Anime News, News - by Ian - October 10, 2010 - 16:06 Europe/London - Be first to Comment!
Manga Entertainment today announced that they have gained the rights to distribute the undead anime – Highschool of the Dead, which was one of the summer seasons hits this year in Japan.
Highschool of the Dead stars Takashi and his good friend Rei and her best friend Hisashi. Then a Zombie arrived at the school gate. Within a few minutes a zombie plague managed to spread across the school throwing them all into a panic and attempt to avoid being eaten by their former school-mates.
After breaking out of the school to discover the infection had spread across the world, they search for a safe place in the world that’s managed to avoid the zombie chaos….
Currently there are no firm release dates confirmed; however, Manga Entertainment are hoping for the releases to start in June/July 2011 with both a DVD and Blu-Ray release penned. Manga are also hoping to work with Sentai Filmworks for the Blu-Ray release in the UK. So lots of good news there!
Source: Manga UK Twitter
News - by Ian - May 21, 2010 - 18:32 Europe/London - Be first to Comment!
Crunchyroll recently announced that their latest show will be the hit manga by Masaya Tsunmato and Tsujitomo – Giant Killing. Giant Killing will be simulcast in both Japan and on Crunchyroll and is available to stream in both the UK and in Ireland.
Giant Killing follows the story of East Tokyo United (ETU) and their legendary former football player Takeshi Tatsumi. After abandoning the team to make it in the big leagues of Europe, he returns and tries to restore his old team to their former glory.
This show will be available to watch every Sunday and there will be a slight delay for non Anime Members of the site, but it’s certainly quicker than a DVD release
News - by Ian - May 11, 2010 - 23:20 Europe/London - Be first to Comment!
To celebrate the release of Astro Boy on DVD, E1 Entertainment have been kind enough to offer the readers of News-Anime.com a chance to win one of three Astro Boy DVDs and goodie-bags.
All you need to do is answer the following question:
Astro Boy the movie was released in Japan in what year?
A) 2008
B) 2009
C) 2010
If you think you know, then head on over to our competition page by clicking here to enter.
The competition winners will be selected on the 24th May and all entries must be submitted on or before the 23rd May.
Good luck!
Reviews - by Ian - May 4, 2010 - 15:54 Europe/London - Be first to Comment!
It’s some time in the future, not too far out, but just far enough for subtle differences to exist; the world has suffered a huge trauma. It would appear that some form of new warfare or some hideous “act of god” has destroyed a large part of Japan. As a result there are a large number of people who are now refugees and naturally there are some new law enforcement agencies around to try and ensure that everyone is “safe”. Of course, these agencies don’t really know what they are doing and in the opening episode of Witchblade, this new agency tries to separate a loving mother from her doting daughter.
Yes, that’s right, the daughter has to dote on the mother as she has no memory of anything prior to the incident that shook the world and wiped her of her memory. She just appeared as a lone survivor in the rubble with a baby in her arms. It doesn’t take long to find out why she was the lone survivor in a disaster that killed all else – she’s more than just a human. Masane Amaha is a Witchblade, which is a form of weapon that changes the very character and power of a human being and transforms them into the perfect weapon. With her daughter, Ryoko, she runs from the law in the first few episodes before she is discovered by Reiji Takayama of Douji Group Industries where she is employed to fight malfunctioned Witchblades.
During all of this a relationship starts to blossom between Masane and a photographer who helps save Ryoko in the earlier episodes of the seires. There’s a lot of death from the word go and some of the deaths in the middle episodes are very poignant as the characters are somewhat believable and it’s easy to connect with them. Then there’s the huge twist mid-way through which reveals something that is only hinted to a few times early on in the series. This clears the path for an emotional rollercoaster for the lead characters and creates just a small bit of tension.
None of this plotline is earth shattering, in fact, in many respects its little more than standard anime fare. With the end of the world just happened, or in this case, an end of a very localised world, law enforcement agencies that are either evil or just corrupt and a lone protagonist who has to save the world. Yes, Witchblade ticks all of the boxes that makes it nothing special. Then there’s the plentiful fanservice. Although tame in comparison to Daphne in the Brilliant Blue, where the lead characters wear next to nothing and then in battle wear even less, there’s still enough of it to keep any young male salivating. Fortunately Witchblade does not take itself too seriously and makes fun out of the lead characters impossibly large breasts when she’s in her “human” form. When she’s battling as the Witchblade, well, there’s jiggling a-plenty as the “enemy” Witchblades also have impossibly large boobs and tiny wastes.
