Tuesday, November 9, 2004

In the byline of an article posted earlier today, we stated "CPM and Dark Horse Yaoi titles selling very well at Amazon." This should have read CPM and Digital Manga Publishing (DMP). In the article itself we properly identified the publisher as DMP. Although Dark Horse and DMP co-released several manga, the yaoi titles in question were released exclusively by DMP.
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Regarding Mew Mew Power, 4Kids Entertainment's website states, "The action-packed series is expected to premiere on 4Kids Entertainment's Fox Box™ in 2005."
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Higher page count brings price up to $10.99


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Broccoli Books has announced that Galaxy Angel manga vol 5 will retail for $10.99 instead of $9.99.

Volume 5 is 72 pages longer (280 vs 208) than each of the first four volumes. Broccoli had the choice of printing volume 5 on thinner paper to keep the price at $9.99, or to print it on their usual quality paper and increase the retail price. Due to questionaire answers suggesting that readers were happy with the paper quality, they decided to opt for keeping the paper and increasing the price.

Galaxy Angel Volume 5 goes on sale on February 9
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TotalVid.com Launches with Largest Library of Anime Downloads
Norfolk, VA November 8, 2004 – TotalVid has announced the launch of its new anime category on TotalVid.com in conjunction with Central Park Media, one of the leading distributors of Japanese animation in the United States. TotalVid has launched its anime category with the official release of over 70 individual downloads representing 24 series and feature-length movies. With this launch, TotalVid now has the largest selection of legal, full-length anime downloads on the Internet.

This initial rollout includes such anime series as: Dominion Tank Police, Wrath of the Ninja, Angel Sanctuary, Geobreeders, and Cyber City Oedo.

�gThe launch of an anime category for TotalVid is pivotal to our vision of TotalVid as a marketplace for video downloads in special interest and hard-to-find content categories. We look forward to leveraging Central Park Media�fs anime titles and intensifying our marketing reach to provide anime enthusiasts with instant and affordable access to a wide range of anime content,�h said Karl Quist, TotalVid�fs General Manager.

�gWe are proud to be working with Central Park Media in establishing this new distribution channel for their anime content. This is one of the first partnerships of this magnitude for anime downloads and we�fre confident that it is the beginning of a deep and rich new category for TotalVid and a strong, new distribution channel for Central Park Media,�h said Chris Smythe, TotalVid�fs VP of Content.

TotalVid will offer anime programming in a download �grental�h format for 7 days viewing, with prices starting as low as $1.99. Consumers will eventually be able to purchase the DVDs of these titles from TotalVid. Central Park Media, a pioneer in the mass market anime industry since 1990 and one of the oldest and most experienced anime suppliers in the US, has decided to leverage TotalVid�fs download site and marketing expertise on behalf of its products. �gIt�fs a win-win for everyone involved,�h said John O�fDonnell, Managing Director of Central Park Media. �gWe�fre glad we can be one of the first to offer multiple options for anime enthusiasts in North America – be it full DVDs or episodic downloads. We hope this will further expand the anime market in the US.�h

For additional information, contact: press@totalvid.com

TotalVid offers consumers the world�fs largest video download libraries for anime, actions sports, motorsports, outdoors, and travel content. In addition to video downloads, TotalVid sells DVD and VHS formats of the titles it distributes.

About TotalVid, Inc.
Headquartered in Norfolk, Virginia, TotalVid is a subsidiary of Landmark Communications, Inc., a private media company with interests in publishing, broadcasting, cable television, and the Internet. TotalVid�fs partners include Microsoft Windows Media (MSFT), ThePlatform and Akimbo Systems. For more information, visit the company�fs Web site at www.totalvid.com or email Mary Ray at press@totalvid.com.

About Central Park Media
Central Park Media has been a leading supplier of anime in the United States since 1990. The company currently manufactures and distributes three home entertainment lines, each offering anime product for a distinct and discriminating audience: U. S. Manga Corps, Central Park Media and Software Sculptors. With exclusive rights to hundreds of book, video and music products, the company has become a leader in integrated media, as well as a leading publisher of manga under its CPM Press label. In addition, the company also distributes a broad array of live action Japanese feature films under its Asia Pulp Cinema label. For high resolution, downloadable artwork and information, please visit CPM�fs electronic press kit at www.centralparkmedia.com./cpmdb/presskit.cfm

Which deadly sin do you represent? (Angel Sanctuary Pics)
brought to you by Quizilla

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Monday, November 8, 2004

CPM and Dark Horse Yaoi titles selling very well at Amazon, but not nearly as well at most other bookstores
November 08, 2004
Yaoi titles from Digital Manga and Central Park Media are a big part of the manga bestseller list at Amazon.com. They are three of the top five, four of the top ten, and six of the top fifteen manga titles as of November 7, 2004, as follow:



#2 Desire (Digital Manga)

#3 Selfish Love: Book 1 (Central Park Media)

#4 Golden Cain (Central Park Media)

#8 Passion: Volume 1 (Digital Manga)

#12 Only the Ring Finger Knows (Digital Manga)

#13 Selfish Love: Book 2 (Central Park Media)



Comparing this list to the most recent Bookscan list of the top graphic novels, the title at the top of both lists is the same, Del Rey's Tsubasa Volume 3, but none of these yaoi titles appear anywhere near the top of the Bookscan list. Amazon does provide numbers to Bookscan, but its numbers are apparently overwhelmed by the volume of sales through the brick and mortar chains. None of the Digital Manga or CPM titles listed above appear in the top 50. The top yaoi title on the Bookscan list is Tokyopop's Gravitation Volume 8, at #21.



