Old news

From July 2004.


7/29/04 According to Japanese fan site Fullmeta.com, the September issue of Dragon Magazine will contain an official confirmation that Fullmetal Panic! Fumoffu? director Yasuhiro Takemoto will direct the third Full Metal Panic anime. There is no detail on whether the anime will be a TV series, OAV series, or motion picture.

7/27/04 Viz has announced its acquisition of translation rights to the two volume Wolf's Rain manga series, and the ongoing soccer manga series Whistle.

AnimeNation has confirmed via direct communication with Newtype USA Magazine that as of the current issue, retail and news stand copies of Newtype USA Magazine will continue to retail at $9.95 per issue but will no longer include a free sampler DVD. Only consumers with a subscription to the magazine purchased directly from the publisher will continue to receive the monthly bonus DVDs.


7/26/04 Viz's Toshi Yoshida has confirmed reports that the Inu Yasha TV series is to end soon. At San Diego Comic Con he stated that he had learned from the Japanese producer that episodes 166 and 167 will be a double episode that will mark the end of the series. They will be aired on September 6th.

Adult PC game studio Terios has announced that its game Ikinari Happy Bell will be adapted into an anime TV series.

Comic Gum Magazine has announced that Keitaro Arima's popular manga Moon Phase will debut as an anime TV series this October.



7/25/04 I updated with another Pen Thought to the Pen Penny section. I also moved an old one to Previous Pennys.

The following will come out this Tuesday on Region 1 DVD:
.hack//Legend of the Twilight Vol. 2
BASToF Syndrome Vol. 3
Big O II Vol. 4
Comic Party Box Set
Comic Party Vol. 4
Demon Lord Dante Vol. 2
Galaxy Angel Vol. 3
Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex SE Vol. 1
Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex Vol. 1
Kiddy Grade Vol. 5
Knight Hunters Eternity Vol. 1: New Blood
Nana 7 of 7 Vol. 1
Neon Genesis Evangelion: Platinum Edition Vol. 1 (also w/box)
Sonic Soldier Borgman: Last Battle / Lover's Rain
Stratos 4 Vol. 1 (also w/box)
Vanilla Series: I Love You
Virgin Touch (Flutter of Birds)
Yu Yu Hakusho: The Dark Tournament Box Set 1

At this week's San Diego Comic Con, Dark Horse Comics officially announced its acquisition of translation and distribution rights to two new manga titles: Monkey King and Hipira: The Little Vampire.

The first English translated volumes of Yukiru Sugisaki's latest manga series Lagoon Engine, and MEE-kun's Hyper Police will be released on January 11, 2005.

Viz has announced a partnership with Sorrent, Inc. to offer Inuyasha messaging, wallpapers and games for mobile phones.

Comics One has announced that the first volume of the Infinite Ryvius manga, based on the anime TV series, will be released in October.

TOKYOPOP has announced that the first volume of DearS manga will be released on January 11th.



7/19/04 I updated with another Pen Thought to the Pen Penny section. I also moved an old one to Previous Pennys.

Anime News Network has launched its good-will effort Project: New Future, an outreach program for children suffering with cancer. Anime fans are encouraged to spend time with cancer stricken children then relate their experience in a letter to Anime News Network. As a token of appreciation, Anime News Network will see that all volunteers are rewarded with an anime DVD or manga provided by a major American translating house.

Shueisha Publishing has announced that Hiromoto Shinichi's weird horror manga serial Hells Angels, which recently concluded in Ultra Jump Magazine, will be adapted into an anime next year by Kill Bill animator Nakazawa Kazuto and Madhouse Studios.

Japanese production studio Nishida Tokusatsu is now accepting applications for Japanese actors to star in a live action adaptation of the upcoming anime TV series Ryuusei Sentai MusuMET.

According to the Sankei Sports Newspaper, Steamboy executive producer Watanabe Shigeru has confirmed plans to produce a sequel to the film as either a second motion picture or a TV series. While the Steamboy movie took nine years to produce, Shigeru hopes that the sequel can be produced in only 2-3 years.

The official Japanese website for the Princess Hour television program is now open. Princess Hour consists of the W ~Wish~ (Double Wish) and Final Approach ("Phi-nal Approach") anime TV series scheduled to premier in October.

The official website for the upcoming Japanese/Korean co-production anime film Shin Angyo Onshi, based on the Korean comic by Youn In-Wan and Yang Kyung-Il, is now open.

Yoshida Sunao, author of the popular vampire novel series Trinity Blood and "world designer" for the upcoming Neppuu Kairiku Bushilord anime TV series, passed away on July 15th at the age of 34. Yoshida had been hospitalized and undergone surgery last month for an unspecified sudden illness.


