New York, NY (September 26, 2006) – Kaneva (www.kaneva.com), an innovative online social entertainment network, and Central Park Media, a pioneer in the distribution of anime in the United States, have come together to host the Otaku Invitational, empowering anime fans to band together to create original and exciting trailers around Central Park Media’s properties. 

Running from October 2nd to October 23rd 20 teams of five enthusiasts from the world’s top anime fan communities will compete to create the best trailer by popular vote, vying for a chance to win a grand prize consisting of Central Park Media’s massive catalog and other rare and collectible merchandise. The trailers will be featured on Kaneva’s Anime web Channel (www.kaneva.com/anime). Anyone around the globe can join the Kaneva Anime community, view the trailers, interact with other anime fans and then vote for their favorites.

“We are thrilled to be working with Kaneva.com to interact more closely with our devoted fans in this unique and exciting way,” stated John O’Donnell, Managing Director of Central Park Media. “Anime fans were among the first groups to embrace new technology, online community, and ‘viral video’ distribution, so allowing our fans to create online ‘viral’ trailers for our shows is a natural step.”

“Although the prize pack is truly extraordinary, the real winners here will be the anime community at large,” said Ron Gamble, Vice President of Media/Media Services for Kaneva. “To our knowledge, a contest such as this has never been done before and we’re excited to be a part of bringing creative anime expression to the forefront.”

See www.otakucontest.com for more information.
About Kaneva:  The online social entertainment network, Kaneva is a “canvas” enabling anyone to showcase and share their passions through the easy creation of Profiles and web Channels that include a wide range of media as well as online interaction opportunities and community. Kaneva also gives its members the ability to share media and interact with people in 3D – in a totally modern 3D Virtual World, providing the next generation interactive entertainment experience. To learn more visit www.kaneva.com.

About Central Park Media:  Central Park Media is a 16-year-old Manhattan-based independent video and book publisher focused on Japanese and Korean animation and graphic novels.  Central Park Media has been a leading supplier of anime in the United States since 1990, and a major publisher of manga since 1994.  The company currently manufactures and distributes animated video programming under several label names, including U.S. Manga Corps, Be Beautiful, Software Sculptors and Central Park Media, as well as live-action Asian feature films under its Asia Pulp Cinema label. 

With exclusive rights to hundreds of graphic novels, the company has become a leading North American publisher of Japanese manga and Korean manhwa.  Among CPM’s fan-favorite graphic novel titles are Lee Hyun Se’s Nambul (the best-selling manhwa in Korean publishing history), and Kia Asamiya’s Dark Angel.  Under its Be Beautiful imprint, the company also publishes popular yaoi manga such as the best-selling Kizuna: Bonds of Love (the best-selling yaoi title in Japanese publishing history).  Visit www.centralparkmedia.com, www.cpmpress.com and www.bebeautifulmanga.com for more information.

Shizuki Yamashita of Synch-Point recently updated their blog detailing one of the new features available in the FLCL Ultimate Edition release of the series: a English Voice Actor/Production Staff commentary track.

1. Episode 1: Kari Wahlgren (Haruko) & Jennifer Sekiguchi (Mamimi)
2. Episode 2: Jennifer Sekiguchi (Mamimi), Marc Handler (ADR Director), & Shizuki Yamashita (Translator)
3. Episode 6: Kari Wahlgren (Haruko), Jennifer Sekiguchi (Mamimi), & Marc Handler (ADR Director)

The other announced bonus item so far is a set of postcards featuring the robot of each episode. The menus look nice, too.

Hellsing: Ultimate Synopsis

For over a century, the Hellsing Organization has been secretly protecting the British Empire from the undead “freaks,” When Sir Integra Hellsing succeeded as the head of the organization, she also inherited the ultimate weapon against the undead enemies, the rogue vampire Arucard. Although his signature weapon is an enormous “anti-freak” gun called Jackal, he is a “true” undead with mysterious and frightening powers, which includes the ability to transform himself into bats and other creatures. While on a mission ordered by Integra, he is forced to shoot Seras Victoria, a policewoman held hostage by an enemy vampire. “Do you want to live?” he asks Seras, whose very answer changes the course of her existence.   Now reborn as Arucard’s servant, Seras is torn between her conflicting humanity and her vampire urges.
 
Street Date: 12/06/06
Retail Price: $44.98
 

Ergo Proxy Synopsis

Domed city Romd is an impenetrable would-be utopia where humans and robots coexist, and everything is under complete government control.   While working on a mysterious murder case, Rel Mayer, a female detective who works for the Civilian Intelligence Office, receives a foreboding message that something is going to “awaken.” That night, she is attacked by a deformed super-being…What was this unidentified monster that attacked her, and who was the figure that came in between them? Eventually the spiraling mystery unfolds and the metaphysical battle cry will lure Rel to the unknown outside world.
 
Street Date: 11/22/06
Retail Price: $29.98
 
 
 
Paradise Kiss Synopsis

Yukari, a beautiful high school student, is studying for the college entrance exam. Her entire life is based on the education formula, which means the most important objectives are to get good test scores and get into a good college. As a result, she has been ultimately stressed out by trying so hard to please her parents.  One day, she ran into a group of students from Yazawa School of Design that calls itself “Paradise Kiss,” and her life began to change… They want Yukari to model their creations in the annual Yazawa School of Design fashion show! At first, she is hesitant about doing anything other than studying, but as Yukari is influenced by the unique members of “Paradise Kiss,” she begins to notice that there is more to life than school.
 
