It’s not often I can use the US Armed Forces daily, Stars & Stripes as a source for manga news, but the office for the Commander, Naval Forces Japan (CNFJ) is producing a manga to help explain its mission to the Japanese public. It will follow two sailors (one male and one female) stationed on the USS George Washington (scheduled to arrive in Yokosuka in summer 2008). CNFJ is following Japan’s Ministry of Defense’s lead, which has used manga for this purpose since 2004.
The story from Stars & Stripes: Comic book idea nothing to laugh at
The Anime News Network article: U.S. Navy to Create Manga to Explain Itself to Japan
One example of the Ministry of Defense manga with Prince Pickles (note: 6.5 MB PDF)
Sci Fi to air Anime
I first spotted this on a website of a TV trade I sometimes read, Broadcasting & Cable. I also saw this in an Anime News Network article. This news is for US readers. Sci Fi Channel will be starting a 2-hour block of anime programming on Mondays called Ani-Monday. It will run from 11pm to 1am (Eastern Time). It looks like Sci Fi wants to take a bite out of Cartoon Network’s Adult Swim block, aiming at the 18 – 34 male audience. If the Monday experiment works, then Sci Fi will probably strip the concept across the week (M – F). The content (movies, series, etc.) will be provided by Manga Entertainment, which is a division of Starz Media (which produces Sci Fi’s live action series, Painkiller Jane). Ani-Monday will premiere on June 11 with the movie, Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex – Solid State Society. The following week will start the series Noein (11pm), Tokko (11:30pm), and Macross Plus (midnight). Sci Fi Network’s web news service, Sci Fi Wire, has posted additional programming info. Other titles include Blood: The Last Vampire, Ninja Scroll, Read or Die, and Blackjack.
Broadcasting & Cable story: Sci Fi Targets Late Night
Anime News Network
Sci Fi to Air Ghost in the Shell’s Solid State Society, Noein, Tokko, Sci Fi Channel Launches Monday Night Anime Block
Sci Fi Wire article: SCI FI Unveils ‘Ani-Monday’
Ani-Kuri 15
NHK, Japan’s public broadcaster (more analogous to Britain’s BBC than the US’s PBS) is airing a collection of 1 minute anime shorts between their regular programming. The collection is called Ani-Kuri 15 (Ani-Kuri is a portmanteau of anime and creators). The collection will be aired in 3 5-episode “seasons” with the first season starting on May 7th. The other seasons will be aired in the next few months.
For those of us who cannot watch NHK, the episodes will be available on the official Ani-Kuri 15 website in the near future. Some of those involved with the creation of the episodes include Akemi Hayashi (Gainax, character designer, Fruits Basket), Mamoru Oshii (Production I.G, director, Ghost in the Shell), and Satoshi Kon (Madhouse, director, Paprika).
The full English story may be viewed at: NHK Launches Ani-Kuri 15
The Japanese source: http://www.saiani.net/
Satoshi Kon News
The Brazilian blog Papo de Budega posted an interview with director Satoshi Kon (Millenium Actress and Paranoia Agent). In it he talks about his background, projects (including a brief description of his new project, a children’s fantasy/adventure movie), and advice for aspiring animators. The interview is posted in both English and Portuguese.
Tales From Earthsea News
Here is a link to an interview with director Goro Miyazaki (son of Hayao Miyazaki) held at the Taiwan International Book Exhibition earlier this year. Among other things, he discussed how his father both helped and hindered with the making of his first movie (Tales From Earthsea).
Yoichi Hatta Film
In a Taiwan related story, director Noboru Ishiguro (Space Battleship Yamato and Macross) will be writing and directing a movie on the life of Yoichi Hatta, who was the Japanese engineer that helped to modernize Taiwan’s irrigation system during Japanese occupation. This was the Chianan Irrigation Waterworks, which was started in 1920 and completed in 1930. The Taiwanese still honor him with a memorial service held at the Wushanto Dam where a bronze statue of him was placed. The movie will open in the Summer of 2008 in Japan and Taiwan in Mandarin Chinese.
English stories: Yamato, Macross Director to Create Biopic on Engineer, Macross Director To Animate Life Of Hatta Yoichi
The Japanese Source (Sankei Newspaper): http://www.sankei.co.jp/kokusai/china/070509/chn070509000.htm
Rebuild of Evangelion Titles
The Japanese titles for all 4 Rebuild of Evangelion chapters (movies) have been announced. They are:
- EVANGELION: 1.0: YOU ARE (NOT) ALONE (Evangelion Shin GekijÅban: Jo)
Evangelion New Theater Edition: Preface
Premiere: September 1, 2007 (in Japan) - EVANGELION: 2.0 (Evangelion Shin GekijÅban: Ha)
Evangelion New Theater Edition: Breaking Up
Premiere: 2008 - EVANGELION: 3.0 (Evangelion Shin GekijÅban: KyÅ«)
Evangelion New Theater Edition: Rush
Premiere: 2008 - EVANGELION: 4.0 (FINAL)
(Evangelion Shin GekijÅban: ?) Evangelion New Theater Edition
Premiere: 2008
Jo-Ha-Kyu is an organizational concept from traditional Japanese Court Music (Gagaku). It was also incorporated into Noh drama and Kabuki theater. Jo is the Introduction; Ha is the Scatterings (some would say speeding up); Kyu is the Rushing Toward the End. Also, immediately following Kyu, there is a moment of stillness. The creator and theorist of Noh, Zeami Motokiyo, used the following analogy:
A small stream becomes a river then ends in a waterfall which finally leads to a still pond. So, Chapter 1 is Jo; Chapter 2 is Ha; Chapter 3 is Kyu; Chapter 4 is ?. It should be interesting to see how closely the chapters (movies) will follow this concept.
The English story: Evangelion Movie Remakes’ Chapter Titles Confirmed
The Japanese source (Moon Phase): http://d.hatena.ne.jp/moonphase/
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