DMW: Digital Music W...

Anime News Network reports that Shinichiro Watanabe's anime Cowboy Bebop is being developed at Fox. This news was a long time coming. Considered one of the better contemporary animes to be produced by Sunrise (the same studio that has worked on all the Gundam series), Cowboy Bebop is credited to helping making anime a mainstream commodity. It first aired in the US on Cartoon Network's [adult swim] block in the late '90s and helped shape that block into a skewering male demo powerhouse block.

To briefly describe the series, its a sexy, violent, smart series that features a cast of characters you grow to love. A rag tag group of bounty hunters with past lives so dark and intriguing, you can't stop watching. You must know how the series ends. I love all the characters - Spike, Jet, Ein, Ed and Faye. The anime became an instant classic and I recommend that you watch it if you haven't already. Also watch the movie Cowboy Bebop: Knockin' on Heaven's Door (that's the original title before it was changed to Cowboy Bebop: The Movie).

Posted by Amanda Nanawa on July 22, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Four years since the release of "Howl's Moving Castle", Oscar Award winner Hayao Miyazaki returns to the big screen this weekend in Japanese theatres with the unspooling of.... wait for it.... "Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea" a.k.a. "The Little Mermaid". Yeah, Disney is definitely all over this one.

Here's the trailer as featured on a Japanese morning show (you will have to suffer through their banter as they suggest that characters are moe kawaii and make reference to the 9-year-old girl singing the theme song).

But what makes this release different from "Howl's..." or Academy Award winning animated feature "Spirited Away" is the fact that Miyazaki has shunned digital animation for hand-drawn pencil animations -- returning to good ol' pencil art. The entire project , which took about one and a half years to produce by 70 staff members, was drawn by hand. About 170,000 hand-drawn cells were used to animate characters, objects and background. The film also uses numerous other manually drawn pictures as the background -- with the succession of screens creating a slightly jittery atmosphere to the film.

"All things in the world are moving. I became an animator in order to move everything in the world. It's not only human characters that move," Miyazaki said. "Not only grass vacillates; the ground can move, too. I think delicate fluctuations give life to our production," he said. "The world is a living thing. Small children know it."

The director said he has been working to "create a world that five-year-olds understand."

"Five-year-old kids do not think with reason but rather they understand the true nature of the world instinctively," he said.

In a message posted on the Ghibli website, Miyazaki said the upcoming film "animates the sea not as background but as a main character."

I anticipate this to be as magical as "My Neighbor Totoro" or "Kiki's Delivery Service". It will be kawaii.

Source: Yahoo News

Posted by Amanda Nanawa on July 17, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

I encountered an amusing blog on Times Online about the latest mascot on Nestle's drinks. Its none other than the head-shot assassin Golgo 13.

You should read the blog. It really is funny. And I found this after reading about EMI's latest financial extension from Citigroup.

Posted by Amanda Nanawa on May 21, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

A year ago at TAF, I was doing this interview with Japanese TV broadcaster WowWow and Madhouse. We were talking about their latest manga adaptation of "Shigurui". The cover was fascinating. Take a look at the cover for Vol 3:

As I had expected, FUNimation might actually make an announcement tomorrow about their acquisition of their most mature anime title to date. This beats Speedgrapher, Witchblade, Basilisk and Shin Chan by miles (in terms of FUNimation catalog titles). Shigurui is actually not for the faint at heart. There is a lot of gore, blood, violence, hacking of body parts, hacking of tits, hacking of all sorts of things that humans could not believe they are watching. This is the anime title meant for adult viewers over the age of 21.

ENJOY!

Posted by Amanda Nanawa on May 15, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

It's Friday... Enjoy your weekend with this para para dance...

I gotta get me those cowboy boots.

Posted by Amanda Nanawa on March 07, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

As reported in Variety and Hollywood Reporter, Warner Brothers and Appian Way, Leonardo DiCaprio's production company, will adapt the Katsuhiro Otomo classic manga to a live-action version. In Warner's version, Akira will be set in "New Manhattan" rather than "Neo-Tokyo" (which is how it is written in the manga & anime). And New Manhattan is a city that is rebuilt by Japanese money.

