Anime News Service - July 1 - August 13 Anime News

9-13-01---- Post WTC Disaster NYC Anime / Manga Industry Status

>>1. Where were you when the incident happened?

Asleep. We work late, usually on the phone to Japan until the early AM hours, and in turn we sleep later than most people. I got to the office a little before 11AM and turned on the computers. I couldn't connect to the net on the computer that booted up first, one that still has a 56K modem. I then went over to one of the other computers with a cable modem and checked our e-mail. All of a sudden I had about 50 e-mail messages on my screen in Japanese and English, all titled ARE YOU OK?, IS EVERYTHING ALRIGHT? and such. I immediately flipped on a TV and saw the Twin Towers had been destroyed. I seriously thought I was still asleep, deep in some bad dream.

>>2. If in NYC, How far away were you from the scene?

Pretty far. We are uptown on 82nd St., several miles from "ground zero". We went outside around noon and saw thousands of people were marching north up Broadway, walking home or trying to get out of the city.

>>3. What are your feelings are at this moment after all that >has passed?

I honestly still can't believe the Twin Towers are gone! We were just there Friday with relatives who were visiting NYC from Sweden. It actually helps put things into better perspective as I clearly remember how monumental and enormous they were.

>>4. Do you know anybody that maybe or is a victim of the attacks and are
>they alright?

Thankfully, as far as I know, no one I know was hurt or personally affected by all this.

>>5. What are the feelings of Mr. Kia Asamiya and any Japanese guests that
>are visiting NYC about this event?

Kia Asamiya has been back in Tokyo for a few weeks. He is as shocked as anyone else by all this, maybe more so as he just recently left New York after spending so much time here. Kia had just seen the Towers last month with his own eyes as well. No other Japanese guests, in the manga/anime sense of the word, I know of were in NYC at the time. I have seen lots of Japanese tourists though who are now stranded here for ther foireseeable future.

>>6. Are you planning to do anything in the efforts of aiding those in need?

Trying to give blood but the lines are still too long right now. Mutsumi is type O which is needed at this time. We've also been donating whatever is needed. The church in front of our home is a relief center and collecting things like water, flashlights and batteries.

>>7. Is Fanboy Entertainment affected by these turns of events?

Not directly. However, we have been expecting FedEx packages and deliveries and what not which have not arrived. There is also no mail service. We hope people understand that we will not be able to fulfill orders and get product out for a few days. Phone service is still spotty and unreleiable so e-mail is the best way to get in touch with us now.

>>8. What is the statement you wish to make towards the anime fans on your
>well being and others involved with Fanboy Entertainment?

Don't worry about us. All is well here. Your thoughts and prayers should be for the victims of this terrible tragedy, the relief workers, and those in need here in NYC.

>>9. Do you know anybody else in NYC that is ok? (Lisa Ortiz, Crispin
>Freeman, any other voice actors in NYC, other people involved in anime in
>>NYC, etc.)

I know most people at Marvel Comics, DC Comics and CPM are fine. I hear the folks at Media Blasters are OK as well. Not sure about any of the voice actors and actresses though. Manga retouch artist Dan Nakrosis is alright. Licensing agent Dave Bernstein is fine. Dubbing Director Tony Salerno is OK.

9-13-01---- Japanese Anime / Manga / Seiyuu Events - September 2nd Half

2001.09.15 6th Animation Kobe
Kanai Mika Nogawa Sakura Kakazu Yumi Kobayashi Yumiko Kawakami Tomoko Komori Manami

2001.09.15 The Place of Happiness event in Ishimaru Soft One
Mizuki Nana

2001.09.16 Chara Fes Osaka 2001 Aki
Adachi Mari Sonozaki Mie Sasajima Kaoru Koyama Kimiko

2001.09.16 [12:00] Shiawase Baizou Keikaku -Kolla Pa! event Yamagiwa Soft
Yamamoto Maria

2001.09.16 [15:00] Shiawase Baizou Keikaku -Kolla Pa! event Ishimara Soft One
Yamamoto Maria

2001.09.16 Senoir Seniorita vol 1 event in Aoni Museum
Takazuka Masaya Kisaichi Atsushi Nagashima Yuko Komatsu Rika

2001.09.16 The Place of Happiness event in Animate Shibuya
Mizuki Nana

2001.09.13 Iwao Junko Toga Toga 4 days
Iwao Junko

2001.09.14 Iwao Junko Toga Toga 4 days
Iwao Junko

2001.09.15 Iwao Junko Toga Toga 4 days
Iwao Junko

2001.09.16 Iwao Junko Toga Toga 4 days
Iwao Junko

2001.09.21 Baby Leaf event in Animate Ikebukuro
Mieno Hitomi

2001.09.22 The Place of Happiness event in Animate Machida
Mizuki Nana

2001.09.22 Baby Leaf event in Animate Kichijoji
Mieno Hitomi

2001.09.22 Birthday Disk Imai Yuka event in Yamagiwa Soft
Imai Yuka

2001.09.23 Strawberry Room event in Yamagiwa Soft
Iizuka Mayumi

2001.09.23 [13:00] Hatoni Mamedeppo! event in Animate Ikebukuro
Yamamoto Maria Nasu Megumi Kugimiya Rie

2001.09.23 [17:00] Hatoni Mamedeppo! event in Disk Inn Kichijoji
Yamamoto Maria Nasu Megumi Kugimiya Rie

2001.09.23 Baby Leaf event in Animate Shibuya
Mieno Hitomi

2001.09.23 Valgo Birthday Party in Yokohama
Imai Yuka

2001.09.23 Pink Pineapple talk event
Adachi Mari

2001.09.23 Iwao Junko Live Circuit 2001 in Bottom Line
Iwao Junko

2001.09.24 Iwao Junko Live Circuit 2001 in Nagano
Iwao Junko

2001.09.29 Strawberry Room event in Animate Ikebukuro
Iizuka Mayumi

2001.09.29 Tennensui 1 Day's Live
Adachi Mari Sayama Riko Matsumoto Miwa

2001.09.29 Baby Leaf event in Animate Machida
Mieno Hitomi

2001.09.29 Iwao Junko Live Circuit 2001 in Kooriyama
Iwao Junko

2001.09.30 Di Gi Charat Tour 2001 in Club Diamond Hall
Sanada Asami Sawashiro Miyuki Hikami Kyoko

2001.09.30 Kingetsu Mami Live -Jump Daze!
Kingetsu Mami

2001.09.30 Shiawase Baizou Keikaku event
Yamamoto Maria

2001.09.30 Iwao Junko Live Circuit 2001 in Sendai
Iwao Junko

9-13-01---- Right Stuf Release Revisions

Right Stuf regrets that due to shutdowns in the air traffic systems
> causing delays in
> shipping, and concerns that check discs and required materials to
> create
> samples of current DVDs will likely not reach us in time, that we will
> be delaying the
> release of our 9/25 DVD releases (see below) by 2 weeks, to 10/9.
>
> VHS titles will be released on time, and we expect our October
> releases scheduled for 10/30
> will be shipped on schedule.
>
> We want to make sure that we release only quality products and a final
> checks are made of
> the finished product before it is shipped to customers and stores.
>
> We apologize for the inconvenience this may cause. However, we would
> rather
> delay these releases and make sure there are no problems with the
> final checks than to
> release faulty products. It is possible that we may be able to meet
> the original release
> schedule, but we'd rather be on the safe side. We will inform you of
> any further changes.
>
> As well, it is likely that there will be significant delays in
> delivery of our products due to delays in cargo
> delivery. Although many people do not realize it, a large portion of
> mail delivery is handled by commercial
> airlines. Any UPS air freight is currently stalled within the air
> system.
>
> Our new accounting system is running, and we are pushing to begin
> shipments with the new system
> today. Please be patient with us; we are striving to get things
> moving and provide
> the highest possible level of products quality and customer support.
> Thank you for
> your business.
>
> The events of the recent terrorist attacks have stunned our nation.
> However, we must
> not allow these faceless attackers to keep us from moving on as a
> nation. Right Stuf is
> open for business. We grieve for the victims and with their families.
> We hope that our government
> is able to bring those responsible to justice.
>
> We also wish to thank all of our International vendors and customers
> for your letters of concern and
> support. They are greatly appreciated.
>
> Sincerely,
> Shawne Kleckner
> President/CEO
> The Right Stuf, Inc.
>
> The notice affects the following SKU#s: Product ID: Product Name: Unit Price: Release Date: UPC Code:
RSDVD2008 Tylor, Irresponsible Captain OVA Series DVD 3: From Here to Eternity (Hyb) 29.95 10/9/2001 742617200823
RSDVD2009 Tylor, Irresponsible Captain OVA Series DVD Set 1-3 (Hyb) 89.95 10/9/2001 742617200922
RSDVD2021 Boogiepop Phantom Evolution 1 DVD (Hyb) 29.95 10/9/2001 742617202124
RSDVD9010 Yamamoto Yohko, Starship Girl DVD 1-3 (Hyb) 39.95 10/9/2001 742617901027

9-12-01---- Omochabox Celebrations Postponed In Light Of Devestating Events In Eastern USA

Please check OmochaBox.com (http://www.omochabox.com) for more information.

