FULL TRAILER REVEALS ANIMATED "GODZILLA"! Preview for "Godzilla: Planet of the Monsters"

アニメ『GODZILLA -怪獣惑星-』ゴジラの顔と姿がついに明らかに！


New poster with tagline: "Who Will Be Eradicated? Man Or Godzilla?"

Before this new trailer, scheduled to bow in Japanese cinemas this Friday, August 18th (Japan Time), absolute secrecy on specific details concerning the story of GODZILLA: PLANET OF THE MONSTERS were prohibited from the public - only a basic story outline and character biographies of this animated trilogy were released (read here). Now, more of these details have been unveiled in this new trailer - just released online by Toho Animation via their YouTube Channel and the film's official website. Featuring some of the action and the reveal of the King of the Monsters, himself.


Set the trailer to 1080p and turn up the sound as high as it can go!

The new trailer begins with a monologue by the protagonist, Haruo (Mamoru Miyano), "There came a day in the last summer of the 20th Century when mankind discovered that as rulers of the planet called Earth, they were not alone." After abandoning their homeworld, the humans return only to find, due to space-time dilation, 20,000 years have passed - and now Godzilla is the summit of all life on Earth. He's told, dispassionately, by his friend Metphies (Takahiro Sakurai), that "It doesn't miss the human race," as the ecosystem has since radically transformed because of the monster.


Mankind returns to a hostile Earth to wage war against Godzilla!

GODZILLA: PLANET OF THE MONSTERS will premiere November 17th in Japan, while the exclusive worldwide rights are being handled via Netflix, which will stream the picture in 190 territories following the Japanese opening (date yet to be announced). Please stay tuned to the official website - and this blog - for more details as they become available about this exciting trilogy of animated features! The fateful battle between the human race and Godzilla is about to begin...

FIRST TEASER! "GODZILLA: MONSTER PLANET" Toho Animation Drops Trailer for All-New Film

アニメーション映画『GODZILLA 怪獣惑星』特報 1 !


Click the official YouTube video to see the first exciting trailer!

Toho Animation uploaded our first glimpse of the initial entry in a trilogy of animated motion pictures featuring the first animated Godzilla adventure produced in Japan. GODZILLA: MONSTER PLANET (foreign promotional title Godzilla: Planet of the Monsters) is being produced in conjunction with Polygon Pictures (Tron: Uprising), written by Gen Urobuchi (Aldnoah: Zero) and co-directed by Kobun Shizuno (Knights of Sidonia) and Hiroyuki Seshita (Ajin: The Demi-Human). The first film will be released in Japan this November.

But fans across the globe will not have to wait as long as they did to see Hideaki Anno's SHIN GODZILLA (2016), which had a very limited North and South American release via Funimation Films (an another year before home video). According to the Japanese movie news site, Cinema Today (this past March), the exclusive worldwide rights to GODZILLA: PLANET OF THE MONSTERS has been picked up by Netflix, the monolithic streaming service, which will premiere the picture in an astounding 190 territories, following the Japanese bow.

Please stay tuned to the official website - and this blog - for more details as they become available for this exciting trilogy of animated features! Get ready for GODZILLA: PLANET OF THE MONSTERS! 

NETFLIX ACQUIRES ANIMATED "GODZILLA" MOVIE Streaming Service Distributing Globally in 2017!

アニメーション映画『GODZILLA』Netflixで全世界独占配信決定！


Netflix Japan's tweet announcing the worldwide deal on March 13th.

On Monday, March 13 at 6:30 pm (Japan Time), Netflix Japan's Twitter account posted an announcement, see below and in the above image, concerning the upcoming animated feature from Toho Animation and Polygon Pictures, titled GODZILLA, which was announced via this blog back in an entry on August 18th, 2016. And that announcement is not only true and verified, but also very exciting for Big G fans all across the globe, so here's the tweet, itself:



This is my translation: "Created by the gifted tag team of Kobun Shizuno x Hiroyuki Seshita x Gen Urobuchi and Polygon Pictures, the animated movie 'GODZILLA' will be exclusively distributed worldwide by Netflix! Release date to be announced soon!"

According to Cinema Today, and other Japanese entertainment news services, Netflix will begin streaming the film across the globe after it's theatrical release in Japan (tentatively scheduled for this July; pending official announcement, all dates are subject to change), and will see this new animated feature streaming in 190 countries. As for release on physical media for home video (DVD/Blu-ray) stay tuned to this blog for information as it develops.


