My sole thought on Kodansha’s US manga publishing gambit.

July 3rd, 2008 by Brack

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Meanwhile… The Loch Ness Monster was proved a hoax.

June 30th, 2008 by Brack

This is the news from the 9th issue of Manga Mania, cover date March 1994.

UK NEWS:

  • Pioneer LDC announced their intent to release Tenchi Muyo in the UK. This was a big deal. Pioneer were the only other company whose releases approached the professional sheen that Manga’s had. And they were the company that were what anime fan who bemoaned the “tits and tentacles” stereotype of anime were waiting for. Unfortunately in the long run there weren’t enough of those fans to make it worth their while to continue existing, but they would have a good run. I may come back to this later as their eventual demise has some echoes in both the end of Geneon’s US existence as a video label and the current struggles of ADV.
  • Kiseki announced a deal they had done with LA Hero in the states. I’m not sure what this deal actually amounted to in the long run.
  • Manga pushed Guyver back again to April. Golgo 13 and Fire Tripper finally showed up on the shelves of Andy’s Records, Our Price and other popular record shops of the nineties.
  • Crusader named a release date for Catgirl Nuku-Nuku, the only title they would ever release.
  • Kiseki’s first Urotsukidoji release was delayed. This will be a recurring theme.
  • And they reviewed the Jonathan Ross hosted “Manga” documentary that had aired on BBC2. I have a Jonathan Ross hosted nineties anime doc somewhere on tape, it may be this one or it might be a later one.

US NEWS:

  • Troma Inc. were handling cinema distribution for My Neighbour Totoro. I’ll let that fact settle in for a moment.
  • US Manga Corps had Hades Project Zeorymer, Demon City Shinjuku (aka Monster City) and U-Jin Brand coming out.
  • Streamline released a subtitled Akira.
  • CPM had more Eighth Man.
  • US Renditions had more Guyver.
  • Viz had more Ranma TV.
  • AnimEigo had more Urusei Yatsura TV.
  • And Fremantle Home Entertainment had Speed Racer the Movie. No, not that one, that one.

JAPAN NEWS:

  • The first Ginrei OAV was coming out to fill in the ever lengthening time between Giant Robo releases
  • OAVs etc out:
  • Wataru
  • Crying Freeman
  • Dirty Pair Flash
  • Orguss
  • Ranma 1/2 OAV 3
  • Casshan
  • Protect My Earth
  • Dominion
  • Comet Machine Gakusaver

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Golgo 13 - Episode 9 - Sleep In The Prison

June 29th, 2008 by Brack

Golgo 13 goes to prison.

Sentenced to life imprisonment, Golgo arrives at a high security Alaskan prison, run by a weasel-like, sadistic warden. But what is Golgo really there for?

After the best episode of the series, we now get the worst. Good grief, the animation is bad, epitomised by some scenes early on, where the chief warden pulls a gun on Golgo and the perspective is reversed. Things closer to us get smaller and things far away get larger. It’s really quite poor.

The actual mechanics of the story are fine, though mostly stereotypical for prison stories. One exception is the spotlight scene, which I’d not seen done before. However the rough looking animation detracts from the positives that are there.

Finally, the eyecatch looks like it belongs to an entirely different episode. Who is that guy? He’s not in this episode for sure.

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Golgo 13 - Episode 8 - Action 4/24

June 29th, 2008 by Brack

In which some people mistakenly think they can shoot Golgo 13 before he can shoot them.

Golgo is hired to assassinate the Don of a New York mafia family that has moved in on the turf of his rival. However with his client dead and his target protected by “special” bullet proof glass, will Golgo 13 complete the hit? It’s Golgo 13, I think you know the answer.

This is the best of the Golgo 13 episodes I’ve seen so far in terms of animation. The background artists do a fantastic job in making New York seem a wet, miserable place to be. The visuals marry up well with the bleak inevitability of the plot. Golgo doesn’t toy with his targets, their desperate struggle to survive once they learn of his intentions is always of their own doing, and that is the crux of this episode.

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UK Anime Releases For 30/06/08

June 29th, 2008 by Brack

Just the one this week.

Bleach: Series 2: Part 1

In which we get to the third phase of a Shonen Jump manga’s life and we find the start of the “big plot”. Often you get a few trial chapters where the series introduces the characters and series concept, then a longer story where it finds it’s feet, before moving onto the main the story. Shaman King did it, Naruto very clearly did it, One Piece did the first two steps, but then kept the rest of series to multiple arcs similar to Dragonball. And talking of Dragonball, Bleach’s big plot owes a lot the Red Ribbon Army arc (and to be fair, One Piece similarly raided this for it’s Enies Lobby arc).

The biggest plus for the series is that adapts the manga at a pace quite unlike it’s peers. These episodes clear through manga material at least twice as fast as Naruto or One Piece typically do. This gets the series into trouble later, but here the series is refreshingly light on typical time stretching devices such as long reaction shots and lengthy recaps and flashbacks.

The cost of this is that you don’t get the occasional dazzling animation display that Naruto has, instead Bleach maintains a solid level of competency throughout.

The eleven episodes here can be picked up from online merchants for around £15, which is a decent price in the current DVD market, though I’d argue that just buying the manga would be the better way spending of that cash, as it’d get you three volumes and change. But it’s only better by a margin, as this boxset pretty much cover volumes 9, 10 and 11 of the manga. Yes, 31 episodes in and they’ve covered nearly 11 volumes of manga, that’s how pacey the adapatation is.

