Bleach, Naruto Shippuden and Monster Hunter News

Dragon Ball Z Kai and Naruto Shippuden
Over at NY Breaking News, Neo discusses Dragon Ball Z Kai airing on CW4kids this fall and the latest Naruto Shippuden English Dub Episodes on iTunes.
You can see Neo's vlog here

Monster Hunter
Okay, Monster Hunter is a game that spawned a manga (Monster Hunter Orage), not the other way around, but since the game is very popular with anime and manga fans, I thought I'd include this.
Capcom has announced that this summer, it will release its new Monster Hunter spinoff game with a Flash-animated tie-in project on Japanese television.
On August 26th, MonHun Nikki Pokapoka Airū-mura will ship for the Sony PSP console in Japan.
Full story here

Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood
Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood, Part 1, comes out on DVD and Blu-ray this week, and you can read a review of it here

Also coming out this week are Bleach, Vol. 28 and Kenichi: Season One.

On a side note, I have seen where you can watch Bleach Episode 272, Ichigo Vs Ulquiorra Conclusion, many places on the web, but so far, I haven’t found a single one that actually works.
If you find one that actually is a link to the episode, you can post it in the comments.
But I'll check the link before I approve it, so no funny business...LOL



Bleach, Naruto Shippuden and Monster Hunter News, posted to http://anime-times.blogspot.com/ on May 25th, 2010.

Are Anime and Manga Going Live Action?

Since DC and Marvel are rolling out (usually successful) films based on their superheroes, why wouldn't Hollywood start mining Anime?
Well they are.
Steven Spielberg is working on Ghost in the Shell, James Cameron is working on Battle Angel Alita, Peter Segal and Michael Ewing are working on Bleach and The Hughes Brothers are working on Akira.

Over at indieWIRE, guest blogger Cameron Carlson has an article about the upcoming live action films based on Anime, and a whole lot more that are in development...

" Would you buy a ticket for a big-budget, live-action anime feature? What if there were four of them released at the same time? That could be the plight facing anime fans in 2011, and while the fans of japanimation recognize the difference between a cyborg and a mobile battle suit, the general public does not."

You can read the full article here:
http://blogs.indiewire.com/thompsononhollywood/2010/05/04/anime_next_big_thing/

So with that in mind, here are a few Anime/Manga projects that have already made the leap to the big screen...

Lady Snowblood (1973)
Based on the manga by writer Kazuo Koike and artist Kazuo Kamimura.
There was a sequel, Lady Snowblood 2: Love Song of Vengeance in 1974, and a science fiction remake in 2001, released in the US as The Princess Blade.
Quentin Tarantino has said the film was a major inspiration for his Kill Bill films.

The Guyver (1991)
Based on the Bio-Booster Armor Guyver manga series written by Yoshiki Takaya, it spawned a sequel, Guyver: Dark Hero in 1994.

City Hunter (1993)
A Hong Kong martial arts action comedy film based on the manga series written and illustrated by Tsukasa Hojo.
Notable because it starred Jackie Chan as Ryo Saeba.

Hana Yori Dango (1995)
Based on the shōjo manga series Boys Over Flowers by Yoko Kamio
In 2008, Hana Yori Dango Final was released in theatres on as the end of the live action Japanese TV series.

Crying Freeman (1995)
A French and Canadian produced action film based on the manga by Kazuo Koike & Ryoichi Ikegami.

Blue (2001)
A Japanese romantic drama based on the manga Blue by Kiriko Nananan.

Blue Spring (2001)
A Japanese film based on a manga by Taiyō Matsumoto.

Doing Time (2002)
Based on the manga by Kazuichi Hanawa.

Cutie Honey (2004)
Starring Japanese model Eriko Sato and based on the manga and anime series Cutie Honey.

A Battle of Wits (2006)
This Hong Kong historical action drama film, was based upon a Japanese historical novel and a manga series written by Hideki Mori.

Death Note (2006)
Not one, but three films were based on the manga and anime series by Tsugumi Ohba and Takeshi Obata.
Death Note was released on June 17, 2006, Death Note: The Last Name was released on November 3, 2006 and a spin-off L: Change the World, was released on February 9, 2008.
This film is one of those set for a remake by Warner Bros.

Dragonball Evolution (2009)
Based of course on the Japanese manga and anime series written and illustrated by Akira Toriyama.
Despite the fact the film flopped at the box office, with critic and with fans, there is a sequel rumored

The Top Ten Anime Girls, Galatea

http://www.animegalleries.net/

8. Galatea from the Claymore anime.

Claymore is a dark fantasy manga series written and illustrated by Norihiro Yagi and a twenty-six episode anime directed by Hiroyuki Tanaka.
One of the more kind-hearted Claymores, Galatea starts out in the series as Claymore Number 3.
She is able to sense other Claymores from a long distance, read their emotions, and see their actions as if she were there.

Claymore, Starter Set (includes Vol. 1)

Hoshin Engi / Soul Hunter

Hoshin Engi (also known as Soul Hunter) is a Japanese manga and anime by Ryu Fujisaki.
Hoshin Engi was inspired by an ancient Chinese novel Fengshen Yanyi (The Investiture of the Gods or The Creation of the Gods).
From 1996 to 2000, the manga series was serialized in Weekly Shōnen Jump magazine.
VIZ Media acquired the rights to the manga and bimonthly releases started June 5, 2007.
The manga was also compiled in 23 tankōbon volumes by Shueisha.
After VIZ Media acquired the rights, 18 Kanzenban (collector edition) volumes were released between July 2005 and June 2006.
The manga was adapted into a 26 episode anime that was broadcast on Japanese TV in 1999.
It was released on DVD in North America as Soul Hunter in 2001.
Some of the characters from the series appear in Jump Ultimate Stars, a fighting video game developed by Ganbarion and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo DS. The game is similar to Super Smash Bros.
A video game based on the manga was released for the Game Boy Advance and the Wonderswan.

