LDs
1. The Affairs of Two Lovers vol.3
2. Trigun Vol.11
3. Rurouni Kenshin Meiji Kenkaku Romantan Box vol.7
4. Change!! Getterrobo 7
5. Cowboy Bebop 6th Session
6. Cardcaptor Sakura vol.9
7. Devilman Lady vol.5
8. Generator Gawl vol.6
9. Detective Conan vol.11
10. Akihabara Dennou Gumi vol.6
Manga
1. Itazura na Kiss (Mischievous Kiss) (23) Kaoru Tada
2. Basara (26) Yumi Tamura
3. Souten Kouro (16) King Gonta
4. Ghost Slayer Mikami Gokuraku Daisakusen!! (36) Takashi Shiina
5. Hanazakari no Kimitachi he (For you, who are full-bloomed)(8)
Hisaya Nakajo
6. Oishinbo (70) Original story by Tetsu Kariya/Illustrations by
Akira Hanasaki
7. To Heart (2)
8. Karakuri Circus (Tricky Circus) (8) Wabirou Fujita
9. Futari Ecchi (7) Katsu*Aki
10. Kaiohki (4) Masatoshi Kawahara
A new Web site is in the pipeline to further internationalize manga animation--which is already popular overseas--by offering it for sale in a digitized form. The companies involved in the project plan to open the Web site by the end of this year and have already secured the cooperation of one of Japan's leading cartoonists.
They are also looking at using cable television circuits (CATV) to distribute the digital comics on a paid-download basis.
Monkey Punch, the cartoonist who created "Lupin III," has agreed to work on the Web site project. The site, which will function as an online storehouse, is expected to trigger the widespread digitization of manga.
Los Angeles-based Digital Manga, headed by Hikaru Sasahara, and several other companies are busy getting the commercial Web site, Digital Manga, up and running. Nihon Net Research Foundation and Tokyu group companies, including Tokyu Cable Television, which offers an Internet service on CATV, have expressed their intention of joining the project. "The day may come when people download manga into small personal terminals at train station kiosks to read on trains," said Hirofumi Nomoto, general manager of the media department at Tokyu Corp. The site plans to sell translations of manga comics and related products online as well as provide a range of other services.
Using software jointly developed by Digital Manga and Japan Victor Co., potential buyers of digital comics will be able to preview manga books online before making a purchase. The software will enable users to bookmark pages of a digital book and has a function to prevent illegal copying
Digital Manga plans to open its online bookstore with about 100 titles. But it hopes to expand this to 3,000 titles. Interest in Japanese animation has been on the rise for the past several years in the United States, where the popular genre has been dubbed "Japanimation." Acceptance has expanded to the state where a Japanese video titled "Kokaku Kidotai" topped the charts in Billboard magazine in summer 1996. Likewise, the animated movie "Shinseiki Ebangerion" (Neon Genesis Evangelion) received rave reviews overseas for its innovative imagery. Director Hayao Miyazaki's blockbuster movie "Mononokehime" (Princess Mononoke), will be shown across the United States this summer. There are a host of manga afficionados who have put together numerous Web sites. However, the use of such sites for business operations is almost unprecedented. In addition to promoting interest in manga, Sasahara hopes to use the new site to pitch manga to the U.S. entertainment industry--including Hollywood--as potential movie material. However, Sasahara will face various problems operating the site, such as negotiating with cartoonists over copyright issues and devising measures to prevent pirating. "I would like to disseminate manga throughout the world as a form of culture that Japan takes pride in, rather than leaving it the domain of enthusiastic fans," Sasahara said. Digital Manga's Web address is: www.emanga.com
Monkey see, Monkey do The launch of the Digital Manga site will increase the use of digital technology in the production of comics. And it is expected to have a radical impact on cartoonists looking for new ways to express themselves. Monkey Punch is at the forefront of this movement. He has 20 years of experience using computers and started using a Macintosh to produce cartoons early in his career. "Software for production is getting more user-friendly. Now, it is possible for a cartoonist working alone to produce digital comics," he said. One of the advantages of digitized comics is that it is easy for cartoonists to correct their work. Moreover, they can add the exact motion and sound effects that are required. Monkey Punch is currently producing a multimedia version of his "Senya Ichiya Monogatari" (The Thousand and One Nights), which appeared in serialized form in a monthly magazine until March. A single digital comic on the market by itself will not attract enough attraction, he said. Therefore, he plans to form a society with other cartoonists interested in using computers to develop the market for electronic comics. His best-known series, "Lupin III," continues to be made under his supervision. It is scheduled to be transformed into a movie in Hollywood. He is increasingly confident about the possibility that manga will find a niche in the international market. "Taking into account the possibility of translation into different languages, a digital medium such as CD-ROM is suitable for sales to overseas customers," he said.
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