A new animé series that debuted in Japan in October is being launched on to the international market at Natpe [National Association of Television Program Executives] next week, courtesy of Sony Pictures Television International (SPTI).
SPTI has picked up television and home video distribution rights to Blood Plus within Asia (outside of Japan), Latin America, North America, Australia and New Zealand, after a deal with Aniplex Inc. Distribution on DVD for the series will be handled by Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (SPHE).
Based on the animé video title Blood the Last Vampire, the 50-part toon focuses on the conflict between two groups: the evil shape-shifting Chiropterans and the Red Shield, a secret organization whose goal is to track down and exterminate them.
In true animé style, the story is told through the eyes of a mysterious high-school girl, who was once kick-ass warrior before losing her memory. The series airs on Japan's Mainichi Broadcasting System and Tokyo Broadcasting System.
Blood Plus is directed by Junichi Fujisaku, whose credits include the anime classic Ghost in the Shell, and produced by animation studio Production IG, the company behind both Blood the Last Vampire and Ghost in the Shell.
Monday, January 23, 2006
Sony gets Blood+
Saturday, January 21, 2006
Types of women in manga
Source: fortuna
If you're an Evangelion fan, Read This
Usually when I come across this kind of situation I end up figuring that most everything had some kind of symbolism that was way over my head and was never meant to be taken as a literal story. The show's Christian imagery and terminology made things all that much more confusing: Is Adam supposed to somehow reference the actual Adam from the Bible? Are the Dead Sea Scrolls supposed to reference the real ones? And what about the Lance of Longinous? What the hell was that thing supposed to be and how does it relate to the Third Impact?
Enter Reichu and her Revelations. Thanks her attempt to fill in the gaps and make certain connections, I've learned that the story isn't just an alagory. It can make perfect sense if you know how to put all the pieces together. For example, among her revelations:
- Adam and Lilith are not "gods" in the literal sense. They are sources of life that were intentionally planted by an advanced extraterrestrial race of humans in order to propigate their species and knowledge.
- Rei has the cloned body of Yui and the soul of Lilith.
- Kaoru has the cloned body of...sombody (possibly Misato's father) and Adam's soul.
- Yui is very very aware of exactly what she is doing, even as she exists as the soul of Eva-01. She is the one who is running the whole show.
- Among other things, the Lance of Longinous is Lilith's substitute for an S2 organ.
Below are the links to the forums where the info is posted, discussed, argued, dissected, and developed. There's a lot of info to absorb so it'll take a good few days of free time to root through it all. But if you are an Eva fan and have been struggling to make sense of it all, this will at the very least give you some good food for thought.
Here's some of the main threads (though there's plenty more in the general Evangelion forums at AnimeNation):
- Reichu Revelations, Part 1: Yui and Kyoko
- Reichu's Revelations: Rei, Kaworu, and Everything in Between (this one that talks about the Lance of Longinous too)
- Reichu's Revelations: The Biology of Souls
- Reichu's Revelations: The First Humans, Angels, and the Dead Sea Scrolls
Wednesday, January 18, 2006
Japanese lessons online
From AnimeNation News:
The fan run site Omoshiroigame now hosts free kanji, hiragana, and katakana study quizzes, flashcards and games for people interested in learning Japanese language.
Japancast.net now offers free Japanese lessons for the anime otaku in a weekly podcast.
Death Note movies announced
And according to Manga News, there are two live action movies in the works. I definitely think live action is better suited for this story. (Although, maybe it could be a good animated movie if Satoshi Kon directed it. Not that that will ever happen. I'm just saying...) The first movie is due out in June and the second in October. No word on directors or anything yet.
Eureka SeveN multimedia release
I'm really looking forward tot his title; especially since it's animated by my second favorite animation studio, Bones. From AnimeNation News:
Bandai Entertainment has officially announced plans for a domestic release of Eureka Seven anime, manga, and music. Bandai will release the first Eureka Seven DVD on April 25th in a $24.98 disc only edition and a $59.98 disc with collector's box, t-shirt, manga with exclusive cover, and CD soundtrack.
In addition to the DVD release set for April 25th, Bandai Entertainment Inc. has plans to release two manga series, a four volume adaptation of the series storyline and a two volume series based on the Eureka Seven video game prequel story, as well as a stand alone soundtrack. There are also plans in the works to broadcast the series on a premier TV network.
New Hellsing OVA TV Commercial Released
From AnimeNation News:
The official Japanese Hellsing OVA website now hosts a new 20 second TV commercial in streaming Windows Media and Real Media formats.