Concept art set in the mutated forest of Japan's "Old Tanazawa".

The aforementioned talents on this first animated Godzilla feature are responsible for such projects as GARGANTIA (2013), KNIGHTS OF SIDONIA (2014), AJIN: THE DEMI-HUMAN (2016), and STAR WARS: THE CLONE WARS (Seasons 4 & 5; 2011-2013). Set on a far future Earth, the voice cast includes Tomokazu Sugita (Gintama), Junichi Suwabe (Prince of Tennis), Kana Hanazawa (Steins Gate), and Mamoru Miyano (Death Note). No other credits have yet been announced.

Check out the official website and this blog for further news!

"TITANS" SET TO ATTACK NORTH AMERICA Hollywood World Premiere on July 14th!

実写版『進撃の巨人』7月15日にアメリカ上陸！


July's World Premiere in Hollywood will supersede Japanese debut.

The first of director Shinji Higuchi's two-part ATTACK ON TITAN live action feature films will be released theatrically throughout North, Central and South America this fall by US-based label, Funimation Entertainment, who is also partnering with Toho to host the World Premiere at the Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood on July 14th (before its Tokyo premiere on July 21st and general public Japanese release on August 1st).


Leading man, Haruma Miura, will attend the Hollywood premiere.

Director Higuchi (SINKING OF JAPAN), the man who's gearing up to shoot Toho's next Godzilla film, will be joined on the red-carpet by the film's stars, Haruma Miura and Kiko Mizuhara. Before the big premiere in Hollywood, Mr. Higuchi will be promoting the film this year's San Diego Comic-Con International by signing autographs at the Funimation Entertainment booth (#4135) on July 12th.


Co-star Kiko Mizuhara will also walk the red carpet on July 14th.

ATTACK ON TITAN will also be hitting Australian cinemas in August via Madman Entertainment, while the second film, END OF THE WORLD, will have its Japanese bow on September 19th. At this time, there has been no word of a release for the second film on this side of the Pacific (although it's a safe bet to say its in the hands of Funimation). Stay tuned for more information and news as it develops!

(Source: Funimation Entertainment)

LIVE ACTION “GAIKING” STILL MOVING FORWARD Toei Animation’s Bold Plans for 2015 & Beyond!

ガイキングと東映アニメーション 新たなCGプロジェクト複数企画


DVD jacket for the original GAIKING television series from 1976.

SCOOP: With the fiscal year ending on March 31, 2015, Toei Animation made its full-year announced its financial results, while strategies for the company’s medium-to-long-term plans were revealed on May 19th to the press. Concerning their plans for in-house production, they’re suggesting that CG animation will be the emphasis as the impetuous in the decade to come.


Poster for the robot sci-fi film, EXPELLED FROM PARADISE (2014).



In 2014, the smashing success of Seiji Mizushima's animated sci-fi feature, EXPELLED FROM PARADISE (Rakuen Tsuiho), attracted much attention, and is leading Toei Animation in their current planning of original CG projects to follow. While specific titles and content were not revealed, it was intimated that the studio would like to continue using the success of EXPELLED FROM PARADISE as their model in an ongoing basis. The film was screened in 15 select theaters in the United States by Aniplex USA on December 13, 2014.


Poster for Shinji Aramaki's retelling of CAPTAIN HARLOCK (2013).

Therefore, the expansion of  bigger budgeted theatrical CG animated features is also in progress, developing from the foundation of Shinji Aramaki’s CAPTIAN HARLOCK (Kyaputen Harokku, 2013; also making the rounds in select US theaters and currently available on Netflix) and Keiichi Sato’s SAINT SEIYA: LEGEND OF SANCTUARY (Seinto Seiya Rejendo Obu Sankuchuari, 2014). Currently, Toei Animation has the longest history of domestic production in Japan, and they're making it known that they aim to move towards the future in the planning and execution of CG animation productions.


Poster for Keiichi Sato's SAINT SEIYA: LEGACY OF SANCTUARY (2014).

Progress is being forged with yet another original animated film, FILE (N): PROJECT PQ, directed by Naoki Miyahara, to be released around Spring 2016. Early promotion has already launched a dedicated page on the “Yahoo! Kids” portal site (in conjunction with Yahoo! Japan), featuring a series of promotion video “dance lessons.” The theme of the film is work through dance, as a “youth dance movie,” in a story of five attractive girls coming of age.


