Ai Love Anime

A brief history of anime in America

2006-01-11T06:33:00.000-08:00

1959 ``Magic Boy'' becomes the first fantasy anime film released in theaters in the United States.

1963 Animator and manga artist Osamu Tezuka animates ``Astro Boy,'' based on his manga series, the first widely popular cartoon on American television to exhibit the stylistic elements of anime.

1979 Robot-based anime peaks in popularity with ``Mobile Suit Gundam,'' a series continued later as ``Gundam Wing.''

1986 The ``Dragon Ball'' series is released, quickly rising to the top among anime programs in both America and Japan.

Anime Pickup Lines (world's worst)

2006-01-10T22:16:00.000-08:00

Brought to you by Nozomi-Online

20. STD’s are like Pokemon baby, gotta catch ‘em all!

19. Gun DAM girl you FINE.
18. I lost my number while fighting an interplanetary menace, can I have yours?
17. Why don’t we go back to my place and find my Dragonballs?
16. I was just checking you out from across the room with my Sharingan. I came over because I notice your chakra use is limited, and well let’s just say I really know how to get your chakra flowing.
15. You must be tired, because I was left my dating sim on in my Playstation all night.
14. You make Princess Peach look like Bowser.
13. Excuse me, is your name Hina? Because I think I’m in love.
12. I’m having the urge to grow several penis tentacles.
11. There’s enough Ai in Jailbait for the both of us.

Naoki Urasawa's Monster Debuts

2006-01-10T21:45:00.000-08:00

Blogmaster's Note: If you've seen the anime, you know the manga's gotta be good. Will be checking this out as soon as it hits the shelves.

VIZ Media, LLC. (VIZ Media), one of the entertainment industry's most innovative and comprehensive manga and animation licensing and publishing companies, announced today the release of NAOKI URASAWA'S MONSTER, an award-winning, critically acclaimed, new 18-volume manga series.

Filled with suspense, political intrigue and the emotional rollercoaster a talented doctor must undergo when faced with a tragic past that unfolds when he makes a moral choice that changes his life forever, NAOKI URASAWA'S MONSTER makes it's highly anticipated debut in the United States after sales breaking records in Japan. NAOKI URASAWA'S MONSTER, rated "T+" for Older Teens, will be in stores February 21, 2006 and will retail for $9.99.

NAOKI URASAWA'S MONSTER first appeared in the pages of Shogakukan's Big Comic Original manga anthology and weaves the riveting story of brilliant Dr. Kenzo Tenma, a famous surgeon with a promising career at a leading hospital. Tenma risks his reputation and promising career to save the life of a critically wounded young boy. Unbeknownst to him, this child is destined for a terrible fate. A string of strange and mysterious murders begin to occur soon afterward, ones that professionally benefit Dr. Tenma, and he emerges as the primary suspect. Conspiracies, serial murders, and a scathing depiction of the underbelly of hospital politics are all masterfully woven together in this compelling manga thriller.

The Where and How of Anime

2006-01-10T20:59:00.000-08:00

ON THE INTERNET AND TV, TEENS FOLLOW FAVORITE CHARACTERS AND SERIES

For many teens in the Bay Area, there's never enough anime. They tune in to Japanese animation shows on the Internet and on TV. They draw their own anime and dress up like their favorite characters on occasion. Some even join Japanese language classes. Here are profiles of four popular anime series:

``Naruto''

Though it made its debut on Cartoon Network's ``Toonami'' in September, the animated episodes have been accessible via the Internet since 2000. The popularity of ``Naruto'' has grown since its creation in 1999 by Masashi Kishimoto.

``It teaches life lessons and is super-inspirational and has extreme tragedy that made me almost cry once. And a blend of humor!'' said Justin Shaw, a senior at Lynbrook High School in San Jose.

Synopsis: ``Naruto'' chronicles the passionate, hyperactive teenage ninja Uzumaki Naruto, who strives to become the fourth Hokage, the strongest ninja in the village. Sealed inside his body is Nine-tails Demon Fox, a demon whose character emerges only when Naruto is extremely sad or angry.

``Bleach''

``Bleach'' -- viewable only on the Internet -- has intense sword-fighting scenes and an unpredictable story line.

``It has cliffhangers at the end of most episodes, and you can identify with the characters, which is why it's so popular,'' said Patrick Shyvers, a senior at Cupertino High School.

Synopsis: The evil spirit Hollow attacks 15-year-old Kurosaki Ichigo and his two sisters, but the Shinigami, or death god, Kuchiki Rukia comes to his defense. Rukia gets injured and transfers her powers to Ichigo, who must train to learn the duties of a Shinigami.

``FullMetal Alchemist''

This show gained popularity through viral advertising -- the Internet equivalent of word of mouth.

``Since most animes are watched before they're licensed, they're not advertised anywhere, so really you can only hear about new animes from other people. If it's good, it spreads,'' said Bryant Kou, a senior at Saratoga High School.

Synopsis: Edward and Alphonse Elric lose their mother in childhood and attempt to bring her back using alchemy. They stumble upon curious objects and face moral dilemmas as they learn alchemy.

``One Piece''

``One Piece'' is quirky, ridiculous, strange and wonderful. ``It's absurd and unlike any other anime I've seen,'' said Stephanie Wei, a freshman at Fremont High School in Sunnyvale.

Synopsis: In search of a pirate's loot, 17-year-old pirate Monkey D. Luffy eats a gum-gum fruit, which grants him the power to stretch like rubber. Luffy and his crew struggle to realize their dreams and fight villains.

Where to view anime

Dedicated anime fans watch their favorite shows on the Internet for the convenience and quality. On television, anime has been censored to tone down violence, and voices are dubbed.

``The anime on TV is really bad unless you have Cartoon Network, because the stuff on TV is edited so everything good is taken out,'' said senior Jennie Chen of Cupertino High School. ``People who are true anime fans like watching it online in Japanese with English subtitles.''

``The Internet has made this process very fast. Not only does knowledge of new animes spread quickly, entire animes can be sent to a large amount of people in a relatively short amount of time,'' said senior Bryant Kou of Saratoga High School.

Typically ``fansubbing'' groups in Japan download anime programs, subtitle them in English and upload them to the Internet. Because sometimes it takes years to license anime for the American market, the underground downloading movement continues to make anime available to markets outside Japan.

Anime is usually sent through Web sites such as Bittorrent.com. Anime is to Bittorrent as music is to Kazaa. The legality of file-sharing anime that is licensed in Japan but not in the United States is ambiguous. But once the producer exports those programs to a U.S. licensee, users would be violating the license agreement by downloading it from the Internet.

To view anime, try these Web sites:

www.bittorrent.com, www.animesuki.com

www.moonbeanmanga.net

Download J-Pop, J-Rock, and Anime Themes on iTunes

2006-01-05T06:47:00.000-08:00

It's true! Thanks to internet pioneer company Rightsscale, Japanese music is now becoming available for download through iTunes. That's right, now no more struggle to work around Japanese encryption to download your favorite tunes to your iPod!

Here is an interview with Shaun Iwase - Rightscale Director of International Relations for more info on how this great news came to pass (from the fine folks at Anime News Network):

To Japanese music fans, the promise of digital music is endless. Instead of settling for the five or six albums your local record store might have, or paying outrageous prices for the privilege of waiting two weeks for your import CD to arrive, you could have instant access to millions of songs for a fraction of the cost.

And now, finally, it's beginning to happen. But you'll never guess who's leading the way: a small company called Rightsscale. While the rest of the industry moves like molasses, Rightsscale has already thrown major artists like Bonnie Pink and underrated indies like PE'Z into the digital ring.

So how did they do it, and when will everybody else catch up? Shaun Iwase, Rightsscale's Director of International Relations, is here to share some insight.

How did you manage to get J-Pop on iTunes so far ahead of the big guys like Sony and Avex?

Major labels like Avex and Sony have a large infrastructure, so it takes a long time for something to be put into action. Rightsscale is much smaller in scale. We can act immediately after making a decision. We've been thinking about entering the digital world for years and acted quickly when the time was right. As a result we became the first company to directly put songs on iTunes from Japaneven before the opening of iTunes Japan.

Has the response been about what you expected?

Yes. Sales are not that great, and it has yet to cause a huge reaction in the states. However, people are gradually realizing that Japanese music is now available on iTunes, and the interest in it is gradually rising. I hope this trend would continue as we upload more songs.

So who's up next for Rightsscale?

We are planning to upload tracks by ELLEGARDEN, who are currently one of the top 3 Indies bands in Japan. We've already uploaded albums of PE'Z and The Rodeo Carburettor, bands that were extremely popular at the Japan showcase during In The City 2005 at Manchester. TsuShiMaMiRe is an all-girl band we are handling. They performed for this year's Suicide Girls Live Burlesque Tour and have been immensely popular.

