Father Geek here along will the totally consumed Scott Green to present you with this week's fact filled, link linked, informative as hell edition of the...

AICN Anime Report...

by Scott Green

Anime Spotlight:

Love Hina Volume 1: Moving In... from Bandai episodes 1-4

There is a Japanese cultural phenomenon known as the dating sim, which is basically a video game which features a protagonist navigating their way around relationships with potential significant others. Many of these games are marketed to a male audience. Love Hina seems to be an outgrowth of the dating sim. It's a romance comedy (rather than a romantic comedy, there are romantic moments, and some are genuinely sweet, but they aren't the norm). The series is very popular in Japan, and received a great deal of buzz among English speaking fans, practically online.

As a young child Keitaro made a promise to playmate that he would accompany her to the prestigious Tokyo University. Fifteen years, and three failed entrance exams have pasted. Keitaro has become a bit of a slacker and loser. He studies for another crack at the entrance exams, and sketches in his pad, his parents want him out of the house.

Keitaro ends up at Nameo Hinata Sou, a girl's boarding house/hot springs owned by his grandmother. His grandmother retires, leaving his aunt is running the business. Keitaro is given a position as manager of the facilities for a job as he studies. This position surrounds Keitaro with a group of electric, attractive young women including his aunt (dead pan, constantly with a cigarette in her mouth, voiced by the every popular Megumi Hayashibara), Naru (a female version of Keitaro, and his main love interest, full of misplaced energy), Shinobu (young, demure, the cook of the household), Kitsune (lazy, hedonistic, a bit of a trickster), Kaolla (from some foreign tropical place, very much like Ed from Cowboy Bebop, but not as charming), and Motoko (kendo/sword fighting fanatic, shy, but an intimidating physical presence).

Much of the humor relies of the venerable anime staple of a male character getting clobbered for touching a female character. The male character can either be lecherous (Happosai from Ranma 1/2 or Ryo from City Hunter) or cluessless/klutz (Goulry from Slayers, Motoko from El Hazard). The former tends to be more amusing and satisfying, but the later, of which Keitata is an example can be amusing if done well. As the Three Stooges demonstrate a person getting knocking around can be amusing if done right.

The third episode is a great samurai parody. If you have no other interest in the series, but are a samurai fan you should try to rent the title for that episode. It starts with a speechless, grainy sepia tone scene of Motoko trying her sword skills against a class of kendo students, a hall full of booby traps and pigs, and ultimately trying her master sword stroke. It keeps the silent movie motif as Keitaro and his friends read their test scores, and decided to drown their sorrows in striking out with women. The episodes feature some amusing "buckle up" sword moves proceeded by screens of kanji.

The quality of animation is outstanding for a TV series. It was made using a cel-less digital production that cut down on the animation time, but left a great looking series with detailed background, motion, and characters.

Many anime fans have greatly enjoyed this series. If you're a fan of light anime comedies, Love Hina is a must. The series is very light. The mannerism of the characters are good for a laugh and they are all likable, but they are so pre-fabricated in their appearances and personalities it is a bit hard to care about them. This frees the view of the burden of caring about the protagonist when he bungles his relationships. It isn't like Maison Ikkoku that tortures the views for 90+ episodes of Godai damaging his relationship with the woman he loves. You don't have to feel bad about the situations, so you can just be amused by them.

Bandai will release Lone Hina on February 19th, as a stand alone DVD, and with a box that will hold the series.

Manga Spotlight:

Island (issues 1&2) Written by In-Wan Youn; Illustrated by Kyung-Il Yang; Translated by Mickey Hong

The preface to Island is an attention getter. It describes the two protagonists. Won Hiho: "Heartless aristocrat or rich girl with a savior complex? She came to Cheju as a teacher, but when she's attacked by local demons, she finds herself a student in the way of the occult." Pan: "psychopath or a knight in shinning armor? Not much is known about this seasoned killer, except that you don't want to get on his bad side. He's Miho's only chance in battling the demons. but can she trust him?"

