16-30 JUNE 2002 NEWS

29 June 2002

• TV Tokyo's webpage for Samurai Deeper Kyo, to commence broadcast on Monday, is now up.
   
• Further details and a picture of the Tenkuu no Shiro Laputa (Laputa, Castle in the Sky) DVD from Impress Corporation's AV Watch. There'll be 2 DVDs, both dual-layered picture discs in an Amaray double box. The movie will be anamorphic. The bonus disc will include storyboards, trailers for the movie, and creditless OP and ED sequences. Click on the picture for an enlargement.
   
• In response to fans' requests, the closing of the Chicchana Yukitsukai Sugar (Small Snow Fairy Sugar) website, originally scheduled for 1 July 2002, has been put back one month.
   
• With UFO Princess Valkyrie set to commence broadcast on 4 July 2002, Animate has put up details of the DVD release:
  Volume 1 Tokinoyu limited edition, to come with drama CD, design works and other items, to be released 27 September 2002, price 8,190 yen
  Volume 1 regular edition, to be released 27 September 2002, price 6,090 yen
  Volumes 2 to 6 will come with a trading card and be price at 6,090 yen each, release dates 25 October 2002, 22 November 2002, 20 December 2002, 24 January 2003 and 21 February 2003
  The first pressing of volume 2 will come with a box.
   
• It was reported on 21 May 2002 that Ohtsubo Satoshi (42), former deputy chief editor of Kodansha's Shonen Magazine, and his wife were charged with possession of cannibis. Asahi.com reports that on 28 June 2002, Judge Katayama Toshio of the Nagoya District Court sentenced the pair to six months' imprisonment, but also ordered a stay of execution for three years.
   
• Dengeki Online.com reports that a 13 episode TV series will be produced based on the H game Raimu (Lime) iro Senkitan by Elf. Being a TV series, there won't be any adult scenes. Broadcast date has yet to be determined.
   
• Eichi Publication now has a page up for its monthly Toramaga manga magazine, published today. Apart from Animation Seisaku Shinkou Kuromi (Animation Runner Kuromi) the magazine will also run a new series of the Jubei-chan manga, also by Daichi Akitaro. Issue one of the magazine has 358 pages and costs 657 yen (excluding tax).
   
• First editions tankouban of manga serialised in Monthly Comic Blade come with bonus limited edition items:
  Tactics volume 1, to be released 10 September 2002, will come with a desktop art collection
  Erementar Gerad volume 1, to be released 10 September 2002, will come with the Erementar Front battle card game
  Peacemaker Kurogane volume 1, to be released 10 October 2002, will come with... something, but I can't work out the katakana ^_^;; (Title corrected 27 June 2003.)
  Aria volume 1, to be released 10 October 2002, will come with a mousepad
  Matantei Loki Ragnarok volume 1, to be released 9 November 2002, will come with a desktop art collection
  Tengai Retrogical volume 1, to be released 9 November 2002, will come with a desktop art collection as well
  R^2 (rise R to the second power) volume 1, to be released 10 December 2002, will come with a mousepad
  Mamotte Shugo-Getten! Retrouvailles volume 1, to be released 10 December 2002, will come with a figure
   
• And now for something stupid. Here's a poll for the title of the new Gundam series. At the time of writing, the most popular choice was Gundam Princess, followed by Shaolin Gundam and Onegai Gundam and Bishoujo Senshi Gundam ^_^;;

27 June 2002

• Well, Animenation is changing its free email service to a fee paying service, so I'm going to let my secondimpact.com email account lapse. Anyone trying to contact me, please one of my other email addresses or send me a private message on the AoD forums.
   
• A 60 second preview for the upcoming TV anime series G-on Riders can now be viewed at the animate.tv site here.
   
• TV Tokyo now has previews available for two upcoming TV anime series: Samurai Deeper Kyo (to commence broadcast on 1 July 2002) and Witch Hunter Robin (to be commence broadcast on 2 July 2002).
   