Can you give a quick rundown of In The City?

We were given the opportunity by several organizations in UK - the event itself was a joint effort between Rightsscale, British Underground, UKTI and BPI.

These organizations coordinated the British Showcase in Japan, and since they've been promoting British music in Japan, they offered us the opportunity to promote Japanese artists in the UK through In The City.

In The City is an International Music Convention that is held every year in the UK. It offers up-and-coming bands the opportunity to perform in front of a large crowd of music industry figures, as well as offering valuable grounds for business talks and socialization, both of which are vital to thriving in this industry.

Although many European countries send over bands to ITC, Asian bands were not present until 2005 when we held the first-ever Japanese music showcase. I also spoke with members of the UK music industry in a panel called "Access Japan" that offered the listeners a chance to ask questions about the music situation in Japan.

Although Japan is the world's second largest music market, not much information is attainable out of Japan, especially when it comes to Japanese artists. We wanted to use this event to further strengthen the trade ties with the UK and to also show the British music fans the true capabilities of Japanese bands.

How did your company get started? Did someone at your parent company, Taisuke, just conclude that they needed to take digital music seriously?

The members of Taisuke always had the dream of spreading Japanese music to the world and we saw the digital media market as a great opportunity to show the world the music our country has. Digital music has no boundaries - a truly international market.

Previously interest in Japanese music was limited due to obstacles like language and the import price. Now that people can buy such music without the expensive price tag, along with the recent surge in anime and manga popularity, Japan itself has become more familiar around the world. This opens up a way for us to promote music worldwide. It's also true that we have been interested in the digital market. The market boasts so much opportunity that we just had to take part in it.

I 've been told anime and J-pop are two different audiences. Do you buy that?

Anime and J-pop are intimately tied but remain as different entities. The origins of the two are completely different. J-pop is simply pop music that is adjusted to meet the taste of the younger pop-loving generation in Japan. Anime became related to J-pop ever since anime series began using J-pop in their opening and ending clips. Although the practice has now become common, a decade ago it was normal for anime to have their original theme songs rather than actual commercial songs.

In recent years many anime series have been exported in forms of DVD and video files, in to the hands of anime fans worldwide. When the fans see such anime, it contains some J-pop tracks, and thus the relationship between the two are born. Therefore some overlap may occur (anime fans buying J-pop CD's that were featured) but overall I believe that the audience is separate.

Dark Horse - The Year in Review

2006-01-04T17:07:00.000-08:00

Dark Horse
By Ed Chavez

Dark Horse and I go way way back. I have been reading their titles since the early part of the 1990's. Actually, their release of GunSmith Cats was one reason I had a monthly account at the San Francisco Comic Shop at 23rd and Mission in SF throughout my college years (with Viz's titles being the other). Every month I had a nice monthly tossed into my box there and every month after going to Japantown for raw manga, I would go over there and pick up the stash that had been building up over the 28 or so days. Seriously, this was an integral part of my budget back then - rent, utilities, Japanese phonebooks and monthlies (Note I left out food) - that I did not let go of until around 2000.

Back then, I was just happy to see manga in English. It was one of those things I was able to share with my American friends and with my younger sister who did not grow up with Japanese as one of her primary languages. So after I would read GsC or 3x3 Eyes, I would toss it into its mylar bag with cardboard backing and it would go from family member to friend before finally settling in its own box. I still own every single one of those monthlies except for GcS which I ended up selling for a mini-fortune. I cannot really express how I felt about then back then in words, as exciting and confusing were both kinda mixed in together along with many other feelings.

Manga has seriously changed quite a bit since then.

How many monthlies are you buying now? Dark Horse is the only manga publisher in North America that is really doing this in any form with only two titles: Blade of the Immortal and Space Pinchy.

How many titles that you buy are still flipped? Really only the OGs of manga are still doing this - CPM, Viz Media and Dark Horse. So you can pick up 2005 releases of Club 9, Samurai Executioner and Blade going left to right. Kinda cool how most swordsmen are left-handed in DH titles, huh?!

Love manga and anime? IGN WANTS YOU!

2006-01-04T06:39:00.000-08:00

From ign.com:

Are you an Otaku and proud of it? Do you stay up till the wee hours of the morn' watching anime? Does your dream guy/gal have big eyes and a tiny nose? If you love manga and anime and like to write, IGN may have a place for you. We are currently looking for freelancers to write manga and anime reviews. What could be better than free books and DVDs and a paycheck? Nothing. Nothing could be better.

Qualifications

Must be at least 18 and live in the US.

Have an almost unhealthy love for manga and anime

Possess exceptional writing skills

Want a shot at the big time? If you think you have what it takes to be an IGN freelancer, send your resume and a 350-500 word review on a recent manga or anime release to animejob@ign.com.

Largest anime conventions of 2005.

2006-01-03T06:35:00.000-08:00

The growth of anime conventions continued throughout 2005. More and more conventions popped up while many existing conventions grew in size as more people discover anime fandom and anime fans attend more conventions.

Throughout the year, most conventions chose to publish their attendance numbers. Anime-Cons.com collected those numbers and has assembled this list of the ten largest anime conventions in North America:

Anime Expo - 33,000 total
Otakon - 22,000 paid
A-Kon - 10,800 paid
Anime Central - 10,434 total
Anime North - 9,500 total
Anime Weekend Atlanta - 7,505 paid
Anime Boston - 7,500 total
FanimeCon - 6,580 paid
Katsucon - 5,700 total
Sakura-Con - 4,745 paid

Cinema Anime - For the Serious Anime Student

2006-01-02T21:13:00.000-08:00

For the serious student of anime, check out Cinema Anime

Description:

This collection charts the terrain of contemporary Japanese animation, one of the most explosive forms of visual culture to emerge at the crossroads of transnational cultural production in the last twenty-five years. The essays offer bold and insightful engagement with anime’s concerns with gender identity, anxieties about body mutation and technological monstrosity, and apocalyptic fantasies of the end of history. The contributors dismantle the distinction between 'high' and 'low' culture and offer compelling arguments for the value and importance of the study of anime and popular culture as a key link in the translation from the local to the global.

Blogmaster's Note: If you're looking to sneak anime into that 10 page paper you can't think of a topic for, Cinema Anime seems like the perfect resource.

Anime Newsgroup Master List

2006-01-02T16:22:00.000-08:00

Master List of Anime Newsgroups Online:

This is a list of anime-related newsgroups on Usenet, based on a series of postings to alt.fan.bgcrisis on August 20-21st, 2000, research by the new maintainer, and submissions to the original maintainer, Rob Kelk.

It begins with the rec.arts.anime newsgroups and their history and then moves onto the anime newsgroups in the alt.* hierarchy and the regional hierarchies.

This list will be posted monthly to rec.arts.anime.misc and rec.arts.anime.fandom.

READ THE CURRENT LIST

Anime Acronym List

2006-01-01T11:49:00.000-08:00

Ever wonder what the acronym for your favorite anime is? How about what OM or FT mean?

Check out the Anime Acronym List:

Includes topics like:

Suggested Tag-Lines

Terms Specific to the Anime Newsgroups

General Internet Terms

What Anime Should I Watch Now?

2006-01-01T11:27:00.000-08:00

Check out: The Anime Primer

This is intended for English-speaking fans who are new to anime, and looking for some suggestions of what to watch next. While this list concentrates on North American releases of anime, there is some information about the availability of translated anime in other parts of the world mentioned as well.

Includes such Topics as:

How to Find Anime

Why would an anime not be on this list?

Other Recommendations

The List Maintainer's Current Favourites

Capsule Descriptions of Anime

Check out the Anime Primer for good recs and info on Anime.

Sakura-Con welcomes GameWorks as a sponsor

2006-01-01T00:02:00.000-08:00

Sakura-Con is pleased to welcome GameWorks as a new sponsor in a first ever pre-registration incentive!

Pre-registrants for Sakura-Con will each receive 30 minutes in FREE game play from GameWorks valued at $10 (subject to limitations; see details below). Yes folks, this does include the wise souls who've already pre-registered!

For those of you who may not know, GameWorks is Sakura-Con's neighbor in downtown Seattle and a destination stop in it's own right. Located adjacent to the Washington State Convention Center, GameWorks, now owned by SEGA, features state of the art gaming, entertainment, food and drinks. Everything a gamer could want, from classic games like Pac Man, to anime fan favorites, such as DDR and Initial D can be found at GameWorks! Pre-register now before the GameWorks certificates run out!

