In a post dated 2002-05-27 10:06:34 PST to the rec.arts.anime newsgroup, member Sany mentioned the following:
in a surprising move, Pioneer Ent. USA seems have to obtain theatrical, video and tv broadcasting rights to all 228 TV-episodes of the old Lupin III tv-series (well all 3 of them that is , the 4 specials which are not included in the deal with FUNimation and one movie as of May 27th. TMS Entertainment, the Japanese lisence holder, hopes that Pioneer can sell at least the TV series to one of the US broadcasting stations.
At 11:17 PM CST a post was made to the Lupin The Third Mailing List by Reed which reads as follows:
From Nikkei.net, Japanese news source:
http://www.nikkei.co.jp/news/sangyo/20020527CAHI350727.html
Lightly Edited Translation from http://babelfish.Altavista.com:
In the animation "Lupin the Third" United States to televising TMS
Entertainment announced on the 27th, television broadcast right and
video production right of popular animated series "Lupin the Third"
were given to the American video distribution company. This deal,
which includes theater screening, merchandising rights, etc. during a
contractual period of 7 years, anticipates a market of 140 hundred
million Yen in the United States. The contract made overseas involved
an affiliated firm of Pioneer, Pioneer Entertainment USA.
-Lupin III Background- After "Lupin the Third" began TV broadcast in 1971, 228 stories were televised, and have already have been televised in several dozen foreign countries such as those in Europe, Asia, and South America. This is the first "Lupin the Third" license contract for the United States.
Kyodo News posted the following:
NAGOYA — TMS Entertainment Ltd., a major maker of animated cartoon programs for television, said Monday it has sold the broadcasting rights for its "Lupin the Third" series to Pioneer Entertainment (U.S.A.) Inc. in California.
The rights last for seven years and cover both the United States and Canada, TMS Entertainment said. The popular show features the adventures of a thief named Lupin the Third and his band of fellow robbers. TMS Entertainment has made 228 "Lupin the Third" episodes. The first debuted in Japan in 1971.
As the Red & Black Sponsor of AXNY, its highest-level sponsor category, BAAF, which has been called $B!H(BThe Cannes Film Festival of Anime Manga Culture$B!I(B, will be overseeing a variety of activities during the labor-day weekend festivities, including many Guest of Honor appearances, the BAAF Film Festival, and the BAAF Symposium.
Yoshiyuki Tomino$B!G(Bs "Mobile Suit Gundam: Char's Counterattack" will be one of the featured films to be screened over the holiday weekend and this showing will be the New York premiere of the movie. BAAF is planning for a panel discussion on Tomino$B!G(Bs works following the premiere of the film. Tomino will also be making a special guest appearance at the Virgin Megastore where he will greet fans and sign autographs.
Yoshiyuki Tomino began his career in 1963, as part of the creative team behind TV's popular "Astroboy". After a decade of refining his craft as a freelancer, working on and studying the various genres of anime, he created "Reideen the Brave" in 1975. Tomino's directorial debut, the mecha series, was the first of many that he would create during the following years. These shows included 1977's "Zanbot 3" (a groundbreaking series that featured its heroes being blamed for a catastrophe and later killed), and of course, the immortal "Gundam" series, which recently enjoyed its 20th anniversary celebration. Gundam's various spin-offs (including Tomino's own "Gundam Z," "Gundam ZZ," "Turn-A Gundam" and "Char's Counterattack") have enjoyed considerable success around the world and are considered classics by many anime fans. Tomino's other more recent works include "Brain Powerd" and "Garzey's Wing."
For more info: http://www.bigappleanimefest.com
Bandai has officially announced Mobile Suit Gundam: Lost War Chronicles for PlayStation 2, a new strategic 3D action shooter. The game is mission based, in which you can play as either the Federation army or the Zion army. In addition to action shooting elements, you can also bring two comrade Mobile Suits to the battle, which can help you to attack and defend from attacks in 3 different formations. There will be dozens of available weapons, and over 30 kinds of Mobile Suits to choose from. Mobile Suit Gundam: Lost War Chronicles is scheduled for release in August.
