Not so much news as it is olds…

That's the thing about these scheduled blogs, you polish off your delicate prose, and post your missive proudly to the ether, and then an hour later there's something else to write about. Rather than hog webspace and add a bloggette for each new item of interest, I choose to save them up for the next issue. But in Internet time, a week is an eternity, and this first item feels as if it belongs in the dark ages.

How do you say snikt in Japanese?

It happened with Top Cow's Witchblade, and it has also happened recently to DC Comics' Batman, now Marvel Comics are getting in on the anime action, and four anime series will be created by top animation producers Madhouse (Black Lagoon), featuring classic Marvel characters. Each series will be 12 episodes long, running to thirty minutes per episode and will debut in 2010. No further details beyond the first series involving Iron Man and Wolverine, although you have more lines to read between at Anime News Network.

Blu-Metal Alchemist!

You can't get away from Full Metal Alchemist if you tried. Following last week's announcement of a new television series, Funimation in the US have started touting the Blu-ray release of the Full Metal Alchemist movie. That's pretty much all there is to that, but it got my blood flowing. Read pretty much the same thing at Anime On DVD.

… first the good news and then the bad…

Last week's sneaky announcement that Manga Entertainment had picked up a whole lot of Funimation titles (You can add Baldr Force EXE to last week's list) certainly got a lot of fans buzzing, indicating a change in the way Funimation anime is distributed in the UK. The other side of the equation became clear when Revelation's upcoming Funimation releases began to vanish from retailer websites. EyeOnAnime posted a statement midweek regarding this, and I also received an e-mail this morning from Revelation regarding the move…

We have decided to postpone all of our remaining releases for 2008 and concentrate on pushing our existing titles.

A full release schedule for 2009, including the postponed titles, will be announced later in the year.

Looking at Revelation's forthcoming releases, only three more non-anime titles are scheduled for the rest of 2008, which implies this isn't just restricted to the Funimation discs.

With seven anime series left in hiatus, and with Mushi-shi, Peach Girl, and Tsubasa Season 1, each just one volume away from completion, personally I hope that the schedule resumes sooner rather than later.

Last week turned out to be another bumper week for anime reviews, and I got off to a flying start with the outstanding Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya on Monday. This series has had fans raving and extolling its virtues the world over, ever since it made a seismic impact with its debut in 2006. Beez have been releasing it in the UK this year, in single and in delicious Limited Edition form, but bargain hunter that I am, I opted for the recently released Region 1 series boxset. Find out why every anime fan should have this unparalleled series in their collection by clicking away.









On Wednesday I got off the blocks first with my review of MVM's new series, Starship Operators: Volume 1. It's a novel twist on the space opera genre, with a space war declared, and a group of teenage cadets left in command of their nation's most modern warship. While their government rapidly capitulates, they decide to fight on, but to fund their campaign, they invite a TV crew aboard, and soon the war becomes a reality TV show. The science buff in me was astounded at the real world physics and attention to detail in the technology, but see if the story matched by reading my review.









David Beckett quickly followed with his review of The Ultimate Anime Horror Collection, a title that had him consulting the Trade Descriptions Act. This collection gathers three venerable classics of yesteryear, Psycho Diver, Bio Hunter and Twilight Of The Dark Master. Now David is to horror, as I am to anime, so see how these movies stood up to his measured and informed scrutiny…












Manga Entertainment had something of a collective brain-fart in the beginning of 2007, and their anime releases fell victim a temporary spasm of dubtitles and an absence of extras. It was just seven months, but fans have long memories, especially when their favourite series suffered as a consequence. Otogi Zoshi turned out to be half collectible and half disposable in the end, and recently I've gotten around to replacing the disposable half with the fully featured US releases. Find out why you should double dip on the Region 1 release of Otogi Zoshi: Volume 4 - Modern History, which I reviewed on Friday.








