Press Release: Central Park Media - Shadow Star Narutaru

For Immediate Release:
Central Park Media’s Latest Hit Series Comes To An End
In November, CPM is set to release Shadow Star Narutaru 4 on DVD for $19.95 SRP.

New York, NY (August 30, 2005) – Central Park Media has announced that it will release the concluding chapter of the action-packed Shadow Star Narutaru series, Shadow Star Narutaru 4, this November. Consumers will not be able to resist watching this final intense tale of vengeance, which captivatingly concludes the multifaceted story of the feature taken from the hit manga. Shadow Star Narutaru 4 contains episodes 11-13 and is priced at only $19.95 SRP. (more…)

Naruto fansite Leafninja.com has posted an interview with Maile Flanagan, the recently announced voice of the title character.

Professional audio production magazine Mix has taken a look at the more technical aspects of anime dubbing in The Art of Anime Dubbing, featuring comments from, among others, ZRO Limit’s Yutaka Maseba and Magnitude 8 Post’s Les Claypool.

Press Release: The Right Stuf International / Critical Mass - Sei Sai

VANILLA SERIES: PERVERSE INVESTIGATIONS DVD

Pre-book date: 10/11/2005, Street date: 11/08/2005.
Approximately 60 minutes, Dolby Digital Stereo, Color.
Erotic Fantasy

DVD (English/Japanese Audio with English Subtitles and On-Screen Translations)

Catalog#: CMDVD6961
UPC#: 7-42617-6961-2-1 Suggested Rating: 18+
SRP: $24.99

Producers Shiyuuta Biwajima and Chikara Niki (WICKED LESSONS / DEBTS OF DESIRE / SLAVES TO PASSION) along with writer Blue Gale (SPOTLIGHT / PUNISHMENT) have put together a masterpiece of murder, lust, and deceit. PERVERSE INVESTIGATIONS lead to even more perverse truths as the students of Nankai Academy utilize sexual interrogation techniques on the suspects in order to find their Professor’s murderer…

A horrible murder has been committed on the grounds of Nankai Academy. Professor Yuko, one of the school’s most popular teachers, died when she was pushed off of the roof of one of the school’s buildings. Her death has left her students with feelings of confusion, pain, and above all else… anger. Four of her male students, Masayoshi, Daisuke, Mitsuru and Shinya, are determined to uncover the truth. They soon discover an important clue: Professor Yuko’s planner had been marked on the very night she was killed… marked with the names of seven girls.

With this evidence, the boys begin their investigations… and they’ll use any method required in order to find the murderer. Through rape, manipulation and torture, they uncover important details, but piecing the puzzle together won’t be easy. And the longer their search draws on, the more they feel themselves being overtaken by their own dark desires… Will they ever find out the truth behind Yuko’s death?

DVD SPECIAL FEATURES:
Animated Art Gallery, Original US Perverse Investigations Trailer, Critical Mass Video Trailers, Scene Access, 2.0 Dolby Digital Japanese and English Audio with Regular and “Soft” Subtitles for on screen translations.

Graphic of cover is located at:
http://outgoing.rightstuf.com/sleeves/cmdvd6961.jpg

Press Release: The Right Stuf International - The Irresponsible Captain Tylor OVA

IRRESPONSIBLE CAPTAIN TYLOR OVA SERIES LIMITED EDITION ULTRA COLLECTOR’S BOX

Visit the Tylor series site! http://www.tylor.com/

Pre-book date: 10/11/2005 - Street date: 11/08/2005
Approximately 455 minutes, Dolby Digital Stereo, Color.

Genre: Science Fiction/Comedy

DVD (English, Japanese, English Subtitles)

Catalog#: RSDVD2011
Suggested Rating: 13+

ISBN: 1-57032-943-5
UPC#: 7-42617-2011-2-7
SRP: $69.99

This Special Limited Edition will include: all three Irresponsible Captain Tylor OVA Series DVDs; the Irresponsible Captain Tylor OVA CD Soundtrack, complete with printed romaji lyrics; an Extras DVD filled with 95 minutes of Japanese interviews and extras related to the Tylor OVA series; a 32-page novella follow-up to the series written by the original creator of Irresponsible Captain Tylor, Hitoshi Yoshioka; and a 48-page booklet filled with artwork, interviews, and tidbits of trivia from the Tylor universe! And to top it all off, the whole set will be released in a sturdy, high-quality, fully telescopic artbox!