Yet, what makes Witchblade stand out from the crowd are the characters. Yes, aside from the somewhat clichéd plot at times and the amount of fanservice that shouldn’t interest anyone over the age of 16, the characters are what really make this show worthwhile. There’s a fair amount of character development from the entire cast, not just the main three or four but the supporting cast members seem to evolve by the end of the series. The relationship between Mother and Daughter, between man and woman become apparent and watching relationships blossom and die, amongst copious amounts of death, destruction and sci-fi action puts Witchblade above a mere average anime.
The animation is very good on Witchblade, with characters moving at the same time, clear and distinct colours and with the odd nod to some cyberpunk and Bubblegum Crisis references here and there. The backgrounds are all distinct and at no point does the show feel like it’s recycling different backdrops to save money. The characters themselves are all very distinct and clear, even though a lot of the characters wear few clothes and have huge breasts; it’s easy to distinguish one from the other. The supporting cast for the most part look good and individual as well. The dubbing is a little off, with the Ryoko’s voice feeling off compared to the Japanese cast, but that’s by-the-by as the acting from each cast member is of a good quality and there’s only a few lines of dialogue that sound awkward.
» Final Score
7
Witchblade is a solid show that’s clearly had a lot of love and affection thrown at it; however, it’s let down by the need to over fanservice the characters and by a somewhat clichéd plot. A touch more originality here and there and a sprinkling of maturity rather than aiming at the teenage boy market would really set this show apart from other’s in it’s genre.
Reviews - by Arctic Zora - April 4, 2010 - 22:27 Europe/London - 1 Comment
Tamagotchi the Movie, published in 2007 was produced by Susan Deming, directed by Dan Kuenster and written by Kuenster, Deming and David Lewman and inspired by the much loved digital pet in an egg shaped key-ring, the Tamagotchi. The adorable little pet was first released to the world in 1996 and people of all ages, from children to parents and everyone in between seemed to own one. This addictive, pixelated pet enabled the owner to nurture, play and even clean up after their digital pet, with the upside of less bad smells and the only exercise the user would get would be with their thumbs.
Owing to the gadget’s success, in 2007 Tamagotchi the Movie was released in Japan and was every bit as adorable as the virtual pet was itself. The storyline begins with a young girl, Tanpopo who is confused and indecisive about becoming a big sister for the first time. She sports her very own Tamagotchi key-ring and is seen playing with it before she gets a phone call from her mother asking her to take a bag to her. Unbeknown to Tanpopo and the rest of the population of Earth, thousands of miles away, across the sea stars, another planet exists known as Tamagotchi World. Housing hundreds of little Tamagotchi’s who are all living their own little lives and it’s at this point the remaining characters are introduced. The key character, Mametchi who is a sprightly, young Tamagotchi keen to become an inventor like his father, but who also shares Tampopo’s confusing emotions of becoming an older sibling.
In what appears to be a freak accident, Mametchi transports Tanpopo from Earth to Tamagotchi World whilst conducting a new experiment. Unrealistically, Tanpopo rather than being distraught at being caught up in a whole new world, is more than happy to find herself on a strange planet; where every item, bush and building has a face and even Black Holes, one of the universe’s most feared entities, is made to look adorable. This becomes even clearer when she finds she can spend each day playing with the digital creatures she has come to love back on Earth and not suffer any implications as she will be able to travel back in time. So the work and adventures begin to try and help her return home and for her and Mametchi to realise that being an older sibling is nothing to be scared of.
The characters are all well thought out and with enough emotion and problems for young children to relate to. Tanpopo is faced with the realisation that a lot of children her age are forced to come to terms with, not just sharing their parents attention but also that they now have to be the grown-up one with someone who will be looking up to them. This beautiful message is conveyed brilliantly and reassures a lot of viewers with some very conflicting emotions, which by extension will make a viewer enjoy the movie that bit more. Pretty deep for a film inspired by a digital pet, right? Not to worry, the rest of it is complete fun and nonsense! The characters are adorable, colourful and funny.
