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Episode 36: Anime Expo Host Club?

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

This week Batou gives the first portion of his Anime Expo wrapup, and I review Ouran High School Host Club. It’s a great episode, so give it a listen.

Ouran High School Host Club – Wouldn’t kick it out of bed for crackers.

Show Notes

News

French Girls Flee to Japan, Get Stuck in Poland
Two girls from Paris were caught Sunday in Poland after running away from home to “visit the land of manga.”

Hayao Miyazaki’s Reaction To Earthsea
Tales From Earthsea–the latest feature film from Studio Ghibli–was directed by Hayao Miyazaki’s son, Goro. Many were surprised that Goro helmed the… full story »

Manga Added to the Dictionary
“Manga” will join a host of other words that have made their way into our everyday vocabularies in print when Merriam-Webster publishes its next edition of its widely-used dictionary. “Google” and “drama queen” are a few of the other entries that will be joining it in the next edition.

Miyazaki Invited to Join Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
Hayao Miyazaki is one of 120 people that the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has invited to join the Academy in 2006. Miyazaki is one of 8 invitees to have won an Oscar. The 120 invitees will be the only additions to the Academy this year.

Puffy AmiYumi in Cincinnati
Puffy AmiYumi has added a July 14 stop at Bogarts’s in Cincinnati to their east coast tour. Their first stop is Saturday in Philadelphia.

AX 2006 Licensing Roundup
17 anime, 22 manga, 2 novels

Ugly Yet Beautiful World on TAN
The first episode of This Ugly Yet Beautiful World will run on The Anime Network’s video-on-demand service starting today.

Adult Swim: Inu Yasha Movie Next Month, Bleach in Sept
Adult Swim has announced the third Inu Yasha movie will premiere August 12 at 11 p.m., followed by Bleach on September 9 at 11:30 p.m. Eastern.

Cameron Still Churning Battle Angel Rumor Mill
James Cameron says Battle Angel will be the second of two trilogies he plans to film. “Battle Angel is actually designed as a three-film cycle. So the logic there is to make one and, if it hits, boom-boom on the other two.”

Anime Expo 2006 – CLAMP announcements
Anime News Network’s coverage of Anime Expo 2006 continues with the announcements made at the CLAMP panel and Viz Media’s anime panel.

Anime Site/Trailer Update
Negima season 2, Asatte no Houkou, Hatarakiman, Tekkon Kinkreet movie

Reviews

Ouran High School Host Club ()
http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/anime.php?id=6122
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ouran_High_Host_Club

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Episode 35: Escaflowne vs. Fist of the North Star – the cage match of DOOM!

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Hey everybody. We’re reviewing Escaflowne and Fist of the North Star, plus we’ve got some NEW winners of the Podcast Pickle Contest.

Escaflowne TV – Download Now!
Escaflowne Movie – Wouldn’t kick it out of bed for crackers.
Fist of the North Star – Wouldn’t kick it out of bed for crackers.

Show Notes

Podcast Pickle Contest

skeeter27 won
Episodes 1-76 of Naruto on HK DVD
Signed Yaoi Fanart

OtakuTNT won
US DVD’s Episodes 1 – 20 of Revolutionary Girl Utena
Volume 1 of Wolf’s Rain
Signed Yaoi Fanart

MAKE SURE YOU SEND US AN EMAIL IF THIS IS YOU!

News

Bleach Movie Site Now Open
The website for the Bleach movie, Memoires of Nobody, is now open and available for viewing. Not much in the way of content except a trailer and a few text ads in Japanese, but will likely be something to look at as the December premiere date gets closer.

Batou will be at AnimExpo!
Put your ninja hat on and FIND BATOU!

Miyazaki Likes Cars, Not Reporters
Hayao Miyazaki recently met with Pixar’s John Lasseter, who was in Tokyo to promote Cars. After seeing the film, Miyazaki reportedly told Lasseter, “Good job. I got tears!” Also, in his latest director’s diary, Gedo Senki director Goro Miyazaki asks that reporters stop trolling for problems between him and his famous father.

Optimus Prime statue in Southern China
Check out this 40 foot statue of Optimus Prime in this remote southern China province
http://www.karateparty.org/content/view/387/37/

Anime Expo Volunteers wanted
ANN is looking for a few volunteers for Anime Expo. Details are available here.

