Anime News Service - November 25-30 Anime News

11-30-01---- Production I.G. Updates

The English Production I.G. website here has updated mentioning their I.G. Production Label Site has launched, also the Mini Pato site has been updated with titles from the 3 features in production. The site for new project, Kaidomaru has been updated with staff and cast info and release data.

11-30-01---- Red Ribbon Voices

Kyle Hebert will be voicing General White (done with Russian accent) and Chris Sabat will be voicing General Silver (done with Austrailian accent).

Source: Daniel Kurland of SzR
www.saiyanz-rage.net

11-30-01---- Novels Via Keitai

According to The Asahi Newspaper, publisher Shinchosha Co. will distribute serialized novels through mobile phones starting in Japan in January, working with NEC Interchannel, the computer software developer. Subscribers can download the novels for 100 yen a month, in addition to the basic phone charge. Customers of au, a mobile phone unit of KDDI Corp., and Tu-ka will be able to download daily installments of the serialized novels from EZWeb, the mobile Internet service. Titles to be serialized will be drawn from works by Asa Nonami and Masumi Hattori. Both women have won the prestigious Naoki literary prize. The installments, issued Monday through Friday, are in segments of 1,000 to 1,200 characters, or about the length of serialized novels in daily newspapers. Most phone displays are limited to showing about 100 characters at a time. The novels are on Web sites, or can be retrieved as e-mails.

11-30-01---- Inu Yasha Movie News

Sunrise has determined the opening day for the INU YASHA movie at last. Set for Saturday, 15 December, INU YASHA: TOKI O KOERU OMOI (Love which transcends time) is the long-awaited theatrical adaptation of Rumiko Takahashi´s popular manga. In the meantime the TV version has been running for over 50 episodes on Nippon Television and keeps rolling well. A preview trailer of the movie can be seen here.

Thanks to Sany for this and the below two items.

11-30-01---- 7th EVA Manga Release Date

Gainax has slated the 7th EVANGELION manga for December 1st. A cover design has also been published on the studio´s homepage.

11-30-01---- Bandai Visual listed on JASDAQ

As of November 29th Bandai Visual will be officially listed on the JASDAQ stock market. Another subsidiary of media giant BANDAI, Bandai Visual is one of Japan´s leading animation and live film production companies. "The listing of Bandai Visual shares will benefit the Bandai Group by allowing the video portion of our branded character business to develop more rapidly," said President and COO, Takeo Takasu. The 3000 shares issued by the company will be put together from Bandai Visual (2000 shares) and the parent company Bandai´s own shares (1000).

11-30-01---- WoWoW In The Red

Well known for it's wide array of Anime related broadcast time allotment, and exclusive anime series from such highly acclaimed studios as Sunrise, Sat broadcaster WOWOW announced Wednesday it has slipped into debt for the the fiscal first half of the year (to Sept 30), this adds up to a net loss of 2.32 billion yen. In 2000 the network showed a net profit of 536 million yen. Higher costs in the digital broadcasting arena were cited with this latest showing.

11-30-01---- French Sentai Team

According to the post by Sany:

Squeeze in your spandex now, cause there´s a new super hero team in town. Following close on the tradition of the "Power Rangers", the FRANCE FIVE is a group of, well, five individuals of outstanding courageousness who have devoted themselves to the protection of our planet. As ultra-evil Glou Man Chou attempts to subdue Earth with all its denizens, it´s up to Red Fromage, Black Beaujolais, Blue Accordeon, Yellow Baguette and Pink a la mode (you can´t make up such a thing, man) to stave off the attacks of the universe´s scourge.

As with every sentai team a secret source of power is indispensable. Lucky we, since France has already come with its own version of the Tokyo Tower. With the the Eiffel tower emiting powerful force waves to promit any mass arrival of the enemy, all what the FRANCE FIVE has to do is to preserve Gustav Eiffel´s creation from Glou Man Chou´s insidious actions. Their first adventure being mastered with bravery, the five has already geared toward the second episode. And if you´re still wondering what the hell this Sany guy is talking about, why don´t swing by http://www.francefive.com/index_e.shtml and see it for yourself. Click on DOWNLOAD and let the action sweeps you away. Go FRANCE FIVE! :)

11-30-01---- More On Fox Kids And Anime

This Yahoo Article goes into recent Animation block issues recenty reported.

11-30-01---- UK Anime DVD Offering In Video Game Mag

This month's edition of PlayStation 2 mag PlayNation includes a free copy of Dominion Tank Police (Acts I & II) on DVD (region 0 disc). The mag costs £2.99.

Source: W.