Art for Naoki Miyahara's upcoming FILE (N): PROJECT PQ (2016).

Also equally emphasized by Toei Animation is GAIKING. Announced several years ago as a live action feature film coproduced with Gale Anne Hurd's Valhalla Entertainment (producers of “The Walking Dead”) and ANEW (All Nippon Entertainment Works). While progress on development is still actively moving forwards, Toei Animation hinted that in addition to GAIKING, multiple (Super Robot) titles are being planned for production, and it’s very likely that a surprise announcement will be made, regarding this, in the near future.


Toei Animation's mascot from Kimio Yabuki's PUSS 'N BOOTS (1969).

Toei Animation will continue with a call for investment from creators and outside studios to support their future planning and production. Now, Toei Animation’s Oizumi Studio is undergoing renovations, with the completion date set for summer 2017. Meanwhile, the studio's research and development teams are pushing ahead in expansion of rendering technology, including assessing the feasibility in producing an CG animated television series.

In supporting the development of young creators, Toei Animation claims that they are enriching and improving the production process. Specifically, in the creation of pilot films that will improve the chances of becoming hit productions.

(Translated from the May 19, 2015 Anime! Anime! Business story.)

"CYBORG 009" IS RETURNING TO TELEVISION! 50th Anniversary Brings All-New Adventures

石ノ森正太郎の『サイボーグ009』50周年で新作映像化決定！


Preview art for the third anime series based on the famous manga.

The late mangaka Shotaro Ishimori's team of cybernetic warriors will return this year in an all-new animated series this year, with director Jun Kawagoe at the helm, to celebrate the heroes' 50th Anniversary. "Cyborg 009" first appeared in the pages of Shonen King magazine in 1964, which Ishimori never finished, but was completed by his son, Joe Onodera, and Ishimori Productions stable artists Masato Hayase and Sugar Sato, as "God's War" in 2014.


Recent DVD reissue of the original 1968 Toei Animation series.

There have been three anime series based on the characters (1968, 1979 and 2001; the latter having its own three-apart adaptation of the conclusion, "God's War," which was then-unfinished), as well as four theatrical films in 1966, 1967, 1980, and 2012 (Kenji Kamiyama's CG animated 009 RE: CYBORG was a failure of sorts, while Ghost In the Shell's Mamoru Oshii directed a 3D short for Panasonic in 2010). This new adaptation, reportedly, is aiming to develop the further adventures of the Cyborg 009 team.


DVD art for the popular 1979 series produced with Nippon Sunrise.

Transcending decades, fans have passed the torch from generation to generation, as new adaptations have found followers who've fallen in love with Ishimori's bionic avengers, so the chances for success with a new series, as opposed to a reboot feature, are far greater. The staff will have to meet this challenge by staying faithful to the origins of the characters and the dilemmas that have made "Cyborg 009" the classic that is has remained for half a century.


Jun Kawagoe's 2001 series was broadcast on the Cartoon Network.

This challenge is being met by the return of veteran Jun Kawagoe (Mazin Kaiser SKL), who directed the critical and ratings hit, CYBORG 009: THE CYBORG SOLDIER, which ran for 51 episodes from 2001-02. Kawagoe's first go was a very faithful to the original, keeping in spirit with the original look and storyline, but updating it for a modern generation, without selling out the spirit and soul of what Ishimori created in 1964.


Kenji Kamiyama's reimagined CG feature 009 RE: CYBORG (2012).

After 13 years, Kawagoe has come back to give new life to Ishimori's creation — the first to be produced after the completion of "God's War." So, naturally, fans may have concerns about every aspect of story, the designs, and how they are integrated into this completely fresh production. While no date has been set, fans are awaiting the return of their favorite cyborg guardians, which they expect to be true and faithful to the original, although steering them towards a new horizon.

Can lightning strike a second time with Kawagoe? We'll find out later this year...

Cyborg 009 Official Site

"NEO-RIODER CASSHAN" (1973) DVD & BLU-RAY 35 Episode Box Set from Sentai Filmworks!

出た！『新造人間キャシャーン』米国DVD&BD発売 2014年3月！


Final package art for the long-awaited release of Tatsunoko's classic!