Train Man Leaves Station in September
Train Man will premiere in September in New York and “major cities,” followed by a DVD release in January. Viz will also volume 1 of the Train Man manga this October.

Monkey Punch, Ueda at AnimeFest
Monkey Punch and Yasuyuki Ueda will be guests at AnimeFest, September 1-4 in Dallas.

Funimation Channel Comes Home to Houston
Houston residents who subscribe to OEN’s FISION service will have access to Funimation Channel’s 24/7 broadcast starting this fall.

Death Note Tops Box Office Again
Death Note topped the Japanese box office for the second straight week, again pushing the Da Vinci Code to second place.

AD Vision Gets Financial Support
Japan’s Sojitz Corporation announced Monday that Japan Content Investments (JCI), an investment group run by Sojitz, Development Bank of Japan, and film distribution company KlockWorx, will contribute money to AD Vision in return for equity in the company. AD Vision founder John Ledford will remain the majority shareholder and CEO. JCI subsidiary ARM will also contribute money for AD Vision to use in acquiring new distribution licenses. The investment will allow ADV Films to raise its output of new anime titles, which had dropped in 2006, back to previous levels or above. In return, AD Vision will assist Sojitz with the acquisition of North American and European content for importation into Japan. AD Vision also reportedly, “has big plans for its manga business.”Atari to Make Saint Seiya Game
Namco Bandai is developing a follow-up to Saint Seiya: The Sanctuary titled “Saint Seiya: The Hades”. The PlayStation 2 game will be based on the manga and will include footage taken directly from the anime. The game will be released in Europe, where Saint Seiya is extremely popular, in Autumn 2006. Saint Seiya:The Sanctuary, released in 2005, was never released in North America.

Video Clip of CLAMP at Work
A five minute video segment providing a look at manga creator group CLAMP at work in their Tokyo studio, taken from a 2005 episode of Japan’s Top Runner television series, has turned up online.

Reviews

Fist of the North Star
http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/anime.php?id=204
http://www.toei-anim.co.jp/lineup/tv/hokuto/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fist_of_the_north_star

Escaflowne
http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/anime.php?id=240
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Escaflowne
http://www.b-ch.com/cgi-bin/contents/ttl/det.cgi?ttl_c=134
http://www.bandai-ent.com/

Literature Authors
Natsume Soseki
Akutagawa Ryunosuke
Abe Kobo
Mishima Yukio
Oe Kenzaburo
Murakami Haruki
Murasaki Shikibu

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Episode 34: The Twelve Kingdoms have R.O.D. hehehe

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

This week we review The Twelve Kingdoms and Read Or Die. Rukia joins us and there is much wackiness.

The Twelve Kingdoms – Wouldn’t kick it out of bed for crackers/Download Now!
Read Or Die OVA – Download Now!
Read Or Die TV – Download Now!

Show Notes

Podcast Pickle Contest Winners!

Prize 1: appleorange
6 Volumes of Evangelion Manga
US DVD Disc 1 of Tactics
Signed Yaoi Fanart

Prize 2: naronto
HK DVD’s Episodes 1 – 76 of Naruto
Signed Yaoi Fanart

Prize 3: jsharp
US DVD’s Episodes 1 – 20 of Revolutionary Girl Utena
Volume 1 of Wolf’s Rain
Signed Yaoi Fanart

Grand Prize: AnimeWorldOrder *sigh*
Box Set of Tenchi Universe
Death Note Journal
Signed Yaoi Fanart

Make sure you send us a message through Podcast Pickle to verify who you are and email us a mailing address so we can send you your prizes.

News

Death Note Tops Japanese Box Office
On a World Cup weekend with below average ticket sales, WB’s Death Note film ended The Da Vinci Code’s four-week run atop the Japanese box office.

Flash: Advent Children is Popular
Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children has sold over 2.4 million copies worldwide, according to a report on Square-Enix. About 1.3 million have been sold in the US, 1 million in Japan, and 100,000 in Europe.

34 NuTech Shows to Adult Source Media
Will be sold under new “Anime Erotica” line

Japanese Guests to Present FMA Premiere at AX
According to a press release from Funimation and the SPJA, Japanese guests Seiji Mizushima and Romi Paku will join Mike McFarland and Vic Mignogna to present the English premiere of the Fullmetal Alchemist movie. Between them they represent the Japanese and English directors and the Japanese and English voices of Edward Elric.