Something the viewer may find surprising is the fantastic quality in the animation! It’s smooth, clean and crisp, with multiple characters moving at the same time. Not what one would expect from Tamagotachi the Movie. There are plenty of big named animes out there that aren’t as privileged to have this same standard of animation. A little over the top for what is a pretty standard storyline? Not at all. If such an incident was to occur such as being transported to a world run by cute little pets, living in cute little homes where even the sun lives its life exploring different hot springs, then this is what you’d want to see! Everything in this movie is overflowing with colour, sparkles and glowing rays of light. Tamagotchi the Movie looks so good it actually looks edible!
The voice actors are perfectly synchronised with the Movie. Not that this would be difficult to achieve, anyone willing to accept a few gulps of helium could do the job.
» Final Score
7
Tamagotchi the Movie is perfect for all ages, from the glint in the dad’s eye and upwards. The storyline is simple, filled with heart-warming messages, which are woven into a colourful, smoothly animated film that everyone should see at least once in their life.
Reviews - by Ian - April 4, 2010 - 22:15 Europe/London - Be first to Comment!
The world is a filthy, evil place. Harbouring people with no morals, love or sense of decency, it’s time for things to change. Unluckily for the criminals of the world, the Shinigami Ryuk has accidentally dropped his Notebook onto Earth from the Death World and a teenage Light has managed to pick it up and he is about to cleanse the world.
Death Note is already well known to almost all of the anime community, despite only making across to the UK in 2009; it’s been widely followed, admired and discussed about for many years. Something that not many anime can achieve, it’s so widespread that there have been a number of “copycat” incidents in the media where people have actually penned their own “Death Notes” books with people they hate – naturally this has led to the mass media trying to use Death Note as some sort of scapegoat for society’s wider problems.
Death Note focuses primarily on the lead character, Light who is a teenage prodigy with a strong sense of morality and what the world should be like. Due to this intelligence he easily believes that he could play at being God, a task that is given to him in the first episode as he finds a notebook with instructions. These instructions are very sinister, write someone’s name in the notebook and that person will die. As with most decent people, he dismisses it as something that’s disgusting but is also tempted to use this tool. He decides that he’s going to test it on someone who deserves to die – a most wanted criminal.
To his surprise it works, and to further this level of shock he is met with a Shinigami (Death God in Japan) called Ryuk who explains how to use the Death Note, mostly because he wants to see what’s going on and as he’s got an affinity with apples.
It doesn’t take long for the police to realise that someone is killing off criminals around the world and brings in someone to try and help – L. L is a criminal’s worst nightmare, with a sickly look about him and an almost Sherlock Holmes power to deduct everything from the word go and play the game at the same time he’s easily the hero of the series.
The plot itself moves around at a very quick pace, with plenty of subplots running concurrently and with an expanded but brilliantly placed cast Death Note manages to capture the viewer’s interest in the first episode. Rather than the series peaking at the start and the end it manages to keep the suspense running throughout the entire series – not an easy feat. Especially as this is a 37 episode series that’s essentially a murder-mystery show. At no point do the cast seem mechanical, forced or unbelievable. Even the characters that are seemingly perfect, such as Light or L are fallible and these fallacies are shown in the most catastrophic ways – something that would often occur to people who are “better” than everyone else.
Of course, to keep the plot moving along there are a few twists and turns that are expected a little and towards the middle of the series it becomes hard to picture how the show will continue with its momentum. It’s at this point a coup de grâce is delivered to one of the key characters and the entire show’s dynamic changes and some of the other characters start to “slip” a little, it’s at this point the viewer is able to start predicting the end of the show; however unsuccessful they may be at it.
Death Note manages to toy with the audience throughout the entire show, with promises of scenes that do not occur but make the viewer beg for more of what was delivered instead. At no point does the show let the viewer take a back seat and simply guide them through the world, it’s shock after shock with blows to the gut that leave the audience gasping.
The characters are well designed, with all of the “other-worldly” creatures designed in a way to show that it’s clear that they are the same specie, but each are unique as humans are. The humans in Death Note also all look different – another rarity from the anime world. The support cast are all designed well and the actual colouration of the scenes and the characters is done brilliantly. A keen eyed viewer will be able to spot that the colours change throughout the show, with the backgrounds darker and lighter at different points to accurately reflect the situation at hand.
The casting of the voice actors of the Japanese cast is perfect, there is emotion and depth in the acting, and the English voice cast attempt to match this but miss but a smidgen but the English dub is still a great dub and well worth watching.
