FRESH MAnganiME news

British Cultural Organizations Hold Anime Events

2007-09-07T22:20:00.000-07:00

Three separate cultural organizations in London will be running anime-related events in the next two months. On Sunday, September 16, as part of its Premiere Japan 07 festival, the British Academy of Film and Television Arts will hold a screening of Nitaboh. Directed by Akio Nishizawa, this film is an animated biography of Nitaro Akimoto, the blind musician who founded the Tsugaru style of playing the shamisen three-string guitar. Details about the screening can be found here.

On September 7, the British Museum will launch its "Late Night Manga to Anime" film series, held as part of a wider program entitled "Crafting Beauty in Modern Japan." The goal of this series is to introduce viewers to some of the most groundbreaking manga-inspired films of the medium. It will consist of screenings of Phoenix 2772 - Space Firebird, Barefoot Gen, Akira, They Were Eleven, Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex: Solid State Society and Ghost in the Shell: Innocence. Comics scholar Paul Gravett, the author of Manga: 60 Years of Japanese Comics, will introduce each film. Earlier in the summer, the British Museum held a similar series entitled "Manga to Anime for Families", which included the Naruto movie, Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind and Porco Rosso.

Finally, on October 24, the Japan Foundation is hosting a free lecture on the history of anime and on Japanese fantasy and science-fiction cinema in general. It will be presented by anime critic and writer Helen McCarthy and Leeds International Film Festival director Chris Fell. Additional information about this talk is available on the Japan Foundation website.

Review: Time Guardian, vols. 1-2

2007-08-25T01:46:00.000-07:00

Time Guardian, vols. 1 and 2
Written by Daimuro Kishi
Art by Tamao Ichinose
Rated E, for Everyone
CMX, $9.99

Time Guardian is easy to slip into and easy to read. The characters are likeable, the stories have just enough imagination to keep me turning the pages, and at two volumes, it doesn’t even demand much of a commitment. I just wish that the creators and the publisher had tried a little harder on a few things.

The setting is a pawnshop that lends time, which is something that people never seem to have enough of. Our heroine is standard-issue shoujo girl Miu Asahina, who, true to stereotype, is always late for everything. By chance, she stumbles into just the right combination of actions to open the secret gate to Time Alley, home of the Kusaka Time Shop. The shop is presided over by cute guy Tokiya Kusaka, who would look about 14 if it weren’t for his bow tie and monocle, and a smart-alecky frog. Kusaka lends time to his customers in a variety of ways, taking their memories as collateral.

In the usual way these things happen, it turns out that Miu is a Very Special Person: She’s Time’s Go-Between, and her job is to follow the customers around and make sure that all goes well with their borrowed time. So now we have our framing tale, and the various customers that come in provide a series of little stories about the uses of borrowed time. Each one has pretty standard characters but enough of a twist to keep it from being totally predictable. Still, this is not “The Monkey’s Paw,” where changing the rules has dire consequences, or “Pet Shop of Horrors,” in which a person’s desires reveals their fatal flaw. This is a light, shoujo manga where every story has a happy ending. It’s a fine read, but I can’t help thinking that the creators had a great idea that they could have pushed a lot farther.

Then, in the second half of the second volume, the story shifts into a fantasy tale. Kusaka closes up the store and heads off to his native land, where people get off on watching other people’s memories and use time as a means of wielding power over others. It’s entertaining enough, but the shift is a bit disconcerting, and there are a couple of violent deaths that don’t fit at all into the otherwise light tone of the story. It’s as if the manga-kas were told their story was cancelled and given two chapters to wrap the whole thing up.

The art is quite attractive, and the action is always easy to follow. The character designs are standard-issue shoujo style, but the detail in the watches and backgrounds puts this book a notch above most shoujo manga. Maybe I noticed it more because this is a book about time, but the creators seemed to play with the pacing a lot. Sometimes the action moves very quickly, and there’s a lot of slapstick inside the store. Other times, a large, wordless panel seems to make time stop for a moment. Often this signals a flashback or the beginning of distorted time in the story.

While Time Guardian is an easy summer read, I am a bit disappointed that the creators didn’t try a little bit harder to come up with clever stories. The premise certainly lends itself to mind-bending plot developments, but the stories stay in the realm of soap opera. There was also a problem with the print quality in these books—a number of panels in volume 1 were blurred, as if they had been double-printed. Aside from that, the production is pretty good, with attractive covers and extras in the front and back.

