Anime Network Taken Off Comcast, Put on DirecTV
May 30, 2009 by tcgames · 4 Comments
A.D. Vision‘s Anime Network television service has announced on its web forum on Friday that it will no longer be available on the Comcast cable service provider in the United States. At the same time, The Anime Network announced it is available on the VOD service from the DirecTV satellite television provider. The network is also offering the first five episodes of the Kiba, Mezzo, and Azumanga Daioh anime series on the Ovi Phone Service for select Nokia phones.
Thank you to Prede for the news tip.
Update: The American anime distributor Funimation put its Funimation Anime video-on-demand content on Comcast earlier this month. This move coincided with the removal of Comcast‘s own Anime Selects package from the same cable provider.
The Anime Network was available as one of DirecTV’s Pay per View Channels in 2006. It later became part of DirecTV’s Video On Demand offerings.
Battle Spirits Anime Renewed For Second Season
May 27, 2009 by tcgames · Leave a Comment
The Battle Spirits anime, based on the TCG soon to be launched in the U.S. by Bandai America (see “Bandai Brings Battle Spirits TCG to U.S.”), has been renewed for a second season in Japan. The information was released in the July issue of Kadokawa Shoten’s Kerokero Ace magazine, according to 2channel via Anime News Network. The magazine is the home of the Battle Spirits manga, also based on the TCG.
The additional episodes and continuing success of the anime make it more likely that it will appear on TV in the U.S.
Code Geass Anime On YouTube Courtesy Of Bandai Entertainment
Bandai Entertainment has posted the first season of Code Geass up on Youtube. The episodes are available with subtitles or English audio.
The Holy Empire of Britannia conquered the country previously known as Japan and now known just as “Area 11.” The empire has been using their military power to conquer various countries as areas. Their strength is based on robotic weapons called Knightmares. Lelouch, the black prince, has fiery ambition in his heart and will stop at nothing to achieve his goal.
He obtains the power of the Geass and decides to use that power for the sake of his sister Nunnally and to build a world based on his ideals. Suzaku Kururugi, the white knight, is assigned to pilot the Knightmare Frame Lancelot and tries to achieve his ideals for justice while overcoming the hurdles of reality. The paths these two take will change the relationship of the Britannia Empire and Elevens.
Check out episode one of Code Geass HERE, and here is the link the visit Bandai’s YouTube page. Read more
Live-action Full Metal Panic anime headed for the big screen
Mandalay Pictures has acquired theatrical rights to and will develop a big-screen version of Full Metal Panic, a Japanese manga series that blends action, comedy and high school romance, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
The property derives from writer Shoji Gatoh’s series about a teenage anti-terrorist commando named Sousuke Sagara, who is given the mission to protect a high-school girl with mystical powers.
Funimation Acquires ‘Full Metal Alchemist: Brotherhood’
April 6, 2009 by tcgames · 2 Comments
Funimation Entertainment has announced the acquisition of digital, broadcast, DVD and merchandising rights to the new Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood anime series, which debuted in Japan at 5pm on April 5th. FMA: Brotherhood is the sequel to the original 51-episode Fullmetal Alchemist series that received mega exposure on the Cartoon Network and dominated the first annual American Anime Awards.
The Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood anime series was directed by Yasuhiro Irie (Kurau Phantom Memory) and written by Hiroshi Onagi (RahXephon). Viz Media is releasing the18th volume of Hiromu Arakawa’s Full Metal Alchemist manga (the basis for both FMA anime series) in May.
Starting at 10 am on Thursday April 9th Funimation plans to begin streaming subtitled episodes of the FMA: Brotherhood for free on its Website. Funimation’s President and CEO Gen Fukunaga was pleased that his company was able to simulcast what he called “the most anticipated series of 2009,” and indicated that Funimation was “working toward the simulcasting of more series this year.”