I told you that you couldn't get away from Full Metal Alchemist! On Sunday I finally got a look at the Limited Edition of the Full Metal Alchemist Movie: The Conqueror of Shamballa. Originally it was going to be released simultaneously with the single disc release, but Revelation delayed it for a year. While I didn't get to see the nifty packaging with the built in commemorative booklet, I did get to see the extras packed into disc two, which offers three commentaries, and an hour-long featurette with the original language voice actors. You can see if it's worth shelling out again in the review.







Otogi Zoshi is released in the US by Media Blasters through Anime Works, and Bandai release The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya. Both are available for import right now. MVM release Starship Operators: Volume 1 in the UK on the 15th of September, while The Ultimate Horror Collection, which is a re-release, comes out on the 8th. The original boxsets are probably still out there, as are the individual film discs in case you're feeling a little previous. The Full Metal Alchemist Movie LE is probably Revelation's last anime release for 2008, and you'll be able to buy it on the 22nd of September.

Posted by Jitendar Canth

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First the news...

Full Metal Alchemist Gets A New TV Series

I raved about this series long and hard on this site, one of the best fantasy shows in anime, and now it looks as if there will be more Full Metal Alchemist coming to television screens in the not too distant future. It's unclear as yet as to whether it will be a continuation of the original series (which had a pretty solid conclusion in the film), or if it will be a reboot. Fan speculation is leaning towards a new adaptation of the original manga. Read more at Anime News Network. Incidentally, the Special Edition of the Full Metal Alchemist Movie is released in the UK in September.

Watch Kurosawa In High Definition

It's not what you think, but it is a first nonetheless. Funimation in the US continue their expansion into the next generation formats by announcing more anime to come out in Blu-ray. But an intriguing development is the almost casual announcement of Samurai 7, a futuristic update of The Seven Samurai, a series of which I reviewed the standard definition version a few years back. I may be wrong, but this is the first full-length anime series to get the Blu-ray treatment in the West. See the announcement at AnimeOnDVD

Manga And Funimation, Sitting In A Tree...

This has been a weekend of developments, with an eagle-eyed forum goer at AnimeOnDVD spying that Anime On Line had listed xxxHolic and Black Blood Brothers as due for release from Manga Entertainment this autumn. Then this morning, EyeOnAnime reported that they also have Ghost Hunt, Jy-Oh-Sei: Planet of the Beast King, and Always My Santa as well. Ever since Navarre acquired Funimation two years ago, Funimation titles have been distributed exclusively by sister company Revelation. This development apparently signals an end to that exclusivity. Expect formal announcements as time passes.

More Funimation Youtube Fun!

Funimation continue to add content to their Youtube site as I have been reporting over the last few weeks. You can now catch...

Blue Gender eps 1-16
Kiddy Grade eps 1-16
Peach Girl eps 1-16
Slayers eps 1-16
Mushi-shi eps 1-12
Rumbling Hearts eps1-8
Suzuka eps 1-4

... at the click of a mouse.

Hellsing Is Coming, Hellsing Is Coming!

October sees the UK release of the Hellsing Ultimate OVA, a more faithful and bloody adaptation of the manga than the original series that was released by ADV. Manga Entertainment are whetting our appetites with the release of six clips to view.

Clip 1. Low Res, High Res
Clip 2. Low Res, High Res
Clip 3. Low Res, High Res
Clip 4. Low Res, High Res
Clip 5. Low Res, High Res
Clip 6. Low Res, High Res

Expect a review on this site in the next few weeks.


... Oh, and there's more Pokemon coming.

Speaking of reviews, the anime keeps on flowing, and last week saw three MVM titles cross my path. It may have just been one distributor, but there's no shortage of variety. For the last two months, I have been thrust cruelly from my comfort zone, into the world of young male romance. Floundering in a sea of the unfamiliar, I grasped for some point of familiarity, and I found it in an eighties pop soundtrack. Gravitation has kept my toes tapping to be sure, but does this final third volume finally ensnare me with its charms? Britain's first yaoi anime ends here and clicking will sate your curiosity.