Top 10 Anime Theme Songs of 2005

2005-12-31T11:06:00.000-08:00

Oricon has posted an article about the top 10 selling anime theme songs of 2005.

Thirty-seven anime theme songs broke into Oricon's top 10 charts this year, compared to 24 in 2004 and only 8 back in 2000.

This year's top 10 anime theme songs were:

1) "*~Asterisk" from Bleach (TV), by Orange Range - 628,329 copies sold
2) "Gekkouka" from Black Jack, by Janne Da Arc - 321,977 copies sold
3) "Sukiyanen, Osaka/Oh! Enka/Mugendai" from Nintama Rantarou, by Kan Johnny 8 - 238,826 copies sold
4) "Link" from Fullmetal Alchemist: The Conqueror of Shambala, by L'Arc-en-Ciel - 235,751 copies sold
5) "Pride" from Gundam Seed Destiny, by High And Mighty Color - 223,208 copies sold
6) "vestige" from Gundam Seed Destiny, by T.M. Revolution - 176,028 copies sold
7) "Metamorphoze" from Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam: A New Translation -Heirs to the Stars-, by Gackt - 156,709 copies sold
8) "Kimi wa Boku ni Niteiru" from Gundam Seed Destiny, by See-Saw - 156,172 copies sold
9) "Kuroge Wagyuu Joushio Tanyaki Roppyaku Hachijuu En" from Black Jack, by Ai Ohtsuka - 149,134 copies sold
10) "Wings Of Words" from Gundam Seed Destiny, by Chemistry - 140,969 copies sold

Thank You: Anime News Network for this information and the fine translation of it.

Manga in the New Year

2005-12-29T22:28:00.000-08:00

This weekend, celebrate the new year by learning something new.

Instead of dozing off on the sofa while waiting to see the ball drop on TV, families can spend New Year’s Eve learning to draw manga a type of anime or watching a professional comic sculptor at work.

Galactic Quest Comics is offering a unique way to celebrate the new year with its second annual Galactic ConQuest convention today through Sunday. Galactic ConQuest II will offer a variety of programming, games and entertainment for all ages. The $5 cost of admission allows entry to all three days of events.

“This is a fun family alternative” to typical new year’s celebrations, said Kyle Puttkammer, owner of Galactic Quest stores in Buford and Lawrenceville. “It’s something unique that Gwinnett County, GA hasn’t seen before.”

This year’s convention is designed to teach people how to play various video, computer, miniature, card and board games, which will be played throughout the weekend, Puttkammer said.

“We want to take people who have no idea what it’s about and teach them,” Puttkammer said. “We’d really like to have people who don’t really know about comic books or maybe who are fans but don’t know other people who are fans.”

Technorati: manga anime

Top 100 Anime DVD Sales List from CD Japan

2005-12-29T19:08:00.000-08:00

Number 5 bestseller is:

Ghibli ga Ippai Special Short Short
Animation
Release: 2005/11/16 | DVD

Can you guess the ichiban (#1) best selling DVD?

CD Japan’s top 100 list is found here:

anime

Monster Ep 67 translated

2005-12-29T16:26:00.000-08:00

This is good news for me, hopelessly addicted to the anime Monster as I am.

Head on over to anime-kraze and download the newest episode of Monster!

The Story: (from Anime News Network): Kenzou Tenma, a Japanese brain surgeon in Germany, had it all: incredible skill at his work, a rich and beautiful fiancee, and a promising career at his hospital. However, after becoming disenchanted by hospital politics, he chose to save the life of a young boy who got shot in the head over the life of the mayor. As a result he lost the support of the hospital director, as well as his position in the hospital and his fiance. A short time later, the hospital director and the doctors that replaced him were murdered, and once again he was catapulted back onto the top. But as the chief suspect of the murders, Tenma did not get a easy life. As a matter of fact, it seems that the boy he saved was much more than he had appeared to be... Now to clear his name and to correct his past mistake, Tenma must get to the bottom of these and other murders, and investigate the truth of the Monster who is behind all of this.

Monster is a psychological thriller in every sense of the world. Some episodes are so beautiful, you can’t help but be moved to tears. I admit, I’d been in some despair that new episodes weren’t being translated, but the fine folks at anime-kraze are keeping up with this wonderful and difficult to translate anime (which regularly uses three languages - though of course mainly Japanese)

anime

Manga Invasion!

2005-12-29T06:38:00.000-08:00

Celebrating an art form where girls can be super, the hero doesn't always win, and mah-jongg is blood-sport

Only when you have sat in an automobile overflowing with college students (and their various odors and idiosyncrasies) for five hours can you truly understand obsession. In the age of the Internet, satellite dishes, and free shipping, what could possibly consume anyone enough to submit to the travails of such bone-jarring interstate journeys?

Until recently, you could say the word "manga" (Japanese for comics) and count on blank stares. These days, manga paperbacks fill rows at bookstores. Book sale reports showInu-yasha and Naruto making runs at the crown long held by Calvin and Hobbes and Get Fuzzy. Manga popularity has even encouraged one pair of local entrepreneurs to open a dedicated store --- after making the aforementioned trek one too many times.

"[I]n Hiroshi Hirata's samurai comics, with their direct, serious art style, I find a nostalgia for the kami-shibai of old, and a sensibility in the manner of the violent warrior prints of the late Edo period." --- Yukio Mishima (Japanese traditionalist and writer, better known nowadays in the West for his ritual suicide in 1970)

Hiroshi Hirata, Osamu Tezuka, and their fellow mangaka are the inheritors of a long artistic history in Japan. A thousand years ago, Buddhist monks were producing cartoon-like drawings satirizing other clergy and the nobility. In the 17th and 18th century, woodblock printing techniques led to mass production of story-telling pictures on scrolls, arguably the original comic books. The most popular prints were ukiyo-e, the "Floating World" pictures recently on display at the MemorialArtGallery.

The arrival of American comic strips in bound collections a little less than a century ago led to the production of thick monthly Japanese magazines collecting whatever comics were available. Even so, pre-1945 most of the artwork bears little resemblance to the stylistic conventions now associated with manga.

That would all change with the artistic emergence of a medical student who preferred Walt Disney and Max Fleischer.

Paging through Buddha by Osamu Tezuka is revelatory, like hearing the Beatles for the first time or eating seafood fresh off the boat in a place where that means something. The art varies from exquisite landscapes to elongated caricatures. Like Citizen Kane, the artist took the opportunity to explore the possibilities of black and white. The 3000-page tale offers the same labyrinthine experience as the lengthiest Russian novel. Buddha is a manga masterpiece created by the originator of the medium. This could never be a comic book produced by the American entertainment machine.

"People talk about [Tezuka] as the 'father,' [and] he was in a lot of ways," says Joanne Bernardi, director of the Film and Media Studies Program and associate professor of Japanese at the University of Rochester. "He was the one who introduced this new style. It caught on. It fed into a whole lot of social and cultural ethos at the time. It completely meshed with the whole idea of technology outracing and outpacing and undermining humanity. The fact that there had been this atomic bomb and this traumatic experience in Japan that was due to technology. The bomb really seems to infect popular culture, at least. It definitely overshadows other aspects about the war."

Sitting on her parents' sofa in the early '60s, Prof. Bernardi was on the frontlines as the first Japanese animations entered American family rooms on Saturday mornings. "[Tezuka] really did make a big change with Astro Boy," she says. "Astro Boy was his flagship character. To our American consciousness, he was the only one exported."

"There was a young girl sitting beside me.... [F]or nearly the whole time since we had left Ueno Station she had been reading a thick comic book. The girl rose, put her comic down, and walked the length of the car to the toilet. A green TOILET OCCUPIED light went on, and while that light burned I read the comic. I was instructed and cautioned. The comic strips showed decapitations, cannibalism, people bristling with arrows like Saint Sebastian, people in flames, shrieking armies of marauders dismembering villagers, limbless people with dripping stumps, and, in general, mayhem. The drawings were not good, but they were clear. Between the bloody stories there were short comic ones and three of these depended for their effects on farting: a trapped man or woman bending over, exposing a great moon of buttock and emitting a jet of stink (gusts of soot drawn in wiggly lines and clouds) in the captors' faces. The green light went off and I dropped the comic. The girl returned to her seat and, so help me God, serenely returned to this distressing comic." --- Paul Theroux, The Great Railway Bazaar

Ignoring the fact that he seems to feel all right touching his fellow passenger's stuff, Theroux does accurately describe the contents of the common manga weekly, in many ways not too far removed from Mad Magazine or a Hollywood Western. On the other hand, "There's also this idea that the violence and sex in anime --- this is today --- that seems to be blown out of proportion," Bernardi reminds us. "That's been a much bigger impediment to [adults] appreciating anime. The kids don't bother with [worrying about] it."