• Chara-Ani.com has now set up a webpage for the Anime Data Collection volume 1 (see my 25 June 2002 news entry), including a preview of the Takada Akemi anime Mahou Shoujo Mai and descriptions of the contents of the software. Volumes 2 and 3 are to be released on 2 August 2002.

26 June 2002

• Late update. Fell asleep. But you know, sleep is very underrated ^_^
   
• As reported yesterday the second season of Mahoromatic is to commence broadcast on 26 September 2002. On the same day, Pioneer will release a limited edition Housou Kaishi Kinen DVD (Broadcast Commencement Commemmoration DVD). This will contain two DVDs of material such as a new promotion clip. Price will be 2,800 yen (excluding tax) and it'll come in a box (though I doubt that box is meant to hold any additional DVDs) but a number of other details are still undetermined, such a bonus goods and running time of the DVDs.
   
• ZDNet Japan reports that the next software in Esui's Deleter line of products will be Comic Works 600, a Windows application for monochrome manga production. To be released 1 July 2002, price 6,800 yen. Suitable for use with a Wacom graphics tablet. The product has been designed with the analog drawing process in mind (such as the fact of drawing rough designs before inking the main lines). 130 screen tones are included. The program can produce works of up to 600 dpi resolution.
   
• Chapter 6 of The Men Who Made Gundam is up with an interview with Yoshii Takayuki. Included in the topics is the new Gundam work to commence this (northern) autumn. Fukuda Mitsuo will be director. Sorry, I can't be bothered to report more, because, well, I don't really care much for Gundam ^_^

25 June 2002

• Yes, I fell asleep before I could go on-line yesterday... ^_^;;
   
• The second season of Mahoromatic, subtitled Motto Utsukushii Mono, will commence broadcast on 26 September 2002.
   
• A TV commercial for Overman King Gainer, the new Tomino Toshiyuki work to start airing on 6 July 2002, can now be viewed in streaming format here. Being a Tomino work, there is of course a fair amount of mecha. Character and mecha designs are also up on the website, together with locations in the anime.
   
• Kaishaku's UFO Princess Valkyrie is to commence broadcast on Kids Station on 4 July 2002, and other networks slightly later.
   
• X: you've seen the TV series, now you can play the game. Newtype reports that the CLAMP series is make its appearance in two computer games: the Wonder Swan Colour game "TV Animation X Card of Fate" and the Playstation game "TV Animation X Unmei no Sentaku". The Wonder Swan game is to be released 26 June 2002, price 4,980 yen, by Bandai. The Playstation game is to be released at the end of August 2002, price 5,800 yen, by Bandai with the first pressing coming with a jigsaw puzzle illustrated by CLAMP.
   
• According to the diary entries for music production company Sparks, work has commenced on the music for an (unconfirmed?) third season of Galaxy Angel.
   
• A trailer for the CG BonoBono movie The Tree of Kumomo is now available to view at the official website. The movie will open in theatres in August 2002. Just enter the site by clicking on the tree and then press the third button from the right after the pop-up window appears.
   
• As has been reported by Anime News Service, the reason for that AT-X cancelled its planned broadcast of the new series Space Pirate Captain Harlock ~ The Endless Odyssey ~ was that Matsumoto Leiji objected on religious grounds. According to Asahi.com, Mainichi Shimbun and Nikkei Net, the aliens in the show, who are portrayed as "the origin of evil", attack the Earth using a weapon which appears to bear the Star of David on it, raising concerns in Matsumoto of anti-Semitism, something contrary to his beliefs. Matsumoto is reported as saying that it is his motto that the hearts of those who believe in religion should not be injured and that the profaning of a religious symbol should not be allowed.
   
• Further, VAP has today posted a message on its website stated that as a result of Matsumoto's objection, it will stop the production and sale of the Captain Harlock work. Will the work ever be released?
   
• Celsys will be releasing the Anime Data Collection volume 1 for Windows on 28 June 2002. Celsys produces the Retas! range of animation software. The Anime Data Collection volume 1 will contain an original short anime Mahou Shoujo Mai with character design and art direction by Takada Akemi together with the production process for the anime. Those with the Retas! Lite software will be able to access the Mahou Shoujo Mai scenario, character designs, storyboards and animation cels. If you don't have Retas! Lite, the Retas! Lite DC program included in the package will provide limited functions. Recommended retail price is 12,000 yen (excluding tax) but Chara-Ani is selling it at 15% off.
   
