© 2008 20th Century Fox

Now I’ve seen this poster disappear from a few sites, which seems a little suspicious…Does the studio still have faith in the film?

Photo Source: slashfilm.com (http://www.slashfilm.com/2008/04/27/dragonball-teaser-poster-updated/)

What is Facebook?

Facebook is a social utility that connects people with friends and others who work, study and live around them. People use Facebook to keep up with friends, upload an unlimited number of photos, share links and videos, and learn more about the people they meet.

Some anime have a point to the melancholy drama, and get to it fairly quickly, but they don’t drag it out over every episode. I don’t want to not want to get out of bed in the morning or park the car in the garage and leave the door down with the engine on after watching an anime. Lord knows it can’t all be sunshine and roses, but there’s a point when enough is too much.

Anime concepts can be anything, from mundane (Kanon) to really mundane (Prince of Tennis) to tedious and boring (Yakitate!!) to depressing beyond words (Grave of the Fireflies). So how much is too much when it comes to a concept for anime being too boring, depressing or mundane?

While we all know the list of good ideas for anime are nigh endless, the flip side is also true- a never ending supply of baaaad ideas are forever lurking, waiting to be made into crappy anime. We’ve compiled a top ten list of ideas for anime which should never, under any circumstances, EVER be made, either because they’re too depressing or too boring:

10. Ero Knitting- Purl, purl, left stitch, oh yeah!

9. Reduce, Reuse, Recycle- 1, 2, 5 and 4 which plastic will cost our planet more?

8. Shopping for Flatware- The real danger was, would the store have enough for a sitting of 10?

7. Hair Cut, The Series- Dueling scissors battle for the ultimate prom night-do!

6. Pet Shelter of Horrors- Take one home today or the guilt will haunt you…forever!!!

5. Awkward Silence: I Made Out With Your Mom- How long can a man gape in surprise before the silence destroys him?

4. Tax Time- Uncle Sam knows where you live!! And you, and you, and you….

3. Paint Drying: The First Coat- As the paint dried, lives were lived.

2. Exit Poll, The Movie- Their final opinions prove nothing!

1. Hospice*

Perhaps you’ve been privy to some bad anime ideas in your lonely hours, or someone mentioned something should be made into anime and you strongly disagree. What thoughts do you have on which ideas should be avoided at all costs for the sake of anime? Do you or someone you know have a handful of bad ideas for anime you’ve been keeping to yourselves? If so this is your chance to share: What’s the worst anime concept ever?

*I highly, highly respect hospice and its caregivers. Their sacrifice makes our last days safe and comfortable, but a hospice anime? Worst. Idea. Ever.

Feel free to unburden your bad anime ideas in the comments below!

The company which makes Butter Ball, UHA, is a truly inventive Japanese candy maker. They’re the creators of Shigekix, Koakuma and a slew of other appealing and inspiring snacks and candy.

Packaging

The packaging is rather blah for UHA, which stands for “Unique Human Adventure“. They usually have some phenomenally eye-catching packaging that hits you square in the face and forces you to buy their products. This bag looks like a bag of candy I’d find down at my local grocery store. The red kanji doesn’t pop off the orange backdrop and the black English font does nothing for me. The cow in the bright green field, however is a good contrasting image. Also, points for showing the product and for having the candy individually wrapped. Overall, though, I’m kinda unimpressed with Butter Ball’s packaging. UHA, you can do better!Score: B-

Appearance

The buttery yellow hue and satin sheen are attractive but it’s disappointing the candy is more of a lozenge shape than ball shape, seeing as how it’s called “Butter Ball”. Score: A-

Texture

Butter Ball is a hard candy with a smooth texture. When it’s sucked on, it releases it’s buttery flavor with a bit of heaviness, reminiscent of actual butter. Score: A

Flavor

Wow! This is awesome! It tastes like a butter cookie, with a hint of lemon. The flavor takes me back to when we would crack open a bag of butter cookies on a hot summer afternoon after school and chow down. The lemon is what takes this flavor to the butter cookie realm and not to that of butterscotch or true butter. Butter Ball also has a touch of milkiness, the overall effect being of buttery cookies. The flavor is nice and rich, just like a well made butter cookie. All the butter cookie essence without the cookie.Score: A+

Verdict

Butter Ball is another fantastic offering from a truly unique candy company. The flavor is full and delish. My only complaint is I keep crunching down on them expecting cookie but getting hard candy.

plot summary

In the aftermath of a non-nuclear World War III, the city of Olympus shines brightly against the starkness of a decrepit world. Within Olympus’ boundaries, technology both biological and mechanical flourish, yet the city teeters on the brink of destruction from within and without. Protecting this fragile bubble of humanity and technology are the bioroids and ESWAT.

