1-15 FEBRUARY 2003 NEWS
15 February 2003 (second update)
- For Studio Ghibli fans, there's
the Inoue
Azumi's 20th anniversary CD album
"Kimi wo Nosete... Haruka"
with songs from Laputa, Tonari no Totoro and
Kiki's Delivery Service. For more details, see CD
Japan's entry.
- The DVD box set for the live-action dorama
version of You're
Under Arrest will go on sale on 16
April 2003, price 17,000 yen (excluding tax),
duration 810 minutes. Source: Musicmarket.
- Volume 1 of the TV anime series Tsuri-baka
Nisshi (The Diary of a Fishing Fool)
will be released on 16 April 2003 as well, price
3,800 yen (excluding tax), duration 75 minutes.
Source: Musicmarket.
- The Berserk series has
previously been released as a DVD box. Now the
individual volumes will be released, with volume
1 to hit the shelves on 23 April 2003, price 4,800
yen (excluding tax), duration 96 minutes. By the
way, the old mecha series SPT Layzner
is also being released as individual volumes with
the first volume on sale on the same day for the
same price. Source: Musicmarket.
- The Lupin III OVA Ikiteita Majutsushi
which was released in April 2002 is set to be re-released
on 23 April 2003 at the lower price of 3,800 yen
(excluding tax). Source: Musicmarket.
- Volume 1 of the TV anime series Raimu (Lime)
iro Senkitan Director's Cut DVD will be
released on 25 April 2003, price 2,800 yen (excluding
tax), duration 40 minutes. Source: Musicmarket.
- More on the Mahoromatic Ongaku Matsuri
DVD to be released on 9 May 2003, price
4,725 yen (including tax). It'll be a first
pressing limited edition DVD containing live
performance and music clips from members of the
seiyuu for the series in December 2002. Source: Musicmarket.
- The Neon
Genesis Evangelion DVD-box to be
released on 25 June 2003 will cost 41,790 yen (including
tax). Individual TV volumes 1 to 8 will cost 3,990
yen each (including tax) except volume 8, which
will cost 3,675 yen (including tax). Those
volumes will be released on 24 July 2003 (volumes
1 and 2), 27 August 2003 (3 and 4), 26 September
2003 (5 and 6), 22 October 2003 (7 and 8). The
movie DVD will cost 5,775 yen (including tax) and
be released on 27 November 2003. Source: Animate
Yokohama. This time, the DVD release of the
individual volumes will be in "tall cases"
rather than the jewel cases of the past. Source: Musicmarket.
- The Happy Lesson Song Collection CD
will be released on 26 March 2003, price 3,200
yen (including tax). First pressing will come
with sticker and mousepad. Source: Animate
Yokohama.
- Volume 1 of the DVD release of .hack//Tasogare
no Udewa Densetsu is due out on 25 April
2003. First pressing will come with a box
to hold the entire series, Puchiguso screen
cleaner (?), Black Rose clear figure and poem
card (?). Price 6,090 yen (including tax). Source:
Animate
Yokohama.
- DVD release details for Gunparade
March ~ Arata naru Kougun Uta ~ (A
New Marching Song). Volume 1
will be released on 23 May 2003 with first
pressing to come with box to hold three
volumes, poster, booklet and one sheet of a
calendar. Volumes 2 to 6 will follow on 25 June
2003, 25 July 2003, 22 August 2003, 26 September
2003 and 24 October 2003 respectively, with the
first pressing of each volume to come with
booklet and one sheet of a calendar. First
pressing of volume 4 will also come with a box.
Each volume will cost 5,250 yen (including tax).
Source: Animate
Yokohama.
- Volume 1 of the DVD release of The Big O
- Second Season will be released on 23
May 2003, price 3,900 yen (including tax). First
pressing will come with box and liner
notes. Source: Animate
Yokohama.
- Sorry for the irregular updates. Strange sleeping
patterns lately.