Street Date: 12/19/06
Retail: $29.98
 
 
 
Hello Kitty: Stump Village Synopsis

Let’s visit Stump Village to see Hello Kitty and all of her cute friends!
Each day is a new surprise, like inventing a seesaw nutcracker, making
sunglasses out of vegetables, and building a yummy-looking cookie town.
Sometimes they play and sometimes they misbehave, but at the end of the day
they always learn something new.
 
Street Date: 10/31/06  
Retail:  $14.98
 
 
 

###

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, UMD, CD, and new media, including the Internet  and  mobile devices. 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 (USA)  is  a subsidiary  and joint venture between Tokyo-based advertising giant   Dentsu,  Inc.  and  d-rights,  Inc.,  a  subsidiary  of  Mitsubishi
Corporation.
 
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 03/06 were recorded at $17.1 billion.  Dentsu is publicly traded on the Tokyo Stock Exchange.
 
d-rights, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Mitsubishi Corporation (Japan’s largest general trading company), established in 1988, is an integrated production company handling entertainment content for a variety of media; terrestrial TV, Internet, DVD, etc.  Based in Tokyo, d-rights offers the services as a content producer, a rights manager, and an advertising agency, and d-rights can provide clients with the support necessary to work more efficiently and effectively in the content business.

Bandai Entertainment and Manga Entertainment presents the September 26th DVD release of “Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex 2nd Gig Volume 7.” The highest-budgeted anime TV series ever produced in Japan has been mastered from high-definition masters and presented in dynamic Dolby Digital 5.1 sound, making the last three chapters as much of a treat for the ears as it is for the eyes. Produced by Japan’s renowned Production I.G. (Kill Bill, Blood: The Last Vampire, Jin Roh: The Wolf Brigade), GITS: SAC 2ND GIG Volume 7 is the edition to not be missed. The single-disc Standard Edition DVD has a SRP of $24.98. The 2-disc Limited Edition Set, priced with the SRP of $49.98, offers thrilling DTS 5.1 audio, the original soundtrack on CD and a special collectible GITS toy in an exclusive collector’s tin case that can house the entire GITS 2nd Season DVD Collection! Dubbed “an impressive series for its sophisticated integration of first-rate animation, tightly knit stories, and engaging conceptual themes” by DVDVerdict.com; this is the volume that has been anticipated since the beginning of the GITS experience!

• Widescreen Presentation mastered directly from Hi-Definition masters, enhanced for 16×9 TVs

• Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound in English and Japanese

• Stereo Audio in both English and Japanese

• Interviews with Kenji Kamiyama (Director), Ken Nishida (Gohda) and Rikiya Koyama (Kuze)

• English SubtitlesThe Limited Edition features additional value-added supplements including:

• Special Limited Edition Collector’s Tin that houses the entire 2nd Season DVD Collection!

• V7 Limited Edition Exclusive Collector’s Tin

• DTS 5.1 sound in both English and Japanese

• English Stereo Audio

• Stand Alone Complex O.S.T.3 Music Soundtrack

• Special Collectible Figure: Motoko B-type

On September 26th, Anchor Bay Entertainment and Manga Entertainment release Tactics: Volume 2 on DVD, featuring episodes 6-10 of the remarkable anime series. The continuing saga of supernatural detective Kantaro Ichinomiya and his “Demon Eating”goblin partner Haruka, Tactics: Volume 2 is produced by studio Deen (SPIRITED AWAY, FRUITS BASKET, NEON GENESIS EVANGELION, READ OR DIE, and MOBILE SUIT GUNDAM). Dvdtalk.com says that “the animation is stunning, the artwork is breathtaking and the backgrounds resemble Japanese watercolor painting…a sleeper hit.” Tactics” Volume 2 has an SRP of $24.98 and pre-book is August 16th.

• Original Japanese with English Subtitles

• Japanese and English Language Stereo and 5.1 Surround Mixes

• Photo Gallery

• Motion Menus

• Original Japanese TV Commercials

• Original Japanese Merchandise Ads

ActiveAnime.com has posted an interview with FUNimation actress Caitlin Glass.

Hello Kitty is a household name around the world, not unlike Mickey Mouse. You don’t have to travel far before you run across some Hello Kitty merchandise at the mall, in a department store, or even in a zoo’s gift shop. After more than 30 years Hello Kitty continues to become more popular. Knowing this, Sanrio has developed a new Hello Kitty TV series for 2006 that is animated using only claymation. (more…)

Geneon Entertainment announced today the sweetly imminent arrival of the Sanrio favorite, in her first claymation appearance. Hello Kitty: Stump Village, coming to DVD October 31. The worldwide pop culture icon and one of the most successful franchises in America, Hello Kitty will make her mark on the world of claymation with a total of five never-before-seen episodes in Stump Village, with subsequent volumes to follow. The sugary sweet kitty will engage children with her fun antics while encouraging their creativity as she invents a seesaw nutcracker, makes sunglasses out of vegetables and shows kiddies how to build a yummy cookie town! Hello Kitty: Stump Village will be available for a suggested retail price of $14.98. Pre book beginning September 26, 2006.

NEW YORK, NY (September 12, 2006)  Central Park Media announced that it will reduce the price on four of its popular DVDs at the time of their re-release on November 21, 2006.  This group of releases includes the Gall Force DVD Collection  the adventures of a team of highly skilled female warriors battling ruthless killing machines; Arcade Gamer Fubuki  the escapades of a girl who is a super-powered whiz at arcade games; A Wind Named Amnesia   a compelling drama from the director of Ninja Scroll and the director of Metropolis; and Machine Robo-Revenge of Cronos: Volume 3   the classic series continues with the next five action packed episodes.