» Final Score
9
Death Note has clearly has many influences: it’s part horror, part tragedy and part detective drama. With the lead character being a super smart, super athletic teenager with maniacal tendencies, it’s easy to dismiss Death Note as its plot is weird and its lead character is boring. However, this would be a grave mistake. Death Note is easily one of the best anime to be released in the 2000s.
News - by Ian - April 3, 2010 - 16:28 Europe/London - Be first to Comment!
Copyright Karl and Terratag
In Japan there are hundreds, if not thousands of designs that feature random bits of English on clothes. When an English person sees this it’s often something to make fun of as Engrish. In the UK the direct opposite has been happening a lot recently, with oriental characters appearing on clothes more and more frequently.
So for the most part, online designer and retailer Terratag have bucked the trend and taken everything a step further and are designing clothes with an Eastern theme and with anime themes.
As Terratag are so lovely and they want to show everyone some love in these chocolatey times they’re doing a little promotion. Free shipping on all items purchased before the 12th April 2010.
Terratag are in dozens of retailers across the country and their designs and quality are top-notch – I can personally vouch for this as I have a good few items of clothing from Terratag which wash well, don’t fade and deliver very quickly.
You can check on Terratag’s designs here.
News - by Ian - April 3, 2010 - 15:21 Europe/London - Be first to Comment!
Not a real Chinese Pirate...
It’s been published today in The Times newspaper that the Japanese animation industry estimated it lost $2.4 billion (227 billion yen or £1.6 billion) owing to piracy in China.
It has long be said that piracy in China is costing the anime industry across the world a significant amount of money; however, Japan have now managed to put an actual figure against everyone’s guesses. To put this into perspective, this is more than twice the amount that Japan made in profit from foreign exports of anime.
A spokesperson for Production IG (makers of Ghost in the Shell and many other huge hits) stated:
..that short of closing down the internet altogether, there was little the company could do to stop piracy.
Source: The Times
Reviews - by Ian - March 28, 2010 - 16:10 Europe/London - 3 Comments
Even three lustrums ago Production I.G was a forced to be reckoned with. It takes a long period of time to become recognised and at this point Production I.G were nearly a decade old. It was during the fateful year of 1995 that Production I.G released a new film, directed by Mamoru Oshii, based on the hit manga by Masamune Shirow – Ghost in the Shell.
Over the years Ghost in the Shell has managed to achieve the legendary status that is normally only granted to films from Studio Ghibli. The popularity of Ghost in the Shell in the past fifteen years is such that a sequel was released nearly a decade later, Ghost in the Shell Innocence, although not a direct and before that the anime series – Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex. To further prove the popularity of this show, Ghost in the Shell 2.0 was released in 2008. GitS 2.0 is a re-release of the original GitS film, but it has been entirely reproduced, from the digital scenes right through to the voice acting and soundtrack.
It’s some years into the future, in a world that looks essentially the same as our own today. The major countries in the world still exist, political turmoil still exists and the corporate and public backstabbing that occurs through all companies and governments have intensified due to the revelation of new technologies. In these government agencies, there are an increasing number of people who used to be human and are now part cyborg with only parts of their humanity remaining – mainly their consciousness, which is referred to as the Ghost.
Two of Japan’s top agencies although to the public appear to be working together, are actually bitter enemies and only keep the façade up to ensure that the status quo is maintained and all out warfare doesn’t occur. However, they are equally as suspicious as secretive as each other and this is seen from the very first scene in the movie. Our heroine, or even anti-heroine as many would argue, is on a stakeout mission where she has to kill one of the contacts of Section 6, which she manages to do with ruthless efficiency.
It doesn’t take long for some of Section 6’s plans to go a bit astray and Section 9, the section where our heroine works, finds out and sends out the team to find out why Section 6 have access to robotic technology that they have no need for. Whilst they investigate Section 6, some truly incredible information falls into their possession around Ghosts and Ghosts evolving from nothing – something that was once thought of as impossible as part human part android people.
Unfortunately Ghost in the Shell 2.0 does not wrap everything up nicely, there’s a huge cliffhanger and this leaves a lot open to interpretation. Naturally this leaves the viewer desperate for more – a sign of a truly great film.
The characters are all clear and distinct, with plenty of questions raised on the morality of creating people and interfering in the human body and there’s loads of character development from the two main “androids”, something which a lot of anime manages to miss. The film itself is very grungy and has echoes of cyberpunk from the very start. However, this does not mean the film has been done on the cheap, or looks cheap, the backgrounds and characters are well drawn and the colours – although dark – are distinct and accurately reflect the mood of the film.