- Sorry, my release date details for Shin
Seiki Evangelion Koutetsu no Girlfriend 2nd
were out of date even as I posted them on 11
February 2003 m(_ _)m In fact GAiNAX
has announced
on its website that the Windows game will be
released on 16 May 2003.
- Watched Jungle
SCS's live action tokusatsu production Powered
Sister recently. Where B-grade
production qualities meet B-grade special effects
^_^;; And apparently B-grade editing as well.
Though, from what I can tell, the quality of the
editing seems to have been a deliberate decision,
since the editing of the action scenes was fine.
Production qualities were up from Jungle's first
work Jan Jan! Junko-chan but there was something
appealing about the rawness of that work. I don't
normally watch tokusatsu, but Powered Sister was
interesting in a B-grade sort of way too. And the
"making of" bonus clip was fun. The
main feature has English subtitles;
it's too bad the bonus clip didn't. Pick of the
actors was definitely Hayashi Yuusuke as villain
Hanagata Noboru. But I hope to see more of Justin
Buck and hopefully Moyu as well in Jungle's next
work ^_^
- Movies to be released this year: the new One
Piece movie, "Dead End no Bouken",
will be released theatrically on 1 March 2003.
Then the 24th
Doraemon movie "Nobita to Fushigi Tsukai"
will be released on 8 March 2003. This will be
followed by the new
Crayon Shin-chan movie "Arashi o Yobu ~
Eikou no Yakiniku Road" and the
new
Detective Conan movie "Meikyuu no Jyuujiro (Crossroad
in the Ancient Capital)", both
on 19 April 2003. Source: TA
Group BBS.
- It's been announced in the February 2003 issue of
Shogakukan's magazine Coro Coro Comic
that the manga "Corokke!"
(Croquette?), serialised in the magazine, will
be adapted into an anime. Source: TA
Group BBS.
13 February 2003 (third update)
- Bandai Visual's website
for the TV anime .hack//Tasogare no Udewa
Densetsu is up. Source: TA
Group BBS.
- Toei Animation's webpage
for the upcoming TV anime series Konjiki
no Gash Bell!! is also up, though there
isn't much to see. The series commences broadcast
on 6 April 2003 on Fuji TV. Source: TA
Group BBS.
- The space-time adventure anime movie Ougon
no Hou (The Golden Laws) will see
theatrical release in Japan in the (northern)
autumn of 2003. Source: TA
Group BBS.
- The upcoming TV anime series Uchuu no
Stelvia will commence broadcast in April
2003. Source: TA
Group BBS.
- The upcoming TV anime version of Narue no
Sekai (The World of Narue) will commence
broadcast on 5 April 2003. Source: TA
Group BBS.
- Urushihara Satoshi's sci-fi manga
Chirality is to be re-released by
Gakken, in two volumes. Furthermore, this
re-release will contain a new "episode"
and each volume will come with a 30 minute drama
CD with a pretty impressive cast. Both
volumes are to be released 1 March 2003 and will
be B5 in size, price 1,800 yen (excluding tax)
each. The drama cast will include Inoue Kazuhiko
as male Carol, Inoue Kikuko as female Carol,
Hayashibara Megumi as Shiori and Yamadera Koichi
as Shizuma. Furthermore, the first CD will come
with an image song by female Carol, while the
second CD will contain an image song by Shiori.
It's not exactly clear whether this is a limited
edition item (or perhaps the drama CDs just come
with the first edition), so if you don't want to
miss out, best to order it soon. Source: Mangaoh Club
and Toranoana.
(edit 26 March 2003: The drama CDs have the same
contents as the Chirality drama CD released back
in October 1995, which contained a song each by
Inoue Kikuko and Hayashibara Megumi).
- The website for the anime version of Mahou
Tsukai ni Taisetsu na Koto ~ Someday's Dreamers
now has some wallpapers up for download.
Source: Magicalantique.com.