First round of guests for AnimeNEXT 2006...

2005-12-28T21:38:00.000-08:00

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

AnimeNEXT is proud to announce that Vic Mignogna, Laura Bailey, Colleen Clinkenbeard, Lauren Goodnight and Bill Rogers are the first guests for AnimeNEXT in 2006!

Vic Mignogna, who was a guest in 2005, will be joining us again in 2006. Vic's list of accomplishments include voices from Fullmetal Alchemist, Full Metal Panic, Dragonball Z Movie 8, Saiyuki, RahXephon, Princess Nine, Street Fighter, Sin, Spriggan, Casaraki, Noir, Steel Angel Karumi, Orphen, Excel Saga, A. D. Police, Yu Yu Hakusho and many more. He is a professional music composer and a veteran voice actor with ADV Films and FUNimation Productions, Ltd.

Colleen Clinkenbeard is a voice actress with FUNimation Productions. She got her start as Éclair in Kiddy Grade and has since voiced Rachel in Case Closed, Oleander in Lupin III: Dead or Alive, Mary in Lupin III: Farewell to Nostradamus, and currently Misako in Kodocha, and Rose and Hawkeye in Fullmetal Alchemist. She has also been featured in Dragonball GT, Yu Yu Hakusho, and Spiral, as well as the video games Fullmetal Alchemist, Spike Out, and Blood Rayne II. Her voice directing credits include Kiddy Grade, and currently Fullmetal Alchemist, Kodocha, and Sakura Taisen: Ecole de Paris. Colleen is also a scriptwriter for series such as Fullmetal Alchemist, Kodocha, and Samurai 7.

Laura Bailey got her start playing Kid Trunks on Dragonball Z and has since gone on to play the lead in several FUNimation properties. Her most popular roles include Tohru in Fruits Basket, Marlene in Blue Gender, Alv in Kiddy Grade, and Lust in Fullmetal Alchemist. Laura has been working in the anime industry for almost six years and has recently begun directing as well. So far she has directed Gunslinger Girls and Kodocha (in which she also plays the lead characters) as well as several episodes of Case Closed. For those gamers out there, you can hear Laura's voice as the title character in the video games BloodRayne 1 and 2 and as Alex D in Deus Ex: the Invisible War.

Japan and US to share DVD region encoding

2005-12-28T19:35:00.000-08:00

Japan and US to share region encoding on Blu-ray:

In other next-gen optical format news, reports (Japanese) are surfacing that Blu-ray disc will adopt a new region encoding scheme that will put Japan and the rest of East Asia into the same region as North and South America. Currently the United States is partnered with Canada on current DVD regions, while Europe is hangin' tough with Japan in another region lock-down.

Region encoding is purportedly an anti-piracy measure, allowing for DVD manufacturers to determine what regions a given DVD may play in. For instance, my family across the pond can't buy BBC DVDs for me, because the UK and Ireland are in another region, and my DVD player will refuse to play them. Of course, the pirates who engage in video swashbuckling are quite capable of removing this region encoding, meaning that the black market goods are user friendly, while the white market goods are a pain to deal with, and limit consumer choice.

If the reports are correct, there will only be three regions for Blu-ray, as follows:

Region 1: North America, South America, and East Asia (excluding China)

Region 2: Europe (including Turkey), and Africa

Region 3: China, Russia and others

A fourth region setting would be "null," or no region specified.

If true, the news will be greeted cheerfully by all manner of North American anime fans, who have long lamented the separate region encodings for Japan and the northwestern hemisphere (those that didn't pirate content, at least). But another group may also be pleased. If this region encoding applies to Blu-ray games, this would mean that PS3 games could flow easily between Japan and North America. But a few things merit mentioning. First, Sony's PSP does not use region encoding, and there's a possibility that the company may forgo using it at all for the PS3. On the flipside, Sony could also add another layer of region encoding that is game specific, and could shut down game sharing, if they wanted to. We can't know for sure until later.

Fansubbers Wanted

2005-12-28T08:25:00.000-08:00

Anime Fansub : Translators "Japanese to English":

Hell-Fansub is currently taking on 2-3 translators to join the team. Not much is required but dedication to the fansub is a must. Requirements for the position are listed below:

Requirements:

+ Decent Understanding of the Japanese Language
+ 8 Hours Free a week to logon IRC
+ Subtitle Skills (NOT REQUIRED but will help )

If you would like to apply for this position either visit their irc channel and message an operator or visit the website and apply online.

WebSite: www.hell-fansubs.org

Irc: irc.rizon.org

Channel: #hell-fansubs

(from sci.lang.translation)

Trumbull Library schedules anime film festival

2005-12-28T07:36:00.000-08:00

TRUMBULL When the Trumbull Library staff asked teen patrons their theme preference for the library's first youth-oriented film festival, the response was quick and simple.

The festival should focus on anime, a majority of responding teenagers said.

In a bow to the popular animation style created by Japanese graphic artists, the library's Anime Film Festival for Teens will be Wednesday, featuring three back-to-back anime films.

"Anime is very, very hot among this group," library Director Karen Ronald said. She said the film festival is one of several ways the library is expanding teen services.

Sharp and colorful images, strong lines, original plots and unusual settings make anime (pronounced ah-KNEE-may) immediately discernable from other animation styles. It also is set apart by characters that typically have large, round eyes and vibrant, often nontraditional, hair color. Distinctive anime genres are targeted specifically toward boys, girls or adults.

"I saw my first anime film festival this fall and I was absolutely blown away by the graphics," Ronald said. "They're beautiful. Very stylistic, very interesting."

Library staff members Sandy Miller, who works in the technical services department, and Megan Norrell, head of circulation, coordinated the festival.

"My husband is a real anime buff," Norrell said. She said his devotion to anime is in keeping with the Japanese assessment of cartoons, which varies from that of Americans.

"Americans tend to view cartoons as kid stuff," Norrell said. "The Japanese view anime as an artistic rendition. They use it really as an artistic expression."

Central Park Media Giveaway!

2005-12-28T00:00:00.000-08:00

NEW YORK, NY (December 27, 2005) Central Park Media today announced a special contest giving away 24 copies of CPM’s acclaimed Kakurenbo: Hide and Seek all throughout December 31st.

From 12 AM EST December 31 to 12 AM EST January 1 2006, fans who visit http://centralparkmedia.com/kakurenbo/contest.html will be able to play a special Find Sorincha Flash game, and every player who wins will be entered into an hourly drawing to take home Kakurenbo on DVD.

CPM will be drawing a new winner each hour, and fans are encouraged to come back throughout the day, as every hour the game is played is another chance to win.

All the winners will be announced on CPM’s Kakurenbo website on January 10.

VegasBuzzz.com Launches Anime News Channel The Japanese...

2005-12-27T23:07:00.000-08:00

VegasBuzzz.com Launches Anime News Channel

The Japanese Cultural Phenomenon known as Anime is taking the nation by storm

Las Vegas, NV (OPENPRESS) December 27, 2005 -- Vegas Buzz: www.vegasbuzzz.com , has launched a new channel decated to Anime News.

Anime, or Japanese for 'animation, are highly-polished, extreme production value cartoons on all subjects under the sun. Anime can run the gamut from cute to downright ugly and perverse, and are the motion equivalent of Japanese manga, or comic books, usually intended for adults.

Millions of Japanese read manga on trains, planes, waiting rooms, dental offices and lunch rooms.

While manga are almost as popular as anime, anime is the clear winner, and purported to be a billion dollar industry sleeper, one that enjoys a quiet, but increasingly noisier boom.

Just this October, the Second Annual Anime convention was held in Vegas by AnimeVegas.com , a non-profit dedicated to the introduction of Japanese culture through this highly entertaining medium of anime. Anime Vegas has its own blog devoted to Anime and featuring a videolog, or video blog - log on to www.animevegas.blogspot.com to access the latest info and video blogs.

