Ghibli’s Earthsea is Japan’s Best-Selling Anime of 2007
December 31, 2007
The Japanese news website Nikkei Business Online has summarized the ranking of the top 20 best-selling animation DVDs for the year, as compiled by the market research company Oricon. Goro Miyazaki’s Tales From Earthsea (Gedo Senki), a loose adaptation of Ursula LeGuin’s third Earthsea fantasy novel, leads the list with 242,000 units sold. It ranks 11 among all 2007 DVD releases in Japan, trailing 10’s Death Note/Death Note The Last Name live action movie set. Gedo Senki is followed by three American features — Ratatouille, Shrek 3: Special Edition, and Leroy and Stitch (a sequel of Lilo & Stitch) — and, at number 5 with 83,000 DVDs, Studio Ghibli’s My Neighbor Totoro
With the exception of Pixar’s Cars (#6), the rest of the list is composed entirely of Japanese animated DVDs, including individual volumes, feature films, and box sets. Five separate DVDs of Code Geass are present in the top 20, with volume 1 selling 63,000 units in the number 8 spot, as are the seventh and final volume of The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya, the first and second DVD’s of the world of GOLDEN EGGS and the movies The Girl Who Leapt Through Time and Pokemon Ranger and the temple of the sea.
Death Note Artist, Novelist Team Up on Ur?boe Uroboros
December 29, 2007
Death Note manga artist Takeshi Obata and Death Note: Another Note novelist NisiOisin will team up on a standalone, one-shot manga titled Ur?boe Uroboros! in Issue #6/7 (on sale on January 4) of Shueisha’s Weekly Shonen Jump magazine next year. The announcement was made in Issue #4/5 (released on December 25) of Weekly Shonen Jump. (In the linked page’s lefthand column, select the downward arrows at the bottom, and then select the last item in the list that appears.)
Viz Media has released all 12 volumes of the original Death Note manga in North America, and the company will also publish NisiOisin’s Death Note novel in English in February. The 55-page Ur?boe Uroboros! story will be the third manga that Obata has worked on since Death Note ended in Japan in 2006. (The other two were Blue Dragon and Ral Gard in Weekly Shonen Jump and Hello Baby in Shueisha’s Jump Square magazine.) Del Ray will publish NisiOisin’s XXXHOLIC Another XXXHOLiC spinoff short-story collection which is based on CLAMP’S ongoing manga, as well as his Zaregoto light novel series.
Welcome to the N.H.K. Artist to Start Pulcinella Manga
December 29, 2007
Kendi Oiwa, the artist of the Welcome to the NHK and Goth Manga, will launch a new manga called Yume-Watari Pulcinella in the March issue (on sale on January 26) of Kadokawa Shoten’s Monthly Shonen Ace magazine. The title roughly translates to “Pulcinella, Walking through the Dreams,” and is an apparent reference to the cultural figure that inspired the Pulcinella romantic ballet and the Punch! and Judy puppet show. The announcement was made in the next-issue preview of the February issue, which was released on December 26.
U.S. Anime Company 2007 Round-Up
December 28, 2007
Viz Media
While other anime and manga publishers didn’t have the smoothest ride in 2007, Viz just kept comfortably cruising along. The Shonen Jump line remains a guaranteed hit factory, with Bleach, Naruto, and Death Note all racking up big sales and buzz in bookstores and on TV.
At the same time, though, Viz didn’t rest on its laurels. Some of those big bucks went into the new Viz Pictures label, under which the company released some surprisingly fine live-action films. If you haven’t checked out flicks like Kamikaze Girls and Linda Linda Linda yet, you might be in for a pleasant surprise. Viz’s Signature line also continued to release fine manga series like Monster and Golgo 13, while its main imprint published a keeper in the form of the huge Tekkonkinkreet omnibus edition.
Funimation
Funimation had its first big hit in Dragon Ball Z, which has now passed its high point of popularity. DBZ has been supplanted by the almighty Naruto juggernaut. Then the publisher had Fullmetal Alchemist, which peaked and moved on over the first half of 2007 or so. Now comes the dreaded question in a hit-driven industry – what’s next?
Though ADV’s undoubtedly tops in this department, Funimation was among the more acquisitive American companies in 2007. Those big hits funded plenty of what might be the hits of the future – Darker than Black, Ouran High School Host Club, Ghost Hunt, One Piece, XXXHOLiC. Host Club in particular has a chance to win over the same young female audience that made Fruits Basket a huge success. The company also got behind the upcoming CG feature film Vexille, from the director of the live-action hit Ping Pong and the production muscle behind the Appleseed movies.