Hallelujah! It's a great time to be an American fan of classic Anime — after years of hoping for various titles would be picked up as they only went from a few years old to decades old, and the only resort seemed to be sticking with the Japanese releases, that weakening hope suddenly became a beacon over the last couple of years. Some labels, such as Discotek Media, and Japanese companies such as Toei Animation, have been looking back to find a different demographic. The younger American fan seems to exclusively want the latest productions out of Japan, but don't want to pay for it. But, there are older fans who aren't satisfied with the current output, but some younger fans are also curious about the roots of the genre. And they should be.


Dynamic 1973 promotional art designed by the great Tatsuo Yoshida.

Recently, we've had long-awaited premiere releases of PRINCESS KNIGHT (1967), the original LUPIN III (1971), GATCHAMAN (1972), CUTIE HONEY(1973), CAPTAIN HARLOCK: SPACE PIRATE (1978), THE ROSE OF VERSAILLES (1979), as well as English Dubbed, compilation films of GAIKING (1976), STARZINGER (1979), and DANGUARD ACE (1978), with complete series editions of MAZINGER Z (1972) and DEVILMAN (1972) waiting in the wings. And now, the original CASSHAN (1973)! As a diehard fan of '70s Anime, it's about time, and I'm loving every release that has been announced — all of them being must-buys in my book (although I'd prefer the complete series with Japanese language tracks).


1973 45rpm Single (music Shunsuke Kikuchi/vocals Isao Sasaki).

One of the biggest points I like to impart is that the during the '70s, the creators and producers were opening up new frontiers, so the originality was thriving, before the toy companies began to dictate content and style. The plotting and writing, while less complex than some today, was also less convoluted and contrived, and the writers were all veteran, professional scribes of feature films and television shows of numerous genres (while today's writers became such largely because they were Anime fans). And least we forget the music — such memorable, beloved music from the batons of such legends as Hiroshi Miyagawa, Takeo Watanabe, Shunsuke Kikuchi, Michiaki "Chumei" Watanabe, and featuring goosebump-inducing vocals by Isao Sasaki, Ichiro Mizuki, Mitsuko Horie, and Hide Yuki!


Preliminary package art from Tatsunoko's promotional portfolio.

Tatsunoko Productions' CASSHAN is one of those standout series of the '70s — spawning remakes and sequels, which made it to our shores, while the original 1973 series was left to flounder. Until now! Produced during the second year of GATCHAMAN (which was just going into overdrive), CASSHAN features a dark story story — set in their retro-future European-esque world typical of the time — with several concurrent subplots and a generally downbeat atmosphere, but with plenty of exciting superhero action! Like GATCHAMAN, the character designs bare some inspiration from the American comic books that creator Tatsuo Yoshida grew up on, with stylized art direction by Mitsuki Nakamura (SPEED RACER) and impressive character designs by Yoshida and Yoshitaka Amano (VAMPIRE HUNTER D).


Facing the legions of Buraiking: If Casshan won't do it, who will?

From the Sentai Filmworks press release: When lightning strikes the prototype android BK-1, a new horror is unleashed on the world as the resulting monster Buraiking begins taking over all other robots on Earth, setting them against their creators in a massive orgy of planet-wide destruction! With humanity helpless in the face of the new Neoroiders and their mechanical armies, mankind's only hope may lie in the hands of Tetsuya Azuma, son of the creator of BK1, who transfers his consciousness into an android body to become a Neoroider himself. the ultimate robot fighter: Casshan!


Back cover for the DVD of the upcoming Sentai Filmworks release.

At this past year's Anime Expo in Los Angeles, Sentai Filmworks announced that it had signed a deal with Tatsunoko Productions for the original GATCHAMAN, CASSHAN, and nine other titles — could we hope for GATCHAMAN II (1978), GATCHAMAN FIGHTER (1979), TEKKAMAN: THE SPACE KNIGHT (1975), HURRICANE POLIMAR (1974), TIME BOKAN (1975), and GORDIAN (1979) to be among them? In any case, their Blu-ray release of CASSHAN will feature all 35 episodes (approximately 875 mins.), 1080p HD (4x6), Japanese lossless audio (DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0) with English Subtitles on three discs for $59.98. The NTSC DVD release will come with six discs with 2.0 Dolby Digital audio with an MSRP of $49.98. Special features and bonus materials have not been listed. Street date was originally January, but has been pushed back to March 4, 2014.

"Abandoning his mortal life, he gained an immortal body. Allowing him to combat the iron fiends and crush them into the earth. If Casshan won't do it, who will?"

PATLABOR: THE NEXT GENERATION (2014) The Legendary Anime Series Goes Live!

