Country: Japan
Genre: Mystery / Thriller
Year released: 2007
Running time: 13 Episodes
Director: Takeshi Mori
Cast: Hiroshi Tsuchida / Ayako Kawasuma / Fumiko Orikasa
Review by: A. Alryo
Date of review: 04/16/08

Synopsis

Set in an alternate history of Japan, freelance photographer Minagami Hayato returns to his hometown of Ootomo to investigate rumors of a man wearing a skull mask committing murders there. Once in the city, he discovers connections between the victims and a local pharmaceutical company, a new religious sect, and strange half human, half animal creatures. Along with a young photographer, he decides to find out who the Skull Man really is.

Review

The story takes place in an alternate history period in Japan where the Japanese military exists as a powerful entity. Ootomo city is a territory controlled and regulated by the military. Journalist Hayato Mikogami travels from Tokyo to his hometown Ootomo city to get the scoop about murders committed by someone wearing a skull mask.

The Skull Man is an anime series based on the popular 70s manga of the same name by the legendary Shotaro Ishinomori (Cyborg 009, Kikaider). In this adaptation of the story we follow journalist Hayato Mikogami in his search to uncover the mysterious murders. The anime starts off with the murder of an actress by the skull man helped by a werewolf. In his way to Ootomo Hayato meets a young photographer named Kiriko Mamiya and detective Kyoichiro Tachigi. Hayato helps out Kiriko to enter the city with his influencial connections, but does it with some reluctance. Once inside Kiriko sticks around Hayato (against Hayato’s will) and both start investigating murders connected to the skull man. From there on you have to watch the show to find out the resolution of the plot.

I have to say The Skull Man is a dark story indeed. The storytelling in this series is slow paced and involved. As the story progresses the audience must keep close attention to the clues, events, characters, and connections among them. Elements of film noir create the dark and mysterious atmosphere of the show spiced with some comedic moments in the first few episodes. There are some violent scenes depicting murders and fights which are very bloody. Thankfully all these elements are used wisely for storytelling and not as fan-service.

Let me tell you about the music in this show. I loved the opening song for this show as well as the ending. The rest of the music doesn’t stand out that much. The background music has your typical film noir mysterious feel to it. It fits perfectly with the storytelling and portrayals of the events.

In the area of the character design I have to compliment the character designer for a job well done. For those of you who are familiar with Osamu Tezuka and Shotaro Ishinomori’s character designs you probably know that they are not very appealing to today’s anime fans. I was pleased to see the characters looking more attractive for the new audience while keeping Ishinomori’s touch on them. Still someone out there might not like them because at the end is just about personal taste.

Also, in the animation department Bones does a great job for this show. Even though the animation is not extraordinary still is enjoyable watch. Action sequences, backgrounds, vehicles, and hand-to-hand combat are smoothly rendered. Don’t expect anything fancy just a simple well done animation. I still wonder about whether Bones animating The Skull Man is a mere coincidence or a conspiracy (bones and skulls you know, lame joke).

Lastly, I’m sad to tell you there are some aspects of the show that alienates some from enjoying this show thoroughly. The main one I remember is the ending of the show which will only make sense if you’re familiarized with Ishinomori’s other works. So, that is a biggie right there. The other problem has to do with the difficulty in remembering names from secondary characters, organizations and leaderships. That is, unless you’re accustomed to Japanese names you will find it very hard to connect people with a given event. In conclusion, The Skull Man is an above average dark show that requires the use of your detective mind, patience, and familiarity with Ishinomori’s works in order to enjoy it to the fullest.

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Final Score

B+

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Trailer

Popularity: 6% [?]

Viz Pictures, the film affiliate of the North American publisher Viz Media, has announced that it will screen the first live-action Death Note film in over 300 American theaters through National CineMedia’s NCM Fathom on May 20 and 21. Director Shusuke Kaneko adapted Tsugumi Ohba and Takeshi Obata’s supernatural suspense manga into two movies, the first of which will show on those two May evenings at 7:30 p.m. (A release for the second film is listed as “coming soon.”) The screening will include a new 20-minute featurette that discusses the movie’s production and interviews director Kaneko.

