Urban Vision told fans at San Diego Comic-Con last month that while some titles will certainly see a DVD release, a few have hit road blocks in their production. Tekkaman Blade II series is still partially owned by Saban, and therefore won't see a release, nor will DNA Sights 999.9, which was an extremely expensive license that sold very poorly.
A few more film festivals will be showing the English version of Princess Mononoke, including the 24th Toronto International Film Festival (which begins 9/9), where Miyazaki himself may be in attendance. (http://www.bell.ca/filmfest/99/index2.asp) Previously announced was the New York Film Festival later this month.
Viz Communications has dropped the price on its Pokémon cardboard standee set from $19.95 to $14.95. The book-sized set contains 20 standees altogether, all of them in full-color, and will go on sale November 12. Also set for a late 1999 release are a year 2000 Pokémon 2'x3' calendar and a graphic novel of the Pokémon animation comic series serialized in Nintendo Power. To make room for the new products, some Viz Video products will see slight delays, and Viz is now reworking its schedule to accomidate them. In their monthly press release, Viz also announced the Pokémon movie film art book, as well as film comics of both Mewtwo Strikes Back and Pikachu's Vacation. Other non-Pokémon material announced includes a Heartbroken Angels graphic novel (oversized and hardcover), the second Fushigi Yuugi graphic novel and the third Banana Fish graphic novel.
With the licensing of Card Captor Sakura by Nelvana, fansubber Studio Hooseki officially closed last week. The scripts from Hooseki's tenure are still available at the group's web site at http://anime.jyu.fi/greyhawk/hooseki/.
UCLA Film and Television Archive announced Monday their newest film festival, the works of Studio Ghibli, including the films dirrected by Hayao Miyazaki (Nausicaa, Totoro, Mononoke, Kiki), Isao Takahata (Grave of the Fireflies, Omoide Poro Poro, Pon Poko), and Yoshifumi Kondō (Whisper of the Heart). To begin on September 30, the screenings will take place at the UCLA James Bridges Theater and will be shown in their original 35mm format. More information is available from the archive hotline (310) 206-FILM and the web site (www.cinema.ucla.edu). The Museum of Modern Art in New York City event announced earlier will also be touring to the Cambridge Brattle Theater in Cambridge, MA from September 19 to October 17.
My Neighbors, The Yamadas has now dropped to 6th place this weekend, taking in only 5,372,000 yen. Japanese cinema magazine Kinama Junpo expects the film to end up taking in less than 1 billion yen total. Production costs were 2.4 billion, making this the only Ghibli film to ever fail financially.
Encore Media, owner of pay-cable channels Starz!, Encore!, and Encore Action, has signed a 10-year agreement with Disney and its theatrical subsidiaries (includign Touchstone, Hollywood, Miramax, and Dimension) that will allow them to show all theatrical releases from each of these labels, according to Kevin Cook of Animania DVD. Since Disney owns the rights to all Studio Ghibli films and has a track record of showing anime in both subtitled and dubbed formats, many fans are considering what this could mean for the works of Miyazaki on US cable.
Keigo Shinzō's award-winning manga's soft line work and rounded designs, along with the watercolor backgrounds of its cover art, translate perfectly to animation.― When the Japan Society announced it would be screening “a preview version” of the first episode of Hirayasumi “still undergoing finishing touches,” my mind leapt to the legendary work-in-progress screening of Beauty and the Beast at the 1...
How does Akane fare in her debut as a true working woman in the rakugo world? Spoiler: Badly.― Volume four is where I truly fell in love with Akane-banashi, for one specific reason: Issho Arakawa. As much as I love Akane as a protagonist and have grown to love her growth and journey over the run of the series, Issho is equally important and valuable to the strength of the series for how unique a “vi...
The episode 2s are rolling in! Check out our reviewers' takes on over 50 series as the Preview Guide, sponsored by Crunchyroll, continues!― Welcome to Anime News Network's Fall 2026 Anime Preview Guide! Here's how it works: our team of critics writes up their impressions instantly, and we post them here as they go. Each critic will cover as many shows as they can handle, giving you alternate takes ...
Dramatic Road isn't just a modern-day Fire Emblem. It's specifically a high school delinquent saga inspired by classics like Bari Bari Densetsu.― Dramatic Road: the origin of wind has a brilliant high concept: it's a Fire Emblem-style strategy RPG set in modern-day Kanagawa rather than medieval times. Every archetype you remember from those games is therefore remixed. Archers are tennis players; arm...
Rebecca swims through anime and manga history to reach the depths of its mermaid fascination.― Hans Christian Andersen's 1837 literary fairy tale wasn't necessarily a natural fit for Japan. Japanese mermaids, as readers of Rumiko Takahashi know, are more likely to grant immortality if you consume their flesh than to fall in love with a human. But the strange metamorphosis of storytelling can always ...
What makes this final batch of episodes so strong is that almost everybody gets a moment to shine or a moment of introspection.― It's wild how far Pokémon Horizons has come. This final batch of episodes feels like the climax of this time skip and the entire Pokémon Horizons series. While some things are glossed over or could've received more focus, I genuinely believe this might be one of the strong...
More details to be revealed at Jump Festa '27 event on December 19-20― The "NARUTO: What's Next?" panel at New York Comic Con announced on Saturday that Masashi Kishimoto will launch a new manga in his Naruto franchise. The below video teases the title as Naruto Shadow Rising. More details will be revealed at the Jump Festa '27 event, which will take place on December 19-20.Kishimoto launched the Na...
Boruto, Ninku director Noriyuki Abe directs crossover series― The "NA RUTO: What's Next?" panel at New York Comic Con announced on Saturday more information about the new television anime "limited" series teased last month. The new anime is a crossover anime with Koji Kiriyama's Ninku ninja manga titled NARUTO×NINKŪ.The panel explained that Ninku inspired Masashi Kishimoto to create Naruto, and as t...
Yuzu seems passive, but she's really a survivor stumbling her way into the light.― The Cinderella fairy tale often draws knee-jerk reactions about passive heroines. Even some of her arguably more passive fairy tale sisters, like Snow White or Sleeping Beauty, are afforded more grace than the woman who rises from the ashes to become a princess. She's painted as the ultimate in passivity, a girl who w...
Based on story in 27th manga volume― The "Stone Fes. 2026" event announced on Saturday that production has been green-lit on Dr. Stone Terraforming, a sequel to the television anime of Riichirou Inagaki and Boichi's Dr. Stone manga. The new anime will adapt the "Terraforming" sequel story, set after the main story, from the 27th manga volume. The first television anime premiered in July 2019. Crunch...