Why the difference? We can only speculate, but we see a couple of factors at work. One is that purchasers of these yaoi titles may prefer the privacy and relative anonymity of purchases made through an online seller, rather than by interaction with a retail clerk. But perhaps more importantly, display and merchandising may be a factor in the brick and mortar stores. Neither Digital Manga nor CPM have the merchandising clout or number of titles as the publishers with titles at the top of the graphic novel lists, and it may also be that the Digital Manga and CPM yaoi titles are available in fewer stores or less prominently displayed because of their content. But given that Gravitation and Fake (another Tokyopop yaoi title) have done fairly well in bookstores, it seems that if display is a factor, it's probably more a matter of the publishers involved than the content.



The takeaway from this phenomenon should probably be that yaoi manga appears to be developing a growing audience in the U.S. (which we believe to be largely female, as it is in Japan), and that retailers of all types can probably get more sales by letting consumers know they have it and making a comfortable environment for purchasing it.
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ADV FILMS ANNOUNCES NEW RELEASES AT ONI-CON



HOUSTON, November 5, 2004— Matt Greenfield and David Williams, those two familiar faces from ADV Films, helped the Houston-based Oni-con launch their first stellar year with a bang! The duo dazzled the crowds with the announcement of several hot new animated and live-action titles to be released over the next few months. Be sure to keep an eye out for these new home release titles coming out soon at your favorite retailer.



Anime titles

(titles subject to change)



Godannar
Five years ago, Go Saruwatari met his future wife Anna Aoi while battling an evil alien race. Now, on their wedding day, the ceremony is interrupted when the aliens attack again. As Go fights off the assault, Anna uncovers the top secret robot that becomes the mighty fighting force Godannar!

Onto the North (not final title)
Whenever a couple has the good fortune to witness the Diamond Dust, legend dictates that they will be certain to attain happiness. Follow the story of six girls as they come together in their quest for the diamond dust.

Papuwa
Papuwa-kun is a young boy living a quiet life with his dog, Chappy, on a small island located somewhere in South Pacific. All is fine and dandy until Shintaro, who is being pursued by gangsters, invades their paradise. When Papuwa ends up with Shuntaro’s prized jewel, the two become life-long rivals.

Five Star Stories
Within the 5 star systems known as the Joker System, the struggle for power has spanned centuries. Under the guidance of the Star Emperor Amaterasu, the brave Headliner knights, along with their Fatima counterparts, pilot powerful battle robots to ensure the safety and stability of the empire.

Ghost Stories (Gakkou no Kaidan)
Fifth-grader Satsuki Miyanoshita and her younger brother Kei-ichiro move from Tokyo to their mother's hometown after she dies of a long illness. But the kids' adjustment to country life is immediately interrupted when they discover that the old abandoned school near their new school is plagued by every kind of demon, spirit, and monster imaginable!



Korean live action titles:

Guns & Talks
Follow the story of four friends who go into the murder-for-hire business. Though you would think this vicious life would harden a person, these guys are actually quite harmless and congenial when they’re not trying to put you six feet under.

Jail Breakers
Breaking out of jail was a snap for prisoners Jae-pil and Mu-suk. Then, they find out by reading a newspaper that they are on a list to be pardoned. Now they’ll prove from one comedic mishap to the other that getting back into jail will be the hardest thing they’ve ever done.

Jungle Juice
The film follows two halfwits and their bumbling attempts at repaying a debt to a notorious drug boss for a drug deal gone bad.

Marrying the Mafia (Marry or Die)
This gangster comedy will have you in stitches as the tale follows an innocent man’s miserable luck of being conned into marrying into the mafia. The crime boss has always dreamed of having an educated (not the best word) person join the family and he’s found the perfect man to marry his precious daughter.

No Blood, No Tears
This high action film brings two distinctly different women, one an aspiring singer and the other a hardcore gangster turned taxi driver, together. With nothing to loose and the desire for money, they’ll stop at nothing to steal a bag full of cold hard cash.

Public Enemy
When a less than reputable gung-ho cop and a shrewd businessman with a psychotic and sometimes vicious temper cross paths, an intense cat and mouse game ensues with terrible consequences for the looser.



About ADV Films:

In the 12 years since its inception, ADV Films has become the #1 producer-distributor of Japanese animation (“anime”) for the North American market and has also developed a leadership position in the UK. With best-selling titles such as Neon Genesis Evangelion, RahXephon, Robotech, Full Metal Panic!, Hello Kitty and Azumanga Daioh, ADV Films' extensive catalog is fueling the popularity of anime around the globe. ADV Films' library also includes popular live-action science fiction programs such as The Jim Henson Company's Farscape, the nationally syndicated Gene Roddenberry’s Andromeda and the Saturn Award-nominated Mutant X.



Parent company, A.D. Vision, Inc., encompasses a multitude of complementary media divisions, spanning publishing, television, licensing and merchandising and continues to expand into new areas. Its Anime Network™ is America's first and only television network dedicated to bringing anime and anime-related programming to consumers nationwide via digital cable 24 hours a day. The company has two publishing arms: Newtype USA, the premier anime and manga monthly magazine, and ADV Manga™, dedicated to publishing graphic novels. Most recently, the company formed ADV Toys™, creating exclusive toys and collectible merchandise based upon the company's extensive original content holdings. Headquartered in Houston, the company has offices in Europe and Japan. For more information, visit www.advfilms.com.