11-30-01---- Yamato Femto Cold Cast

ToyCom has announced a new Berserk cold cast resin statue made by Art of War. This 7-inch statue of Griffith's transmigration into Femto (manga/comic book version) is prepainted and will retail for about $99.95 USD. This statue will ship in March 2002. For more details, check the ToyCom web site. Source: Toymania

11-30-01---- Ultraman Items

From Daniel:

Anyway, here's what's new about Ultraman. "With the secrecy surrounding the release of the ULTRAMAN COSMOS movie, expectations for this new production were high. This was compounded by the success of the previous three Ultraman series and the fact that the premier was on July 7, 2001 to commemorate Eiji Tsuburaya's 100th birthday.

"Tsuburaya Productions had successfully prepared Ultraman for the new millennium by producing three auspicious and highly entertaining series, ULTRAMAN TIGA (1996-1997), ULTRAMAN DYNA (1997-1998) and ULTRAMAN GAIA (1998-1999). All three inspired their own feature films; original video adventures, live stage performances and continued the Ultraman merchandising empire.

"Unfortunately, with ULTRAMAN COSMOS, Tsuburaya went in a new, but very familiar direction, focusing on a younger audience. This trend actually started with the short Bandai infomercials starring the aptly named ULTRAMAN NICE (which aired during primetime reruns of ULTRAMAN TIGA in 1999-2000) and continued with the made for video adventures of ULTRAMAN NEOS (2000).

"The feature film, ULTRAMAN COSMOS: FIRST CONTACT contained many impressive effects, but they were sadly overshadowed by the light and humorous tone of the film. This was in sharp contrast to the serious, creative and well thought out Ultraman theatrical features that preceded it....

"However, despite the misgivings of the author of this piece, ULTRAMAN COSMOS lives on. Production started a few months ago on the next Ultraman feature, tentatively titled, ULTRAMAN COSMOS 2 to be released next year. This is the first time Tsuburaya Productions has released a direct sequel since ULTRAMAN ZEARTH 2 in 1996.... "UL

TRAMAN COSMOS FIRST CONTACT also became the first Ultraman feature to show in theaters outside of Japan, with a theatrical release in Hong Kong in September of 2001. With the revival of Ultraman that started with ULTRAMAN TIGA, Ultraman has enjoyed great success in Hong Kong and throughout Asia. ULTRAMAN TIGA FINAL ODDYSSEY was originally supposed to be released to theaters in Hong Kong, but at the last minute went straight to video.

"ULTRAMAN COSMOS the television series is not doing as well in the ratings as Tsuburaya Productions had hoped. Younger male viewers seem to be disappointed with the lack of traditional monster fights and the older viewers are shying away from the youthful direction the series has taken. This has not discouraged Tsuburaya Productions though. The merchandising for ULTRAMAN COSMOS is doing quite well and the ratings are good enough to keep it on the air. The series has just been approved for an unprecedented 65-episode run. The longest Ultraman series to date was ULTRAMAN TARO (1973-1974) at 53 episodes, held over due to the late production of ULTRAMAN LEO (1974-1975) which followed. Normally, the successful post-1960s run for a full year, reaching 52 episodes.

"For now, the legend of Ultraman Cosmos continues. For a full review of FIRST CONTACT and the television series, watch out for the re-launch of Henshin! Online, coming soon!"

Source: Cinescape

11-30-01---- Various Items

According to the Rightstuf Weekly Update:

Amazingly our sales of the Limited Edition Cowboy Bebop Box sets totally sold out in a mere 2 days! Congratulations go out to everyone who was lucky enough to snag one. Shipments of the boxes have begun and if you ordered one, you should be seeing it soon. (They really are great boxes.)

It's been quite a busy week on the news front. Cartoon Network's online streaming site (Toonami Reactor) has begun playing full length episodes of Lodoss War, Harlock Saga, and Star Blazers. It's a great chance to be able to see the show before you buy; however, it's really best viewed with a broadband connection. You can check Cartoon Network's Toonami Reactor at: http://www.cartoonnetwork.com/toonami/reactor/

ADV Films will be revitalizing some old favorites as they've picked up the rights to two past Streamline titles - Crying Freeman and Doomed Megalopolis. As of yet, the release date hasn't been set, but it will be interesting to see if ADV keeps the old Dub tracks to get the shows out faster or if they scrap them for something new.

AD Police TV fans who have been waiting for the show to finally be released on DVD will be happy to know that ADV will be releasing all 12 episodes on a double disc DVD set as of on 4/9.

Of course its not just old titles making a come back, ADV has also picked up the Saturday morning robot battle favorite - Metabots. The show has been tentatively scheduled to begin release on 4/30/02.

Finally we'll get some answers to the mysterious plot lines in Gasaraki as the final volume (#8) rolls out on both VHS / DVD on 1/29.

Meanwhile, we find that TOKYOPOP has picked up the rights to fast paced Initial D anime. When will we see it? No one quite knows yet as the date still hasn't been set (one can hope for sometime 2002).

