Old news

From December 2003.


12/29/03 According to Yahoo Japan, Studio Ghibli has delayed the theatrical release of Howl's Moving Castle from July 2004 until November 2004. The film's production is significantly behind schedule, mandating the delay.

The Cartoon Network has released its early 2004 broadcast schedule. Witch Hunter Robin is scheduled to premier on Monday, February 16th at midnight. The schedule also does all kinds of things to the anime bloc on Monday-Thursday and on Sundays you can check out the whole thing here.

Kadokawa Publishing has officially announced the development of an anime TV series based on Mine Yoshizaki's best selling manga serial Keroro Gunso.

The official Japanese homepage for the Mezzo Forte TV series now hosts a 15 second long MPG trailer, the first trailer released that features all new animation from the upcoming Mezzo TV series. The trailer is available in MPG and MPG2 formats. MPG2 requires appropriate installed video codecs or DVD-ROM player software to play properly on a computer.

A short WMV format trailer for the upcoming OAV series Tenbatsu Angel Rabbie is now available for download in a zip file.


12/28/03 I haven't updated in a couple of days because there frankly hasn't been any news to update about. Anyways, those who frequent the site may have realized that last week I didn't update the Pen Penny section. So as a special tonight I have two to update. One of them is a real rant that I started to type with no real purpose and you can see the results. I added the two Pen Thoughts to the Pen Penny section and moved two of the old ones to Previous Pennys. Enjoy.

This week the following will come out on Region 1 DVD this Tuesday:
Aura Battler Dunbine Vol. 5
Eden's Bowy Vol. 6
Legend of the Mystical Ninja Vol. 1


12/25/03 Merry Christmas and Happy Generic Federal Holidays.

12/24/03 According to The Magic Box, Sony has announced that a Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex game will be released for the Japanese PlayStation 2 in March 2004. The game will be an action shooter based on the anime TV series.

Softbank Games now hosts an anime trailer in MPG and WMV formats, and game screenshots for Sakura Taisen Monogatari: Mysterious Paris, the next game in the Sakura Wars franchise. Mysterious Paris is set six months after Sakura Wars 4 and stars the Paris Kagekidan team. The game will be released to the Japanese Playstation 2 in March.


12/23/03 Bandai Visual has announced that Gundam Seed DVD volume 13, scheduled for Japanese release on March 26th, will include a new, 5 minute long epilogue OAV.

TV Tokyo's official Hikaru no Go homepage now hosts a 16 second long streaming Real Media trailer for the Hikaru no Go TV Special scheduled for broadcast on January 3rd.


12/22/03 TLA Video, the American distributor of Sion Sono's disturbing film Suicide Circle, has confirmed its acquisition of American distribution rights to Yukihiko Tsusumi's recent film 2LDK. (The title "2LDK" is the Japanese abbreviation for an apartment with two bedrooms, a living room, dining room, and kitchen.) 2LDK is a violent satire about an argument between two female roommates that progressively escalates into a bloody battle with samurai swords and chainsaws. The film was made as part of the Duel Project, a friendly competition between directors Yukihiko Tsusumi and Ryuhei Kitamura to make a short film about a duel between two characters set in a single location. TLA Video also confirmed that Ryuhei Kitamura's half of the Duel Films Project, the supernatural samurai swordplay action film Aragami, has already been licensed for American release by a so far undisclosed distributor.

During its recent press conference to announce the Playstation 2 port of the hentai PC RPG Kishin Houkou Demonbane, Kadokawa Shoten/ESP Publishing announced the release of a 30 minute long Demonbane anime OAV. The "super robot" RPG will debut on the Japanese PS2 on March 11, 2004 in a regular edition, and in a deluxe edition that includes a figure of the Demonbane mecha and the anime OAV.

Animate TV has officially announced a 4 episode long Tales of Phantasia OAV series based on Namco's popular Playstation RPG. Direction and animation character design based on Kousuke Fujishima's original character designs will be handled by Noriyuki Matsutake, animation director on Ah! Megami-sama OAVs 1-3. The first OAV will be available on a pay-per-view basis from December 22, 2003 until January 9, 2004.

