Old news

From December 2004.
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12/31/04 I updated with a special New Years Pen Thought in the Pen Penny section. I also moved an old one to Previous Pennys. I'm not sure if I'll do one Sunday or not, so for now it's extra, and if I don't do one Sunday, it's just a normal update.

12/29/04 A bit late, here's the last of the holiday-themed Pen Thoughts for the moment in the Pen Penny section. I also moved an old one to Previous Pennys. Hope you enjoy it.

Sega has announced that an anime TV series based on its arcade card fighting game King of Beetle Mushiking will debut next year.

TV Tokyo has announced that the second Yu-Gi-Oh movie, never before released in Japan, will air on Japanese television at 8 AM on Sunday, January 2nd.

Although there's presently not much on it, Go Fish Pictures has opened its official American website for the live action Casshern movie.

Media Blasters president John Sirabella announced the acquisition of translation rights to the Blame! anime on the Anime on DVD Forum. The 6 mini-episode long Blame! anime based on the manga by Tsutomu Nihei was originally broadcast online, then released on very limited edition Japanese DVD.

Famitsu Magazine reports that Konami will release a Gantz action game for the Japanese Playstation 2 next March.

Japanese television network NHK has reported that new TV specials for Planetes and Mujin Wakusei Survive (Uninhabited Planet Survive) will air respectively on December 31, 2004 and January 2, 2005.



12/25/04 As promised I updated with a special, though somewhat short, holiday-type Pen Thought to the Pen Penny section. I also moved an old one to Previous Pennys. Merry Christmas.

12/23/04 Bandai has clarified that its first domestic Scrapped Princess DVD will contain 4 episodes. The earlier solicitation citing 3 episodes was an error.

Media Blasters has announced that the 3 episode Iczer-One OAV series will be released on a single $19.95 DVD on April 12, 2005 under the American title "Iczer." It's not clear if the Media Blasters DVD will contain the original 3 separate OAV episodes or the extended combined movie edition.

There will be a Last Exile marathon on Christmas day on G4TechTV. YTV will also be running an anime marathon on New Year's Eve.


12/22/04 Harmony Gold has announced that the second official Robocon Robotech convention, titled "Robocon 20" in commemoration of the 20th anniversary of Robotech, will be held at the Anaheim Days Inn at the Anaheim Convention Center on July 1-4, 2005.

A Cartoon Network representative has announced, via the Adult Swim Forum, that Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex 2nd GIG, the second season of the Ghost in the Shell TV series, will debut on the Cartoon Network next fall.
New episodes of Inuyasha will debut three days a week beginning January 10 at 12:30 AM.
Beginning February 12, 2005, Fullmetal Alchemist will begin airing at 11:30 PM, Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex will follow at midnight, and repeats of Super Milk-Chan will air at 1:30 AM.

An anime television series adaptation of Barasui's popular Ichigo Marshmallow (also known as "Ichigo Masimaro") manga series has been confirmed for Japanese broadcast next year.

Buena Vista Home Video now hosts a streaming trailer for its upcoming American DVD release of Nausicaa, Porco Rosso, and The Cat Returns. The trailer includes spoken English dubbed dialogue from all three films, featuring celebrity voice actors including Patrick Stewart as Yupa in Nausicaa, Michael Keaton as Porco in Porco Rosso, and Cary Elwes as The Baron in Cat Returns.



12/20/04 Dengeki Online has reported that the adults only The Guts! PC game series will be adapted into an erotic anime comedy series.

Viz has announced that its English language translations of the Eyeshield 21, Hunter x Hunter, and I"s manga will be published under a new "Shonen Jump Advanced" line of graphic novels targeted at older teen readers.

Amazon.com has attributed five new English translated manga series to AD Vision:
Full Metal Panic: OVERLOAD!
Line and Igazukin: The Littlest Ninja
Lilith in Wonderland
Maburaho
Yotsubato!

The Ultra Jump Magazine webpage reports that the first Tenjoh Tenge anime OAV, "Tenjoh Tenge: Ultimate Fight," will be released on March 16, 2005. The OAV will continue the TV series story.


12/19/04 I updated with a special holiday-type Pen Thought to the Pen Penny section. I also moved an old one to Previous Pennys. This one's kind of short, but I'll probably do an extra one of the same type on Christmas Day, so that's my excuse. Nothing in the way of news the past few days, so that's all.

12/17/04 Viz has officially announced that volume 7 issue 12 will be the final issue of Animerica Extra Magazine. The English language release of the Banana Fish and Fushigi Yuugi manga series will continue in graphic novel format. Fushigi Yuugi graphic novel 14 and Banana Fish graphic novel 7 will be released in April 2005. Times Two and SOS graphic novels will also be released next spring.

According to Moon Phase, the Binchou-tan anime TV series has been delayed from its originally announced January 2005 premier to an undetermined 2005 release date.

The official Japanese website for the upcoming anime OAV series Eien no Aseria: Spirit of Eternity Sword is now open.

The official Japanese website for the upcoming TV series Bokusatsu Tenshi Dokuro-chan (literally "Beat to Death Angel Dokuro-chan") is now open. The show will debut on March 12, 2005.



12/15/04 Nintendo has revealed the "playan" attachment for Gameboy Advance, Gameboy Advance SP, and Nintendo DS. The device allows the Gameboy Advance or Nintendo DS to play MPEG4 video and MP3 audio saved on SD memory cards.

Buena Vista has scheduled the domestic DVD release of Pokemon movie 7 "Destiny Deoxys" for February 15, 2005.

The official Japanese Kino no Tabi (Kino's Journey) website has revealed that the Kino no Tabi: Nanika wo Surutameni motion picture will open in Japanese theaters on February 19, 2005.