2014.4.5 この現実＜リアル＞に参加せよ

The just-unveiled advance poster for THE NEXT GENERATION!

Originating in the late 1980s, MOBILE POLICE: PATLABOR, is a long-running animated series created by a collective calling themselves Headgear, consisting of director Mamoru Oshii (GHOST IN THE SHELL), writer Kazunori Ito (GAMERA 2), mecha designer Yutaka Izubuchi (YAMATO: 2199), character designer Akemi Takada (GATCHAMAN), and manga artist Masami Yuki (BIRDY THE MIGHTY). The extremely popular story has spawned several OVAs, television series, feature films, and manga, centering on the exploits of Tokyo Metropolitan Police Special Vehicle Section 2, Division 2 — which use the titular Patrol/Labor robots against crime and terrorism. Now, these beloved characters will come to life in an all-new series of live action films, which take place in 2013, several years after the original PATLABOR adventures took place.

Initial teaser poster unveiled earlier this year at the Anime Fair.

During the Tokyo International Anime Fair on March 21, 2013 at the, Tohokushinsha Co. Ltd., made the announcement of a live action PATLABOR: THE NEXT GENERATION for 2014, which was followed by a press conference streamed over the Nico Nico Live website on September 25, 2013. In a similar distribution style to SPACE BATTLESHIP YAMATO: 2199, there will be seven theatrical films released through Shochiku, made up of twelve 48-minute episodes, plus a ten-minute prologue (Episode Zero), commencing on April 5, 2013 in six-week intervals (May 31, July 12, August 30, October 18, November 29, and January 1). While the cast and crew have been announced, there has yet been no listing for a visual effects director.

Crew prepping to shoot one of the full-scale Ingram AV-98 props.

Produced on a budget of ¥2 billion (approximately $19,222,000 USD), PATLABOR: THE NEXT GENERATION began shooting in June 2013 under the watchful eye of Supervising Director Oshii, who also wrote all of the episodes with Kei Yamamura (THE IRRESPONSIBLE CAPTAIN TYLOR), while individual episodes are being helmed by Oshii (directing 0, 6, & 12), Takanori Tsujimoto (BUSHIDO MAN) directs 2, 4, & 8, Kiyotaka Taguchi (NEO ULTRA Q) directs 9 & 10, and Hiroaki Yuasa (MOON) directs 3, 5, & 11. And fans can rejoice that the original PATLABOR composer, Kenji Kawai (GUNHED), is also returning for this new production. To insure realism, two impressive, full scale AV-98 Type Ingram Labors, standing a full 8 meters tall (approximately 27 feet), along with their heavy towing equipment, built for in-camera interaction with the cast.

Director Oshii (far right) with the main cast of the new PATLABOR.

Actress and singer Erina Mano (KAMEN RIDER × KAMEN RIDER WIZARD & FOURZE: MOVIE WAR ULTIMATUM) headlines as Akira Izumino (taken from Oishii’s “parallel world” Patlabor novel published in 2011), Seiji Fukushi (ASK THIS OF RIKYU) as Yuma Shinobara, Rina Ota (BRAIN MAN) as Kasha, Toshio Kakei (BAYSIDE SHADOWN: THE FINAL) as Captain Keiji Gotoda, Shigeru Chiba (DRAGON BALL Z: BATTLE OF GODS) reprises his role as Maintenance Chief Shigeo Shiba, and Yoshikatsu Fujiki (KAMEN RIDER BLACK-RX) as Yoshikatsu Buchiyama. Principal Photography on PATLABOR: THE NEXT GENERATION is set to wrap this month. Additionally, an all-original live action feature film, written and directed by Oshii (with a running time of 100 minutes), will follow during the Golden Week holiday in 2015.

Watch the first teaser trailer, here!

Please visit the official Japanese website, here!

Stateside fans can also catch up on the phenomenon as US-based anime label, Maiden Japan recently scored the license for the animated MOBILE POLICE: PATLABOR television and OVA series — check out their website, here!

THE GREAT "COMIC-CON" KAIJU INVASION: 2013!This Year's Kaiju & Tokusatsu-Related Shindigs

WED-SUN: PLEASE VISIT THE "FAMOUS MONSTERS" BOOTH #1509!


Ben von Strawn's crazy, low-brown Shock Monster eyeball logo!