While a few iffy earnings reports from mid-year and a brief series of layoffs raised questions about the company’s financial health, Funimation presently expects a successful fourth quarter to carry it into 2008.
ADV Films
ADV stayed alive this year, which is becoming an achievement, considering the casualties of this year and the last. So did its notable side ventures, like the Anime Network and Newtype USA. The ADV Manga line came back to life, bringing back series like Gunslinger Girl and Yotsuba&! after spending a couple of years in limbo.
Meanwhile, the company picked up a list of licenses as long as your arm, some of which it was able to rapidly turn around into 2007 releases. 009-1, Pumpkin Scissors, Welcome to the NHK! , The Wallflower, Xenosaga, and Red Garden all made a pretty rapid turnaround from announcement to arrival on American retail shelves. At any rate, we’ve come a ways from the age when licenses could sit on the shelf long enough to expire.
Building on the acquisitions of 2007, ADV’s primed for a great 2008. It’ll kick off the year with some pretty promising titles in Devil May Cry, Moonlight Mile, and Gurren Lagann. The Evangelion revival movies are waiting in the wings too, although no American company has officially called dibs on those yet.
Geneon USA
Sadly, there’s no Geneon anymore, at least not on this side of the water. The company formerly known as Pioneer ended its 15-year run with a bang, though, releasing the glorious blood opera of Black Lagoon and several other fan-favorite series – Fate: Stay Night, When They Cry, Kamichu!, Ergo Proxy, and Shakugan no Shana.
Perhaps the company’s finest release of the year was one of its least-known, though. The naval adventure turned time-slip drama Zipang finished up just under the deadline of Geneon’s departure from the American market, and it’s highly recommended to any fans of a thoughtful, serious, finely-made military story.
Geneon left several licenses hanging after its final releases in November. Funimation has already taken an interest in Black Lagoon, Sailor Moon, and the Hellsing UltimateOVA series. One of 2008’s more interesting stories will be what becomes of those shows, as well as others like Mahou Shoujo Lyrical Nanoha.
Media Blasters
Though Media Blasters kept its operations on a relatively small scale this year – and partially stepped back from releasing the boys’-love-type titles that were a popular slice of its catalog for a while – it stepped things up towards the end of 2007. In particular, the company’s making a pretty big bet on Kite Liberator, sequel to the popular action OVA that remains a productive entry in its back catalog.
Animeigo
The original fan-focused anime company has found itself a pretty solid business model. There’s a big following outside anime fandom for its live-action movie output – the remastered Shogun Assassin DVDs were crossover hits – which helps to support the occasional totally off-the-wall anime project. Animeigo shocked just about everyone who heard the news by announcing plans to bring over Yawara!, the classic ’80s sports series about the eponymous Fashionable Judo Girl.
Tokyopop
The company that started this whole manga boom in the first place continued to release a broad, diverse catalog of titles this year. Huge hits like Fruits Basket continued to lead the charge, but the number of titles Tokyopop cranks out besides those few is pretty staggering when you take a look at it.
One of the company’s first original serials, Svetlana Chmakova’s Dramacon, came to its planned conclusion amid positive reviews. More importantly, it sold quite well, with volumes comfortably cracking the Bookscan top 50 graphic novels list.
Source: IGN
Strike Witches Anime Confirmed for TV Relaunch in 2008
December 27, 2007
The official website for the Strike Witches anime has confirmed that the video project is being relaunched for television in 2008. The project will also get a manga serialization that will begin in the March issue (on sale on January 25) of Kadokawa’s Comp Ace magazine. Kumihisa Sugishima (Speed Grapher, Naban No Ou) directed the original video which the media companies Gonzo and Kadokawa Shoten released on January 1 of this year. Kadokawa Shoten’s Kadokawa Sneaker Bunko imprint published one prequel novel and one volume of the anime’s novelization.
The original Strike Witches video essentially provided a plot rationale for the artwork of an illustrator named Humikane Shimoda (Sky Girls). Shimada is known for drawing Mecha Girls girls whose bodies have been merged with real-life and imaginary machinery and weapons. The story takes place on an alternate world similar to our own in the 20th Century, except for the existence of magical powers. These powers, which manifest themselves in girls but disappear as the girls grow older, allow these so-called “witches” to fly in the skies. When an enigmatic enemy attacks, the last hope of humanity lies in these witches who have been equipped with Striker Unit flying gear — hence, the name Strike Witches.
