Dinosaur Robot Gaiking. ©Toei Animation Co. Ltd.

THE TOEI CLASSIC ANIME MOVIE COLLECTION!
An Interview with William Winckler
Author: Bob Johnson
Special thanks to Winckler-Oya Inc. and Toei Animation Co., Ltd.

A SciFi JAPAN EXCLUSIVE!

William Winckler has had a long career of acting, directing, writing and producing. From bit roles in television series and motion pictures to dubbing TEKKAMAN to making films of his own like THE DOUBLE-D AVENGER, Winckler has done just about every job you can imagine in Hollywood. Now he is returning to Japanese animation in a big way!

For the last two years, he has been hard at work, putting together THE TOEI CLASSIC ANIME MOVIE COLLECTION! These are some of the most famous Japanese cartoons ever, with all-new English dubbing from Winckler-Oya Inc. The first wave is made up of 23 full-length feature films running 90 to 120 minutes each on all new HD masters!

This amazing collection includes iconic properties such as DANGUARD ACE, the famous giant robot cartoon immortalized in the Stan Lee Marvel Comic SHOGUN WARRIORS, the infamous SPACE PIRATE CAPTAIN HARLOCK, GAIKING, the robot character based on the famous toy from MATTEL’S SHOGUN WARRIORS toy line, FIST OF THE NORTH STAR, the popular 1980’s MAD MAX inspired series, STARZINGER, the favorite cartoon seen throughout the U.S. in FORCE FIVE and many other favorites!

In an exclusive interview with SciFi Japan, William Winckler talks about his career, productions and goes into detail about this new package of classic Japanese animation.
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Akira Takizawa and Saki Morimi meet again in PARADISE LOST, the conclusion to EDEN OF THE EAST. © 2010 EDEN OF THE EAST.

Second EDEN OF THE EAST Movie Comes to North America on August 23rd
Source: FUNimation Entertainment
Official Site: juiz.jp (Japan), funimation.com/edenoftheeast (US)
Special Thanks to Jackie Smith

Packaging for the EDEN OF THE EAST: PARADISE LOST Blu-ray/
DVD Combo Pack. Photo courtesy of FUNimation
Entertainment. © 2010 EDEN OF THE EAST.

Who is Mr. Outside? Who will win his twisted game? How did Akira Takizawa become a pawn in the mastermind’s hidden plan? The answers are revealed and the conspiracy unravels in writer/director Kenji Kamiyama’s EDEN OF THE EAST: PARADISE LOST (東のエデン 劇場版Ⅱ Paradise Lost, Higashi no Eden Gekijooban II: Paradise Lost, 2010), the thrilling feature-length conclusion to the acclaimed anime EDEN OF THE EAST (東のエデン, Higashi no Eden, 2009).

FUNimation Entertainment is releasing EDEN OF THE EAST: PARADISE LOST as a 3-disc Blu-ray/DVD Combo Pack, featuring the film with both English and Japanese audio and a selection of cool extras. The SRP for PARADISE LOST is $34.98.
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GAMERA 3: REVENGE OF IRIS will be released on Blu-ray September 27th. © 1999 Kadokawa Pictures, Inc.

Source: Mill Creek Entertainment
Special Thanks to Roy McAree

Slipcase cover art for the GAMERA TRILOGY Collector’s
Edition. Photo courtesy of Mill Creek Entertainment.
© 2011 Kadokawa Pictures, Inc.

Mill Creek Entertainment will follow up last year’s Blu-ray Double Feature of GAMERA: GUARDIAN OF THE UNIVERSE (Gamera Daikaiju Kuchu Kessen, 1995) and GAMERA 2: ATTACK OF THE LEGION (Gamera 2: Region Shurai, 1996) with two more Gamera Blu-ray releases scheduled for September 27th: GAMERA 3: REVENGE OF IRIS (Gamera 3: Iris Kakusei, 1999) and a GAMERA TRILOGY set of all three films.

The upcoming releases will complete the acclaimed series by the team of directed Shusuke Kaneko (GMK, DEATH NOTE), writer Kazunori Ito (GHOST IN THE SHELL), and FX director Shinji Higuchi (SINKING OF JAPAN, HIDDEN FORTRESS: THE LAST PRINCESS). The Gamera movies were licensed from Joyplex, Inc., the US sales agent for Kadokawa Pictures, owners of the Gamera franchise. The GAMERA 3 Blu-ray will feature a brand-new high-def transfer from Kadokawa’s original film elements.