TOKYOPOP has officially confirmed plans to publish two more manga series in English: Mitsukazu Mihara's DOLL, and Gundam Seed Astray.

Del Rey Books has opened its homepage devoted to its upcoming American release of the xxxHOLIC, Tsubasa: Reservoir Chronicle, Maho Sensei Negima, and Gundam Seed manga series.

The following are coming out Tuesday on Region 1 DVD:
Casshan: Robot Hunter Special Edition
My Sexual Harassment
Sakura Wars TV Vol. #6: Curtain Call



12/19/03 Based on Japanese television commercials a Gunslinger Girl action game for the Playstation 2 is in development. The commercial seems to state that the game will be released in a double disc set that includes a DVD with the first 5 episodes of the TV animation.

Hiroya Oku's sci-fi manga serial Gantz now has its own website which includes a short anime clip, possibly hinting that Gantz may be adapted into full length anime next year. Please be advised that the short anime trailer includes nudity and intense graphic violence.

Media Blasters has open a website for Gunparade March at gunparademarch.com. The flash only website includes a story synopsis, episode guide, character profiles and some desktop images. Thanks to Jiahao for this item.


12/18/03 Buena Vista Japan has announced the release of a Ghost in the Shell 2 music video collection DVD titled "Innocence no Jyoukei Animated Clips" (Sight of Innocence Animated Clips). The 35 minute long DVD will feature footage from the second Ghost in the Shell movie paired with Kenji Kawaii's music from the movie, recorded in Dolby Digital 5.1 surround.

TOKYOPOP has announced that its third Rising Stars of Manga competition will run from January 1 - March 15, 2004. Aspiring manga style comic artists are encouraged to submit an original 15-to-20-page story for a chance at being professionally published.

Konami has acquired the right to develop video games based on 4Kid's Shaman King property. Konami intends to release a game for the Playstation 2 and the Gameboy Advance, it should be available in North America this summer and Europe in 2005.


12/17/03 Jagged Team has reported Bandai's tentative schedule of console video game releases for 2004.
January: .hack//Quarantine Part 4 (PS2)
February: Lupin the 3rd - Treasure of the Sorcerer King (PS2)
April: Digimon Racing (GBA)
May: Ribbit King (PS2, Xbox, GameCube)
June: Digimon Rumble Arena 2 (GameCube, Xbox)
July: Inuyasha (Unknown Console), Ultimate Muscle - The Kinnikuman Legacy (PS2)
August: Digimon World 4 (PS2, GameCube, Xbox)
September: SD Gundam Force (PS2, GBA)
October: Mobile Suit Gundam Seed (GBA, Other Unknown Consoles), Cowboy Bebop (PS2)
November: Mobile Suit Gundam A.E.U.G. vs Titans (PS2)

12/16/03 Anime Insider 12, on sale this week, will feature a preview of Tokyopop's upcoming manga, Get Backers. This is the thrid time in as many months that AI has previewed an upcoming and highly anticipated manga release. Also of note, AI 12 will include a look at some production sketches from the live action Evangelion movie.

According to Right Stuf International, Viz has announced plans to release the first two Zoids: Chaotic Century DVDs on February 24th. VHS versions will follow on March 23rd.

According to an update at www.dvdfile.com, Columbia TriStar Home Entertainment is set to release Katsuhiro Otomo's movie Memories on 03/24/2004.

Apparently, Saiyuki Vol. #7 w/box release (which is winging its way to us this week) will also contain four limited edition pencil boards.

Nausicaa.net has posted an extensive interview with Cindy and Don Hewitt. The Hewitts are responsible for several of Disney's English Ghibli adaptations.

OB Kikaku has announced some new details about Initial D - Fourth Stage. As with previous seasons, Fourth Stage will feature racing scenes made entirely with computer graphics, however more advanced cell-shading is to be used to make the CG scenes a bit less conspicuous beside the traditional animation. Fourth Stage will premiere on Sky Perfect TV Animax pay-per-view in April. A special 85-minute recap episode will be aired.