Time Guardian won’t blow your mind, but it is a nice, quick, easy read for these last dog days of summer. With its E rating and straightforward storytelling, it would be a particularly good choice for younger children (although some youngsters might be upset by elements in the ending story).

This review is based on complimentary copies supplied by the publisher.

What drama!

2007-08-25T01:42:00.000-07:00

CANTARELLA Vol.5
Story and art: You Higuri
Publisher: Go! Comi; 200 pages
(ISBN: 1-933-61708-X)
For ages 16+

CESARE Borgia (pronounced Che-zar-ay Bor-ja) is tall, dark, handsome and oh yes, possessed by demons. Need I say more? You Higuri’s supernatural-slash-historical shojo manga is flawless. There is mystery, intrigue, extreme love triangles and intensity so electric it crackles. Throw in a serving of dark hatred and a scoop of tasty angst and voila, you get Cantarella!

Born as the illegitimate child of the Cardinal Rodrigo, Cesare was cursed from the day he came into life. His soul was given to the devil in exchange for his father getting the papal throne. Denied by his father, and plagued by the darkness that threatens to consume him, Cesare fights to keep his humanity and protect his beloved younger sister Lucrezia.

His life takes a turn when the assassin Michelotto is hired to kill him. What starts as an attempted assassination turns out to be the start of a relationship bound by fate and sealed by the continuing battle between the good and evil. Cesare will bring about the cataclysmic revolution that will end in bloodshed; his powerful destiny demands it.

Also, add to the drama a moth-cum-sorcerer (yes, I said moth) and the simmering hatred between him and his brother, Juan. In this fifth volume, the hatred finally boils over. Will it end in death? Will Cesare fight the demons who fight for his soul?

Twists and turns are great, but the crowning glory of this manga is the superb artwork. It is simply stunning: the striking trademark ink lines by Higuri-sensei, the clean, flowing details, the intricate attention paid to the background, and the beautiful, beautiful, beautiful Cesare Borgia.

Complex and layered plots. Gorgeous artwork. It gets better, dear readers, for there are characters more complicated than a thousand-piece jigsaw puzzle and detailed references to the history of the actual Borgia family (dramatised in this manga, of course). The manga’s title is actually a reference to the sweet-smelling yet deadly poison Cantarella, which the Borgia family was famous for using to “remove” their enemies.

I found it difficult to follow the various places and histories mentioned in the manga. Until now I have no idea what the exact timeline this story takes place in. I suspect it starts sometime in the early 15th century and goes on from there. But this is not to say that it is confusing, I simply spent too much time drooling over the art. The research poured into this manga is definitely praiseworthy.

Beware, however, dear readers. This is rated OT, which means it’s for older teens from the ages 16 and up. There is nothing explicit or offensive, but the darkness and intensity of this manga must be kept away from younger readers.

Also, keep in mind that this is a shojo manga. Fans of high-tension action and gunfights will be sorely disappointed.

All in all, this is a breathtaking manga thanks to its magnificent artwork and complex plot. And oh yes, the hot bishie.

New Generation Pictures Opens Shanghai Studio

2007-08-25T01:36:00.000-07:00

Interview with Jonathan Klein, founder of New Generation Pictures

ANN: Please describe your new venture to us.

Jonathan Klein: New Generation Pictures has opened up its first production branch office in Shanghai, China. We will be producing English and Chinese language dubs there for the film, television, and anime industry at rates lower than we can in Los Angeles. The combination of our 15 years of experience in production and localization with the enormous resources that Shanghai has to offer will help to insure that we maintain the highest quality work for our clients.

Does this mean New Generation Pictures is relocating to Shanghai?

No, this is simply an expansion of our business into Shanghai, China. We have no intention of leaving our office in Beverly Hills or stop working on production in Los Angeles. We will continue to produce anime and videogame dubs in Los Angeles for our clients. But now we also can provide similar services through our Shanghai office which allows us to reach a larger range of clientele that are based worldwide. And for our Japan- and Asia-based clients, it offers convenience for clients who want to be able to deal with vendors in the same time zone (or close to it) while production is going on.

What brought this on? Was there a particular catalyst that spurred you to open a studio in Shanghai?