For more images see The Magic Box Here
Due to production and approval delays, AnimeTrax has announced that there will be a slight 2 week delay in their May audio releases: Best of Lost Universe OST, Slayers Try VOX OST, and Martian Successor Nadesico TV OST.
NTT DoCoMo announced on the 24th that it starts the actual proof experiment of a "FOMA multi-point connection platform" the user of the point which plurality left can do [ communication with an animation ] simultaneously from May 31. Establishment and this consortium are carried out for the "FOMA TV phone multi-point connection experiment consortium" which performs development and the market research of correspondence application as a subject.
A FOMA multi-point connection platform is a platform which can do the TV conference of the user of two or more points which are what was announced in March, this year, and were left using the FOMA visual terminal etc. A screen is divided into four, and a chat is made, looking at a mutual situation by the picture. A consortium is the schedule of May 27 establishment and 40 companies and organizations, such as construction, a hotel, information serv ice, and educational relation, participate from makers, such as a sharp and Matsushita Electric Industrial.
An actual proof experiment performs verification of an experiment platform, evaluation of marketability, development and examination of service correspondence application, examination towards commercialization service offer, etc. A period is for [ by the end of September ] four months. DoCoMo assumes an English-conversation lesson, a mobile meeting, etc. which divide the screen of a terminal.
ROJIKURU puts the "PlayStation 2" (PS2) correspondence controller "NetPlay Controller" on the market on June 13. By the controller of keyboard one apparatus, it corresponds to online games, such as "Final Fantasy XI" (FF XI) etc. of Square.
The keyboard of a Japanese 84 key layout was attached in the dual shocking compatible controller of PS2. It is said that key operation can be performed comfortably also in a place without tables, such as a living room. Moreover, a keyboard part and a controller part can also be removed.
Main part size is the width 415x height 80x depth of 115mm. Although the keyboard part was compact size with a width of 263mm, the key pitch secured standard 19mm. Weight is 640g. A price is an open price. Precedence reservation is started by the company website at 4:00 p.m. on May 24.
TV Asahi has a weekly program 'Kore ga Nihon no Best 100' ('These are Japan's top 100') http://www.tv-asahi.co.jp/best100 that lets viewers rank things. Recently 'all you can eat places', 'onsen', 'diets' (weight loss methods), and 'ramen shops' have been ranked. The topic of yesterday's (2002-05-26) show was anime, and here are the here:
1. Doraemon 2. Lupin III 3. Heidi 4. My Neighbour Totoro 5. Sazae-san 6. Chibi Maruko-chan 7. Manga Japanese Fairy Tales 8. Mobile Suit Gundam 9. Nausicca Valley of the Wind 10. Dr Slump Arale-chan 11. Gegege no Kitaro 12. Majyo no Takkyubin 13. A Dog of Flanders 14. Galaxy Express 999 15. Spirited Away 16. Urusei Yatsura 17. Mighty Atom 18. 