Bioroids are humanoid creatures designed in a lab to have no negative human emotions, yet possess high levels of intelligence and more. They run the government and are in places of diplomacy and power. ESWAT is a team of highly trained specialists adept at diffusing threats to the safety of Olympus and her citizens.

ESWAT is called in for an operation to take down a group of terrorists holed up in a church with a group of hostages. Two of ESWAT’s finest, Deunan Knute, and her cyborg partner/ lover, Briareos Hecatonchires, rescue the hostages, but Briareos is badly wounded in the operation.

While her lover heals, Deunan is paired up with a new partner, Tereus, one who looks a lot like Briareos did before the accident which made him a cyborg. Tereus and Deunan must work together to solve the latest outbreaks of cyborg terrorism. The incidents become more and more violent and Olympus quickly descends into chaos. But are cyborgs really to blame? Who’s pulling the strings behind these waves of mass violence and what is their purpose?

Deuna struggles to untangle her emotions toward the man who wears her lover’s face and fights to discover the true threat behind the terrorists.

Review

I thought Appleseed: EX Machina would escape unscathed by the taint of film director John Woo, the man who helmed the movie. I believed in my heart of hearts there would be no slow-mo bullet casings falling to the ground, no slow-mo doves fluttering by the camera, no slo-mo fight scenes. I was wrong, and how.

Within the first ten minutes of the movies, most of John Woo’s trademarks are thrown on the screen in a most distracting manner. Within the first twenty minutes, it becomes apparent John Woo’s style clashes massively with the anime style. Within the next thirty minutes, I declare, “Get your John Woo out of my anime!”

Not only is there an overabundance of slowly falling bullet casings, the amount of time doves are on the screen is ridiculous. A dove is even a part of the plot for chrissakes. There really was no need to rub the audience’s faces into the fact John Woo directed produced Appleseed. Fine. We get John Woo did the movie, can we get back to the story now?

But that was impossible, because while the concept for the movie was decent, the story itself wasn’t. It all felt too familiar and too rehashed, which it shouldn’t have. This was a chance to do something new with Appleseed, something daring, something that would have never worked anywhere else but here. Yet, that didn’t happen. The love story between Briareos and Deuane was a good addition, and it didn’t feel too forced. Most of the other story, however, felt too rote and recycled. At the end of the movie, for example, is a blatant ripoff from a famous American sci-fi series story arc. Incredibly blatant.

Character Development

Appleseed EX Machina didn’t have much character development. The relationship between Deunan and Briareos was given some depth and back story, but the development pretty much ended there. No explanation was given for the relationship between Hitomi and Deunan, which was pretty important in the first movie.

Appleseed EX Machina takes much for granted on the part of the viewer, as in not giving them details on people and relationships. Watching the first movie takes care of that, however. Although, that shouldn’t be necessary with some well placed commentary in the second movie.

Character Design

Masamune Shirow’s designs for technology are always tight and Appleseed is no exception. All his concepts feel as though they could become a reality in the future. The airships look much like giant fireflies, taking a page from nature, and the armor is a change of pace from the seemingly cloned mechs which infest the anime world. Shirow’s designs are inspiring to say the least, and are a reflection of a tomorrow which is highly probable.

Animation

The CG work for Appleseed was mediocre to fair. Everything seemed to have a rubbery, fake cast to it and was very noticeable. If this look was what the studio, Micott & Bassara, was aiming for, they achieved it. It wasn’t a good fit for the movie, though, and felt very cheap. All the characters looked like a figurine shop come to life, so the animation also had a slightly creepy effect.