It should be interesting to see if an English language-dubbed version of FMA: Brotherhood will be aired on the Cartoon Network (where the first FMA series was a major hit on Adult Swim) or some other prime cable venue. Will the near simulcasting of subtitled anime series become the new paradigm for anime distribution, or will there be a mixture of simulcasting subtitled versions and broadcasting dubbed versions of the most popular series such as FMA?
Bandai Acquires Rights To ‘Lucky Star OVA’ Anime
March 4, 2009 by tcgames · Leave a Comment
Bandai Entertainment has announced that it has acquired the rights to Lucky Star OVA, a 42-minute addendum to the 24-episode Lucky Star TV anime series. Both the Lucky Star TV anime and the Lucky Star OVA were produced by Kyoto Animation (The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya, Kanon). The announcement of the acquisition of the Lucky Star OVA by Bandai was expected because Bandai has distributed the Lucky Star TV anime here (see “Bandai Snags Lucky Star”).
The Lucky Star anime productions are based on Kagami Yoshimizu’s four-panel (yonkoma) manga strip about a lazy, anime and video game obsessed schoolgirl that appears in Kadokawa Shoten’s Comptiq magazine.
Bandai has not announced a street date or pricing details for the Lucky Star OVA. Bandai plans to release the sixth and final volume of the Lucky Star TV anime on March 17th. Bandai has cancelled the Limited Edition of Lucky Star Vol.6, an indication that the series has not met with the kind of sales success enjoyed by The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya.
Source: icv2.com
Best Buy Cuts Anime Titles Down To Top Sellers Only
February 20, 2009 by tcgames · 3 Comments
Best Buy is about to dramatically change its anime strategy, eliminating most anime from nearly half its stores, according to an industry source. The change will focus Best Buy’s anime efforts on those stores that have historically done best with the category, and nearly eliminate anime in stores that have produced a disproportionate share of anime returns.
The new strategy will kick off March 1st, when 50% off anime closeout sales will begin in over 460 stores nationwide. After the sales end on March 21st, those stores will offer only around 20 core anime SKUs.
Over 500 Best Buy stores will continue to carry over 100 anime SKUs, and roughly the top 200 anime stores in the Best Buy chain will carry large scale anime assortments similar to what they’re carrying now. The move is expected to retain most of the chain’s anime sales, and perhaps even improve sales in the stores with larger assortments due to fewer stock-outs and deeper inventory.
Of national mass merchants, Best Buy carries the largest anime assortments now, and that won’t change. And Best Buy is easily the largest single seller of most anime titles not carried by Walmart, and that also won’t change as a result of these moves.
For fans in those areas served by Best Buy stores that are cutting their anime assortments, there are a lot fewer alternatives than there were when Best Buy started carrying more anime a few years back. Many comic and game stores have cut their anime offerings and video stores have been closing at a rapid rate. So unless other brick and mortar retailers increase their selections in areas where Best Buy is cutting back, online retailers may be the only option for fans wanting a broader selection of anime in some areas.
Source: icv2.com
‘Astro Boy’ Back On Track After Brief Delay
Variety is reporting that the Hong Kong-based Imagi Entertainment has received funding to resume work on its CGI Astro Boy feature, which was shut down briefly as the company searched for bridge financing until an expected infusion of funding from private equity companies arrives. The film, which is based on the classic manga by Osamu Tezuka and isslated to open in more than 3000 theaters in North America on October 23rd, features an all-star vocal cast that includes Kristen Bell, Nicholas Cage, Freddie Highmore, Bill Nighy, Eugene Levy, and Donald Sutherland.
The Astro Boy situation indicates that during the current “credit crunch” projects that would have received financing easily in the past can be put in jeopardy as studios scramble to arrange financing as previous sources of cash evaporate and hard-pressed investors have to pull out of projects. Although the strong box office numbers in Q4 2008 and so far in 2009 indicate that movies are countercyclical, like other industries, the studios, especially smaller companies and mid-majors, are struggling with financing, even it seems when things are supposedly all set. The new Variety report contradicts a previous Variety article from December 29th that indicated that, although Imagi did not have the financing for any of its next three announced projects, Gatchaman, Tusker, and Cat Tale, the money for Astro Boy was in place.
