| { Anime News } |
| Fist of the North Star Announced for DVD (in Japan) Toei Animation has announced that they will release the Hokuto no Ken Super Premium DVD Boxed Set on July 24th. The massive set will include all 152 TV episodes from the 1984 Hokuto no Ken TV series and 1987 Hokuto No Ken 2 TV series on 26 DVDs, digitally remastered! The set will come in a serially numbered box with a 100 page color booklet, diorama poster and an exclusive Kenshiro action figure and retail for 100,000 yen, or approximately $800 in American currency. This set will designate the first time that the entire Hokuto No Ken TV animation series has ever been released on home video in any format. Bandai Announces .Hack//Sign for America To little surprise, Bandai Entertainment has officially confirmed their forthcoming American distribution of the new .Hack//Sign anime and PS2 RPG series. The .Hack fantasy RPG is a serial story told in at least 4 Playstation 2 RPGs. Only the first .Hack RPG has yet been released in Japan. Like the Japanese limited edition version of the first .Hack game, the American release of the PS2 game will include a copy of the 30 minute long .Hack anime OAV. Bandai will also be translating and releasing in America the anime TV series adaptation that's currently airing on Japanese television. No American release dates have been revealed yet. Is it a game? Or is it a world? .hack//SIGN the anime series� "The World" is immersive virtual gaming environment of the future. Millions of players log on each day to test their skills in virtual adventures and battles. But when reality and virtual reality collide, a whole new adventure unfolds. .hack//SIGN boasts character designs by famed illustrator Yoshiyuki Sadamoto (Neon Genesis Evangelion and Wings of Honneamise), an engaging and immersive storyline scripted by Kazunori Ito (Ghost in the Shell and Patlabor), and directed by Kouichi Mashimo (Noir and Irresponsible Captain Tylor). Media Blasters Announces New Acquisitions After virtually ignoring their website for over 6 months, Media Blasters has now re-launched their homepage with a new site design and word of several new licenses. Several of the titles announced have been announced before, but several of the titles, including 10 Warriors of Tokyo, Demon Lord Dante, Dog World, Leiji Matsumoto's Gun Frontier, Mars, and Varom One are seemingly series that have not yet premiered in Japan. The existing titles include: Babel II - the recent TV series adaptation of the classic psychic warfare action manga. Genma Wars - the currently on air TV series adaptation of the classic psychic/sci-fi anime movie Harmageddon. Idol Project - A wonderful and bizarre 4 episode OAV series featuring literally hundreds of cute anime girls and a cast including a half-dozen of the most famous voice actresses to ever work in the industry. Jungle Emperor Leo - better known to Americans as Kimba the White Lion. Madara - a violent 2 episode OAV series from the early 1990s involving fantasy settings and cyborgs. Space Pirate Mito - the 13 episode 1999 space adventure/action comedy from Xebec. It was quickly followed by a second 13 episode season/series. Wild 7 Another - the currently on air TV series adaptation of the classic manga about wild and violent motorcycle police. Y's - The classic Falcom fantasy RPG series was turned into 2 OAV series in the late 1980s. Pistol Opera - Revered yakuza movie director Seijun Suzuki returned to directing last year with this wild and bizarre live action story about a guild of professional assassins. Record of Lodoss War OAV Rereleased Central Park Media has announced that the Record of Lodoss War OAV series DVD boxed set will be re-released in a re-mastered "enhanced" edition on July 9th. The price of the 2 disc set will remain at $59.99. New Detail on Strawberry Egg US Release Pioneer has revealed that I, My, Me Strawberry Egg will retain its original, full Japanese title for the US release; however the "I, My, Me" part of the title will be significantly minimized for the US release. The Japanese release was 5 DVDs; the US release will be 4 DVDs. The US release will not include reversible covers because doing so would require one original Japanese cover to be left out- in effect, instead of releasing only 4 of 5 Japanese covers in America, Pioneer won't release any at all. The DVDs will include most of the supplemental material from the Japanese DVDs featuring two different subtitle tracks- one to translate everything and one for use in conjunction with the English dubbed audio which subtitles only on-screen text. The dialogue subtitles will retain some of the original Japanese family names and terms usually altered for English subtitled versions. These terms will be translated in the liner notes. English Cowboy Bebop Movie Cast Finalized? According to the official Japanese Cowboy Bebop homepage, the American version of the Cowboy Bebop movie from Columbia Pictures' Destination Films will retain the principal dub voice actors from Bandai's release of the television series. And seemingly in response to the fading popularity of Cowboy Bebop in Japan, the official Japanese site has announced that it will close permanently at the end of the month. Fox Acquires Rights To Live-Action DBZ According to the Hollywood Reporter, 20th Century Fox has acquired the rights to develop a live-action franchise around Dragonball Z. Does this mean we'll soon see Goku and cast in the flesh? Who could ever do justice to Vegeta? Spirited Away American Premier Announced The San Francisco Film Society has announced that it will sponsor the North American premier of Hayao Miyazaki's Sen to Chihiro no Kamikakushi in a subtitled print to be screened at the Castro Theater in San Francisco, California on Saturday and Sunday April 20th and 21st. What is not made clear is whether or not this screening is a Disney sanctioned event or a print supplied by Buena Vista Entertainment. The Disney company owns the North American distribution rights to the film. |