3000 Leagues in Search of Mother 19. Touch 20. Hakushon Daimaou 21. Moomin 22. Space Cruiser Yamato 23. Candy Candy 24. Obake no Q-tarou 25. Himitsu no Akko-chan 26. Jungle Emperor 27. Crayon Shin-chan 28. Mahoutsukai Sally 29. Kontyuu Monogatari Minashigo Hacchi 30. Ikkyuu-san 31. Dragon Ball 32. Dokonjou Gaeru 33. Ashita no Joe 34. Yattaman 35. Cat's Eye 36. Ninja Hattori-kun 37. Attack No. 1 38. Scientific Ninja Team Gatchaman 39. Tom and Jerry 40. Adventures of Maya the Bee 41. Mononoke Hime 42. Rose of Versailles 43. Soreike! Anpanman 44. Majingaa Z 45. Oishinbo 46. Haikara-san ga Tooru 47. Iron Man 28 48. Future Boy Conan 49. Ace o Nerae 50. Slam Dunk 51. Inakappe Taishou 52. Tensai Bakabon 53. Kyojin No Hoshi 54. City Hunter 55. Laputa 56. Tiger Mask 57. Parman 58. Dokaben 59. Ribbon Knight 60. Devilman 61. Kiteretsu Daihyakka 62. Cyborg 009 63. Youkai Ningen Bemu 64. Chiisana Viking Bikke 65. Majyokko Meg-chan 66. Captain Wing 67. Osomatsu-kun 68. Babiru the Second 69. Mach GoGoGo 70. Yawara! 71. Kinnikuman/Muscleman 72. Fujiko A. Fujio's Warau Salesman 73. Cutey Honey 74. Jarinko Chie 75. Yuuyuu Hakusho 76. Glass Mask 77. Neon Genesis Evangelion 78. Akadou Suzunosuke 79. Asari-chan 80. Shounen Ashibe 81. High School! Kimengumi 82. Pretty Soldier Sailor Moon 83. Fist of the North Star 84. Yu-Gi-Ou 85. Pocket Monsters 86. The Adventures of Tom Sawyer 87. Yuusha Raideen 88. Akira 89. Runrun the Flower Child 90. Tottoko Hamutarou 91. Ojya Majyo Doremi Dokka~n! 92. Eight Man 93. Obocchyama-kun 94. Maison Ikkoku 95. Maicchingu Machiko-sensei 96. Hajime Ningen Giatrus 97. Karimero 98. Rascal Raccoon 99. Ken the Wolf Boy 100. Young Kindaichi's Casebook
Source: Natsume Maya
May 16-18, 2003 and May 14-16, 2004
More details are on the official website at: Acen.org for details as they become apparent.
Source: Natsume Maya
[Society]
BBC News has an article that talks about the Japanese people who's often on stress at record rates because of high work, known as, karoshi. Link: BBC News
The Asahi Shimbun has an article featuring ringtones for cellphone users of the many J-pop songs. Link: Asahi News
The Daily Yomiuri has a feature that talks about smoking cigarettes and it's promotionals through Japanese dramas to the public. Link: Yomiuri Online
Tokyo - Japan Today reports that t.v. channel 12 ltd. (TV Tokyo) says that they will not broadcast an annual dog-eating contest in response to the boy who caused death to himself in imitation of a similar food contest. Link: Japan Today (original linksource, Kyodo News)
[Videogames]
ZDnet News is reporting that it's game over for Nintendo of Japan president, Hiroshi Yamauchi (74-yrs. old), after 52 years of guiding the Nintendo corporation, making games and competing against rivals, PlayStation2 and Xbox. Link: ZDNet
Tokyo - Namco Ltds. climbed back into the dark during the fiscal year of 2001 of operatinal reconstructurings on such as closures of unprofitable arcade game centers and posts their net gains/losses. Link: Japan Today (original linksource, Kyodo News)
In the division ranking based on use of copyrighted musical products, "Everything," performed by female Japanese pop singer MISIA, ranked first. "Can You Keep A Secret?" from pop star Hikaru Utada ranked second, followed by "Lion Heart" by male pop group SMAP, and "TSUNAMI" by rock group Southern All Stars.
Source: Kyodo News
Laser Disc, that other shiny format which was once romanced by industry as the creme de la creme pinnacle currency for audio and video transfer may soon be departing from the primary market, to become the domain of collectors and afficinados. Laserdisc technology pioneers, Pioneer Corp, which today rank as the world's sole manufacturer of laser-disc (LD) players, will stop making the products in March next year, company officials said Thursday. The withdrawal reflects diminishing profitability in the LD player business as the market for the more compact DVD players has been growing, the officials said.