It wasn't that we were “spurred” to open our studio. We had already been doing business in China for several years and had been considering expanding our offices there for a long time. But the final decision to open a studio there was a combination of several factors. The decline in anime DVD sales over the last few years, combined with the ever-increasing costs in acquisition and licensing of new anime titles, has created a difficult situation where many of our anime distribution clients in America have had to find cost-effective solutions to keep their operations profitable. One of the simplest ways to do that is to cut production costs. As a result, some companies have elected to simply not to dub anime and make subtitle-only releases. Some other anime distributors have asked their production company vendors, like New Generation Pictures, to reduce their prices on their English dubs to help keep costs down. The problem for any production company in Los Angeles with lowering the prices on dubs is that you can only go so low before it starts to affect the quality of the dub itself, or you start to lose money. You can't ask experienced voice actors to take a pay-cut. So you either have work much faster with the actors, leaving less time to develop great performances out of them and just bang out a so-so dub. Or you can start hiring non-professional voice acting — directing and writing talent who would work for less money, but would also impact the quality of the dub. New Generation Pictures has a reputation for producing award winning, high-quality anime dubs, and we didn't want to damage that reputation by going down either path. So we looked at how we can lower production costs and still maintain quality. One of the biggest expenditures for any production company is the recording studio itself. Since our company had already been doing business in Shanghai, we knew the cost of operating a recording studio was significantly lower. So we came up with a plan where we can combine our company's experience, skills, and talent that we have in America, with the reduced costs of using a recording studio in Shanghai. Essentially, this is a “hybrid production,” utilizing the best of both worlds.

Another major reason for this expansion is that this was an incredible opportunity to open our business into China. China has become one of the most rapidly developing economic powerhouses in the world. The world is changing, and China is becoming a dominant factor in that change. Our company has been watching the trends in Shanghai over the last few years and know that the city is quickly becoming the largest media production center in all of Asia. The entertainment businesses from Hollywood, Japan, and Europe are all looking towards China and its 1.3-billion population as a new market for their products. They all have started to set up operations in Shanghai. Agents, actors, and other production talent from around the world have moved to Shanghai to take part in ever-increasing amount of film, television, and interactive media work being produced there. We are strongly confident that this city will become one of the leading cities in the field of entertainment production over the next few years and consider ourselves fortunate to be able to be a part of it.

You mentioned that you'll be using American talent at the Shanghai studio; will you be flying them there yourself? Please describe the logistics of using American talent at a Chinese studio.

To clarify, we are going to be using both experienced anime talent from America including writers, directors, and voice actors, as well as utilizing the existing large talent pool of American, Canadian, and European voice-actors who are now living in Shanghai. As I mentioned, Shanghai is rapidly becoming one of the largest media production centers in Asia. Many professional actors from around the world are already living in Shanghai working in the constant flow of international film, television, and other media productions going on there. However, we highly value all of the incredibly talented people who we've worked with in Los Angeles on our anime productions, and we do plan on flying out many fan-favorite English voice actors and directors to work on the titles we record in Shanghai. The cost for us to bring them out to Shanghai is not prohibitive. As China has opened itself to international trade and tourism, it has become a lot easier to work and travel there. We would fly them out at our own expense to work on whatever projects we would be doing at that time. It would very much be like a paid working vacation. The studio that we use in Shanghai has the same recording equipment technology as in America, so it shouldn't feel any different than working in an American recording studio. This will be a great opportunity for so many incredibly talented voice actors and directors to visit such a unique and exciting international city as Shanghai.

What sort of work will be done at the Shanghai studio? Will you only be working on anime dubs, or are there other projects you have in mind?

Aside from producing anime dubs we will be working on localizing any and all media including film, television and interactive titles between the Japanese, Chinese, and English languages. It's our first step to what we call a “Multilingual Global Solution.” As technology is changing and media development and distribution is becoming both far more rapid and globally expansive, there needs to be ways to offer products in multiple languages in much quicker and easier fashion. By establishing our Shanghai international office, we hope to give clients more options for localization without having to deal with several companies to get what they need.

But in addition to dubbing, we also will be establishing our own production division to shoot film and video projects within Shanghai as well as offer consulting and technical services for American production companies who want to film in Shanghai.

Some might argue that this only adds to the problem of voice acting work being outsourced to foreign nations. What's your response to that?

We aren't outsourcing, we're growing. It's still New Generation Pictures, just in Shanghai. We are still producing anime and videogame dubs in Los Angeles and will continue to do so. We're just expanding our company internationally to develop new opportunities in the global market. Clients who want that level of quality that our Los Angeles productions have to offer will still keep using our services here. But now we have a lower-cost alternative when perhaps the anime distributor's budget on a niche title can't justify doing a dub in America. We can help distributors avoid simply turning anime into a “subtitle-only” releases. We now offer a solution to clients who might simply take their dub to the lowest bidding studio (domestic or overseas) that might not have any regards for quality. That's why we're inviting voice actors here in America to work with us in Shanghai. We will use what the best of American dubbing has to offer in combination with the affordability that working in Shanghai provides us to produce the best quality dub that we can.