The Wallflower / Perfect Girl Evolution / Yamato Nadeshiko

The Wallflower (a.k.a Perfect Girl Evolution and Yamato Nadeshiko) is an anime and manga series written by Tomoko Hayakawa.
The individual chapters have been serialized in Bessatsu Friend since its premiere in 2000 and Nippon Animation adapted part of the manga series into a twenty-five episode anime series
The story follows a girl named Sunako Nakahara, who was called "ugly" by the first and only person to whom she confessed her love.
This causes Sunako to change and shun all forms of beauty, both in herself as well as in life.
Sunako's aunt, who owns a beautiful mansion where four very handsome students live, offers the guys free rent in if they can turn Sunako into a "perfect lady" or Yamato Nadeshiko.
It's a kind of "My Fair Lady" story with a few twists.

Vampire Knight

Continuing along with Vampire Animes....

Vampire Knight, a manga and anime series written by Matsuri Hino, premiered in the January 2005 issue of LaLa magazine and is still on-going.
Hakusensha publishes chapters in collected volumes, nine of which have been released in Japan.
A twenty-six episode anime adaptation was produced by Studio Deen and directed by Kiyoko Sayama.
The first season of thirteen episodes, premiered on TV Tokyo in Japan on April 8, 2008 and ran until the season finale on July 1, 2008.
The second thirteen episode season, called Vampire Knight Guilty, premiered on October 7, 2008.
Besides the manga and anime, two drama CDs have been released, two light novels, a video game (Vampire Knight DS coming out in 2009) and the official Vampire Knight Fanbook was released in November 2008.

Tsubasa: Reservoir Chronicle

Tsubasa: Reservoir Chronicle is a manga series by Clamp (a Japanese mangaka group).
It is currently being serialized in Shōnen Magazine.

It was adapted into an anime series, Tsubasa Chronicle (renamed Tsubasa: Reservoir Chronicle in English) animated by Bee Train.
It was aired in 52 episodes over two seasons during 2005 and 2006.
Three OVAs (original video animation) were also released in every two months, from November 2007 through March 2008.

As of September 1st, 2008, the English dub is being broadcast on the Funimation in the United States.
The English dub is also being broadcast by Animax across its English language networks in Southeast Asia at the beginning of 2006 under the title 'Chronicle of The Wings'.
Tsubasa Chronicle was released in the United Kingdom by Revelation Films in September 2007.
Tsubasa Chronicle Season 2 will also be released in the UK.
Both seasons and the movie (Tsubasa Chronicle the Movie: The Princess of the Country of Birdcages) are licensed for release in North America by FUNimation

White Album (Howaito Arubamu)

White Album (Howaito Arubamu) is a Japanese adult visual novel released on May 1, 1998 for the PC by Leaf.
Due to the game's strong addictive qualities, White Album is also known as "White Drug" in South Korea.
An unofficial Korean translation was released in 2003. Also in 2003, a renewal package of the game was released compatible for the Windows 98/Me/2000/XP.

White Album is the first bishōjo game made by Leaf that has not used the title of "visual novel", so there are some differences between the system of White Album and the other previous Leaf games. One of the most distinctive feature is that the game's hero already has his girlfriend, so the objective is not to form a new relationship, but to either keep the girlfriend, give up, or act as if nothing happened.

A set of 66 White Album trading cards were released in 1998.


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The Story of the Concierge Mukuzo Imokawa

The Story of the Concierge Mukuzo Imokawa was the first professional Japanese animation film ever made. It was made by Hekoten (Oten) Shimokawa , 1917.

In April 1914, French animation Fantasmagorie by Émile Cohl was screened under the title Dekobo's new sketch book . This seems to be the first drawn-animation film screened in Japan. (There were other animated films screened earlier.)

Japanese movie productions were inspired by this film, and started studying animation techniques. In 1915, Nikkatsu production started studying animation with Seitaro Kitayama, a painter. In the next year, Tenkatsu, or Tennen-shoku Katsudo Shashin Kabushiki Gaisha ("Natural Color Moving Picture Company"), started studying with a manga artist Hekoten/Oten Shimokawa. Kobayashi Shokai started their production with a manga artist Junichi Kouchi.

Among these three productions, Tenkatsu film The Story of the Concierge Mukuzo Imokawa, directed by Shimokawa, came out first, completed in January 1917. It was screened a few times on movie theaters by the production. However, it is said the animation quality of the film was so poor that even Shimokawa himself was disappointed.

Four months later, in May, 1917, Nikkatsu's Battle of a Monkey and a Crab , directed by Kitayama, was released. In the next month, Kobayashi Shokai's Hekonai Hanawa's Great Sword , directed by Kouchi was also screened.

Because there are no films or photographs left now, the exact contents or animation techniques are unknown. Some speculate Shimokawa drew pictures with a chalk on a blackboard, and when he wanted to move a character's hand, he only redrew a hand. Another possibility is that he printed backgrounds on a white paper, and drew characters with white paints.

Mukuzo Imokawa was a manga character that Shimokawa used in his manga.

In July 2005, an old animation film was found in Kyoto. This 3 seconds film, plainly titled Moving Picture , is estimated to be made somewhere in 1900s, about 10 years older than Mukuzo Imokawa. This supposedly oldest anime is assumed to be made for private viewing. Therefore, as a professional commercial anime, Mukuzo Imokawa still seems to hold the title of "the first".