ABOUT IRRESPONSIBLE CAPTAIN TYLOR

From director Koichi Mashimo (.HACK//SIGN, AVENGER, MADLAX, SORCERER HUNTERS) and character designer Tomohiro Hirata (LAST EXILE, URUSEI YATSURA, TRINITY BLOOD) comes one of anime’s most beloved action/comedies: IRRESPONSIBLE CAPTAIN TYLOR!

This masterful blend of humor, adventure and drama has been a smash hit in countries all over the world…and now it makes a triumphant return to DVD in a sleek new boxset packed to the brim with amazing extras!

Six long months have passed… The Raalgon Empire has developed a horrible new type of weapon and Tylor has been charged with the duty of intercepting them as they’re being transported. But when all that could go wrong, does go wrong.. the crew of the Soyokaze finds themselves at the mercy of their enemies. As the hours tick down toward their execution, the crew wonders, has their irresponsible captain misled them or is this all a part of some greater strategy?

The Raalgon Empire is also having its own problems. Prime Minister Wang is still plotting to seize control of the Empire and an overworked Empress Azalyn is looking for any excuse to get away for a while. When she travels to her old summer home, she makes a startling discovery – her childhood friend Ruu is still alive! Once royalty himself, Ruu is now merely a shattered shell of the happy boy she once knew, and he doesn’t recognize anyone or anything around him.

Deeply affected by her friend’s drastic change, the young empress wants to help him, but doing so might lead to war…

Ultra Collector’s Edition DVD Extras Include:
Image Galleries, Production Notes, Character Bios, “Tylor OVA and the Media” Featurette, “Just 15 Minutes” Live Action Specials, 13 Music Videos featuring the Tylor Cast, Scene Access, English Audio, Japanese Audio, English Subtitles

Graphic of cover is located at:
http://outgoing.rightstuf.com/sleeves/rsdvd2011.jpg

Press Release: Geneon Entertainment

GENEON ENTERTAINMENT ANNOUNCES EXCLUSIVE LICENSING DEAL WITH CUTTING-EDGE RETAIL CHAIN HOT TOPIC

Specialty Stores To Carry New Merchandise From Red-Hot Anime Properties Gankutsuou: The Count Of Monte Cristo, Fafner, Jubei Chan 2 and R.O.D. The TV

LONG BEACH, Calif. – Geneon Entertainment, a leader in introducing anime to the United States, announced today that is has entered into an agreement to provide licensed merchandise for three of its hottest anime properties in an exclusive 90-day window to specialty retailer Hot Topic. Beginning September 1, 2005, t-shirts, stickers and buttons for the wildly popular Gankutsuou: The Count Of Monte Cristo, Fafner, Jubei Chan 2 and R.O.D. The TV will be placed on special anime islands or boutiques within the chain’s 670 stores. Recognizing the increasing consumer demand for high-quality anime properties in the U.S., Hot Topic began expanding its anime product offerings in 2004.

“Hot Topic is continually ahead of the curve when it comes to identifying the latest trends and predicting what will be hot in the future,” said Rand Brenner, Director of Licensing Geneon Entertainment. “We are thrilled to be partnering with this premiere specialty retailer to bring exciting merchandise that extends the experience of our ground-breaking properties to their rapidly growing fan bases.”

Headline Entertainment will produce the initial product offerings, which Hot Topic will promote through special window displays as well as on the dedicated islands within its stores leading into the holiday season. Set in a world of timeless beauty and exquisite splendor that could only be brought to life with the rich colors and sweeping lines of expert animation, Gankutsuou: The Count Of Monet Cristo is a vibrant retelling of Alexandre Dumas’ unforgettable saga of betrayal and retribution. Hotly anticipated by science fiction and anime fans for its high production value and intense storyline, Fafner takes place in the aftermath of an extraterrestrial attack, where citizens must take up arms against the invaders utilizing giant humanoid-type robots. In Jubei Chan 2, two seemingly ordinary teenage girls vie for the vaunted title of the legendary samurai Yagyu Jubei. Three young sisters have the extraordinary power to manipulate paper at will to face down deadly enemies too bizarre and too extreme for normal humans to believe in the fan-favorite R.O.D. The TV.