- Sorry for the lack of update yesterday. I was
buggered by the end of work and had a bit too
much to drink. Actually, I only had a bit to
drink, but to me that's the same thing :P
- Not really news anymore, but something a bit
different: a manga about American
football. Volume 1 of the manga Eyeshield
21 (story by Inagaki Riichiro, art by
Murata Yusuke) was published by Shueisha on 20
December 2002. Shueisha even has two webpages up
about the manga: here
and here,
with the second appearing to be the official
website for the manga. You'll note that there's
also a Flash movie that can be downloaded at both
sites about the manga. Source: ultimatum
half edition. What'll it be next? Will there
be a manga about Australian
Rules Football? I'd like to see that :P
- The limited edition version of volume 2
of the manga Matantei Loki Ragnarok, to
be published in March 2003, will come with a
school calendar notebook. And the limited
edition version of volume 3 of the manga Tactics,
to be published in March 2003, will come with an
artbook. Both manga will cost 980 yen (including
tax) and are serialised by Monthly
Comic Blade. Source: ultimatum
half edition and Monthly
Comic Blade.
- The April 2003 issue of monthly manga
magazine Afternoon (on sale 25 February
2003) will come with CD-ROM for
Windows PCs containing 34 wallpapers,
screensaver, desktop key holder (?), desktop
clock and calendar. Source: ultimatum
half edition and Afternoon.
- The RahXephon
movie Tagen Hensoukyoku (Pluralistic
Variation) will be released theatrically on 19
April 2003. Source: ultimatum
half edition and JVC's
RahXephon page.
- The limited first edition of volume 1 of
the manga Koi Koi 7, to be published by
Akita Shoten on 13 March 2003, will come with a
school calendar in a special case. Price 980 yen
(including tax). Source: ultimatum
half edition and Akita
Shoten.
- Volumes 1 and 2 of the DVD release for the
upcoming sci-fi violence TV anime series Maju
Sensen The Apocalypse (to commence
broadcast on 23 February 2003) will go on sale on
21 June 2003. Source: Nifty
Animation Online.
- The limited edition Stratos 4 Character
Song Album, to be released 21 March 2003,
price 3,675 yen (including tax) will come with a
Honjou Umikaze pin. Source: Animate Yokohama. For
more details on the contents of the CD, see the CD
Japan entry.
- Tip for those using FrontPage Express: save your
work frequently.
- Still not fully on top of things anime news-wise.
- Might leave things at this for today... More next
time I'm online.
11 February 2003 (third update)
- The manga version of the anime series Wolf's
Rain will commence serialisation in
Kodansha's monthly manga magazine Magazine
Z with the April 2003 issue, published on 26
February 2003. The manga will be drawn by Iida
Toshitsuu. Source: ultimatum
half edition.
- Further confirmation from the store Paper Moon
that an OVA is to be produced of the vampire
manga Hitsuji no Uta by Toume
Kei (previously serialised in Monthly
Comic Birz). The manga was previously adapted
into a live action movie. Source: Moon Phase and Paper
Moon.
- Starchild's webpage
for the upcoming OVA Eiken (based
on the manga by Matsuyama Seiji) is up. Source: ultimatum
half edition.
- The live action dorama Black Jack ni
Yoroshiku (Say Hello to Black Jack),
based on the medical manga by Satou Shuuhou (serialised
in the weekly magazine Morning) will commence
broadcast on TBS on 11 April 2003. TBS has a page set up
for the upcoming series. Source: ultimatum
half edition and Nikkansports.com.
- The manga Papa Told Me by Haruno
Nanae (serialised in Shueisha's monthly shoujo Young
You magazine) is to be made into a
live action dorama. The series will
commence broadcast on NHK on 12 April 2003.
Source: ultimatum
half edition and Young
You.
- Yo. Sorry for lack of update yesterday - I was
using the computer for something else.