The third important character in this series in Cheju Island, a tropical Korean province known as a tourist attraction for its weather, and home to mysterious dwarf-like statues called Talharubang. English translated Korean manga is a rarity, and Island is the first to be offer by TOKYOPOP. The background are not generic locales with an occasional landmark added to set the location. The establishment shots are executed with a proficiency that allows a reader who has never seen or heard of Cheju Island to imaginee it. The images to the statues appearing in the residential areas, and isolated forests create an eerie presence over the series.

Anime and manga are litter with stories of demon hunters, with varied success, but the pairing of two forceful, quick and unrepentant characters makes Island a unique series. Pan is a thin, gallant looking man, armed with a Buddhist-esque dagger, and a face that shows little expression no matter the circumstances. This lends credibility when a demon accuses Pan of being a serial killer. He appears to be at least as dangerous as the demons he dispatches. After rescuing Miho he insists on fee for every demon he kills. Miho is more human, when she is confronted with a demon for the first time the renditions of her facial expressions look like how a person might actually look when confronted with a hideous homicidal monster. She is more human than Pan, but she is certainly an extraordinary human. She is beautify, intelligent, and the daughter of an obscenely wealthy family. In a classic twist of irony she is employed teaching ethics in the local high school. Her razor whit, and subtle, James Bond-like sadist is exemplified in a scene when a smug senior teacher attempts to put her in her place. Miho's brutal analyses of the woman's dress and its implications leave the woman looking like she received a severe beating.

The great illustration in the Island that establish the character of the island carries through to the characters. Miho is a character with a great emotional range, running from deadpan, to contemptuous, to petrified. Her expression is made very clear in here eyes and mouth, with are extenuated by long eye lashes and brows, and often a cigarette.

The demons that appear in the series are rather generic in appearance, but have interesting stories based on myths and ghost stories. The first issue features a lusty incubus-like lust demon, the second features a demon of causality that will dismember others on behalf of anyone who make a contract with it. A person who kills demons being hired to kill a demon who is hired to kill people makes for a satisfying reason for a demon hunting.

Island features a lot of confrontation dialogue, in which badly translated lines would be very apparent. The series reads like English was its original language. Speech flows very smoothly, and naturally.

Those who shy away from the more explicit manga titles do not need to avoid Island. It is not a hentai (pornographic) title, some of which contain material many people would prefer to avoid. Horror fans should not let the reputation of other adult manga titles keep you away from the series.

Two issues into the series Island is shaping up to a great horror series. It certainly grabs the reader from the start. So far the characters and setting have lived up to their promise. If the series maintains and builds on what it put forth in the first two issues Island will be a very memorable series.

CLAMP Manga Part II Card Captor Sakura (volumes 1-4)

The magical girl genre of anime typically features an energetic, but clumsy heroine who is given magical powers, outlandish outfits, and a talking anime to stop rampaging creatures. Few are as universally fun as CLAMP's Card Capture Sakura.

Sakura Kinomoto is your typical magic girl candidate, sweet, energetic, and a bit of flake. She lives with her archeologist father, a pretty zen calm guy and older brother, who is drawn like a CLAMP villain (dark, hair, sharp eyes), but is essentially a nice guy who enjoy tormenting his younger sister. While exploring her father's library Sakura stumbles The Clow book. When she opens it the guardian beast Kerberos appears. Unfortunately time has ravaged the mighty beast, and he's now a winged stuffed lion who goes by the name Kero. The Clow Card, tarot like creatures associated with cards, have also escaped the book. Sakura must track them down before they cause mischief or evil. Sakura is aided by her best friend Tomoyo, who obsessively video tapes Sakura's battles with the Clow Cards, and makes outfits for her to wear during battle, and her rival, Li Syairan, a Chinese boy descended from the Clow Cards' creator.