AX to Stream Events Online
Anime Expo will offer live streaming of several events, including opening and closing ceremonies, the Masquerade, and AX Idol.

What’s in an Exaxxion Edit?
Dark Horse editor Chris Warner explains the decision to alter Cannon God Exaxxion volume 5: “In the case of Exaxxion, work with very strong adult content was created in Japan long after the series began running in the States, content much stronger than what had been established when the license was secured.”

Nausicaa Vehicle Comes to Life
A flight-capable prototype of the Mehve vehicle from Miyazaki’s “Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind” has recently been completed by Petworks. Videos of the maiden flight can be viewed here. Am I the only one wishing they’d make a real Catbus next?

Transformers Actors Train with Air Force
When Michael Bay wants something done right, he goes all out. Actors for his live-action Transformers movie are reported to have been training with the United States Air Force to get them in touch with the military roles they’ll be playing. You can read up on what they went through here.

Reviews

The Twelve Kingdoms
http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/anime.php?id=840
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twelve_Kingdoms
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/anime/12kokuki/
http://www.12kingdoms.us/

Read Or Die
http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/anime.php?id=1989
http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/anime.php?id=819
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Read_or_die
http://www.sonymusic.co.jp/Animation/ROD/media/ovaindex.html
http://www.fujitv.co.jp/b_hp/rodthetv/

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AX CLAMP Autograph Details

Details of CLAMP Autographing Sessions Announced
Famous Japanese Artists Scheduled to Appear at Anime Expo 2006

New York, NY (June 21, 2006) Manga superstars CLAMP announced last month that they would be making their first-ever U.S. public appearance at Anime Expo held in Anaheim, California, July 1 to July 4. For manga and anime fans in the United States and throughout the world, this is a once in a lifetime opportunity to see this influential group. The visit is being
co-sponsored by Anime Expo, Del Rey Manga and Funimation Entertainment. Details on CLAMP’s two autographing sessions at Anime Expo are as follows:

Attendees at CLAMP’s panel on 2 PM Saturday will be selected at random to attend one of two autographing sessions. The autographing sessions will be held on Sunday, July 2. CLAMP will be signing exclusive pre-printed paper boards (also known as in Japan as shikishi) featuring CLAMP characters that will be provided to the winners.

About CLAMP
CLAMP consists of four female artists, Satsuki Igarashi, Ageha Ohkawa, Tsubaki Nekoi and Mokona, who have created their own original story and characters in the Japanese graphic novel form known as “manga”. They made their debut as manga artists in Japan in 1989. Since then have become bestselling authors, and animation films based on their work have been prominent on both TV and the cinema screen. CLAMP has also been at the spearhead of the current flux and rise in popularity of Japanese anime and manga in the U.S., with titles such as Magic Knight Rayearth, Cardcaptor Sakura, and Chobits – available from Tokyopop. Among the manga and anime audience, CLAMP is one of the single most recognized names. The two series that they are currently writing in Japan, Tsubasa and xxxHOLiC, are both being published in English by Del Rey Manga.

About Anime Expo
Located in Anaheim, California – Anime Expo®, the North America’s largest anime/manga convention, serves to foster trade, commerce and the interests of the general public and animation/ comics industry. This event serves as a key meeting place for the general public to express their interest and explore various aspects of anime/manga, as well as for members of then industry to conduct business. AX 2006 will be held July 1 – 4, 2006 at the Anaheim Convention Center. More information can be found at its official website (www.anime-expo.org)

About SPJA The Society for the Promotion of Japanese Animation (SPJA) is a non-profit organization with a mission to popularize and educate the American publicn about anime and manga, as well as provide a forum to facilitate communication between professionals and fans. This organization is more popularly known by its entertainment property – Anime Expo®.

About Del Rey Del Rey Books (http://www.delreybooks.com)
was founded in 1977 as a division of Ballantine Books under the guidance of the renowned Judy-Lynn del Rey and prominent on both TV and the cinema screen. CLAMP has also been at the spearhead of the current flux and rise in popularity of Japanese anime and manga in the U.S., with titles such as Magic Knight Rayearth, Cardcaptor Sakura, and Chobits available from Tokyopop. Among the manga and anime audience, CLAMP is one of the single most recognized names. The two series that they are currently writing in Japan, Tsubasa and xxxHOLiC, are both being published in English by Del Rey Manga.