FUNimation licenses xxxHolic/Tsubasa movie, Tsubasa TV series
From Anime News Network:
In the February issue of Anime Insider, FUNimation has announced the R1 license to both Production I.G's XXXHolic/Tsubasa feature film and Bee Train's Tsubasa Chronicles TV series. No mention has yet been made of Tsubasa's second season or the XXXHolic TV series yet.
Sunday, January 15, 2006
UPDATE re: Shinichiro Watanabe lecture
The Detroit Film Theatre website has been updated and now shows the the date of Shinichiro Watanabe's lecture to be Wednesday February 8 at 7:00.
This sucks because I have a concert that day at 8:00. Maybe I can attend the lecture then rush over to the concert?
The only other possibility is that there will be a second session on February 9, as was hinted at in an Anime News Network article. God, I cannot miss this!
Blog Update: New Header
Maybe some day, I'll update other aspects of the site, but for now I'm happy with how it is. And I prefer not to just add stuff just for the sake of doing it. Simplicity has it's value... plus, I'm just lazy.
Let me know what you think about the header. Not that I'd change it, but still, some feedback would be nice. Thanks.
J-pop and anime music online at Keichii EX^2
For great Japanese music check out Keichii EX2. Best of all: it takes requests!
And, of course, don't forget that you can get Japanese and anime music at AOL radio. The anime music is under the soundtacks section.
Friday, January 13, 2006
Shinichiro Watanabe in Detroit!!!!!
One of my all-time favorite anime directors EVER is coming to my hometown! The master behind Cowboy Bebop and Samurai Champloo is going to be giving a talk at the Detroit Film Theatre on Thursday February 9 at 7:00pm. Here's the details from the Detroit Film Theatre website:
AN EVENING WITH SHINICHIRO WATANABE
Thursday, February 09, 2006 7:00 PMSpecial Event
The critically acclaimed animation (anime) director Shinichiro Watanabe will make a very special appearance at the Detroit Film Theatre, sponsored by the Japan Foundation in cooperation with the Consulate General of Japan in Detroit, the Japan America Society and the DIA Friends of Asian Art. Best known for his Cowboy Bebop television series (1998), which combined elements of traditional American westerns, 40's crime films and a classic jazz score, Mr. Watanabe will discuss the aesthetic and technical aspects of this work, and show clips from Animatrix (2003) and Samurai Champloo (2004). This newest series tells the story of a ronin samurai, a womanizing warrior and a teahouse waitress who band together to search for a "samurai who smells of sunflowers." Samurai Champloo harnesses the kinetic poetry of classic “chambara” sword epics, but is also wildly anachronistic with a musical score recorded by contemporary Japanese hip-hop artists. The evening will be a rare opportunity to meet one of the world's most innovative and important anime directors working today.
Click here to purchase tickets.
I had heard a while ago that he was going to have a talk in Houston. At the time, I couldn't help but think, "Those lucky punks. Wouldn't it be so nice if he came to Detroit too?" And now he's coming. Sweet! Hmm... Wouldn't it be nice to have a cool billion dollars cash fall on my lap right now? ...
[Source: Anime News Network]
Thursday, January 12, 2006
Viewing Journal: Old stuff and older stuff
I guess you can say that there have been some acceptions to the rule. For example, I did watch some bittorrent downloads since I figured I didn't actually have to pay money for them. And I didn't count the sample DVDs that came with my Newtype magazine. And then there's the re-released collected versions of shows I've already seen (eg, Trigun and Evangelion Platinum Edition). And I don't count the free stuff I can watch on Comcast On-Demand or on TV in general. And I already started watching Stand Alone Complex: 2nd Gig, though I don't really have a viable excuse for that one. So I guess I wouldn't exactly call it a solid Lenten-type promise, but I still think I've shown plenty of self-restraint anyway, thank you very much.
That being said, here's what I've wrapped up watching recently:
Trigun Limited Edition 1
I forgot what a fun series this was to watch. I know some people complain about it not having a lot of substance, and that the animation quality varies, but I just think that Vash is such a great character. It's impossible not to love him. Even my non-otaku wife likes it, so there you go. This first collected edition only includes the first 13 episodes. The second set comes out January 17.
Evangelion Platinum Complete
This is worth getting if you are a big Eva fan, especially if you haven't seen the series in a while. Right from the opening credits you can tell a huge difference in sound and picture quality.