If you have seen the English dubbed anime Cardcaptors, ignore it when trying the manga series. The translation, and the episodes selected to be shown remove some of the energy and edge that makes the series enjoyable.

Card Captor Sakura is a visual treat. The character design is cute, energetic, and expressive, the best features of anime/manga's big eyed stereotype. CLAMP stretches their design muscles by Sakura costumes which run the gamut from harlequin outfits to laced dress and the Clow Cards, which appears as odd sprite-like spirits.

The series offers a great deal of variation. Besides the constant visual changes of Sakura's outfits and effect from the Clow Cards the form and tone of the stories often change. Some of the encounters are traditional battles, but others are more puzzles. At times the stories focus on the characters and relationships with the Clow Cards creating the situation, entering in for visual flare or not at all.

CLAMP really out does themselves with the web of relationships in Card Captor Sakura. A subset includes: Sakura has a crush on her older brother's best friend, and seemingly her male rival Li does too. Her brother has a relationship with a former teacher, who is also a priestess, and experiences some Clow weirdness with Sakura. Tomoyo's obsession with Sakura seems to go beyond friendship. Tomoyo's mother was Nadeshiko, Sakura's mother's, protective cousin, she object to her marriage to Sakura's father (Nadeshiko was 16 and his student), and blames him for Nadeshiko's death. There is a sweetness and sentimentality to all of the relationships. Li and Sakura's brother might trade dagger-eyed glances with each other, and Kero might chomp on Li's finger, but their aren't any sinister moments. Even Tomoyo's mother admits her hatred of Sakura father is only because she really loved her cousin, and misses her.

With its sincere relationships and interest art, the series is sweet, fun empty calories. Its very addicting, and even though its aimed a young audience many older reader find it enjoyable.

As a side note, the Osaka accent presents a big problem in English translation of anime and manga. Its a bit rustic and a bit crude. When a character is given an Osaka accent its usually meant to be part of their personality. They are usually outspoken, loud, a bit unrefined and a bit unrefined. Unfortunately no one has come up with a good way of depicting it. In English dubs such as Love Hina its some times portrayed as a southern accent, which upsets some. In Card Captor Sakura Kero has an Osaka accent, explained as the result of the book being stored in Osaka for a while. Its depicted by him occasionally using odd words like "swanky" and occasionally pointing out that he is speaking in an accent.

This Week's Anime and Manga Releases

Anime:

• Dirty Pair - Flash - Angels at World's End
• Hand Maid May - Memory Failure (Vol. 3)
• Mezzo Forte
• Mezzo Forte : Director's Cut
• NieA Under 7 - Sayonara Blues (Vol. 3)
• Ping Pong Club Rots in Hell
• Robotech - Counterattack (Vol. 9)
• Robotech - The Final Solution (Vol. 10)
• Robotech - Masters - Legacy Collection 5
• Rurouni Kenshin - Innocence & Experience
• The Wanderers - El Hazard TV Series - The Ultimate Weapon (Vol. 2)

Manga:

• Bastard!!! Wizard #1 (Of 2)
• Dragonball Part 4 #5 (Of 10)
• Dragonball Z Part 4 #13 (Of 13)
• Inu Yasha Vol 10 Tp
• Oh My Goddess Part XI #3 Mystery Child Part 1 (Of 8)
• Ranma 1/2 Part 10 #9 (Of 11)

Dark Horse will also be releasing the Masamune Shirow (creator of Ghost in the Shell)2002 Calendar.

Japanese Manga Imported by Diamond Distributors

• Ah My Goddess Anime Comic #2
• Cats Eye Manga #1
• City Hunter Manga #8
• Detective Boy Conan #31
• Escaflowne Manga #8
• Hunter X Hunter #11
• Inu Yasha Anime Comic #3
• Inu Yasha Manga #18
• Inu Yasha Manga #19
• Inu Yasha Manga #20
• Love Hina #9
• Love Hina Bilingual Ed #4
• Love Hina Bilingual Ed #5
• Love Hina #9
• Love Hina Bilingual Ed #4
• Love Hina Bilingual Ed #5

Dark Schneider is the bastard referred to by the title. He is a warrior, sorcerer, letch and loudmouth, who nearly conquered the world with the help of his four generals. Before he can complete his conquest he is sealed away. When his former generals return to menace the world the people who imprisoned Dark Schneider being him back, hoping he will protect them.

