni Kenshin and Evangelion for example. Both series left off at stages where a sequel was open to continue the story lines, yet now we’re seeing either a retelling or remake of these series yet being starved from seeing true sequels. Is this a good direction or is this an attempt by anime studios to cash in on the popularity of a series.

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Question:
Am I the only person who isn’t even remotely interested in this Redline film? The synopsis makes it sound like a cousin to the Fast and the Furious films and that kind of thing seems more for American comic book fans. What’s the deal with the pockets of fandom hyping this thing? It certainly ended up being a colossal flop in its homeland.

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Question:
Why do you think no effort’s been made to bring over the Tokyo Tribes anime and/or rescue the manga? The success of The Boondocks and Afro Samurai proves there’s a market for action anime with an urban theme, so Tokyo Tribes should be a shoe-in for a come-back. Or do you think the rights are somehow tied up in that failed MTV movie?

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Question:
I realize sports anime isn’t literally nonexistent in the west, but do you think releases are so scarce that sports anime could be considered done in the west? With Funimation giving up on releasing the second season of Ookiku, it’s safe to assume they won’t be touching any Adachi either right? I love sports anime and manga, but should I give up hope that I’ll get much of either anytime soon?

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Question:
Why is there much less variety in h-anime than in h-manga? Anyone familiar with h-manga knows there is a staggering amount of original material covering an incredible range of scenarios, fetishes, and character archetypes. Many h-manga are hilarious and find creative ways to be smutty. But when it comes to adult anime the industry just recycles a handful of basic setups – half of the time they just swap some names and alter the character designs slightly. What’s up with that? Wouldn’t they industry be better off it it tried to do something different once in a while?

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Question:
A little while back, you referred to Un-Go as a disappointing series so far. I am thoroughly enjoying this strange detective tale and I was curious as to what exactly you found at fault with it.

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Question:
What is your take on the recent noitaminA shift, real or perceived, toward otaku-centric programming? If it’s real, do you think the shift is permanent?

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Question:
How come there are so few Arabian influences in anime? Besides the Heroic Legend of Arslan and Otoyomegatari, and one character in Ladies vs. Butlers, I can’t think of any anime/manga that pull strongly from that culture. It’s a mystery to me because Arabian culture is rich with its own visual flare and mythology and esoteric names that I’m sure would make for great plot devices (instead of relying on the same old Norse/Japanese/Chinese stuff). I mean, come on, the word “harem” comes from the Ottomans – and we know Japan loves harem anime.

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Question:
Why do you think Warner is so obssessed with doing an Akira movie to the point that they’re pretty much willing to hire anyone (who’s not Asian) for the job? Their DC label doesn’t own the original manga, and they don’t have the home video rights to the movie. Is this like the upcoming Superman movie, in that, if it doesn’t happen soon, they allegedly lose the rights to the property? Is it a pathetic attempt to make up for the Speed Racer and/or Green Lantern films? Or are they so desperate for a successor to the Harry Potter and/or Nolan Batman films that they’re just greenlighting anything similar in tone to those franchises? Or, could it be WB’s execs are afraid a rival studio already has the rights to another well-known anime-manga property, and if they don’t get Akira off the ground first, it will look like an also-ran by comparison?

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Question:
Boku no Pico is probably the single most infamous anime among American fandom. Due to it’s…. how do I say this gently…. “inappropriate sexual material” it’s become extremely notorious to the point that some websites deliberately troll new users by always advising them to watch it as a kind of sick joke.

Having said that, I gotta know…. what’s the most infamous anime of all time among the Japanese fandom? Has there ever been anything that truly offended or made them say, “That’s really messed up,” or are the Japanese just impossible to offend when it comes to anime?

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Question:
So I was watching Evangelion with a friend in fact I think he asked a question as well anyways at the end of the series when everyone congratulates Shinji is everyone alive or is that like at the end of a video game where it’s like congrats you beat the game sort of thing for watching the anime? Oh and how do the last two episodes relate with the movie do they connect? Or is it like the End of Evangelion takes place during episode 25 and 26, and the congrats part is after everyone ones returned to human form from the LCL. Or is it a complete different out look on things an alternate ending could you explain it to me I’m confused?

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Question:
For a while I’ve been interested in seeing Tatakau Shisho – The Book of Bantorra. Have you heard anything on a domestic release for that series?

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