"What impressed me in Tokyo was their ability to tap in a message without even looking at the keypad," she said of her study, which was financed by Motorola.
Television stations in Japan have held thumbing speed contests. Last year, one young woman was clocked thumbing out 100 Chinese characters in a one-minute burst, similar to typing 100 words a minute, a feat normally done with all fingers flying.
Those signed up with the NY Times can view the entire article here.
Morning Star's is adorned with a new image reading "The Second Season Outlaw Star in future 200X!!!". However on the image's opposite side are the words "Don't believe/trust me!"
A sequel OVA of R.O.D (Read Or Die) and in some form for Noir may be in the works.
Source: Natsume Maya
DVD software sales soared 74% in the first quarter compared with the year earlier period, topping 120 million units for the three months ended March 31, according to a report by Ernst & Young compiled for the DVD Entertainment Group.
Since DVD's inception in 1997, 790 million units have been shipped. Roughly 15,000 movie and music titles were available on DVD in the first quarter, with roughly 100 new titles added weekly, according to DEG.
Hardware sales also creeped up 29% in the first quarter compared to 2001, with 3.6 million DVD players shipped to retailers in the period. That brings the total units shipped since the format's launch to 35 million units with an install base estimated at 27.4 million, DEG said. About 125 DVD player models are now on the market, according to DEG.
Source: Natsume Maya
Source: Natsume Maya
Thanks to Matt Anderson of DVD Vision Japan for the link
Studio Proteus received 3 Harvey Award nominations this year:
Best Graphic Album of Previously Published Work: Lone Wolf and Cub
Best American Edition of Foreign Material: Lone Wolf and Cub Super Manga Blast!
I'm not at all surprised about Lone Wolf ...best-selling books always get nominations, but the SMB nomination is a real surprise and of course makes me pretty happy, as that mag is my baby. Lone Wolf will win, of course, but the nomination is nice. My sincere thanks to everyone who works on SMB.
"...Marmalade Boy has a beguiling charm… the natural, breezy dialogue (translated by Jack Niida), the occasional editor's notes on Japanese culture, and the likable characters make for a delightful read."
-- Andrew Arnold, TIME.com
"Look for plenty of twists and turns in this action-comedy adventure..."
-- Animerica magazine on Real Bout High School
"GTO was an excellent choice to help kick off TOKYOPOP's "100% Authentic Manga" line (with unreversed, right-to-left pages and untranslated sound effects); it's funny, it's fast-moving, and almost instantly appealing."
-- Greg McElhatton, iComics
You've waited for it… We've been working on it 'round the clock: the NEW & 100% improved www.TOKYOPOP.com has arrived! With a clean, ultra-cool design and simple navigation, our new website is your ticket to all things TOKYOPOP. You can watch the exciting trailers for GTO, Real Bout High School and Initial D, find info about your favorite products, and (of course) get the latest TOKYOPOP buzz. Check it out!
"The movie will also be release in East and Southeast Asia at about the same time (during the Chinese New Year). It is estimated that HIGHBINDERS will be shown at over 5,000 theaters around the world in February. The Japanese distributor even budgets US$3 million for the movie's promotion in Japan.
"In May director Gordon Chan will go to Britain for the post-production. The CG works is handled by Moving Picture, which has worked on TOMB RAIDER and the first HARRY POTTER"
Source: Sammohung.com And Daniel-san
Thanks to Daniel for the news
4Kids Entertainment today announced action-adventure animated series YU-GI-OH! scored well in Saturday morning ratings across all key boys' and kids' demographics - while also enjoying respectable numbers in its new afternoon strip incarnation.
On April 20, 2002 at 11 a.m., YU-GI-OH! ranked number one - against all Saturday morning broadcast network competition - in the categories of Boys 9-14 (with a 8.7 rating), Boys 6-17 (6.5), Boys 12-17 (5.7), Kids 6-11 (5.2), Kids 6-17 (4.4) and Kids 12-17 (3.6).
Moreover, the Saturday morning April 20, 2002 airing of YU-GI-OH! ranked #2 for all programming for Boys 2-11 (5.5), Boys 9-14 (8.7) and Boys 6-11(7.2), beating such prime-time favorites as Malcolm in the Middle and The Simpsons.
The YU-GI-OH! property, which was licensed to Kids' WB! by 4Kids Entertainment, was created in Japan and made its network debut on Kids' WB! in September 2001.
Last month saw the U.S. launch of the YU-GI-OH! toy line from the property's master toy licensee Mattel, Upper Deck's starter deck and booster pack YU-GI-OH! trading cards and Konami's new YU-GI-OH! video game titles for Sony PlayStation 1 and Nintendo Game Boy Color.
VIZ DETAILS CANCELLATION OF PULP: THE MANGA MAGAZINE Last Issue Scheduled for August 2002
SAN FRANCISCO, CA - April 29, 2002 - Viz Communications, Inc. today announced the cancellation of PULP: The Manga Magazine. Following an announcement in the magazine's latest issue (May, Vol. 6, No. 5) that said the final edition would be the August issue (Vol. 6, No. 8), which hits stands in July, Viz provided further details regarding the cancellation and what readers can expect.