Rurouni Kenshin - Innocence & Experience features the former assassins Kenshin's duel with Soujiro the Tenken (Heaven's Sword), a young fighter gifted with natural skill with the sword, and unbeatable speed. It is one of the best sword fights in a series known for its great sword fights.

Mezzo Forte is a tangent to the popular "Kite", also released in the US by Media Blasters. Mezzo Forte seems to promise the same sort of brutal action, over the top violence, and dark, twisted plot as Yasuomi Umetsu's prior work on Kite. Umetu seems to be creating his own genre of what has been described as "adult-oriented girls-with-guns". Kite tells a story marginally similar to "The Professional"(Leon), but darker and more depraved. After the protagonist Sawa's parents were killed she was taken in by an amoral cop who trains her to be an assassin, and they offers her services to kill criminals for a price. Though its action shattered suspension of disbelief, and is often very graphic, it is done in such a stylish manner it's breathtaking.

NieA Under 7 is a comedy from the creators of Serial Experiments Lain about a girl and her alien roommate and the often mundane humor of their existence.

Ping Pong Club Rots in Hell is a raunchy Beavis and Butthead/South Park style comedy about a group of losers in a high school ping pong club.

Ghost the Shell 2 Updates

According to the Studio Proteus' website, manga translators who do the material release by Dark Horse Comics, Masamune Shirow is over 180 pages into 180 pages into his work on flopping and modifying the pages of Man-Machine Interface for the Western audience.

"Be prepared for some surprising decisions on his part, and many subtle changes! It's kind of fun looking for them, actually. He's being assisted by the finest Photoshop artist we've ever met, Mr. Tanaka. His work is flawless! Toren's at work on the translation for the first issue now, a long 36 page one. No release schedule yet, but as Shirow is moving so quickly, next summer/fall is not unlikely. ID3 is in the planning stages and we discussed some options as to format, plus a special limited edition."

Japanese is read right to left, so manga panels are arranged in right to left arrangement, and the action in an image flows left to right. Many translated manga releases simply mirror the images. Other manga releases, such as the Dragon Ball graphic novels do not modify the presentation. Hiroaki Samura worked with the translation of Blade of the Immortal to rearrange panels rather than mirror the image, and touching up the work when necessary.

Columbia TriStar confirms interest in Bebop

ANN has confirmed rumors (first posted on Anime on DVD) that Columbia TriStar is interested in purchasing the North American rights for Cowboy Bebop: Knocking on Heaven's Door.

Several employees within Columbia's licensing and legal departments have confirmed to us that the company is aggressively pursuing the license and has a rough draft of the contract already on the table. They are hoping to sign a contract as soon as possible.

At this point no one we spoke to was able to tell us what their plans for the movie were, but it's hard to imagine Columbia TriStar licensing the movie for any reason other than a theatrical release.

ANN is still waiting for an official quote from their publicity and marketing staff, which may not be available as long as the contract remains unsigned.

Now and Then, Here and There

Central Park Media has opened the Here and There, Then and Now Website with story information, trailers, character info, and downloads, are available here. A box set version will also be released containing all three discs as well as a disc full of extras. The box and the extras will also be sold as a stand alone.

A review of the first volume can be read at here

Crayon Shinchan Vanishes From American TV

Anime News Service reports Hawaiian KIKU TV where the only U.S. broadcast of the Crayon Shinchan TV series is taking place recently ended it's running on Dec. 1, 2001. The run of the series was ended prior to the final episode's broadcast leading some fan speculation into the possibilities of the show officially being licensed within the U.S.