9th One Piece Movie to Open in March, Videos Posted

2007-08-25T01:34:00.000-07:00

Toei Animation has announced that the ninth One Piece movie will open in March of 2008, and the official One Piece movie website has posted a teaser trailer video and a promotional movie video. The movie will tell another version of the Drum Island Kingdom story arc and will take place at Winter Island, the birthplace of the reindeer character Chopper. The website says that the creator Eiichiro Oda is participating in this project during the scriptwriting process, in order to contribute the original concepts for the story.

Hana Yori Dango: Final Movie to End Live-Action Drama

2007-08-20T18:32:00.000-07:00

Manga creator Kamio developing the story with drama writer Satake

After two television series, the live-action adaptation of Yoko Kamio's Hana Yori Dango (Boys Over Flowers) manga will end with the Hana Yori Dango: Final theatrical movie, which will screen in summer of 2008 in Japan. The romantic comedy centers on a girl named Tsukushi who struggles with life in a clique-filled private academy and her feelings for the boys in the most elite clique, F4. The movie will take place one year after Tsukushi's graduation ceremony (which was the last scene of the second television series) as a major incident brings the five main characters together.

The series stars Mao Inoue, Jun Matsumoto, Shota Matsuda, Shun Oguri, and Tsuyoshi Abe will all reprise their roles as Tsukushi, Tsukasa, Sojiro, Rui, and Akira, respectively. The movie will also feature special guest stars. The series' chief director Yasuhara Ishii will start the two-month shoot in January and include overseas locations. Kamio is currently developing the story with the series scriptwriter, Mikio Satake (the penname of actor Takayuki Takuma).

Hana Yori Dango: Final will actually be the second live-action film for Hana Yori Dango. A stand-alone movie featuring Yuki Uchida and the music group TRF screened in 1995, before the 2005 television drama series and even before the 1996 animated series. There was also a 1997 animated movie whose story is separate from all the other versions.

550,000 Attend Japan's Comic Market Summer 2007

2007-08-20T18:29:00.000-07:00

Mainichi Newspaper's Mantan website reports that Comic Market, the largest manga-related convention, hosted 550,000 attendees during its 72nd run this past August 19–21. This is the largest attendance figure yet reported for this convention or any convention of its kind. About 200,000 attendees came on Sunday to the dōjinshi marketplace at Tokyo's Big Sight convention center, adding to the daily totals of 180,000 on Saturday and 170,000 on Friday. (naz)

Click Here to see Indonesian Version.

A STROLL IN THE PARK

2007-08-06T01:54:00.000-07:00

BEING 15 and taller than most of one’s teachers is not fun, especially when one is big-boned to boot and has a face full of pimples. And – wait: this isn’t about me, it’s about manga. Forgive me, dear readers, but this manga strikes a chord in my little ol’ heart.

“Love Com” is the story of Risa Koizumi, 15, 1.7m tall and nicknamed Jumbo Girl by the shortest guy in class, Atsushi Otani (cruel irony here, methinks). Their relationship is one fraught with comedic quibbles and chemistry that they both try to deny but cannot ignore.

When Risa sets her sights on Suzuki Ryouji, the only guy taller than her in the class, she encounters an obstacle in Atsushi, who, incidentally, likes her friend Chiharu Tanaka, who, in turn, is the object of Suzuki’s affections!

Confused? Don’t be! This wild and wacky love triangle comedy involving this mismatched duo...is the only visible storyline in this entire manga.

Unfortunately, that is all to the story. It is like a ride on a low-slung convertible to Nowhere Land: immensely fun, wildly amusing and absolutely pointless. The story simply is. No angst. No emotional rollercoaster. No high-tension action. It is a manga you read when you have time on your hands and no MP3 player.

But lest you get me wrong, dear readers, I must say this is a manga that grows on you. Read it once, you probably won’t like it. Read it again and you’ll realise it actually tackles the whole idea of gender stereotyping: how boys must be taller than girls, not-so-tall boys must only date petite girls and vice versa. Read it for the third time and you’ll see the way the story takes on the whole concept of self-esteem and the usual teenage insecurities.