12/15/03 Yu Yu Hakusho, Dragonball, Dragon Ball Z, and Dragon Ball GT will all be returning to Toonami airing Monday through Friday starting at 5:30 eastern time.

Retailing for only $5 more than the standard edition, the Limited Edition will include everything that comes with the standard edition and a second disc containing Episode 28, a fan episode that brings the characters from the video game and the tv series together.

In addition to Astro Boy [2003], which premieres on January 17th, Kids'WB has acquired 26 more episodes of MegaMan NT Warrior to be aired this spring. MegaMan NT Warrior, or Rockman.EXE, debuted on Kids'WB this past spring and was a success for the network.

According to TOKYOPOP, they are the first manga publisher to get their titles sold in the Wal-Mart chain. 100 Wal-Mart outlets will test drive the TOKYOPOP titles though this holiday season.



12/14/03 As usual I added a Pen Thought to the Pen Penny section and moved one to Previous Pennys. Also, after having forgotten for a little bit, I moved all November updates to Old News.

The following will be released Tuesday on Region 1 DVD:
Beyblade Vol.
Bible Black Vol. 4
City Hunter TV Season 4
Genma Wars Collection Box Set
Haibane Renmei Vol. 3
Magical Shopping Arcade Abenobashi Vol. 1 (also w/box)
Mahoromatic: Something More Beautiful Vol. 3: All Good Things
Mao-Chan Vol. 2
Mirage of Blaze Vol. 4
Sadamitsu the Destroyer Vol. 1
Samurai Deeper Kyo Vol. 4
Sugar Vol. 5


12/12/03 Gonzo has officially announced its first anime project for 2004, the "girls x guns x 3D CG mecha Tokyo Western" anime series Bakuretsu Tenshi (Exploding Angel). A promotional DVD will be available through a mail-in offer in the February issues of Dengeki Animaga Magazine (on sale December 26th) and Dengeki Gao! Magazine (on sale December 27th) and from the official website, beginning December 26th.

Geneon has delayed the domestic release of Captain Herlock, Space Pirate DVD volume 1 (Space Pirate Captain Harlock: The Endless Odyssey) from its originally scheduled January 27th release until either February 3rd or February 20th. The official Geneon website lists two different release dates for the DVD.



12/11/03 Bandai Games has officially announced that the fourth and final .Hack Playstation 2 RPG will be released in America on January 13, 2004. The game will feature bi-lingual language options and include a bonus DVD with the fourth/final .Hack anime OAV.

Sony has put up the english website for Tokyo Godfathers with a small list of theaters, information and a trailer to be coming soon. The website is at www.sonypictures.com/movies/tokyogodfathers.



12/10/03 Billed as 'the first English-language Asian-themed television network in the U.S', WorldAsia Television (WA-TV), is set to launch on cable in mid-2004. Although details are sparse at this time WA-TV is expected to include anime among its other Asian-centric programming.

Japanese Distributor IMOVE has officially announced the development of an anime movie staring Russian pop duo t.A.T.u. "t.A.T.u. Paragate" will be directed by Kashima Norio (Crusher Joe, Dirty Pair) and Susume Kudoh (Sakura Wars, Silent Mobius). Cowboy Bebop creator Shinichiro Watanabe will direct the opening animation. The 100 minute long motion picture will be released in Japan next November.

Geneon announced new music titles:
hack//Game Music Collection - 03/16/2004
Neon Genesis Evangelion OST Vol. 2 - 03/16/2004
Utena Original Soundtrack - 03/16/2004



12/9/03 Kung Fu Cinema has made public the fact that Disney owned film distribution company Miramax Films has taking preventative legal action to ban the importation of legitimate, official foreign DVD releases of films Miramax owns domestic distribution rights to, including Zhang Yimou's Hero and Stephen Chow's Shaolin Soccer. Although Miramax has a well known reputation for editing and altering the Asian films it licenses for American release, and Miramax has repeatedly delayed and repeatedly extensively altered Shaolin Soccer, the company is still attempting to prevent American residents from importing official, legitimate DVD copies of these movies.