9-12-01---- 30+ Japanese Businesses Had Offices In NYC WTC Complex

Officials from about 30 Japanese companies that have branches in the New York World Trade Center had feelings of both anxiety and relief on Wednesday, with some of them unable to confirm the safety of all of their employees in the building. Among 363 employees who work at the companies, the safety of 344 had been confirmed by Wednesday night. In addition, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yasuo Fukuda said Wednesday that a name that appeared to be that of a Japanese was on the passenger list of the American Airlines plane that departed Boston for Los Angeles and crashed into the World Trade Center. Nishi-Nippon Bank of Fukuoka confirmed one of its three employees in the center was safe, but had not been able to contact the other two, who were in New York to conduct wrap-up operations after the bank closed its New York branch Sept. 6. The bank said Minoru Tahara, 45, the branch's former manager, was confirmed safe, but it had not been able to contact Kazuhiro Anai, 42, and Takuya Nakamura, 30. Yoko Nagata, the younger sister of Anai, said at her home in Fukuoka: "So far I have received no information about him. I'm scared." Yu, 60, father of Nakamura, said from his home in Yamaguchi Prefecture: "I found out from a TV news program that my son's safety has not been confirmed. I can only pray for him." Fuji Bank's countermeasure headquarters said Wednesday that the safety of about 50 of its 500 local employees in New York, including 12 Japanese employees, had not been confirmed. Employees in New York were visiting about 100 hospitals where victims were taken to confirm whether the missing workers were hospitalized, but their identities unknown, bank officials said. A male employee at the Tokyo head office said: "I couldn't sleep last night while watching TV news programs. I hope we will soon be told they are safe." Nomura Research Institute said two of its employees who were in New York on a business trip at the time of the attacks were still unaccounted for. The institute said Takashi Ogawa, 37, and Sanae Mori, 27, both of its system consulting division, had not been contacted since the incident. Both were scheduled to attend a financial conference held on the 106th floor of the north tower at 8 a.m. Tuesday, it said. Chuo Mitsui Trust & Banking Co. had not confirmed the safety of three employees of its New York office and a local affiliate that were located on the 83rd floor of the south tower of the destroyed center. Nikko Securities International, a local subsidiary of Nikko Securities Co., confirmed the safety of all of its 20 employees in New York. Though four of them were in the office on the 79th floor of the north tower and contact with them was lost, the company confirmed their safety on Wednesday morning. Dai-Ichi Kangyo Bank also confirmed the safety of all 80 of its Japanese employees working in its branch in the north tower at 3:12 a.m. Wednesday. Cosmos Services, an affiliate of Itochu Corp., which was located on the 89th floor of the north tower, confirmed the safety of 11 staff members, including eight Japanese employees. Hiroo Tani, 38, of Shizuoka Bank, escaped from the office of the bank's New York branch on the 80th floor of the south tower. Nobuhiko Atsuchi, 36, another employee working at the branch, was also confirmed safe, officials of the bank said. Their family members said they had given up hope after hearing the news, but were relieved when they later discovered their loved ones were alive.

9-11-01---- Network Rumors

To sum it all up this petition is BS, just for a worthless cause, there is no point to this madness. Even if we get 10,000 signatures on it, that will not convince AOL Time Warner to make an Anime Channel. This petition is a big rumor, just like most experienced anime fans predicted. Luckily we didn't put a link leading to the hoax. Those of you how did remove it immediately.

9-11-01---- VHD Bloodlust Rated R

9-11-01---- Italy Broadcast Brief

Source: ADAMagazine

9-10-01---- Weiss Kreuz New Series

9-10-01---- Final Fantasy Movie Japan

9-10-01---- 7th Eva Manga

Limited Special Edition with a figure of Rei ISBN4-04-713462-7 Limited Special Edition with a figure of Asuka ISBN4-04-713463-5

Original Story: GAINAX Art: Yoshiyuki Sadamoto Kadokawa Shoten Publishing 1200 Yen (excluding tax)

9-10-01---- DBZ New Episode Status

Finally, the news Toonami fans have been waiting for: Starting Monday, September 10, Cartoon Network will begin airing 96 episodes of Dragonball Z that have never before been seen on U.S. television. These new episodes of Dragonball Z encompass the King Kai Saga and the Majin Buu Saga and continue the story of Goku, who, along with his son Gohan and a handful of friends, defends the Earth against the deadly forces of the mighty Saiyans. That's not all Toonami.com has a preview for the Season 5: Dragonball Z. This will be the last Dragonball Z season according to the Official Site. Also, the official Toonami Signal has New Bios for new DBZ characters. DBZ Premier Bonus: The fun just goes on and on... if you use the secret code PIKKON on Cartoon Orbit you will get special Toonami cToon.

9-7-01----- Initial D 3rd Stage The Movie DVD Release Event

9-6-01---- ADV News

This is straight out of www.advfilms.com :

1)"The September issue of Sequential Tart is now available at www.sequentialtart.com. This issue features the long-awaited interview with ADV Films' very own Matt Greenfield, as he talks with Jennifer M. Contino about the origins of ADV; the state of the anime industry; and ADV's upcoming theatrical release, Spriggan!

"For everyone who participated in our cross-promotional contest with the Tarts by sending in questions for Matt: Thanks! The response was tremendous. Six lucky winners were chosen, and will be receiving their prizes shortly.

"To everyone who didn't win, don't worry! We'll be doing something like this again soon.

2)"Kicking off our look into the future, ADV Films has just released the final DVD installment of the fan-favorite Martian Successor Nadesico anime series to the eager public on August 28th. I'd like to take this time to remind you that the five previous DVD installments are also readily available in bilingual DVD format in the ADV Films product catalog....Now to wait for "Prince of Darkness" to finish production..."

3)"The final bilingual DVD installment of Sorcerer Hunters, titled "Magical Battles," draws to a conclusion to one of the most beloved fantasy-anime titles currently available on the market. Containing the final 6 chapters of the Sorcerer Hunters saga, Sorcerer Hunters fans had better be rushing to the stores this October to purchase their copy of Sorcerer Hunters: Magical Battles when ADV Films releases the spellbinding final installment of the exciting Sorcerer Hunters series on October 9th!

4)"Step up to the plate this October, ADV Films will be releasing the highly anticipated new anime series, Princess Nine on DVD! Spanning a total of six DVDs, and priced to sell at the extraordinary retail price of $19.98 a piece, Princess Nine promises to be one of the hottest new titles of the season, when ADV Films releases it in bilingual DVD format on October 23rd"

9-5-01---- Patlabor 3 Details

Though it was announced years ago things finally seem to go ahead for "MOBILE POLICE PATLABOR 3". Scheduled for spring 2002, the movie will be based on one of the manga story arcs, "Haikibutsu 13-go jiken" ("The waste no.13 incident"). Thus, not killer robots will trouble our heros this time but genetically engineered monsters breaking out of their transport cages. A preview version is said to have been shown at the Imagica studio, but the movie itself still has to find a distributor to make it to the big screen. Originally filled by Mamoru Oshii the director job has been handed over to Fumihiko Takayama, best known for his works on mecha-oriented animes like "Orguss", "Gundam 0800: A War in the Pocket", "Macross Plus" and the "Bubblegum Crisis" OVA. The script will be delivered by Miki Tori.

9-5-01---- Legend Of Galactic Heros News From Philcon

Hi, this is Walter Amos, your friendly correspondent at the Millenium Philcon, the 59th World Science Fiction Convention where we have had the fortune to have Yukio Kikukawa, producer of LoGH, as a special attendee. We are presenting discussions, video, and the first LoGH movie "The Stars, My Conquest" at the con to try and attract more interest from the literary SF fan community, a group which would likely find LOGH very appealing if it knew about it.

We had a few snafus yesterday at the 2 hour long discussion/intro panel with Mr. Kikukawa. He arrived OK, but unfortunately his translator, Anime Expo staple Takayuki Karahashi (who also did all the translation work for the film and videos to be shown here) didn't arrive on time so we were without translation or Intro video to show. Nevertheless the panel was reasonably well attended with about 30-40 people. I blathered on to fill time, and Philcon anime coordinator Collette Fozard ran off and shanghaied some members of the Nippon 2007 Worldcon bid committee to act as interim translators. Despite the setbacks, things went reasonably well.

This morning things went much better with the video presentations of the subtitled "Hero of El Facil" side story from the "Spiral Labyrinth" series, the 2 English dubbed "Battle of Vermilion" episodes from the end of the 2nd season, and the subtitled "making of LoGH" video. Taka had arrived by this point and brought the videos, and translated for Mr. Kikukawa who fielded questions between several of the videos. The screening room in which this was presented was fairly packed, especially for the El Facil video. Much laughter at some of Yang's stereotypical exploits. When Mr. Kikukawa asked how many in the audience had never seen LoGH before, over a dozen people raised their hands.

The only small personal down side came much later this evening when, while posting another notice in front of the anime screening rooms, a mother attending the con asked if I knew why another show playing then ("Shinesman") had been labeled PG13 by the con. I replied I didn't know, sinc I felt that series was pure goofy comedy. She replied she wanted to be sure there wasn't any unsuitable material for kids in it because while other things labeled PG13 at con were entirely innocent and she felt were rated unnecessarily strongly, she said she and her young child had a disturbance earlier in the day when they had seen some fairly bloody gore in an anime that was labeled PG. It turns out she was referring to the Battle of Vermilion episodes, where there are indeed some very very gory scenes briefly showing the effects on the crew when these ships explode from the cool looking laser blasts. When I said that that scene was exceptional in the series and that if she felt up to it she should still try to check out the film tomorrow since there is nothing comparable, she seemed hesitant.

I felt a bit bad about this and partially blame myself. Back when Collette asked me for brief synopses of all the stuff to be shown for the program and an appropriate parental rating, she said she'd probably label everything PG unless otherwise stated. I said for LoGH I thought that was reasonable. It had been so long since I last saw these episodes I totally forgot about these scenes. Had I remembered them, I would certainly have cautioned a higher rating for these episodes than the others. :(

Well, many of the attendees at the video seemed enthusiastic about seeing the film, which is at 11am tomorrow morning. Let us hope that goes well. Also at the video I made sure to several times mention the LoGH Info Center (www.logh.net) and urged them to check it out, sign the petition for English language LoGH, and check out the mailing list! So maybe soon we'll see some new members here from Philcon!

9-5-01---- Calevello Chat

9-5-01---- Bigtime Unconfirmed Bebop Movie / Metropolis Items

Call me an "unnamed source in LA," but I've just talked to someone from Columbia Pictures who said that not only would Metropolis be released to theatres on Nov 9, but that it should hit DVD here in Feb. Also, and this is tentative, he said they either have or are negotiating the rights for the Cowboy Bebop movie for video AND theatrical release in 2002!

9-4-01---- Godzilla: GMK Details

Cinescape has found some new information, regarding the GMK, and its trailer. "From sources close to the production, here are some clarifications and statements about the advance trailer for GMK, which is available on the GXM DVD boxset:

"1. Director Shusuke Kaneko was not involved, consulted, or had any approval over Toho's advance trailer. It was made without his supervision, and has not even seen it.