This is the second anime/manga property Warner Brothers has announced. The previous was the Robotech movie w/Tobey Maguire attached to produce. Warner's aggressive approach to the anime and manga market should pose as good news to a beleagured sector undergoing massive shifts and market consolidation. Akira anime was released on DVD in the US by now defunct Geneon/Pioneer. It is highly likely we will see that title re-issued under a different US distributor (just in time for the live-action movie). I kinda know who will most likely do it and all I can say is, may they please release a re-mastered version in Blu-Ray.

Jump here to read the news from Anime News Network.

And then jump here to read the news from The Hollywood Reporter.

Posted by Amanda Nanawa on February 21, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

Just got news that the awesome folks over at Anime TV have posted episode 12 from season one. The episode features segments from the ATV crew's adventures last year at Anime Expo in Long Beach, CA. They were great hosts on the Anime Selects stage and we had a blast (albeit causing a lot of trouble and bringing out the fire marshalls!). What can you say? We know how to party!

So watch this clip and enjoy!

P.S. Super thanks to Eric and the entire Bang Zoom Entertainment! team for their endless support and enthusiasm. And thanks for mentioning me in the end credits. That was sweet!

Posted by Amanda Nanawa on February 21, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

OMFG! Last year, I caught one of the ads from Suntory Boss drinks that features a campaign with Tommy Lee Jones. The campaign is called "Alien Jones" (which I didn't know until Anime News Network revealed it) and has been an ongoing campaign since April of 2006 (again, I didn't know that).

In this ad he is featured in a maid cafe, working as a camera assistant and playing games with a Akiba maid in moe mode (very kawaii). Jump to see the 15 second ad or the 30 second ad. I prefer the 30 second ad since we see more of the Otaku culture proudly on display.

One of the many reasons why I [heart] Tommy Lee Jones.

Posted by Amanda Nanawa on February 05, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Taz, my compadre over at Animepodcast.net , has put together a cool promo/countdown to Tokyo Reporter 2008. Starting Feb 1 and every Friday, Animepodcast.net will have segments from last year's Tokyo Reporter coverage. If you missed it, February is your chance to see what trouble we got ourselves into in Tokyo last year.

There's still time to send in your audition video to Anime Selects and be considered for our upcoming trip/coverage of TAF 2008. Click here to audition. Who doesn't want to go to Tokyo for free? Dum dums, that's who. Dum dums.

Posted by Amanda Nanawa on January 31, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Toriumi-san was one of Japanese animation's most respected writers in the industry. I credit his writing and his vision for establishing what separates anime from the rest of animation.

I grew up watching Battle of the Planets in the 1970s only to realize later in 2000 that Battle was a severely chopped up version from the true Japanese original anime Gatchaman or Science Ninja Team Gatchaman. When I was at The Anime Network in 2003, it gave me the reason to go license the original series and enjoy the anime for what it was and how it was meant to be watched. Thankfully, viewers in the US can still watch his works on Cartoon Network's [adult swim] - Astro Boy - and Anime Selects on Comcast VOD - Armored Trooper Votoms.

His writing on Mach Go Go Go - Speed Racer - & Astro Boy were so far ahead of its time that it inspired later generations to appreciate the depth of the characters. Astro Boy is considered Japan's national treasure - thanks to his scriptwriting and Osamu Tezuka's direction.

Source: Anime News Network

Posted by Amanda Nanawa on January 18, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

From Mexico:

Jump here to see those pics. I'm going to keep my mouth shut.

Posted by Amanda Nanawa on January 16, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Not quite an update since its been confirmed who will play what. The biggest star announced to the project to date is Chow Yun-Fat (note: he hasn't signed to the project yet - he's still going through the script). But everyone else has been confirmed and they are:

Justin Chatwin (Son Goku)
James Marsters (Piccolo)
Jamie Chung (Chi Chi)
Golden Globe nominated Emmy Rossum (Bulma) *Note: You are aware that the character name "Bulma" - when translated to English - means "underwear"
Eriko Tamura (Mai) * Note: Oh yeah - She played "Yaeko" in Season 2 of "Heroes" - you know, the love interest to Hiro "Yatta!" Nakamura.
Joon Park (Yamcha) *Note: See him in next year's "Speed Racer" film by the Wachowski Brothers.