There's probably not a single human being invading San Diego and its environs this weekend, for Comic-Con International, that doesn't know Godzilla is leading the pack — via the mega-media push by Legendary Pictures for the highly-touted and much-hyped Gareth Edwards creature features set to open worldwide next May. This includes the wildly-anticipated "Godzilla Encounter" exhibit in the Gaslamp District, in which fans will become immersed in a Kaiju-riffic experience covering the entire history, including displays of original monster suits and props. But, there are other Japanese-related events over the weekend at the show.

Here's a list of my picks for Japanese Fantasy Film events at this weekend's convention:

WEDNESDAY — SUNDAY



GODZILLA ENCOUNTER
Legendary Pictures' amazing kaiju experience is located at the corner of 7th & J Streets in the Gaslamp Quarter — but you'll need a pass to get inside. Pick up your ticket from the Legendary booth in the Exhibitor's Hall @ #3920

THURSDAY



ROBOTECH INDUSTRY PANEL
Tommy Yune, director of "Robotech: The Shadow Chronicles" and Steve Yun, screenwriter of "Robotech: The Shadow Chronicles" showcase all the latest live-action and animated "Robotech" projects in production. Thursday July 18, 2013 8:15pm - 9:15pm  Room 6DE

FRIDAY



CYBORG 009 AND THE LEGACY OF SHOTARO ISHINOMORI
Did you know that in 2008 the late Shotaro Ishinomori was named by Guinness World Records as the world record holder for the most comics published by one author? It's true! He created 770 individual stories that were collected into 500 volumes of manga, including "Kikaider," "Kamen Rider," and "Cyborg 009." In a celebration of his legacy, Archaia Entertainment and Ishimori Production Inc. have teamed up to produce a groundbreaking new graphic novel that re-imagines "Cyborg 009" for a new generation! Moderator Stephen Christy (Archaia's editor-in-chief) talks with writers F. J. DeSanto and Bradley Cramp and artist Marcus To (Red Robin, Adventures of Superman) about the process of bringing this graphic novel to life while also diving into Ishinomori's incredible legacy with manga/anime expert Deb Aoki (manga.about.com). Every attendee will receive a free copy of the "Cyborg 009: Chapter 000" preview issue. Friday July 19, 2013 2:00pm - 3:00pm Room 9



BEYOND THE VALLEY OF TEZUKA:
MANGA LEGENDS YOU DON'T KNOW, BUT SHOULD KNOW
Just as Jack Kirby, Moebius, and Robert Crumb influenced Western comics, many great Japanese manga artists have influenced many who have followed them. Yes, there's Osamu Tezuka, but there are many more worth discovering, such as Shigeru Mizuki, Shotaro Ishinomori, Go Nagai, Gengoroh Tagame, Taiyo Matsumoto, Moto Hagio, Takehiko Inoue, and much more. Christopher Butcher (director, Toronto Comic Arts Festival and manager, The Beguiling), F. J. DeSanto (Cyborg 009 from Archaia Entertainment), Giorgio Tsoukalos (Ancient Aliens), Graham Kolbeins (editor, The Passion of Gengoroh Tagame from Picturebox), Deb Aoki (MangaComicsManga), and possibly a surprise guest or two introduce you to some manga legends you may not know, including many that have recently released or soon-to-be-released works in English, and some that are long overdue to be recognized by Western comics fans. Friday July 19, 2013 7:30pm - 8:30pm Room 28DE



FAMOUS MONSTERS OF FILMLAND: STAKE OF THE UNION 2013
Join Famous Monsters publisher Philip Kim and executive EDitor Ed Blair in celebrating the world's oldest monster fan magazine. This year will feature some of FMF's most monstrous announcements to date, including special panelists Frank Frazetta Jr. (son of the legendary artist), Jeff Moore (VP of ESP Guitars), August Ragone (author and kaiju expert), Giorgio Tsoukalos (Ancient Aliens), actors Kathryn Leigh Scott and Lara Parker (Dark Shadows) and much, much more. Friday July 19, 2013 7:45pm - 8:45pm Room 5AB