For anyone who has noticed that the GAMERA 3 cover art mistakenly uses images from GAMERA: GUARDIAN OF THE UNIVERSE, Joyplex has already requested that Mill Creek correct that error (and the typo on the TRILOGY cover) and been assured that Mill Creek is “all over it!”.
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The cybernetic hero Casshern returns in the anime series CASSHERN SINS, soon to be released in a Blu-ray/DVD Combo Pack from FUNimation.
Photo courtesy of FUNimation Entertainment. © 2008 Tatsunoko Production/ Casshern Sins Project

Ruin is the Salvation of Man and Machine this August
Source: FUNimation Entertainment
Official Site: casshern-sins.jp (Japan), funimation.com/casshernsins (US)
Special Thanks to Jackie Smith

Cover art for CASSHERN SINS: THE COMPETE SERIES. Photo
courtesy of FUNimation Entertainment. © 2008 Tatsunoko
Production/ Casshern Sins Project

FUNimation Entertainment will release the complete, 24 episode series of CASSHERN SINS (キャシャーン SINS, Kyashaan Shinsu, 2008) in a Blu-ray/DVD Combo Pack on August 2nd.

CASSHERN SINS is a millennial update of NEO-HUMAN CASSHERN (新造人間キャシャーン, Shinzo Ningen Kyashaan, aka CASSHAN, 1973) a beloved classic of Japanese animation which saw a lone cyborg hero opposing a robot empire that threatened to overthrow the Earth. This darker reimagining was produced by Tatsunoko Production (NEO-HUMAN CASSHERN, SPEED RACER, GATCHAMAN) with animation by Madhouse, the studio behind DEATH NOTE, GUNSLINGER GIRL, and SAIKANO. The series was directed by Shigeyasu Yamauchi (DRAGON BALL Z). The unique animation style of CASSHERN SINS was supervised by Yoshihiko Umakoshi (FULLMETAL ALCHEMIST, COWBOY BEEBOP).
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HEAVEN’S MEMO PAD is one of three new anime series premiering in America in late July.
© 2011 Ascii Media Works / Hikaru Sugii, Heaven’s Memo Pad Production Committee

CROISÉE IN A FOREIGN LABYRINTH, HEAVEN’S MEMO PAD, and RO-KYU-BU FAST BREAK! Launch This Month
Source: Sentai Filmworks, Anime Network press releases
Special Thanks to David Williams and Christian Lopez

Sentai Filmworks has launched a full court press on the anime marketplace with the the acquisition of the slice-of-life period series CROISÉE IN A FOREIGN LABYRINTH ~ THE ANIMATION, the psychological detective mystery HEAVEN’S MEMO PAD, and the sports comedy RO-KYU-BU FAST BREAK! Broadcast and Digital Distributor Anime Network will begin simulcasting the three new series on their Online Streaming Service this month.
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Extension of VIZ Media’s Digital Platform Expands Manga Audience to All Web Users in U.S. and Canada
Source: VIZ Media, MediaLab press releases
Official Site: VIZManga.com
Special Thanks to Jane Lui and Erik Jansen

Manga fans in America and Canada can now access VIZ Media titles
at the new digital manga website VIZManga.com. Photo courtesy of
VIZ Media. © 2011 VIZ Media, LLC

VIZ Media, the largest distributor and licensor of anime and manga in the North America, announced the launch of VIZManga.com at their 25th Anniversary Party last week in San Diego during the annual Comic-Con International convention. The website joins VIZ Media’s existing digital manga platform and launched with 40 series currently available on the VIZ MANGA App for iOS devices, including the wildly popular titles Naruto, Bleach, Blue Exorcist, Ouran High School Host Club and Vampire Knight.

With this expansion of the platform, fans can browse and access their digital manga from VIZManga.com and through the VIZ Manga Apps for the iPad and iPhone/iPod touch. With one account, registered users will be able to view their purchases across even more devices than ever.
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High school gang members Moriki Takashi (Kazuki Namioka), Hideki “Wankou” Yamazaki (Toru Wakatsuki), Tatsuya Iguchi (Hiro Mizushima), Terumi “Teru” Ishikawa
(Masahito Sakamoto), Yutaka “Lupin” Anjo (Yuji Ayabe), and Hiroshi Shinanogawa (Hiroki Narimiya) look for trouble in Kadokawa Pictures’ DROP.
Photo courtesy of FUNimation Entertainment. © 2009 Drop Film Partners.

