Origami Unicorn

More Manga

Del Rey Manga has announced a deal with Cartoon Network Enterprises for original manga based on Battle Brawlers and Ben 10 Alien Force.

ADV: Post Storm Surge

ADV Films, which translates, produces, and distributes Japanese anime and manga titles for the U.S. joined the rest of Houston in being without power and with little communication. ADV’s Chriss Oarr said, “Our immediate concerns are functional and practical. Ike has really overwhelmed all else. We just got our servers back up Sunday. Houston is a sprawling city and this section of town only just came back to life. Not all the traffic lights work. The sales cycle for anime DVDs is very different from books—it’s very fast and loose. We're behind getting some titles out there and we have some new titles to add to our schedule. The timing couldn't be worse. On promotion, we have a lot of work ahead of us." Oarr adds, "we're going to make it through. Everybody's been very understanding and that's really nice." Although no employees were hurt during the storm, they will be working hard to get ADV back up to speed.

The World Science Fiction Convention

The World Science Fiction Convention is in Denver this year and runs from August 6th to August 10th. Actually the convention has been open for the past two days in previews, but scheduling started this morning and will run through Sunday. The Hugo Award Ceremony will start at 7:30, local time, on Saturday. There is a LiveJournal Community for those interested in following or commenting on the convention.

Speed Racer

I found the original cartoon, which was fairly minimally animated, uninteresting. So the Wachowski brothers had nowhere to go but up when they decided to make it a live action film. I suspect this one will appeal to those who play games, but I'm not sure the lack of interaction won't bore them in the end. In any case, in eye-popping color and ear-popping sound: Speed Racer.

From the people who brought you the stunning special effects of The Matrix films. The film has been in development since 1992, cost one hundred million dollars, and is rated unacceptable by the American Humane Association, due to problems with a chimp. Great car.

P. S. A nine minute edit of the seventeen minute car chase scene from The Matrix Reloaded. Hold on to your shades.

Live Action Akira

Leonardo DiCaprio will produce a live-action version of anime classic Akira with release planned in 2009. The original 1988 film was a ground-breaking full-length anime film, featuring lip synchronization—dialogue was recorded before drawing as in many classic animated films—and "super-fluid" motion. While the original film, with a script based on manga, was set in New Tokyo, the live version is to be set in New Manhattan, a futuristic city build with Japanese financing. Here's an English language trailer for the anime film, which gives you an idea what it's all about:

And this is one original Japanese version:

Last Days

First, before you set this in motion—turn down the volume on your computer. This film has a very loud electronic score. The animation uses elements from the scroll that opened the second section of yesterday's post to journey on a trip through the seasons, using conventional symbols in classic style, to modern effect.

Team Lab, credited at the end, does data management. It not clear they did more than commission the animation.

Japanese Animation

A Japanese television program, in English, about Japanese animation. This first part is interesting in that it shows an enthnocentric point of view and how this pop culture has spread across the world. If you find it boring, skip to the second part, but the first only runs about four minutes.

An abrupt change of tone, as the program moves to the development of animation in Japan. It leaves out a lot, which I'll probably get to some other time, but the art is lovely.

NYC Anime Festival Proves Out

The first New York Anime Festival December 7-9 had about 15,000 attendees visit the Javits Center for the inaugural event. It got off to a slow start, probably because the younger fans weren't free until Saturday, but then they came out in droves and in costume. They're doing it again next year.

New York Anime Festival

Feeling there was not enough anime at the New York comics convention, and noticing there was a vacant slot in the cycle of major events, was enough to set in motion the machinery that gives us, December 7-9, the New York Anime Festival. Reed Exhibitions.

Family Life With a Twist

For some interesting insights into cultural differences, watch this family scene from Lucky Star—which is intended for middle school girls. Lolicon is Japanese for "Lolita Complex."