Ninja Vixens: Flame of Seduction is the first title for Geneon’s new Neon-g label. A period film set in the days of ninja clans, shoguns, and demons to battle, Ninja Vixens: Flame of Seduction brings together two popular j-idols and a new actress for a film that embraces its campiness full-force. Japanese AV idols Sara Shimada and Nao Oikawa play sisters battling against each other for the forces of good and evil. (more…)
The Signal has an interview with Los Angeles actor Kim Strauss about his career, and his recent venture into writing young adult fiction with Kalan the Mighty Warrior.
Series creator J. Michael Straczynski has revealed that Teryl Rothery is among the new cast members in Babylon 5: The Lost Tales, playing a yet to be named reporter for the ISN TV network. A sequel to the acclaimed science fiction series Babylon 5, The Lost Tales is currently filming in Vancouver, and is due out on DVD next year.
Anime News Network has had a talk with ADV voice director Charles Campbell about his current project - Guyver: The Bioboosted Armor.
Trigun Remix (V.5)
Vash leaps into the heart of the storm and leads Wolfwood to the space ship that failed to crash. Unfortunately, the Gung-ho Guns have also invaded paradise with two purposes - destroy a sanctuary for humans, and to inflict as much pain to Vash as possible. Wolfwood chooses to side with Vash, but questions his ability to win - will Wolfwood walk the path of destruction again?!
Street Date: Dec. 5, 2006
Price: $29.98
Rating: 13 UP
Viewtiful Joe (V.6)
Joe Meets Another Viewtiful Joe?! A legendary flower called “Fairy-Tale Flower” is a girl who protects the sapling of the flower from anyone who tries to snatch it. Joe camps in the field to witness the flower bloom, but ends up guarding it from Jadow instead. Captain Blue is also back to fight against an octopus monster! In fact, this is a set-up by Joe and his archrival Alastor in an effort to cheer up a sick boy. Can they carry out this mission without Jadow’s interference? Viewtiful Joe eats Joe’s cheeseburger in front of his very own eyes! Finally, weird events start to unravel after Joe accidentally washes his V-Watch with his T-shirt.
Street Date: Dec. 5, 2006
Price: $19.98
Rating: 7 UP
Elemental Gelade (V.4) - DISCOVERY
Torn apart by their supposed protectors, Cou and Ren’s paths have split, and Cou desperately chases after Ren, only to encounter past enemies. Ren, meanwhile, continues her journey solo, and despite making new friends, misses Cou terribly. With new hope, Cou and his Arc Aile friends embark on the last leg of their trip to Edel Garden aboard a cruise ship where an old friend is discovered and a new friend puts them in jeopardy?
Street Date: Dec. 12, 2006
Price: $29.98
Rating: 13 UP
Fighting Spirit (V.15) – One Step Further
Takeshi Sendo vs. Ippo Makunouchi. The final showdown begins. Ippo knocks Sendo down with his lethal “Dempsey Roll” in the first round, but Sendo soon recovers and throws his devastating right. Power vs. Power. Determination vs. Determination. Who will win? The exciting series conclusion of the beloved boxing saga.
Street Date: Dec. 19, 2006
Price: $29.98
Rating: 13 UP
KamiChu! (V.4) – Holiday Confessions
God in the springtime. When you’re a god, every holiday just gets busier and busier. Unfortunately, Yurie celebrates New Year’s Day the lazy way by staying home. Then we see how the Raifuku Shrine must combat the Christmas consumer frenzy, and before they know it Valentines Day, the single most stressful day of the year for every student in love, hits them full force. Will Yurie finally be able to confess her feelings to her true love?