Music

The music for Appleseed was probably the least average of the lot. It was a mix of techno, electronic, trance, and heavy rock and was a perfect fit for the movie.

Voice Acting

English voice work was also mediocre to fair. Deunan’s actress, Luci Christian was a good match for the character as was Briareos’, David Matranga. Other voice work landed in the realm of Okay.

The Japanese voice cast was decent to good but we watched the movie with the English dub.

Conclusion

Appleseed EX Machina did entertain, but it only did a mediocre job of it. I wouldn’t go out of my way to recommend this movie, but neither would I decry it as being garbage. It was an average movie; neither fantastic nor bad. I can’t fully blame John Woo for the so-so nature of Appleseed. Even if he hadn’t come on as director producer, the story probably would have remained unchanged and would have suffered from its own ills just the same. That said, it was difficult to get beyond the visuals John Woo is (in)famous for. It all adds up to a movie with a good premise being executed averagely and directed passably.

Rating

Appleseed EX Machina gets 2.5 outta 4 Hammies!

Retail Info

• Publisher:Warner Home Video
• Release Date: March 11, 2008
• Retail Price: $19.99
• Number of discs:1
• Run Time: 104 minutes
• Rating:PG-13
• Language: English, Japanese
• Aspect Ratio: 1.66:1
• Format: Animated, Color, Closed Caption, Dolby, DVD-Video, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen

This year’s event will feature at cosplayers from at least 13 countries. There have been seven preliminary rounds held so far which select each country’s representatives.

September 8, 2007

The German preliminary round was held as part of Connichi 2007 at the Kongress Palais Kassel in Kassel, Germany. There were three judges: one member of the WCS 2007 German team, one Connichi organizer, and one member of the cosplay community “Cosplay Heaven“. The winning team performed as characters from Sailor Moon.

• Annie Fischinger (left) as Sailor Moon
• Katharina Wehrmann (right) as Sailor Chibi Moon

Use the following links to view more information about the preliminary and the team members.

September 23, 2007

The Thai preliminary round was held as one of the final events of Japan Week at Central World in Bangkok. There was a large panel of judges, mostly Japanese, including the Public Relations & Culture Division Chief of the Japanese Embassy, TV Aichi’s Division Chief of the Executive Office, the Deputy Manager of the JETRO Bangkok Center, the Head of the JNTO Bangkok Center, the Head of the ANA branch in Bangkok, and the Head of the Japan National Tourist Organization’s Sightseeing and PR Office. The lone non-Japanese judge was the organizer for Korea’s WCS preliminary. The person who wrote the report about this preliminary round mentioned that:

“The Japanese judges were older guys lined up on stage; it felt as if they were in the wrong place! Basically, it didn’t feel like it had an otaku atmosphere.“

However, the reporter also had a favorable reaction to their choice of the team who would represent Thailand. This team performed as characters from Xenosaga.

• Julaluk Lohanawakul (left) as T-ELOS
• Jittraporn Distaprom (right) as KOS-MOS

Use the following links to view more information about the preliminary and the team members.

October 4, 2007

The Italian preliminary round was held at the Romics 2007 comics and animation festival. The event took place at the Camera di Commercio di Roma in Rome. Like the Thai preliminary round, there were many judges, though, this set of judges seemed to be a better fit (less business oriented).

According to the person who reported about the Italian preliminary round: “The Jury was made up of a number of personalities from the world of TV and entertainment so as to have different points of view in the final decision: a TV producer, Cosplay experts, publishers, the Italian representatives of previous editions of the WCS, a voice actor for anime.” This reporter also seemed to like the judges’ decision. The winning team performed as characters from Five Star Stories.

• Nadia Baiardi (left) as Lachesis
• Martina Arnaldi (right) as Amaterasu

Use the following links to view more information about the preliminary and the team members.

November 3, 2007

There were two countries which had preliminary rounds on this date. The Danish preliminary round was held at J-Popcon 2007 at the Valby Kulturhus in Copenhagen. There were four judges…two were from Gainax (a director and a character designer), one was a member of Germany’s WCS 2007 team, and one was a WCS 2008 staff member from TV Aichi. They selected a team who performed as characters from Tsubasa RESERVoir CHRoNiCLE.