Subscribers of the email newsletter for Viz Media’s Shonen Jump magazine can order advance tickets from April 18 to April 20. The general public can purchase tickets starting on April 21. The screenings will use NCM Fathom’s high-definition digital presentation system, which was also used for Viz Media’s Naruto movie screenings last June.

Popularity: 1% [?]

The American film production company DreamWorks has revealed that it has licensed the rights to adapt Masamune Shirow’s Ghost in the Shell cyber-police manga into a 3D live-action film. The story of an elite paramilitary unit in future Japan has already been adapted into three animated films and two television anime series. DreamWorks has released the second animated Ghost in the Shell film, Innocence, in North America. DreamWorks also released Millennium Actress and produced Transformers, another live-action science-fiction film with Japanese roots.

Variety reports that Universal and Sony also negotiated for the rights, which the Production I.G anime studio was pitching for the manga’s original publisher Kodansha. What turned the dealmaking in DreamWorks’ favor was co-founder Steven Spielberg’s enthusiasm for the project. The entertainment trade newspaper quotes the acclaimed director and producer: “Ghost in the Shell is one of my favorite stories. It’s a genre that has arrived, and we enthusiastically welcome it to DreamWorks.”

Avi Arad (formerly of Marvel Studios as well as of the Spider-Man and X-Men movie franchises), Arad’s son Ari, and Seaside Entertainment’s Steven Paul brought the project to DreamWorks and will produce. Jamie Moss (Street Kings, Last Man Home) has been assigned to script the project.

Popularity: 1% [?]

Gene Simmons, the co-founder and lead vocalist of the Kiss rock band, revealed on his website that he shot a cameo for Toshio Li’s live-action film adaptation of Kiminon Wakasugi’s Detroit Metal City manga. According to the website’s April 10 entry, Simmons played the “Demon God of Rock and Roll.” Not coincidentally, his real-life onstage persona is nicknamed “The Demon.” His band’s signature white-and-black face corpse paint and “Detroit Rock City” song inspired the look and name of the fictional Detroit Metal City band in Wakasugi’s rock parody manga.

Simmons flew to Japan the morning after his band’s March 22nd show in New Zealand for his shoot. The film will open in Japan in August, and a camera crew for the Gene Simmons Family Jewels reality television series shot behind-the-scenes footage that will air in the future. In the movie, Kenicha Matsuyama (Death Note, NANA, Sexy Voice and Robo) stars as S?ichi, a struggling pop singer who finally becomes a hit when he reluctantly leads a metal rock band under the name “Johannes Krauser II.”

Popularity: 1% [?]

The May issue (released on April 10) of Kadokawa’s Newtype magazine has confirmed that Spider Man and X-Men co creator Stan Lee is working with the animation studio BONES (Fullmetal Alchemist, Soul Eater) on a new animated television series tentatively called Hero Man. The story will center on a boy named Joey who discovers a toy robot near the west coast of the United States. Then, the toy becomes Hero Man, a giant robot that Joey pilots against evil threats. BONES screened a promotional movie for Hero Man (as well as for Soul Eater, Bonen no Xamdou, and Shinjuku Satomi Hakkenden) at Tokyo International Anime Fair 2008.

Hitoshi Nanba (Baki the Grappler, Bono Bono) will be directing the work. Shigeto Koyama, who did design work on Eureka Seven, Monbito - Guardian of the Spirit, Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann, is designing the characters, and Toshihiro Kawamoto (Cowboy Bebop, Golden Boy, Wolf’s Rain) will be the chief animator. The project will be a production of BONES, Lee’s Pow! Entertainment, and the Wowmax Media! production company. Lee is working on a separate Karakurid?ji Ultimo manga project with Shaman King creator Hiroyuki Takei.

Popularity: 1% [?]