Now, the artwork isn’t fantastic. I am slightly disappointed. But on a more positive note, it is very neat with nicely-placed speech bubbles and simple backgrounds. It is easy to read, for sure. Interesting fact: Lovely Complex has actually been adapted into a live-action drama and anime.

Final verdict on Love Com? It is an easy stroll through a park after the rain, not a treacherous and exciting climb up a steep mountain. But then again, nothing wrong with a stroll now, is there?

MANGA REVIEWS
By PAULINE WONG

LOVELY COMPLEX Vol.1
Story and art: Aya Nakahara
Publisher: VIZ Media; 180 pages
(ISBN: 978-1421513439)
For ages 13+

'Captain Tsubasa' inspires soccer fans, manga geeks

2007-08-05T22:57:00.000-07:00

Ikuko Kitagawa / Daily Yomiuri Staff Writer

It's not so long ago that Japanese of all ages started going crazy about soccer. The World Cup finals staged in Japan and South Korea in 2002 really boosted interest in soccer among a wide range of people in Japan. The idea of wearing the national team's blue shirt or daubing your face with images of the Rising Sun flag went from the unusual to the almost commonplace. The same goes for the idea of going out to sports bars to watch games and cheer on the team rather than staying at home.

But an exhibition at the Japan Football museum in Tokyo suggests that some of the earliest seeds of interest in soccer in Japan were sown by a popular football manga series: Captain Tsubasa.

Even before 2002, feverish soccer fans in Japan saved money or quit their jobs to go watch the World Cup finals in France in 1998, when Japan first qualified for the finals. Going further back still to 1992, the establishment of the J.League was clearly one of the most important milestones in the development of soccer as a national sport in Japan.

But 10 years before the J.League was formed, Captain Tsubasa, also known as Kyapu-tsuba, is believed to have started helping soccer take root in Japanese society, inspiring star players such as former Japan national team captain Hidetoshi Nakata and Shunsuke Nakamura, who recently led his Scottish League club Celtic to its second straight league title.

The comic has even gone on to influence overseas players such as Brazil's Ronaldinho and Italy's Francesco Totti.

A day before the opening of the Captain Tsubasa Exhibition at the end of last month, Yoichi Takahashi, 46, the author of the Kyapu-tsuba series, could be seen prowling around a special booth to make sure everything was ready.

"I think this event explains the story of the comic series from the very beginning to recent strips. So anyone who comes here will get a general idea about the comic," he said.

The exhibition, subtitled Everyone was once a Captain Tsubasa, displays enlarged copies of key scenes from the 26-year-long series, comments from professional players who were influenced by Captain Tsubasa and copies of the comic books translated into various languages including Italian, German and Chinese.

The exhibition is attracting both soccer and sports animation fans, as well as people from overseas, according to the museum.

The comic is a coming-of-age tale about a schoolboy, Tsubasa Ozora, who moves to Shizuoka Prefecture and joins a soccer team there. He finds he has to grow up quickly as he encounters teammates with strong personalities and a whole host of rivals. In the series, Tsubasa eventually goes on to make the national team. The series has continued on and off since 1981, and in the most recent series, Captain Tsubasa Golden-23, Tsubasa is depicted playing in Japan's Under-23 side at a fictional Olympic games.

Sports journalist Seijun Ninomiya told The Daily Yomiuri that over the years the comic has helped expand the soccer population base, including both players and supporters.

"The comic is playing the role of a kind of entree into the soccer world as well as a guide [to enjoying the sport]," Ninomiya said.

Although it would be too much to suggest that the comic changed the history of soccer culture in Japan, it's clear that many people both in Japan and overseas relate strongly to the comic's theme of pursuing objectives collectively, Ninomiya added.

===

Everyone once was Tsubasa

The generation that grew up and alongside Tsubasa is now its late 20s and mid-30s.

"Players in my generation definitely were influenced by seeing Captain Tsubasa," said Masakiyo Maezono, 33, who captained the national team at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics and is now a soccer commentator. "From my point of view, every important aspect of becoming a soccer player is decided in your childhood."

Maezono, who said he was also influenced by Argentine playmaker Maradona, recalled that through the comic books he learned a lot from Tsubasa's playing style and global outlook. Maezono eventually played professionally in Brazil just like Tsubasa does in the manga.

"I learned [Tsubasa's philosophy] that 'the ball is my friend' from the comic. I think Captain Tsubasa has made many people feel close to soccer," said Maezono, who is currently working on the popularization of youth soccer.