• Liuwina Haeklund (left) as Sakura
• Lisa Hvidberg (right) as Shaoran

Use the following links to view more information about the preliminary and the team members.

The Spanish preliminary round was held at the 13th Salón del Manga (which is said to be the oldest manga and anime festival in Europe) at the Poliesportiu Centre in Barcelona. The were six judges including the Envoy from the Japanese Embassy in Madrid, the Event Coordinator of the Salón del Manga, 2 editors from comics publishing firms (Planeta DeAgostini Comics & Norma Comics), a TV producer (from Televisión de Catalunya), and a gothic fashion designer. Coincidentally, they also chose a team whose performance featured characters from Tsubasa RESERVoir CHRoNiCLE.

• Maria Pérez Tomás (left) as Sakura
• Nicolás Cabrerizo García (right) as Shaoran

Use the following links to view more information about the preliminary and the team members.

December 7, 2007

The US preliminary round was held at the innaugural New York Anime Festival. The competition was at the Jacob Javits Center in New York City. This marked the return of the US to the WCS after a two year hiatus. There were five judges- a photographer, a cosplayer, and three people representing the sponsors of the WCS. They chose the team who performed as characters from Magic Knight Rayearth.

• Renee Gloger (left) as Umi
• Sonnya Paz (right) as Hikaru

Use the following links to view more information about the preliminary and the team members.

February 4, 2008

The Mexican preliminary round was held as part of the 14th Expo Manga Comic TNT GT2 event. The venue was the Mexico City World Trade Center large event hall. There were four judges: one was a member of the 2005 WCS Italian team, one was a coordinator for TNT, and there were two others. They chose a team of veteran cosplayers (9 and 6 years of experience) who performed as characters from Digimon.

• Teresa Garcia Hernandez (left) as Lady Devimon
• Ingrid Alin Naba (right) as Angemon

Use the following links to view more information about the preliminary and the team members.

More preliminaries are scheduled to round out the final list of competitors. This year, Japan will have two teams (an East team from the Tokyo preliminary and a West team from the Osaka preliminary). Other countries which will be sending teams include Korea, Brazil, China, France, and Singapore. Here is a projected itinerary for their preliminary rounds:

May 18, 2008

Japan Team 1 preliminary round

• Tokyo Dome City Cosplay Festa Tokyo Dome City, Tokyo

June 1, 2008

Korean preliminary round

• Everland Cosplay Party 2008 Everland, Yongin

July 13, 2008

Japan Team 2 preliminary round

• Cosplayers Jam@World Cosplay Summit 2008 - West Japan Grand Prix Kyocera Dome, Osaka

July 21, 2008

Brazilian preliminary round

• Event name TBA in São Paulo Dates and Locations TBA

Preliminary rounds for China, France, and Singapore

Once all the teams have been chosen, they will participate in the World Cosplay Summit 2008 in the late summer. The venue will be in Nagoya (Aichi Prefecture), Japan.

One note- early reports had indicated that Australia would be holding preliminary rounds for the 2008 WCS. However, according to the Animania Festival website, these preliminaries are for the 2009 WCS.

Images and reports of preliminary winners: WCS website (more photos from the preliminary rounds may be accessed here as well)

ANN Stories:
World Cosplay Summit 2008’s Italian Finalists Chosen
Tsubasa Team Wins Danish World Cosplay Summit Round
Spanish World Cosplay Summit Finalists Chosen
World Cosplay Summit Announces American Finalists
Mexico’s World Cosplay Summit Competitors Selected
Cosplay Event Adds Brazil, China, France, Singapore, Korea

Special Two-Night Event Will be Shown in Select Theaters Nationwide

VIZ Pictures, an affiliate of VIZ Media, LLC that focuses on Japanese live-action film distribution, has announced that it will team with NCM FATHOM, the entertainment division of National CineMedia, to present a special two-night multi-city debut at over 300 theatres across the United States for the live-action special event DEATH NOTE on May 20 and 21, at 7:30 pm. local time.