Rhino has announced that they've set a date for Battle of the Planets 3 and 4. Look for VHS and DVD volumes of this anime classic to bust onto the scene on 1/8. Rhino has also picked up the rights to Beast Wars (from the same people who did Reboot / Shadowraiders.) Beast Wars VHS 1 / VHS 2 / DVD will be tearing their way into stores on 1/29.

FUNimation's Blue Gender will be blasting onto the scene with a Volume 2 on 1/15. Although not much has been released as to the synopsis of this second volume, we do know that the DVD will contain extras like cast bios, image galleries, character profiles and something called 'Blue File' which describes the show from concept to finished product.

AnimEigo will be scoring high with DVD fans. The company has announced that they will be releasing Bubblegum Crash DVD on 12/1 and Otaku no Video DVD on 12/31. If you're looking for the next in VPM or UY, you won't be disappointed. Vampire Princess Miyu DVD 2 will break in just before Christmas on 12/17 and Urusei Yatsura DVD 5 follows a month later on 1/30.

11-30-01---- Legit HK Ghibli DVD's Confirmed

Nausicaa.net has confirmed with Studio Ghibli that the region 3 Hong Kong dvd's of Totoro and Kiki are legitimite.

11-30-01---- New Amano's World Developments

Amano's World has updated with new wallpaper for the Amanosworld List subscribers. Soon to be available is the first issue of Elektra and Wolverine: The Redeemer featuring more than 20 new paintings by Amano and story by Greg Rucka. It will be available at comic book stores and on various internet sites.

11-30-01---- New Final Fantasy 11 Media

New from the GIA are images and 4 new character designs.

11-29-01---- Seiyuu Hobbies

Transcribed from the booklet "Seiyuu Meikan 2001" by CUSO4 Yung. The booklet was included with the March issue of Seiyuu Grand Prix and asked the following Seiyuu their respective hobbies:

Piano: Uemura Takako Okamoto Asami Ohara Noriko Kasahara Rumi Kawakami Tomoko Kawasumi Ayako Kikuchi Shiho Konno Hiromi Sakuma Rei Sawashiro Miyuki Shinohara Emi Takamori Yoshino Toyoshima Machiko Narahashi Miki Paku Rumi Mitsuhashi Kanako

Guitar: Itou Yuusuke Itou Ryuu Obiyuki Masa Kazema Yuuto Kanna Nobutoshi Kikuchi Shiho Seki Toshihiko Takahashi Hiroki Tanaka Kazunari Tsukui Kyousei Nomura Kenji Matsukaze Masaya Yao Kazuki

Flute: Adachi Mari Kojima Sachiko Nishiguchi Yuka

Violin: Ueda Yuuji Horie Mitsuko

Harp: Ohara Noriko

Sax: Kakazu Yumi Shibuya Shigeru

Euphonium: Kimura Ikue

Shamisen: Kobayashi Yumiko Sakuma Rei

Altosax: Saitou Maki

Hayashi Taiko: Takagi Motogi

Clarinet: Takahashi Mikako

Koto: Tokumitsu Yuka Nishihara Kumiko

Drums: Nakagawa Akiko

Trumpet: Nagasawa Nao Yanaka Hiroshi

Nihon Taiko: Matsui Naoko

11-29-01---- Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust DVD Release

From the release:

Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust VHS/DVD Pre-book: 1/11/02 • Street Date: 2/12/02

‘D’ has been hired to track down Meier Link, a notoriously powerful vampire who has abducted a Human woman, Charlotte Elbourne. ‘D’’s orders are strict find Charlotte, at any cost. For the first time, ‘D’ faces serious competition. The Markus Brothers, a family of Vampire Hunters, were hired for the same bounty. ‘D’ must intercept Meier and conquer hostile forces on all sides in a deadly race against time. Despised by Vampires for his profession and by Humans for the blood in his veins, ‘D’ relentlessly pursues his prey… for a price.

DVD Special Features Include: Behind the Scenes Featurette Storyboard to Feature Comparison Theatrical trailers and TV spots Viewers’ Top Ten Picks Image Gallery Dolby Digital 5.1 Motion Menus Close Captioning

Producers: Mataichiro Yamamoto Masao Maruyama Based on a Novel by: Hideyuki Kikuchi (Asahi Sonorama) Director/Screenplay: Yoshiaki Kawajiri Based on Character Illustrations by: Yoshitaka Amano Character Designer & Animation Director: Yutaka Minowa Mecha Designer: Ken Koike Conceptual Designer: Yasushi Nirasawa Art Director: Yuji Ikehata Animation Studio: MADHOUSE Production: Filmlink International

Approximate Feature Run time: 105 minutes Rated R for violence/gore

VHS MSRP: $19.95 DVD MSRP: $29.95

11-28-01---- Ah My Goddess English Movie Site

Accroding to the Right Stuf:

AIC has finally opened their English website for Ah! My Goddess the Motion Picture! The site features story information, a little bit on each of the characters, a breakdown of the staff, and tons of really great art shots. Haven't seen this romantic and heart felt show yet? You can see the dazzling effects and wonderful character designs in the Japanese trailer on the site or download it directly. Ah! My Goddess the Motion Picture is available beginning tomorrow (11/27) in the States on both VHS and DVD. (And if you're a romantic at heart or know someone who is, it's well worth the money even if you've never seen the series).