• Sale of the Appleseed Premium Edition preview DVDs with figure have been delayed to a date in July 2002 yet to be determined.
   
• Prior to the telecast of GAiNAX's upcoming Puchipuri Yushii anime, Kadokawa Shoten's monthly shoujo manga magazine Asuka has commenced serialisation of the manga version (the August 2002 issue was published on 24 June 2002).

23 June 2002 (final update for the day)

• Although a flyer with the Mimi o Sumaseba (Whisper of the Heart) DVD suggested that the Tenkuu no Shiro Laputa (Laputa, Castle in the Sky) DVD would be released in September 2002, CDJournal.com states that the DVD will be released on 4 October 2002, catalogue number VWDZ-8014, price 4,700 yen (excluding tax).
   
• Kids Station has posted a message to explain why the broadcast of Weißkreuz Gluhen was cancelled at the beginning of the year. Apparently copyright issues arose in relation to character design. Now a new character design will be announced on 7 July 2002 in relation to the broadcast to commence in September 2002.
   
• Looks like there'll be second TV seasons for Rizerumain and the live action Koutetsu Tenshi Kurumi Pure, both to start in October 2002. The first season of each just finished recently.
   
• Kodansha, Shogakukan and other publishers have joined together to produce an online service Comic Park to produce and sell out-of-print manga on demand. At the moment there are about 85 titles/300 volumes on offer, but more titles are being added one by one.
   
• A short 15 second preview for the upcoming TV anime series G-on Riders can be viewed here. You can also sample the OP and ED songs here. The series commences broadcast on 2 July 2002.
   
• A new R.O.D figure is to go on sale. Kotobukiya will release a 1/8 scale garage kit (13 parts) of Nancy Makuhari in mid-July 2002. Price 7,800 yen (excluding tax). See here for further details. Click on the pics for enlargements. Kotobukiya previously released a model for Yomiko Readman.
   
• Suntory is including Ashita no Joe figures with sales of its low-malt beer. I think in Western nations, community groups would be up in arms if a beer company tried to link beer with toys for a cartoon show.
   
• With South Korea unexpectedly making it into the semi-finals of the World Cup and the entire nation seemingly behind its football team, the release of Sen to Chihiro no Kamikakushi in Seoul has been postponed from 22 June 2002 to 28 June 2002. 22 June 2002 was the day on which South Korea met and defeated Spain in the quarter finals.
   
• Dammit! And I just got the Seisou-hen RK OVAs too. In further proof that Sony is trying to wringe as much money out of RK fans as it can, it's announced a Rurouni Kenshin Seisou Hen Special Edition. This will be a "director's cut" with new scenes added and two new pieces music by composer Iwasaki Taku, with presumably both episodes combined to form one feature. (The new music by Iwasaki will be included in the Complete CD Box to be released on 19 September 2002 - more on that below). In addition there'll be a Premium Edition which comes with Kenshin premium figure and 6 postcard set, limited to 3,000 sets. Click on the link for pics of the figure. Details of Premium Edition of Special Edition:
  Comes with 1/15 scale (approximately 10cm) special figure of Kenshin with illustration to serve as background (to create a sort of diorama for the figure) and 6 postcards of the illustrations by Matsushima Kou (character designer for Seisou Hen) being the pictures for volumes 1 and 2 of the original DVD, the Special Edition DVD, soundtrack and two advertisements
  Details for the DVD will be the same as for the regular edition of the Special Edition except there will be no sticker enclosed
  To be released 19 September 2002
  Catalogue number SVZB-1309
  Price 9,000 yen (excluding tax)
  Details for regular edition of Special Edition:
  To be released 9 October 2002
  Catalogue number SVBW-1309
  Price 7,600 yen (excluding tax)
  Approximately 95 minutes (OVA itself will be approximately 90 minutes), dual layer DVD, 16:9 anamorphic, linear PCM stereo sound
  Included on the DVD will be an "interactive" illustration gallery which can be viewed from various viewpoints
  First pressing of the regular edition Special Edition will come with special postcard sized sticker, double-sized jacket in clear case, picture label and 8 page colour booklet with comments by manga author Watsuki Nobuhiro and director Furuhashi Kazuhiro
   