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And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Our Myspace Friends

June 28th, 2008 by Brack

So, I was checking the internet to find out what Petty Booka were up to, and discovered, they are up to not being Petty Booka, and that there is a new Petty Booka, with an entirely new Petty and an entirely new Booka. Their new album is all bluegrass though, so somethings do not change (though a lot of tracks seem to be tracks the old PB already did?!?). It all does beg the question what the old Pettys and old Bookas are up to now though. Answers on a postcard or sealed down envelope please.

Anyway, this all led me to BENTEN/Sister Records head honcho Audrey BENTEN Kimura’s myspace, and as I like most of the bands on her label, I figured I’d check out some of the bands on her friends list (and on the friends lists of those bands) to find some new sounds for these jaded ears.

GO!GO!7188 - I’ve heard of this band, but not heard them. Their selection of tracks on myspace seem clipped somewhat so it’s hard to judge, but there’s enough there that I’d like to hear more, particularly the track Manhole from the 569 album.

The 50 Kaitenz - This tongue in cheek garage rock band may look like the bastard children of Jack Douglas and Colonel Sanders, but they rock hard and may be my newest favourite band.

ASAKUSA JINTA - “hardcore marching brass band”. I think I may have heard them before unknowingly, as their style seems familiar. AND AWESOME. Or possibly they just remind me of Gogol Bordello a little, which is STILL AWESOME.

Kegawa no Maries - Another rock band with their roots in garage rock, they’ve got a Stooges feel, with a vocalist that sounds like a sneering, indignant Mick Jagger. And despite that description calling to mind the wretched Jet, Kegawa no Maries are actually good.

KING BROTHERS - Considering their similarity to Thee Michelle Gun Elephant and Guitar Wolf, along with their links to The Strokes, Lightning Bolt, Bob Log III, Jon Spencer and so on, I’m surprised I’ve not heard them. Needless to say, raw, screaming, smartly dressed, punk. Yay.

The Bawdies - A lot of these bands toy with the Group Sounds aesthetic, but The Bawdies totally embrace it. They’ve got a classic British 60’s look, they sing in English, the only difference is there’s less of a Kinks influence, more of a rhythm and blues feel to their tracks. They are the Japanese “The Soundtrack Of Our Lives” and I demand my prize.

ketchup mania - perfectly acceptable female fronted power pop (punk’s stretching it a bit). A little too polished, but fun and bouncy.

detroit7 - More garage band fun. Lead vocalist Nabana’s vocals are so different from the typical Japanese punk template that they really stand out. Good stuff.

The Beaches - 10/10 for trying some different. i.e. being a punk band with latin rhythms and reggae-tinged vocals. It’s growing on me I have to say, I’m thinking they would be a very fun prospect to see live and to dance to.

OK, internet jaunt over (I’ve been nice and not mentioned any of the bands that didn’t tickle my fancy) and I think, Asakusa Jinta and The 50 Kaitenz are the bands I need more of right now.

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Hello, I’m A Simple Cake

June 27th, 2008 by Brack

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Toren Smith’s Time Machine.

June 27th, 2008 by Brack

More old news from Issue 8 of Manga Mania (Feb. 1994). This issue is noteworthy for an interview with Masamune Shirow by Toren Smith, that is dated as taking place in October 1994, 8-9 months after this appeared in shops. Insert long convoluted Gunbuster reference here.

UK NEWS

  • Kiseki started their run on the title that kept them in business - Urotsukidoji, releasing Urotsukidoji: Revenge Of The Overfiend
  • Manga had release shuffle, Rumic World was on track, Guyver was delayed to March, and Crying Freeman, Doomed Megalopolis and Golgo 13 were out in Feb.
  • To fill space in the news, some facts and figures about manga in Japan were printed. Usual stuff about how much it sells in relation to western comic sales.
  • Anime Projects started releasing AnimEigo’s subs of Urusei Yatsura.
  • Future Shooter, a clothing company, were releasing some godawful looking manga-inspired gaming fashion.
  • A couple of UK Cons were listed. AUK CON was Anime UK’s one day con in London, and Anime Day was to be held over a March weekend in Sheffield.

US NEWS

  • AnimEigo do the first of many repackage/repricings of Bubblegum Crisis. They also dub Riding Bean, release more Urusei Yatsura OAVs and put UY movie 3: Remember My Love on Laser Disc.
  • LA Hero announce acquisition of “Wings of Oneamis” (sic).
  • ADV release the first Burn Up. Trish Ledoux, who writes this section, continues with her comments on ADV’s T & A reputation.
  • Streamline release more Doomed Megalopolis.
  • US Manga Corps release Heroic Legend of Arislan (sic).
  • Viz continue the Ranma TV release.
  • US Renditions continue with Devil Man.
  • Notable manga releases in the US include Oshii’s Hellhounds through Dark Horse and first (?) US shojo manga release, Promise from Viz.

JAPAN NEWS

  • Zeta Gundam gets a Laser Disc boxset release.
  • OAVs etc out:
  • Fortune Quest
  • Hakkenden
  • Plastic Little
  • Giant Robo Vol. 4
  • Orguss
  • Dirty Pair Flash
  • The Cockpit

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Naoki Urasawa Rocks Out. Gently.

June 24th, 2008 by Brack

Via AnimeNewsNetwork’s forum in reaction to the news of Urasawa’s single.

Considering the comparisons 20th Century Boys draws with Stephen King’s works (Stand By Me, IT, The Stand in particular), I suppose it’s not surprising, that like King, he also indulges in musical vanity projects.

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MEOW

June 23rd, 2008 by Brack

Anyone know who is the voice of the big black cat in Chi’s Sweet Home? The TV Tokyo site didn’t have a cast listing for him when I looked.

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