Anime 101

Here's what anime's all about, according to www.about.com

ANIME (ah - nee - mhey) is a shortened form of the word ANIMATION, and is also commonly known as JAPANESE ANIMATION, but more often called simply as animè.
ANIME are animated films often based on manga titles. MANGA (mahn-ga) refers to japanese comics, often black and white, made for japanese magazines or sold separately by volumes. Manga is one of the most popular readable material ever, and in Japan it stands just like a newspaper. It depicts different genres of epic storylines and interesting characters to deal with, which made manga readership reach billions.
On the other hand, ANIME provides the necessary live action and cinematic themes needed for these mangas to come to life. Distinguishing anime from other animated films such as the Disney cartoons are certain aspects unavailable on its counterparts:

* An epic storyline. Soaring mechas, demons on the loose, blooming romance, historical developments, name it.
* The power everywhere. Most animes show characters that possess powers (magical, psychic, mental, spiritual, demonic, and more..) that are impossible for the 'real' human body to have.
* Eye-catching character portrayals. Heroes have unusual hair styles, bright hair colors, magnificent eyes, and one set of attire for the rest of the series. Heroines portray mastery in terms of its artwork, and wears the least clothing possible for the genre. Villians, on the other hand, mostly have horns, demonic bodies, or have unimaginable powers beyond control.

ANIME comes in different varieties, like futuristic (Evangelion), medieval (Rurouni Kenshin), typical romance (Fushigi Yuugi), hyperspeed action (Dragonball Z), sports (Slam Dunk!), comedy (Lupin), school life (Kimagure Orange Road), adult (La Blue Girl). Not only that, it has different types of viewpoints, from a 100-episode TV series, a 2-hour length movie, or rare to find original animation videos. Overall, anime is considered in a class above the rest of the world's cartoons.

Anime news should be sent to jonathan@allwirelessmedia.com

###

Professional Free Press Release News Wire

CLICK HERE for more information

No Shock Here

2005-12-27T21:53:00.000-08:00

Animated lessons in Japanese culture
Students credit 'anime' for their interest in Japan.

He has wide eyes like most anime characters. He has long, white hair and pointy ears on his head because he is half dog demon and half human. He is 150 years old but looks 17, and he carries a sword similar to that of a samurai.

His name is Inuyasha, and he is sophomore Sarah Vennell's favorite anime character. "Anime" is Japan's signature style of animation, marked by its sharp color contrasts, dynamic characters and action-packed plots.

"He's strong; he has a lot of powers," Sarah said during a meeting of the anime club at Penn High School, where she is a student. "The story has romance, adventure, action, everything you want."

As the popularity of Japanese cartoons and comic books has continued to grow in recent years, so has the number of high school and college students in Japanese classes at local institutions.

Many students enrolled in Japanese classes at Penn High School and Indiana University South Bend say their interest in Japanese started while watching or reading a variety of TV cartoons, films and comic books from Japan.

"I first got into Japanese culture because I watched all these shows," 14-year-old Mary Thorburn said, referring to the Japanese cartoons she watched on cable TV when she was 8 years old.

Now, Mary and classmate Brittany Weese are taking first-year Japanese at Penn High School. Brittany is just as enthused as Mary about the Asian country's culture.

Battle Angel/Gunnm - Wallpaper!

2005-12-26T16:56:00.000-08:00

Battle Angel Alita is my icon. She’s all I wanted to be when I grow up. A whimsical, beautiful, and ass-kicker. So here’s a wallpaper in homage to the ultimate Alita:

Download @ Sci-Fi Buzz.

Hello Anime - REVIEW

2005-12-26T06:33:00.000-08:00

Hello Anime! is a new 2 DVD set produced by Kaza Contents that looks at Animé and how it influenced American culture. The approach of Stagars and Fick is to ask questions to American industry practitioners from all aspects, including production and the business side. They also interview participants involved in video games and Mangas. This two set DVD is a great set that gives Animé fans and anyone who enjoy animation a fresh perspective.

Hello Anime!
Kaza Contents
Music: The Universal Artist
Editor: Michiko Ohno
Director of Photography: Georg Fick

Produced and Directed by Manuel Stagars and Georg Fick.

I truly enjoyed watching this DVD. Although I am not a big Animé fan, I found the many references to animation productions and the continuing conflict between movements and stylistic animation. The contents of these discs really speak to anyone who works in animation and sums up a lot of knowledge that people assume they always knew about. A good comment by some of the interviewees is that kids should look outside of their spheres and find new influences instead of being 100% inspired by Animé.

Best of 2005: Mind Game

2005-12-26T06:19:00.000-08:00

You know how sometimes you’re really into an unknown little band? Then, like a year later, a track from the band’s disc is so overplayed that even the lamest people are wearing the band’s concert shirts. And you really, really want to tell everyone how you were into their sound “before it was cool,” but you can’t because you know how uncool it is to say the phrase “before it was cool.”

That’s how anime fans are feeling right about now because anime is everywhere. Anime in Blockbuster Video; anime in Hollywood films (thank you Mr. Tarintino); there are even anime tennis shoe commercials.

But this year, for anime fans who were fans before it was cool, Masaaki Yuasa’s underground flick Mind Game was nothing short of a revelation. The film, which lives up to it’s title by literally daring the audience to follow a series of mental twists and turns, made the U.S. film fest circuit, and got circulated on import DVDs.

Sexy Voice and Robo: REVIEW

2005-12-25T22:09:00.000-08:00

Synopsis:

In her spare time, 14-year-old Nico Hayashi scams lonely men by running a phone-dating hotline. She's honing her skills to be a spy or fortuneteller who can read people just by hearing their voice. While taking calls in a café one day, she catches the attention of a nearby old man, who decides to send her on a "mission": identify the voice of a kidnapper on tape, then locate the criminal and his hostage. Along the way, Nico runs into one of her clients, a wimpy robot-figure collector whom she nicknames Robo. Taking on the codename "Sexy Voice," she sets out with Robo to complete various tasks assigned to them by the old man. But where does he find all this work? Looks like another mystery to solve.

Review:

"So it's about a teen detective and an otaku who solve mysteries?"

"Well, not exactly... because, the girl also pretends to be other people for a phone-dating service, and the otaku keeps calling and getting roped into her adventures... "
"So that's what it's about, then?"
"Well, it's not exactly about that, because there's more to it, like the old man, but you don't find out who he really is until the end of Volume 1, and the reason he sends them out"
"So what is it actually about?"

That's the kind of conversation you might have when trying to describe Sexy Voice and Robo to someone. So multi-layered is this manga that any attempts to explain the story end in "Oh, just read it and you'll see." And there's no reason not to read itit's smart enough for picky intellectual comics nerds, thrilling enough for action lovers, and deep enough for those who care about characters, emotions and drama. Once you step into Nico's hotchpotch world, you'll never want to leave.

From the early chapters, it's easy to believe that there's nothing more to the story than the aforementioned mystery-solving. However, shades of Iou Kuroda's grand master plan start to creep into the episodic patternside characters keep coming back, while minor events blossom into full-blown cases. By the time it wanders unsuspectingly into the "Mr. Forgetful" story arc, you finally realize the depth of the narrative. All those rambling vignettes about Nico and friendseven the subtle, inconsequential sceneshave been building up the story in some way, connecting everything together. Every chapter is complete, whether it be a game of phone-tag or tracking down a wanted man, but the entire volume is also a unified work.

Nodame Cantabile Vol. #03 of 13* REVIEW

2005-12-25T22:06:00.000-08:00

What They Say:
MUSICAL DISSONANCE

Student prodigy Shinichi Chiaki just can’t shake Nodame, no matter how hard he tries. Now he is forced to tutor her and Mine all night. So much for music being comforting!

Then Chiaki gets a golden opportunity: the chance to temporarily fill in for Maestro Stresemann as conductor for the S orchestra. But after an unfortunate mishap, the maestro defects to the A orchestra and challenges Shinichi to a public-performance duel. With only weeks to prepare can members of the inexperienced S orchestra pull themselves together to rival the confidence of the A orchestra? It’s going to take a lot of hard work and inspiration form a certain free-spirited girl with a crush. The battle Shinichi can’t afford to lose has begun!

REVIEW:

Packaging:

This has to be the best presentation I have seen from Del Rey. Once again they use the original cover art, but the little things the have done have won me over. First as I said before they use the original cover art. This cover has a close up of Noda Megumi (NodaMe) conducting in a low cut red dress!!!! The image is a little misleading considering how she does not know how to conduct, but that is really irrelevant for it does a decent job presenting her loose, laid-back personality as well as her unique talent for improvisation. The logo is placed on some music bars just like the Japanese logo. Very nice. On the opposite cover, there is a long volume description on a green background with Chiaki and his gang of musical misfits in their smugglers outfits. (notes: smugglers outfits are three piece suits and boots like those worn by Canada’s drunkest horniest BC punk band… the Smugglers!)

I am not a fan of the arch use Del Rey. Upon further inspection, this presentation has the cover art creeping over the arches, instead of the other way around which was the case on early Del Rey releases. The spine has two half ellipses, each containing the studio name - one in kana, the other containing Del Rey's studio logo.

Blogmasters Note: This looks like a nontypical manga theme - I‘m inclined to check it out.