Crayon Shinchan is a comedy series about a precocious five year old, who is not so much clever as adult minded, or he would like to think so. The series was subtitled and unedited when it aired in Hawii, including Shin Chan's "shadow elephant", and "ski half naked".

G Gundam Will Be Bilingual

Jerry Chu of Bandai confirmed on Anime on DVD's forum that the release of G Gundam will be bilingual and subtitled. He also made an amusingly cryptic remark about the dub only Mobile Suit Gundam and saying something along the lines of not being able to include the subtitles... yet.

New Protoculture Addicts

Issue 68 of the anime periodical Protoculture Addicts has been released. The cover story is the second part of their look at Gatchaman, the anime sentai (think Power Rangers) series that appeared in the US as Eagle Riders and Battle of the Planets. In addition to short anime and manga review it features longer looks at Metropolis, Sennen Joyou (Millenium Actress), Marco: From the Apennines to the Andes, Descendants of the Darkness (Yami no Matsui-Ei), Gravitation, Hajime No Ippo, Initial D, and Karakuri Kiden Hiou Senki.

Millennium Actress is the latest film from Satoshi Kon. The movie is said to share some of the narrative style of the last work, the thriller Perfect Blue. Irs a love story about an aging actress who was once a huge star who became a recluse, and the president of a small film company who fell in love with her on the screen, and want to make a documentary about her life.

Descendants of the Darkness (Yami no Matsui-Ei) and Gravitation are both yaoi (male homosexual) series. Descendants of Darkness, about a processotor in the court of Hell, and his partner, a 16 year old with a horrendous past, was recently licensed by CPM. Gravitation is about relationship between a moody rock musician in a band called "Back Luck", and a romance novelist.

Hajime No Ippo is a nostalgic sports series about a young boxer who is trained by older professional who rescues him from bullies. The 56 episode series was animated by Studio Madhouse.

Utena Resolved

Anime on DVD reports Justin Sevakis of Central Park Media has stated that they've acquired the materials for episodes 14-26 of Revolutionary Girl Utena. Work has begun on the Black Rose segment of the series.

The black rose is considered Utena's venture into the "monster of the week" format, with minor characters receiving prominence. The episodes are also darker, more mature and more sexual than the previous episodes.

Sony shoots for "AstroBoy"

Variety reports that Sony is hoping to cash in on the success of computer animated films with their version of AstroBoy.

``AstroBoy,'' scheduled for sometime in 2004. The studio's Imageworks f/x facility has already begun tackling test footage, and a greenlight is thought to be imminent.

The story follows a permanently youthful robot boy modeled after the deceased son of a research scientist. Originally intended to be kept a secret, the Pinocchio like character becomes a renowned superhero -- complete with devices like laser-firing fingers, uncanny hearing and jet-powered boots -- all eventually used to repulse an alien invasion of Earth.

Eric Leighton, who co-directed Disney's ``Dinosaur,'' has signed a seven-figure deal to shoot from a script by Todd Alcott (''Antz'') and Ken Kaufman (''Space Cowboys'').

Read or Die and Kaidoumaru Licensed?

Anime Tourist is running a rumor from "reliable sources" that Manga Entertainment has acquired the 3-part OVA series Read or Die, as well as Production I.G.'s full-digital OVA Kaidoumaru. Read Anime Tourists article for more information.

Read or Die is based on the novels and manga by Kurata Hideyuki. The three episode OAV tells the story a book collector works for the British Libraries special ops force to uncover a plot written into the margin of rare books. The official site can be seen at here.

Kaidohmaru is a digitally animated OAV from Production IG. The story is set in the mystical Heian period and based on an old Japanese myth the "Otogi-zoushi". However the story line, written by Nobutoshi Terado, is original and he is said to have worked hard on not resorting to any conventional styles of fantasy writing. The characters are designed by popular manga artist Shou Tajima, known for his detailed style. The official site can be found at here with the English version here

Akira Video Game Planned

Anime News Service reports an Akira pinball video game is planned to release for the PS2 aiagotgames.com will be updated with details for Akira Psychoball.