- Volume 2 of the OVA series Sentou Yousei
Yukikaze will be released on or around
25 February 2003. A trailer for the second volume
can be viewed at the official
website. Just go to the movie page.
- The new Di Gi Charat TV series, Di Gi
Charat Nyo will commence broadcast on 6
April 2003. Source: Reinbo
Actress and ZDNet
Japan.
- Further, the manga version of Di Gi
Charat Nyo will commence serialisation
in Shogakukan's monthly shoujo magazine Ciao,
starting with the April 2003 issue on sale 3
March 2003. The manga will be drawn by Minase
Itsuru. Source: ultimatum
half edition.
- For anyone looking to buy the upcoming R2 Neon
Genesis Evangelion DVD box set, Amazon Japan
has it up for pre-order at 15% off, a saving of 5,970
yen. Source: Tentative
Name.
- As is to be expected, FrontPage Express crashed
on me.
- Obana (Child's Toy) Miho's new manga
"Aruyoudenai Otoko" will
commence serialisation in the April 2003 issue of
Shueisha's shoujo magazine Chorus,
on sale 28 February 2003. Source: ultimatum
half edition.
- Kodansha's e-manga website has the first
chapter of the sci-fi manga Metroid
available for viewing in a Flash format. Source: ultimatum
half edition.
- GAiNAX's PC game Shin Seiki Evangelion
Koutetsu no Girlfriend 2nd is to be
released at the end of April 2003. This game will
be set in the alternate universe of episode 26 of
the TV series, where Rei is a transfer student
and Misato a teacher. Price will be 8,800 yen.
Source: ultimatum
half edition and ZDNet
Japan. [15 February 2003 edit: see my 15
February 2003 entry now.]
- The TV anime based on Yagami Hiroki's
manga Dear Boys (serialised in
Kodansha's Monthly
Shonen Magazine) will commence broadcast in
April 2003. Source: ultimatum
half edition and Monthly
Shonen Magazine.
- Volume 1 of Iwahara
Yuji's manga Ibara no Ou (serialised
in monthly Comic Beam) will be released on 31
March 2003 by Enterbrain, price 620 yen. Source: ultimatum
half edition and Manga
no Mori.
- A trailer (in streaming Real format) for Gonzo's next
work Last Exile is now up at
Victor Entertainment's website
for the anime. This TV aviation adventure anime
series brings the staff of Ao no Rokugo (Blue
Submarine No. 6) back for Gonzo's tenth
anniversary. Source: ultimatum
half edition.
- That's all for today. I need to get some sleep.
9 February 2003 (second update)
- Just quickly before I go to sleep: it's been announced
on the CLAMP website that the next CLAMP
work will be xxxHolic (I don't know if
the "xxx" is supposed to represent
something else ^_^;; ) This manga will be
serialised in Kodansha's weekly Young
Magazine, commencing with the number 13 issue
(on sale 24 February 2003) which will have four
colour pages and 24 pages of the manga. Source: ultimatum
half edition.
- Would've updated more yesterday, but had problem
with internet connection...
- Sorry, still not up to date with stuff. I'm
always very slow to recover from a holiday...
- The April
2003 issue of monthly shoujo manga magazine
Nakayoshi (on sale 3 March 2003) will feature the
start of a new Tokyo Mew Mew manga series: Tokyo
Mew Mew A Ra Modo (A La Mode?) by Ikumi
Mia. Source: Tentative
Name.
- A Mahoromatic adventure game for Windows
PCs will be released in the (northern)
spring of 2003. The game will feature a new
storyline. Source: Magicalantique
and Gameiroiro.com.
- For fans for the Rose of Versailles manga series,
Shueisha will release the Rose of
Versailles Perfect Reprint Edition Set
on 20 May 2003. This pre-order only set will cost
8,000 yen (including tax) and will contain all
ten volumes of the Margaret Comics edition manga,
as well as a box, Rose of Versailles card and 68
page art booklet (including artwork from when the
manga was first serialised in Weekly Margaret
magazine) and a reprint picture. Pre-order cutoff
date is 31 March 2003. Source: Mangaoh Club.