SATURDAY



LEGENDARY PICTURES: GODZILLA
An epic rebirth to Toho's iconic Godzilla, this spectacular adventure pits the world's most famous monster against malevolent creatures who, bolstered by humanity's scientific arrogance, threaten our very existence. Gareth Edwards directs "Godzilla," which stars Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Ken Watanabe, Elizabeth Olsen, and Juliette Binoche, with David Strathairn and Bryan Cranston. The screenplay is by Max Borenstein, Frank Darabont, and Dave Callaham. Thomas Tull and Jon Jashni are producing with Mary Parent and Brian Rogers. Alex Garcia and Patricia Whitcher are the executive producers, alongside Yoshimitsu Banno and Kenji Okuhira. The film is from Warner Bros. and Legendary Pictures. Saturday July 20, 2013 10:45am Hall H



STAR BLAZERS 2199: CREW & FAN MEETING AND SCREENING
The legendary "Star Blazers" TV series is coming back! Join the crew to learn more about "Star Blazers 2199" at this exciting and riveting panel! You'll have a chance to witness the screening of the first episode of the new show as well as be able to ask questions. Panel guests include producer Hiroaki Ikegami and a guest Cosplayer from Japan playing Yuki Mori. Saturday July 20, 2013 2:00pm - 3:00pm Room 25ABC

To be sure, there are a lot of other panels and presentations on manga and anime during the convention, but these are just my best picks for this year's show — for further information, please visit the official Comic-Con International website — and have a great con! I know that I will!

2013 IS 1973: "BABLE II"『バビル2世』 January 1, 1973 - September 24, 1973

超能力少年バビル２世！


Rodem, Roporos, and Poseidon join Babel II against the evil Yomi!

Toei Animation's 39-episode series was based on the popular manga by Mitsuteru Yokoyama, first published in 1971. A seemingly ordinary Japanese schoolboy, discovers the truth that he is the reincarnation of an extraterrestrial being, and the inheritor of latent, but tremendous psychic powers — and the command of three familiars: Rodem, a shape-shifting panther, Roporos, a flying dinosaurian creature, and Poseidon, a titanic, ocean-dwelling robot. Together, they fight the fiendish forces of Yomi. The series was remade as a direct-to-video series in 1992, and as a 13-episode series in 2001. The original 1973 boasts the first theme song from vocalist, and king of anime singers, Ichiro Mizuki.

SPACE BATTLESHIP YAMATO: 2199 (2012) Spoilers for Chapter 3: "The Endless Voyage"

Cover of the Program Book for Chapter 3: The Endless Voyage.

HERE BE SPOILERS: WARING! WARING! WARING!

Episode 7 "Bid Farewell to the Earth": The party thrown aboard the Yamato is based on the Earth-bound, "Line-crossing Ceremony" aka "Crossing the Line", the long-held martime celebration of traversing the equator. In 2199, this is for crossing the Heliopause, the outer-most area of our Solar System. This features elements from Episodes 10 ("We Will Return") and 14 ("Octopus Star Storm") of the original 1974 series.



Episode 8 "When You Wish Upon a Star": Combines some elements from Episodes 9 ("Asteroid Belt"), 11 ("Desslok Mines"), and 12 ("The Sea of Fire") of the 1974 series. Instead of being a complete invention of Dessler, the living "Ectogas" was instead created by manipulating a primordial lifeform from the Mirbelia Star System, and unleashed against the Yamato at Gliese 581, a red dwarf star approximately 22 light years from Earth.



The Dessler Mines in the original 1974 scenario, have been changed into "Dessler Torpedos". These special weapons are equipped aboard Shultz' flagship to drive the Yamato into the trap at Gliese 581. Thus eliminating the "magnetic space net", and combining the Gamlias tactical operations from Episodes 11 ("Desslok Mines"),  and 12 ("The Sea of Fire") of the original.



Episode 9 "A Clockwork Prisoner": Original Story. The reactivated Gamiloid, captured in Episode 5 of 2199, is dubbed "Oruta", ("オルタ", previously rendered as "Orta"), which is actually derived from the Japanese rendering of the English word, "Alternative" (from his designation as an "Alternative Reboot"). So, this automaton should therefore be rendered as "Alter" in English.



Episode 10 "The Cosmic Graveyard": Incorporating elements from Episodes 13 ("The Gamilon Pilot"), 14 ("Octopus Star Storm"), and 15 ("Galactic Whirlpool") of the original. When the Yamato enters the dimensional rift, it passes through a graveyard of ships. Eagle-eyed viewers may spot, among the myriad of derelict spacecraft, a lone Devastator — the horseshoe crab-shaped attack fighter belonging to the Comet Empire!