Despite critical acclaim (PULP's Uzumaki is nominated for an Eisner this year for "Best U.S. Edition of Foreign Material"), Viz confirmed that the cancellation is a result of low sales and it is no longer fiscally viable to continue the publication of the magazine. PULP was the first English-language magazine to run the kind of manga that make comics a mass medium for ordinary adults in Japan, from dynamic action narratives to avant-garde ventures, when it debuted in December 1997. With innovative editorial features; film, book and music reviews; and columns on Japanese culture, PULP offered readers a Japanese comics contrast to both the superhero genre that typifies American comics and the stereotypical "anime-esque" manga often offered to U.S. readers, by introducing sophisticated manga series such as Bakune Young, Banana Fish, Dance Till Tomorrow, Even A Monkey Can Draw Manga, Junko Mizuno's Cinderalla, Short Cuts and Uzumaki, all which currently run in the monthly magazine.
Even with the magazine's cancellation, Viz will continue to publish each serialized series in alternate formats. Bakune Young, Junko Mizuno's Cinderalla and Uzumaki will conclude in the remaining issues of the magazine, as well as continue in graphic novel format, while Banana Fish will move to PULP's sister magazine, Animerica EXTRA. The remaining serials will be published in straight-to-graphic-novel format, with Dance Till Tomorrow concluding in Volume 6 and 7 of the graphic novel edition of the series, Short Cuts debuting in graphic novel format in June (to be followed by a second and final volume), Junko Mizuno's Cinderalla debuting in a full color single-issue in July and the first Even A Monkey Can Draw Manga release by the end of the year. In addition, Viz will continue its commitment to putting out the best in sophisticated manga by releasing new PULP-type manga in graphic novel format, including titles like No. 5 and Phoenix: A Tale of the Future.
To round out its remaining issues, PULP editors have planned special features for its fans. The June issue (Vol. 6, No. 6) will include an excerpt from Osamu Tezuka's Phoenix: A Tale of the Future, which the author composed over a span of decades and considered to be his "life's work"; the July issue (Vol. 6, No. 7), a previously unseen, original story from the July graphic novel release of Junko Mizuno's Cinderalla; and the final August issue (Vol. 6, No. 8), a special entitled "Manga Hell" that profiles and features excerpts from the worst, weirdest, most outrageous manga that no one would ever dare translate, let alone publish!
Upon the completion of the magazine's final issue, subscriptions will automatically be transferred to Animerica EXTRA, a monthly manga anthology featuring shôjo (girls' comics) titles, for the remainder of the paid PULP subscription. However, should PULP subscribers not wish to have their subscription transferred, they can call 1-800-394-3042 weekdays between the hours of 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. PST to receive credit for the balance of their subscription. Credit can be issued for the Viz Shop-By-Mail store or as a complete refund for the balance of the subscription.
ON DVD JUNE 25, 2002
Vampire Wars
Chicago, IL - Manga Entertainment brings you a Japanese animated DVD you'll be dying to sink your teeth into - an international tale of intrigue, Vampire Wars- in stores June 25, 2002.
Deep in the Arizona desert, a brutal terrorist attack takes place on a NASA base. Ten days later, the corpse of a CIA man is found floating on the Seine in Paris.
A French secret service agent, Monsieur Lassar, thinks the two events are connected, but how? He calls in Kousaburo Kuki, a spy, international terrorist and master criminal. Kuki discovers a connection to a film super-star, Lamia Vindaw. Lamia becomes the focus of the Parisian CIA operation and the key suspect in a bizarre vampire cult.
To solve the CIA murder investigation, Kuki must discover Miss Vindaw's true identity and save her from a bloody fate!
Executive Producer: Naoko Takahashi Director: Kazuhisa Takenouchi Art Director: Mitsuki Nakamura Character Design/Animation: Hideki Hamasu
DVD features include: English 5.1 Surround Sound; English & Japanese Stereo ; English Subtitles; Manga Video & DVD Previews; Manga DVD Catalog; Weblinks Studio: Manga Entertainment Sales & Distribution: WEA Street Date: June 25, 2002 Pre-book Date: June 2, 2002 Genre: Horror. Not rated. Running Time: 60 minutes SRP: $24.95 Barcode: 6-60200-4060-2-8 Selection #: MANGA4060-2
MANGA ENTERTAINMENT TO RELEASE
Psychic Wars
ON DVD JUNE 25, 2002
Chicago, IL - Psychic Wars, the anime OVA thriller about one man's desperate race to save the earth from Ancient Demons will be available on DVD June 25, 2002 from Manga Entertainment. A brilliant surgeon, Ukyo Retsu, performs an operation to remove a cancer from a mysterious old woman. The cancer turns out to be a 5,000-year-old demon. This demon is a dark messenger from Japan's ancient past heralding a demonic invasion of the Earth! Ukyo travels to the remains of an ancient city where he finds a gateway into the fabric of time, which enables him to travel back 5,000 years. There, in Earth's past, he discovers a race of demons that are planning to use the gateway to travel to the present in order to destroy mankind and make the Earth their own. Can Ukyo defeat the ancient race of demons and save the Earth, or will mankind be wiped out? Features include: English 5.1 Surround Sound; English & Japanese Stereo; English Subtitles; Manga Video & DVD Previews; Manga DVD Catalog; Weblinks
Studio: Manga Entertainment Sales & Distribution: WEA Street Date: June 25, 2002 Pre-book Date: June 2, 2002 Running Time: 60 minutes SRP: $24.96 Genre: Action/Thriller Not rated. Barcode: 6-60200-4059-2-2 Selection #: MANGA4059-2
MANGA ENTERTAINMENT PROUDLY PRESENTS THE DVD AND VHS RELEASE
Ghost Sweeper Mikami
ON JUNE 25, 2002
Chicago, IL - Manga Entertainment is proud to release a new comedy anime OVA (original video animation) from Japan- Ghost Sweeper Mikami and will be available at all major video retail outlets nationwide on DVD and VHS June 25th.
