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The Japanese toy company Charactics has been releasing licensed figures of Toho movie monsters, including a series featuring characters like Mechagodzilla driving tanks. Charactics has now partnered with Jungle Japan on an extremely limited edition Godzilla Tank figure.
Only 30 of the Godzilla Tank Charactics x Jungle Japan Exclusive Soft Vinyl Figures are being produced, and they are available exclusively through Jungle. 10 of the pieces will be sold at the Jungle store in Los Angeles and the Jungle booth at this year’s Comic Con International (July 23-26 in San Diego). Continued…
Upcoming German Audio Drama is a Homage to Classic Japanese Kaiju Movies
Author: Keith Aiken
Source: Sven Pyczak, Ralf Lorenz, The Gualagon Team
Offical Webste: Gualagon — Frankensteins Schreckengigant
Additional Material: Godzilla-Germany
Special Thanks to Avery Guerra
In Germany, a group of fans who grew up watching the likes of Godzilla and Gamera at their local cinemas have decided to honor the glory days of Japanese monsters with their own kaiju production; a German language audio drama entitled GUALAGON- FRANKENSTEIN’S GIANT OF TERROR (Gualagon- Frankenstein’s Schreckengigant).
In promotional materials for GUALAGON, the production group (known collectively as “the Gualagon Team”) explained that their idea was based on “the most beautiful films from the golden era of Japanese monster movies… It was during that time that most of the people involved in the project were introduced to the Godzilla movies. Those flicks usually played on Saturday or Sunday afternoons at the local cinemas in the kids matinee; and it was back then that we were first exposed to THE WAR OF THE GARGANTUAS [known in Germany as Frankenstein - Zweikampf der Giganten/ FRANKENSTEIN: DUEL OF THE GIANTS], the main source of inspiration for GUALAGON.”
SciFi Japan goes behind the scenes of GUALAGON- FRANKENSTEIN’S GIANT OF TERROR with exclusive information, artwork, and photos, plus a look at the German theatrical releases of the classic Japanese monster movies that inspired this upcoming tribute. Continued…
Source: VIZ Media, MediaLab press releases
Special Thanks to Evelyn Dubocq and Erik Jansen
Johannes Krauser II Is The Outrageous Demonic Front Man Of The Heaviest Death Metal Band In Japan
But Off Stage He’s A Pop Music-Listening Wimp – Can He Ever Reconcile His Two Personas?
VIZ Media, LLC will delight rock and roll and manga fans nationwide with the debut of Detroit Metal City on June 9th. The new manga series is rated ‘M’ for Mature Audiences and carries an MSRP of $12.99 U.S. / $15.00 CAN. The first print run of volume one also contains limited edition tattoos.
Prepare to have your mortal soul devoured by the demonic Johannes Krauser II, front man for Detroit Metal City, the most outrageous death metal band on the Japanese indie rock scene! Soichi Negishi dreamed of moving to Tokyo and starting a bubblegum pop band, but now he’s fronting the most scandalous and demented death metal band in Japanese rock! Deep down, Soichi still dreams of acoustic guitars and trips to Paris, but when the makeup comes on and he transforms into his alter ego, Krauser II, not even the denizens of hell are safe from his soul-devouring death metal sound. Can Soichi reconcile his sensitive inner yearnings with his wild on-stage persona – the vilest hard rocker in Japanese (and possibly world) history?
Detroit Metal City takes the zany rock antics inspired by films like THIS IS SPINAL TAP to hilarious new extremes in this witty series created by Kiminori Wakasugi. First appearing in the pages of Japan’s Young Animal manga magazine, the manga quickly became a national sensation. The series has already sold more than 2 million copies in Japan. Continued…
VIZ Media invites SciFi Japan readers to visit sigikki.com and test out the beta launch of a brand new collaboration to bring comics the likes of which American audiences have never seen to these shores.
IKKI is a monthly magazine published in Japan that has established itself as the home of some of the most innovative, bold, and compelling series in the world of contemporary manga. Since its launch in 2003 IKKI has built a catalog of titles notable for its diversity. From action to comedy to drama, from slice-of-life stories to surrealist fantasies, the one common thing these works share is an uncommon emphasis on creative quality and on pushing the boundaries of the norm.