Yoshika Matsubara, 32, who also played in Atlanta, said he used to mimic characters' techniques and read the comic with his friends.

"I like Kojiro Hyuga [Tsubasa's rival], because he's a top scorer and I liked his 'tiger shot' [Hyuga's special shooting technique]," said Matsubara, who now coaches children at a soccer school. "I can remember [the story] even now and I think every player knows about the comic."

Many other professional players of his generation who are currently playing--such as Nakamura, Japan squad goalie Yoshikatsu Kawaguchi, Japan defender Yuji Nakazawa and Shinji Ono of the Urawa Reds--have been influenced by the acrobatic techniques employed by different characters in the comic, according to comments they wrote for the exhibition.

Freelance writer Shuntaro Fukagawa, who wrote Captain Tsubasa no Shorigaku--a book discussing what professional players can learn from characters in the comic--says the way the Japan national team plays reminds him of how Tsubasa's team plays in the comics.

"I think that almost no Japanese players play dirty such as diving elaborately, writhing around 'in pain' on the ground or time-wasting. I think in this way Japan's playing style reflects Tsubasa's desire to play fair," Fukagawa said.

The Captain Tsubasa series touches not only on players' performances on the field, but also their states of mind, personal conflicts and problems.

"It's probably quite fun to watch real games by thinking about the psychology and personality of each actual player. Captain Tsubasa can offer a great frame of reference as to how each player thinks differently during a match," Fukagawa said.

Children's coach Matsubara said the human side of the soccer story is so well written in Kyapu-tsuba that it attracts not only children but adults, too.

"Japan lost its last game [against South Korea during the Asian Cup], and there must be many stories behind that particular game. The stories might be, for example, about personal issues, such as one of the members having trouble with his wife or worrying about his sick child," says Matsubara, adding that Captain Tsubasa is so good at depicting the personal sides of players that even real players--including himself--can relate to its content.

===

Popular overseas

It's not only Japanese players who were inspired by Kyapu-tsuba. Overseas players are also influenced by the amazing performances shown in the comics.

World Cup star Alessandro Del Piero, who is said to be a big fan of an animated Italian version of Kyapu-tsuba called Holly y Benji, copied Kojiro Hyuga's shot when he was little, according to the museum.

Former Italy captain Francesco Totti said in comments he wrote for the exhibition that he learned the importance of trying to tackle even the impossible from the manga.

"Captain Tsubasa is popular in Italy among people in their late 20s and 30s," said Giovanni Perversi of the Italian Cultural Institute's Cultural Department in Tokyo. "Volleyball and soccer are popular sports in Italy, and Captain Tsubasa is the sole comic series about sports."

Perversi, who considers himself a Tsubasa fan, said Japanese comics are very popular in Italy because of their distinctive story lines.

"We grow up playing soccer and know that many of the characters' performances in the comic are impossible to copy in reality. But that in turn may have been attractive in children's minds," he said.

More than 70 million copies of the manga have been sold in Japan, according to Hidekazu Yokoi, an editor of Young Jump, a weekly magazine that carries the latest Tsubasa series.

Shueisha Publishing Co., which publishes the magazine in Japan, has also given permission to sell the comic in Taiwan, Hong Kong, South Korea, Thailand, Singapore, Indonesia, France, Italy, Spain and Germany. However, Yokoi said, Kyapu-tsuba fans have spread beyond even those places.

In Iraq, children know Tsubasa as Captain Majed. A few years ago, the Foreign Ministry took advantage of the popularity of the character by putting a picture of Tsubasa on the Ground Self-Defense Force's water supply trucks when it dispatched a unit to Samawah, southern Iraq. The idea was to show the friendly nature of the unit, which was involved in reconstruction work there.

In the United States, the comic is known as Flash Kicker.

"Right now it's still quite new [in the United States]," said Roland Kelts, a Tokyo University lecturer who specializes in Japanese animation and subculture. "American audiences, at least in the past, prefer to play sports themselves or play sports on video games or watch sports on TV...Stories about fictional sports characters so far have not been successful in the U.S., but that may be changing with something like Flash Kicker because soccer is very popular with younger Americans."

Reading Kyapu-tsuba will be a good way for children develop a further interest in soccer that goes beyond a passing curiosity about the recent transfer of British soccer hero David Beckham to the Los Angeles Galaxy, Kelts said.

"The genre of sports manga might prove to be a bridge between two very separate school cultures: the jocks, or athletes, and the artists--or geeks. I would love to see high school and junior high school jocks reading sports manga on their way to the next game," Kelts said.