Monster Wallpaper Goodness

2005-12-24T21:22:00.000-08:00

I love Monster! The anime grabbed me from the first episode and just kept giving. So here’s a wallpaper in homage to an excellent series by Haengbok:

Download at Sci-Fi Buzz

New Hana Yori Dango - Live Action Wallpaper!

2005-12-23T22:22:00.000-08:00

New Hana Yori Dango - Live Action Wallpaper!
by Haengbok

Download @ Sci-Fi Buzz

Anime Gift Recs...off the beaten track

2005-12-19T22:50:00.000-08:00

Gift ideas with little buzz
By Jason Yadao

Last week, I looked at well-known series that fans of anime and manga, as well as newcomers to the party, would enjoy as Christmas gifts. This week, lesser-known but equally gift-worthy series take the spotlight:

» "High School Girls" (DrMaster): For those people tired of the idealized spin on school life, Towa Oshima presents tales of life at an all-girls school, based on her experiences -- warts and all.

» "Planetes" (Bandai): Any series can focus on a motley crew of space-faring voyagers. This one focuses on the underpaid people who have to clean up the debris these voyagers leave behind.

» "Genshiken" (anime from Media Blasters, manga from Del Rey): Just how dedicated can anime and manga fans be? The fictional Society for the Study of Modern Visual Culture offers some clues ... and the results are either fun or eerily realistic, depending on your perspective.

GEN CON to sponsor NYC Comic Con

2005-12-19T18:40:00.000-08:00

Norwalk, CT, December 18, 2005: Reed Exhibitions has announced that Gen Con will be an official show sponsor of its brand new event, New York Comic-Con, which will take place February 24th - 26th in New York City. Gen Con is an industry leading event for the gaming, fantasy and science fiction communities and attracts a large and devoted following. It currently organizes two conventions, one in the fall in Los Angeles and the other in the summer in Indianapolis.

New York Comic-Con will be a major convention for comics, games, anime, and other related industries based on the East Coast and has already attracted compelling guests, celebrities, and innovators. The show has also attracted numerous co-sponsors.

"I am delighted that Gen Con will be joining us as a co-sponsor," notes Greg Topalian, Group Vice President in charge of Launch Pad for Reed Exhibitions. "Gen Con runs terrific shows and their expertise in the gaming sector is without comparison. They are providing us with a great stamp of approval by participating in our event and, more importantly, they will bring a wealth of knowledge to our gaming tournaments and events. I am pleased by this latest development as it not only underscores the value of our show to gaming enthusiasts, but it's a further indication of how strong we are to so many different constituents."

Peter Adkison, CEO of Gen Con, comments: "Gen Con is a popular and proven event and we certainly know the gaming business. We are eager to support New York Comic-Con as a way of supporting the gaming industry in the Northeast. Clearly, Reed Exhibitions is ambitious and wants to be more than just a comics convention by also welcoming games. Gen Con is happy to help them achieve that goal. If it is good for gaming, then it is certainly good for Gen Con."

One Piece Video Game Review

2005-12-18T21:05:00.000-08:00

One of the latest shounen animes to get the 4Kids treatment is One Piece, which tells the tale of Monkey D. Luffy and his motley crew of pirates. Moments before his execution, the Pirate King Gold Roger told the crowd where his vast fortune, One Piece, was hidden - the Grand Line. With the entire world in a rush to the Grand Line to find the Pirate King's vast wealth, a new age of pirates began. After eating the legendary Devil's Fruit, Luffy gains the ability to stretch like rubber, but loses the ability to swim. After being saved from drowning, by his hero Shanks (at the expense of Shanks' arm), Luffy decides he wants to become a pirate, and sets out on a quest to acquire One Piece and become the new Pirate King.

One Piece: Grand Battle is quite possibly the most basic fighting game we've come across this year. It takes a leaf out of the book of popular Dreamcast fighter Power Stone, but lacks any of the extra depth and variety that made Capcom's brawler successful. Each character (sixteen in total) is identical in the way they control, with the exact same move set, which consists of four combos, a couple of throws and three special moves of varying power. One Piece's fighting engine is seriously broken, with matches simply consisting of a race to see who can get their ridiculously powerful super move executed first. These super moves are actually quite impressive in their presentation, but consist of lengthy animation cycles that put Final Fantasy VIII's summons to shame, making them quite annoying after repeat plays.

The playing environment in each of the game's seven arenas (of which only five are initially available) are somewhat destructible, and are filled with a few items and traps (such as a rampaging cow in Luffy's stage) with which one can use to damage his/her opponent. Occasionally these items will have other items within them, such as fruit for healing or increasing your super meter, and the occasional offensive or defensive power up. Fights only consist of two players at any one time, with a support character (of which there are 32) that can join your character in the ring for a short time. It’s disappointing that Ganbarion decided to limit the game to just two players, as having four participants would have made the game considerably more enjoyable.

Hana Yori Dango Dorama - Final Episode!

2005-12-17T18:51:00.000-08:00

If you haven’t had a chance to check out the live action Hana Yori Dango (Boys over Flowers) don’t let it pass you by!

Hanazawa Rui
(Oguri Shun)

Makino Tsukushi(Inoue Mao)

Doumyouji Tsukasa
(Matsumoto Jun)

This series is so sweet and good. I’ve finished the subtitled version of Episode 8, and attempted to grasp the unsubbed (as of yet) episode 9, and as an almost complete wrapup (for me), I’ve decided that I thoroughly loved the series.

The Basic Story:

Hana Yori Dango revolves around the story Makino Tsukushi, a poor girl going to an elite high school. She’s already one step behind everyone else, not able to buy the latest 40,000 yen handbag or spend her summer breaks in Rome. But her greatest trial is F4, a group of four (no shock there) rich boys, who because of the power and influence of their families, basically run the school. Tsukushi (a tough weed) may not be wealthy, but she’s got the strength of heart that counts. Her sense of justice and righteous indignation land her in the deepest trouble. Will it be enough to save her? And what about love?

Where to get it:

Go to D-Addicts and search Hana Yori Dango.

Be sure to grab the torrents by SARS FANSUBS.

Then download the torrent and start it up.

Don’t know anything about Bittorrent?

Surf on over to animesuki.com and check out their FAQ to learn everything you need to know.

Series Reviews:

If you don’t mind spoilers (and lots of them) full episode reviews of Hana Yori Dango can be found HERE.

Episode ScreenCaps:

Check out: The Saturn Necklace for screencap downloads in Stuffit Format.

Full Metal Alchemist Novel - Dueling Reviews

2005-12-17T18:28:00.000-08:00

Review by Shannon "Vandemar" Drake

The Fullmetal Alchemist juggernaut rolls on, hopping from anime, manga, and video games into novelization form. The Land of Sand takes place in and around the brothers’ time in Xenotime, roughly episodes 11 and 12 if you’re thinking in terms of the series.

My question was: “How well does FMA’s mix of action and drama translate to book form?”

Well, roughly…roughly. The transition to translated text isn’t the greatest. For one thing, lost somewhere in the translation is the snappy patter between the brothers. Edward and Alphonse no longer sound like the Ed and Al we know and love. They sound like any other character in the books, which really takes away from a lot of their chemistry. There’s other odd little details here and there that are off. Lieutenant Hawkeye is frequently referred to as Captain and Al’s armor is apparently made of bronze. How they manage to make bronze armor gleam like steel, I don’t know.

READ MORE @ warcry.com

And the contrasting opinion:

Review by Tom Good

This novel, based on the hit anime and manga series FullMetal Alchemist, tells the story of Edward and Alphonse Elric, two boys who have suffered the consequences of an alchemy experiment gone wrong. This disaster left Edward with an artificial leg and hand, and his younger brother Alphonse as a disembodied spirit inhabiting a large suit of armor. The two heroes search for the Philosopher's Stone in the hopes that it can restore their bodies. On their journey, they come across a desert mining town in decline, with the gold rush over and its fortunes long past. Here, another pair of boys has been impersonating the Elrics and conducting alchemy experiments of their own.

Though The Land of Sand is the first FullMetal Alchemist novel, the main story is actually based on episodes 11 and 12 of the anime, which were called "The Other Brothers Elric." This is followed by a short, 44-page bonus story called The Phantom of Warehouse 13, which is an amusing "ghost story" based on part of an unrelated episode.

This novel presents a very competent adaptation of the anime, and gets the characters of Edward and Alphonse just right, contrasting Ed, who is outgoing and headstrong, with his shy, sweet, and thoughtful brother Alphonse. The two Elric impostors also share some of these characteristics, which the brothers cannot help but notice. And Ed's famous sensitivity about his own short stature, which figures into almost every episode of the anime, also appears here.