Aboard the trapped Gamlias Meltoria Cruiser EX-178 are Commander Valess Rang (ヴァレス・ラング), a "2nd Class Gamilan" from planet Zalts, and a pure-blooded Gamilan, Captain Palen Nerge (パレン・ネルゲ), of Dessler's Protection Squad (essentially, the Schutz-Staffel aka the SS). Tensions arise between the two men, when Rang decides to reach out to the crew of the Yamato, so that both ships may make it out of the dimensional rift, alive.



Lastly, the ecological restoration device offered to Earth by Queen Starsha of Iscandar, originally dubbed the "Cosmo Cleaner" or "Cosmo Cleaner D" ("Cosmo DNA" in the Star Blazers version), is now to be called the "Cosmo Reverse System" (コスモリバースシステム). This must sound much better to Japanese ears...

Stay tuned to this blog and the official Star Blazers website for more news and information on SPACE BATTLESHIP YAMATO: 2199 as they develop — and we'll be off to outer space, again, just like the first time!

(Some of the preceding information was gleaned from the Japanese YAMATO: 2199 Wikipedia entry.)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, ISAO SASAKI: May 16, 1942! Actor, Voice Talent, and Singer

お誕生日おめでとう、ささきいさお様 !

Singing his signature songs for YAMATO: 2199 on April 25, 2012!

COOL JAPANESE TOY ADS OF THE '70s! Popy's "Great Mazinger" Product Line

「人気独占！ポピーのグレートマジンガー シリーズ」


Full-page inside cover from "TV Magazine" (Kodansha, December '74)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, ISAO SASAKI: May 16, 1942! Actor, Voice Talent, and Singer

お誕生日おめでとう、ささきいさお様 !


Photo: Nagara Productions, Ltd.

"CAPTAIN HARLOCK" STRIKES AGAIN! The Original 1978 Series Now Online!

最初『宇宙海賊キャプテンハーロック』オンラインを見てください！


Space Pirate: Captain Harlock ©Leiji Matsumoto/Toei Animation

HOLY FLUTTERING JOLLY ROGERS IN SPACE! I never thought I'd live to see the day... All 42 episodes of Leiji Matsumoto and Rintaro's 1978 Anime masterpiece, SPACE PIRATE: CAPTAIN HARLOCK is now up for viewing (fully subtitled) on several online sites, courtesy of Toei Animation and its new partnership with Texas-based anime juggernaut, Funimation. Is this in anticipation of the all-new CGI animated film now in production in Japan, which Toei Animation hopes to distribute world wide (along with their recently announced live action GAIKING revamp)? In any case, it's a welcome and much appreciated surprise, because while the character is famous around the world, the original series was never properly presented in the US. This is the series that exemplified everything that the best of everything that Anime had to offer. The careful plotting, the layered characters, the wonderful teleplays, the dramatic animation, and the amazing score. CAPTAIN HARLOCK is a classic in every sense of the word — it's an epic, rousing and romantic space opera starring one of the greatest science fiction characters ever created!

In the year 2977, the human race has become apathetic and slothful, akin to the end of the Roman Empire, and have let the great oceans die while the Earth’s resources ran dry. So, Mankind reached out into the void only to keep the machine running, and to keep the coffers of the wealthy full. Opposed to this human decay are individuals who have not lost their human spirit, and branded by the government as outlaws, have proudly taken up the mantle of “Pirates”. They take to the stars to seize wealth from the rich and give to the downtrodden. Chief among these pirates is the stoic Captain Harlock, who sets out to protect the human race from itself. But, after a series of strange incidents and the murder of a noted astronomer, Harlock is lead to uncover an invasion plot by a mysterious feminine alien race. The Mazone, who had explored Earth eons ago, have now returned to claim their prize…

Toei Animation and Funimation are also offering several other classic shows as part of its Streaming and On Demand for English viewers, including Matsumoto's seminal GALAXY EXPRESS 999 and even the epic 1980s sensation, FIST OF THE NORTH STAR! Streaming is available to view immediately on Funimation, Crunchyroll, and Hulu. CAPTAIN HARLOCK, and the other series Toei and Funimation are offering, are also available as downloads from Amazon, with other sites to following with on-demand downloads, such as Direct2Drive, Playstation Store, Vuze, and Joost.

I consider SPACE PIRATE: CAPTAIN HARLOCK to be one of the greatest all-time achievements, not only Anime, but also in Science Fiction for television— so, do yourself a favor and visit one of these sites to join the crew of the Arcadia under their "Flag of Freedom"!