Review of the film “Dog Soldier: Shadows of The Past” by Douglas. Enjoy.

Popularity: 4% [?]

Bandai VIsual of Japan has announced (PDF format) that it will release the ongoing Macross Frontier robot anime television series on both DVD and Blu-ray Disc starting on July 25. It also confirmed that the Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion R2 sequel series will also be released on both formats starting on August 22.

The first volume of Macross Frontier on Blu-ray and DVD will contain the first episode in two versions: the preview “Deculture Edition” that aired last December, and a new complete “Yakku Deculture Edition” that will run 32 minutes. The initial pressings will also contain goods that celebrate the 50th anniversary of the fictional Nyan-Nyan Chinese restaurant chain. All pressings will come with 16 pages of liner notes and an audio commentary. The Blu-ray version will have a Linear PCM stereo soundtrack and 16:9-aspect, 1080p-resolution video. The eight remaining volumes will be released monthly starting in September. Macross Frontier marks the 25th anniversary of this science-fiction romance classic.

The initial pressings of the first volume of Code Geass R2 on Blu-ray and DVD will include eight postcards of the ending animation illustrations (drawn by CLAMP) as well as a CD of the tentatively titled “Code Geass Hangyaku Nikki: Q&A edition.” All pressings will have a 16-page booklet about the world of R2, a video report of the first episode’s preview screening, an illustrated drama, a Flash-animated Baba theater extra, a video collection of animation director’s sketches, and an audio comentary of the first episode. The remaining eight volumes will follow afterwards with one disc per month. The Blu-ray version will have a linear PCM soundtrack and 16:9, 1080p video. Bandai Entertainment confirmed that it has licensed both the first Geass robot anime series and this second one for North America.

Popularity: 2% [?]

The anime and manga distributor Viz Media show is showcasing six anime properties at the MIPTV content trade show in France this week to solicit international distributors. Three of the series — Bleach, Blue Dragon, and Buso Renkin — are anime with Shonen Jump manga tie-ins that have already appeared in North America. However, three of the titles — Kilari (Kirarin Revolution), Monster and NANA — have yet to be distributed in Viz Media’s home territory. Viz Media says that the properties are available in North and South America, Europe, Africa, the Middle East, and Oceania.

Viz previously highlighted Kilari (under the name Kirari, pictured above) at the 2007 Licensing International Expo in New York City last June, and it also showcased Monster at the NATPE (National Association of Television Program Executives) trade show in Las Vegas this past January. A property’s appearance at MIPTV or the other trade shows does not necessarily indicate any firm release plans in North America or other regions

The Kirarin Revolution anime adapts An Nakahura’s manga about a girl named Kirari who aspires to be a singing idol. The psychological suspense anime Monster is based on Naoki Urasawa’s manga of the same name. Viz Media has already released Ai Yazwa’s original NANA manga about polar-opposite roommates and the first live-action movie adaptation in North America.

Popularity: 2% [?]

The May issue (on sale on April 10) of Kadokawa Shoten’s Newtype magazine will officially anounce that an Eureka Seven movie has been greenlit for production. Director Tomoki Kyoda (Rahxephon movie), character designer Kenichi Yoshida (Overman King Gainer), and special effects director Yasushi Muraki (Ah My Goddess: The Movie, The Skull Mar) will reportedly return to animate with new mechanical designs, as well as a new form of storytelling that differs how the BONES anime studio produced the RahXephon movie. Although the creators are promising a new Eureka Seven “mythos,” it will still feature the Renton and Eureka characters that starred in the original television version. Bandai Entertainment released both the original anime television series and the manga spinoff in North America. The Adult Swim television network ran the program in the United States.

Popularity: 1% [?]

The North American publisher Viz Media has won two 2007 Gem Awards from Diamond Comic Distributors. It won Manga Publisher of the Year as well as Manga Trade Paperback of the Year for Naruto Volume 14. A panel selected the nominees for each award, and then the retailers that order from Diamond casted their votes.

Popularity: 1% [?]