Apparently Stephen Chow, who is producing the project, tried to bring in more Chinese actors to the project but proved unsucessful. My gut instincts tells me that Twentieth Century Fox wanted to stick with as many big names or at least, well known names to the project. *Sigh*

Its all up to that script. The script will seriously have to tie "Dragonball" into "Dragonball Z" somehow. And another parting thought, Chow Yun-Fat hasn't read the manga, which was written by Akira Toriyama. Thing is, Master Roshi is actually portrayed as your typical dirty old Japanese man in most of the manga - trying to get his hands on Bulma's ass, and pretty much other women's asses. So, if Chow Yun-Fat doesn't mind that sidenote to the mentor character design, then it should be an interesting addition to his reportoir.

Posted by Amanda Nanawa on December 29, 2007 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

I'm kinda busy putting together the VOD schedule for Anime Selects so I didn't get a chance to write up how things went at NY Anime Festival. It did alright for its first year. Last numbers I heard was over 15k, which exceeded expectations for a first year con. Usually, first year cons get an attendance between 8 - 12k.

But its not too late to audition to be our next Tokyo Reporter for 2008. We even got help from our friends over at IFC to get the word out. We're pretty excited to have them on board as our cross-programming partner. So look out for those IFC news segments that talk about Anime Selects' Tokyo Reporter!

I tried to upload the promo here but the file is too large. So head over to Taz's blog at AnimePodcast.NET and check out the promo.

To do your video audition, just go to www.animeselects.com/tokyo for guidelines, rules and tips.

Ganbatte!

Posted by Amanda Nanawa on December 12, 2007 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

I want to share this wonderful project amongst bloggers and readers. My friend, Eric Calderon, has been working on this pilot original anime project called "The Five Killers". Click here to check out the trailer.

The pilot was animated by the folks over at studio Gonzo in Tokyo. It is the same studio that has brought the world "Afro Samurai", "Witchblade" and "Samurai 7" among so many others.

Posted by Amanda Nanawa on December 01, 2007 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

*Shrieking like a little girl*

This news item got me giddy with excitement... As reported on Anime News Network, Kravtiz's single, "I'll Be Waiting", will be the theme song for the upcoming Death Note film spinoff, L Change the WorLd. For those not familiar with anime or manga, Death Note is the latest property trying to take over America - the same way Naruto did. The thing about Death Note is, it doesn't appeal to the younger viewer - more to the 15 - 35 viewer, skewering male. Plus the show has some baggage in terms of controversy - one being that the Chinese government has banned all manga sales related to the property due to its vigilante content. The anime is currently airing on [adult swim] in the US.

New York Anime Festival is next week so I'll be talking about this one with my friends over at Viz Media.

Posted by Amanda Nanawa on November 30, 2007 | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

Are you freakin' kidding me?!!!! Seriously, I wasn't really kidding when I asked last time "Where are those freakin' asian actors for Dragon Ball?"

This was posted on IGN's site with the heading Dragon Ball's Bulma Cast?

And OMG! Did they change the title to Dragonball Z? Are they starting to realize that the otaku fandom is pretty much up in arms over this weirdness? I know I am.

This project is doomed. Just like what happened to that mediocre crap this past summer -Transformers. I'm starting to cry.

Posted by Amanda Nanawa on November 27, 2007 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Everything seems to be falling into place, albeit slowly. But various news outlets have posted updates on the production of Dragon Ball which now has two stars attached and a director.

Glad to see that Stephen Chow (Shaolin Soccer, Kung Fu Hustle) is producer on the project. Strangely, he's not acting in the movie (as of yet). We have yet to see if they will actually cast an Asian in any of the roles that are left open. I anticipate characters such as Krillin, Chiaotzu, Tien, Yajirobe and Master Roshi to have at least an Asian actor play one of them. Apparently, James Kyson Lee (Heroes) is auditioning for the role of Yamcha.

This is Dragon Ball:

This is Dragon Ball Z:

You know, this is gonna be strange. Since Justin Chatwin (The Invisible, War of the Worlds) is cast as Goku, then I assume that they are actually doing scenes based off Dragon Ball Z rather than Dragon Ball. Dragon Ball Z shows Goku grown up and kicking ass. In Dragon Ball, Goku is only a child fighting in tournaments and battling the evil forces of Emperor Pilaf.