Breaking rules. Breaking faces.
Source: FUNimation Entertainment
Official Movie Site: FUNimation.com/drop (US), drop-movie.jp (Japan)
Special Thanks to Jackie Smith

DROP DVD cover art. Photo courtesy of FUNimation
Entertainment. © 2009 Drop Film Partners.

The Japanese teenage delinquent action film DROP (ドロップ, Doroppu, 2009) has been released on DVD in North America by FUNimation Entertainment. Set in the 1980s, DROP was written and directed by actor/comedian Hiroshi Shinagawa of the comedy team “Shinagawa Shoki”. The movie is based on Shinagawa’s 2006 autobiographical novel which was also adapted as a Monthly Shonen Champion manga by artist Dai Suzuki in 2007.

Drawn to the hardcore life of a delinquent after reading the manga Be-Bop Highschool, student Hiroshi (Hiroki Narimiya, AZUMI) drops out of his upscale private school and enrolls in a gritty public school in Komae, Tokyo. On his first day he gets his ass kicked by Tatsuya (Hiro Mizushima, winner of the 2010 Japanese Academy Prize “Rookie of the Year”), the son of an ex-yakuza and the leader of a pack of unruly thugs. Hiroshi sucks at fighting, but he hits it off with the crew and enjoys the reckless partying, smoking and boozing – but can he hang when a rivalry with a nasty biker gang turns into countless bloody, face-breaking brawls?
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The shoulder to shoulder crowds of Wonderfest. Photo courtesy of Clawmark Toys.

Clawmark Does Wonderfest
Author: Tom Dougherty, Clawmark Toys

WONDERFEST! The name says it all! I have had the good fortune to experience many Japanese Toy and Model shows in both Osaka and Tokyo over the years, but nothing quite compares to Wonderfest. An enormous event like Wonderfest is of course held in the enormous complex called Makhuhari Messe. I only had to ride a train for about two and a half hours through Tokyo and past Disneyland to arrive at the station and begin the walk.
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Pop Culture Celebration Features Japanese Fashion Designers, Film & Anime Premieres, and the “Vocaloid” Phenomenon
Source: MediaLab press release
Official Site: J-pop.com
Special Thanks to Erik Jansen

Logo for the 2011 J-POP SUMMIT FESTIVAL. Photo courtesy of
NEW PEOPLE, Inc. © 2011 NEW PEOPLE, Inc.

NEW PEOPLE, San Francisco’s dynamic entertainment destination showcasing the latest examples of Japanese popular culture, has announced the expansion of its annual J-Pop Summit Festival. The 2011 J-Pop Summit Festival will take place August 27th- 28th across the city’s Japantown.

The weekend-long celebration brings back many popular attractions that have made the J-Pop Summit Festival a must-attend event for fashion, film, anime and music fans as well as hipsters, pop culture enthusiasts, Bay Area residents, and as tourists visiting the city. A dedicated web site is now available at J-pop.com and will feature regular updates.

“The expansion of the J-Pop Summit Festival is a result of the overwhelming support from our partners and sponsors and strong attendance by a wide array of people from all backgrounds and interests,” says Seiji Horibuchi, president of NEW PEOPLE, Inc. “From rock music to fashion shows, film premieres, interactive video game displays, and a special focus this year on the ‘Vocaloid’ music phenomenon, there will be something for everyone at this year’s event! We look forward to announcing more details and additional participants and sponsors in coming weeks.”
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45th Anniversary Film Coming from Tsuburaya Pro
Author: Elliot Gay and Keith Aiken
Source: Tsuburaya Productions
Official Movie Site: ultramansaga.com

Advance poster for ULTRAMAN SAGA. © 2011 Ultraman Saga
Film Partners

Tagline: “We still have a shining hope with us!”

Continuing their 45th anniversary celebration of the Ultra series, Tsuburaya Productions has announced the production of their next feature film ULTRAMAN SAGA (ウルトラマンサーガ, Urutoraman Saga), to be released in 2012 on both 2D and 3D screens in Japan. The new movie is a sequel to the recent films, MEGA MONSTER BATTLE ULTRA GALAXY: THE MOVIE (大怪獣バトル ウルトラ銀河伝説 THE MOVIE, Daikaiju Batoru Urutora Ginga Densetsu THE MOVIE, 2009) and ULTRAMAN ZERO: THE REVENGE OF BELIAL (ウルトラマンゼロ THE MOVIE 　超決戦！ベリアル銀河帝国, Urutoraman Zero THE MOVIE Chou Kessen! Beriaru Ginga Teikoku, 2010).