ADV Release Dates

According to David Williams of ADV on Anime on DVD's forum Volume 2 of Soul Hunter: All the Queen's Men will street on 2/12/2002. This disc will contain four episodes for $29.98. Those Who Hunt Elves Vol. #2 : Elf Stripping for Fun and Profit has been given a street date of 02/12/02 with six episodes for $29.98. Dirty Pair Flash: Random Angels is set to street on 02/26/2002. It'll have 5 episodes for $29.98. English and Japanese with English subtitles.

Japanese anime badly marketed in U.S.

An interesting article about the Japanese perspective on the way anime is market in the US can be read here

Synch-Point's FLCL DVD release to feature Creator/Director Kazuya TSURUMAKI commentary

According to a press release FLCL will feature a running commentary by Kazuya Tsurumaki, director and creator of FLCL. Tsurumaki finally got his chance to cast creative control over a whole project when GAINAX gave him free reign to do FLCL in 2000 - and with this bizarre series the anime community found a maverick artist. and Tsurumaki himself found his artistic voice.

Tsurumaki rose quickly through the ranks of the animation world, having done work early on with Nadia: Secret of Blue Water, serving as one of the Key animators on Ah! My Goddess, and then moving into an assistant director role on the Neon Genesis Evangelion television series. That series' director, GAINAX founder Hideki Anno, then entrusted Tsurumaki to work on the Evangelion, on which the talented animator displayed his wares. He directed the Evangelion movie: Air. Tsurumaki moved on as assistant director for GAINAX's next project Kareshi Kanojo no Jijou (His and Her Circumstances), before being asked by GAINAX to create his own series, which has now come down to us as FLCL.

Developed by GAINAX (Neon Genesis Evangelion) and animated by Production I.G (Ghost in the Shell), FLCL is a psychedelic, surreal fantasy set in modern day Japan in a little town called Mabase where the life of pre-teen Naota is torn asunder by the outrageous alien Haruko and the flirtatious, picture of innocence, Mamimi. However, Tsurumaki tosses into this relatively innocuous premise large robots that spring forth from Naota's head, secret agents that snoop around, lethal uzi battles, even more lethal Vespas, and a sophisticated satirical voice that ties everything together.

"Naota wants to be normal. But with a talented brother leaving Japan for the US to play baseball, everyone now looks at him a bit differently. His brother's girlfriend is acting strange and now there's an even stranger girl hitting on him.

Literally.

With a bass guitar.

Oh, did I mention the robots that keep springing from his head? "

The first volume with episodes 1 & 2 will be released on January 29th. Other features include character design sketches, translation notes and a reversible cover.

New Information On American Release Of Metropolis

From the press release:

Tristar pictures to release "Metropolis" on Friday, January 25 at the amc empire 25 based on the comic by Osamu Tezuka (the godfather of anime) from famed anime legends Rintaro and Katsuhiro Otomo

TriStar Pictures is proud to announce that METROPOLIS, directed by Rintaro ("X") and written by anime legend Katsuhiro Otomo ("Akira"), will open on Friday, January 25 at the AMC Empire 25 (234 West 42nd Street). Based on the classic manga (comic) by Osamu Tezuka, the Godfather of Anime and Manga, METROPOLIS was brought to the screen by two of the most respected figures in Japanese animation today: Katsuhiro Otomo (Akira) and Rintaro (X, Galaxy Express 999). In fact, Rintaro began his career working for Tezuka on his popular Astro Boy (Tetsuwan Atom) television series.