The voice acting of the English cast is brilliant, with all of the characters completely distinct and recognisable even when not looking at the screen, which is a very rare occurrence. The acting of the English voice cast is also top-notch with affection, sadness and melancholy being expressed with truth. The Japanese voice cast are also amazing, as is the actual soundtrack to the entire film.
Ghost in the Shell 2.0 is going to be contentious for many fans, those who saw the original or the Special Edition a few years ago will notice some significant differences in the films that they are watching. 2.0 has a lot more CGI, with some scenes entirely redone and unfortunately some of the CGI scenes jar painfully with the original drawn scenes that it sits next to, it’s more than just a juxtaposition, it’s a little off-putting. However, the rest of the upgrades are perfectly done, the majority of the scenes have been improved with more distinction in the characters and with more effective colours. Between the original and the remastered version the colour palettes have changed significantly as well, there’s a lot more orange and lighter hues than the original blue and greens, this update is done very well and doesn’t jar or look out of place with modern anime – although the original colours give the film a different feel.
» Final Score
9
The original film is going to be many people’s favourite; however, for sheer quality of transfer and the gentle revisions made in most places simply lift the quality of this film’s visual up a few levels. With a great storyline that grabs the viewer and a cast that’s the best in recent times, it’s a must have for all anime fans.
Reviews - by Arctic Zora - March 27, 2010 - 18:14 Europe/London - Be first to Comment!
Initially a very successful twelve volume manga, Gravitation has now been adapted into an anime series that’s thirteen episodes. It’s been released as four separate volumes and now available as a single boxset. Directed by Bob Shirohata and distributed by MVM Entertainment in the UK, this anime is primarily about one young man keen to become Japan’s next successful Pop Idol in a band called Bad Luck. However, this simple plan runs into a few problems when the lead character meets another young, sexy, cool and bad tempered man who gets in the way of his plans.
Shuichi, the lead character, is a cute, ambitious young man with dreams of becoming a world renowned Pop Idol with his band: Bad Luck. Yet, in the first episode he finds himself in a bit of a rut, uninspired, struggling with his lyrics and on top of this, he’s got studio deadlines to meet. Bad Luck or good luck, whilst taking a walk with these lyrics he stumbles into a far darker, cooler and sexy young man named Eiri Yuki, who just so happens to be a famous and grumpy novelist. He sees these lyrics and has got plenty of things to say about them, and not all of his feedback is positive or seen as constructive. Despite this unfriendly start, Shuichi becomes a victim of the nasty side of Eiri and the clearly infatuated Shuichi has his emotions ripped apart by Eiri. Whilst all of this is happening, his music career isn’t exactly moving forward either. The storyline isn’t the first of its kind, but it still gets a thumbs up for originality due to its unusual love story.
There is a fairly large cast of characters, all ranging from humours to serious. A lot of the auxiliary characters are very generic and it’s mostly the main characters that have any form of character development and even that is on that slim side. Shuichi is a typical lolli-shota character, young looking, happy-go-lucky and wears his heart on his sleeve; whereas Eiri Yuki is a darker, more distant character, full of maturity and great one-liners. Their relationship could be compared in many ways to that of Hunni-chan and Mori from Ouran High School Host Club; except for the “adult” relationship between Eiri Yuki and Shuichi. The two are opposite ends of personalities yet form a confusing and unbreakable bond. Even by the third volume, Eiri Yuki’s personality is confusing. He never lets on what he is truly thinking and to make him all the more mysterious he has a hidden past that’s not revealed until later episodes, a hidden past that holds some very deep, dark secrets. The rest of the characters are completely forgettable and for a band that’s attempting to be the next big thing, the rest of Bad Luck are dull and characterless.
The quality of the voice acting cast in English isn’t too bad, the key characters have got good, somewhat-unique voices and they are easily understandable. The Japanese cast are much better in this situation, with their voices matching the characters in a better way; however, both tracks are watchable. The subtitles are also well done, the positioning is good and the majority of the “extra” bits of information, such as signs, are translated for the most part as well – something that’s being dropped from a lot of releases at the moment.
The character designs are fairly good. Each character is clear, distinct and almost glows. With plenty of costume changes, close up shots and singing there’s many chances to cost-save, but for the most part they’ve avoided this. The actual quality of the animation is just about average, with a few extended “sweeping” shots where nothing’s actually moving and it’s rare to see more than one character moving at the same time.