In partnership with VIZ Media and its “VIZ Signature” line of graphic novels, IKKI is bringing the works of some of its top creators to the English-language audience via a groundbreaking online monthly manga magazine.
The first series featured in this launch is Children of the Sea by Daisuke Igarashi. Each month, new chapters will be offered online in their entirety, for free. After the completion of the online serialization of the first volume, Children of the Sea volume one will become available as a VIZ Signature graphic novel. Continued…
New Release Addresses Questions of Justice, Society, and the Appreciation of Life
Source: VIZ Media, MediaLab press releases
Special Thanks to Evelyn Dubocq and Erik Jansen
“Depending on how a person lives their last day, the ikigami can be a death sentence, or an invitation to really live.”
VIZ Media, LLC sends a chill down the spines of readers this month with the North American debut of Motoro Mase’s harrowing and suspenseful manga series – Ikigami: The Ultimate Limit – available now! Ikigami: The Ultimate Limit is rated ‘M’ for Mature Audiences and carries an MSRP of $12.99 US / $15.00 CAN.
In a futuristic dystopian Japan there is new slant on crime deterrence with a sinister policy with an ironic twist. Each day a randomly-selected person is put to death to remind the population of the very value of life. Those who are condemned to die receive an official government notice the day before, called an ikigami, alerting them of impending doom in 24 hours.
“Dear Citizen: You’ve no doubt noticed that the world is a troubled place. People are apathetic, lazy, unmotivated. You’ve probably asked yourself: Why isn’t anything being done to stop this systematic decline? Well, you’ll be happy to know that measures have been taken. We, your government, have decided society needs a wake-up call. So beginning today, we will randomly select a different citizen who will be killed within 24 hours of notification. We believe this will help remind all people how precious life is, and how important it is to be productive, active members of society… CONGRATULATIONS! YOU HAVE BEEN RANDOMLY SELECTED BY THE GOVERNMENT…TO DIE IN 24 HOURS!” Continued…
Top Anime and Asian Entertainment Online Service Provides Bone Chilling New Titles from Kadokawa Pictures USA
Source: BAM! Marketing, Publicity & Promotions press releases
Special Thanks to Chase Wang
“Kadokawa Tuesdays” continue on Crunchyroll with tales of horror, suspense and the supernatural. New titles launching in May are MAIL, STORY OF THE DETECTIVE, TRAGEDY OF W, ONMYOJI, THE BEAST TO DIE, SAILOR SUIT AND MACHINE GUN, KEKKON ANNAI MYSTERY, EARLY SPRING STORY, GIRL OF TIME, and KADOKAWA MYSTERY & HORROR TALES.
These Kadokawa Pictures titles are available for FREE to all fans and members in the U.S., Canada, American Samoa, United States Minor Outlying Islands, Puerto Rico, Guam and Virgin Island regions. Continued…
The German monster magazine Pranke: Das Filmmagazin für Monsterfreaks is back with another fun-filled issue featuring the space kaiju Guilala. The Japanese beast is the focus of two articles; the first a retrospective (written by GUALAGON co-creator Ralf Lorenz) of the films THE X FROM OUTER SPACE and MONSTER X STRIKES BACK/ ATTACK THE G8 SUMMIT!, and the second an interview with recent Guilala suit actor Hariken Ryu conducted by indie filmmaker Jörg Buttgereit.
Also on tap are a look at the 1931 Spanish version of DRACULA, sword and sorcery adventures with an emphasis on CONAN creator Robert E Howard, a review of GODZILLA KING OF THE MONSTERS, fantastic cinema from Bollywood, the making of the no budget fan film TROMAGGOT, Univeral Studios’ “Classic Sci Fi Ultimate Collection” DVD set, a review of the GODZILLA UNLEASHED video game, German advertising materials for Japanese monster movies, over 20 movie and DVD reviews, mini-posters for TROMAGGOT and the classic Toho science fiction film THE MYSTERIANS, plus much, much more.