According to Anime Insider Magazine, MTV will be the official American licensor and distributor of Madhouse Studio's anime adaptation of Santa Inoue's manga series Tokyo Tribes. The anime is scheduled for release in 2006.

Los Angeles based media producer and distributor Maxmedia has acquired the American distribution rights to the popular Korean animated film Wonderful Days. An English dub of the film will open in limited American theatrical release under the American name "Sky Blue" on December 31st.



12/14/04 The Anime Network has announced that its linear 24 hour a day version will begin airing on Buckeye Cable in Toledo and Sandusky, Ohio on December 21st.

TOKYOPOP has announced that this month, Borders and Waldenbooks stores will begin carrying an exclusive boxed set that contains Fruits Basket manga volume 6 and a Fruits Basket DVD containing anime episodes 1-2 and a behind-the-scenes featurette. In January, Best Buy will begin carrying copies of Initial D DVD volume 9 that include a free copy of the first volume of the translated manga.

Toei has announced that One Piece movie 6: Omatsuri Danshaku to Himitsu no Shima (Baron Omatsuri and the Secret Island) will open in Japanese theaters on March 5, 2005. The second Gonjiki no Gash Bell movie will open in August 2005.

AD Vision has officially confirmed, via retail print solicitation, that the American release of Gantz will be the Japanese home video version that includes graphic nudity, sex and violence censored from the Japanese television broadcast of the show's first season. Furthermore, AD Vision has confirmed that the 26 episode series will be released domestically on 13 DVDs containing two episodes each. AD Vision has also revealed that the Spriggan Special Edition DVD, scheduled for release on February 15, 2005 at a $29.98 retail price, will include a soundtrack CD.

A report from the Japan Forum on International Relations has advised Japanese prime minister Junichiro Koizumi that Japan should promote its culture abroad as a tool of foreign policy. The growing international popularity of anime and Japanese movies are seen as cultural assets and are referred to by the report as, "Japan's Gross National Cool."


12/13/04 Whoops. I updated with a special holiday-type Pen Thought to the Pen Penny section. I also moved an old one to Previous Pennys. I have similar ones ready to carry the PPs through the rest of the month, be joyful about that.

AnimEigo has officially informed retailers that all subtitled Superdimensional Fortress Macross TV series DVDs will be discontinued after December 31, 2004. As of the the end of this month, AnimEigo will no longer sell nor distribute any of the Macross TV series single DVDs or DVD boxed sets.

The official Japanese website for Saishu Heiki Kanojo (SaiKano) has announced the development of a new OAV series.

According to Moon Phase, Japan's Weekly Shonen Jump Magazine has revealed plans for Inagaki Riichirou and Murata Yuusuke's football comedy manga series Eyeshield 21 to be adapted into an anime television series and console video games.

Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence has been awarded the Nihon SF Taisho Award for best science fiction film of 2004 by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of Japan organization.

The latest Ultraman movie, titled simply "Ultraman" will open in Japanese theatrical wide release this Saturday, December 18th.



12/9/04 Variety Magazine has announced that Los Angeles-based Axis Entertainment has contracted Japanese production company Micott & Basara, one of the main sponsors of the full digital animation Appleseed movie, to extend the Appleseed franchise.

Japan's Muse Entertainmnet has announced that the first episode of Angel Blade Punish, the second Angel Blade adult anime series produced by Masami Obari's Studio G-1 Neo, will be released on December 29th.

Popular anime fansub link site Anime Suki has revealed that Japanese distribution company Media Factory has requested that all Media Factory owned anime titles be removed from the Anime Suki website. In effect, Media Factory has officially requested, by implication, that English speaking anime fans cease unauthorized distribution of Media Factory owned anime titles including Genshiken, School Rumble, and Gankutsuou.

Reuters Reports that Pandora's Cube, a regular at North American anime conventions, was raided for console game piracy, and two individuals arrested.



12/7/04 The Kyoto District Court has sentenced a file swapper to one year in prison for violation of Japan's Copyright Law, signaling the first time a conviction has been made in the Asia Pacific region for the illegal distribution of films through the Internet.

The nominations for the Hollywood based International Animated Film Society's 32nd Annual Annie Awards include 5 anime related nominations. Ghost In The Shell 2: Innocence is eligable for consideration as Best Animated Feature, Best Director, Best Animated Effects, and Wolf's Rain is nominated for Best Music in an Animated Television Production category.

Young You Magazine has officially announced that Chika Umino's award winning shoujo manga Hachimitsu to Clover (Honey & Clover) will be adapted into an anime TV series next year. The animation will be produced by J.C. Staff.

The Anime Network has issued a notice to anime fans requesting that fans contact the Comcast cable network to express support for the Anime Network. The Anime Network's press release vaguely hints that Comcast is threatening the growth of the Anime Network, and that, "Certain cable executives think they can program any old anime."

Without any prior licensing announcements, Del Rey has announced that it will be releasing Basilisk on May 15th and A Perfect Day for Love Letters on June 16th.

Geneon has launched an official website for the Appleseed movie, which will be released theatrically in North America on January 14th.


12/6/04 According to Anime on DVD, Urban Vision will release a 3 disc Ninja Scroll TV series complete set on May 10, 2005.

Developer Aquaplus has announced that the long awaited adventure game To Heart 2 will be released for the Japanese Playstation 2 on December 28th.



12/5/04 I've spent a lot of time away from here in the past few months and realized that I really do miss updating and maintaining this site, so as of tomorrow, normal updates shall return. For now, sate yourself with a new Pen Thought in the Pen Penny section.

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