I watched the subtitled version all the way through, which I have never done before (though I had seen a few episodes subbed before). In general, I found the subtitled version easier to watch than the dubbed version. I think it's because, as in most series, the Japanese voice actors have smoother, more subtle voices. In the English dub, Asuka and Shinji's voices tend to just be annoying at best, and ear-peircing at worst. ADV also cleaned up the translation in both sub and dub which helped make some plot points easier to understand.
The only crappy thing is that since I got the "thinpak", there were no cool extras on the DVDs (like the voice actor commentary, etc). I only included the episodes (with director's cut) and some trailers. Ah well.
On a good note, though, this has re-kindled my interest in finding out the details of the background of the story. As a result I've been questioning the good people at this forum and have gotten some great insite. It's really been eye opening.
Haré+Guu Episode 1
From off of the January Newtype DVD. It's weird but interesting. I can tell there is more weirdness to come, but it has piqued my curiosity at least. Also, the english voice actors do a great job! Regardless, though, I'm undecided as to whether or not I'll continue with the rest of the series though.
Macross Episode 1
Also on the Newtype DVD. It's the series that was re-cut to create Robotech. This episode is esentially the same as the first episode of Robotech. It's a classic, and good stuff at that; but I doubt I'll be getting the rest of the series, unless they show it on Comcast On-Demand.
Misakii Chronicles Episode 2
Another one from the Newtype DVD. The story looks pretty interesting, but I just don't know if I can take the plot seriously with those monster-size boobs jiggling all over the place. It's like half the show's budget went into to animating those things! Yeesh.
Revolutionary Girl Utena (up to episode 8)
I started watching this only because I aways hear about it and how wonderfully deep it is. But I just don't like it at all. It's stupid. I don't know what else to say. But I'm going to stick with it anyway just (as with so many other disappointments) in case it was a super-cool payoff at the end. Am I a sucker or what?
Initial D Volume 14
Another series marked off my list. The storyline actually ended with volume 13; so this latest volume is just a couple of "extra" episodes that deal with the Mako and Sayuki, the chic racers in the Sil-80. It was a nice little wrap up (though there are still as-yet-to-be-licensed iterations of Initial D to come).
So with that I remove the series from my "currently viewing" list. (*Lone audience member lets out a quiet whoop*)
Friday, December 30, 2005
Ed Elric jeans
I don't know if you remember way back when I had talked about Youmacon, I had mentioned meeting Vic Mignogna, who does the voice for Ed Elric in the english dub of Fullmetal Alchemist. Well, when he was at the con he was wearing these jeans with a picture of Ed on them and everyone was commenting on how cool they were and were asking where he got them.
You can now see the quasi-famous jeans below. If you are interested in seeing more of the artist's work, her stuff is can be seen via her gallery at CheshireNeko INK. (Source: Risembool Rangers)
Wednesday, December 28, 2005
Frank Miller's "300" movie
I know this isn't anime, but just like with Sin City, I just have to mention this because I'm such a huge Frank Miller fan.
According to ICv2, Frank Miller's historical epic 300 is going to hit the big screen some time in 2006. 300 is "a ferocious retelling of the ancient Battle of Thermopylae in which King Leonidas ... and 300 Spartans fought to the death against Xerxes and his massive Persian army. Facing insurmountable odds, their valor and sacrifice inspire all of Greece to unite against their Persian enemy, drawing a line in the sand for democracy." [Source: 300 Production Blog] And as an interesting piece of trivia, the graphic novel is actually an adaption of a 1962 movie called The 300 Spartans.
According to the ICv2 article:
Zack Snyder, director of the film adaptation of Frank Miller's 300 graphic novel, has completed nine weeks of filming and expects to have wrapped up principal photography on the movie before the end of January.
In several interviews concerning the making of the 300 film, Zack Snyder has talked about his desire to recreate the visually rich tapestry Miller fashioned for his retelling of the legend of the 300 Spartans, who held off the Persian hordes at Thermopylae in 481-480 BC, and from the looks of the early stills that have been released from the film, it will hew closely to Miller's vision.
You can view the early stills as well as a short making-of video at the movie's Production Blog. There's also quite a bit of updated info including cast and filming locale at this fan blog.
2006 looks to be the year of Miller as the Sin City 2 movie is also scheduled for next summer. I love it!
Ergo Proxy trailer -- Cool!
This one looks really promising. Gotta love that blue eye shadow. From AnimeNation News:
The Ergo Proxy website now hosts a new "Half version" trailer, and a 3:30 "Full version" trailer. The series is scheduled to premier in Japan on February 25, and in America at an undetermined future date.