Posted by Amanda Nanawa on November 14, 2007 | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)

Who wants to go to Tokyo?

Anime Selects will hold auditions Dec 8 and 9 over at the Jacob Javits Convention Center, NYC to find the next Tokyo Reporter. Last year was a blast and we had a great time - crew and reporter. If for some unfortunate reason you can't make it to the Javits on either day, don't fear. We will take video audition uploads and will post rules for that starting Dec 1.

What did we do last year? Check out the site here. Here's a pic of what we had the reporter cover:

Photo by Amanda Nanawa

and another...

Photo by Amanda Nanawa

If you do make it to the Javits, you'll need to register to get on the show floor. That's right. We've got a booth at the upcoming New York Anime Festival. Its the first year Reed Exhibitions will put on a show that focuses on the anime and manga industry so expect lots and lots of people, long lines, and tons 'o people in cosplay. And guess what, I will actually put on a cosplay outfit. *Gasp*

It won't be much. Its an outfit from the anime Naruto. But to actually catch me wearing something in cosplay...that's very rare. Its like finding a unicorn in the forest rare.

What will the booth look like? Well, it should resemble close to what we had at Long Beach, CA for AX:

Photo by Amanda Nanawa

So look for that background hanging from the banisters of the show floor. I'll see you there! Ganbatte!

Posted by Amanda Nanawa on November 07, 2007 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

This was just listed on Anime News Network. The show is simply a slice of life comedy that focuses on life in Japan. But its true central focus is to make relentless Haruhi references throughout the show and to poke fun at the otaku lifestyle. Its no Azumanga Daioh (my personal favorite) but it tries to make you laugh and love them. It tries.

Posted by Amanda Nanawa on November 01, 2007 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Now I'm on a kick. Thanks to that Warner/Maguire news about "Robotech", I finally feel like blogging about two other anime franchises that mean something to an Otaku.

It was reported on ICV2.com that the first of four Evangelion features released in Japan opened to #1 last weekend. What does that mean to America? Well to mainstream America, it means maybe Hollywood is looking into this franchise. Its only a matter of time. I do recall that ADV Films has tried to pre-produce a feature film live-action version of Evangelion but to this day, its still in development hell. They even commissioned WETA (the studio responsible for special visual effects on "Lord of the Rings") to make some proposed set and mecha samples. The samples and art were cool, its just that the project hasn't gone anywhere.

Which brings me to this little news item that posted earlier this past week. This remake of the anime TV series was produced with the sole intent to make the property more accessible beyond the fan boy community. In any event, Hideaki Anno - the mad genius behind Evangelion and that awesome slice-of-life anime "Kare Kano" - is overseeing this project and removing all those crazy gimmicks on screen like the rapid fire of Japanese words that can give anyone epilepsy. Or the infamous freeze frame scene of EVA Unit 01 on screen that stays up for about 2min. Legend has it that the studio (Gainax) ran out of money and just salvaged what they could for that episode.

In terms of affecting an American audience, I don't know if it will reach the coolness level of "Ghost in the Shell". "Neon Genesis Evangelion" is vastly far removed from your typical sci-fi space opera type. It leans more on the psychological sci-fi with hints of mania and huge - I mean - gigantoid symbols of Christianity. I mean, dude, the Lance of Longinus, it doesn't get anymore Christian than that.

Ok, I'm getting off my EVA soapbox and stepping on the "Dragonball Z" soapbox. So word is that Fox admits that live-action "Dragon Ball" will shoot in Montreal. What they won't reveal is when shooting starts or who the hell is in the cast. I don't want to make heads or tails about it. I honestly think that in order for this movie to really be successful, the script and cast have to be dead-on. And I mean dead-on. In addition, the fighting sequences have to rival that of a Jet-Li movie. Really. I'm not kidding. Right now, there's nothing on IMDB that suggests that this project is in pre-production. Its like the mysterious project adaptation that no one can speak about.

Anyway, I wrote this blog to point out that Hollywood is still moving ahead in adapting anime properties for a much wider audience. It remains to be seen if Hollywood has the appetite and guts to finance more anime and manga adaptations. Can you imagine a Naruto live-action movie? I don't because that is freakin' scary.