The site can be viewed at: http://www.aicanime.com/amg/index.html

11-29-01---- CPM Delays

According to the Right Stuf:

Looks like a few Central Park Media (CPM) titles will be waiting until next year to make their DVD debute. Battle Skipper DVD, My My Mai DVD, and Sunny Gets Blue/Blowback DVD have all been delayed. CPM has yet to reschedule a date for the releases.

Finally we will see the epic alternative conclusions to Evangelion! In a just released (and very cool) DVD flyer, Manga has placed the new date of Neon Genesis Evangelion: Death & Rebirth on 4/30/02 and Neon Genesis Evangelion the Movie (AKA: End of Evangelion) on 7/30/02. However, the flyer states nothing about the VHS versions of the show. We can only hope that Manga intends to have a simultaneous release.

11-29-01---- Guradians Of Order Changes

From The Right Stuf:

Well we got quite a startling announcement from Guardians of Order (GOO) this morning. Looks like the company will be switching its focus from RPG to publishing fan guides.

Sorry fans but the company has also announced an extended delay in their new line of Ultimate Fan Guides. Titles which were expected to be released this fall have been pushed back to late next spring and early summer 2002. On the upside, they did announce a slew of new fan guides they are working on. Check out the following taken directly from GOO's announcement: Greetings. As you are aware, Guardians Of Order has established itself over the past few years as the industry leader in licensed role-playing games focusing on Japanese anime shows. In the coming years, we will continue that trend with our new Ultimate Fan Guide line - a new type of licensed resource books and supplements for our smash-hit BIG EYES, SMALL MOUTH anime RPG. Our first title, Serial Experiments Lain Ultimate Fan Guide will ship in February 2002, with future titles (such as Trigun, Fushigi Yugi, Dual, NieA_7, Armitage III, and more) released throughout the new year. All licensed products expire at some point, however, and our RPG licenses are no exception. As of the end of 2001, many of our licensed RPGs and supplements will be going out of print permanently because the license duration has elapsed. Come January 1, 2002 GOO is discontinuing the following RPG related products:

Sailor Moon RPG and Resource Book Sailor Moon Supplement: Complete Book of Yoma Sailor Moon Supplement: Sailor Scout Character Diary Sailor Moon Supplement: Knight Character Diary Sailor Moon Supplement: Dark Warrior Character Diary Dominion Tank Police RPG and Resource Book Demon City Shinjuku RPG and Resource Book Sailor Moon Button Men

A small note, the Trigun Ultimate Fan Guide which was expected out this month is now tentatively scheduled for release in May 2002.

11-29-01---- Pioneer Release Dates

From the Pioneer Animation Website, Synopsis rundowns can be viewed here:

March:

03/12/02: Cardcaptor Sakura Vol. 8 "Sweet Trouble" Subtitled VHS/DVD Running Time: 100 min Rating: 13 up SRP: VHS: $24.98/DVD: $29.98

Gate Keepers Vol. 4 "The New Threat" Dubbed VHS/Bilingual DVD Running Time: 75 min Rating: 13 up SRP: VHS: $24.98/DVD: $29.98

Vandread Vol. 2 "Nirvana" Dubbed VHS/Bilingual DVD Running Time: 75 min Rating: 13 up SRP: VHS: $24.98/DVD: $29.98

03/19/02: Sailor Moon Super S Vol. 3 "Amazon Trio" Dubbed Unedited VHS Running Time: 70 min Rating: 13 up SRP: $14.98

Sailor Moon Super S Vol. 4 "The Dream Mirror" Dubbed Unedited VHS Running Time: 70 min Rating: 13 up SRP: $14.98

Sailor Moon Super S Pegasus Collection DVD Vol. 2 Bilingual DVD Running Time: 140 min Rating: 13 up SRP: $29.98

03/26/02: Cardcaptor Sakura - The Movie Bilingual Unedited DVD Running Time: 86 min Rating: 7 up SRP: $29.98

Cardcaptors - The Movie Dubbed VHS/DVD Running Time: 86 min Rating: 7 up SRP: VHS: $14.98/DVD: $19.98

Pokemon: The Johto Journeys Vol. 51 Dubbed VHS/DVD Running Time: ?? min Rating: 3 up SRP: VHS: $14.98/DVD: $24.98

April:

04/02/02: Cardcaptors Vol. 8 "Times of Need" Dubbed VHS/DVD Running Time: 75 min Rating: 7 up SRP: VHS: $14.98/DVD: $24.98

