4-12-05 (12:30AM EST)---- Updates Notice: ANS Moving To Japan
A whirlwind of activity has enveloped the ANS HQ upon our return from Japan last week. Interest in our work in the corporate sector has summoned us BACK to Tokyo immediately. There we will be meeting with potential business partners and working out strategies that will directly affect the future direction of the news service. Our goal is raising internet contents journalism to the next level and that will entail us physically moving our operations to Tokyo and going 1 to 1 with the industry there directly. Details to follow. During this period updates will be infrequent although they will pick up and all past news filled in over time.
4-08-05 (12:58AM EST)---- Sony Patent Takes First Step Towards Real-Life Matrix
The New Scientist reports Sony has applied for protecting a new technology under development which could very well take users into a virtual reality world very much like that expressed in the Wachowski Brothers' Matrix Films.
4-07-05 (12:57AM EST)---- Tokyo Mission: Success
ANS has returned from Tokyo, there we are happy to say we met and surpassed all goals set forth before our journey in the areas of contents / media gathering, research, and business contact / partnership establishment. Leveraging our unsurpassed Japanese language skills in the online news arena, we have audio / video interviews / clips and many still images from the trip we will be incorporating into the regular print reports you are used to seeing here; Attending TAF on both business only and public days, we successfully met face to face with the close to 200 contents industry exhibitors (bringing back 500+business cards) on the convention floor as well as those in the Creators World section which represent the next generation of anime, manga and gaming; Finally we are happy to say our work will soon be getting a big boost as the interest in potential partnership / sponsorship of ANS was expressed by many parties we met with in Japan who recognize the longevity and significance our news service in the English speaking world. For our readers this means the first English anime news website online will continue to provide you with the richest contents industry news online. Stay tuned as the fruits of these activities materialize here as well as the past news exclusives we missed while away.
3-28-05 (12:27AM EST)---- Tokyo Anime Fair Coverage
Beginning Monday, the 28th, Anime News Service staff will be in Japan. Primarily, we'll be live on the floor of the TAF, Japan's largest and most important animation industry event, touching base with contents industry partners and gathering media and information to bring to you. Likewise we have been extended access to several prominent anime studios where we will be touring, interviewing senior staff and fleshing out some of the most exciting anime projects in the pipes for 2005 and beyond. Site updates will be rather irregular and not follow their usual routine during this period.
Earlier this week, Japanese toy giant Bandai announced consolidated pretax profit for the period of March, 2005 saw a decrease in profits by 8%. Inactive toy sales in the American market were cited as reason. According to the company, their new character related goods sales were not spirited and mentioned a bit of a lull in the toy retail industry there.
3-25-05 (1:25AM EST)---- Puffy AmiYumi Japanese Tour Announced
The management for Puffy AmyYumi has announced a domnestic Japanese concert tour will be held following the group's North America tour which starts on the west coast USA in April. A 4 city nationwide schedule will begin being executed on June 24 at Shibuya-AX. About a year has passed since the group's last live performance in Japan.
3-25-05 (1:21AM EST)---- Anizona Article
The online edition of the newspaper Arizona Republic has a writeup on the state's first anime convention to be held this weekend: Anizona.
3-25-05 (12:28AM EST)---- Steamboy Reviewed In Entertainment Weekly
The newest issue of EW has a profile on the development process behind Steamboy, and talks to Katsuhiro Otomo, Patrick Stewart, and Carl Horn. The article also hints that Otomo might return to his manga roots. Finally, the magazine itself gave Steamboy a B-. Thanks to Daniel for the information
3-24-05 (1:28AM EST)---- Oval X Over Animation Announced
Production I.G.'s Mitsuhisa Ishikawa was on hand for the BRIDGESTONE INDY JAPAN 300mile in Roppongi Hills event held on Wednesday. There, details on the coming Oval X Over animation were unveiled. The work is being produced to coincide with the 4th Round Indy Japan 300 race at Motegi April 30th. A few Japanese drivers in the series were hand including Kosuke Matsuura. Director Hiroyuki Imaishi and chara designer Imai Tunz appeared on the stage and talked about their goals in their respective production efforts. The theme song for the series was announced as "Over Top", to be performed by Maki Oguro. A single bearing the theme will be released just in advance of the race on April 27th. Maki Oguro is scheduled to sing at the opening ceremony before the INDY JAPAN 300.