Ghibli plans to be part of the Japan International Expo, by designing and building a replica of the house from Totoro. The house, called "Satsuki and Mei's house", will show what life was like in rural Japan in the 1950s and early 1960s.

Appleseed will be directed by Aramaki Shinji and produced by Sori Fumihiko, the director of last years hit Japanese live action movie - Ping Pong. alling Appleseed "The world's first real-life-CG-anime movie," Sori says, "It should be easier to empathize with the characters due to the more realistic and three-dimensional drawing." The movie will be 100% computer animated.

Bandai Japan and Microsoft have teamed up to distribute anime on the Internet using Microsoft's Windows Media technology. Fruits of the partnership are already becoming available to South Koreans as five titles became available for streaming download at the end of November. The titles currently available in Korea include three Gundam movies, Z Gundam (50 TV episodes), Dirty Pair (26 TV episodes), .hack//SIGN (26 TV episodes) and Aura Battler Dunbine (49 TV episodes). According to the Microsoft Press Release (in Japanese), the service will expand globally, with content distribution becoming available in more parts of Asia, Europe and North America by the end of 2004. The content is being made available to South Koreans at 300 kbs and 700kbs at a respective cost of roughly $0.70 and $1 per episode, movies are slightly more expensive, costing $1.30 and $1.70. The press release and news articles do not mention what kind of prices and bandwidth customers can look forward to when the services are introduced internationally.



12/8/03 Viz has issued an official distributor press release confirming that Zoids: Chaotic Century will debut on American home video on February 24, 2004, as an English dubbed VHS only release.

Bandai has delayed the release of Galaxy Angel Volume 1 from March 2nd until March 16th. This delay affects the regular, special and limited editions.

Tokyopop today announced via press release today the June releases of several new manga series. The first volumes of Comic Party, Deus Vitae, Immortal Rain, Remote and The Seikai Trilogy: Crest of the Stars are all to be released on June 4th.


12/7/03 I added a Pen Thought to the Pen Penny section and moved one to Previous Pennys.

The following will come out this Tuesday on Region 1 DVD:
Corrector Yui Vol. 3
Final Fantasy Unlimited Vol. 2
Heat Guy J Vol. 3
Inu Yasha Special Limited Edition Set 01
Master Keaton Vol. 4
Neoranga Vol. 6
Nuku Nuku Dash Vol. 2
Orphen II Vol. 1
Sugar Vol. 5
Super Gals Vol. 3
Ultraman Tiga Vol. 1
Yu Yu Hakusho Vol. 19: Tournament's End

Gung-Ho Entertainment announced this week that it is working to adapt the popular Korean massively multiplayer role-playing game, Ragnarok Online, into an anime series.


12/4/03 As Central Park Media reaches the release of its 100th graphic novel with the new release of Slayers Super-Explosive Demon Story Book 3: Red Priest, the company has officially announced the formation of CPM Press, an umbrella brand enveloping CPM Manga, CPM Manhwa and CPM Comics. Beginning next year, CPM Press will standardize its publishing format to match the current industry standard of 5" x 7.75" inch graphic novels retailing at $9.95 and published in right-to-left format whenever possible.

The last episode of Lost Universe will air on the International Channel on December 29. It will then be replaced by Black Heaven on Mondays at 11 pm ET/8 pm PT, beginning January 5, 2004.

AnimationHQ will host an online chat session with voice actor David Kaye on Saturday, December 13th at 6 pm EST/3 pm PST. Mr. Kaye's roles have included Sesshomaru from Inu Yasha, Treize Khushrenada in Mobile Suit Gundam Wing, and Megatron in Transformers: Armada, Beast Wars, and Beast Machines.

Cartoon Network will be re-running their 26 episodes of Lupin III on Adult Swim starting on January 6th at 1:30 AM (Late night January 5th).



12/3/03 According to a spot of news from Right Stuf, Manga Entertainment has put on indefinite hold two releases that were set for early next year. The Macross Plus Box Set, originally scheduled for 01/31/2004 and the Evangelion movie box, set for 02/29/2004, are now To Be Announced sometime next year with new dates.

