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Newsletter
CEL SHADED
Funimation adds 5 new, 7 old anime
POSTED: 01:30 a.m. HST, Jan 12, 2009
In my Anime Year in Review column two weeks ago, I casually mentioned that Funimation was in the midst of its "New Show A-Go-Go" 10-day event, during which the anime publisher promised to reveal a new series it had licensed for U.S. release every day counting down to the new year.
Now that it's over, it's time to take a closer look at what Funimation has wrought, with the promise of five new series coming down the pipe in the future.
"But Jason," you're saying. "You just wrote that 'New Show A-Go-Go' was a 10-day event. Shouldn't there be 10 new series coming out?"
Well, you'd already be wrong, because Funimation actually announced 12 "new" series; the first nine days featured one license acquisition announcement a day, while the 10th, New Year's Eve, featured three.
Why I put "new" in quotes is because seven of those series announced -- "Ikki Tousen," "Gad Guard," "Samurai Champloo," "Last Exile," "Vandread," "Gankutsuou: The Count of Monte Cristo" and "Gungrave" -- were released several years ago by the now-defunct Geneon USA. The newest, "Samurai Champloo," was released in January 2005; the oldest, "Vandread," was released an eternity-in-anime ago in January 2002. It could take some convincing to get fans to buy Funimation's version later and not picking up the old Geneon DVDs used and cheap now.
Which leaves the following series as truly new to the U.S. market:
» "Nabari no Ou": An introverted boy holds within him a ninja power potent enough to control the world.
» "Oh! Edo Rocket": A fireworks maker working under strict restrictions in Edo-era Japan in the 1800s is asked one day by a mysterious girl to build her a rocket to the moon.
» "Slayers Revolution": Featuring the newest adventures of the money-loving sorceress Lina Inverse and swordsman Gourry Gabriev.
» "Soul Eater": Aspiring "shinigami" (death gods) must collect the souls of 99 evil humans and one witch to power up their living weapons, all the while battling evil themselves.
» "Evangelion 1.0: You Are (Not) Alone": Call it "Evangeli-yet-again" as Gainax retells the events of the 26-episode anime series about humans constantly under attack from alien Angels in the first of a trilogy of planned movies.
Watch for these to come throughout this year and next year ...
Meeting Roll Call
» Aiea Library Anime Club: 3 p.m. Saturday at the library, 99-143 Moanalua Road. This month, librarian Diane Masaki hopes to screen the first volume of "Beck: Mongolian Chop Squad," the tale of a teen who joins up with an up-and-coming rock band. Refreshments will be served. For more information or to RSVP, e-mail Masaki at dmasaki@librarieshawaii.org ...
All A-Twitter
For fans of small-bite blogging, I've launched my own Twitter account, where you can catch my spur-of-the-moment observations on manga, anime and other things throughout the week ... all in 140 characters or less, of course. Follow me at twitter.com/jsyadao ...
In my Anime Year in Review column two weeks ago, I casually mentioned that Funimation was in the midst of its "New Show A-Go-Go" 10-day event, during which the anime publisher promised to reveal a new series it had licensed for U.S. release every day counting down to the new year.
Now that it's over, it's time to take a closer look at what Funimation has wrought, with the promise of five new series coming down the pipe in the future.
"But Jason," you're saying. "You just wrote that 'New Show A-Go-Go' was a 10-day event. Shouldn't there be 10 new series coming out?"
Well, you'd already be wrong, because Funimation actually announced 12 "new" series; the first nine days featured one license acquisition announcement a day, while the 10th, New Year's Eve, featured three.
Why I put "new" in quotes is because seven of those series announced -- "Ikki Tousen," "Gad Guard," "Samurai Champloo," "Last Exile," "Vandread," "Gankutsuou: The Count of Monte Cristo" and "Gungrave" -- were released several years ago by the now-defunct Geneon USA. The newest, "Samurai Champloo," was released in January 2005; the oldest, "Vandread," was released an eternity-in-anime ago in January 2002. It could take some convincing to get fans to buy Funimation's version later and not picking up the old Geneon DVDs used and cheap now.
Which leaves the following series as truly new to the U.S. market:
» "Nabari no Ou": An introverted boy holds within him a ninja power potent enough to control the world.
» "Oh! Edo Rocket": A fireworks maker working under strict restrictions in Edo-era Japan in the 1800s is asked one day by a mysterious girl to build her a rocket to the moon.
» "Slayers Revolution": Featuring the newest adventures of the money-loving sorceress Lina Inverse and swordsman Gourry Gabriev.
» "Soul Eater": Aspiring "shinigami" (death gods) must collect the souls of 99 evil humans and one witch to power up their living weapons, all the while battling evil themselves.
» "Evangelion 1.0: You Are (Not) Alone": Call it "Evangeli-yet-again" as Gainax retells the events of the 26-episode anime series about humans constantly under attack from alien Angels in the first of a trilogy of planned movies.
Watch for these to come throughout this year and next year ...
Meeting Roll Call
» Aiea Library Anime Club: 3 p.m. Saturday at the library, 99-143 Moanalua Road. This month, librarian Diane Masaki hopes to screen the first volume of "Beck: Mongolian Chop Squad," the tale of a teen who joins up with an up-and-coming rock band. Refreshments will be served. For more information or to RSVP, e-mail Masaki at dmasaki@librarieshawaii.org ...All A-Twitter
For fans of small-bite blogging, I've launched my own Twitter account, where you can catch my spur-of-the-moment observations on manga, anime and other things throughout the week ... all in 140 characters or less, of course. Follow me at twitter.com/jsyadao ...
Today’s Edition
- Governor repeats threat of layoffs
- Troops return in time for holiday
- Groups to protest Taiwan president's isle visit
- Gulch permit should be denied due to faulty study, Hanabusa says
- Rail revenue $80M short, but officials not worried
- National cemetery adds niche spaces
- Fireworks delight in Kailua
- UH scientists help NASA study moon for future habitation
- 2 groups receive aid to help vets into work force
- Whatever Happened To...
- Newswatch
- Police / Fire
- Shining Stars
- Vital statistics
- Trouble in Paradise
- State must finish repairs to the 'Aquarius' mosaic
- Isle cartoon to debut on NickToons
- DC Comics pays homage to the classic newspaper format
- Digital Slob: N. Korea's future leader counts me as a 'friend'
- Da Kine
- Scrivener's Sudoku: Major League Baseball
- Murakami's Calabash
- Destined to make a difference
- Outrigger rules in Waikiki surf
- UH's Donovan keeps his eyes on the horizon
- Newest book on Wie gives an insider's look
- Life in the Minors: Baseball takes a back seat to our military
- Hawaii Beat
- Scoreboard
- Television & Radio
- Territorial Savings Bank prepares to embark on its initial public offering
- Hawaii real estate sales
- TheBuzz: Chinese music replaces country on AM
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