Pranke issue #34 runs 40 pages and has a print run of only 1000 copies. The retail price is 4.40 Euro. The magazine may be purchased from the publisher on ebay or from online magazine retailers such as Andere Welton.
Author Jiro Asada’s Collection Of 8 Short Stories Explores Themes Of Loss, Love And Redemption
Source: VIZ Media, MediaLab press releases
Special Thanks to Evelyn Dubocq and Erik Jansen
The publishing, animation and licensing company VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media) continues to introduce English-language readers to some of the best authors of contemporary Japanese fiction with the North American release of The Stationmaster, a collection of eight short stories by award-winning author Jiro Asada. The Stationmaster is available now with a SRP of $22.99 U.S. / $26.99 CAN.
The Stationmaster was a best-seller in Japan and Jiro Asada was given the prestigious Naoki Award for fiction in 1997. The title story was adapted for the big screen in a film released in 1999. It starred 1970s yakuza film icon Ken Takakura, who won a best actor award at the 1999 Montreal Film Festival for his performance. THE STATIONMASTER was Japan’s submission to the 72nd Academy Awards in 2000 for Best Foreign Language Film. Continued…
Legendary Anime Studio’s Historic Franchise to Appear on World Anime Channel
Source: BAM! Marketing, Publicity & Promotions press release
Special Thanks to Chase Wang
Crunchyroll announced that it is partnering with Bandai Channel to bring the latest series in the historic GUNDAM franchise to Crunchyroll. MOBILE SUIT GUNDAM 00 from legendary anime studio Sunrise will begin streaming on Crunchyroll starting today.
MOBILE SUIT GUNDAM 00 (25 episodes) will be available to viewers in the United States and will be immediately available in its entirety in English dubbed, with the first nine episodes also available in Japanese audio English subtitled versions. The show will be available to all visitors in these territories, free of charge with advertisements, while Crunchyroll Anime Members can enjoy up to 480p high definition streams. Continued…
J-Horror Movies and Shows Each Week on Anime and Asian Entertainment Site
Source: BAM! Marketing, Publicity & Promotions press release
Special Thanks to Chase Wang
As previously announced on SciFi Japan, the online Anime and Asian entertainment media distributor Crunchyroll and the US branch of Japanese studio Kadokawa Pictures have teamed up to present selected J-Horror titles from the Kadokawa Pictures film and television library. Now Crunchyroll has revealed that fans and members can catch fresh thrills, chills, hauntings and psychos every week with “Kadokawa Tuesdays” starting this month.
Titles launching Crunchyroll’s “Kadokawa Tuesdays” include Takashi Miike’s psychopathic trilogy MPD PSYCHO I-III and the continued saga of a mysterious girl who appears again and again in various people’s lives and haunts them until their eventual end in TOMIE 4: REBIRTH and TOMIE 5: FORBIDDEN FRUIT. Continued…
Anime and Asian Entertainment Site Launches Junji Ito Manga Based Film-Trilogy and Films of Horror
Source: BAM! Marketing, Publicity & Promotions press release
Special Thanks to Chase Wang
Beginning April 16, the online media distributor Crunchyroll and the US branch of Japanese studio Kadokawa Pictures partner to bring hours of endless horror and fright to fans with the highly popular TOMIE Trilogy and the Japanese Horror Anthology which includes the titles HEARTBROKEN TRIP, NURARIHYON, PEONY LAMP, SHADOWS OF THE WRAITH, SHE-BEAR and YAMABA. More information can be found at crunchyroll.com/publisher/kadokawapicturesusa.
“We are extremely excited and proud to have Kadokawa Pictures USA partner with Crunchyroll”, states Crunchyroll CEO Kun Gao. “Kadokawa titles are well known to be of high quality and have a huge existing following. This partnership marks a meaningful addition to the Asian live action content available on Crunchyroll.”
