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Voice actor Yasuo Iwata died of lung cancer on October 24th. He was 67. Iwata is most famous for playing the voice of Sazae-san supporting character Nanbutsu Isasaka from 2002 until earlier this month, when the role was taken over by Kotaro Nakamura. Iwata also played minor parts in anime including Darker Than Black, Escaflowne, [...]
The “SPECIAL” section of the official website for the 2009 Ai no Kusabi sci-fi yaoi OVA series is now streaming its Comic Market 76 Promotional Video along with an earlier trailer. The first episode of the new 13 episode series is tentatively scheduled for Japanese release later this year. Katsuhito Akiyama and Naoyuki Onda, who [...]
The official website for the recently concluded Umi Monogatari (Sea Story) television series is now streaming a 60 trailer for the home video exclusive “Marin no Kore Naani?” (Marin’s What Is This?) bonus video series. Short “Marin no Kore Naani?” episodes will be included on the Japanese Umi Monogatari DVDs beginning with volume 2, which [...]
I first became a fan of Area 88 back when it was released in comic book form in the late 1980s by Viz. One of four manga offerings sent to the USA to test the waters along with Zenon, Mai the Psychic Girl, and The Dagger of Kamui, Area 88 surprised many with its cartoonish-looking [...]
“Heaven…heaven is a place where nothing ever happens.” Talking Heads, “Heaven” Anime can be boring. Maybe it’s having to read so many subtitles that just turns our heads to mush. Maybe we’ve all gotten used to Michael Bay-style rushes and expect it from all our entertainment. Maybe other cultures just don’t have a Western sense [...]
There are very few anime that actually deserve the moniker of “classic”. There are plenty of currently popular shows out there that might get labeled that way, such as Tenchi Muyo or Neon Genesis Evangelion, but they have yet to stand the ultimate test of a classic–time. Leiji Matsumoto’s creations of Space Cruiser Yamato, Galaxy [...]
Arcades were once a way of life for middle school boys. I know I’m dating myself with that statement–and having now passed the 30 year mark, I understand the significance all too well–but I remember spending a fair share of my paper route earnings plunking quarters into the latest and greatest machines. I personally preferred [...]
It’s rare for an old manga to get a new lease on life. Occasionally you’ll see one of the greats get an older manga converted, but usually it’s because name recognition can guarantee an audience. In manga terms, Appleseed is ancient, as it ended over 20 years ago. You would think that the lousy 1988 [...]
I don’t read much manga. To some fans (and a few of my readers, surely), this will probably be seen as a deficiency. After all, a lot of anime is birthed in the illustrated pages of manga artists, and not just a few people prefer the original written works to their animated counterparts. In my [...]
As I write this review, I’m listening to Led Zeppelin. Love or despise the band, there’s no question that their albums captured the raw, unbridled passion of rock music. Fifty years from now, rock enthusiasts will have forgotten many pop idols, but they will still study what made Zeppelin fly. That same passion for the [...]