Street Date: Dec. 19, 2006
Price: $29.98
Rating: 13 UP
Saiyuki Reload Gunlock (V.5)
It seems impossible for Sanzo, Goku, Gojyo and Hakkai to get rid of Hazel’s attentions, and the group gets more irritated by the second. Just then, Lirin arrives on the scene, complicating matters-if Hazel detests all demons, what will he do to Lirin? Surprisingly enough, Hazel doesn’t seem to mind her, but later on the group find her tied up in a tree. Hazel explains to Sanzo and the others that Lirin suddenly ran wild and killed villagers as well as demons. Hazel then tries to convince Sanzo that all demons exist to be his enemies, and that Sanzo should join Hazel’s quest to rid the world of demons…
Street Date: Dec. 26, 2006
Price: $29.98
Rating: 13 UP
NEW YORK, NY (November 21, 2006) Central Park Media announced today that it will kick off the new year with the re-release and re-pricing of Black Jack DVD Collection 1 the chilling medical series from the creator of Metropolis and Astroboy; Ichi The Killer: Episode Zero the anime prequel to the hit cult film Ichi The Killer; Time Bokan the slapstick masterpiece from the studio behind Battle of the Planets and Speed Racer; and Hammerboy the collector’s series release of the animated feature film. Post holiday shoppers will be able to take advantage of these new low prices when these titles are re-released on January 30, 2007.
The 3-disc Black Jack DVD Collection 1 will be re-priced at $29.95 SRP, Ichi The Killer: Episode Zero will be re-priced at $14.95 SRP, and Time Bokan and Hammerboy will be re-priced at just $9.95 SRP each.
The order date will be January 2, 2007 and the street date will be January 30, 2007. All of these releases will contain English and Japanese language tracks with English subtitles except for Hammerboy which will only contain English language tracks.
Black Jack DVD Collection 1
A 3-disc, 6 episode chilling medical thriller from the creator of Metropolis and Astroboy.
The renegade doctor is in and bizarre medical mysteries are his specialty. A genius, a mercenary, and a madman, his name is Black Jack, and if the situation is terminal, he will help the victim cheat death…for a terrrible price!
DVD Features: Director’s Commentary by Osamu Dezaki (episode 3), Art Gallery, Previews, Trailers, English & Japanese with English Subtitles
| Running time: | 300 minutes |
| Genre: | Action/Adventure |
| Rating: | 13UP |
| WEA Selection: | 752418 |
| SRP: | $29.95 |
| UPC: | 7-19987-24182-4 |
Ichi The Killer: Episode Zero
The mind-shattering prequel to the hit cult thriller Ichi the Killer!
“An enjoyable journey of sexual and criminal extremes” - Home Media Retailing
A masochistic mobster meets his match in the dark streets of Tokyo. His nemesis, Ichi, is a psychopathic killer with an unrelenting thirst for bloodshed. A horrifying secret burns in his mind, and his hands deal death without mercy. At last, the shrouds of mystery are parted to reveal the origin of the monster. The city will know its greatest fear at the unveiling of Ichi the Killer!
DVD Features: Art Gallery, Previews, Trailers, English & Japanese with English Subtitles
| Running time: | 47 minutes |
| Genre: | Action |
| Rating: | 16UP |
| WEA Selection: | 752432 |
| SRP: | $14.95 |
| UPC: | 7-19987-24322-4 |
Time Bokan
A laugh-out-loud hilarious adventure from the studio behind Battle of the Planets and Speed Racer!
Guest starring Ken from Gatchaman, with cameo appearances from some of anime’s legendary characters!
Who has what it takes to be the baddest of the bad? It’s evil versus evil as teams of bad guys compete to be the meanest villains ever! Watch and laugh as the Dorombo Gang takes on the worst of the worst in a wacky race to be the greatest villains in anime history! The only force that stands in their way are the superheroes of anime. Will the Gatchaman ninja arrive in time to save the day?
DVD Features: Art Gallery, Trailers, English & Japanese with English Subtitles
| Running time: | 60 minutes |
| Genre: | Comedy |
| Rating: | 13UP |
| WEA Selection: | 752458 |
| SRP: | $9.95 |
| UPC: | 7-19987-24582-2 |
Hammerboy Collector’s Series Edition
“Thoroughly entertaining” - fpsMagazine.com
In the wake of a worldwide ecological disaster, the inhabitants of Candlestick Island struggle to rebuild their civilization. Here a boy named Mangchi roams the island with his trusty hammer in search of adventure. Excitement arrives when a spunky girl name Poplar, a fugitive princess from the outside world asks for Mangchi’s help against power hungry traitors.
DVD Features: Art Gallery, Music Videos, Anamorphic Widescreen Format, Previews, Trailers, English
| Running time: | 80 minutes |
| Genre: | Action/Adventure |
| Rating: | 13UP |
| WEA Selection: | 872477 |
| SRP: | $9.95 |
| UPC: | 7-19987-24772-7 |
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.