That was Tuesday. On Thursday I was back in familiar territory with Shana's third volume, a nice little supernatural action romance that ploughs a familiar furrow. Yuji and Shana have to build up their strength to face ever more terrible foes from the Crimson Realm, and in between deal with a burgeoning teen romance, and a gratuitous swimsuit episode. When a girl batters you over the head with a big stick, it means she likes you. See if I like Shana by clicking the link.










I wrapped things up on Saturday with the first volume of Black Lagoon - The Second Barrage. I've been rubbing my hands eagerly for this series, even more so since Region 1's woes hit last year, and it looked as if we would get it first. In the end, we're still last, but only by three weeks. If you've missed out on the three volumes of the first season, you've missed out on the shootingest, wildest, rawest, eighties action movie of an anime there has ever been. Don't bother clicking the link. Buy it! Buy it now! Buy it before Revy blows your brains out!









Gravitation: Volume 3 comes out on the 8th of September, Shana: Volume 3 and Black Lagoon - The Second Barrage: Volume 1 have been put back a week until the 15th. All are released in the UK by MVM.

Posted by Jitendar Canth

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October 3rd is the date of Sci-Fi-London’s,first Oktoberfest, a one-night event showcasing a selection of sci-fi,horror, fantasy and anime. Manga Entertainment UK has signed on as official partners, and will be bringing Strait Jacket and Hellsing Ultimate to the party, as well as Dead Space Downfall, the animated prequel of the game, and the live action Tokyo Zombie, starring Tadanobu Asano. Details and tickets are available here.

With Vexille due in September, and a review disc on my to watch pile, I wanted to whet my whistle first, ease myself into the 3D live anime phenomenon and so it was I took possession of the first film made with the technology, the second animated adaptation of Masamune Shirow’s Appleseed. Shirow is better known for Ghost In The Shell, but the 2004 adaptation of his earlier, post apocalyptic work was certainly visually striking. See if Appleseed delivers in terms of story by clicking the link.

Two days later on Wednesday, it was time for the main event as I placed Vexille into my player. Three years is a lifetime in computer imaging, the film certainly looks miles ahead of its prototype, and the story, set in a future isolated Japan, in a world dependant on its robot technology is a compelling premise. The discs from Momentum are certainly enticing, with a commentary from anime guru Andrew Clements. To see the big but that comes with the package though, clickez vous.

It was back to the 2D world on Friday, as I got a look at the first half of Manga’s new action anime series, Buso Renkin. It’s a world where Alchemy is real, where Homunculi prey on humans, and all that stands in their way are the Alchemy Warriors, who wield magical weapons named Buso Renkin. When Kazuki is killed by a homunculus, a warrior named Tokiko brings him back to life with an alchemical device, which he can transform into a lance. Soon he’s introduced to a new world, where he has to stand as a protector. And it’s got nothing to do with Full Metal Alchemist…

I polished off the week on Sunday with Gonzo’s second feature film, Brave Story, a fairytale fantasy that sees a young boy travelling to another world to change his destiny. It’s a delightful film for all the family, with a meaningful message or two at its heart. It’s got a touch of the Ghibli about it, but the fantastic action animation is all Gonzo. Click to find out more.

Sometimes all that anime can get to be overwhelming, and it’s nice to take abreak. I’m talking about other people of course, as I just can’t get enough of the stuff. But it’s good to broaden one’s horizons, and it’s useful to remember that there is animation in the rest of the world. (In Japan, anime refers to all animation, it’s just we in the West who use it as a pigeonhole). On Tuesday, David reviewed the Bluray release of the Oscar-nominated Persepolis, the story of a young girl’s upbringing in the tumultuous Iran of the seventies and eighties.








Appleseed has been out for donkey’s years from Optimum, and they release Brave Story on the 8th of September. Vexille is released by Momentum Pictures on the 1st of that month, while Manga Entertainment’s Buso Renkin comes out on the 25th of August, and Optimum again release Persepolis in both Bluray and DVD next Monday.

Posted by Jitendar Canth

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