"2. Confirmed. The music heard in the advance trailer is *not* by Ko Otani, and was something that Toho just tacked on the advance trailer. Mr. Otani has not yet recorded a note of music as of yet.

"3. Confirmed. The monster's cries in the advance trailer are not the same sound effects that will be in the finished film.

"4. Confirmed. The shot with Godzilla and Ghidorah grappling is from an underwater sequence, and is entirely incomplete. It was only yesterday that a test shot of the composites incorporating elements such as air bubbles and "marine snow" (deep sea particles) was accomplished.

"5. Confirmed. The special effects seen in the advance trailer are not final effects shots. The scenes witnessed in the advance trailer are the only basic shots which need to be completed with additional optical elements.

"6. The special effects in the finished film will have a groundbreaking number of optical composites for a Japanese film. "These aren't excuses, but the facts, just that the advance trailer should be seen as a teaser, rather than a trailer."

9-4-01---- New Animefringe Online

Animefringe Vol.2 #9 - September 2001 ( http://www.animefringe.com/ )

-- Manga On The Web -- Thanks to the wonder of the Internet, being broke is no longer an excuse to read manga. Unless you've been living under a rock for the past few years, you'd know that online manga has picked up the momentum of a runaway freight train. You now have a gaggle (that's right, a GAGGLE!) of comic strips, manga series and even animated shorts to choose from -- all with that independent flavor we've grown so fond of. This month, we start a new miniseries of articles, showcasing many popular manga sites and their creators, and opening your eyes to the wide world of online manga. [ http://www.animefringe.com/feature/1/ ]

-- Keroro Gunso -- You know those series about wacky aliens that come to Earth and cause havoc for some unsuspecting family, right? Well, add Keroro Gunso to that list. It's one seriously warped series about a race of alien frogs that have their eyes set on invading Earth, but some kids discover their plan and the next thing you know there are a bunch of frogs sponging off people. Add in a ton of anime references and you've got a manga that's one part Otaku no Video and one part Urusei Yatsura. [ http://www.animefringe.com/feature/2/ ]

-- Sister Princess -- Want to be the center of attention? Tired of playing relationship simulations and ending up finishing the game without a girl by your side? Here is a game that will help boost your ego. But if you know you can get annoyed by kawaii characters quickly and you can't stand excessive 'cuteness', then keep away from this game! =) [ http://www.animefringe.com/feature/3/ ]

-- Otakon 2001 - The East Coaster's Con -- Some say that Otakon is the East Coast equivalent to Anime Expo, the biggest West Coast Anime Con known to date. Anime Expo has it's favorable moments, and sometimes even lack of such, and Otakon has theirs as well. Let's take a step back in time to early August, where the fun began. [ http://www.animefringe.com/feature/4/ ]

Reviews for this month include:
- Blood: The Last Vampire DVD
- Mobile Suit Gundam: The Battle Begins Vol.1
- Starship Girl Yamamoto Yohko Vol.1
- Initial D Third Stage: The Movie
- Kaihan Phrase
- Embracing Defeat: Japan in the Wake of World War II
- Mario Kart Advance (GBA)
- Nobel Super Lemon Candy
[ http://www.animefringe.com/reviews/ ]

All this, plus a rather unique editorial by SMILE's NikoNiko and PunPun about letter collumns or something; a brand new Web Showcase; a ton of anime briefs; Key: The Metal Idol and Love Hina Word Searches, and so much more. [ http://www.animefringe.com/ ]

8-31-01---- Yugioh Offical Site

8-31-01---- VHD Screening News

I just got this from http://www.comicbookscifi.com/sept2.html :

"The Convention[meaning the Los Angeles Sci Fi and Comic Book Convention] will be co-hosting a free screening of the new animated movie Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust which will take place sometime in October at a date and location to be announced. The passes will be given away at the Sept. 23 Convention, while supplies last, and the screening will be overbooked so it is first come, first served. Two Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust animation cells autographed by the animators will be given away during a free drawing at 1:45 P.M. before the Black Scorpion presentation. Save your convention admission ticket, your number might be called!"

8-31-01---- Shadow Skill Coming To Cable

On Thursday, September 6th..Shadow skill will be airing at 2am on the movie channel.

8-30-01----- Randome DBZ News

Dragonball Z Movie #5 "Cooler's Revenge" to be released Tusday, January 22, 2002. It'll get the "Tape and Disc" only treatment. That means no theatrical release. Movie 6 will be handled the same way. A fast-food promotion is in the works for Dragonball Z: Movie 5: Cooler's Revenge. This info was released during the CNAnime Con.

----------------------------------------------------
Dragonball Z VA Answering Questions in the PNMB

Kyle Hebert the voice actor of Adult Gohan, Narrator, West Kai, and Pikkon in Season 5 for Dragonball Z has been lurking around the Planet Namek FUNimation VA Answering Questions in our answering any question you fans have, and he is still responding to the posters' queries here. http://forum.planetnamek.com/Forum7/HTML/003064.html ----------------------------------------------------

Also one of your Staff members has a CN Anime Con News release up. It seprates all the new DBZ info released during the Con. Check it out here if you care. http://www.saiyanz-rage.net/index2.php?image=image/home&maininfo=maininfo/weeklypicks/cnanimenews&nav=nav/main ----------------------------------------------------

Okay, we all know that Toonami Midnight Run was interrupted last Friday because of Cartoon Cartoon Weekend, and it's also going to be interrupted THIS Friday because of TMR: Special Editon (Music-Video). And now the CartoonNetwork.com schedule pages updated again, this time all the way to Halloween!

Toonami Midnight Run will be interrupted AGAIN on Tuesday, October 30 because of a 24-hour Scooby-Doo Where Are You? marathon (it starts Tuesday, October 30 at midnight). The marathon will also interrupt the afternoon run of Toonami on October 31. ----------------------------------------------------

And, on a site note the Official DBZ CCG site, is giving away "Free AndroidsT Saga Promo Cards". The official site has reserved a special promotional card from the Androids Saga exclusively for visitors to their web site. Requests must be postmarked by October 31, 2001. This offer is only available while supplies last. All you have to do it just fill in the forum. http://www.dbzcardgame.com/html/news.cfm?newsID=5023 ----------------------------------------------------

This schedule takes effect on October 1st, 2001. Nice to see the new DBZ season 5 will be running on the TMR soon. All times are EST/PST. This is just a tentative line-up and subject to change.

TOONAMI: Afternoon Line-Up 05:00 PM - Gundam: 8th MS Team 05:30 PM - Dragonball 06:00 PM - Dragonball Z 06:30 PM - Batman Beyond

TOONAMI: Midnight Run Line-Up 12:00 AM - Dragonball Z 12:30 AM - Outlaw Star

from Cartoon Netwrok schedule pages. Also this info. was released on Cartoon Netwrok.com

Kids'WB will be promoted on The Cartoon Network in a weekly half-hour preview at 7:30 p.m. (ET) EVERY Fridays, starting August 31st. The Official schedule pages has updated with the following..

Cartoon Network's Friday 7:30 p.m. Line-Up Fridays, August 31st - X-Men - Grim Reminder Fridays, September 7th - Pokemon - The Fortune Hunters Fridays, September 14th - Jackie Chan - The Dog & Piggy Show Fridays, September 21st - The Mummy - The Summoning Fridays, September 28th - Yu-Gi-Oh - Yu-Gi-Oh (I might watch this one)

Also, The WB is airing the Cartoon Network's "Samurai Jack" in its Kids'WB Saturday morning schedule. ----------------------------------------------------

Source: http://www.saiyanz-rage.net/

8-30-01---- Shenmue 2 Details

According to Cinescape Shen Mue 2 will be released in the U.S. in Japanese with subtitles.

8-30-01---- Anime Focus On Sundance

Sonic Cinema: Animators” (October 19th at 11:00 p.m.) delves into the rich and ever-expanding universe of animated music films; each video represents a completely different style of animation, from Japanese animé and computer animation to pen-and-ink and puppetry.

8-30-01---- New Lupin Pics

8-29-01---- FF Movie DVD Release Press

It raises the bar for computer-generated imagery, then leaps over it.” JAY CARR, BOSTON GLOBE

“...a visual marvel...” MIKE CLARK, USA TODAY

“Two Big Thumbs Up!” EBERT & ROEPER AND THE MOVIES

FINAL FANTASY THE SPIRITS WITHIN Debuts on DVD & VHS October 23rd from Columbia TriStar Home Entertainment

Ground-Breaking Sci-Fi Film’s DVD Is Double-Disc Special Edition Loaded with Extras, Including Unique Interactive Features ¨ Cutting-Edge Sci-Fi Action Film Made Cinema History With The First-Ever Cast Of Photo-Realistic, Computer-Generated Characters ¨ Directed By Hironobu Sakaguchi, Visionary “Final Fantasy” Game Series Creator ¨ Visual Feast Of Motion, Design And Imagination With All-New, hyperReal Characters Voiced By Alec Baldwin (Pearl Harbor), Steve Buscemi (Armageddon), Peri Gilpin (TV’s Frasier), Ming-Na (TV’s ER), Ving Rhames (Mission: Impossible), Donald Sutherland (Space Cowboys) and James Woods (The General’s Daughter).