In reality it’s all about music, it’s about sexy men, big hair, soap opera worthy relationships, bright colours and sparkles. It’s very obvious whose attention this anime is trying to grab just by its imagery. It’s funny, filled with heart throbbing moments and the occasional adult humour.
» Final Score
6
Far from being the best anime in the world and although it can be a little slow, it’s certainly a watchable show. Gravitation is ideal for an audience that craves gorgeous men in love, music, love, teasing and something to giggle at.
Reviews - by Arctic Zora - March 22, 2010 - 20:50 Europe/London - Be first to Comment!
“Gunparade March” originally started out as ,a video game for Playstation. Due to its huge award winning success, it was later featured as a twelve episode anime series and also a three part manga. The anime version of Gunparade March was produced by J.C.Staff and broadcast on MBS in February 2003 and April 2003 in Japan and only recently made it’s way across to the UK. It is comparable with many other animes, such as: Gundamn Wing, Baldr Force EXE and bizarrely enough, Tenchi Muyo.
The opening of the first few episodes gives a brief but detailed description of what is happening in a fictional world, where alien life forms known as the Genjyu have taken over control of the world and people have been living in fear of these creatures since the late 1940s. Rather than being intelligent life forms, the Genjyu are no more than parasites, spreading across the world at an incredible rate and leaving nothing but destruction in its wake. To try and battle these creatures, all modern forms of warfare have been employed and it would appear that not even a Nuclear bomb is able to disperse the creatures and prevent full invasion. As such the use of these powerful weapons have left the planet poisoned with radiation. Yet the aliens continue to live on whilst the human race struggles to live ordinary lives alongside them.
On first impression this anime is nothing special, it could even be described as cookie-cutter. The storyline, though interesting, would only appeal to one type of audience – the sort that love guns, machines and robots thrown in for good measure. Not to forget the Genjyu, who are huge, vicious aliens that can only be destroyed by a monster fighting-weapon-laden-robot, the Humanoid Unit AMTT-500, who incidentally looks a little like Metriod. This is all discovered in the first episode and not to mention a bit of bloodshed to seal the deal for those out there that judge an entire anime within the first twenty minutes.
However, by the second episode the story widens out a little and it can entice a much larger audience. It becomes humorous, with typical characters with similarities that can be found from across the Sci-fi genre and a few others to boot, such as a cute girl like Sasami from Tenchi Muyo. The storyline has pulled on inspiration from Tenchi Muyo with a lot of action, but with a lot of comical every day life moments thrown in. There is plenty of time to get to know the history and the lives of the characters, which the first few episodes spends a lot of time doing.
The main characters are actually young adults still in a Training school where they are taught to use the Humanoid Unit AMTT-500. These students treat the Genjyu invasion like an everyday thing, laughing and discussing more ordinary concerns such as having a boyfriends and homework. The characters seem to vary from very serious, to flirtatious, Lolashota to playful. As could be expected from teenagers, some of the subject matter isn’t always family friendly and the humour can be a little crude now and again.
The artwork is nothing out of the ordinary, with a pleasing look but the characters are all a little generic however the backgrounds and the characters themselves have enough detail. The animation quality is fairly good, although there are an awful lot of still shots of space, robots and a lot of close-ups of people talking but with little movement. The voice acting is very standard, almost forgettable on the whole and the Japanese cast isn’t much different either.
» Final Score
7
A good opening to a series, although the first episode will lead many fans away from the series who would probably end up liking later episodes in the volume.
Reviews - by Ian - March 16, 2010 - 17:10 Europe/London - Be first to Comment!
Thirty-eight years ago a new fad was sweeping the nation of Japan, a somewhat surprising fad considering the origin. Pandas. Yes, China had generously donated a panda to a Japanese zoo in an attempt to increase their political and social ties and in the process the Japanese population went into a frenzy. Then Panda! Go, Panda! arrived and sent them all into overdrive.
Panda! Go Panda! is an early work of Hayao Miyazaki and Isao Takahata, which predates Studio Ghibli and the pairs more famous works by many years. However, the early signs of the pair’s creativity and artistic style is very dominant throughout the film itself.