For those tired of spending 5-10,000 U.S. Dollars on an HD reference plasma monitor, Samsung Japan Corp, the Japanese unit of South Korea's Samsung Electronics Co, said Thursday it will launch the world's largest TFT LCD (thin film transistor liquid crystal display) televisions in Japan. On June 30, the company will start selling 40-inch TFT LCD TVs at mass-retail household electronic stores nationwide, company officials said. The largest TFT LCD TV currently sold in Japan is a 30-inch model made by Japanese consumer electronics maker Sharp Corp.
As we've stated before, Lil* Vision is Urban Vision Entertainment's line of more family-friendly fare. We've got at big release coming up in August, so here's the information on it!
From Lil* Vision: Slammin' Sammy The Sammy Sosa Story in stores August 27, 2002
Sammy Sosa rocketed into the national spotlight in 1998, blasting excitement into baseball with Mark McGwire in the legendary home run race to break Roger Maris' record. Now see Sammy's life and career leading up to, and beyond, that defining season. Slammin' Sammy explores the importance of family, determination and hard work - valuable for children to experience. Slammin' Sammy: The Sammy Sosa Story is a hit for all ages!
Be sure to catch Slammin' Sammy this summer on the WGN!
Running time: approx. 60 minutes. Approved for all audiences.
VHS UV1095 MSRP: $12.95 UPC: 638652 10953 8
DVD UV1096 MSRP: $19.95 UPC: 638652 10960 6
DVD Special Features Exclusive Interview Footage Trivia Game Trailers English remastered in 5.1 Spanish Audio Motion Menus
Source: Daniel
The May 31 issue of Entertainment Weekly has a review of Manga's Astroboy anime, in which it gave it a B. Interestingly enough, EW also mentioned the Dark Horse manga, and it even called Astroboy by his Japanese name-Tetsuwan Atom.
The June issue of Fangoria has a whole article on Versus with comments from the director. Also, an ad for Audition in Fangoria seems to indicate that there are two different versions of the film: an R-rated one and an unrated one. Amazon only stocks the R-rated one. DVD Express seems to have the unrated one.
The following USA anime licensors have revamped their sites in recent months:
- Urban Vision - www.urban-vision.com
- Media Blasters - www.media-blasters.com
- Bandai Entertainment - www.bandai-ent.com
- ADV Films - www.advfilms.com
- Manga Entertainment - www.manga.com
- Tokyopop - www.tokyopop.com
Meanwhile the following new company sites have debuted in recent months: - Super Techno Arts - www.supertechnoarts.com (Watch for future development)
Jetli.com has an article on the history of wuxia and an on-set report of Jet Li's Cradle 2 The Grave.
Links courtesy Daniel
Source: Natsume Maya
Source: Daniel
Courtesy to Natsume Maya for the link
Ghost in the Shell
Barbican Centre
Silk Street
London EC2Y 8DS
Box Office - 020 7638 8891
June 30th
Akira
Broadway,
14-18 Broad St,
Nottingham NG1 3AL
Box Office - 0115 9526611
July 7th
Manga screenings at Yo Below every Monday evening 7pm onwards, entry free all evening
95 Farringdon Rd
EC1
Info Tel: 020 7841 0790
27th May Sword for Truth
3rd June Red Hawk
10th June - Shadow Skill
All numbers, times and places are in the UK ONLY.
Here's a chance for your readers to get their hands on one of the greatest anime series ever created - Neon Genesis Evangelion! For a limited time only, ADV Films will be giving away a grand prize of a numbered Premium Evangelion Paul Champagne Perfect Collection, autographed by the some of the extraordinary talent responsible for bringing the English production of Gainix's Evangelion to life! The Premium Evangelion Paul Champagne Perfect Collection includes all twenty-six episodes of the award-winning Evangelion series across eight discs, and comes packaged as a fantastic box set!
http://www.advfilms.com/cool_stuff/contests/Evangelion/index.asp
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