About Geneon Entertainment
A leading supplier of Japanese animation in North America, GENEON ENTERTAINMENT (USA) INC. (www.Geneonanimation.com) is a full-service producer and distributor of entertainment content including film, music, animation and television shows on DVD and CD. Continually introducing new and classic anime and live-action programming, as well as anime CD soundtracks, the company also serves as a creative partner to many of Japan’s top anime production companies. Additionally, Geneon Entertainment distributes critically acclaimed musical performances on DVD and CD from renowned artists. Headquartered in Long Beach, California, Geneon Entertainment’s parent company is Tokyo-based advertising giant Dentsu, Inc.

Dentsu Inc., founded in 1901, is the largest advertising agency brand and the fifth largest marketing and communications organization in the world. Based in Tokyo, Dentsu offers national, multinational and global clients the most comprehensive range of advertising and marketing services through its unique “Total Communications Services” approach. Dentsu has pioneered and set global standards for integrated communications, which in latter years have been adopted by a number of major international networks. Dentsu’s consolidated revenues for fiscal term 03/04 were recorded at $16.1 billion. Dentsu is publicly traded on the Tokyo Stock Exchange.

Press Release: Geneon Entertainment

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

GENEON ENTERTAINMENT AND NIGHTJAR, LLC. ANNOUNCE NEW INTERNET SITES AND CONTENT SPECIFICALLY DESIGNED FOR PLAYSTATION PORTABLE

Trailers, Wallpapers And More Are Accessible Via Second Generation Update to Handheld Devices

LONG BEACH, Calif. – Following the triumphant debut of their most popular anime titles on the UMD format, Geneon Entertainment signals its ongoing commitment to consumer technology with the announcement of an all-new PSP dedicated site, a portal designed by Nightjar, LLC. to allow owners of the PlayStation Portable to access multimedia content directly over any wi-fi network. Supporting Sony’s release of the second generation PSP firmware that is introducing Internet capability for the handheld device, Geneon has developed a PSP dedicated version of their own anime homepage… one of the first official sites designed strictly for handheld browsing. The Geneon Entertainment PSP dedicated site can be found at http://www.geneonanimation.com.

Customized for the PlayStation Portable’s small screen size and lack of conventional keyboard, the PSP dedicated site will have entirely different formatting and navigation requirements and capabilities than a standard website. Geneon’s PSP dedicated site will be graphic-oriented and will feature navigation shortcuts easily compatible with the PSP’s controls. Users can download wallpapers and trailers from Geneon’s hottest anime titles, as well as virtual anime trading cards, which will rotate availability and which can be swapped between PSP devices.

“The success of our anime titles on the UMD format has proven that our fan-base has extended into the portable community,” said Yosuke Kobayashi, President/CEO, Geneon Entertainment. “We are excited to be able to be the first to provide dedicated fans with even more comprehensive handheld anime content.”

Among the first of Geneon Entertainment’s anime titles to be featured on the new PSP dedicated site is Gankutsuou: The Count Of Monte Cristo, a lush retelling of the classic tale of revenge by Alexandre Dumas. Geneon’s first day-and-date DVD and UMD debut – with both formats available on October 25th – Gankutsuou: The Count Of Monte Cristo features exquisite animation and thrilling episodic storylines perfectly suited to the PSP. Other anime titles also available on UMD from Geneon Entertainment are Appleseed, Samurai Champloo, Gungrave, and Hellsing.

About Geneon Entertainment

A leading supplier of Japanese animation in North America, GENEON ENTERTAINMENT (USA) INC. (www.geneonanimation.com) is a full-service producer and distributor of entertainment content including film, music, animation and television shows on DVD and CD. Continually introducing new and classic anime and live-action programming, as well as anime CD soundtracks, the company also serves as a creative partner to many of Japan’s top anime production companies. Additionally, Geneon Entertainment distributes critically acclaimed musical performances on DVD and CD from renowned artists. Headquartered in Long Beach, California, Geneon Entertainment’s parent company is Tokyo-based advertising giant Dentsu, Inc.