While few details have yet been revealed about the story, ULTRAMAN SAGA will continue the recent trend in the Ultraman movies of bringing together characters from several different series and timelines. The Ultra heroes will face off against an army of vicious monsters from all ends of the universe, including recognizable foes such as Earthtron (from the RETURN OF ULTRAMAN television series) and Gubila (from ULTRAMAN). ULTRAMAN SAGA will also introduce Hyper Zetton, a new version of the final villain from the original ULTRAMAN series.
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SAMURAI GIRLS COMPLETE COLLECTION Available on August 23rd
Source: Section23 Films press release
Special Thanks to Mike Bailiff

Photo courtesy of Section23 Films.

Home video distributor Section23 Films has provided details on its August slate of releases; including the tantalizingly fun anime series, SAMURAI GIRLS. The complete collection will be released on DVD and Blu-Ray by Section23 client Sentai Filmworks.

Also scheduled for August are DVD editions of MAID SAMA COLLECTION 2, NEO ANGELIQUE ABYSS, and KOBATO COLLECTION 1, plus the complete NIGHT RAID 1931 on DVD and Blu-ray.

Read on for plot descriptions, DVD and Blu-ray specs, and cover art for all of these titles.
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Curated Digital Artwork Created with Autodesk SketchBook Apps will be Unveiled at VIZ Media 25th Anniversary Event at Comic-Con
Source: VIZ Media, MediaLab press releases
Special Thanks to Jane Lui and Erik Jansen

ART FOR HOPE illustration by Sirron Norris. Photo courtesy
of VIZ Media.

VIZ Media, the largest distributor and licensor of anime and manga in the North America, has announced a collaboration with Autodesk, Inc. to create a limited edition digital art book anthology that will be sold through VIZ Media’s Manga App, with 100% of VIZ Media’s net proceeds going to support disaster relief efforts in Japan. All of the artwork in the collection, titled ART FOR HOPE, will be created using Autodesk SketchBook digital paint and drawing software applications.

VIZ Media and Autodesk have already started working with artists to create works that deliver a message of hope to victims of the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami in Japan. Artists interested in submitting work to be considered for the collection can email artforhope@viz.com. The VIZ Media editorial team, together with Autodesk’s team, will select and curate the selections for the digital anthology, which will be released later this fall exclusively through the VIZ Manga App, available on iPad, iPod touch and iPhone. VIZ Media will donate 100% of its net proceeds to the disaster relief and rebuilding efforts in Japan.
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VIZ Media Celebrates 25th Anniversary With a Full Slate of Activities, Panels, and Special Giveaways at Comic-Con
Source: VIZ Media, MediaLab press releases
Special Thanks to Jane Lui and Erik Jansen

25th Anniversary logo for VIZ Media. Photo courtesy of and © 2011 VIZ Media.

VIZ Media, LLC, the largest distributor and licensor of anime and manga in North America, gears up for the 2011 Comic-Con International with a packed agenda of exciting events, product giveaways, panel discussions, interactive activities, and convention exclusives. Comic-Con is the nation’s largest comic book, science fiction and pop culture event, and takes place July 20-24 at the San Diego Convention Center, CA. VIZ Media will be located in Booth 2813. Complete details on Comic-Con are available at comic-con.org.

VIZ Media’s Booth (#2813) will be a hub of continual activity on the main show floor. The VIZ MANGA APP is the latest technological innovation for digital manga comics for the Apple iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch. Fans that drop by the booth and show the App installed on their Apple device will receive a special free tchotchkie as a ‘thank you’ from VIZ Media while supplies last.
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Source: Section23 Films press release
Official Site: Ray the Animation (Japan)
Special Thanks to Mike Bailiff

Key art for the anime RAY, licensed in North America
by the new label, Maiden Japan. © 2005 Ray Project

Entertainment label Maiden Japan has announced its acquisition of RAY (RAY THE ANIMATION, 2006), the 13 episode anime series based on the original manga by Akihito Yoshitomi (Blue Drop, Eat Man). Directed by Naohito Takahashi (Berserk, Steel Angel Kurumi) RAY also references the classic Osamu Tezuka (Astroboy, Kimba the White Lion) series BLACK JACK and follows the lead of that series in examining the complex ethical conflicts brought on by modern medical science, with a particular focus on the black market for human organs.