For high resolution, downloadable artwork and information, please visit CPM’s electronic press kit at www.centralparkmedia.com./cpmdb/presskit.cfm .
On January 16, 2007, Noein Volume Two, continuing the adventures from the number one rated anime series on the Bandai TV Channel in Japan, will be released on DVD from Manga Entertainment. An instant hit with audiences upon its initial release, Noein (or To Your Other Self) Volume One immediately broke the Top 10 on the Anime Chart. From the innovative series that ActiveAnime.com called “Immediately captivating” and Anime Insider heralded “…as visually unique as it is thought provoking,” the latest five episodes will be available at the low SRP of $19.98. Pre-book is December 6th.
Noein Volume Two picks up the action without time to breathe. After Haruka’s mysterious disappearance with Karasu into the La’cryma dimension, Yuu frantically scours the city in search of his friend. The terrifying war-scarred world of La’cryma, where humans live underground, portends a future of despair…but can it be prevented? Haruka’s remarkable adventures not only raises many questions about her future world, but also examines the important role she and her friends play in the inter-dimensional quest for the elusive Dragon’s Torque – an object of magnificent powers.Noein Volume Two on DVD features these five exciting installments:
6. Dimension of Tears
7. Precious Person
8. Secrets
9. Beyond Time
10. A Stormy Night
Noein Volume Two on DVD offers fans a substantial value with five episodes available on the disc – most anime DVDs present four episodes only, at a much higher SRP – AND contains the following tantalizing bonus supplements:
• Widescreen presentation (1.78:1), enhanced for 16×9 TVs
• Behind-The-Scenes: On Location with Japanese Voice Actors and Director
• Outtakes and Bloopers on Noein Volumes 1 and 2
CrystalAcids.com has obtained the final cast list for Dead or Alive Xtreme 2 which officially hits stores November 20th. You can find additional information in our previous news story.
Kari Wahlgren - Kasumi & Niki (Zack’s girlfriend)
Hynden Walch - Hitomi
Janna Levinstein - Ayane
Kate Higgins - Tina
Zinnia Su - Leifang
Karen Strassman - Helena
April Stewart - Christie
Masasa Moyo - Lisa
Kathryn Feller - Kokoro
Khary Payton - Zack
— FUNimation Entertainment announces the definitive Dragon Ball Z collection available February 2007 in TV on DVD season sets —
Fort Worth, TX — November 13, 2006 — FUNimation Entertainment, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Navarre Corporation (NASDAQ: NAVR) and the market share leader for home video sales of Japanese animation in the United States, is the U.S. company behind the success of anime phenomenon Dragon Ball Z. Today, the company announced that it has digitally remastered in high definition and restored the entire Dragon Ball Z series, all 291 episodes. The Dragon Ball Z Season Sets will be available at a suggested retail price (SRP) of $49.98 at major retailers nationwide on February 6, 2007.
“This is a great announcement for the Dragon Ball Z collector and the first time fan,” says Gen Fukunaga, president and CEO of FUNimation Entertainment. “The entire DBZ series has been transferred from the original Japanese film and digitally remastered and restored.”
FUNimation worked with Dallas-based Video Post & Transfer (VPT), a full-service post-production house that provides a complete spectrum of video & film related services, for the digital remastering and restoration. The Dragon Ball Z series was digitally transferred from the original Japanese film frame by frame at 1080p. During the process, VPT utilized state-of-the-art digital noise reduction units to remove film grain and thousands of instances of dirt, scratches and debris. The transfer was performed by nationally-recognized colorist Steve Franko and supervised by FUNimation.
“It’s a new era for Dragon Ball Z and this is a project we have been looking forward to for a long time,” continues Fukunaga. “The Dragon Ball Z Season Sets will be the definitive collection for the loyal fans of the series and they are a great way to introduce the series to a new generation of Dragon Ball Z fans.”
Dragon Ball Z is the explosive sequel to Dragon Ball. The series follows the adventures of Goku and his son Gohan as they team up with their friends to battle evil forces throughout the universe to protect their beloved planet Earth.
The first Dragon Ball Z Season Set includes 39 episodes on five DVDs with over 900 minutes of action. For the first time, fans will be able to listen to the original Japanese score with either the original Japanese dialogue or the English dialogue. There is also a special “making of” section for the new high definition Dragon Ball Z masters. Other special features for the Dragon Ball Z Season Sets include revised English dialogue and a brand new 5.1 surround audio mix.