Source : Daily Yomiuri

MUSHI, MAGIC, AND MOE

2007-08-05T22:28:00.000-07:00

Summer is here, and the anime season in Japan is decidedly lively and moe.

MY, how time flies! Japan has just begun its sizzling anime season, and it’s marked with sequels from last year’s top two surprise anime hits and a healthy helping of moe anime. (Moe anime contain characters with certain traits that are highly appealing to fans.)

In Mushiuta, creatures called mushi parasitically feed on human dreams.

Mushiuta (www.kadokawa.co.jp/sneaker/mushiuta/animation)

WHEN creatures called mushi begin robbing humans of their free will and thought by feeding on their dreams, an organisation named Garden is created to counter them. The anime’s main character is Kusuriya Daisuke, who meets Anmoto Shiika and falls in love with her. Unfortunately, he doesn’t know that she’s an escapee from Garden.

Despite its rather bleak setting, Mushiuta, which is adapted from a light novel series, is reportedly a fascinating show with up-and-coming seiyuu Kana Hanazawa (Kaminagi Ryoko, Zegapain) playing Anmoto.

Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei
(www.starchild.co.jp/special/zetsubou)

ONE fine spring day while trying to commit suicide, Itoshiki Nozomu, the world’s most negative person, meets Kafuka Fuura, the world’s most positive person.

Itoshiki later finds out that he is Kafuka’s class teacher. Both end up, quite accidentally, being partners in solving the problems of the students, a situation that often leads to hilarious results!

Since this anime is directed by the offbeat Akiyuki Shinbo (he is known for his weird comedic style which parodies a lot of anime), Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei promises heaps of black comedy.

It features the voice talents of Nonaka Ai (Katase Shima, Stellvia), Sanada Asami (Dejiko, Digi Charat), Shintani Ryoko (Sakuraba Milfeulle, Galaxy Angels), Sawashiro Miyuki (Shinku, Rozen Maiden) and Gotou Yuka (Asahina Mikuru, The Melancholy of Suzumiya Haruhi).

Nanatsuiro Drops
(www.nanatsuiro.com)

HIGH school student Tsuwabuki Masaharu isn’t a very sociable guy. Therefore, it is no surprise that he has to be forced to join a club: the gardening club, which has two members – the shy Akihime Sumomo and her best friend, Nadeshiko Yaeno.

Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei promises an onslaught of black comedy.

His bad luck continues when, on the same day, he accidentally drinks a magical can of soda which turns him into a sheep plushie after sundown!

To regain normality, he has to partner with Akihime to capture seven stardrops.

Adapted from a romance simulation game with illustrations done by famous artist Itou Noizi – the prolific illustrator behind the art of the Shakugan no Shana and The Melancholy of Suzumiya Haruhi series) – Nanatsuiro Drops is your average magical girl anime. The show’s main selling point is Itou’s detailed and beautiful artwork, perfectly brought to life by Studio Barcelona.

Moetan
(www.moetan.jp)

MOETAN began life as a series of novelty English study aid books for otaku. It is unexpectedly popular, so much so that it is now adapted into an anime series.

The basic plot of Moetan involves Nijihara Ink (voiced by Tamura Yukari – Morino Ichigo in Onegai Sensei), who has a crush on her neighbour Nao-kun (Ueda Yuji – Morita Shinobu, Honey and Clover). She wants to attend his university, but Nao-kun’s grades are pretty bad, especially in English.

When a duck magician appears before her one day, turning her into a magical girl, she takes the opportunity to tutor Nao-kun so that he can pass his exams.

Yes, it’s a magical girl teaching English filled with quirky otaku references.

Code E
(avexmovie.jp/lineup/code-e)

EBIHARA Chinami has a secret...her body can generate electromagnetic fields when she is emotionally distressed! To hide this fact, she transfers from school to school.

Now 18 and in yet another school, Ebihara attracts the attention of a fellow student, Kannagi Kotaro, when he finds out about her secret. He persuades her to let him study it; apparently, her ability has a name: “TYPE-E”.

Code E is this season’s offering by Studio DEEN (the animation outfit behind Fate/Stay Night and Jigoku Shoujo), and is based on an original story by famous novelist Sakaki Ichiro who wrote Scrapped Princess.

The show has an R.O.D. vibe to it – the main character resembles R.O.D.’s and even the music is quite similar.