- An OVA of the ecchi series Lingerie
Soldier Papillon Rose will be
released in the (northern) spring. Volume 1 of
the DVD is due on 25 April 2003. You can download
a trailer here.
With the OVA series, there won't just be bishoujo
in underwear, but also bishonen. Source: Tentative
Name.
- ZakZak
reports that on 4 February 2003, Japanese police
arrested 43 year old office worker Abe Kazuhide
in relation to internet auctions of pirated DVDs.
Police also seized 57 pirated Hong Kong
DVDs of anime works including Gundam at
the home of the suspect. Abe has been charged
with selling DVD sets of the series Crest of the
Stars by net auction in May 2002. It's estimated
that the man has sold more than 10 million yen of
pirated DVDs and counterfeit designer brand goods
by internet auction. Source: Tentative
Name.
8 February 2003
- Catching up on old news: a new Di Gi
Charat OVA will be released, titled "Di Gi
Charat Gekijo Piyoko ni Omakase piyo!"
Volume 1 will be released on 21 March 2003 and
the concluding volume 2 on 3 May 2003. Volume 1
will contain three 15 minute episodes, with the
DVD having a total duration of approximately 50
minutes. Volume 2 will have similar contents. The
remaining 5 minutes on each DVD will presumably
be taken up with creditless new OP, creditless
new ED and clips from the PKO Yokohama Arena Live
performance. Those clips do not appear on the BTL
Live DVD. A limited edition of each volume will
be available. Limited edition of volume 1 will
come with special picture label CD, limited
edition of volume 2 will come with Choro Q (Black
Gamers edition). Prices of each volume: 6,800 yen
(limited edition), 5,800 yen (regular edition).
Source: Chara-Ani.com.
- The official
website for the series Stratos 4
has two wallpapers and a screensaver available
for download. Source: Chara-Ani.com.
You need to register as a member first, though.
Registration is free. To do this, go to the
Member Entrance and click on the yellow button at
the bottom of the page. Unfortunately, the
process is a bit inconvenient because at times
you need to enter the fields in Japanese script.
Romaji won't be acceptable. After you register,
you need to fill out a questionnaire about
Stratos 4. Then you'll be able to download the
stuff. By this stage, you'll have accumulated 60
points with Net Charabang. Those points can later
be used to download other stuff from the Net
Charabang site. I think further points can be
earned through ordering stuff through Chara-Ani
etc, but note that I think that sort of stuff is
limited to people living in Japan.
- It's been announced on the official
website of the upcoming TV anime Kino
no Tabi that the series will commence
broadcast on 8 April 2003 on WOWOW. Source: Chara-Ani.com.
- No news yesterday because I fell asleep and no
news on Thursday because, well, frankly, I
couldn't be bothered :P
- The Mahoromatic Ongaku Matsuri DVD
will be released on 9 May 2003, price 4,725 yen (including
tax). From the sound of the title, I'm guessing
it'll have music clips on it or something. Source:
Animate
Yokohama.
- Looks like the Slam Dunk DVD box,
to be released on 21 July 2003, price 92,400 yen
(including tax) will come with a choice of 1 of 5
uniforms: Sakurai Hanamichi, Rukawa Kaede, Akagi
Takenori, Miyagi Ryota or Mitsui Hisashi. Source:
Animate
Yokohama.
- An Inuyasha Theme Song Collection CD
will be released on 26 March 2003, price 3,058
yen (including tax). First pressing will come
with a box and booklet. Source: Animate
Yokohama.
- I've been re-organising the links on my website.
If any links to stuff within my site (ie I can't
monitor all the links to external sites) don't
work, please let me know :)
5 February 2003 (third update for the day)
- TV Asahi's website
for the live-action mystery dorama series
Skyhigh, based on the manga of the same
name by Takahashi (Ice Blade) Tsutomu, has been
up for a while. The TV series commenced broadcast
on 17 January 2003.