7/16/04 Apparently some copies of the recently released Dragonball GT Lost Episodes DVD with box, which were supposed to include a bonus autographed mini-poster, did not include the poster. FUNimation has opened a mail-in redemption offer to amend for the error. Consumers that did not receive a voice actor autographed poster in their Dragonball GT Lost Episodes "Starter Kit" may mail in their "box spacer" or a store receipt and receive in return 2 autographed posters and an uncut Yu Yu Hakusho DVD (and your box spacer back).

Pierre Bernard's "Recliner of Rage" skit on Conan O'Brien mentioned Adult Swim and a number of anime shows this evening. Bernard complained about AS replacing Cowboy Bebop with Case Closed, explaining that he liked Cowboy Bebop in its time slot because the music is soothing and good for sleeping. He then said they should put on Sakura Diaries, Amazing Nurse Nanako, or Bubblegum Crisis. The episode will repeat tomorrow evening and Monday on Comedy Central.


7/15/04 Media Blasters has announced that the entire Samurai Deeper Kyo and Berserk series will be re-released as complete series sets this November. Samurai Deeper Kyo will come in the wooden box that was available with the first volume in the initial release and the Berserk set will be in a one package "brick" instead of a box and will be priced much less than its counterpart.

Konami has announced development of a Playstation 2 adventure game based on Ken Akamatsu's popular Mahou Sensei Negima manga series.

According to Moon Phase, Gantz 2nd will debut on Japanese television on August 26th.

According to Animaxis, director Yuudai Yamaguchi will helm a live action film adaptation of Eiji Nonaka's bizarre "serious gag manga" Sakigake!! Cromartie High School.

The Japanese Gpara news website has announced that a Ragnarok the Animation motion picture will be released in Japan next year. The film will be an extension of the current Ragnarok the Animation TV series produced by Gonzo Studios, based on the popular Korean online PC game.

The official Japanese website for the Hayao Miyazaki directed film Howl's Moving Castle is now open.

The official Japanese website for the upcoming Elfen Lied anime TV series now hosts a series trailer.

Sweet Valerians, a new original TV anime series with concept and original character designs by CLAMP, will premiere on Japan's MBS and TBS networks on August 1st.

Soft on Demand will be releasing an OAV adaptation of manga series Ajisai no Uta (Song of Hydrangea) starting with volume 1 on August 19th.

Sankei Sports reports that the live action/CG Devilman movie is to be released theatrically in Japan on October 9th.

The Studio Tron website has announced that Silent Mobius Neos, a new Silent Mobius manga, will commence serialization in an unamed magazine in October.



7/12/04 The Magic Box has published two pages of new screenshots from the upcoming Japanese Playstation 2 Berserk action game. They also report that the game will contain 70 minutes worth of footage from the anime.

Sony has annnounced that one of the Portable Playstation (PSP) launch titles will be "Talkman," a program that turns the PSP into a multilingual translator. Talkman will be able to interpret 9 different languages with voice output.

Viz has opened its official American website for the first Inuyasha movie. Presently the page hosts the movie's American logo and a list of American theatrical release dates.

This year's Jump Festa Anime Tour, which will occur in five cities across Japan on September 23rd, will be highlighted by screenings of short anime movie adaptations of Kawashita Mizuki's Ichigo 100% manga and Kubo Taito's Bleach manga. The Ichigo 100% anime movie will be produced by Madhouse. The Bleach movie will be animated by Studio Perriot.

Yahoo Japan now hosts a six minute long streaming Windows Media trailer for Steamboy.

ComicsOne has informed ANN that they have acquired the license for the Infinite Ryvius manga. They expect to release volume 1 in October, followed by the second (and last) volume in January 2005.

The upcoming issue of Shonen Sunday magazine (on sale 21 July 2004) will contain the final chapter of Kazurou Inoue's Midori no Hibi manga. The Midori no Hibi tv series was recently licensed by Media Blasters.

A full-color manga called "Robot" will be published by Wani Magazine at the end of August 2004. The comic will be compiled and edited by Range Murata, who will also contribute artistically along with Yoshitoshi ABe, Hiroyuki Asada, and others. The cover art will also be drawn by Murata.

British anime distributor MVM has sent out a list of FUNimation titles for which MVM has sublicenses to distribute in the UK. Included in the list were several titles that MVM does not have sublicenses for, including one license that FUNimation has yet to officially announce in North America: Baki the Grappler.