Dentsu Inc., founded in 1901, is the largest advertising agency brand and the fifth largest marketing and communications organization in the world. Based in Tokyo, Dentsu offers national, multinational and global clients the most comprehensive range of advertising and marketing services through its unique “Total Communications Services” approach. Dentsu has pioneered and set global standards for integrated communications, which in latter years have been adopted by a number of major international networks. Consolidated revenues for fiscal term 03/04 were recorded at $16.1 billion. Dentsu is publicly traded on the Tokyo Stock Exchange.

About Nightjar Productions

Nightjar, LLC. is an innovative, full-service multimedia company based in Los Angeles providing solutions for DVD, DVD-Audio, UMD and the web, both for entertainment releases and commercial advertising. As a Blu-Ray Disc Association member, Nightjar is looking forward to the next generation of HD video production and design, building on their existing studios equipped with the highest resolution digital surround sound production capabilities.

After much speculation around the web, Viz has finally revealed the cast for its release of Naruto:

Naruto - Maile Flanagan
Sakura - Kate Higgins
Sasuke - Yuri Lowenthal

Kakashi - Dave Wittenberg
Hinata Hyuuga - Stephanie Sheh
(more…)

With new dean Peter Tatara now in charge, Central Park Media is re-launching their free Anime University program dedicated to helping promote anime with clubs and individual fans. The sign up sheet can be used for both clubs and fans a-like to join the project, join the Kogai! Kogai! newsletter, and will eventually send out instructions on how to submit articles/pictures/poems/rants/etc. to be included in the newsletters.

Anime News Network has put up an interview with translator Shoko Oono.

AN Entertainment have revealed the cast for their upcoming release of Haré+Guu:

Main Cast:

Haré: Alex Simon
Guu - Jennifer Sekiguchi
Weda - Wendee Lee
Clive - Liam O’Brien
(more…)

ADV Films has revealed the cast for its release of Hakugei - Legend of the Moby Dick:

Directed by Scott McClennen
Adapted by Matt O’Reilly

Ahab - John Swasey

The Moby Dick - James Faulkner
Lucky Luck - Kira Vincent Davis
Dew - Vic Mignogna
Atre - Stephanie Nadolny
Barba - George Manley
Speed King - John Gremillion
Cook - Rob Mungle
(more…)

Press Release: Central Park Media

For Immediate Release:
Experiencing Central Park Media’s Greatest Releases Has Never Been Easier

New York, NY (August 16, 2005) – Central Park Media announced that it will re-price and re-release five very popular titles from its collection of mainstream anime products in October at just $9.95 SRP each! Pending re-release are the alluring comedy, Strange Love, the intense mecha-adventures, The Venus Wars and Battle Skipper: The Movie (From the director of The Slayers), mob thriller Art of Fighting, and the unique science fiction feature Maetel Legend from the mind of anime genius Leiji Matsumoto.

All DVDs will have audio tracks in both English and Japanese with English subtitles. All titles will have a pre-order date of September 27, 2005 and a street date of October 25, 2005. (more…)

While Shizuki has been recounting the fun of FedEx delivery, S recieved a notice that Broccoli has moved… by mail.

If only all change of address cards could be so cute.

New
Di Gi Charat
Hardcore Hospital
Maid Service

Forum member EmperorBrandon has provided us with a comprehensive cast list for 4Kids‘ Magical DoReMi, courtesy of voice director Tom Wayland:

For the preview episode (ep. 4):
Dorie - Amy Palant
Reanne - Rebecca Soler
Mirabelle - Annice Moriarty
Patina - Lisa Ortiz
Laralie - Andi Whaley
(more…)

AnimeOnDVD has put up an interview with ADV voice actor George Manley conducted at Kamikazecon 2005.

New
Planetes

Updated
Hanaukyo Maid Team La Verite
Koi Kaze

Inuyasha producer Toshifumi Yoshida reports in his livejournal that the voice of Kikyo, Willow Johnson, is moving from Vancouver, where Inuyasha is recorded, to New York City. They have however managed to record all her lines for the rest of the series to avoid recasting her, leaving only the yet to be announced 4th movie, for which he hopes to make arrangements to have her lines recorded in NYC.

As we speculated after they announced their intention to dub Ghost in the Shell 2, Manga Entertainment Ltd. (UK) has stepped up to the plate once again and confirmed they’re producing an dub for their 26/09/05 release of Satoshi Kon’s acclaimed anime movie Millennium Actress. This will be the first time the movie is available with an English language version, as Dreamworks chose to release it with subtitles only in the US.