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Sunday, November 7, 2004

Q and A time part 1.
lots of people been "I saw that Ghost in the Shell 2 has a DVD release of Dec. 28, but it will only contain the japanese audio track. As big as this franchise is now, don't you think that they would have dubbed it too? I'm kind of upset that I'm not going to be able to enjoy all of GITS2's fancy CG animation because I'll be too busy reading subtitles.

I guess they'll create a dub track eventually because it's better marketing to confuse the anime consumer by releasing another version of the same movie over and over again. (like Akira)"

i say "The problem is Ghost in the Shell is so complex and alternative-universe based that it won't have much mass-market appeal. That is why the original GitS was reduced to art house theaters.

There could have been a dub, but I don't think GoFish Productions is equipped with a dubbing department since they haven't dubbed any anime.

And, yes, there is a new version of the original coming soon from Manga Entertainment as well as the next volume of the GitS manga. I don't know how you found other movies unless you were looking at Stand Alone Complex. There are four different versions of the VHS movie.

-Ghost in the Shell dubbed
-Ghost in the Shell subtitled
-Ghost in the Shell Special Edition dubbed
-Ghost in the Shell Special Edition subtitled"

Also one person said "Gravitation is sooo incredibly good!I started watching it tonight and all I can say is wow! Certainly not afraid to cross any lines, that's for sure. It is highly, highly recommended for *mature* audiences."

well I was a bit disappointed in the ending. The manga from that storyline is much better. We've also been watching it subbed--the Japanese cast is incredible.
Right Stuf just listed T-shirts--they have the marketing rights. They've also promised the OVA next summer.

people who havnt seen it say "I'm sort of interested, cus Nabeshin is involved. I obviously don't expect Excel Saga-style comedy on this one, but it's not too melodramatic, is it?"


Well This one is no where near as wild as the manga(Sounds like Excel.....)
Shuichi is insane---idiot-boy lead the Japanese seem so fond of. He decides Eiri doesn't like him because he's a guy, so he dresses in a schoolgirl uniform. I loved it when Sakano decked Touma in the last volume which was just insane.
K's wife(she's seen in the anime as the doll dangling from K's car mirror) kidnaps Shuichi & takes him to America. K tries to save him, per Shuichi's wishes, but she gets the upper hand & Shuichi is indeed whisked away to New York.
They also didn't get into the cooking show. Or show how evil Touma really is. Pretty boy is psycho when it comes to Eiri. I don't recall that jealous lead singer(played by Shinichiro Miki) ending up in the hosptial after Touma forced him into the road & he gets hit.
So the anime seems to focus more on the music career while the manga is more on the relationship. And they skipped a lot--we never see the Nittle Graspers's keyboardist with Bad Luck as she was in the manga until that band re-formed.
The anime has some excellent VA's in Japanese--Takehito Koyasu is Sakano, Shuichi is Tomokazu Seki, Touma is Ai Orikasa, K is Ryoutaro Okiayu(isn't as good as others I've heard with English & the character's American) & Kazuhiko Inoue is Eiri.

Also People say " I assume they probably will stop showing Trigun. Cowboy Bebop is more popular so it can keep running for a longer period of time. Maybe in a couple of months they will show it again but it makes sense to stop showing something after viewers get bored. Did you notice they stopped showing almost all of the GUndam series after they reran it a couple of times. I suggest buying them. If they are too expensive try to split the cost with some friends."

Well Seriously, there's NO excuse for telling someone to get a bootleg, whether you recommend it or not. By Saying that, you did endorse it. There's also NO excuse for buying a bootleg of a licensed series, especially one that is readily available in stores (both online and B&M)

Some Friends been talking about re-making anime saying "Now, today we have really nice technologys and what not. Anime could be considered to be at hight in character design.

with that in mind do any of you think that the new technologys should be used to re-do older anime?

Example; the samurai x movie has different animation from that of ther series (i think it is older) and then there is the Samurai x Oav, which has extremely well defined lines and seems to be that they are more porportional. in Reflections they re-did some of the fight scenes from the series.

Should this be done?"

Well all the 70's animes could be remade... they are awesome but lack graphical attractiveness, Like Lupin The III

And 90% say this "Now,
I heard many people in here mentioning this mang(w)a and I got somewhat interested in it. The trouble is I can't get in Poland but I can get it in December because I wil be visiting Japan then.
My question to those who read it is: is it any good? I tried googling for it with many combinations of "Black and White" "manga" and "mangwa" but just couldnt find anything about it (how in the world does the term "black and white" in google finds "naked s*** in tub" is still beyond me).
So just tell me what you think about B&W and what is the story about."

Ok,Well, this(http://www.artbomb.net/detail.jsp?idx=4&cid=116&tid=113) is the review that made me want to read Black and White, and it pretty much says it all.

It's got a very unique art style - the kind that looks sloppy at first glance, but you can really tell that Taiyo Matsumoto put a lot into it. Really looks like nothing else on the market. Storywise, it's about these two street kids who are completely inseperable and cover up for each other's weaknesses, so a lot of different groups of people try to split them up. Except it's in this really weird town that doesn't exist and lots of bizzare things go down. The characters are very believable and realistic, Black and White has one of the best portrayals of friendship I've ever seen in a comic book. (waring that link may have some *adult* things)

On the Live Action Akira Movie And Other Movies "Akira: Katsuhiro Otomo said to Telerama that PITOF is to direct the live action Akira.