Posted by Amanda Nanawa on September 07, 2007 | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)

This is the kind of news that gets actor Gary Coleman all tingly with excitement. What do I mean by that? Well, I interviewed him for Anime Selects when we were covering NYCC this past February. He decided to let me interview him when he realized that we were that anime channel on TV (I never asked him if he was a Comcast subscriber). Anyway, he wouldn't let up on talking about "Robotech" and how he loved that show. And like all fans, he wondered what the hell happened to Adml. Rick Hunter. And then I told him that it continues in "Robotech: The Shadow Chronicles" and he was very excited to check that out.

Anyway, this news must be official since its now available on Anime News Network (news first broke on The Hollywood Reporter) and was announced during Toronto Film Fest non the less.

So does that mean Tobey plays Rick Hunter? Who gets to play Lynn Minmei and will she sing?

Ok, let's count this off... so far "Transformers" has been adapted to live-action with "Voltron" next up for American screens. And now "Robotech". So seriously is Mobile Suit Gundam next? Or is that too cerebral for Hollywood?

Posted by Amanda Nanawa on September 07, 2007 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

As expected, Hollywood takes another Japanese flick and tries to Americanize it any way they can. "Shinobi" is the latest Japanese ninja scroll movie to get this treatment. Instead of the plot taking place in 1600 Shogunate Japan, it will take place in Hong Kong (I assume modern day). And something along the lines of Romeo & Juliet meets asian gangs meets ninja gangs.

In case you don't already know, there is an anime version of the story. It played on IFC during their anime block. That show is "Basilisk". That is a great show. The original Japanese live-action movie is remarkable. Both titles are distributed by FUNimation.

Little back story - "Basilisk" was based on the novel "The Kouga Ninja Scrolls" written by Futaro Yamada in 1958. The novel was based on actual events and some characters that took place in Japan. In 1603, Tokugawa Ieyasu was named Shogun after a decisive battle that took place at the Battle of Sekigahara. Japan was unified and peace began to reign throughout the land. There were factions of ninja clans that would fight against each other from time to time. But there were two significant ninja clans that held a very long storied grudge against each other. They were the Iga and Kouga clans. The Shogun would like nothing more than to see these two clans decimate each other off the planet. But as fate would have it, two lovers from opposite sides of the clan are forced to fight each other to the death. Only one Shinobi will remain standing from either clan.

When you get a chance, try to catch both versions - anime and Japanese live-action. It is basically the source material of all things ninja. See it before it gets Americanized.

Posted by Amanda Nanawa on August 01, 2007 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

So the Long Beach area is getting their share of the anime convention this weekend. Its funny to see the faces of locals and asking us, "What is this for?"

Anime Expo opened their doors Friday at 12PM and people just rushed in to get inside the dealer's room. Anime Selects is again taping events this year and we really made an impression on opening day. We got warned - twice! - for noise and crowd control. Yeah, we were causing a stir but it was all worth it. The Hare Hare Yukai dance was great and the huge crowd that gathered at our booth really got into it.

Plus, having the cast of Anime TV as our guest hosts really made it a great improvement from last time. These guys bring the excitement and geek factor to level 10.

The ASOS Trio interview and dance was quite an event.

Will have more soon...

Posted by Amanda Nanawa on June 30, 2007 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

So I've been busy trying to coordinate events and things for Anime Selects. So far, we have a few announcements and a press release that went out last week.

Item 1
Here's the skinny... Anime Selects will do a segment on "A Day in the Life of an Otaku". Our cameras will follow 10 people who are attending Anime Expo over the course of a day. We have an open call for any attendee who would like to share their day with our camera. Think of it this way, you get to be the star this time - not Man-Faye. So fellow Otaku, drop a line at info@animeselects.com. Please provide your name, age, a pic of yourself (in cosplay if possible) and a short essay - no more than 200 words - on the topic: "Why Cosplaying is Important to Anime Conventions". An alternate topic is "Why Haruhi Should Run for President". The open call closes June 21.

Item 2
With the help of Bandai Entertainment, we are planning to organize the largest Hare Hare Yukai dance ever assembled in the US. That's right. We're going to try and beat those Haruhiists in Akihabara. If you happen to be at AX on Friday, June 29 at 1PM, head over to the dealers room and right after our interview with the ASOS Trio, we will make magic happen together. Magic!