3-24-05 (1:20AM EST)---- Namco Announces New Fist Of The Northstar Game
Coinciding with the Hokuto No Ken animation revival project being carried out by North Stars Pictures, Namco announced in Tokyo on Wednesday a new arcade game that will be based on the new Movie and OVA series storyline. The gaming giant confirmed their business arrangement with NSP, mentioning the game genre has yet to be decided, but the resulting product will be in Japanese arcades in the spring of 2006.
3-23-05 (7:11AM EST)---- DrMaster Manga Updates
A thread at the DrMaster Forums indicates that Iron Wok Jan will be continued, Bride of Deimos will be discontinued, and that they will continue Crayon Shin Chan whenever the anime gets a tv broadcast. At Anime News Service, it was suggested, but not confirmed, that the anime would be released in the U.S. this year. Sources: Thaks to Daniel for the Jagged Team link | Manga News Service
3-23-05 (1:26AM EST)---- News From Japan Slows As Companies Prepare for TAF
A major story this week seems to be an actual lack of news from Japan. ANS scans Japanese newswires and press releases regularly and the slowdown in major announcements has been more than noticeable. A reason? Many companies in the contents field are of course getting ready for Japan's largest calender anime business show, the Tokyo Anime Fair which begins March 31st.
3-23-05 (1:26AM EST)---- Mushiking - The Second Pokemon?
Details were announced in Tokyo Tuesday on the TV Tokyo animated TV series Kabutomushi Ouji Mushiking - Mori no Tame no Densetsu. The anime is based on the card game focused at the school child audience. Broadcast has been set for Osaka and Tokyo On April 6th at 6.00. The number card game cards shipped has already exceeded 150 million pieces in Japan. Interest in the broadcasting rights have already poured in from foreign countries in Europe and America, and the idea of the a "Second Pokemon" is being associated with the title. Sega develped the game which debuted in Japan in '03. A merchandising torrent of about 400 different kinds of goods such as toys and stationeries are due to hit retail this summer.
3-23-05 (12:02AM EST)---- Japanese Weekend Box Office Mar 19-20
Kogyo Tsushinsha has uploaded it's rankings reflecting admissions at the Japanese Movie Box Office for this past weekend. There we see the submarine thriller Lorelei moving down a spot to number from #2 to #3 on the chart, meanwhile the double feature Rockman Exe & Duel Masters was relegated from the #1 slot last week to #5, One Piece 6 moves down the charts 2 spots to #6, Howl's Moving Castle proves it's staying power by moving
up a space to #7 from last week, finally the film franchise that put Aya Ueto on the map, Azumi 2 was knocked 4 spots from last week to #9.
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ANS has returned from Tokyo, there we are happy to say we met and surpassed all goals set forth before our journey in the areas of contents / media gathering, research, and business contact / partnership establishment. Leveraging our unsurpassed Japanese language skills in the online news arena, we have audio / video interviews / clips and many still images from the trip we will be incorporating into the regular print reports you are used to seeing here; Attending TAF on both business only and public days, we successfully met face to face with the close to 200 contents industry exhibitors (bringing back 500+business cards) on the convention floor as well as those in the Creators World section which represent the next generation of anime, manga and gaming; Finally we are happy to say our work will soon be getting a big boost as the interest in potential partnership / sponsorship of ANS was expressed by many parties we met with in Japan who recognize the longevity and significance our news service in the English speaking world. For our readers this means the first English anime news website online will continue to provide you with the richest contents industry news online. Stay tuned as the fruits of these activities materialize here as well as the past news exclusives we missed while away.