Bandidas: Mexico's newspaper El Universal reports that Steve Zahn and Dwyght Yoakam have joined the cast of "Bandidas", currently shooting in the country with Salma Hayek and Penélope Cruz.

Bride and Prejudice: Nine new stills from the next film from the director of "Bend It Like Beckham" are up at The Hollywood News.

Cube Zero: Screamfest Horror Film Festival announced today that writer and director Ernie Barbarash's new film Cube Zero will premiere at the 4th annual Festival on Friday, October 15th at the Loews Universal Studios at Universal Citywalk.

DVD News: Details are up for ROTK: Ext. Edition, Anacondas, Princess Diaries 2

Edison: The one-sheet for the Justin Timberlake flick is up at Piperabo.

Miami Vice: Jamie Foxx is rumoued for Tubbs in the Michael Mann-helmed film adaptation.

Mindhunters: Various international posters are up at the official site.

The Fantastic Four: Pics of a statue of Dr. Von Doom and the Von Doom corpoate logo is up at HNR. Meanwhile Superhero Hype reports that Laurie Holden ("The X-Files") may have been cast as The Thing's fiance Debbie.

The Ring 2: The first pics from the horror sequel are up at Mysan.

Walk the Line: Hailey Anne Nelson has joined the cast as Johnny Cash's daughter Rosanne. Currently cast are Joaquin Phoenix as Cash, Reese Witherspoon as June Carter Cash and actress Ginnifer Goodwin as Cash's first wife.

X3: Patrick Stewart has mentioned a June 2005 start of production date."

Also There is no new dragon ball series.Don't believe any rumors of new dragonball series. There have been other rumors including Dragonball X, AF,S and Z2 and it's all fake.
The Dragonball cash cow is pretty much dried up and that's how they plan to keep it. They tried to revive Z with GT and got about half the ratings.
So as much as some people may want it, it ain't gonna happen.

Also any pictures you see of further super saiya-jin forms are just purely fan art. BUT Well, it does exist another Dragon Ball thing after Dragon Ball GT, but I seriously can't remember so much of it.

Oh, yes, I've looked over old things that I keep in found this. It does exist the Dragon Ball GT TV Special, which is more than one chapter. It's about the story of Goku Jr. and his friend Pakku.
thats all for today.

Part 2 coming soon
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Saturday, November 6, 2004

mEAG_REPORT
Nike is also currently running an anime advertising campaign, featuring Lebron James, called the Chamber of Fear. Studio 4°C produced animation for the ad, which was originally produced exclusively for the Japanese market but was so well liked by advertising agency Wieden + Kennedy and Nike that they decided to air it in North America as well. The entire ad can be seen online at Nike.com
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Megaman and Devil May Cry heading to the flicks, and movies heading to games too

Japanese publisher Capcom has announced that it is planning to forge ever closer ties with the movie business, with pre-production already underway on cinematic conversions of several of its key titles following the success of the Resident Evil movie.

Devil May Cry is the latest game franchise to be confirmed to be heading to the silver screen, and it joins properties including Onimusha, which is to come out as alive action movie in 2006, and Megaman (or rather, Rockman, to give it its Japanese title), which will spawn an animated feature shortly, having already been developed into an enormously successful anime TV show.

On the flipside, the company is also planning to engage with movie producers who are seeking original games based on their properties, with the firm hoping to create titles which continue the universes of popular films rather than simply creating licensed tie-ins.

A good example is Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas: Oogie's Revenge, which Capcom launched in Japan to a decent commercial response a couple of weeks ago, and which will arrive in the west in the near future.
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Vultures closing in as one of Japan's finest scales back operations

New guidance for the financial year ended March 2003 has been released by Capcom, showing the company posting a loss of 12.7 billion Yen (€106m) - a massive swing from previous estimates, which had anticipated a profit of around 3.8 billion Yen (€31.7m).

The difficult financial status of the company - which is also thought to have significant debts - has caused widespread rumours that it may now be an acquisition target for more cash-rich companies seeking to expand their development base in Japan. Capcom is an attractive target, particularly for platform holders, due to its extensive range of popular franchises such as Resident Evil, Onimusha and Streetfighter.

As ever, the main predator is thought to be Microsoft - who has reportedly sent a team over to Japan for discussions with Capcom's senior management. However, Nintendo is also thought to be in the frame, with the Kyoto-based company keen to continue its newly forged development relationship with Capcom, whose Resident Evil titles have given the GameCube much-needed credibility in the adult market.

Both companies could certainly afford to bail Capcom out without being in any danger of breaking the bank - and certainly, the money Microsoft has just paid Nintendo for its stake in Rare would be considered well spent on a venture like this. Nintendo is not traditionally acquisitive, but much has changed at the company since Satoru Iwata took the reins from long-serving president Hiroshi Yamauchi earlier this year, so the possibility cannot be discounted. Microsoft, meanwhile, certainly has the resources to swallow Capcom, and the desire to break into the Japanese market in a big way; however, the company has had no success in convincing Japanese publishers to sell in the past, despite highly publicised approaches to the likes of Sega and Square.

The drastic reversal of Capcom's fortunes is thought to be mostly due to some very bad investments in the Japanese property market on the part of the company. Japan's economy is intrinsically linked to the value of property, and the downturn experienced by the country in recent years has depreciated property massively, especially in the Tokyo area.