SPECIAL DVD FEATURES DISC ONE ¨ Two feature-length commentaries: o Co-director (Motonori Sakakibara), sequence supervisor (Hiroyuki Hayashida), sets & props lead artist (Tatsuro Maruyama), Phantom supervisor (Takao Noguchi) o Animation director (Andy Jones), editor (Chris S. Capp), staging director (Tani Kunitake) ¨ Isolated score with commentary by composer Elliot Goldenthal [more]

¨ Storyboard/Playblast selects of the film with optional filmmaker commentary or subtitled factoids ¨ Theatrical trailers ¨ Interactive animated menus, featuring CGI introductions created by Square Pictures ¨ Scene selections with motion images ¨ Production notes

DISC TWO: ¨ Original interactive documentary - The Making of Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within. Dig deeper and link-out to information pods which spotlight: o Final Fantasy Thriller Music Video o Alternate opening sequence o Mini-movie: Aki’s Dream o Trailer exploration ¨ Multiple workshops including: o Seven in-depth character files o Three vehicle scale comparisons (Bandit, Quatro, Black Boa) o Two face wraps (Aki, Dr. Sid) o Character morphs o Compositing builds o Matte art exploration o Sets and props ¨ Final Fantasy Shuffler: Become the filmmaker by re-editing a pivotal scene from the film. Complete the edit and play back your final cut. ¨ Interactive animated menus ¨ DVD-ROM exclusive interactive film exploration o Includes complete screenplay o Virtual tour of Square Pictures o Screensaver o Weblinks [more] THE NEWS

Culver City, CA (8/13/01) -- On October 23, 2001, Columbia TriStar Home Entertainment will release the ground-breaking animated action-adventure hit FINAL FANTASY: THE SPIRITS WITHIN in a double-disc Special Edition DVD, as well as on VHS.

FINAL FANTASY: THE SPIRITS WITHIN emerges from its highly successful interactive game roots to deliver the next step in the evolution of motion pictures. A fresh, provocative take on the sci-fi genre, the film blends the eternal conflict of humans versus nature with the energy of the digital gaming medium and the scope of the motion picture environment. Hironobu Sakaguchi has seamlessly combined dazzling computer graphics technology with the art of motion pictures to create an exciting new form of entertainment. With the DVD release of FINAL FANTASY: THE SPIRITS WITHIN, viewers will be able to experience a visual feast of concept, motion, design and imagination with all-new, hyperReal characters as they embark on a mind-bending adventure.

FINAL FANTASY: THE SPIRITS WITHIN takes place in the year 2065. Earth is under siege. A meteor has crashed onto the planet, unleashing millions of alien creatures who roam the land, threatening to extinguish life itself. The survivors have retreated to “barrier cities” built to shield their citizens from the marauding invaders… but time is running out. Yet the spirit of humankind is resilient and embodied in the brilliant and beautiful Dr. Aki Ross (Ming-Na), Earth’s last hope for defeating the alien predators. With the guidance of her scientific mentor Dr. Sid (Donald Sutherland) and the Deep Eyes Military Squadron led by the courageous Capt. Gray Edwards (Alec Baldwin), Aki races to save both the planet and herself.

Hironobu Sakaguchi directs from an original screenplay written by Al Reinert and Jeff Vintar. Original story by Hironobu Sakaguchi. Motonori Sakakibara co-directs. Hironobu Sakaguchi, Jun Aida and Chris Lee are producers. The film’s creative team includes animation director Andy Jones, staging director Tani Kunitake and composer Elliot Goldenthal.

Square Co., Ltd. (http://www.playonline.com), the leading developer and publisher of home video games, developed the original FINAL FANTASY® game series, which has sold more than 35 million units to date. Zuma Digital (www.zumadigital.com), the innovative media design and development studio, worked with Square and Columbia TriStar Home Entertainment to develop and produce the added-value content and visual design for the DVD of FINAL FANTASY: THE SPIRITS WITHIN.

Columbia TriStar Home Entertainment (CTHE) is a Sony Pictures Entertainment Company, a division of Sony Corporation of America (SCA), a subsidiary of Tokyo-based Sony Corporation. SPE’s global operations encompass motion picture production and distribution, television production and distribution, worldwide channel investments, home entertainment acquisition and distribution, operation of studio facilities, development of new entertainment products, services and technologies, and distribution of filmed entertainment in 67 countries. Sony Pictures Entertainment can be found on the World Wide Web http://www.spe.sony.com. Columbia TriStar Home Entertainment is located at http://www.cthe.com.

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ADDITIONAL INFORMATION DVD SPECIFICATIONS - Digitally Mastered Audio & Video - 1.85:1 Widescreen Film Presentation (enhanced for 16x9 TVs) - Dolby Digital 5.1 (English) and Dolby Surround 2.0 (French) - English and French subtitles - Rated PG-13 for sci-fi action violence - Color - Closed-Captioned - 106 minutes

TRADE INFORMATION

Order Due Dates September 25, 2001 (DVD) October 2, 2001 (VHS)

Other Information DVD Catalogue DVD: #06249 UPC #0-43396-06249-8 Cost: $24.95 MAP / $29.95 SLP

VHS (Slipsleeve) Catalog #06368 UPC #0-43396-06368-6 Spanish subtitled Catalog #07426 Spanish subtitled UPC #0-43396-07426-2 Cost: NSL

8-29-01---- Resident Evil News

AICN has a description of a 5 minute promo of the film-shown at Fright Fest 2001-and an interview with director Paul Anderson. Facts gathered from the Q+A sessioninclude:

1) "- Paul became involved with the project as he is a huge fan of the computer games....Ground Zero takes place before the events of the first game"

2)"Paul is aiming this movie directly at 17 year old American kids who have grown up with the Resident Evil games. He said that he wants to move on from the Romero zombie movies which he thinks have dated badly (a comment met with jeers from the balcony). Whilst he likes the Romero and Fulci movies, he said that most American teenagers are not going to be familiar with those movies, hence toning things down a little for this movie. He does however still promise plenty of gory scenes and lots of scares... we shall see. The movie should be R rated in the states and most likely an 18 certificate in the UK."

3)"Special FX are being handled by the same team who worked with Paul on "Event Horizon" and who handled the effects for Sam Neill's character. There will be some CGI shots and Paul went on the explain the need to use CGI on the heads of the dogs in the movie - not only to create horrific images (losing skin, eyeballs etc), but also it was impractical to use make-up effects as the dogs were so ferocious on set."

4)"Visual effects are being supervised by Richard Yuricich (also in the audience) who also worked on "Event Horizon" and lists "Bladerunner" and "2001" on his CV...."

5)"- The budget on the movie is somewhere between $30 - $40 million."

8-29-01---- Newtype English Edition Press

To make room for Newtype at Digital Manga, Akadot has scaled back its posting schedule from about twelve pieces a week to four. Akadot will continue to provide the fan community with in-depth coverage and thoughtful commentary on the anime industry, but in a limited capacity.

8-29-01---- Seiyuu Passes

8-29-01---- 6th Kobe Animation Awards

Though the real event won´t take place until September, the 6th Kobe Animation Award has already been revealed to the public. Focused on all animation works produced in Japan between September 2000 and August 2001, as well as individuals who were involved in the production of animation during that same period, the prize will be awarded to exceptional archievements in the Japanese animation industry. This year´s lucky winners are:

+ INDIVIDUAL AWARD: Hiroyuki Kitakubo (director of "Blood")
+ THEATRICAL FEATURE AWARD: "Sen to Chihiro no Kamikakushi"
+ TV SERIES AWARD: "Kidou Tenshi Angelic Layer"
+ COMPUTER PACKAGED WORK AWARD: "Grand Tourismo 3"
+ COMPUTER PACKAGED NETWORK AWARD: "Fantasy Star Online"
+ SPECIAL AWARD: Ogawara Kunio (mecha fans should know him, he designed the mecha for such old shows like "Gatchaman" and "Daitarn")
+ AUDIO AWARD: "W-infinity" (Single CD Album by Hironobu Kageyama and Hitomi Mieno; Mieno performed the opening song of "I My Me! Strawberry Egg", "Dearest")
The award ceremony will be held on September 16th at Kobe International Conference Hall.

Source: Production I.G.

8-28-01---- Anime Seminar In Minn. MN

On 14-16 September, the Minneapolis College of Art and Design will host an "intensive study" of anime and manga entitled "Schoolgirls and Mobilesuits". Events will include presentations by several speakers, screenings of anime films, and a drawing workshop. Guests and speakers include anime/manga scholars Dr. Sharon Kinsella (Yale University), who has recently published a book on shoujo manga, Dr. Marc Hairston (University of Texas), a frequent contributor to Animerica magazine, Phil Anderson (Minneapolis College of Art and Design) and Maggie Weidner (Stanford University); CPM Manga Editor-in-Chief Christopher Couch, Eri Izawa, of EX Magazine, and Lea Hernandez, the artist and author of American manga titles _Cathedral Child_, _Clockwork Angels_, and _Rumble Girls: Silky Warrior Tansie_ The registration fee for the seminar is $60, while for $505 it can be taken as a for-credit academic course.

8-28-01---- Monkey Punch Shorts

8-28-01---- Steam Boy English Scribe?

Jo Duffy, former editor and writer for the Marvel adaptation of Akira, said this.

"I did the final English language rewrite - the same kind of work I did on Akira - for Katsuhiro Otomo's next animated film, Steam Boy, at the storyboard stage"

8-28-01---- Godzilla GMK Clip

8-28-01---- Matrix Anime Items

"In addition, word has it that MATRIX helmers, Andy and Larry Wachowski, have put out the word to unspecified anime directors to create episodes inspired by the original film. MATRIX ANIME, which is the name the project is currently going by, is being planned for late 2002 or early 2003 video release, just prior to RELOADED hitting theater screens."

8-27-01---- Next Ghibli Title Announced?

Diana Wynne Jones HP: http://www.dianawynnejones.com/

8-27-01---- X Official Website Online

http://www.anime-x.jp/

[Original Story] CLAMP [Director] Yoshiaki Kawajiri [Chara-Design] Yoshinori Kanemori [Art director] Yuji Ikeda [Music] Naoki Sato [Animation] Madhouse [Production] Kadokawa Shoten / Bandai Visual

8-27-01---- Matrix Rumor?

This is really just considered a rumour, even at AICN. But here goes anyway. An informant at http://www.aint-it-cool-news.com/display.cgi?id=9984 has mentioned this:

"...While we were talking, he took me aside and let me in on a little secret he heard from a friend at Square. Square, the company that made FINAL FANTASY, is currently working DIRECTLY with the Wachowski Brothers on a 10 minute, totally CGI prequel to Matrix 2 (Reloaded...whatever it's called)

"From what I understand, it's meant for some special internet release sometime in 2002 and also to go along with the DVD[which dvd isn't specified], . He mentioned something about the DVDbut I can't remember the details on that and I don't want to screw that up with speculation."