This special two-night event includes a specially produced 20-minute feature on how the manga translates to live action as well as the first-ever interview with Director Shusuke Kaneko.

Advance purchase tickets will be available from April 18th through April 20th to all subscribers of the SHONEN JUMP e-mail newsletter (sign-up is available at www.shonenjump.com). Tickets for the general public will be available starting on April 21st at presenting theatre box offices and online at www.FathomEvents.com. For a complete list of theatre locations and prices, please visit the www.FathomEvents.com website (theatres are subject to change).

DEATH NOTE is based on the hit supernatural action mystery manga series written by Tsugumi Ohba and illustrated by Takeshi Obata. The live-action film, directed by Shusuke Kaneko, known as the director of popular monster film “Gamera” series, was released in Japan in 2006 and mirrors the manga’s story of Light Yagami, an ace student with great prospects who is bored out of his mind. All of that changes when he finds the Death Note, a notebook dropped by a rogue Shinigami death god named Ryuk. Any human whose name is written in the notebook dies, and now Light has vowed to use the power of the Death Note to rid the world of evil. But when criminals mysteriously begin dropping dead, the authorities send the legendary detective L to investigate, and he is soon hot on the trail of Light, who must now reevaluate his one noble goal. Both Light and L believe themselves to be on the side of justice, and the two match wits trying to show exactly which of them is “good” and which of them is “evil.”

Presented by NCM Fathom and VIZ Pictures, the DEATH NOTE live action feature appears on the big screen in high-definition with Cinema Surround Sound in select locations throughout the U.S., screening in more than 300 select AMC, Cinemark USA Inc., Georgia Theatre Company, Goodrich Quality Theaters, Kerasotes ShowPlace Theatres, Loeks Movie Theatres & Cinema, National Amusements and Regal Entertainment Group movie theatres through NCM’s Digital Broadcast Network.

“NCM Fathom is excited to partner with VIZ once again to bring such a unique event to the big screen for ‘DEATH NOTE’ fans across the country,” said Dan Diamond, vice president of NCM Fathom. “’DEATH NOTE’ is a perfect fit for NCM Fathom’s line-up of alternative in-theatre entertainment of all types – from anime, music concerts, extreme sports, comedy, children’s programming, the Metropolitan Opera and more.”

The DEATH NOTE manga and animated series have become extremely popular domestically. The 37-episode animated series is seen by millions each week on cable broadcast and the series is also distributed on DVD by VIZ Media (rated T+ for Older Teens). On the print side, DEATH NOTE 13: HOW TO READ, a companion volume to the successful manga series, also published domestically by VIZ Media, was recently ranked in USA Today’s Top 150 list of America’s best-selling books in February.

“DEATH NOTE is a riveting and critically acclaimed drama that has become the latest animated and manga series to capture the attention of millions of fans across North America,” says Seiji Horibuchi President and CEO of VIZ Pictures. “Inspired by its manga and animation counterparts, the live-action DEATH NOTE combines the best aspects of suspenseful crime dramas like Heat, Seven and Sea Of Love with supernatural plot elements to make for a very unique story. We are very excited to partner with NCM FATHOM to present this special two-night event in major markets across the country. With multiple genres available to enjoy the story we hope the film attracts fans of the manga and animated series and vice versa.”

About National CineMedia

NCM LLC operates the largest digital in-theatre network in North America through long-term agreements with its founding members, AMC Entertainment Inc., Cinemark USA Inc. (NYSE: CNK) and Regal Entertainment Group (NYSE: RGC), the three largest theatre operators in the U.S., and through multi-year agreements with several other theatre operators. NCM LLC produces and distributes its FirstLook pre feature program; cinema and lobby advertising products; comprehensive meeting and event services and other entertainment programming content. NCM LLC’s national network includes over 15,250 screens of which over 13,200 are part of the company’s Digital Content Network (DCN). NCM LLC’s DCN covers 169 Designated Market Areas® (49 of the top 50). During 2007, approximately 542 million patrons attended movies shown in theatres owned by the NCM LLC founding members (excluding Loews). National CineMedia, Inc. (NASDAQ: NCMI) owns a 44.8% interest in and is the managing member of NCM LLC. For additional information, visit www.ncm.com or www.FathomEvents.com.