It's probably wise to consider any rumour of a buy-out in this instance with a hefty pinch of salt. Microsoft's name is generally associated with any company that underperforms in the games industry at the moment, but in fact, the Seattle-based giant has only acquired successful companies such as Rare, sensibly leaving those in dire financial straits aside. While Capcom would certainly be an attractive prospect for MS, and it is no doubt making investigations into the possibility of a purchase, it's far too early to seriously consider the prospect of a Microsoft-owned Capcom.
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Strong yen hurts Nintendo's financial forecasts


Currency fluctuations cause share price decline at NCL

Mario and Link have a new task, and it's a quest which few of the millions of fans of the fat plumber and the elven boy could have anticipated; forget Peach and Zelda, this time the two plucky heroes must rescue Nintendo from the clutches of the unsteady global currency markets and the strengthening yen.

Shares in the giant Japanese publisher fell steadily last week, dropping below 15,000 yen on several occasions - the first time that Nintendo shares have done so since the September 11 attacks - as some analysts predicted that the company may realise less than half of its forecasted 90 billion yen (£500m) profit forecast for the year, and may even slip into the red for the first half of fiscal 2002/03.

Over two thirds of Nintendo's sales come from outside Japan, and the company holds billions of dollars worth of assets in Europe and the USA. Last year, the weak yen and strong dollar added a massive bonus to Nintendo's annual figures; the reversal of that situation this year has seen the share price of the company drop 35 per cent since January and may well damage the company's short-term finances seriously. Nintendo's estimates for the year are based on an exchange rate of 130 yen to the dollar; this is currently trading at around 115 yen to the dollar.

However, the trump card held by Nintendo in the face of such currency-related difficulties is, as ever, its strong software line-up. Last Friday saw the release of Mario Sunshine on the GameCube in Japan, supported by an aggressive marketing strategy. A similar set of promotions will accompany Legend of Zelda in December, which will be launched in the USA in February - just in time for US sales to figure in the company's 2002/03 figures. Meanwhile, Pokemon Ruby and Pokemon Sapphire on the GBA will arrive in Japan in November.

All of these titles are expected to sell extremely well, and although the success of such software has been factored into the share price of the company and into its financials, such high-profile launches and visible demand for the titles will undoubtedly bolster stock market confidence in Nintendo.

Following in Nintendo's footsteps, Capcom is to release a free demo disc of Resident Evil 0 on the GameCube, which will be distributed to everyone who pre-orders the title as well as through other outlets. The game is the first of two totally original Resident Evil titles which will appear on the Cube. It follows the success of the remake of the first Resident Evil game, which will be launched in Europe in September. No word has yet been forthcoming about the possibility of a GameCube demo disc strategy in Europe.
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Right hobby, right time.
A fan of Japanese animation created a multimillion-dollar business that is one of the nation's top online retailers.WESTCHASE - On screen, red-haired Tiara and her pet ferret, Japolo, seek to find and return the stolen source of power to the Guardian World.

Inside AnimeNation, Morgan Canaday embarks upon a less ambitious but, to her, equally serious task. She's on the hunt for new Japanese animation to devour.

Keychains with some of her favorite characters jangle from her purse strap as she peruses the new release rack. The 22-year-old Publix cashier speaks in detail about the voice actors who perform on obscure titles.

The theme song from a new disc blasts over the speakers. Canaday names the tune just notes into it, dancing to the beat she calls addictive. "I really want this," she announces to no one in particular.

Canaday is an otaku, the Japanese word that many hardcore U.S. fans of Japanese animation and graphic novels have adopted to describe themselves. Her rental list is 20 DVDs long and growing. She buys what is "cool" or "rocks," and already has more than 150 discs and hundreds of books.

And she has been getting her fix from AnimeNation, just outside Westchase, at least twice a week "forever."

"They get stuff faster than Waldenbooks," Canaday explained. "They have more of a selection. The problem with Best Buy is, you never know if you'll get them all (the discs in a series). Here, you know they have it."

As the sign on the shop wall says, if you can't find an item on the shelf, just ask. The store keeps more than 8,000 items in stock. They have it because AnimeNation has quietly become one of the country's top two online retailers specializing in Japanese animation.

* * *
Owner Gene Field considers himself lucky to have stumbled into success.

After graduating from Clearwater Central Catholic High, Field, now 37, knocked around at odd jobs for a year, never finding anything that suited him.

He joined the Coast Guard, his father's profession, for an eight-year stint. Then he returned to an eclectic collection of jobs - clerk at CompUSA, airplane mechanic and guitarist among them - rarely holding a post for more than a month.

Nothing seemed to fit.

It was his hobby, of all things, that became his multimillion-dollar business.

The Internet as we know it didn't really exist in 1995. But Field enjoyed tinkering with the system, creating a fan site - really a single-page computerized bulletin board - featuring pictures from Japanese animated movies and television shows that he enjoyed as a kid.

Web page owners were charged by the visit at the time, and the site got so many hits that he couldn't afford the bill. But the people who saw the artwork began clamoring for more, asking Field to sell the movies they came from.

"I decided to take a chance," he said.

Thinking ahead, Field bought two copies for each title someone requested, and began creating a stockpile. When cash ran low, he sold the Volkswagen minibus he once had driven to and from Alaska, leaving him with just a bicycle to take orders to the post office.

"Anime was always an interest, kind of a hobby," he explained, sitting in his office filled with character art, figurines and other collectibles. "It just grew by itself once I put it online."