Ebihara is voiced by Hashimoto Mai, a debuting seiyuu in her first lead role, with Halko Momoi (Seto San, Seto no Hanayome) and Nazuka Kaori (Nunnally Lamperouge, Code Geass) in the cast too.

Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Kai
(www.oyashirosama.com/web/kai)

SEQUEL to last year’s surprise hit, Higurashi no Naku Koro ni. The series is one of the best in the rare mystery-horror genre. With surprising twists and gruesome action sequences, Higurashi has definitely made its mark on audiences. The story is about Maebara Keiichi, who just recently transferred to the village of Hinamizawa, where he and his new group of friends stumble upon a serial murder mystery which soon involves them.

The sequel promises to fully solve the mystery. With major voice talents including Souichiro Hoshi, Yukari Tamura, Nakahara Mai and Yukino Satsuki, and the ever-popular Horie Yui joining the cast this season, “HiguKai” is definitely the anime to watch this season.

Magical potions and sheep plushies are just some of the crazy things found in Nanatsuiro Drops.

Zero no Tsukaima: Futatsuki no Kishi
(www.zero-tsukaima.com)

THE painfully short Zero no Tsukaima finally gets a second season. It continues after the climax of the anime’s first season (which was a surprise hit).

This anime is about Hiraga Saito, who ends up in an alternate world where magic is commonplace. He becomes a familiar (a magician’s pet/helper) to Louise, an apparently talent-less mage who actually possesses a long-lost magical power.

This sequel promises more comedy, action and intrigue. Expect another sterling performance from Kugimiya Rie (well-known for her role as Shana from Shakugan no Shana and Sanzenin Nagi from Hayate the Combat Butler) as the main heroine Louise. She captured many viewers’ hearts last season.

Hino Satoshi is Hiraga. The other voice talents are Horie Yui (Narusegawa Naru, Love Hina; Sawachika Eri, School Rumble), Kawasumi Ayako (Saber, Fate/Stay Night), Neya Michiko (Riza Hawkeye, Full Metal Alchemist) and Kikuko Inoue (Belldandy, Oh My Goddess!).

After watching ‘You’re under Arrest’ and ‘Oh My Goddess!’, Kurogane has turned into an avid fan of ‘moe’. He counts Ken Akamatsu and Itou Noizi as his favourite artists.

Bones' Stranger Movie, Haruhi Event Posts New Videos

2007-07-08T10:22:00.000-07:00

The animation studio BONES has added two more short action clips to the "Movies" section of the website promoting Sword of the Stranger: Mukoh Hadan, its samurai movie which opens in Japan in September. The movie features Tokio vocalist Tomoya Nagase, Kouichi Yamadera (Cowboy Bebop's Spike), Maaya Sakamoto (Escaflowne's Hitomi), and Mamoru Miyano (Wolf's Rain's Kiba). Japan's Newtype magazine is hosting a five-minute video from the July 27 four-hour DVD set of a live Haruhi Suzumiya performance in March.

I.G Adds Sakamoto Talk, Asience & Ghost Hound Videos

2007-07-06T13:00:00.000-07:00

The Japanese animation company Production I.G updated its English-language website with the first part of an interview with singer/songerwriter/actress Maaya Sakamoto and the animator duo Gekidan INU Curry on their "Universe" music video collaboration. Sakamoto (Escaflowne's Hitomi) created the "Universe" song for her March 21 30 minutes night flight album, and the music video was included on a bonus DVD for the album's limited edition.

Production I.G has also created a web section for "Asience: Hairy Tale," the 60-second animated short by director Kazuto Nakazawa (Kill Bill: Vol. 1's animated sequence) and composer Yoshihiro Ike (Blood: The Last Vampire). The section includes the first part of an interview with production manager Akihiko Suzuki and links to an online streaming of the entire video. Production I.G screened the "Universe" and "Ascience" videos in their entirety at Anime Expo 2007, and it has also posted a Japanese report on the event.

Production I.G created a separate website for Ghost Hound, its much anticipated 20th aninversary "spiritual animation" series from creator Masamune Shirow (Ghost in the Shell, Appleseed). Ryutaro Nakamura directs the scripts by his Serial Experiments Lain and Kino's Journey -The Beautiful World- The Land of Sickness -For You- writer Chiaki J. Konaka. Hell Girl's Mariko Oka is designing the characters and supervising the animation. The website includes a promotional video in high and low bandwidth streams for the Fall television series.

Images © Gekidan INU Curry · Production I.G / Victor Entertainment
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© Production I.G, Masamune Shirow/Ghost Hound Production Committee