If you have enough money, you can buy anything. So why wait for an organ you need to become available? Raised to be harvested for parts, Ray had already lost her eyes when renegade surgeon Black Jack rescued her. Now, ten years later, she has grown up to be a surgeon herself. And thanks to the unique artificial eyes she received as replacements, she has with a reputation for performing incredible medical operations that no one else could even attempt. But unknown to any but a select few, her surgical endeavors are only part of a greater mission: to discover what happened the other children she was raised with, and to find the men who stole the eyes she was born with and to bring them to justice. Vengeance wields a scalpel and sees with X-ray eyes in RAY – THE COMPLETE COLLECTION!

Maiden Japan will be distributing RAY in conjunction with home video distributor Section23 (CLANNAD, HIGH SCHOOL OF THE DEAD, APPLESEED) with the entire series to be released in both English Subtitled DVD and Digital Formats.
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Eriko Ayukawa (Ayumi Ito) struggles with the mystery of GANTZ. Photo courtesy of NEW PEOPLE Entertainment. © Hiroya Oku/Shueisha © 2011 Gantz Film Partners

Japanese Sci-Fi Live-Action Film and New Sequel Set to Screen During 2011 San Diego Comic-Con
Source: MediaLab press release
Official Movie Site: gantz-movie.com (Japan), gantzmovies.com (US)
Special Thanks to Erik Jansen

NEW PEOPLE Entertainment, a film division of NEW PEOPLE, Inc. that focuses on the licensing and distribution of Japanese films and media, has announced a series of special theatrical screenings of the live action sci-fi thriller GANTZ (前編, Gantsu, 2011) and its sequel, GANTZ II: PERFECT ANSWER (前編 PERFECT ANSWER, Gantsu Pafekuto Ansaa, 2011), at the Pacific Gaslamp 15 Theatres in San Diego, CA.

GANTZ screens on Friday, July 22nd at 6:00pm and 9:00pm, while GANTZ II: PERFECT ANSWER screens on Saturday, July 23rd at 6:00pm and also at 9:00pm. Both films will be shown in Japanese with English subtitles. The film screenings will take place during the 2011 Comic-Con International, the country’s largest comic book, science fiction and pop culture event, which takes place at the nearby San Diego Convention Center.
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Amelia returns in TRIGUN: BADLANDS RUMBLE, now playing in theaters across the United States. Photo courtesy of Eleven Arts.
© 2010 Yasuhiro Naito/ Trigun the Movie Production Committee

Anime Film Begins US Run on July 7th
Source: Eleven Arts Entertainment press release
Official Movie Site: funimation.com/trigun (US), trigun-movie.com (Japan)
Special Thanks to Shun Ohara

The US theatrical run of the anime film TRIGUN: BADLANDS RUMBLE (トライガン The Movie 公式サイト, 2010) continues with several new theaters and screening dates announced by distributors Eleven Arts and FUNimation Entertainment. The following screenings will be in addition to those listed in the previously announced schedule.

Set on a remote planet in the near future, TRIGUN is a popular sci-fi action anime series created by Yasuhiro Naito. It portrays the life and actions of a wanted man named Vash, an extreme pacifist by nature with the unique nickname the “Human Typhoon”. The movie TRIGUN: BADLANDS RUMBLE debuted on April 24th 2010 in Japan, and was a box office hit.
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Kei Kishimoto (Natsuna Watanabe) and Masaru Kato (Kenichi Matsuyama) confront a big threat in GANTZ. © Hiroya Oku/Shueisha © 2011 Gantz Film Partners

Winners will See Both Movies for Free, Courtesy of NYAFF and SciFi Japan
Source: Subway Cinema/New York Asian Film Festival
Special Thanks to Kristen Osborne and Grady Hendrix

Thank you to everyone who entered New York Asian Film Festival and SciFi Japan’s contest for free passes to see GANTZ and GANTZ: PERFECT ANSWER at NYAFF. The screenings takes place at the Japan Society on Saturday, July 9 starting at 12:30 pm. Japan Society is located at 333 East 47th Street (between First and Second avenues), New York, NY 10017. Their box office number is 212-832-1155.

The randomly drawn winning entries are:

Dylan Bach
Greg Cordaro

Congratulations to the winners!

Each of you has won a pair of tickets to see the double feature of GANTZ and GANTZ: PERFECT ANSWER. Your passes will be available on the day of the show at the NYAFF table in the lobby of the Japan Society. Winners must present a photo ID in order to claim their prize.
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