About a year ago, I started a short lived column called The Animation Report on an unnamed forum. The Animation Report was a weekly column detailing the latest and greatest news on cartoons and anime including trailers and releases of the week information. I thought I’d try to start it up again on this blog today.
*News*
–USA Today Booklist August 6-12th contains Fruits Basket volume 17 at #99, Fullmetal Alchemist volume 14 at #148, and Bleach volume 20 at #140 enjoying it’s 3rd week on the list.
-A pharmaceutical company is serializing a manga on it’s website to educate men suffering from erectile dysfunction.
-Mattel wants their Roronoa Zolo and Batman figures back.
-A 22 year old Australian man has been fined 8,000 US dollars for importing anime and video games depicting child pornography.
–Cromartie High School arist Eiji Nonaka is starting a new manga.
–Viz Media will distribute digital downloads of Bleach through Direct2Drive starting August 31st.
–FUNimation has announced new titles for the months of November/December. Of note is the 2nd Case Closed film 14th Target, BECK: Mongolian Chop Squad volumes 4-5, and the second Fullmetal Alchemist box set.
–Christmas Time in South Park will be released on November 13th. The box set will include all 7 Christmas episodes.
– Nogin and The N will become 2 separate channels.
–Warner Bros. Studios will be working on live-action Johnny Quest films. They hope this will be their “replacement” once the Harry Potter franchise ends in 2010.
–DuckTales volume 3 and TaleSpin volume 2 will be released on November 13.
–Viz Media has announced 5 Shojo Beat titles, Be With You, Monkey High, Haruka, Fairy Cube and B.O.D.Y.
–Viz Media has also announced 5 other titles for 2008 release, Switch, Nightmare Inspector Yumekui Kenbun, and Record of a Fallen Vampire.
– Shrek the Third will also be available on November 13th. A strong contender for my worst movie of the year.
–Ice cube will star in the movie 10 based off the graphic novel.
–Yen Press have licensed Sundome, Kieli, and Kaze no Hana.
–Captain America returns. Surprising…
–The Simpsons/Futurama Collection Crisis will be released in 2008 to coincide with the release of the first Futurama direct to dvd release movie.
-Matthew Vaughn will direct the live-action adaptation of Thor.
–Hulk Smash direct to dvd cartoon to be available October 2008.
-Cartoon Network is currently airing a Naruto marathon this weekend in honor of its’ 100th episode. 100 episodes, 50 hours, 3 days.
*Multimedia*
–Avatar: The Last Airbender Comic-Con 2007 Panel
*Releases*
Available this week
– Aqua Teen Hunger Force Colon Movie Film For Theaters
-Air TV volume 1
-BECK: Mongolian Chop Squad volume 2
-Doctor Strange
-Initial D: Second Stage
full list @ animatedbliss
Available next week
-Big O II: Anime Legends Complete Collection
-Innocent Venus volume 1
-Le Chevalier D’eon volume 4 Ancien Regime
-School Rumble volume 1
-South Park complete 10th season
full list available @ animatedbliss
*Anime of the Week*
~Street Fighter II V
Currently airing on Sci-Fi’s Ani-Monday block, Street Fighter II V packs an unexpected punch. In the “sequel” series to the original and adaptation of the videogame, Ryu receives an invitation from his best friend Ken to visit him in America. In the half a dozen episodes that have aired so far, Ken, who’s parents are super rich then travels with Ryu to Hong Kong where they stay in a $20,000 per night hotel suite. But they did not come to relax in luxury! Ken hires a travel guide to take them to Kowloon Palace, a lawless area where the toughest fighters in HK duel for the betting addicts. After beating every fighter in the arena, Ken and Ryu barely escape with their lives. After treating their tour guide with an expensive shopping spree, Ken and Ryu leave for Thailand to learn the fighting skill “muy thai.”
If you’re looking for an addicting action series that not 300 episodes and counting I can’t recommend Street Fighter II V enough. It appears that the remaining episodes will involve Ken and Ryu traveling to other countries to learn other secret techniques and fight the best fighters. The main characters may be complete airheads and at times act homosexually, but their blissful innocence and passion for fighting is enduring.
andrew reads comics 