8-27-01---- Yaoi Con Press

Staff, Yaoi-Con 2001 Yaoi-Con Sept, 1-2, 2001 San Francisco @ The Radisson Miyako Hotel

8-27-01---- Ghost In The Shell Figs News

src: Anime Pro

8-24-01---- Godzilla Toys

Cinescape has an article about a Godzilla fan named Wayne W. Ho, who got Toho's ok to sell Godzilla toys shaped like shampoo bottles. They're personally crafted by Ho himself; and he will sell them as exclusive sets at 12000 yen per set. For anyone interested, you can contact a dealer or his e-mail(available at the link) after Sept. 2.

8-24-01---- FF Novel Review

8-24-01---- Resident Evil Film

This is from Jagged Team: "In other game to movie news, Sony's Resident Evil: Ground Zero, will shamble into theaters on April 5, 2002. Right now, the film has the date virtually to itself, meaning it doesn't share it with another wide release from a major studio."

8-24-01---- DBZ Voice Interview

---------------------------------------------------------------- Ali Bazrcar http://www.interactive-anime.com/ http://www.onebigvillage.com/ http://www.pokemoncrater.com/

8-24-01---- Voice Corrections For Metropolis

Hello there, my name is Brianne Siddall and I wanted to give you the correct information about my credit in the upcoming anime release of "Metropolis." Metropolis: - American Dubbed Version. Character: Kenichi & Fifi as voiced by Brianne Siddall.

My name is misspelled and I play two characters. Hope this helps you, Brianne Siddall Here is the original list of characters: Please note the name spelling correction and additional character played. Thanks

ENGLISH VOICE CAST: (not complete) Kenichi: Brianne Siddall (Hello Kitty) - spelled, Brianne Siddall, also plays "Fifi" Tima: Rebecca Olkewski (Sol Bianca) - spelled, Rebecca Olkowski Rock: Dave Whittenberg (Digimon) Atlas: Scott Weinger (Aladdin) Shunsaku Ban: Tony Pope (Hello Kitty) Pero: Dave Mallow (Gundam Movie) Dr. Laughton: Sy Prescott (Akira)

8-23-01---- Adult Swim Interview

Talk with Reps. from Adult Swim (for release Wednesday, August 22, 2001)

I have got at least 50 mails from fans demanding for the Adult Swim line-up. Well so we decided to talk to the officials once again this month. Although our site is down we are still bring Toonami fans hot news. If possible try to fit in another one of these "talk" before the end of the month.

Here are a few more questions we asked CN and Adult Swim Reps. I think we will try to adapt to this style of releasing news, instead of me answering all those e-mails. I know everyone likes these small talks with Toonami and Cartoon Network.

Question #1 -

** Sam: Recent schedule grids (like TVGuide.com, and cartoon networks official schedule grid) and many others, are just listing the 10pm to 1am block as "Home Videos" or "Adult Swim" with out any names of the "individual shows" inside the "Adult Swim" block. Why is that?

** Cartoon Network: The reason many of the TV Listings resources are not listing the individual shows for "Adult Swim" is that the line-up will change somewhat from week to week. Also, there are 15 minute shows included within the franchise, and listings sources are not able to recognize these programs.

-------------------

Question #2 -

** Sam: Can make us a small "Adult Swim" schedule line-up, that tells us what specific air-times those "individual shows" will air during the "Adult Swim" block?

** Cartoon Netwrok: Ok, following are the listing of the first four weekends of "Adult Swim."

Sunday, Sept. 2 10:00p Home Movies 10:30p The Brak Show 10:45p The Brak Show 11:00p Harvey Birdman: Attorney at Law 11:15p Sealab 2021 11:30p Space Ghost Coast to Coast 11:45p Space Ghost Coast to Coast 12:00a Cowboy Bebop 12:30a Cowboy Bebop

Sunday, Sept. 9 10:00p Home Movies 10:30p The Brak Show 10:45p The Brak Show 11:00p Aqua Teen Hunger Force 11:15p Sealab 2021 11:30p Space Ghost Coast to Coast 11:45p Space Ghost Coast to Coast 12:00a Cowboy Bebop 12:30a Cowboy Bebop

Sunday, Sept. 16 10:00p Home Movies 10:30p The Brak Show 10:45p The Brak Show 11:00p Aqua Teen Hunger Force 11:15p Sealab 2021 11:30p Space Ghost Coast to Coast 11:45p Space Ghost Coast to Coast 12:00a Cowboy Bebop 12:30a Cowboy Bebop

Sunday, Sept. 23 10:00p Home Movies 10:30p The Brak Show 10:45p The Brak Show 11:00p Harvey Birdman: Attorney at Law 11:15p Sealab 2021 11:30p Space Ghost Coast to Coast 11:45p Space Ghost Coast to Coast 12:00a Cowboy Bebop 12:30a Cowboy Bebop

-------------------

Question #3 -

** Sam: Fans have come across the www.adultswim.com site. Is that official "Adult Swim" site?

** Cartoon Network: Yes, we own it. It's officially registered to Cartoon Network a Turner Broadcasting System, Inc.

-------------------

Question #4 -

** Sam: Would you like to convey any message to young Toonami adults out there?

** Cartoon Network: I hope you'll plan to tune-in to "Adult Swim" when it premieres over Labor Day weekend. Thank you again for letting us know that our programming matters to you.

Also please let the fans know our server is down so we are moving servers, our site Saiaynz Rage @ http://www.saiyanz-rage.net will be online in 2 days.

Source: http://www.saiyanz-rage.net

8-23-01---- DBZ Celebrity Chat

Source: Anime Pro

8-23-01---- Metropolis Editorial

8-23-01---- Blood Takes Prize At World Animation Celebration

8-23-01---- Japan Eyes 4G Phones - Connection To Be "10,000 Times Faster" Than 3G

TOKYO (AP) - The Japanese government wants to promote research and development of faster, more powerful mobile phones on which users could watch movies, a newspaper reported Tuesday. The Ministry of Public Management, Home Affairs, Posts and Telecommunications decided Monday to seek 1.2 billion yen ($10 million) in funding for the fiscal year 2002 national budget, the Yomiuri reported.

The ``fourth-generation'' phones would come on line by 2010, said the Yomiuri, Japan's largest circulation daily. It also said the government wants Japan to take the lead in setting the international standard for such devices. According to the Yomiuri, the new phones would be about 10,000 times faster than current ones. For example, it takes about 20 minutes to download a music compact disc from the Internet with third-generation technology, while fourth-generation devices would do it in a few seconds, the report said.

The phones would also be able to show movies with a sharp, high-quality picture, the report said. Japanese mobile phone giant NTT DoCoMo (news - web sites) plans to start its third-generation cell phone service in the Tokyo area in October. The 3G technology can transmit information at up to 40 times faster than current mobile phones.

8-22-01---- Major Japan Pop Spreads In New Issue Of Wired Magazine

8-22-01---- Japanese Films At Toronto Film Festival

Electric Dragon 80,000 Volts and Versus will be there. Also present will be Takashi Miike's Ichi the Killer, Kyoshi Kurosawa's Pulse, and many more Japanese films.

8-22-01---- Metropolis New Press

8-22-01---- AICN Downunder Astroboy Item

At AICN-Downunder (here), this was posted: "Possibility for live-action feature film - Apparently Columbia, with producers Don Murphy and Jane Hamsher, have bought the rights to develop a live-action movie and there are plans for another animated TV series. "

8-22-01---- Rintaro - Otomo Join Slate Of BAAF Guests

Set in the future, Metropolis is a grand city-state populated by humans and robots, the cohabitants of a strictly segmented society. Amidst the chaos created by anti-robot factions, detective Shunsaku Ban and his sidekick Ken-ichi are searching for rebel scientist Dr. Laughton, to arrest him and seize his latest creation, a beautiful young girl named Tima. When they locate them, Shunsaku quickly comes to realize that the eccentric scientist is protected by a powerful man and his fierce desire to reclaim a tragic figure from his past and therefore is beyond their reach.

8-22-01---- Virgin Megastore Backs Big Apple Anime Fest

Virgin will also run promotional campaigns for the Big Apple Anime Festival at all 3 of its New York locations, which include Times Square, Union Square and Westbury, LI. Anime fans can look for ticket give-aways, posters, flyers, DJ announcements and much more.

8-21-01---- Metropolis DVD Date

Scheduled for December 7th the Japanese DVD will be released in two versions. The standard edition (BCBA-1034), which has a retail price of 3800 Yen , will only include the movie in its 110 min running time (anamorphic transfered though). The sound will be processed in Dolby Digital 5.1.

But for all the avid collectors out there there´s only one choice: the Memorial box (BCBA-1033). Retailed for 12,800 Yen this DTS edition will come with a lot of extras. Beside advance features like DTS 5.1 and DD 5.1 the buyer will also get his hands on a second bonus disk with extra footages, trailers, a pilot feature created back in 1997 and extensive liner notes. Not enough there´ll be also a 120-pages booklet and a collection of original storyboard drawings created by the director himself.

8-21-01---- Sen To Chihiro Box Office Report

Hayao Miyazaki´s latest theatrical feature is indeed on the way to break all records. August 21st marks the sell of the 10 millionth ticket. The grossing has gone up to 13,130,500,000 Yen. "Mononoke Hime" could only drawn in such amount of viewers after nearly two months of showing. "Spirited Away" is estimated to overtake Mononoke´s income by or after September the 10th.