In the late 1940s, long before Astro Boy and Kimba the White Lion established Osamu Tezuka as one of the most influential animators of all time, the legendary illustrator created the classic manga Metropolis. 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, Tima, a beautiful young girl. Tima is a new top-of the-line android created to succeed the leader of Metropolis. When they locate them, Shunsaku quickly comes to realize that the eccentric scientist is beyond their reach, protected by a powerful man and his fierce desire to reclaim a tragic figure from his past.

More than fifty years since it was first imagined, Tezuka¹s vision of the inability of scientific progress to fulfill basic human needs -- in spite of its mechanizing even the most fundamental aspects of life -- confirms him as a prophet as well as a fabulist. Directed by Rintaro and written by Otomo, the retro-futurism of the story - as well as its precautionary tale -- is spectacularly rendered in its visual style, combining the best in Japanese cel animation with the latest in digital technology. METROPOLIS has been selected to be shown at a number of international film festivals including Locarno, Sitges and Hamburg.

ADV Expands into Wall Scroll

ADV has announced that with the growing popularity of anime on the US they will be licensing wall scroll for American release starting with Burn Up Excess, SiN, Orphen and AD Police. Wall scroll are long nylon or cloth wall decorations.

Hunter X Hunter OVAs Announced

According to Toriyama World Weekly Shonen Jump issue 44/2001 announced that their will be a Hunter x Hunter four volume, eight episode OVA series.

The OVA is a continuation of the TV series, picking up at the point in the manga where the TV series ended. It will cover all that has yet to be covered in Kurapika vs. Kuroro and the Kumo.

The new opening song is "Pale Ale" and the new ending song is "Carry On," both sung by Kurosawa Ken'ichi.

The first volume will be available for video rental only on December 19th. The first DVD comes out on January 17th. All DVD's will retail at ¥6800 each.

Hunter X Hunter, often described as a "dark, more mature" anime show, in the same genre as Pokemon or Monster Rancher. It is not currently available in America in manga or anime format.

Vandread Release info

Each volume contains 2 holographic foil collectible trading cards (while supplies last)

Special holographic foil covers (DVD only)

Digitally animated by Gonzo (the team behind Blue Submarine No. 6 and Gate Keepers)

Presented in its original letterbox format.

For the DVD features, beyond the standard bilingual tracks with English subtitles, we'll get non-credit openings, promotional video clips and a character design gallery. But what's the show about? Here's how they describe the first volume: For generations, the men of the planet Tarak have waged a valiant war of survival against their fierce enemies of the planet Mejale - women! Hibiki finds himself completely out of his depth first as a stowaway on a space battleship then as the prisoner of the women who hijack it! A strange missile send the hijackers into a remote corner of the galaxy where the women and their prisoners encounter a mysterious new enemy that may force them to join forces! Can men and women actually work together without killing each other?!

Anime Screenings at Metreon

The Sony Metron Entertainment Center in San Francisco has announced that they will be screening Anime from ADV Films and Bandai Entertainment at their "Action Theatre" each Friday and Saturday of the Holiday Season.

Starting today at 11am PST (in one hour), there will be a Big O Marathon, with a special sneak peak at the Volume 4 DVD at noon and 7:30 PM.

Next weekend, Friday, December 14th and Saturday, December 15th they will be showing Bandai's Mobile Suite Gundam DVD volumes 4 and 5, as well as hosting model building demonstrations.

In two weeks, on Friday, December 21st and Saturday, December 22nd, they will be showing ADV's Bubblegum Crisis: 2040.

For more information, see the Sony Metreon Anime page.

http://www.metreon.com/anime/

TOKYOPOP Press Release on New Titles

Manga, Anime and Soundtrack Titles Guaranteed to Wow Fans in 2002

As part of more than 450 new products launching in 2002, TOKYOPOP® has licensed the rights to eight significant properties across multiple entertainment platforms. The

Acquisitions include Initial D, Real Bout High School, Cowboy Bebop, GTO, Alexander, Onimusha, Love Hina, Angelic Layer and Priest. The deals range in scope, each consisting of one or more category, and also represent the company's further expansion into television, film and consumer products.