El Hazard: The Wanderers Vol. 4 "The Final Adventures" Bilingual DVD Running Time: 150 min Rating: 13 up SRP: $29.98

04/09/02: Adventures of the Mini-Goddess Vol. 2 "The Belldandy Files" Dubbed VHS/Bilingual DVD Running Time: 100 min Rating: 13 up SRP: VHS: $24.98/DVD: $29.98

Tenchi Muyo! Vol. 12 "The True Prince!" Dubbed VHS Running Time: ?? min Rating: 7 up SRP: $14.98

04/16/02: SoulTaker Vol. 2 "Flickering Faith" Bilingual DVD Running Time: 75 min Rating: 16 up SRP: $29.98

11-29-01---- Viz Manga At Top Of Translations Chart

From the release:

Thirteen titles named in "The Top 25 Translated-To-English Manga of All Time"

SAN FRANCISCO, CA - November 28, 2001 - Viz Communications, Inc. was the leading publisher in "The Top 25 Translated-To-English Manga of All Time." Featured in the premiere Winter 2002 issue of Wizard Entertainment's Anime Invasion magazine, the list ranks the top English-language titles based on content and includes manga from the 1970s to the present day. Viz

titles account for thirteen of the twenty-five listed, dominating the list and solidifying Viz's position as the leading U.S. publisher of manga in the industry and among fans. Of those chosen, following is a list of the featured Viz titles in ascending order:

* Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind by Hayao Miyazaki * Dragon Ball by Akira Toriyama * Adolf: A Tale of the Twentieth Century by Osamu Tezuka * Neon Genesis Evangelion by Yoshiyuki Sadamoto * Eagle: The Making of an Asian-American President by Kaiji Kawaguchi * Inu-Yasha by Rumiko Takahashi * Galaxy Express 999 by Leiji Matsumoto * X/1999 by CLAMP * Ranma 1/2 by Rumiko Takahashi * Silent Möbius by Kia Asamiya * Fushigi Yûgi by Yu Watase * Cobra by Buichi Terasawa * Sanctuary by Sho Fumimura and Ryoichi Ikegami

"We're honored that our titles are so well-received," said Viz's Sales & Marketing Director, Dallas Middaugh. "Wizard is renowned as an expert in the field and its comprehensive list demonstrates that Viz titles - past, present and future - continue to entertain critics and fans alike."

11-29-01---- Ronin Warriors DVD Release

From the official Announcement:

BANDAI ENTERTAINMENT ANNOUNCES THE RELEASE OF THE POPULAR “RONIN WARRIORS” ANIMATED SERIES ON DVD HOME VIDEO

Cypress, CA—November 27, 2001—Bandai Entertainment Inc. today announced the home video release of the popular “Ronin Warriors” animated series. Produced by Sunrise studios (Mobile Suit Gundam, Cowboy Bebop), “Ronin Warriors” chronicles the story of five young men forced to fight against an evil Dynasty bent on conquering the Earth. “Ronin Warriors” is set for release on April 23, 2002 – $24.98 SRP exclusively on DVD.

Long ago, the evil Talpa and his Dynasty waged war upon the Earth from his supernatural realm. Defeated by a lone warrior, Talpa was banished, but never forgotten. Reigniting his thirst for power, Talpa along with his Warlords have once again invaded the mortal realm seeking to conquer the inhabitants of the Earth once and for all. But the forces of darkness are not unopposed - Protected by a mystical elemental armor, five young men known as the Ronin Warriors are the last line of defense against Talpa and his supernatural army.

First broadcast in Japan as “Yoroiden Samurai Troopers”, the fast rising popularity in this Japanese animated series sparked interest in the States where it was soon brought over. “Yoroiden Samurai Troopers” was then redubbed into English and retitled under the name of “Ronin Warriors”. Airing on syndicated television in 1995 and later broadcast on the Sci- i channel, the “Ronin Warriors” series soon found its way onto Cartoon Network where it eventually helped spearhead the tremendous growth and popularity of the “Toonami” block.

Released for the first time on DVD home video, long time fans of the “Ronin Warriors” series can look forward to the DVD release featuring both the English “Ronin Warriors” series and the Japanese “Yoroiden Samurai Troopers” episodes uncut and presented in their original format.

SRP $24.98 / Stereo / Color / English & Japanese Language / Bandai Entertainment Inc.

11-29-01---- Shonen Jump Founder Dies

According to the post by Sany:

And now something completely different. Every manga fan, whether Japanese or foreign ones, whether newbies or otakus, must have heard the name "Shounen Jump" somewhere along their road. Being one of the most succesful and influential Japanese manga magazines, "Shounen Jump" has been serving as a platform for many big name mangaka and their titles including Akira Toriyama (Dragon Ball), Nobuhiro Watsuki (Rurouni Kenshin), Tsukasa Hojo (City Hunter, Cat Eyes) etc. The mag was founded by Shueisha´s former directing manager Tadasu Nagano in 1968. Unfortunately, Nagano-san, who was also SJ´s editor-in-chief, doesn´t survice his creation, he passed away on November 24th at the age of 75.