Item 3
Guitar Hero II makes its debut at AX. Yeah, that's right. Anime Selects is bringing the heat. People will get a chance to show off their guitar lick skills and show off their fancy finger moves. That entire line sounded so naughty. :)

Item 3
DDR returns and we have crazy, incredible prizes to give to the champs that anyone will compete just to get the schwag. Forget the cameras and your :15 of fame. You just want the grand prize.

Item 4
Giving away free stuff. We've got a lot of stuff to give away this year so you really can't miss stopping by the Anime Selects booth.

Item 5
Our friends from Bang Zoom! will bring back their famous Adventure in Voice Acting workshop where people try to be a anime VO actor for a moment. Plus, this year the cast of Anime TV will be our guest hosts/MCs and roving reporter. Hot! Fans get to meet VO actor & Anime TV host Johnny Yong Bosch and special VO actors who will stop by for meet and greet w/the fans.

I will try desperately hard to post pics from the con and video of the Hare Hare Yukai dance.

Posted by Amanda Nanawa on June 15, 2007 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Considered a "hot" show in Japan, the anime "The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya" will make its way Stateside later this year by way of Bandai.

Check out the clip that showcases people dancing in sync in the streets of Akihabara. This is Hare Hare Yukai dancing, people. You can laugh but this sh*t is real.

And if you're wondering what the hell is "The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya", look no further than to these two clips by Anime TV.

Enjoy!

Posted by Amanda Nanawa on April 11, 2007 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Tokyo Anime Fair is next week and the crew and I are about to head out to Tokyo starting Sunday. I hope this crappy weather doesn't linger for long. I know its supposed to get worse overnight but it should "taper off" (meteorology-speak) some time Saturday afternoon. It better.

Anyhoo, we have cast our video reporter and he is Tasayu Tasnaphun, a New Yorker. Yay NY! Thanks to everyone who participated in our casting call at NY Comic Con. That was our first year of doing such a search and trust me, it won't be the last. So, brush up on your video and blogging skills!

Go visit Tasayu's blog page and follow his travels all around Tokyo and TAF. He will be given assignments and must, and I mean MUST, complete them. Feel free to suggest stuff to him while he's there in Tokyo. He arrives in Tokyo March 20 and leaves March 25.

Seriously, check out his blog page and join in on the Tokyo madness.

Posted by Amanda Nanawa on March 16, 2007 | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

It's been talked about for a bit and rumored to almost be hearsay. But as reported in Variety, this thing is for real. And I guess Vince Vaughn is still on board as Racer X. In any event, expect the racing scenes to be mindblowing. If its anything like that freeway scene from The Matrix: Reloaded, then wahoo! Although, Joel Silver did say something about this movie being for everyone -- all ages. So maybe a little less on blood and a lot on mechanical carnage?

Posted by Amanda Nanawa on November 02, 2006 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

It was first revealed at TAF (Tokyo Anime Fair) earlier this year. The latest OVA from studio Production I.G will finally air on Japanese TV Sept 1 and be available on DVD some time in November in Japan. US dates are still forthcoming.

Click here to access the trailer.

Story:

A.D. 2034. It has been two years since Motoko Kusanagi left Section 9. Togusa is now the new leader of the team, that has considerably increased its appointed personnel. The expanded new Section 9 confronts a rash of complicated incidents, and investigations reveal that an ultra-wizard hacker named the Puppeteer is behind the entire series of events.

In the midst of all, Batou, who was stalking the case on a separate track, encounters Motoko. She goes away after saying, "Stay away from the Solid State Society." Batou is left with a doubt in his mind. Could Motoko be the the Puppeteer?

The series of intriguing incidents that Section 9 faces gradually link together almost artistically. Who is the Puppeteer? What will happen to Batou's relationship with Motoko? What is the full truth behind this carefully planned perfect crime? And what will the outcome be? Mysteries surround the Solid State Society...

NOTE: The word "Puppeteer" is used in this text as a temporary translation for the original Japanese term "Kugutsu Mawashi," and it is not meant to be the official English adaptation.