8-21-01---- 40. SF Con Announcements

At the SF Convention mentioned in the Sakura article some interesting anime news have popped up. Especially GAINAX gave away some tidbits concerning their new projects. + Mahoro Matic (TV release on BS-I in October; 1st DVD volume due out in 12/07; the soundtrack is scheduled for 11/22; directed by Hiroyuki Yamaga; Hideaki Anno storyboarded the show´s opening) + Abeno-basi Mahou Shoutengai (TV release in spring 2002; also directed by Yamaga)

The following animes are NOT officially announced yet, but a lot words have been spread about them, so they´re more than just unconfirmed rumours. + "Gunbuster - Top o narea! 2" (No release date or the proper format were announced, only a part of the staff. Thus, Kazuya Tsurumaki (FLCL, Nadia, EVA) will direct it, while the chara-design will be handled by Yoshiyuki Sadamoto.) + Princess Maker (based on GAINAX´s famous simulation game; no more info available) + Blue Uru (Hiroyuki Yamaga´s follow-up to his masterpiece "Wings of the Honneamise"; on limbo for about 8 years; now it seems the multimedia project is finally set to make the jumb to anime)

8-21-01---- Sentou Yousei Yukikaze

The staff´ll be made up of director Masahiko Okuma, chara-designer Yumi Tada, sound supervisor Yota Tsuruoka and 3D supervisor Atsushi Takeuchi. Since "Yukikaze" will feature a lot of air combat the production team has visited the Komatsu base this summer for an extensive technical and design study (just like the case of Macross Plus). A glimpse of the result was shown at the convention in form of a 3-minutes trailer. Judged from the pictures this anime is definitely a project to look forward to.

8-21-01---- Ten Lupin Movies Acquisitioned By FUNimation Confirmed

The ten Lupin movies picked up by Funimation have been confirmed.

"Dave Moran of FUNimation replied to inquries with "Yes we do have Lupin the 3rd. And we are producing 10 movies. I don't have any further information for you as of today, but I will have more very soon.""

If they are really the "last 10 movies", as hinted earlier at Figures.com, then they would be-from 2001 to 1994: 1)Alcatraz Connection(2001), 2)One Dollar Money Wars(2000), 3)Fujiko's Unlucky Days(1999), 4)Tokyo Crisis(1998) 5)Walther P-38(1997) 6)Dead or Alive(1996) 7)Twilight of the Gemini(1996) 8)Harimao's Treasure(1995), 9)Get Lost Nostradamus(1995), and 10)Zantetsu is on Fire(1994). (I'd like to thank www.lupinencyclopedia.com for helping me with the list.)

However, according to The Anime On DVD Forum , someone has suggested that the "movies" would imply the tv specials, because the rights are less expensive than any thertaicl releases. Regardless of what the final ten are, I will wait for Funi's final word on the topic.

And as for distributors interested in sending their anime to the Academy, here goes. "Academy Awards Rules Get Handed Out, "The 74th Annual Academy Awards rules are being mailed this week to the approximately 5,750 voting members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences." and "In the new category for Best Animated Feature Film, the entry form deadline is Nov. 1, and the deadline for receiving the film print is December 19." " This last article was also obtained at UMJAMS (UMJAMS Anime News ).

8-21-01---- Gunbuster Sequel

8-21-01---- Final Fantasy TV Series

8-20-01---- Sakura Honored

at the 40th Japanese SF convention held at Minakura´s Nippon Convention Center this weekend the 32. Seiun award (Japanese Hugo) has been announced to the public. Surprisingly CLAMP´s phantasy manga "Card Captor Sakura" was honoured as best comic books. Other winners include

Japanese Long Fiction: "Eien no mori hakubutsukan wakusei" (Wood of Eternity Museum Planet) by Hiroe Kan

Japanese Short Fiction: "Ashibiki Day Dream" by Shinji Kajio

Overseas Long Fiction: "Frameshift" by Robert J. Sawyer (1997 Seiun award for "End of an Era") (Translation: Masayuki Uchida)

Overseas Short Fiction: "Oceanic" by Greg Egan (Translation: Makoto Yamagishi)

Media: "Koukidou Gensou Gunparade March" by SCEI Alpha System (PlayStation game)

Art: Kenji Tsuruta (creator of "Spirit of Wonder")

Nonfiction: "Motto sugoi kagaku de mamorimasu!" by Yuichi Hasegawa (NHK publication) 8-20-01---- ADV Items

Thanks to Daniel for these:

From ADV's website.

1)"Taking place over the Halloween weekend - October 26 to 28, 2001 - at the Directors Guild of America, Spriggan will have the distinct honor of topping off the festivities, opening night, at the Big Apple Anime Festival in New York City! For more information on the Big Apple Anime Festival, I urge you all to stop by their website for further details on this upcoming event!

2)"Also, for those of you attending the CN Anime Convention in Toronto, Canada, don't forget that Spriggan will be making its Canadian debut at the Bloor Cinema, August 24th at 9 PM.

3)"ADV Films still has a limited number of the exclusive Orphen Porcelain Figurine in stock!...

4)"Recently, a reported from the Houston Press, Houston's largest weekly paper, stopped by ADV Headquarters for a chat with ADV's own Andrew Kent and Shoko Oono. This informative 5-page article on Japanese anime, and life in the domestic Japanese anime industry can be read by clicking here. For those of you interested in what it is like working in the production division of ADV Films, than the Prophet declares that this article is a must-read for all fans seeking their future in the anime industry. "

5)"We shall begin our odyssey in to the future with Farscape: The Flax/Jeremiah Crichton, which will be released on October 16, 2001, on both DVD ($19.98) and VHS ($14.98) format. Both versions of this spellbinding 7th volume will contain two complete episodes, with footage never before seen by American audiences! In addition, the DVD will include a wide variety of extras that Farscape fans are sure to enjoy, such as a Video Profile and Image Gallery with Farscape costume designer, Terry Ryan. In addition, the DVD will include 5.1 and 2.0 Dolby Digital audio tracks, and exclusive Farscape production sketches!

6)"Now we move to the latest chapter of a series that is hot off of the release of Robotech's Macross Saga, the second generation now stands ready to take up the fight with ADV Films' release of the Robotech Masters saga! ADV Films now joins Dana Sterling and the 15th as they stand to defend the Earth against the next alien force, which seeks the secrets of Robotechnology, that lay buried within the wreck of Zor's legendary space-battle fortress. Robotech: Robotech Masters - A New Threat and Robotech: Robotech Masters - Revelations, both DVDs pack a total of 6 episodes of the Robotech Masters arc of Robotech, and are priced at the extraordinary retail price of $14.98 per disc. On top of that, the incredible 4th box set of our hit Robotech releases, The Robotech Legacy: Robotech Masters - Collection 4, carry the two fore-mentioned titles and an exclusive extras disc that fans are sure to enjoy. As for the release date, Robotech - Flight 4 will be in your hot little hands on October 30th! Don't miss it!

7)"From our RubberSuit Pictures Label, Silk & Steel will be making its North American debut on October 23rd. Silk & Steel is part of the growing influx of Japanese suspense and horror films that have been making their way into the US, which in recent years, has been growing steadily from a small cult following to a part of pop culture, much like the popular kaiju titles Gamera and Godzilla.

8)"Get ready for a hot new anime series this October, as ADV Films prepares to debut the critically acclaimed Powerstone - Mystery of the Stones! Based off of the first Capcom fighting game of the same title, this hot new anime series is priced to sell on VHS Dubbed format at the standard retail price of $19.98! Don't miss out on the quest to amass the power of the stones, when we release the first volume of Powerstone on October 30th!

8-20-01---- Shoujoai / Yuri Milestone Convention Leadup

AniLesboCon, the first-ever celebration of shoujoai and yuri in anime and manga would like to announce its pre-Big Apple Anime Festival Party in NYC.

October 24, from 7-11, at Meow Mix 269 E. Houston, AniLesboCon will be hosting a "Back to School Night" anime party. Videos will focus on shoujoai and yuri series at schools, and anyone who arrives in a school uniform gets a special ALC gift. Japanese lessons and trivia contests will also be held. Everyone and anyone (over 21 only) is welcome!

You can reach AniLesboCon at anilesbocon01@hotmail.com with any inquiries or visit us at http://anilesbocon.shoujoai.com

8-20-01---- Newsday Blood Rating

8-20-01---- New Gen Info

Source: Anime Pro

8-17-01---- Chiho Saito New Work

Source: Anime Nation

8-17-01---- New Miyazaki Collaboration Film Project

Source: Anime Nation

8-17-01---- Kaiju News

A transcript (and the entire report) of the last day of shooting of Godzilla:GMK can be found at cinescape.com

A review of the dvd of the Korean kaiju film Yonggary (called Reptilian here) is also avilable at Cinescape.

8-17-01---- Blood Screening In Los Angeles

Blood is screening this weekend at Laemle's Sunset 5. It will be available at 11 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday, and 12:15 a.m. on Friday and Saturday nights. The address for the theater is W. Hollywood 8000 Sunset Blvd. And the number is (323)848-3500. But I gotta warn fans. I called their other number, and talked to a representative, and the theater will NOT be lowering their regular admission price, regardless of the film's 50 minute length. And they won't supplement the film with another film, so pay at your own risk. Regular ticket prices are 9 dollars, but a student discount lowers the price to 7 dollars.

8-17-01---- Anipop Con In Portugal

Anipop2001: 3rd Annual Showcase of Japanese Animation and Comics in Portugal

Press release

The "5th Floor" group, in association with the Sintra City Hall, will organize Anipop2001, the 3rd Annual Showcase of Japanese Animation and Comics in Portugal, taking place between the 5th and the 8th of September 2001.

Characters coming from Japanese animation and comics are, nowadays, one of the biggest sources of cultural and social phenomena amongst western youth. Young people immediately remember about titles like "Pokémon" and "Dragon Ball", two of the largest TV phenomena in the last few years. But grown ups can't escape from Japanese animation's influence, though it hits them with more subtlety. Although not associated with Japanese productions, titles like "Heidi", "The Dog from the Pyrenees", "Tom Sawyer" and many others are remembered by everyone.