11-28-01---- Jonah Morgan Program: Audio Interview With Randy Haberkamp Now Online

Our second streaming audio program, a chat with Randy Haberkamp is now online and can be accessed here. Mr. Haberkamp is the organizer of this year's Academy Of Motion Pictures Arts & Sciences Mark Davis Lecture / Anime Tribute which was hosted in L.A. in a few weeks back. In the interview we discuss what happened there and the background behind the planning of such an event, a first ever Anime nod for the academy.

11-28-01---- Robotech Flash Early Bird

Getting a jump on the latest call for Robotech Flash animations, someone at Newgrounds had the first Robotech-flash movie at the Portal. Thanks to Daniel for the referal.

11-28-01---- New VHD Bloodlust Theaters

Forwarded from Urban Vision's VHD:Bloodlust info list:

This week, Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust will open in the following theaters:

The Carolina Theater *note: formerly listed as the Chelsea Franklin and Columbus Chapel Hill, NC

Downtown West 8 1640 Downtown West Blvd. Knoxville, TN 37919

South Beach 18 1100 Lincoln Road Miami Beach, FL 33139

The Varsity Theatre Seattle, WA

The Dobie Theatre Austin,TX

Ken Cinemas San Diego, CA

Cinema 21 Portland, OR

Fiesta 16 12631 Vance Jackson San Antonio, TX 78230

*all engagements last at least one week, from Friday to Thursday unless otherwise noted.

11-28-01---- UK Gundam Wing Broadcast Item

Saturday morning at 10:30am Cartoon Network will be showing the anime filom Gundam Wing: Endless Waltz for the very first time.

11-28-01---- Robotech Masterpiece Collection Goes On Sale

From Steve Yun, The first volume of the highly anticipated Robotech Masterpiece Collection is now available for preordering! More in info can be had at: Robotech.com

11-28-01---- Fruits Basket - Kuroneko To Kikyu Wo Meguru Bouken Single Release

Fruits Basket King Records KICM-3022 Released 2001.12.29 1050 yen Performed by: Horie Yui

Kuroneko to Tsuki Kikyu wo Meguru Bouken King Records KICS-930 Released 2001.11.29 3000 yen First pressing goodies is a digipak clear-case for the CD and a photo booklet.

11-28-01---- Robotech Flash Contest

The official Robotech website has updated with details for a new Flash animation ccontest, you can view the info here

11-28-01---- Sailor Moon S U.K. Broadcast Debut

Sailor Moon S will start airing in the New Year on Fox Kids UK.

Source: WWW.UltimateAnime.COM

11-27-01---- Cardcaptors And Cardcaptor Sakura Movie Release Items

According to Anime On DVD:

Cardcaptors The Movie
English 2.0 Soundtrack
4:3 Pan & Scan
Extras: Froggy Mix Music Video, and Theatrical Trailer

Cardcaptor Sakura The Movie
English 2.0 Soundtrack
16:9 Anamorphic Widescreen
English 5.1 Soundtrack, Japanese 2.0 Soundtrack, Japanese 5.1 Soundtrack
Extras: English / Japanese Trailers and Commercials, alternate angle footage and more

To make things even more interesting, there is no cuts being made to the Cardcaptors dub-only movie. Well, beyond the image being cropped and panned and scanned. The dub on the dub-only disc is the same as the widescreen movie edition. The footage is exactly the same across the two.

11-27-01---- Asia AICN

This is from AICN and Daniel:

HK: 1)"After a year of vacation, Chow Yun-fat will go back to USA this December for the shooting of "Bulletproof Monk", a comic book adaptation about a Tibetan monk who takes a young western protegee, played by Sean William Scott, under his wing. The film is being co-produced by John Woo, who will be expected to direct Chow in period drama "The Line".

2)"Donnie Yen, in the fame of "Iron Monkey", will play not one but two villain characters in two upcoming big budget films. Yen just recently joined the already superb cast of Zhang Yimou's "Hero", in which he'll play the Emperor's bodyguard who fights the assassin, played by Jet Li, in the big finale....He is also in talks to play the villain in "Shanghai Kinghts", the sequel to "Shanghai Noon". Yen is also preparing to direct a Charlie Angels-ish Japanese action film. But next, Yen will be seen as Snowman in "Blade 2"."

Japan: 1)"saw last the latest collaboration between HK and Japan, "Colour of Pain", directed by Sam Leon. The film follows a supercool hit man named Ryuya (Kenya Sawada), who due to a string of events, becomes the leader of a gang of bank robbers. Ryuya befriends a new member, Joe (Raymond Wong), and begins to trust him as the gang embarks on a bunch of robberies. But Joe has a secret which could bring the whole gang down....It opens in Tokyo next week.