• 19 September 2002 also sees the release of the Rurouni Kenshin Complete CD Box, described a music encyclopedia comprising 12 CDs. One CD will comprise OP and ED songs. Two CDs will comprise character image songs. Seven CDs will comprise soundtracks for the RK TV series, movie and OVAs including the two new pieces of music composed by Iwasaki Taku for the Special Edition of Seisou Hen reported above. The final two CDs will comprise the soundtrack for the Playstation game. This will be limited edition, with production limited to pre-orders, though of course the stores may pre-order a huge number. Details:
  Pre-order cutoff deadline 31 July 2002
  Catalogue number SVWC 1011-1022
  Price 24,000 yen (excluding tax)
  Comes with four bonuses: phonecard illustrated by Nakajima Atsuko, 100 page all-colour booklet (with lyrics, staff comments, etc), 4 digipaks to hold 3 CDs each and a box to hold all 12 CDs (the box is the same size as for the TV series DVD boxes, ie sized to hold DVD tall-cases) and picture labels on all CDs
  Box and digipaks will be illustrated by Nakajima Atsuko
  Use the link to view an illustration by Nakajima Atsuko and partial tracklistings for the various CDs
   
• Sorry for the lack of updates. Various reasons: fell asleep in front of computer, work, subtitling, moving, life apart from fandom, World Cup, exhaustion from lack of sleep, more work... ^_^;;
   
• Volume 1 of Space Pirate Captain Harlock ~ The Endess Odyssey ~, to be released on 19 September 2002, will cost 5,040 yen (including tax). As previously reported, the title will be "Hakidame no Bllues".
   
• After the FLCL and Nadia CD-ROMs, GAiNAX will be releasing the Abenobashi Digital Shotengai CD-ROM on 9 August 2002, price 4,800 yen (excluding tax), with wallpapers, mini-game, screensaver, accessories etc. For Windows XP/Me/98/95.
   
• The official homepage for Studio Ghibli's Neko no Ongaeshi and The Ghiblis episode 2 is now up here.

19 June 2002

• The August issue of Ultrajump (to be published 19 July 2002) will come with a Gunm -Last Order- (Battle Angel Alita) pencilboard.
   
• I miss Anime Daisuki ;_;
   
• Chara-Ani.com reports that the TV anime series Rikujyou Bouei Tai Mao-chan (Ground Defense Force Mao-chan) will commence broadcast on 3 July 2002. There will be 26 fifteen minute episodes. It's also reported that Asagiri no Miko will also commence broadcast on the same day.
   
• While Rikujyou Bouei Tai Mao-chan is yet to commence broadcast, Animate is already listing the first DVD box for sale on 23 October 2002. Price 13,440 yen (including tax).
   
• TV Tokyo will commence broadcast of anime series Witch Hunter Robin on 2 July 2002. This will mark the directorial debut of Murase Shuko, who was character designer on shows such as Gundam W and Argent Soma. This time, though, the character designs will be by Takahashi Kumiko.
   
• I hate it when FrontPage Express crashes >_<
   
• The limited edition version of volume 6 of Full Metal Panic will come with a Tokiwa Kyoko figure. The figure will come with "action parts" (an alternate body and head) so that you can change the expression and pose of the figure. To be released 25 July 2002. Price 7,800 yen (excluding tax). Apart from the figure, the limited edition volume will contain a picture disc and booklet. The regular edition will cost less. For details of volume 5, see my 25 April 2002 entry and for pictures of the Teresa Testarossa figure included with the limited edition version of volume 5, see here.
   
• A preview and a short provisional release of episode one of the independent anime VRS by the VRS Manufacture Committee are now available for download.
   