Anipop's goal is to show the general public the other side of japanese animation and comics: more than an eternal source of temporary phenomena, an harmonious and dynamic combination of entertainment industry and artistic style. Though they are respected by most of the Japanese population, animation and comics have not reached a similar status in the western hemisphere - fruit of a perpetual association with mere children's entertainment. During Anipop2001, through complete immersion in this amazing universe, we'll seek to open the more sceptic eyes to a form of expression scorned to the shadows until now, and provide any desired information to the most interested visitors, aiming to give them the means to enjoy these art forms without depending on this kind of event. Amongst the events to be featured in Anipop2001, we point out the projection of movies and TV episodes, listening to J-Pop and J-Rock, a karaoke session, an exhibition of the anime-inspired work of the "5th Floor" artist group besides other Portuguese and Brazilian artists, an illustration workshop, specialized staff assistance to fans, and an illustration contest open to the general public.

Anipop2001 will take place in the Casa da Juventude da Tapada das Mercês (Tapada das Mercês Youth Center), (Rua Padre Alberto Neto, 2725-531 Algueirão Mem Martins). The site can be contacted through phone number +351-219267080 and fax +351219267099. The showcase will be open from the 5th to the 8th of September 2001, open weekdays 10h00-20h00 and Saturday 14h00-20h00. Admission is free of charge.

For further information, all interested people should go to http://www.anipop.org

8-16-01---- Sen To Chihiro Box Office Update

As of August 13th Studio Ghibli´s latest movie "Sen to Chihiro Kamikakushi" ("Sprited away") has surpassed the 10 billion Yen box-office mark. 25 days after its initial theatrical release in Japan the movie has grossed 10,154,271,880 Yen in total (about $ 83,382,000) and drawn nearly 8 million viewers to the pictures. "Princess Mononoke", by comparision, grossed 18 billion Yen after a showing period of 8 months.

Source: Sponichi Annex (http://www.sponichi.co.jp/entertainment/kiji/2001/08/15/05.html)

8-16-01---- AICN Asia Report

This is what I got from http://www.aint-it-cool-news.com/display.cgi?id=9880

Hong Kong: "1)- Jason Isaacs ("The Patriot') has joined the cast of Michelle Yeoh's "The Touch". The film company and Yahoo were cooperating to hold an open audition throughout Asia recently in order to look for a young actress to play the 14-year-old version of Michelle Yeoh's character in the film..."

"2)- Sam Lee is gaining fame in Japan thanks to films like "Made in HK" and "Gen-X Cops" . After finishing "No Problem 2", which will be released in Japan next year, Sam will star in a Japanese sport comedy in which he plays a Japanese ping-pong player seeking revenge for his teammate."

Japan: 1) "Director Naoto Yamakawa director will be behind the camera for the first time in 8 years with "Toki No Kaori". This is the remake of one of most succesful films in Korea last year, "Remember Me". Kadokawa will also produce the film and it will be completed this fall.

2) "Director Seijun Suzuki's first film in 10 years,"Pistrol Opera", will be shown the Venice Film Festival this year.

3) "A follow up to a very popular cult series,"Siberian Express part 3" is now in production. Famous film critic/director Haruo Mizuno is starting work on the show shortly. It will start shooting in a couple of months.

4) "- Famous comedian Maggiy's directorial debut,"Shokoki!", has now been completed. People are raving about this hillarious comedy about workers trapped in an elevator.

5) ""Danball House Girl" is Masako Matsuura's newest film starring the former super model Ryoko Yonekura. It is story about a girl who loses her money, man, house and job on the same day and becomes a homeless person....

6) "- I attended the world premiere of director Hideyuki Hirayama's "Turn" and it was fantastic! It deservedly won the best director award at the 5th Puchong (sp?) International Film Festival. A great fantasy/drama, the film follows the adventures of a young woman who gets caught up in a mysterious world when she falls into a coma.....The lead actress, Riho Makise, has done a wonderful job in the film - look for her to get lots of accolades really soon. The film will be participating in many film festivals shortly and will be opening in Japan this October."

8-16-01---- AICN Darkhorse Bits

AICN has some interesting Dark Horse items:

1)"Dark Horse has released their September solicitations. The book 5 of the 6 Akira collections will retail at $27.95 for the 416 page collection...."

2)"The first November will see the first release of Gunsmith Cats creator Kenichi Sonoda's EXAXXION. CANNON GOD EXAXXION #1: STAGE 1 part 1 (of 8) will be 58 pages....."

3)"In BLADE OF THE IMMORTAL #62: STIGMATA, the immortal swordsman Manji has an opportunity to talk to Master Sori, the artist and Shogun's ninja about the mysterious blonde haired assassin Hyakurin...."

4)"Lone Wolf and Cub volume 16: The Gateway Into Winter will feature 320 pages for $9.95...."

5)"In OH MY GODDESS! PART XI #4: MYSTERY CHILD part 2 (of 8) the goddess Belldandy and Kiiechi meet a boy who is not human, but Belldandy cannot tell if he is god, or demon."

6)"The anthology SUPER MANGA BLAST! #18 features new entries for Club 9, Seraphic Feather, Shadow Star and 3x3 Eyes."

8-16-01---- eBay Bebop Novel

http://cgi.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=145628334

Hey! Seriously, we're taking eBay to new levels : Our Bebop auction will dominate all the others, hehe.

We made a graphic novel type story about the whole situation ... you really just gotta click to find out.

It all begins with a robbery, someone stole Barry's amazing 6 DVD set of Bebop ... and he's gonna knock down anyone in his way to get it back!!!

8-16-01---- Metropolis Screening Press

Director RINTARO and writer Katsuhiro OTOMO will be in New York on October 25 and 26 during the Big Apple Anime Fest and will be available for interviews.

8-16-01---- Cowboy Bebop Movie Release Date

the theatrical release date of the Cowboy Bebop movie has been determined at last. According to the Sunrise HP it will opens to the Japanese public on Saturday, September 1st.

8-16-01----- Mononoke Starz Broadcast Dates

Source: Anime Pro

8-16-01----- Tezuka Release Info

RE-INTRODUCING THE GOD OF ANIME AND MANGA...OSAMU TEZUKA!

ADOLF Tezuka's 5-part wwii masterpiece

BLACK JACK Tezuka's signature dark adventure series

Osamu Tezuka...is pretty much the trunk all those branches and leaves originally stem from. I think he may still be my favorite comics artist of all time. --Scott McCloud, author of Understanding Comics

San Francisco, CA (8/10/01)--Viz proudly reintroduces two works by the most important manga artist of them all, Osamu Tezuka--Adolf (5 vols.) and Black Jack (2 vols.).

Long regarded in his native Japan as a cultural icon and the single artist most reponsible for the creation of Japan's vast anime and manga culture, Tezuka is enjoying a rapidly growing reputation in the West as one of the world's greatest comics creators. That reputation will take a great leap forward this November 9 when Sony Pictures Entertainment releases in US theaters the eagerly anticipated anime film Metropolis, based on Tezuka's comic of the same name, with a screenplay by famed Akira creator Katsuhiro Otomo.

In acknowledgement of this latest Tezuka renaissance, Viz is reintroducing Tezuka's critically acclaimed WWII epic Adolf and his brilliantly executed dark adventure series, Black Jack, featuring one of the most unlikely superheroes of them all--Black Jack, outlaw surgeon. These important works, while only representing a fraction of the prolific Tezuka's output, are an essential component of any serious comics collection.

Adolf is published by Viz imprint Cadence Books, Inc. and is available in 5 separate volumes, respectively subtitled A Tale of the Twentieth Century, An Exile in Japan, The Half-Aryan, Days of Infamy, and 1945 and All That Remains. The Black Jack series is available in 2 volumes, respectively titled Black Jack and Black Jack: Two Fisted Surgeon. Each volume of Adolf runs 238 to 278 pages, is in black and white, and retails for $16.95 US/$24.25 Canada. Each volume of Black Jack runs 184 to 200 pages, is in black and white, and retails for $15.95 US/$23.95 Canada.

8-15-01---- Toonami Lockdown Info

Cartoon Network asks Toonami fans to be on call Monday-Friday, Sept. 17-21 for Toonami: Lockdown, the network's latest Total Immersion Cartoon event. When his space ship, The Absolution, becomes immobilized by a mysterious, threatening force, TOM, the computer-generated host of Toonami, will alert fans and ask for their help to save the Toonami programming block from possible destruction. The week-long serialized story, sponsored by Nintendo of America, Inc., coincides with an online Lockdown game, CartoonNetwork.com's first multi-level, role playing game. Unfolding in vignettes during the network's Toonami action-adventure franchise and on Toonami.com, Toonami: Lockdown will follow the adventures of TOM as he enlists the help of viewers to defend his spaceship, The Absolution. Throughout the week, viewers will be able to watch their online efforts affect the on-air story as the two are intertwined to create the total immersion experience. "Toonami: Lockdown is an innovative concept bringing together an on-air, computer-generated miniseries and an online multi-level, role-playing game, converging them into a story line. Fans must participate in both to fully experience the event," said Sean Akins, Toonami creative director. "Last year's Intruder was a tremendous success for us, Lockdown is light years beyond where we were back then." Toonami: Lockdown follows the on-air and online record-setting success of last year's Toonami Total Immersion Cartoon Event, The Intruder. During The Intruder, the Toonami programming block posted a 1.9 rating for kids 9-14, up 50 percent from the same time period the previous year, and a 1.6 rating for kids 6-11. Online, the homepage of Toonami.com received an impressive 72 percent increase in page views over the previous week. Similar to last year's event, during Lockdown, viewers must tune-in to Toonami from 5-7 p.m. (ET, PT) each day to retrieve codes that will then help them advance through the online Lockdown game to help save TOM and the Toonami franchise. In an effort to build the community aspect of Toonami, online players will be divided into three teams to participate in the multi-level, multi-player online Lockdown game. Players will be able to track their team's progress as the cumulative team score is continually refreshed on the screen as they play. Each day, the overall results will be posted online and integrated into the on-air action. The team with the highest score at the conclusion of the event will receive a unique downloadable prize. Online registrants will have the opportunity to register to win one of several Nintendo prizes. In addition, Toonami.com will contain exclusive information about the show that can only be accessed online. "Last year's Toonami: The Intruder event proved the high appeal of simultaneous action unfolding on the air and on the web," said Jim Samples, General Manager of Cartoon Network Online. "With Toonami: Lockdown, we'll deliver not only the excitement of a multi-media event, but also the power of multi-player gaming. I am convinced that our fans will go nuts over this."