* * *
As it turned out, Field could not have had better timing.

Internet use was growing, along with interest in anime. He lucked into the business version of a perfect storm.

Animation was part of the Japanese film industry before World War II, with artists consciously moving to color animated movies for the international market in the 1950s.

By the 1960s, television became the medium of choice and some of the more notable characters such as Astro Boy and Speed Racer made their way to the United States. American fans were largely aware they were watching Japanese shows, as they had been culturally stripped in translation.

But they made the connection in the late 1970s, said anime historian Fred Patten. "Cult fandom" grew, Patten said, as people traded videotapes of shows they recorded off the Japanese stations in New York, Los Angeles and, sometimes, with friends in Japan.

Science fiction buffs, in particular, preferred the stylized art and mature themes of the Japanese shows over the more childish fare of American animation.

"Fans were always asking for Japanese animation to be made commercially available in the United States," Patten said.

The Star Wars generation warmed up to the Japanese Robotech, but anime was still far from the mainstream.

"The professional companies putting out videotapes in the 1980s said, "Nobody in the U.S. is really interested in that, except you freaks,' " Patten said.

By the late 1980s, some early anime fans were making money and starting companies to bring the films and programs to the U.S. market. The 1988 release of Akira, an apocalyptic animated movie, pushed the genre to a new level.

"With the film Akira, you really had not only a kind of cult boom in Japanese animation, but something that really stood out as distinct," Yale University film expert Aaron Gerow said. "It wowed people."

The next three years saw the first round of startup companies licensing more and more titles for U.S. distribution, Patten said.

Mainstream chains saw there was money to be made. The SciFi Channel aired some of the most popular animes, and the industry got another boost.

So by 1995 - the year Field started his fan page and the for-girls action anime Sailor Moon premiered in the United States - the pump was primed for success.

* * *
At first, Field ran AnimeNation on a shoestring.

He had a small warehouse in Clearwater with a small staff, and barely scraped together enough money to print a 12-page catalog. He never intended to have even a walk-in store.

Then fans started dropping by and "we had to start a retail shop just to keep people out of the warehouse."

Within a year, his 12-page catalog had grown to 100 pages and 22,000 copies. The privately held company now has a mailing list of more than 70,000, and its Web site - www.animenation.com - has more links in the anime world than any other.

Field won't reveal actual sales because of competition, but says business is in the multimillions.

Sensing its growth might be big, Field and his business partner-wife, Connie, built a 15,000-square-foot warehouse five years ago in a light industrial park at Race Track Road and Countryway Boulevard. The company fits there comfortably with room to expand, and it's just a short commute from their Safety Harbor home.

"We're not small, but at the same time we try to market ourselves and separate ourselves from the Best Buys and the Amazons," Connie Field said. "When you call us, we are all fans."

As AnimeNation experienced success, general entertainment retailers also found their way to anime.

"We've really seen explosive growth over the last four years," said Beth Bingham, spokeswoman for Borders Books, whose outlets have expanded their anime and graphic novel sections exponentially to meet demand.

Disney recently started releasing the critically acclaimed work of Hayao Miyazaki, with Spirited Away - the tale of a young girl trapped in a spirit world who must find the courage to save her parents - winning an Academy Award in 2002.

The Cartoon Network airs anime during its afternoon Toonami programming and its after-hours Adult Swim. The latter slots were No. 1 in the September ratings for basic cable among 18- to 34-year-olds.

The network plans to debut two hot titles - the long awaited Fullmetal Alchemist and Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex - in November.

"I think anime has been around enough now that it has penetrated a broad mindset," said Terry Kalagian, the network's vice president for acquisitions and coproduction. "We see that evidenced by the success of Pokemon and the success of Yu-Gi-Oh!"

Mainstreaming is a double-edged sword, said John Oppinger, AnimeNation's resident anime expert. It makes the art form he and others obsess over more recognized. It also exposes viewers to "Americanized" anime.

One thing is certain, though.

It forced AnimeNation to rethink its future.

* * *
The ability to rent or buy Japanese anime at Blockbuster excited fans.

"But we knew it was a scary thing," Connie Field said. AnimeNation did not want to go the way of the mom-and-pop store.

"We had to compete with the mass merchants," Gene Field added, nodding.

That meant moving in new directions.

Already, AnimeNation had branded itself. Fans would use its Web site to buy products, and also to discuss the latest news and rumors about shows and characters. Oppinger had become a semi-celebrity at anime conventions because of his knowledgeable "Ask John" column.

The company name regularly came up - usually positively - in online chatter.

The next logical step, Gene Field said, was to license and distribute titles. After lengthy negotiations, the newly formed AN Entertainment released its first DVD, Risky Safety, to generally positive reviews in 2003. To see the first episode, visit www.animenation.net/anent/riskysafety/funbox.php?v=risky

AN Entertainment issued its second series, a more violent and risque Miami Guns, this year, and announced its acquisition of the hip cult series Hare+Guu for release in 2005.

AnimeNation also launched an online rental division, Rentanime.com. Customers can rent up to three titles at a time, with no set return date, for $19.95 monthly. When the DVDs become less popular, or have been circulated enough, they go into the company's used sale bin for half price.

* * *
Next year, AnimeNation celebrates its 10th anniversary, and the Fields are confident that success will continue.

"I saw the numbers in an article of what the industry is projected," Gene Field said. "Maybe $1-billion. It wasn't a small amount. I read Dragon Ball Z alone sold $100-million."