Meet Mikami - the gorgeous leader of one of Japan's most successful independent ghost-busting agencies. Together with her eclectic team of exorcists, she's prepared to do battle with any supernatural adversary - for the right price. But when an ancient spirit enlists her aid to deal with a re-incarnated foe, Mikami gets more than she bargained for. As the wicked Nosferatu - a vampire lord able to absorb the very life essence of his victims, begins to turn the city's inhabitants into mindless zombies, Mikami's team must race against time to save the world from a second Dark Age. Watch the ultimate Vampire slayer in this supernatural action-adventure!
Original author: Takashi Shiina. Produced by: Toei Animation Co., Ltd., Japan. Director: Atsutoshi Umezawa. Music: Mike Egan, Dean Anderson, dj? acucrack
DVD features include: * 5.1 English Dolby Digital Surround Sound * Stereo Japanese Audio * Character Bios/Photo Gallery * Manga Previews * Manga DVD Catalog * Manga Fan Club info
Studio: Manga Entertainment Sales & Distribution: WEA Street Date: June 25, 2002 Pre-Book Date: June 2, 2002 Running Time: 60 minutes SRP: DVD $24.95; VHS $19.95 Rated: Not rated. Parental Discretion Advised. Genre: Comedy/Action Adventure Languages: VHS: (Dub only); DVD options: (1) 5.1 English, (2) English Stereo and (3) Japanese Stereo Barcode: VHS Dub 6-60200-4115-3-4 Selection #: MANGA4115-3 Barcode: DVD 6-60200-4115-2-7 Selection#: MANGA4115-2
A little while ago, I mentioned Seven Samurai was getting a re-release in theaters. Well apparently it's not the only Kurosawa film getting this treatment.
"Cowboy Pictures and Janus Films have announced plans to re-release the film along with 12 other Kurosawa titles (including THE HIDDEN FORTRESS, which influenced Lucas greatly in the development of STAR WARS) at the end of the year. The films, also including RASHOMON, HIGH AND LOW, THRONE OF BLOOD, YOJIMBO, SANJURO, RED BEARD, I LIVE IN FEAR, STRAY DOG, DRUNKEN ANGEL and THE BAD SLEEP WELL, will be re-released in theaters around the country over the next year and a half.
"In this era of video and digital media, it's important that this filmmaker in particular is appreciated through celluloid, and that is now possible on a national scale due to these new and newly subtitled prints," Cowboy Pictures partner John Vanco said to VARIETY, announcing the release"
Source: Cinescape
Source: Natsume Maya
NTT DoCoMo ceases the new handsets they've manufactured used as a part for their i-Mode service. An advanced color screen handset recently release to the market called, Mova R211i, has a defect in its system function and has to be recalled. For more info visit PMN Publications here.
U.K.-based news site, Independent News, has an article reporting about more further and comprehensive information about Sony's next-generation console (no not the current PlayStation2), PlayStation3. The complete coverage can be read at this link.
May 19th: 9:30 Club (Washington, DC) [1-202-265-0930]
May 29th: Irving Plaza (New York City) [1-212-777-6800]
You can also call ticketmaster for tickets at: 1-212-307-7171. DCTJoy will be keeping track of tour updates at http://www.dctjoy.com/dreamscometrue/currentnews/
Thanks to Jay Harvey of Dreams Come True Joy
Come and join us on August 16-18 at the Renaissance Worldgate Hotel for a weekend of fun and sun at Florida's first and only hotel based anime con. Admission is just $20 per day or $30 for the weekend. Pre-register to save $5 on a three-day pass! Located just one mile from Disney World, bring the family and make an entire vacation of it! Rooms are just $79 per night when you mention Anime Festival Orlando.
Visit our website at http://www.afo3.org for more details and we hope to see you there!
"Tohl Narita, the artist whose designs and illustrations gave birth to many tokusatsu fans' dreams and flights of imagination, passed away following a stroke on February 26, 2002. By request of his wife, news of his death has been kept extremely low-key in Japan.
May 16-18, 2003 (Canadian Victoria Day Weekend)
May 21-23, 2004 (American Memorial Day Weekend)
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