Calling this production a film is a bit of a stretch though, it’s more like a collection of extended episodes from an anime sewn together with a common theme – pandas. Not that this is a bad thing though. In the original release there were a few follow up episodes; these have all been threaded into one extended DVD with three episodes.
From the off it’s clear to see that this is not only early anime, but is also early Miyazaki work. The character designs, while distinct, lack the finesse of more recent films; however, his style has clearly been developed from this early work. This is clear to see from the resemblance between Ponyo and Mimiko for example. The pair’s work has also become famous for paying an incredible amount of attention to the scenery and being surrounded by nature, this style and theme is apparent throughout all of Panda! Go, Panda! as one is able to tell simply from the name of the feature.
The basic premise of the story is that a little girl- Mimiko has been left on her own to tend to a home whilst her Grandma goes away in Tokyo. Mimiko is a very young girl, so immediately the thought of someone of that age being left alone does strike a chord of disbelief; however, Mimiko is a very capable young girl who manages to see her Grandma off and goes home to find she’s got intruders in the house. Before she can really comprehend what’s happened, there’s a baby Panda in her home who she decides to care for with the passion of a Mother.
Mimiko is still of school age and decides to take Panpan to school with her, which understandably causes a riot as they don’t believe Panpan to be a Panda but another creature that needs attacking. Mimiko manages to secure Panpan and takes him back home only to be met by a giant Panda, Papa Panda. Mimiko takes this all in her stride and decides that they will become a larger-than-life family with a human “mother” and two Panda’s for relatives. The rest of the stories continue in a similar vein, and it’s clear that this story is a precursor to the more internationally famous Pippi Longstockings and Totoro.
Panda, Go Panda! is available in both English and Japanese. The English dub is well done, considering it’s got no Disney backing unlike the majority of Ghibli works, although Papa Panda does have a very strange, almost Jamaican imitation style voice. The subtitles are well placed and the overall quality of Panda, Go Panda! is top-notch. Considering this title is older than the majority of the people who will be watching it and as it’s clearly a “cash-cow” to try and grab some cash from a passing fad the actual animation quality and transfer to DVD is brilliant.
» Final Score
8
Panda, Go Panda is an amazing piece of work, for fans of Ghibli who want to see what the lead directors were up to before the creation of the Studio this DVD is a must and as it’s been out for a while now it’s going to be cheap to pick up. For people looking to try and emulate the “Spirited Away” experience, it’d be best to look elsewhere.
News - by Ian - February 5, 2010 - 11:07 Europe/London - Be first to Comment!
It has recently been confirmed that the infinitely successful anime show, Naruto Shippuden’s latest videogame outing will be released in PAL territories in autumn 2010.
Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 2 is slated to be released in autumn of this year and will be available on the Xbox 360 and the PlayStation 3, although the Nintendo Wii will not be receiving this title.
Orange Ninja Action
Developed by the acclaimed CyberConnect2 studio in Japan, Ninja Storm 2 will attempt to faithfully take players through the anime’s storyline and follows the Naruto Shippuden battle arcs as closely as possible. With a host of playable characters available and with the original Japanese voicecast performing the vocals Ninja Storm 2 is likely to be the best Naruto game to date.
Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 2 is slated for a Autumn 2010 release in PAL territories.
News - by Ian - December 29, 2009 - 19:45 Europe/London - Be first to Comment!
The Bexley Anime and Manga Festival, which is due to be held in February in 2010 recently confirmed their lineup with some impressive anime movies along with some manga workshops with UK Sweatdrop Studio artists such as Sonia Leong, Yu-Gi-Oh and Pokémon competitions and a Cosplay workshop with Kelly Batchelor.
Their film line-up with be held in the Cineworld cinema in Bexley Heath and all films are free for anyone aged between 11-19, although they do require pre-booking. The films are:
Spirited Away
Supernatural Fantasy. Join Chihiro on a strange and mesmerising journey into a world of Japanese spirits. This magical movie stands out as one of the best loved animated fi lms of all time. From acclaimed director Hayao Miyazaki. Oscar winner for Best Animated Feature.
Date: 1st February 2010
Time: 1800
Howl’s Moving Castle
Fantasy Adventure. Travel to a breathtakingly beautiful world and discover the adventure, romance and fantasy of this highly rated film. From acclaimed director Hayao Miyazaki. Oscar nominated for Best Animated Feature.