They plan to issue a full-color glossy collector catalog, propel Hare+Guu into the market and grow Rentanime.com, while also keeping an eye out for the next set of titles to license.

"We're trying to do it right, and not get ahead of ourselves," Gene Field said.

That's something Chris Maas of Town 'N Country expects.

Maas, 24, is such a fan that he named his son, Krylin, after a Dragon Ball Z character, and he's now trying to collect all the DVDs that feature the character for his son. He said he got into anime as a way to stay out of trouble, and quickly became an AnimeNation regular.

And though he could do all his shopping online, he comes to the warehouse and store instead, because of the personal touch.

"I use the online to find stuff, but I like to come in because I like the people," Maas said.

He headed off to rent some videos for the weekend that he hadn't already seen.

Luckily, he said, many on his list were available.
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ok i tyeped alot. i was off-line for 3 days writing all of this. anyway for all you guys that read gamefaqs boards it said "Apparently, an unnamed 4kids source has mentioned it on the gamefaqs boards, Studio Pierrot has mentioned a NA company has it, and it goes on and on....

Viz has said that the title is too expensive at this time to license.

Bandai has stated that the US fans have shot themselves in the foot with this title and that the Japanese company is now asking a large amount of money.

Funimation has denied having the license to Naruto.

ADV has denied having the license to Naruto.
my friend Tempest from the forums posted a statement that 4kids does not have Naruto followed by an "Oops, did I say that."
anyway Rumors are wrong 99% of the time.
Message boards where the administrators can't even monitor every board are not a great source of information. Anyone can lie and pretend to be anyone they want, and there's almost no accountability.

Furthermore, even if GameFAQs was well-staffed, 4Kids is not a gaming company; it is unlikely that an administrator would be inclined to recognize their status as an employee of 4Kids (or somehow lend credibility to that person's posts). You'll notice that we DO offer special titles to representatives.. but only of certain companies (specifically, anime-licensing or manga-licensing companies. Don't expect John Carmack from iD to get recognition unless he were working on an anime project). I don't believe GameFAQs does this for anime companies.

Finally, not all employees know everything about a company; a sorter in the mail room or a middleman paper shuffler might be a "company employee" but they're certainly not in the important decision-making processes. Even if someone works in licensing, it might be toy licensing or other products unrelated to the anime itself.

The result is that basically anyone can pretend to be an employee and, for a period of time, get away with that lie. Even if the employee is telling the truth, there's no guarantee that said employee holds any influence within the company, or is privvy to high-level business decisions.

IOW, only when the source is verifiable, trustworthy and reliable can their information be trusted. Use discretion before believing rumors; look for collaborating information.

And never, never, assume that what is written means anything more than what was written, even from a verified and trustworthy source. :)


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Friday, November 5, 2004

Cowboy Bebop
The Beautiful Losers to be present at Anime Destiny 2004 next weekend.


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The artist producer team of Indo-Canadian singer songwriter Raj Ramayya and San Francisco born guitarist, Brett Boyd, collectively known as The Beautiful Losers, are scheduled to appear at UC Berkeley's first anime convention, Anime Destiny 2004. The event is hosted by the university's anime club, Cal Animage Alpha.

Raj Ramayya singer/songwriter for The Beautiful Losers has been involved with writing and singing songs with Yoko Kanno (Cowboy Bebop, Ghost in the Shell, Wolf's Rain etc.) and was featured as the vocalist on theme song "Ask D.N.A" for the movie version of Cowboy Bebop. Ramayya has also been featured as a vocalist/lyricist in the popular Wolf's Rain song "Strangers" and has co-written several game software songs for Konami`s GuitarMania and Beatmania series.

TBL's brand of "electro-acoustic-Indian-alternative-rock" is quickly gaining popularity with an incredibly fresh twist on classic rock songwriting and traditional Indian instrumentation. Both Boyd and Ramayya have been involved in several collaborations with projects and artists as diverse as Soundgarden's Kim Thayil, Pearl Jam's Matt Cameron, Canadian songwriting guru Ron Sexsmith, Mott the Hoople's, Morgan Fisher, DJ producer and Asian Billboard top five artist Captain Funk, guitar virtuoso Paul Gilbert and many others.

As a production songwriting team, TBL have penned tunes for game software giants Sega, Konami and Sony Playstation as well as jingles for Mazda, Toyota, Volvic, Ricoh Copiers and many other international clients. Formed in Tokyo, Japan in 1998, The Beautiful Losers have been garnering a strong and loyal following in both the U.S and Japan with plans to tour internationally.
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Also a friend of mine said

"It's true... Cal Animage Alpha will be hosting a con featuring the Beautiful Losers. Here's a little about the con:

The con will specifically be held on Sunday, Novermber 14th, from 10am-10pm in the Valley Life Science Building, in the heart of the Berkeley campus. Along with the band we will have:

Cosplay Contests
AMV Contest
Karaoke
Dealer's Room
Video Programming (AKA Stuff to watch)
Focus Panels
Swap Meets
Dealers... And More!

There is a $10.00 entry fee, but is only $8.00 if you register by the 7th. More information may be found on the CAA website and by mailing us:

http://animage.berkeley.edu/animed
animage@ocf.berkeley.edu

See you at the con!
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Thursday, November 4, 2004

box/ something
Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence played in 47 theaters around North America this weekend, and earned $501 per theater. In its first week of release in Canada, it's box office sales were up 37% from the previous week, bringing its box office total to $924,482 and moving it from 69th in the box office chart to 58th.