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Episode 33: Martian Successor Evangelion rents Samurai 7 from the Good Witch of the West

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Vespaholic from Anime101 is in the house. We review Martian Successor Nadesico, Neon Gensis Evangelion, Good Witch of the West (Nishi no Yoki Majo – Astraea Testament), and Samurai 7. It’s a great show, with Ramune!

Martian Successor Nadesico – Download Now!
Neon Genesis Evangelion – Download Now!
Good Witch of the West (Nishi no Yoki Majo – Astraea Testament) – Download Now!
Samurai 7 – Wouldn’t kick it out of bed for crackers.
7 Samurai – Download Now!
The Magnificent 7 – Wait until it hits the US and NetFlix it.

Show Notes:

News:

From Naruto Sneakers To NERV Sandals
Mmm, more Eva milking. You probably won’t be able to buy these NERV flip-flops unless you happen to live in Japan, but you can still admire them from afar. According to Akadot, they’ll go on sale in Japan in July.

X:Re-Mix at Anime Expo
Geneon will be selling copies of their X:Re-Mix at Anime Expo. The new X DVD boxed set includes remixed audio and re-encoded video, as well as new bonus material including the “An Omen” bonus episode. There will also be a limited edition version with a velvet cover. The set will go on sale at retailers on July 11.

Transformers Actors Train with US Air Force
Military.com profiles an Air Force Airman who helped train actors for Michael Bay‘s Transformers movie. The film will be out July 4, 2007.

ADV Films seeks AX Booth Volunteers
ADV Films is currently seeking motivated, friendly fans to lend a hand with their booth at Anime Expo 2006. For further details, contact Chris Oarr at coarr@advfilms.com. Be sure to include “Volunteer” in the subject line.

Captain Tsubasa Joins Japanese Soccer Team
Just in time for the World Cup, Captain Tsubasa‘s Ohzora Tsubasa is featured on a new bottle design for Kirin Nuda, the official drink of Japan’s soccer team. The commercial is available here.

Black Cat Crosses Funimation’s Path
Funimation announced its acquisition of Black Cat last weekend at A-Kon in Dallas.

Tokyopop Expands to Australia and New Zealand
Earlier this month Tokyopop announced that it had expanded operations to New Zealand and Australia through a partnership with Funtastic. Funtastic recently acquired Australia’s Madman Entertainment, however Tokyopop deal is independent of Madman. Tokyopop books now have official distribution channels on every continent except Antartica.

Moe Burger opens in Japan in Akihabara
Check out some pics here

Zipang Licensed
Geneon announced its acquisition of Zipang last weekend at A-Kon.

Tokyopop Expands to Australia and New Zealand
Earlier this month Tokyopop announced that it had expanded operations to New Zealand and Australia through a partnership with Funtastic. Funtastic recently acquired Australia’s Madman Entertainment, however Tokyopop deal is independent of Madman. Tokyopop books now have official distribution channels on every continent except Antartica.

New Shonen Magazine in Japan
The first issue of Leed’s Shounen Fang will be released July 19 in Japan.

Oshii on Miyazaki’s Gedo Senki
Nausicaa.net has posted an English transcript of a video interview with Mamoru Oshii in which he discusses Goro Miyazaki‘s forthcoming Gedo Senki film.

My-HiME Site Goes Live
The official English site for My-HiME launched today. Designed to resemble the website of Fuka Academy (the school where the show is set), it boasts several interesting features, as well as a brand new preview.

Reviews

Martian Successor Nadesico
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nadesico
http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/anime.php?id=42
http://www.b-ch.com/cgi-bin/contents/ttl/det.cgi?ttl_c=162

Neon Genesis Evangelion
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neon_Genesis_Evangelion
http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/anime.php?id=49
http://www.gainax.co.jp/anime/eva/index.html

Good Witch of the West (Nishi no Yoki Majo – Astraea Testament)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Good_Witch_of_the_West_Astraea_Testament
http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/anime.php?id=6175
http://www.project-westwitch.net/

Samurai 7
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samurai_7
http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/anime.php?id=3127
http://www.animax.co.jp/ppv/samurai7/

7 Samurai
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/7_Samurai

The Magnificent 7
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Magnificent_Seven

Download Now