7/11/04 I updated with another Pen Thought to the Pen Penny section. I also moved an old one to Previous Pennys.

The following will come out this Tuesday on Region 1 DVD:
Birth
Dragon Ball GT Lost Episodes Vol. 1: Reaction Uncut (also w/box)
Dragon Drive Vol. 2
Figure 17 Vol. 6
Initial D Vol. 6
Knights of the Zodiac Vol. 5
Lupin the 3rd TV Vol. 7: Royal Scramble
Megazone 23 Part 2
Saber Marionette R
Tenchi Muyo GXP Vol. 4
Viper GTS
Wedding Peach Vol. 4


7/10/04 As mentioned in an earlier report, Viz representative Toshifumi Yoshida stated that Inuyasha: Love that Transcends Time would not air on Cartoon Network before April 2005. Cartoon Network has confirmed that the movie will premiere sometime in the spring of 2005.

7/8/04 Silent Mobius creator Kia Asamiya has announced that his new Silent Mobius Neos manga will begin in October.

Digital Manga has announced plans for three new English translated manga series to be released next year. Edu-Manga, Project X, and Bambi and the Pink Gun.

Bee Train, the anime studio best known for its recent string of hit shows including Noir, .Hack, Avenger, and Madlax, has announced that its next production will be Meine Liebe: Yuuga Naru Kioku (My Love: Elegant Memory). The series, scheduled to premier in November, is apparently based on Konami's shonen ai (boy/boy love) video game Tanbi Musou Meine Liebe.



7/7/04 According to British anime distributor MVM, FUNimation has licensed distribution rights to the 2001 Grappler Baki anime TV series.

At last weekend's Anime Expo, Comics One announced its acquisition of the manga adaptation of the Infinite Ryvius anime series. The first of two volumes of Infinite Ryvius manga will be released this October.

Bandai Entertainment and the Cartoon Network have announced the development of a digital cable video-on-demand service called "Adult Swim Video on Demand." The service will debut with the Scryed anime TV series.

Monthly Shonen Magazine has announced that Harold Sakuishi's manga series Beck will be adapted into a 26 episode anime TV series by Madhouse. Beck is the story of teenage friends who start a rock band.

Young Jump Magazine has announced that Ishikawa Yougo's manga serial "Kappa no Kai-kata - How to Breed Kappas" will be adapted into an anime TV series this fall.

While speaking with the Super Techno Arts booth representatives yesterday, ANN learned that they represented a new entrant to the North American anime industry, RJP Pro. James Tonjes, president of RJP-Pro, informed ANN that his company had acquired the North American license for the Tenbatsu Angel Rabbie OAV and the video game.



7/6/04 At his past weekend's Anime Expo convention, new entrant to the domestic anime licensing business RJP-Pro announced its acquisition of translation and distribution rights to the Tenbatsu Angel Rabbie anime OAV and video game.

According to Gunota Headlines, which has the most complete English translation of the reports, Gundam SEED Destiny (the sequel to the populare Gundam SEED) takes place in CE 73, 2 years after the end of the war. They also report that Destiny is set to premiere on Japanese TV in October this year, replacing Fullmetal Alchemist.



7/4/04 Happy Fourth of July for all of us Americans out there! In unrelated but still good news, I updated with another Pen Thought to the Pen Penny section. I also moved an old one to Previous Pennys.

Here comes a lot of convention news, I checked a couple of websites to be sure it was all correct.

Head here for information about the Clamp chess pieces.

New Licenses from Media Blasters: Midori no Hibi and Otogizoushi.

New Licenses ffom Geneon: Popotan, Submarine 707R, and The Daichies (aka Earth Defense Family).

Bang Zoom! is currently recording Planetes and Scrapped Princess.

Haré+Guu and the follow-up OVA has been confirmed by AN Entertainment (animenation).

From FUNimation, Spiral will be released in November, a Fruits Basket box will be as well. They have also licensed Burst Angel and Tenchi Muyo! Ryo-Ohki OAV 3..

ADV has licensed: Tactics, Elfin Lied, Gravion Zwei, Detective loki ragnorak, erementar gerard, Marine Boy, Maburaho, Hello Kitty Animation Theater, Gantz, Moeyo Ken, Legend of Moby Dick, Yumeria, Saiyuki Movie, Gilgamesh, Elfin Lied, KURAU, and Area 88 TV.

Right Stuf has To Heart Boys Be Live action Boogie Pop.

According the Digital Bits, the My Neighbor Totoro, Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind and Porco Rosso 2-disc DVDs are not going to be released until early 2005.


7/1/04 I moved some of the June updates.

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