• On Koyasu Takehito's official website, he's announced that the TV anime series Weißkreuz Gluhen will premiere on Kids Station in September 2002. Koyasu is the seiyuu for Fujimiya Aya. IIRC, the broadcast of this anime was scheduled earlier in the year but then was cancelled.

18 June 2002

• My imouto just came back from holidays and brought back some Doraemon furikake. Yum ^_^
   
• Missed this bit of news from a few days ago. Volume 4 of the R.O.D manga will be released by Shueisha on 19 July 2002, the same day as volume 8 of Tenjou Tenge. Price of the R.O.D manga will be 590 yen (excluding tax). This will presumably be the final tankouban.
   
• Cubic watermelons in Japan? This pic is currently doing the rounds via email.
   
• The official homepage for Princess Tutu, the TV anime series to commence broadcast on 16 August 2002, is now open.
   
• GAiNAX put up a page for its Fushigi no Umi no Nadia (Nadia: The Secret of Blue Water) Collectors Disc today. You'll find it here. For more details, see yesterday's news entry.
   
• Konami has announced that it will be releasing a Playstation 2 game based on the manga Saishu Heiki Kanojo - She, the Ultimate Weapon, also soon to commence broadcast as a TV anime series on 2 July 2002. Price and release date are yet to be determined, although Konami is aiming for the (northern) spring of 2003. This will be a multi-story, multi-ending love adventure game on DVD.
   
• Akita Shoten will publish the first issue of its new monthly shonen manga magazine Champion Red on 19 August 2002. Among the manga to be serialised in this magazine will be Tomizawa Hitoshi's Alien 9 <Emulators>, presumably a continuation of the manga series.
   
• Fans of Chicchana Yukitsukai Sugar (Small Snow Fairy Sugar) should note that the official website will be closing on 1 July 2002. A wallpaper is available for download to mark the closing.
   
• Nifty Animation Online reports that while the new Yokohama Kaidashi Kikou (Yokohama Shopping Travelogue) OVA series will be an original episode, it will be in part based on the story in volumes 7 and 8 of the manga. Apart from two approximately 30 minute OVA episodes and a soundtrack CD, a drama CD is also planned.
   
• More Ginga Tetsudo 999 (Galaxy Express 999) news. Now there'll be Galaxy Express 999 memorial label sake wine sets on sale to commemorate 50 years of Matsumoto Leiji's work. Each set will comprise three bottles of wine, and the three labels for those bottles will combine to form one illustration. The wines with the first part of the story will be on sale between 29 July 2002 and 31 August 2002. Then over the following five months sales will continue so that the original Galaxy Express 999 story will be told over six illustrations (18 labels). Sale of these sets of original story label wines will be limited to 2,000 units per month. Price 9,999 yen per monthly set (including tax and shipping, presumably within Japan). For details of the sake for the first month (from Ishikawa, Shiga and Tottori prefectures) and a small picture of the bottle labels, see here.

17 June 2002

• For fans of Yawara! the Yawara! DVD Perfect Collection is due out on 8 August 2002. Only 149,730 yen (inlcuding tax)...
   
• Looks like story 2 of the "sound novel" Kamakur@Love has been put back from mid-June to mid-July 2002.
   
• Looks like soccer fever is gripping Japan. Even animation runner Kuromi is wearing the Japanese team's blue jersey.
   
• 19 July 2002 sees the release of GAiNAX's FLCL Collector's Disc. Contains approximately 300 images, screensaver (with music by the pillows, who did the music for the OVA series) and mini-game. Price 4,800 yen (excluding tax). This will be a hybrid CD-ROM for Windows and Macintosh computers. On the same day, GAiNAX will also release a Fushigi no Umi no Nadia (Nadia: The Secret of Blue Water) Collector's Disc for the same price. Also a hybrid CD-ROM, this disc will contain approximately 150 wallpapers.
   
• Two previews for the independent anime Kentou Miko Kobushi-chan (Fighting Shrine Maiden Kobushi-chan) by Okina-san are available for download here.

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