Dragon Ball Z Season Set 1 covers the Vegeta Saga and it chronicles the introduction of one of Dragon Ball Z’s main characters, Vegeta. The Dragon Ball Z Season Sets will be available at major retailers nationwide on February 6, 2007 and will have an SRP of $49.98.
About FUNimation Entertainment
FUNimation® Entertainment, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Navarre Corporation (NASDAQ: NAVR), is the leading company for home video sales of Japanese animation in the United States. The company’s most recent initiative is the FUNimation Channel, a new, 24-hour digital network featuring programming from the top anime brands in the United States. FUNimation has a proven formula for launching and advancing brands, and manages a full spectrum of rights for most of its brands including broadcasting, licensing, production, internet, and home video sales and distribution
Bang Zoom! has sent in a new press release detailing a downloadable webshow all about anime and hosted by Johnny Yong Bosch starting in January.
AnimeTV Calling All Anime Fans! You gotta hear this.What’s the big deal now? I’m friggin’ busy!
Yeah. Right. Listen - AnimeTV— It’s gonna be the first ever real, entertaining, and informative TV review show dedicated to anime. AND, you’ll get a chance to watch some clips from the actual shows..!
Alright . . what’s it supposed to be like?
Think “Entertainment Tonight” meets “MTV”. Just, y’know, with anime, games, music and stuff — rather than overrated, over dramatic twentyminute soap opera-esqe drivel. Plus it’s gonna be a free download on iTunes. You can’t tell me that doesn’t sound sweet.
Okay, so you caught my interest. Keep talking.
Well keep listening. I promise it only gets better. The set is in an actual anime recording studio. Okay, I gotta admit, it looks more like some kind of cyber cafe hang out spot in all honesty, with cool comfy sofas. You gotta love those sofas… Johnny Yong Bosch (former Black Power Ranger and the voice of Vash from Trigun) is gonna be hangin’ with a group of freakishly hard core anime fanatics to talk — or maybe rant — about the hottest anime titles being released right now.
Alright alright, it doesn’ t sound too bad.
Are you crazy? You’ve gotta be. Either that, or some new level of slow. Anyway, AnimeTV will be available for FREE download on iTunes.com, You Tube and AOL.com starting January 2007. Worth the wait? Oh, yeah.
But now I don’t wanna wait! Too bad, you have to wait. Shut up, or take some ritalin before you hurt yourself. You can go to the website now and you can find out more about the show. www.GoanimeTV.com Anime Freaks like you will be able to get involved. You can be a judge. You can do some cosplay. You can tell us what you really think – unless you’re mean, in which case don’t go there. Go play some games or something. It’s not up yet, but soon you’ll also be able to shop for radical anime DVDs, toys and figures, manga, T-shirts, posters, CDs and a helluva lot more on the site. Maybe you can win some free stuff, too. Go there now. What are you waiting for? Hurry! You can watch the new commercials with Johnny. They’re pretty stupid, but it’s a GOOD stupid. You know you want to. (Unless you’re mean.) Okay, I’m outta here. Stay tuned for more info! Give ‘em Hell – The AnimeTV Team
PS – You didn’t ask, but I’m gonna tell you anyway: AnimeTV is being produced by Bang Zoom! Entertainment. The kind and gentle group of psychotic weirdos who brought you some of the all time great English language animes like RUROUNI KENSHIN (Media Blasters), SAMURAI CHAMPLOO (Geneon), WITCH HUNTER ROBIN (Bandai), and a friggin’ ton of other huge titles you’d probably know if I cared enough to spend more time working on this. Go find that out on your own. I’m done talking. Really. No, really. Well… maybe just for now.
www.goanimetv.com
As you may or may not know, the re-released and updated Transformers: The Movie DVD comes with 2 DVDs filled with extras. And one of these is the often asked for Scramble City OVA released in Japan. The OVA was created to bridge the gap between season one and season two of the Japanese TV airings since they were not going to see the U.S. film which explains various changes in characters and character designs between the two seasons.