American video game translating company Working Designs has announced that it will release an English translated/dubbed version of the Japanese PS2 strategy RPG Growlanser 2 next spring. The game features character designs and anime "cut scenes" by Satoshi Urushihara.

Bandai Entertainment has announced plans to debut four new collectable card games (CCGs) in America over the next eight months. The SD Gundam CCG will hit retail stores this month followed by the Knights of the Zodiac CCG next month. A new version of the Digimon CCG will be re-introduced into America in America in May 2004, followed by an all new Mobile Suit Gundam CCG in July.

Comics One has announced its upcoming release of Sister Red, a gothic drama by Onegai Teacher manga artist Shizuru Hayashiya. The first 200 page graphic novel will be available in February.

Anime News Network has confirmed with representatives of FUNimation that the One Piece anime is not presently licensed for official English language release. For more than a year, common assumption has been that the title was a FUNimation acquisition. FUNimation representatives confirmed this week that FUNimation is one of several distributors currently bidding on translation rights to the series.

Adult Swim will be featuring a New Years eve special, running from 11 p.m. to 2 a.m, that will not feature any Anime.



12/2/03 In an odd bit of Eva news during the opening statements of a murder trial yesterday procecutors stated that Neon Genesis Evangelion influenced a young man who is accused of beating his mother to death with a baseball bat. Hiroyuki Tsuchida, 22, is said to have killed his mother with a baseball bat because he believed that it would be easier to kill others if he got over his hesitations by first killing familly members. The prosecutors claims that Tsuchida came to believe the phrase ""The ultimate conclusion of (human) evolution is ruin," from Neon Genesis Evangelion and that he also came to believe that humans were unnecessary being responsible for the destruction of the environment. This brought him to want to kill people. The full article can be seen here.

According to AllHipHop.com, the cult hit South Korean martial arts fantasy movie Volcano High School will premier on MTV on December 21st. However, the film will be "re-worked" for hip-hop audiences with English dubbing performed by Snoop Dogg, Andre 3000, Method Man, Kelis and Mya, among others.

Banpresto has announced its development of a new Dragonball Z fighting game for the Gameboy Advance. The 3-on-3 fighting game will be the first Japanese developed Dragonball video game since 1997's Dragonball: Final Bout for the Playstation.

Viz announced today that they have acquired the Ultimate Muscle: The Kinnikuman Legacy manga and will begin to release it via the Shonen Jump line of graphic novels this spring.



12/1/03 Production IG has released five pages of screenshots from the upcoming film Innocence: Ghost in the Shell 2, including numerous shots never before seen by the public.

Broccoli Books has issued an official press statement announcing the American release of the Aquarian Age - Juvenile Orion manga. The American version of the manga will contain bonus content not found in the Japanese release, including character statistics, trading card game rules, and a card checklist for the Aquarian Age CCG (not yet available in America). The book will also include a mail-in certificate redeemable for a limited edition dust jacket. The first Aquarian Age - Juvenile Orion manga volume will be released on January 1st to Waldenbooks stores nationwide and the Anime Gamers store. The manga will be released to other retailers four months later.

Movie-Page.com also links to Catsuka.com which hosts the 6 minutes of Innocence: Ghost in the Shell 2 footage scheduled for inclusion on the upcoming Japanese Kaze no Tani no Nausicaa DVD. The 50 meg clip is in AVI format encoded with DivX 5.

Starz! Action will be showing Fist of The North Star in January on Animidnight, they will also be showing Blood: The Last Vampire later this month.

A trailer for the upcoming Mezzo TV series has been posted on the official Mezzo website here.

tudio Bones has announced that four new episodes of Wolf's Rain will be released on DVD in January and February. The first DVD, on sale January 23rd will contain episodes 27 and 28, while the second, due out on February 25th will contain episodes 29 and 30.

Broccoli has announced that a Galaxy Angel TV special (GA-SP) is to air in Japan at the end of December. Meanwhile Broccoli has also announced that a new, fourth, Galaxy Angel TV series is in the works.

The current issue of Shonen Jump has an ad for a new Hikaru no Go anime. The TV special will air on January 3rd and takes place when Hikaru and Touya are 15-years-old.


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