Yu-Gi-Oh! The Movie played in 66 theaters this weekend, earning an average of $116 per theater, bringing it's box office total up to $19,762,690 after 12 weeks in theaters. It ranked 78th at the box office, down from 54th last week.

Meanwhile Ju-On: The Grudge, the original Japanese movie that spawned several sequels, manga spin-offs and a Hollywood movie starring Sarah Michelle Gellar ranked 93rd at the box office, up from 97th last week.
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CPM Licenses Haru wo Daiteita (2004-11-04 14:05:57)
Central Park Media announced at Yaoi-con this weekend that they have licensed yaoi manga series Haru wo Daiteita (Embracing Love). They expect book 1 to be released in May 2005 (not April as first planned).
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Variety reports (subscription required) that Tom DeSanto (executive producer of the X-Men movies) wrote the original story for the upcoming Transformers live-action movie, and that John Rogers (Writer for Catwoman) will be adapting the story into a screenplay.

Tom DeSanto, along with X-Men co-executive producer Don Murphy and Lorenzo Di Bonaventura, is also producing the movie.

The movie, due out in summer 2006, is being jointly produced by DreamWorks and Paramount, under the executive-production of Steven Spielberg.

According to Variety, the movie is likely to be a "Franchise Property."
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Tuesday, November 2, 2004

QUIZ

All-Round Gamer


(results contain pictures) What type of GAMER are you?
brought to you by Quizilla


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DMP Announces New Yaoi Title at Yaoi Con
Digital Manga Publishing (DMP) has announced the acquisition of Makoto Tateno’s Yellow, a popular Yaoi manga currently serialized in Be x Boy Comics. DMP will also be adding a Yaoi edition to its Lets Draw Manga series, Let’s Draw Manga – Yaoi.
what is Yaoi
Yaoi is Anime with strong, graphicly portrayed homo-erotic themes. In otherwords, Yaoi is pornographic Anime featuring men with men. Unlike North American gay-porn, the target audience for Yaoi is female. The word Yaoi is actually an acronym of "Yama nashi, Ochi nashi, Imi nashi" (No climax, no point, no meaning), this is because Yaoi, much like other forms of pornography, and unlike Shonen-ai, often focuses exclusively on the sex, with only the minimal necessary story.

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Monday, November 1, 2004

'Blade: Trinity' Soundtrack Features Manga and Anime-Style Animation
'Blade: Trinity' Soundtrack Features Exclusive New Music From Lil' Flip, WC, E-40, Members of Wu-Tang Clan

Soundtrack for New Line Cinema Film Due in Stores November 23, Comes in Two
Editions; 'Deluxe' Version Includes DVD, Nine-Panel Manga Comic

LOS ANGELES, Oct. 28 /PRNewswire/ -- Lil' Flip, WC, E-40, The RZA,
Ghostface Killah and Raekwon of Wu-Tang Clan are among the platinum artists
who appear on the highly-anticipated "Blade: Trinity" motion picture
soundtrack from New Line Records. Set for a Nov. 23 release, the soundtrack
features five tracks produced by The RZA (Wu-Tang Clan), who co-composed the
film's score with newcomer Ramin Djawadi. A complete track listing for the
soundtrack is below. Starring Wesley Snipes, Ryan Reynolds and Jessica Biel,
"Blade: Trinity" is the third film in the successful Blade franchise and is
scheduled for a Dec. 8 release.
"Working with The RZA was a great experience," said David Goyer, "Blade:
Trinity's" director, writer and producer. "He pulls in so many different,
wide-ranging elements for his sounds and constantly surprises you. You never
know where he'll find inspiration."
The movie's soundtrack will be available in two editions. The "Deluxe"
edition includes a nine-panel manga comic piece by Takashi Okazaki, the
creator of the successful Afro Samurai series; and a bonus DVD that features a
four-and-a-half minute anime piece from the creators of Blokhedz, a 13-minute
behind-the-scenes documentary on the making of the movie's music including
interviews with David Goyer, The RZA and Djawadi; a 5-minute behind-the-scenes
documentary on the making of the anime comic; a "Blade" weapons gallery; early
costume and production sketches for the "Blade" films; and a gallery of the
international "Blade" movie posters.
"I'm really excited about the deluxe edition of the soundtrack -- it's
always cool when you can give the fans something special and authentic," said
Goyer.
The soundtrack's other version does not include the DVD, comic, production
sketches or the movie poster gallery.
Following is the complete "Blade: Trinity" Original Motion Picture
Soundtrack track listing:

Fatal -- The RZA
I Gotta Get Paid -- Lil' Flip/ Ghostface Killah/ Raekwon
When The Guns Come Out -- WC/E-40
Thirsty -- Black Keith & ODB
Daywalkers (Foot Chase) -- Ramin/ RZA
Party In Tha Morgue -- Kool Keith
Skylight -- Overseer
Hardwax -- Manchild
Bombs Away -- Paris Texas
Weapons of Mad Distortion -- Crystal Method
The Blood -- Black Lab
Blade's Back -- Ramin Diawadi

For more information on the "Blade: Trinity" soundtrack please contact
Tremedia: Tresa Sanders at 845-623-2325 or at tremedia@optonline.net

Or for further information, please contact Candice McDonough of New Line
Cinema, +1-310-967-6991.

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