While we thank Sony for releasing the OVA in America finally, we would like to know why the only audio track available is a fan commentary. No original Japanese with English subtitles or English dub audio is included which makes it pretty pointless unless you really want to hear a commentary about it by a few Transformers fans.
Introducing the Otaku Invitational Voters’ Sweepstakes
Win Great Prizes for Just Voting!
New York, NY ─ November 6, 2006 ─ The trailers are in, and now it’s time for YOU to decide. Kaneva.com and Central Park Media are teaming up to bring you the Otaku Invitational Voters’ Sweepstakes. Voters have the opportunity to win great prizes from the Central Park Media library just by logging on to Kaneva.com and casting their vote for their favorite anime trailer. (more…)
ILLUMITOON & WESTLAKE ACQUIRE BOBOBO-BO BO-BOBOJoint Venture Enterprise Acquires Distribution Rights for Popular Cartoon Network Series
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE‹FORT WORTH, TEXAS‹ Illumitoon Entertainment and Westlake Entertainment announced today that they have joined in acquiring North American distribution rights for a series from Toei Animation titled “BOBOBO-BO BO-BOBO”. Illumitoon and Westlake are rolling out with the first 50 episodes of the series currently broadcast on Cartoon Network’s Toonami Block. Westlake, recently purchased by Larry Cohen and Luke Stefanko, has been repositioning itself into more original content, specifically in the anime and features areas. Together with Illumitoon Entertainment, whose stated mission is to “focus on acquiring accessible anime for the US market,” the team expects big results. “We’re thrilled at the BO-BOBO acquisition. It’s a quirky series that’s poised to do great in the US. The ratings are strong and the series has a lot of support” stated Barry Watson, Illumitoon’s President/CEO. It¹s based on a popular comic that sold over 5 million copies in Japan. Tony Vandeveerdonk, Vice President of Sales for Westlake Entertainment says, ³the series has a very strong fan base among the anime community. But additionally, the television exposure has increased its appeal to a more mass audience as well.”
The series is an offbeat saga of a hero who defends people’s right to hair.
The surreal title character, with his golden afro, struggles to defend the citizens in the kingdom of Margarita from the authoritarian tyrant, Czar Boldy Bold 4th, who has initiated a “Hair Hunt” to crack down on individuals who insist on holding on to their curly locks.
The BOBOBO-BO BO-BOBO anime series is based on stories from Japanese publisher Shueisha Inc.’s popular manga magazine Weekly Shonen Jump, which is known for introducing other well-loved content such as Dragon Ball Z, Yu-Gi-Oh!, YuYu Hakusho, Naruto and One Piece. BO-BOBO manga is available in North America from VIZ Media, LLC, a subsidiary of Shueisha Inc., Shogakukan Inc. and Shogakukan Production, Co. Ltd. VIZ Media also publishes SHONEN JUMP magazine, the North American counterpart of Weekly Shonen Jump.
The new releases are initially planned to street as early as January, 2007.
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About Illumitoon Entertainment, Ltd.
Illumitoon Entertainment, Ltd. is a newly formed collaboration of business and creative professionals focused on delivering customized, quality entertainment to the North American markets. The company¹s principals have more than 20 years combined experience in acquiring, producing, and distributing anime, as well as creating original productions for the U.S., Canada, Australia and New Zealand. For more information, visit the company online at http://www.illumitoon.com < http://www.illumitoon.com/> . About Westlake EntertainmentWestlake Entertainment is a film and TV distributor focusing on the release of premium first run features, as well as substantial catalogue of Latin content. The company was founded in 1991 and distributes content from such labels as Phoenix Entertainment, Red Bull USA, Illumitoon Entertainment, Cineville Films and Rigel Entertainment.For more information, visit the company online at
http://www.westlakeent.com. About Toei Animation
Headquartered in Los Angeles, CA, Toei Animation Inc. is an affiliate company of Toei Animation Co., Ltd. Toei Animation Co., Ltd., headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, is Japan¹s largest animation production studio since 1956, and have produced many celebrated works ranging from feature films such as “The White Snake” and “Puss ‘N Boots” to TV series such as “Ken, the Wild Boy” on to “Dragon Ball,” “Sailor Moon,” “Digimon Adventure”, “Zatch Bell” and “One Piece.” Toei Animation’s library contains approximately 8,500 episodes, which accounts for about 4,200 hours of programming.
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