READ MORE @ liheliso.com

Or decide for yourself:
Check out Full Metal Alchemist Vol. 1:

2006 Anime Conventions

2005-12-17T14:30:00.000-08:00

Jan. 6-8, 2006 - Ohayocon, Columbus, Ohio
Guests of Honor: Actors: Scott McNeil, Chris Sabat, Monica Rial, Greg Ayres, Johnny Yong Bosch, Laura Bailey, Mike McFarland; producer Jeff Thompson; Artists: Jan Scott-Frazier, Robert DeJesus, Emily DeJesus; musicians Peelander Z, The Spoony Bards
http://www.ohayocon.com/

Jan. 27-29, 2006 - Ushicon, Austin, Texas
Guests of Honor: Artists: Ikuko Itoh, Keitarou Arima, Doug Smith, Steve Bennett, Rivkah; Actors: Yuri Lowenthal, Carrie Savage, Laura Bailey, Greg Ayres.
http://www.ohayocon.com//

Jan. 27-29, 2006 - Anime Los Angeles, Van Nuys, California
Guests of Honor: Producer Hiroaki Inoue; PMBQ, Karisu, Richard Man, Tadao Tomomatsu
http://www.animelosangeles.org/

Feb. 17-19, 2006 - Katsucon, Washington, D.C.
Guests of Honor: Actors: Richard Ian Cox, Kirby Morrow, Mike Sinterniklaas, Mike McFarland, Greg Ayres, mc chris, Gustavo Sorola, Joel Heyman, Jason Saldana; Artists: Rikki Simmons, Tavisha Wolfgarth, Fred Perry, Jan Scott-Frazier, Robert DeJesus, Steve Bennett; Producer: Toshifumi Yoshida, writer Trish LeDoux
http://www.katsucon.com/

Feb. 24-26, 2006 - Animaritime, Sackville, New Brunswick
Animaritime

Feb. 24-26, 2006 - Kei-kon, Victoria, B.C.
KeiKon

Feb. 25, 2006 - Llamacon, Great Barrington, Massachusetts
Guests of Honor: Artist: Jeph Jacques; Musicians: Bad Luck
http://www.llamacon.org/

March 4, 2006 - KameCon, Manchester, New Hampshire
http://www.kamecon.com/

March 4, 2006 - Senshi-Con, Anchorage, Alaska
SenshiCon

March 11-12, 2006 - Toronto Anime Con, Toronto, Ontario
TorontoAnimeCon

March 16-19, 2006 - Comics in Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
http://www.comicsinleipzig.de/

March 17-19, 2006 - Minamicon, Southampton, U.K.
http://www.minamicon.org.uk/

March 17-19, 2006 - Anime Oasis, Boise, Idaho
Guests of Honor: Actors: Alistair Abell, Vic Mignogna, Michael Coleman; Musicans: Lisa Furukawa Ray, Voice Industrie; Artists: NDP Comics
http://www.animeoasis.org/

March 18-19, 2006 - MomoCon, Atlanta, Georgia
MomoCon

March 23-26, 2006 - Tokyo International Anime Fair, Tokyo, Japan
TokyoIntAnimeFair

March 24-26, 2006 - Anime Detour, Bloomington, Minn.
http://www.animedetour.com/

March 24-26, 2006 - Paicon Genesis, Westlake, Ohio
Guest of honor: Actor: Joshua Seth
http://www.pai-con.com/

March 24-26, 2006 - Sakura Con, Seattle, Washington
Guest of Honor: Actor: Tony Oliver
http://www.sakuracon.org/

March 31-April 2, 2006 - Tekkoshocon, Monroeville, Pennsylvania
Guests of Honor: Actors: Greg Ayres, Kyle Hebert, Caitlin Glass, Tiffany Grant; Producer: Matt Greenfield; Artists: Robert and Emily DeJesus; Musician: Michael "Piano Squall" Gluck; Game Show Host: Greggo
http://www.tekkoshocon.com/

March 31-April 2, 2006 - Anime Punch, Worthington, Ohio
Guests of Honor: Actors: Crispin Freeman, Joshua Seth
http://www.animepunch.org/

March 31-April 2, 2006 - Conbust, Northampton, Massachusetts
Guests of honor: Artists: Jennie Breeden, J. Jacques, Richard Stevens; Author Patricia Briggs; Actor: Mary Elizabeth McGlynn
http://sophia.smith.edu/ssffs/conbust/

March 31-April 2, 2006 - CNUcon, Newport News, Virginia
http://www.gamergirlx.com/cnucon/

April 1, 2006 - Japanese Anime Film Marathon, Washington, D.C.
JapaneseAnimeFilmFestival

April 8, 2006 - Animarathon, Bowling Green, Ohio
Animarathon

April 14-16, 2006 - AniZona, Phoenix, Arizona
http://www.anizona.org/

April 14-16, 2006 - Kawaii Kon, Honolulu, Hawaii
Guests of honor: Artists: Stan Sakai, Robert and Emily DeJesus; Actors: Vic Mignogna, Sean Schemmel, Jennifer Sekiguchi; producer David Williams
http://kawaii-kon.org/

April 20-23, 2006 - Matsuricon, Worthington, Ohio
http://www.matsuricon.org/

April 21-23, 2006 - Middle Tennessee Anime Convention, Nashville, Tennessee
Guests of honor: Artist: Scott Kurtz, Actors: Steve Blum, Vic Mignogna, Caitlin Glass, Greg Ayres; musician Lisa Ray
http://www.mtac.net/

April 21-23, 2006 - NoBrandCon, Eau Claire, Wisc.
Guests of Honor: Actor: Tiffany Grant; Director: Joe Grisaffi
http://www.nobrandcon.com/

April 28-30, 2006 - JACON, Orlando, Fla.
Guests of honor: Actors: George Lowe, Brett Weaver
http://www.jacon.org/

April 28-30, 2006 - Shiokazecon, Houston, Texas
Guests of honor: Musicians High and Mighty Color; Actors Greg Ayres, Monica Rial, Tiffany Grant, Jamie McGonnigal, Mike McFarland; Artists: Samantha Inoue Harte, Jan Scott-Frazier
http://www.shiokazecon.com/

May 5-7, 2006 - Anime Central, Rosemont, Illinois
http://www.acen.org/

May 26-28, 2006 - Anime Boston, Boston, Massachusetts
Guests of Honor: Actors Greg Ayres, Steven J. Blum, Richard Epcar, Mary Elizabeth McGlynn; Artists Robert and Emily DeJesus
http://www.animeboston.com/

May 26-28, 2006 - Anime North, Toronto, Ontario
http://www.animenorth.com/

May 26-28, 2006 - Sogen Con, Marshall, Minnesota
Guests of honor: actors Greg Ayres, Colleen Clinkenbeard, Laura Bailey, Mike McFarland, Caitlin Glass
http://www.sogencon.com/

May 26-28, 2006 - Animazement, Durham, North Carolina
http://www.animazement.org/

May 26-29, 2006 - Fanime Con, San Jose, California
Guest of honor: artist Sanami Matoh
http://www.fanime.com/

June 2-4, 2006 - Metrocon, Tampa, Fla.
http://www.metroconventions.com/

June 2-4, 2006 - ColossalCon, Independence, Ohio
http://www.colossalcon.com/2006/

June 9-11, 2006 - A-Kon, Dallas, Texas
Guests of honor: actors Darrel Guilbeau, Vic Mignogna, Burnie Burns, Geoff Fink, Gus Sorola, Matt Hullum, Jason Saldana
http://www.a-kon.com/

June 9-11, 2006 - OMG!con, Paducah, Kentucky
http://www.omgcon.com/

June 16-17, 2006 - Houkocon, Port St. Lucie, Florida
http://houkocon.com/

June 16-18, 2006 - Anime Mid-Atlantic, Richmond, Virginia
Guests of honor: musicians Mari Iijima, Kristine Sa; actors Johnny Yong Bosch, Michael Coleman, Greg Ayres; artists Doug Smith, 2wcOnline, Robert DeJesus, Chisuji, Austell Callwood; producer Keith Burgess; writer Robert V Aldrich
http://www.animemidatlantic.com/

June 16-18, 2006 - AnimeNEXT, Secaucus, New Jersey
Guests of honor: actors Vic Mignogna, Laura Bailey, Colleen Clinkenbeard
http://www.animenext.org/

June 23-25, 2006 - C-Ace, Ottawa, Ontario
Guests of honor: author Julie E. Czerneda; artist Mark Oakley
http://www.c-ace.org/