Date: 4th February
Time: 1800
Tokyo Godfathers
Comedy-Drama. An anime masterpiece, this beautiful film vividly portrays a cold winter in Tokyo as three homeless friends find an abandoned baby in a dumpster and set out on a journey of discovery as they seek to find the parents of the child. Moving, funny and exciting.
Date: 8th February
Time: 1800
The Cat Returns
Fantasy. From Studio Ghibli, this acclaimed and entertaining film will charm viewers of all ages. After she saves a cat from an oncoming truck, 17 year old Haru discovers she’s actually saved Lune, Prince of the Cat Kingdom. A whimsical, fun adventure.
Date: 18th February
Time: 1800
Cowboy Bebop: The Movie
Sci-Fi Action. This cult classic is a thrill ride of epic proportions. Action packed with a nail-biting finale, this film is not to be missed at this rare cinema screening. A perfect introduction to anime for new fans and awesome fun for those already devoted.
Date: 11th February
Time: 1800
The Girl Who Leapt Through Time
Sci-Fi Romance. What would you do if you could leap back in time? When Makoto stumbles upon this very power she seizes the chance to get better exam scores and put right certain personal mishaps from her past! A journey of self discovery and romance follows. Acclaimed as one of the greatest anime movies of recent years, this outstanding movie is a festival highlight.
Date: 22nd February
Time: 1800
Our review of The Girl Who Leapt Through Time is available here.
Sky Crawlers
Sci-Fi. An intense new movie from Ghost in the Shell director, Mamoru Oshii. Stunning state of the art animation and an intelligent story make this a modern anime masterpiece. In a peaceful world a never ending war is fought in the skies by kildren – young people who never grow old. Discover the secrets of this strange yet familiar world in this important new movie. Presented by Manga Entertainment.
Date: 25th February
Time: 1800
5cm Per Second
Romance. From Makato Shinkai, this trio of interconnected short stories explores the excitement and melancholy of young love. The title refers to the speed it takes a cherry blossom to fall from the trees to the ground. Visually stunning, absolutely mesmerising and distinctly Japanese. Presented by Manga Entertainment.
AND
K20: Legend of the Mask
Action. A live action Japanese superhero movie with international star Takeshi Kaneshiro. Fight scenes, stunts and a lighthearted plot – the perfect night out at the cinema and an exclusive presentation at the BAM Festival! A superb example of Japan taking on Hollywood and winning. Presented by Manga Entertainment.
Date: 1st March
Time: 1800 for Sky Crawlers followed directly by 5cm Per Second
How to book
Advance booking is recommended for all festival events.
To book your place at any event either:
- Visit any Bexley library to book tickets in person.
- Call 020 8303 7777 (option 4) to reserve tickets for all events.
- Text event title/date with your name and age to 07837 269967.
- Email bam@bexley.gov.uk stating the event title/date and your name and age.
Their full programme is available in PDF format here. Their Facebook page is available, here.
News - by Ian - December 2, 2009 - 09:00 Europe/London - 1 Comment
As part of Film4′s continued commitment to airing Anime in the UK and as part of their War Season, today at 2340 the Isao Takahata classic will be airing. Grave of the Fireflies is a well known and much loved Studio Ghibli classic, but rather than focusing on the usual happy, nature elements that many of the Ghibli collection does, Grave of the Fireflies is a hard hitting movie about war time and post war Japan.
Grave of the Fireflies
“Animated drama set in Japan toward the end of WWII. Two children fall on hard times as a result of the war, and try to go it alone
Hailing from Studio Ghibli, home of Hayao Miyazaki (Spirited Away), Grave Of The Fireflies is a sophisticated, deeply moving film, adapted from Akiyuki Nosaka’s 1967 semi-autobiographical novel by Isao Takahata.
It concerns the fate of two children, struggling to survive in Japan toward the end of the Second World War. Using the device of the protagonist narrating the story after his death, it’s unequivocally tragic – but it’s also potentially one of the most powerful war movies ever made, showing suffering not just from the perspective of the Japanese (unusual for Western audiences reared on US WWII fare), but also from that of non-combatant children. They’re explicitly lambs to the slaughter, young lives cut off before their time. In fact, visually, the fireflies of the title are comparable with falling firebombs, but in symbolic terms they’re analogous with the children – they shine brightly and die all too soon. ”
Airing:
2nd December 2009 – 2340
This harrowing film is a must watch for those who haven’t seen it just yet. So get your recorders going or stay up late and watch this show tonight.