Satoshi Kon interview
Wednesday, December 14, 2005
Viewing Journal: Live action Initial D
Overall=
Being a fan of the Initial D anime, I was excited and a little anxious about seeing this live action adaption. Of course, I already knew the basic storyline: Tofu delivery boy Takumi Fujiwara has an innate talent for downhill street racing, but is more or less oblivious to his own abilities. Eventually the local street racers recognize his talent and proceed challenge him to a bevy of matches where he refines his techniques and learns the ins and outs of the sport.
The live action movie compiled storylines from the first two seasons of the TV series. With so much material to work with, you might think the story would end up being rushed or disjointed. But to my surprise it all seemed to flow pretty naturally.
That's not to say that there weren't a few deviations from the original series. The biggest changes had to do with two of the main characters: Itsuki and Bunta.
In the anime, Itsuki is an overly-energetic, but lovable goof who was obsessed with joining the local racing team. In the movie, Itsuki still has the same racing obsession but now he is the rich, arrogant, bratty son of Yuuichi the gas station manager. Although I don't think I really like how they changed him, it was probably necessary to change his character somehow since the anime-version of Itsuki probably wouldn't transfer very well to live action. All his energy -- while entertaining in the anime -- would have seemed downright ridiculous and unrealistic in live action.
Bunta -- on the other hand -- has many of the same qualities as in the anime (he's still as squinty-eyed as ever), but he now has the added characteristic of being an abusive drunk. At first I was upset by this because it made Bunta seem like such a jerk. But after a while, I realized that the physical abuse was meant to be a way of toughening Takumi up for his eventual foray into the racing world. It was the same kind of indirect training that Bunta used when making Takumi drive with a glass of water without spilling any. Not that that justifies abuse, but at least it makes his motives a bit more understandable.
Even with these changes though, I thought the overall character and relationship development in the movie fell a little flat. The most disappointing of the relationships had to be between Takumi and his girlfriend Natsuki. The movie did little more than follow what was presented in the series, but in the end wasn't able resolve the conflict between them. Maybe the director was trying to relay some deeper message by leaving this plot point untied, but regardless, I was still disappointed.
Despite how lackluster the character developments were, it all took a back seat (pun intended) to the sweet racing scenes.
When I first heard they were making a live action version of Initial D, my first thought was how cool it would be to see the drifting techniques done with real cars. And in that I was not disappointed.
The great thing was that they didn't use special effects to take the place of the stunts. They used real cars and drivers. Sure there were some transitions (if that's the right word) that used special effects, but all those drifting manuvers (like Takumi's gutter technique!) were the real thing. I heard they trashed eight AE86's in the process of performing the stunts, which to me is just more of a testiment to how realistic the racing was.
The special effects that they did add worked really worked well and paid some homage to the anime. For instance, there was one effect where the camera moved from the driver seat of one car, through the windshield, then through the back window of the next car and wound up in that car's driver seat. Simple but very effective. There were also a few parts that used the split screen effect (which was used liberally in the anime) to show both drivers on the screen at the same time. All in all the coolness of the racing scenes was more than enough to make up for the movie's shortcomings.
In summary, I would definitely recommend the movie to anyone who is already a fan of the anime. And for those who are not, you may still enjoy watching those cool racing scenes; but overall I'd say that you're better off watching the anime first.
Tuesday, December 13, 2005
Blog Update: Messed up template
If you've ever visited this site before, you probably noticed that the template and general structure is different and some of my sidebar features are missing. That's because I forgot to save all my special features before changing templates. Needless to say, I will eventually get back all the original features and links.
I wanted to change the template because I was getting sick of looking at all those dots and black background on the old template. I wanted to try and switch to something that was a little easier on the eyes. I know it looks kind of plain at the moment, but I'm planning on jazzing up the header (at least) to look more attractive. The new header will hopefully make the site easily recognizable as an anime-related blog. That way readers will automatically know whether or not to take interest.
Hopefully these changes will not upset all my loyal readers too much...so please, both of you, be patient. ;)
Media Play going out of business
Well this is just no good. According to Anime News Network:
Media Play has announced that it will close all of its retail stores in January, after the holiday season. The subsidiary of Musicland has failed to turn a profit in several years. Musicland's Sam Goody and Suncoast stores will not be affected. More details are available here and here.
Where am I going to dispense all my anime and manga money now? I've been buying my stuff from there for like 5 or 6 years. I guess I'm going to have to just shop online now. Any suggestions?