2)"Toho has announced that a sequel to "Onmyoji" (the second most successful film in Japan this year) is underway. It is heading into principal photography as we speak and will be released next spring.

3)"Director Masahiro Shinoda's next film will be "Spy Zorge", based on the life of a well-known German spy during WW2. The filming will start in April (in such exotic locations as Beijing, Moscow, Berlin and throughout Japan), but the VFX scenes are already in production.

4)"This is the one of the best year for Toho, box-office wise. The studio has held the number one spot since end of July with the help of "Spirited Away", "Tomb Raider", "Onmyoji", and "Reisei To Jiyonetsu No Aidani". The latter film is the latest Toho production to open at No. 1 spot, while the Miyazaki film is at the second place. The rest of the movies in the box-office chart is as follows: "Swordfish", "Sweet November", "Onmyoji", "Evolution", "Kachan", "Bridget Jones's Diary", "Cats and Dogs", and "Go". This lineup is sure to change when "Harry Potter" opens here next week."

11-27-01---- MGS 2 Feature

Check out Gamespot to read about the development of Metal Gear Solid 2, including interviews with Hideo Kojima. (May contain spoilers for those who haven't played MGS2.)

11-27-01---- Toycom Mazinger Offerings

Figures.com has a brief article on Toycom's latest Mazinger toys.

11-27-01---- Fox Kids Animation News

According to Animation Magazine:Interesting in paying for a timeslot? Then we'd like to humbly suggest discussing the option with Fox Kids. According to a brief in Daily Variety, the four-hour Saturday morning block is up for rent, er… lease, er… something. Apparently ani-houses like Nelvana and DIC have already met with the net to discuss the possibility of a time buy arrangement whereby the production house would pay a license fee for the right to program the block and possibly sell ad time. NBC is also looking to create a similar deal for its three-hour teen block, TNBC. The upside? We might actually see animation on the Peacock net again.

11-27-01---- Gundam Toys Happenings In Hong Kong

November 26, 2001: Gundam fans in Hong Kong, take note: there are two special Gundam-related events sponsored by Bandai (Hong Kong) during the month of November and December, 2001: (1) Gundam Century Expo 2001 - the city's first ever official Gundam model and products exhibition organized by Bandai (Hong Kong) - will be held between December 14-26, 2001 at the 1st floor atrium, Discovery Park Shopping Centre, Tsuen Wan, New Territories. This Gundam Expo will feature:

- exhibition of large scale scratch build models from Japan, including 6-ft Gundam and Char's Zaku models, 1/144 'White Base' carrier, and 1/1 Gundam's right hand; - exhibition of finished Gundam models by Japanese modellers, plus preview of upcoming Gundam models and toys; - Test playing of Wonder Swan Color's upcoming game softwares; and - Hong Kong's 1st Gundam War playing card exhibition and playing contest.

There'll also be two special Gundam merchandises to be sold exclusively at this event (price TBA): - Limited edition 1/100 Master Grade RX-79(G) Gundam Ground Type available in two different pre-painted camouflage coloring schemes. Note: they were previously available exclusively at Japan's 'C3-Pre' convention in late August 2001; and - Limited edition 1/144 'Kado Senshi' RX-78-2 Gundam action figure in Hong Kong-exlusive "Prototype Gundam" coloring scheme.

(2) Hong Kong Gundam Model 'Operation V'. This is a special HGUC Gundam model promotional event similar to the 'Akihabara Gundam Plastic Model Operation V' which was held Tokyo, Japan in late May 2001.

Hong Kong Gundam Model 'Operation V' will offer the special commemorative "RX-78-2 Gundam Cardbook". Fans can obtain this collectible item by collecting special 'weapon stamps' at specific Toys R Us, and toy departments of Jusco, UNY, and Sogo Department Stores between November 24 to December 9. The cardbooks will be available at the aforementioned 'Gundam Century Expo 2001' between Dec 14-26 at Tsuen Wan's Discovery Park by collecting the final 'Core Fighter stamp' at the event. - Nightingale

Source: Newtype Asylum

11-26-01---- Ring Remake

Thanks to Daniel and Cinescape for this news:

for the info : "Quite a number of actors have jumped on board DreamWorks' remake of the Japanese horror film RINGU (THE RING). "Martin Henderson (WINDTALKERS) is the latest major addition to the film's cast. Henderson will take on the role of the ex-husband of a journalist (to be played by Naomi Watts) who is investigating the origins of a video tape that kills the person who has watched it in seven days. The ex-couple must set aside their differences in order to defuse the threat before it's too late. "Besides Henderson, the film's cast will also include David Dorfman, Amber Tamblyn, Rachael Bella and Brian Cox. "Gore Verbinski will helm the production, which is scheduled to start shooting in December. The film has a script written by Ehren Kruger and Scott Frank. Walter Parkes and Laurie MacDonald will produce."