June 24-25, 2006 - JAFAX, Allendale, Mich.
http://www.jafax.org/

June 30-July 2, 2006 - PortConMaine, South Portland, Maine
Guests of honor: artists Jon Knight, Joe Miles, Bryan MacDonald; actor Jonathan Doughty; costumer Theresa Pereira; game designer Jared A. Sorensen
http://www.portconmaine.com/

July 1-4, 2006 - Anime Expo, Anaheim, Calif.
http://www.anime-expo.org/

July 7-9, 2006 - ConnectiCon, Hartford, Conn.
Guests of honor: actor Chris Patton; musicians Piano Squall, Rob Balder
http://www.connecticon.org/

July 14, 2006 - Aurora-Con, Anchorage, Alaska
Guests of honor: actor Brett Weaver
http://www.auroracon.org/

July 14-16, 2006 - Ikasucon, Cincinnati, Ohio
http://www.ikasucon.org/

July 14-16, 2006 - Garden City Anime Festival, St. Catharines, Ontario
http://www.gcaf.org/

July 22, 2006 - Northern Anime Festival, Oshawa, Ontario
Guests of honor: musician Lisa Furukawa Ray; artist Les Major
http://www.northernanime.ca/

August 4-6, 2006 - San Francisco Animation Convention, San Francisco, Calif.
http://www.animeod.com/

August 4-6, 2006 - Otakon, Baltimore, Maryland ***Ai Love Japan Preferred Con***
http://www.otakon.com/

August 11-13, 2006 - AmeCon, Leicester, U.K.
Guests of honor: actors Monica Rial, Greg Ayres
http://www.amecon.org/

August 18-20, 2006 - AmeriKon, Columbus, Indiana
Guests of honor: actors Tristan MacAvery, Chris Patton; artist Edgard Aedo
http://www.amerikon.org/

August 18-20, 2006 - Wichita Anime Festival, Wichita, Kansas
WichitaAnimeFestival

August 18-20, 2006 - Anime Evolution, Burnaby, B.C.
http://www.animeevolution.com/

Sept. 2-4, 2006 - Kumoricon, Portland, Oregon
http://www.kumoricon.org/

Sept. 16-17, 2006 - Japantown Anime Faire, San Francisco, California
http://jtaf.project760.com/

Sept. 22-24, 2006 - Anime Weekend Atlanta, Vinings, Georgia
http://www.awa-con.com/

Sept. 22-24, 2006 - Shimakon, South Padre Island, Texas
Guests of honor: actors Tiffany Grant, Chris Ayres, Chris Patton, Kyle Hebert; artist Steve Bennett
http://www.shimakon.com/

Oct. 6-8, 2006 - Nan Desu Kan, Greenwood Village, Colo.
http://www.ndkdenver.org/

Oct. 13-14, 2006 - Mikomicon, Northridge, Calif.
http://www.mikomicon.com/

November 3-5, 2006 - Anime South, Destin, Florida
http://www.animesouth.com/

November 17-19, 2006 - Anime USA, Vienna, Virginia
http://www.animeusa.org/

November 23-26, 2006 - Auchinawa, Glasgow, Scotland
http://www.auchinawa.org.uk/

Thank You rec.arts.anime.misc for this information.

Gantz 10 Leads Off ADV's Jan 17 Releases

2005-12-15T19:57:00.000-08:00

HOUSTON, Deccember 13--ADV Films, the number one producer-distributor of anime in North America, is pleased to announce five exciting titles set to hit the streets on January 17, beginning with the tenth and final volume of Gantz! Other Jan 17 releases include the first volume of Kaleido Star: New Wings, new volumes of Area 88 and Godannar, and the new thin-packed Gravion Complete Collection.

GANTZ: ENDGAME

The Final Chapter In the Anime Spectacle of the Year!

ADV Films is pleased to announce that the tenth and final volume in 2005's most talked-about anime series, Gantz: Endgame, is set to hit store shelves January 17! Distinguished by cutting edge animation, slick character design, and over-the-top spectacle, Gantz has cut a bloody trail straight to the top of the anime charts.

Described as "gruesome" (Anime Source), "sadistic" (Anime Daze), and "addictive" (Active Anime), Gantz is one of the top-selling series of 2005. The series has developed a following well beyond the anime fan community, with first-month sales on volume three exceeding those on the first volume by a significant margin. Retailers have struggled to keep the new disks on the shelf.

Directed by Ichiroh Itano and produced by GONZO Digimation (Chrono Crusade, Full Metal Panic!), Gantz is based on the ultra-violent, totally twisted manga series by Hiroya Oku (HEN, Zero One). If anything, the anime series surpasses its source material for sheer spectacle - so much so that it had to be heavily edited for broadcast on Japanese television. ADV Films has restored Gantz to its original, uncut form for its DVD release, much to people's surprise.

Synopsis: He's a dead man walking, yet somehow Kei Kurono has managed to survive every lethal trick the Gantz has thrown at him through four bloody games. But now Kei's on his own, with no one he can trust at his back. With the rules turned against him, facing a pair of murderers who kill for pleasure, it's time for a final desperate gamble. It's Kurono versus the Gantz in the last deadly volume of GANTZ!

Ai Love Anime: Featured Blog of the Day!

2005-12-15T19:39:00.000-08:00

Ai Love Anime: Featured Blog of the Day!!
Anime Field is a full service blog featuring direct anime downloads, videos, as well as commentary and information.
Check out Anime Feild Now!

NYC�s first Manga Cafe

2005-12-15T07:05:00.000-08:00

Walk into the graphic novels section of any Borders or Barnes & Noble bookstore, and chances are the floor will be littered with teens sprawled out reading the latest manga. In Tokyo, this scene is mimicked in rental shops popularly called manga cafes; these cafes have now started showing up here in the U.S.

The Atom Cafe, New York City's first manga cafe, has amassed a collection of 20,000 manga titles in Japanese and 1,000 translated manga for English readers. In Japan, manga cafes abound, and have developed into 24-hour destinations. New York's Atom Cafe is equipped with sofas, tables and cubicles for reading. Readers may choose coffee or tea and a selection of noodles and onigiri (seaweed-wrapped rice balls) to enjoy with their comics.

For a $5 hourly fee, customers are free to choose from a selection of Japanese comics, like Touch, the first sports manga to appeal to a female audience, or Heat, a yakuza manga that takes readers deep into the violent Japanese underground. English readers have the option of reading Hayao Miyazaki's Nausicaa of the Valley of Wind or Kazuo Koike and Goseki Kojima's Lone Wolf and Cub.

Just like its Japanese counterparts, New York's manga cafe does not pay royalties to publishers or manga writers and authors for the manga they offer to readers. Daisuke Sasano, Atom Cafe owner and president of Takken America Company, says he "wouldn't mind paying a royalty if the product is a very popular product. But for the ones that aren't mainstream, it's a great place for exposure." Sasano thinks of his cafe as akin to a used bookstore where readers can discover classics. "Even for the popular product, a reader may find a manga-ka's [manga artist and writer] old work. They are rediscovered through the popular."

Location:

Manga Cafe Atom (Manga & Internet Cafe in Manhattan)
38 West 38th Street, 3rd Floor, New York, NY 10018
(Between Fifth Ave & 6th Ave)
212-221-0615
http://sai.jp/mangany/

�Anime Today� - First Anime Commercial Podcast

2005-12-14T20:47:00.000-08:00

The Right Stuf International announced today it has released the newest episode of 'Anime Today', the first ever commercial podcast dedicated to Japanese animation and manga. Anime Today has scored high with listeners, consistently rated as the top downloaded anime-related podcast from the Apple iTunes Music Store.

"Every other week Anime Today's hosts, Rich and Nick, along with a team of guests from The Right Stuf International, bring you a look at what's new in the world of anime and manga. We review recent DVD releases, and bring you the RightStuf.com weekly sales and specials. Listeners also have an opportunity to call in with their own questions on anime and Japanese culture to Anime."

They are now on Episode 3. In this episode, Chad returns with What's Hot in the World of Anime, plus news of a special Right Stuf box set available only at Best Buy. Right Stuf employees bring you reviews of Piano: The Melody of a Young Girl's Heart, and Ah! My Goddess - both shows featuring the work of Kosuke Fujishima. Shawne will be back with his Weekly Specials, our latest sale, and something fabulous we have coming up for Christmas. Then Kris and Judy continue their adventure in Japan with Anime and Gamer's guide to Japan. Finally, our production department joins us to continue to explore Piano and talk a little about this interesting series.

Subscribe to Podcast HERE...

Just Anime n' Manga

2005-12-14T20:23:00.000-08:00

I watch enough anime, I figured, why not do a blog. So here goes. All anime and manga news.