Posted by Amanda Nanawa on August 20, 2006 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

This is what will air on Comcast and Cox VOD starting September...

Man-Faye

Among a wave of controversy emerges a man with a single mission -- to get his hairy ass back on the AX floor. With the help and kindness of Anime Selects and understanding of the organizers of AX, that mission was accomplished. Plus, none of this would've happened without the fans. And damn, there were a lot!

Klingon Rap

When the idea of Open Mic was mentioned during our production meeting, I thought to myself, "We're either gonna get some crazy divas or wallflower Otakus on stage". But it worked! Yeah!! This is just a humorous segment but there were some amazing moments and moments that made you cringe.

Why You Should Date Me

"Because my clothes fall off..."
"I like it rough..."
"Because I'm a redhead..."
You get the picture. People say the darndest things on camera. I'd hate to be at a furry party.

Peelander Z

The best part of the show for me was when people came up to me and admitted that they had a great time. Some even said that that concert was the best they have been to. AWE!
We're airing the whole concert in 5 parts on VOD. But some time in the near future, we will have those segments up on the Anime Selects website for people to view and love for all eternity.

Posted by Amanda Nanawa on August 09, 2006 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Last Saturday was pretty good; weather-wise. It was a recipe for major traffic jams on I-95 South heading to Baltimore. I didn't realize that it was an away game for the Yankees and this is what I encountered at the Deleware Memorial Bridge...

Photo by Amanda Nanawa

I was heading to the Baltimore Convention Center for Otakon...

Photo by Amanda Nanawa

This is what I saw inside...

Photo by Amanda Nanawa

And in the dealer room...

Photo by Amanda Nanawa

Photo by Amanda Nanawa

There weren't as many people as there were last year. I think it had a lot to do with the badge price; not everyone was there to do all three days. If they had a per day badge and discounted badges for half-days and senior citizens, the turn-out would've been better.

Posted by Amanda Nanawa on August 08, 2006 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

From what I have read so far, the reviews have been mixed. Apparently, when the film opens in Japan in a few days, people are expecting it not to be as big a hit as "Spirited Away" or "Princess Mononoke".

Click here to read preliminary thoughts about the movie.

- And then...

Click here for some message board battles and beat-downs.

Eventually, I would like to see the movie. I wonder if Disney or Miramax will take it for North America? I believe they have an output deal with Studio Ghibli.

Posted by Amanda Nanawa on July 28, 2006 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

I woke up with a hangover. Not good. The night before, I had dinner and drinks w/a good friend from Tokyopop. So when I had breakfast, I was completely spaced out. The waiter knew I wasn't feeling right so when I ordered a Power Smoothie, he came through for me and gave me the drink in a grande cup. You sir, will get a good tip.

First highlight of the day belongs to the Bandai event. Our spotlight was on Eureka SeveN which is currently airing on Cartoon Network. We had at our studio the CEO of Bandai, the President of Studio BONES, the director of Eureka SeveN, the voice actress who provides VO for Eureka and a rep from Namco Bandai games. There was an excellent turn out. We learned some intimate details about the director of the series. Here's a hint - he was dressed just like the lead character of the show, Renton. It was quite surreal.

Photo by Amanda Nanawa

Second highlight belongs to Japanese band The Indigo. They are signed to Geneon's record label and are currently touring certain venues to promote their cd entitled Indigo Suite (available only in the US). We had a Q & A with them and had the audience/fans ask them questions. People are soooo shy. It's cute. One guy was a superfan and went up to dance with Miki (lead singer of the band) doing some Japanese dance routine. It was great.

Photo by Amanda Nanawa

Third highlight goes to Man-Faye being allowed to return to the AX floor dressed as Man-Faye. Anime Selects and AX were able to form a truce and has now allowed Man-Faye to roam the AX floors once again. That's what we do at Anime Selects - we share the love. We asked Man-Faye to return to our booth and be a judge in one of the last Cosplay contests. Fun had by all!

Photo by Amanda Nanawa

See you next year! Long Beach Convention Center.

Posted by Amanda Nanawa on July 06, 2006 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

"Man-Faye! Man-Faye! Man-Faye!"