Source: icv2.com
Scifi Channel To Air ‘Rave Master’ Anime in March
January 20, 2009 by tcgames · 3 Comments
The Sci Fi Channel will begin airing the 51-episode Rave Master anime series on its Ani-Monday block starting on March 16th. Two episodes of Rave Master will follow repeated episodes of Gainax’s Gurren Lagann. The first season of Gundam 00, the current mainstay of Ani-Monday, will end with a flourish. Four episodes will be shown back-to-back on February 2nd, and the final episode will air on February 9th followed by the Appleseed anime movie. According to Nebs Blog, the 1996 anime movie X, directed by Rintaro, produced by Madhouse, and based on the Clamp manga will be shown on February 16th, followed by the Street Fighter Alpha movie on February 23rd, Manga Entertainment’s Straight Jacket on March 2nd, and the classic Ninja Scroll anime feature on March 9th. Gurren Lagann and Rave Master then take over on the 16th.
Rave Master, which was heavily edited for a previous run on the kid-centric Toonami and Miguzi blocks on the Cartoon Network, appears to be a rather bizarre choice for a midnight run. The Cartoon Network did show all 51 episodes of Rave Master (though the series ended its run buried on the milkman’s shift at 6am). Many anime fans were hoping that Sci Fi Channel would run the second season of Gundam 00, which is currently airing in Japan, right after completing the first season, but apparently they will have to wait and hope that unlike the Cartoon Network, which never ran Gundam Seed Destiny (after airing Gundam Seed), the Sci Fi Channel will follow through on its Gundam initiative. Certainly the Gundam anime with its science fiction plot and plentiful mecha action is an excellent fit for the Sci-Fi Channel.
Produced by Studio Deen, the Rave Master anime is based on Hiro Mashima’s 35-volume Groove Adventure RAVE manga series, which Tokyopop has published here in North America as Rave Master. Volume 32 in the series is due out from Tokyopop on February 3’rd.
Source: icv2.com
Keanu Reeves Set To Star In Live-Action ‘Cowboy Bebop’ Film
January 15, 2009 by tcgames · Leave a Comment
The Japanese animation studio Sunrise has officially announced the plans for a live-action film adaptation of its Cowboy Bebop science-fiction anime franchise. The American film studio Twentieth Century Fox, the production company 3 Arts Entertainment, and Sunrise itself are collaborating on the project. Keanu Reeves (The Matrix, A Scanner Darkly, Johnny Mnemonic) is slated to star. Joshua Long is acting as a production supervisor, and Erwin Stoff, a film producer who worked closely with Reeves on The Matrix and A Scanner Darkly, is also attached. The associate producers are Sunrise President Kenji Uchida, the original Cowboy Bebop director Shinichiro Watanabe, and the original series script supervisor Keiko Nobumoto. The Sunrise studio itself and Masahiko Minami (former Sunrise producer and BONES studio co-founder) are both acting as production consultants.
Stoff first revealed the existence of the proposed project last July to the IFMagazine.com entertainment website after the parties “just signed it the other day.” Reeves confirmed the plans and his intentions to play the lead role with MTV Movies Blog last month. He also indicated that the preliminary story outline partly draws inspiration from the “Red Eye” storyline from the first episode of the animated series. Reeves and Watanabe had previously worked together on the “Kid’s Story” segment of The Animatrix animated video anthology.
Watanabe’s original Cowboy Bebop series follows the motley crew of the spaceship Bebop as it travels throughout the solar system in search of the next job. The anime distributor Bandai Entertainment and Cartoon Network’s Adult Swim programming block released the 1998 television series in the United States, and Sony Pictures Home Entertainment released the subsequent 2001 animated movie. The anime was also adapted into two separate manga series, and Tokyopop released both manga series in North America.
Source: Anime News Network
