Love Of Anime

How bad Kodansha setting up shop in the US may effect the industry

Just how bad could this news be? Really, REALLY, REALLY BAD! Kodansha manga properties are licensed by practically every manga distributor and several anime / manga distributors. For the most part, only VIZ may get through this unscathed.

Topless Robot reports, "Kodansha provides at least a third of of the manga in Japan and America, which has traditionally been divvied up betwen Tokyopop and Del Rey (more Del Rey than Tokyopop recently, hence Tokyopop's problems). If Del Rey stops getting Kodansha's big titles, they'll be able to coast on the manga series they've already signed up, but when those run out, they're screwed. (Oh, Viz'll be okay because they get their series from Japan's other two big publishers, Shogakukan and Shueisha, both of whom co-own Viz).

... Frankly, Japan has had a terrible track record in skipping the middle-man and opening shop here in America; Toei Animation failed utterly with One Piece and its DVDs, while Bandai Visual USA managed to survive a bit before being folded up into Bandai Entertainment. So Kodansha could very well make horrible, terrible version of its manga�forcing its Japanese workers to translate their manga into broken English comes to mind�thus screwing the fans. Of course, they could do a great job and the only people who will be screwed are in the U.S. manga industry."

Del Ray cancels BECK manga at volume 13

So Japanese manga company Kodansha has decided to release some of their manga titles in the US directly, while still licensing some of it's library to Del Ray.

Unfortunately, Tokyopop has apparently lost negotiation on it's contract for Kodansha's Japanese property of the BECK: Mongolian Chop Squad manga. Volume is the last to be released in the US through Tokyopop. Tokyopop also lost the Kodansha's Japanese property of Akira... but at least the entirety of the series has been released in oversize graphic novel format.

Does this mean Kodansha might release this flagship title on their own or has it simply become to expensive to release here? Personally, I love this series and am pretty pissed to see BECK's cancellation.

Perhaps onemanga.com may lift the suspension of their scanslations of BECK? Stay tuned over at: http://www.onemanga.com/Beck/

JAPAN NEWS: 300 Internet death threats since Tokyo killing spree

American Free Press reports that "as many as 300 Internet warnings of mass murder and other death threats have been posted online in Japan after a knifing rampage in Tokyo left seven people dead, media said Saturday.

Tokyo police said 200-300 death threats appeared on Internet message boards since 25-year-old Tomohiro Kato went on a killing spree on June 8 in the popular Akihabara district, Kyodo News and the Sankei Shimbun said.

For full story, click on "Read More."

How many of you think these copycats are the Japanese 2ch users, or the equivalent of the 4chan /b/tards?

Anime Conventions for the Month of July

Anime Expo
http://www.anime-expo.org/
Los Angeles, CA
Jul 3 - 6, 2008

PortConMaine
http://www.portconmaine.com/
Portland, ME
Jul 3 - 6, 2008

Click "Read more..." to view the rest.

New Poll for July

This poll is a little more daring than I like, but it was suggested by one of the members and seconded by another so I figure *shrugs* Why not? Please vote...I'm kinda curious on the results of this one myself ^.^;;

NEW TRAILER for Miyazaki's upcoming film Ponyo on a Cliff

For a very limited time, you can see a trailer for the upcoming Hayao (Spirited Away, Princess Mononoke) Miyazaki film Ponyo on a Cliff. It looks adorable. The clip is attached to a Japanese television interview. Go watch it see it soon because it'll probably get taken down in the next day or so.

Link: http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x5xfwm_ponyo-ba-nouveau-miyazaki_shortfilms

ADV goes out of business, begins selling office supplies

Last week, ADV began consolidating their assets and held an auction to sell their office supplies, including desks, computers and even staplers. Chris Oarr, the sales account manager of A.D. Vision's ADV Films anime production division, confirmed the auction is for surplus office material and has acknowledged that the company has cut back on staff.

This all comes on the heels of the failed Newtype / PIQ magazine, failed television network, dropped titles from their website, discontinued DVD and manga titles, laid off employees and much rumors speculating from former employees.

Many of the titles that are (were) being released through ADV have had their English dubs suspended without notification of renewal, such as Welcome to the NHK.

A formal statement of their company "going out of business" will likely not be made any time soon but expect a quiet filing for bankruptcy in the next month or two.

Anime on TV Mon. June 30 - Mon. July 7

From Cartoon Network, to Canada's YTV to cable stations like Starz, Showtime and more. Are you tired of bad repetitive reality TV and even worse sitcoms? If so, then gather around for this weeks anime on tv!

Plan your days around this list. NOW!

Click on "Read More" to for the full schedule.

Mike Turner, comic book artist and creator of Witchblade, dies at 37

Wow. Just, wow.

Mike Turner seemed to draw every Marvel & DC Comic Book cover for the last several years. Turner was already a very well known comic artist until his popularity went supernova when in 1995 he debuted his signature character Witchblade. In 2004, Witchblade was turned into both a formal manga by Yasuko Kobayashi and a 24 episode anime.

On Friday, June 27, Turner died after a long battle with bone cancer at the Santa Monica Hospital in California. He couldn't draw feet very well but his imagery was always striking and very dynamic. His contribution to the field of comics will be sorely missed.

Anime on TV Mon. June 23 - Mon. June 30