Initial D

An enormous hit in Japan, Initial D sold more than 30 million graphic novels and boasted a 50% television share in its time slot. This highly anticipated anime/manga title is well known for its take on the street-racing scene. Following a delivery boy as he earns his way up through the echelons of street racing, Initial D is a "coming of age" story that plays like The Fast and the Furious.

Real Bout High School

The global interest sparked by this property sent international television buyers into a frenzy at this year's MIPCOM Jr., where TOKYOPOP® highlighted its recent anime acquisition. Adding ammunition to success, TOKYOPOP® has now secured rights to the eagerly awaited manga series, upon which Gonzo Studio's popular television show is based. In this epic adventure, a high school samurai girl joins forces with her teacher to fight a host of horrific monsters when she's suddenly summoned to the strange world of Solvania.

Cowboy Bebop

With an enormous level of built-in fan loyalty, Cowboy Bebop follows the popular anime series currently airing on the Cartoon Network. TOKYOPOP's manga and anime guide pick up where the anime leaves off, with more adventures and answers to fans' questions about the show. The year is 2071 in the world of Cowboy Bebop. Space exploration, intergalactic criminals and bounty hunters co-exist in a cyberpunk future.

GTO - Great Teacher Onizuka

GTO is the next big wave in anime -- no shojo, no big eyes, no "save the world" plot. The story of a motorcycle gang member-turned teacher who decides it's time to grow up and become a man, GTO serves up a "real life" mix of urban drama and physical comedy. In Japan, this anime and manga series was so successful that it spawned a hugely popular live action television series, the final episode of which posted the highest comedy/drama ratings ever in Japanese television.

Alexander

This animated science fiction epic is based on the adventures of Alexander the Great, with character and concept designs by Peter Chung, creator of MTV's seminal hit animation series Aeon Flux. Alexander was directed by Rintaro (Metropolis) and produced by MAD HOUSE, Japan's top producer of cutting-edge animation. Alexander features distinctive characters, epic battle sequences and complex storytelling.

The Sounds of Onimusha

This soundtrack to the Sony Playstation 2 and Xbox Onimusha games features a one-of-a-kind score that is already garnering critical acclaim. The powerful, haunting blend of orchestral arrangements and traditional Japanese instruments have coined composer Mamoru Samuragoch a "video game maestro" by Time magazine.

Love Hina

As U.S. fans eagerly await their taste of Love Hina manga, this mega-popular comic book series has already spawned a highly successful and constantly sold-out product line in Japan. Love Hina follows the hilarious antics of Keitaro, a socially awkward student whose attempts to get into college get him "stuck" as manager of an all-female boarding house full of beautiful women.

Priest

With the acquisition of Priest, TOKYOPOP® continues to solidify its position as the only U.S. company bringing authentic "manwha" (Korean comics) to North America, while adding to its current Korean titles, Island and Ragnarok. This popular horror-western follows the antics of Ivan Isaacs, a former priest who sold his soul to a supernatural power and now uses his newfound abilities to fight the demon lord Temoraze and his zombie minions. Ivan is the only one who can stop the evil, but the power he sold his soul to might not exactly be good either.

Possible Adult Swim Plans

Adult Swim: The Fansite is running information about the future of Adult Swim. The chat summary states Adult Swim is "fishing for new acquisitions" and that we may see TV-MA (Mature Audiences Only) shows in the future.

Marvel Mangaverse Preview Pages

Newsarama has posted preview manga of Marvel Comic's upcoming Marvel Mangaverse here. They include New Dawn #1 by Ben Dunn, three pages from Avengers Assemble by Udon, two pages from X-Men: Equinox by Jeff Mastuda, two pages from The Punisher by Lea Hernandez, plus an image from Ghost Rider by Chuck Austen and finally an image from Spider-Man from Kaare Andrews.