Da Capo II Second Season to Air in Japan in April
December 27, 2007
The media production company Starchild has announced that the D.C.II S.S ~ Da Capo II Second Season school romance anime will premiere on Japanese television in April. This will be the fourth Da Capo anime season based on the D.C ~Da Capo~ adult visual novel franchise from the CIRCUS software developer, after the first D.C. ~Da Capo~ series, D.C.S.S. ~Da Capo Second Season~, and D.C.II: Da Capo II. The last episode of D.C. II: Da Capo II’s first season aired this week on December 24.
The official site has already pre-announced the release of all five of D.C.II S.S.’s DVD volumes, complete with the caramel boxes, school calendars, and miniature character stand-ups that are bundled with the limited editions. (The 13 episodes of the first season of D.C. II are also being issued on five DVD volumes, along with a volume 0.)
Brave Story Gets Theatrical Release in France
December 25, 2007
The Gonzo anime feature Brave Story which originally appeared in Japanese theaters in 2006, is getting another theatrical release - in France.
The film is based on the best-selling fantasy novel Brave Story by Miyuki Mayabe and directed by Koichi Chigira, who is currently working on the TV anime series The Tower of Druaga: The Aegis of Uruk (scheduled for broadcast in Spring 2008).
Japan Plans 147M Yen to Spread Anime, Manga in Europe
December 25, 2007
The Japanese government has decided on December 21 and 22 to allocate 147 million yen (about US$1.3 million) to spread anime, manga, and other elements of Japanese popular culture in Eastern Europe. The decision was made during cabinet-level discussions between Finance Minister Fukushiro Nukuaga and the other ministers on the 2008 budget. Although the “Program to Spread Japanese Culture” will ostensibly send 30 people to teach Japanese in Hungary and three other countries, its main purpose is to introduce Japanese popular culture. Anime and manga are specifically named as the aspects of Japanese culture that the program will introduce. The 147 million yen is part of the remaining 50 billion yen (US$400 million) that needed to be allocated before the December 24 Cabinet meeting that will actually approve the overall budget plan.
To Love-Ru -Trouble- Sci-Fi Comedy Manga Gets TV Anime
December 23, 2007
The promotional sleeve wrappers on upcoming manga volumes from the Japanese publisher Shueisha have revealed that Saki Hasemi and Kentaro Yabuki’s To Love Ru -Trouble- Manga will be animated for television next spring. The manga has been running in Shueisha’s Weekly Shonen Jump magazine since last year, and a drama CD adaptation had been previously announced for February 29. Hasemi supervised the scripts for the Moetan and Pinky:st anime projects, and Yabuki created the Black Cat manga and television anime.
The “slightly risque” To Love Ru science-fiction romantic comedy centers on Rito, a high school boy who cannot get the nerve to tell a girl named Haruna that he loves her. Then, while he is sulking in his bathtub, a girl named Lala from another planet appears before him. This weekend’s Jump Festa 2008 will feature appearances by Akeno Watanabe, Haruka Tomats, and Sayuri Yahagi,the voice actresses who play Rito, Lala, and Haruna, respectively, on the drama CD. Their appearances strongly indicates that they will play those roles in the anime version also.
Kadokawa Tests BitTorrent File-Sharing for Anime
December 23, 2007
The Kadokawa Digix company is experimenting with online file-sharing in Japan by putting certain anime materials on the BitTorrent peer-to-peer network on December 22. Kadokawa Digix is owned by Kadokawa Holdings, the same umbrella company that owns the publisher Kadokawa Shoten. In fact, the trial service is presented on the Anime Newtype Channel, the website for videos tied to Kadokawa Shoten’s Newtype magazine in Japan.
Kadokawa Shoten is offering the first episode of Mushi Uta and a promotional video for Rental Magica for free on the trial service. Each has the original Japanese soundtrack and no English dubbing or subtitles. The downloadable files are in Windows Media Video format with a bitrate of 3Mbps, and require the Microsoft Windows operating system with Windows Media Player 9 or higher.
American companies such as ADV Films, Funimation, and Manga Entertainment have already been previewing anime clips or selling entire episodes in English via BitTorrent. Kadokawa Holdings’ own Kadokawa Pictures USA offers live-action titles on BitTorrent in America. Vuze, a company founded by some of the developers of the third-party BitTorrent client Azureus, offers anime from several distributors as well as a free anime called Neko Rahmen that premiered worldwide exclusively on Vuze’s service