That's the kind of chanting we had at our studio Sunday. He had his robe on so our booth wouldn't get shut down per AX and the City of Anaheim's rules. But the turn out was amazing. I didn't take pictures since I was busy backstage trying to coach and prevent any SNAFUs from actually happening.

Lance Henrickson (AVP, Aliens, Millennium) was at AX to join the Production I.G panel on their anime program IGPX and later he went to the Bandai booth for a quick appearance. Unfortunately, my mobile crew was still on a previous shoot and I was in the middle of an important programming meeting.

We had a Cosplay contest where people with the most cheers win $100 dollars for being the "Best of the Best" Cosplayer of the day. We were "winging" that event. Seriously had no real rules until literally 30 minutes before we started the event.

But back to Man-Faye... Once he was outside and away from the convention floor, he disrobed for his fans and started signing his t-shirts as giveaways. And yes, people were smacking his ass. Golden TV moments people. Golden TV moments.

But we had several events that went well. One was an Open Mic where people just went up and did whatever. And what's an anime con without Dance Dance Revolution and Karaoke Revolution? All of that went really well.

At other booths... our friends from Geneon had Japanese band The Indigo performing. It was soooo nice (so was Geneon's press room - swanky). And FUNimation had their VO actors signing autographs. And Viz Media had a premiere of Train Man where the screening room was packed to overcapacity.

Posted by Amanda Nanawa on July 03, 2006 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

It's 5:27AM Eastern and 2:26AM Pacific and I am still up. The Deer Hunter is on USA Network right now. I love that movie. It's been a while since I last watched it. God damn, its a beautiful movie.

But more important, day 1 of Anime Expo came and went and we kicked things off right. My highlights of the day were the Peelander-Z concert and Bang Zoom Entertainment's voice over session at our booth. Both were very entertaining and fun. We had a freakin' mosh pit for the Peelander-Z concert! Hot!!

Photo by Amanda Nanawa

Photo by Amanda Nanawa

It was so gratifying to hear from fans that they had a great time at the Peelander-Z concert. Peelander Yellow body surfed and did human bowling. It was insane. I even had some camera time today. I warmed up the crowd and introduced the band. And later, I ended up doing the Q & A with the band. Needless to say, I miss interviewing. What I have to get used to is the fact that I am now doing things in front of the camera. I always said I love being the "puppet master" and not the "puppet". I broke my Cardinal Rule today. Oh well.

Photo by Amanda Nanawa

Photo by Amanda Nanawa

This Bang Zoom session, no joke, was put together about 2 - 3 weeks ago. I'm still amazed that it came together and we pulled it off. We made as many people's dream come true. I am really happy.

Wait until tomorrow - I mean - today...Man-Faye...EEEEEEEKS!

Posted by Amanda Nanawa on July 02, 2006 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Friends... I am in LA and gearing up to party for the weekend. If you watch anime, know anime, taste anime, then you should know about Anime Expo that is held every year around July 4th weekend. I'll be with the Anime Selects crew and we'll have loads of fun this year. We will have a studio on the convention floor and lots of awesome giveaways and events.
Kicking things off on Saturday, I was able to book Peelander-Z to come out and perform as our special music guest. Yeah! On that same day, we have the kind people of Bang Zoom! Entertainment doing an open VO session at our booth. Anime fantasies come alive! Plus, there's more! Surprise guest VO actors will stop by our stage and join an unsuspecting person at the mic.
And then on Sunday, Man-Faye returns to the convention floor. The very same convention floor that banned him for two years. Not this time.
And on Monday, we have a special industry event where our friends from Bandai will have the cast and producers of anime series Eureka SeveN share their thoughts about the show and share inside info. We will also have Japanese band The Indigo stop by and chat with us.

If you happen to attend this year's AX, stop by the Anime Selects booth and say "Hi!"

Posted by Amanda Nanawa on June 29, 2006 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (1)

The day has finally arrived... A new themed cafe opened recently in Akihabara where instead of cute girls wearing maid outfits greet you, cute girls wearing nun outfits will greet you as you enter. Hot!

Click here to access more info about the cafe because I know you too are dying to check out the pics.

I've been asked on many occasions when I will cosplay and I always reply, "No. I don't do that sort of thing." Well, looking at those outfits might actually change my mind. Hehe!

Posted by Amanda Nanawa on June 26, 2006 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)