8-15-01---- CPM News From Otakon

Maetel Legend - will be released next year, and there are two episodes.

Now & Then, Here & There - will be released early first quarter of next year. It will have English 5.1, but no remix of the Japanese (I assume that means 2.0), and will be released in a 5/4/4 format.

Labyrinth of Flames - released next year, and Justin said it was a fan service title like Aika. I forgot to write down the short description he gave of it, though, sorry. He did say it has nothing to do with labyrinths or fire, though. Also, it will have Jessica Calvello in it, and there will be a behind the scenes extra.

8-15-01---- Berserk Release

Source: Anime On DVD

8-15-01---- Noir Status

Source: Anime On DVD

8-15-01---- Excel Saga Status

8-15-01---- DBZ Card Game

So remember a week or so back when we told you that Score, the maker of the way cool Dragonball Z collectible card game (CCG), and Palisades were teaming up for three Dragonball Z CCG tournaments to be held throughout the summer? The ones that had Imperfect Cell and Future Trunks, tow of the rarest Dragonball Z mini busts as prizes? Two are down, one remains, and we're hearing from all corners about how cool our Dragonball Z mini busts look.

Source: http://www.palisadesmarketing.com/PrintSingleNewsItem.asp?InfoID=95

8-14-01---- D-BOY Mini Pewter Silent Mobius Figures

D-BOY, INC., in association with STUDIO TRON and FANBOY INC., to release a series of highly collectible mini-pewter statues based on the female leads in SILENT MOBIUS.

SILENT MOBIUS is a Japanese comic book created by Japanese Manga Superstar KIA ASAMIYA, whose credit in USA includes Dark Angel from Image Comics, Star Wars Episode 1 from Dark Horse, and Batman (published in Japan) for DC comics. SILENT MOBIUS is also made into 2 full length animated features and an Anime TV series, which has been released in videos and DVDs in the USA. D-Boy, Inc. is proud to be present this new series of Mini Pewter Statues based on characters of this popular title.

First in a series is Katsumi Liqueur, the main character in the story and a member of the AMP (Attack Mystification Police) Group. Mr. KIA ASAMIYA has been personally involved and closely supervised every step of the development process, making sure that every detail is as authentic as possible to his character. Made with the highest grade of white metal pewter, each statue is individually hand cast and hand painted. The pewter material is much more durable than the standard cold cast statues, providing a better collectible value. Packaged in a handsome collector's box. Strictly limited to 2000 units worldwide production.

A SPECIAL LIMITED EDITION VARIANT WILL BE AVAILABLE AT WIZARDWORLD CHICAGO CONVENTION THIS WEEKEND (AUG 17-19) AT THE FANBOY BOOTH IN THE IMAGE SECTION! MR. KIA ASAMIYA WILL ALSO BE PRESENT TO SIGN THE FIGURES FOR HIS FANS!! THIS SPECIAL EDITION IS ONLY LIMITED TO 80 PCS. DO NOT MISSOUT THE CHANCE TO GET IT!!

Next in line is Kiddy Phenil available the following month!

300 dpi pictures available for print outs at the following link:

www.d-boy.com/smpewter/

KIA ASAMIYA - Silent Mobius Pewter Collection Series #1 - Katsumi Liqueur Limited Edition to 2000 Worldwide. Size: 9.5 cm (3.75 inches) tall with 10 cm (4 inches) long sword! SRP USD39.99 Individually hand cast & hand painted.

8-14-01---- New Cowboy Bebop Series

8-14-01---- Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within DVD Press

“It raises the bar for computer-generated imagery, then leaps over it.” JAY CARR, BOSTON GLOBE

“...a visual marvel...” MIKE CLARK, USA TODAY

“Two Big Thumbs Up!” EBERT & ROEPER AND THE MOVIES

FINAL FANTASY THE SPIRITS WITHIN Debuts on DVD & VHS October 23rd from Columbia TriStar Home Entertainment

Ground-Breaking Sci-Fi Film’s DVD Is Double-Disc Special Edition Loaded with Extras, Including Unique Interactive Features ¨ Cutting-Edge Sci-Fi Action Film Made Cinema History With The First-Ever Cast Of Photo-Realistic, Computer-Generated Characters ¨ Directed By Hironobu Sakaguchi, Visionary “Final Fantasy” Game Series Creator ¨ Visual Feast Of Motion, Design And Imagination With All-New, hyperReal Characters Voiced By Alec Baldwin (Pearl Harbor), Steve Buscemi (Armageddon), Peri Gilpin (TV’s Frasier), Ming-Na (TV’s ER), Ving Rhames (Mission: Impossible), Donald Sutherland (Space Cowboys) and James Woods (The General’s Daughter).

SPECIAL DVD FEATURES DISC ONE ¨ Two feature-length commentaries: o Co-director (Motonori Sakakibara), sequence supervisor (Hiroyuki Hayashida), sets & props lead artist (Tatsuro Maruyama), Phantom supervisor (Takao Noguchi) o Animation director (Andy Jones), editor (Chris S. Capp), staging director (Tani Kunitake) ¨ Isolated score with commentary by composer Elliot Goldenthal

[more] ¨ Storyboard/Playblast selects of the film with optional filmmaker commentary or subtitled factoids ¨ Theatrical trailers ¨ Interactive animated menus, featuring CGI introductions created by Square Pictures ¨ Scene selections with motion images ¨ Production notes

DISC TWO: ¨ Original interactive documentary - The Making of Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within. Dig deeper and link-out to information pods which spotlight:
o Final Fantasy Thriller Music Video o Alternate opening sequence o Mini-movie: Aki’s Dream o Trailer exploration ¨ Multiple workshops including: o Seven in-depth character files o Three vehicle scale comparisons (Bandit, Quatro, Black Boa) o Two face wraps (Aki, Dr. Sid) o Character morphs o Compositing builds o Matte art exploration o Sets and props ¨ Final Fantasy Shuffler: Become the filmmaker by re-editing a pivotal scene from the film. Complete the edit and play back your final cut. ¨ Interactive animated menus ¨ DVD-ROM exclusive interactive film exploration o Includes complete screenplay o Virtual tour of Square Pictures o Screensaver o Weblinks

[more]

THE NEWS

Culver City, CA (8/13/01) -- On October 23, 2001, Columbia TriStar Home Entertainment will release the ground-breaking animated action-adventure hit FINAL FANTASY: THE SPIRITS WITHIN in a double-disc Special Edition DVD, as well as on VHS.

FINAL FANTASY: THE SPIRITS WITHIN emerges from its highly successful interactive game roots to deliver the next step in the evolution of motion pictures. A fresh, provocative take on the sci-fi genre, the film blends the eternal conflict of humans versus nature with the energy of the digital gaming medium and the scope of the motion picture environment. Hironobu Sakaguchi has seamlessly combined dazzling computer graphics technology with the art of motion pictures to create an exciting new form of entertainment. With the DVD release of FINAL FANTASY: THE SPIRITS WITHIN, viewers will be able to experience a visual feast of concept, motion, design and imagination with all-new, hyperReal characters as they embark on a mind-bending adventure.

FINAL FANTASY: THE SPIRITS WITHIN takes place in the year 2065. Earth is under siege. A meteor has crashed onto the planet, unleashing millions of alien creatures who roam the land, threatening to extinguish life itself. The survivors have retreated to “barrier cities” built to shield their citizens from the marauding invaders… but time is running out. Yet the spirit of humankind is resilient and embodied in the brilliant and beautiful Dr. Aki Ross (Ming-Na), Earth’s last hope for defeating the alien predators. With the guidance of her scientific mentor Dr. Sid (Donald Sutherland) and the Deep Eyes Military Squadron led by the courageous Capt. Gray Edwards (Alec Baldwin), Aki races to save both the planet and herself.

Hironobu Sakaguchi directs from an original screenplay written by Al Reinert and Jeff Vintar. Original story by Hironobu Sakaguchi. Motonori Sakakibara co-directs. Hironobu Sakaguchi, Jun Aida and Chris Lee are producers. The film’s creative team includes animation director Andy Jones, staging director Tani Kunitake and composer Elliot Goldenthal.

Square Co., Ltd. (http://www.playonline.com), the leading developer and publisher of home video games, developed the original FINAL FANTASY® game series, which has sold more than 35 million units to date. Zuma Digital (www.zumadigital.com), the innovative media design and development studio, worked with Square and Columbia TriStar Home Entertainment to develop and produce the added-value content and visual design for the DVD of FINAL FANTASY: THE SPIRITS WITHIN.

Columbia TriStar Home Entertainment (CTHE) is a Sony Pictures Entertainment Company, a division of Sony Corporation of America (SCA), a subsidiary of Tokyo-based Sony Corporation. SPE’s global operations encompass motion picture production and distribution, television production and distribution, worldwide channel investments, home entertainment acquisition and distribution, operation of studio facilities, development of new entertainment products, services and technologies, and distribution of filmed entertainment in 67 countries. Sony Pictures Entertainment can be found on the World Wide Web http://www.spe.sony.com. Columbia TriStar Home Entertainment is located at http://www.cthe.com.

[more]

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
DVD SPECIFICATIONS
- Digitally Mastered Audio & Video
- 1.85:1 Widescreen Film Presentation (enhanced for 16x9 TVs)
- Dolby Digital 5.1 (English) and Dolby Surround 2.0 (French)
- English and French subtitles
- Rated PG-13 for sci-fi action violence
- Color
- Closed-Captioned
- 106 minutes

TRADE INFORMATION

Order Due Dates September 25, 2001 (DVD) October 2, 2001 (VHS)

Other Information DVD Catalogue DVD: #06249 UPC #0-43396-06249-8 Cost: $24.95 MAP / $29.95 SLP

VHS (Slipsleeve) Catalog #06368 UPC #0-43396-06368-6 Spanish subtitled Catalog #07426 Spanish subtitled UPC #0-43396-07426-2 Cost: NSL

8-14-01---- DBZ UK News

Thanks to SSJ_g0ku for the news.

8-14-01---- Blood Contest At Akadot

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