- The 2003 issue 10 edition of Kodansha's Young
Magazine sees the start of Takada (3
x 3 Eyes) Yuzo's new "medical human story"
manga The Booking Life. This first part
will be 36 pages.
- Back again. First pressing of volume 4 of
the PuchiPuri Yushii DVD will come with a box (to
hold three volumes) and four cards. To
be released 25 April 2003, catalogue number PIBA-1389,
price 5,040 yen (including tax), 50 minutes
duration. Source: Animate
Yokohama, Mangaoh
Club and Musicmarket.
- Japanese passports will go hi-tech, the ABC reports.
- For fans of Marmalade Boy, the
TV series will be released on DVD in Japan, with
the first DVD box due on 2 May 2003, price 30,450
yen (including tax). DVD box 2 will be due on 26
September 2003 and DVD box 3 due on 26 December
2003, both at the same price. Source: Animate
Yokohama.
- Two Tokyo Mew Mew CDs will be
released on 26 March 2003: Tokyo Mew Mew Super
Best: Cafe Mew Mew Side and Tokyo Mew Mew Super
Best: Tokyo Mew Mew Side. First pressing of each
will come with box and sticker. Each will cost 2,599
yen (including tax). Source: Animate
Yokohama.
- The Digimon Frontier Best Hit Parade CD
will be released on 2 April 2003, price 3,200 yen
(including tax). First pressing will come with a
box and booklet. Source: Animate
Yokohama.
- The OST for Gunparade March ~ Arata naru
Kougun Uta ~ (A New Marching Song) will
be released on 21 March 2003, price 3,058 yen (including
tax). First pressing (catalogue number PICA-1278)
will come in a box to hold 4 discs. Regular
edition catalogue number is PICA-1275. Source: Animate
Yokohama, Mangaoh
Club and Musicmarket.
- Volume 2 of the manga Mahou Tsukai ni
Taisetsu na Koto, on which the current anime
series is based, will be released on 1 March 2003,
price 740 yen, from Dragon Comics. Source: Fujimishobo.
- Old news but worth pointing out: the mail
magazine which once was the Anime Daisuki site
has wound up, but in its place is the site Anime
Caravan, a wonderful resource of
information relating to recent and upcoming anime.
- The Kawai Kenji CD Box will be
released on 26 March 2003, catalogue number KICA-9601,
price 5,715 yen (excluding tax). This first
pressing limited edition box will contain 4 discs:
Kurenaii Megane (Crimson Glasses), Kerberos and
Talking Head. The fourth disc will contain Avalon
and previously unreleased music sources. Source: Mangaoh Club.
- More info on the release of volume 1 of the DVD
for L/R. To consolidate it all,
it'll be released on 21 March 2003, catalogue
number PIBA-1400, price 6,000 yen (excluding tax).
First pressing will come with box to hold the
first three volumes and a "mission cigarette".
Source: Mangaoh
Club.
- Shirow Masamune's Intron Depot 3
is scheduled for release by Seishinsha in March
2003, price 2,800 yen (excluding tax). It'll be B4
in size (ie same size as Intron Depot 2) and 116
pages in length. Otherwise details are unknown.
Source: Mangaoh
Club. I've placed my order ^_^
2 February 2003
- The pain... If I have to get an abominal virus,
can't it at least be during the working week
instead of over the entire weekend? >_<
Hence the lack of updates: I've been in bed all
this time.
- Happy Lunar New Year to those people who
celebrate it: Chinese, Koreans, Vietnamese (sorry,
don't know which other cultures following the
lunar calendar).
- Shocked to hear of the explosion of the US space
shuttle. Not as much loss of life as other
disasters and not as close to home as the bush
fires all around Australia, but it seems
particularly tragic all the same.
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