11-26-01---- Let's Love Hina Again

Sany sends in the following:

About one year and two months after the television series´ conclusion on TV Tokyo, Ken Akamatsu´s ever popular love comedy LOVE HINA is set to make the jumb to the video format. Originally announced in the latest issue of the LOVE HINA manga, LOVE HINA AGAIN´s premier volume will street on January 26th, 2002 for a cosy 3800 Yen. But that´s not the only good news, friends of romantic entanglement might be even more pleased to know that the video version will take the TV series´ steamy atmosphere to a H-igher level, introducing another girl with a big crush on our student. Poor Keitaro, this time it´s to be someone from his own family..

LOVE HINA AGAIN release dates:

STAFF: [Original Story] Ken Akamatsu (Serialized in Kodansha´s "Weekly Shounen Magazine") [Scenario] Kurou Hazuki [Chara Design] Akiyoshi Maeda [Props Design] Shin-ichi Yamaoka [Music] Shinkichi Mitsumune [Animation] XEBEC [Director] Yoshiaki Iwasaki

CAST: [Keitaro Urashima] Yuji Ueda [Kanako Urashima] Natsuko Kuwatani [Naru Narusegawa] Yui Horie [Shinobu Maehara] Masayo Kurata [Motoko Aoyama] Yu Asakawa [Kaolla Su] Reiko Takagi [Mitsune Konno] Junko Noda [Haruka Urashima] Megumi Hayashibara

11-26-01---- Pokemon Center In NYC And London

Nintendo are planning to open a Pokemon Centre in the heart of London, based on the existing Pokemon Centre's around Japan and in New York, US. Although there's been no official news about it, its been thought that Nintendo will unveil plans early next year.

Source: Anihabara

11-26-01---- Starblazers Series II: The Comet Empire

CAV has sent out the following release graphic for Starblazers Series II: The Comet Empire, you can view it here.

11-26-01---- Ichi The Killer News

From Daniel:

According to a little mini-browser at www.whoisichi.com, Ichi the Killer will be playing at the following venues: "Nov. 25 to Dec. 6, 2001 London Film Fest - UK Tour (Manchester, Cardiff, Glasgow, Bradford, Norwich, Bristol, Newcastle)" and "Dec. 6 to 12, 2001 Noir In Festival, Courmayeur, Mont Blanc, Italy - OFFICIAL COMPETITION" Also, the Japanese site for Ichi is now up at http://www.koroshiya-1.com/

11-26-01---- Anime Grapevine Footnote

From Lawrence Eng:

I noticed that you posted news that Anime Grapevine is closed. A lot of members of that community probably did not see the closure coming, and as a result, may have lost contact with many of their friends. To alleviate that problem, a mailing list has been set up for any former members of AGV who want to get in touch with other former members. Here's the address: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/agvemergencycenter

11-25-01---- Hero News

Thanks to Daniel for the following details on Hero:

"Leung Chiu-wai[Tony Leung] and Maggie Cheung, worked together in Wong Kar-wai's IN THE MOOD FOR LOVE, plays two assassins, Broken Sword and Flying Now. Along with another warrior (Zhang Ziyi or Bai Shiqian ?), they were on a doomed mission of killing the king of Qin (Chin), later The First Emperor of China, who was campaigning against six other nations in an attempt to unify China.

"Jet Li plays Silencer (or No Name ?), the king's most loyalist warrior. Desperately to eliminate every single threat for the king, he was after Broken Snow."

Pictures are also available at http://www.aint-it-cool-news.com/display.cgi?id=10842

11-25-01---- J-Snack Locations In NYC

billnes@pb.net has broken down and typed up the list of Supermarkets where fans can can get J-Snacks for reasonalbe prices at the Hong Kong Supermarket Group. 8 Locations throught the NY / Nj area:

47-16 Austell Place Long Island City, NY 11101

37-11 Main Street Flushing, NY 11354

109 East Broadway New York, NY 10002

82-02 45th Avenue Elmhurst, NY 11373

6023 8th Avenue Brooklyn, NY 11220

571 Adams Avenue Philadelphia, PA 19120

275 Route 18 South East Brunswick, NJ 08816

3600 Park Avenue South Plaifield, NJ 67080

11-25-01---- New Anime DVD Reviews Site

From the announcement:

Hello, Some Japanese friends and I have just opened an Japanese Animation DVD review site. We cover both American and Japanese series. We are looking for input from anime fans, both the casual fan, non-fan, and otaku. Please check us out at:
www.geocities.com/dvdvisionjapan/index.html

Matt Anderson

11-25-01---- Anime Grapevine Closes

According to the greeting page of www.animegrapevine.com:
AnimeGrapevine is closed. Clairvaux@animegrapevine.com November 2, 2001

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