Kadokawa Pictures with its library of over 2,000 titles, develops, finances, produces and distributes live action and anime films theatrically and for TV throughout Japan and Asia and boasts a state-of-the art production facility in Tokyo. Films that have garnered worldwide attention from these libraries include: THE RING, DARK WATER, PULSE and SHALL WE DANCE? Kadokawa also owns the Daiei film library which includes the Gamera and Majin movie series. Continued…
“Schoolgirl Milky Crisis (n.) 1. A silly name for a generic anime show, made up to protect the innocent in Jonathan Clements’ long-running insider column about the Japanese comics and cartoons business. (n.) 2. A hugely entertaining collection of nearly two decades of articles, speeches and interviews by Jonathan Clements, manga and anime translator, sometime voice actor, and co-author of the Anime Encyclopedia.
Mixing reviews, cultural commentary, insights into classic manga and anime titles, interviews and profiles of Japan’s top creators, and hilarious insider stories from the anime trade, Clements is your guide to this fascinating and often very strange world, with new illustrations from fan favorite artist Steve Kyte.”
VOLTRON: DEFENDER OF THE UNIVERSE EDITION of MONSTERPOCALYPSE Collectible Miniatures Game Coming in 2010
Source: Privateer Press press release
Official Site: Monsterpocalypse.com
Privateer Press, Inc. and World Events Productions, Ltd. are proud to announce an agreement giving Privateer Press rights to license the widely popular Voltron: Defender of the Universe for Privateer’s hit collectible miniatures game MONSTERPOCALYPSE. The new set is expected to release in early 2010 and will feature iconic characters from the classic VOLTRON animated series.
Matt Wilson, Privateer Press’ Chief Creative Officer and MONSTERPOCALYPSE creator, said about the agreement, “MONSTERPOCALYPSE was created with the goal of being able to feature guest stars from our favorite films and TV shows that have done so much to inspire the creation of the game. Along with millions of other fans since VOLTRON hit our airwaves in the 80s, we at Privateer have all been in love with that indomitable Defender of the Universe, and we couldn’t be more thrilled to see Voltron as the very first media celebrity to be featured in MONSTERPOCALYPSE.” Continued…
Titan Books is offering SciFi Japan readers a chance to win a copy of their new book Schoolgirl Milky Crisis: Adventures in the Anime and Manga Trade.
For anyone wondering “What the heck is Schoolgirl Milky Crisis?”, the answer is that the book is a collection of articles and essays on manga, anime, and Japanese movies written by British author and scriptwriter Jonathan Clements. Clements is a highly respected authority on the subject, having co-authored The Anime Encyclopedia, written The Dorama Encyclopedia: A Guide to Japanese TV Drama, and provided liner notes for anime and Japanese movie DVDs. He has been a writer and columnist for the UK Sci-Fi Channel website, the BBC, Newtype USA, Judge Dredd Megazine, NEO, 2000 AD, and SFX Total Anime. Clements has also created scripts for audio dramas and novels based on popular series such as DR WHO and JUDGE DREDD, and has worked as a director, translator, and voice actor for the English language versions of more than 70 anime and manga titles, including SOL BIANCA, USHIO & TORA, HUMMINGBIRDS, and PLASTIC LITTLE.
This is a fun and informative book that should appeal to anyone who enjoys manga, anime, and Asian cinema… particularly those who are interested in what goes on behind the scenes. But don’t take our word for it… enter the contest and find out for yourself! Continued…
VIZ Media announced today that Shonen Jump magazine has a special treat for readers—an invitation to read a free preview of the upcoming Naruto manga Volume 45 (rated ‘T’ For Teens)— online at shonenjump.com, for a limited time only. These chapters will not run in the magazine and will not be available in graphic novel form until July 2009.
The 120-page preview will be available online beginning today through May 5th exclusively at shonenjump.com. A preview link appears on the homepage. Visitors must type in the password that appears on page 20 of the May issue of Shonen Jump to access the chapters.
Naruto depicts the adventures of a young boy named Naruto Uzumaki who trains to become a ninja, and through his exciting adventures, the young ninja learns the importance of friendship, teamwork, loyalty, hard work, creativity, ingenuity, and right versus wrong. Created by Masashi Kishimoto, Naruto was first introduced in Japan in 1999 and quickly became that country’s most popular ninja manga targeting tweens and teens, and more than 85 million copies to date have been printed. The manga series has captivated millions of fans across North America, Europe and South America. Continued…