About VIZ Pictures, Inc.

Based in San Francisco, CA, VIZ Pictures, Inc. distributes Japanese live-action films and DVDs, with particular focus on Japanese “kawaii (cute) and cool” pop culture. VIZ Pictures approaches each release from a J-pop fan’s point of view to serve manga and anime generation in North America. VIZ Pictures titles include TRAIN MAN: DENSHA OTOKO, LINDA LINDA LINDA, THE TASTE OF TEA, and PING PONG. The company will continue to offer the hottest visual entertainment straight from the “Kingdom of Pop” for audiences of all ages in North America. VIZ Pictures, Inc. is an affiliate of VIZ Media, LLC, the San Francisco-based leading U.S. publisher of Japanese manga (comics) and merchandise licensor of Japanese animation such as the popular “NARUTO” animated TV series. For more information please visit www.viz-pictures.com.

About VIZ Media, LLC

Headquartered in San Francisco, CA, VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), is one of the most comprehensive and innovative companies in the field of manga publishing, animation and entertainment licensing of Japanese content. Owned by three of Japan’s largest creators and licensors of manga and animation, Shueisha Inc., Shogakukan Inc., and Shogakukan Production Co., Ltd. (ShoPro Japan), VIZ Media is a leader in the publishing and distribution of Japanese manga for English speaking audiences in North America and a global licensor of Japanese manga and animation.

The company offers an integrated product line including, magazines such as SHONEN JUMP and SHOJO BEAT, graphic novels, videos, DVDs, audio soundtracks and develops and markets animated entertainment from initial production, television placement and distribution, to merchandise licensing and promotions for audiences and consumers of all ages. Contact VIZ Media at 295 Bay Street, San Francisco, CA 94133; Phone (415) 546-7073; Fax (415) 546-7086; and web site at www.VIZ.com.

When the Japanese get a national holiday one can only imagine how thrilled they are to have a day off to relax. But the Japanese don’t just do single paid holidays like we do, that’s for slackers. They have lump sum holidays spanning multiple days, such as New Year’s in January and Obon in August. These two holidays are chump change compared to Golden Week, however.

Golden Week is a group of Japanese holidays which starts on April 29 (Showa Day) and ends on May 5 (Children’s Day, formerly Boy’s Day). The Japanese, for the most part, have this entire week off, depending on how Golden Week falls on the calendar. This year, unfortunately, Golden Week is so set up that the 29th is on a Tuesday, May 3-4 are on a weekend, and May 5-6 are on a Monday and Tuesday. Essentially hard-working natives only have four consecutive days off as opposed to the possible six.

To break down the holidays:

April 29

Showa Day (Showa hi)
A holiday which celebrates the birth of Emperor Showa, the emperor who ruled during War World II.

May 3

Constitution Memorial Day (Kenpo kinenbi)
The day the Japanese celebrate the day their constitution came into effect in 1947.

May 4

Greenery Day (Midori no hi)
Greenery Day is a day to reflect on the beauty of nature. Greenery Day used to fall on April 29, the same day as Showa hi. Midori no hi was so named and placed since Emperor Showa loved nature. May 4 used to have no true holiday but was called “official holiday” (kokumin no kyujitsu). This day is an automatic holiday since by Japanese law, any day which falls between two national holidays is also a holiday. The Japanese then moved Midori no hi to Kokumin no kyujitsu, cause let’s face it, it sucks to be a holiday with no real meaning.

May 5

Children’s Day (Kodomo no hi)
Formerly Boy’s Day, the Japanese changed the holiday to celebrate both boys and girls. Carp flags are flown outside homes to symbolize the children and parents living within.

If I were so inclined, I would be more likely to celebrate Midori no hi than any other day during Golden Week, the reason being, I love nature more than emperors, foreign constitutions and children. It’d actually be fun to celebrate Greenery Day here in the US; it would be another fine reason to have a picnic or party outside during spring. We don’t have too many official days in honor of nature, except for Earth Day. And frankly, Earth Day makes me hella guilty for existing.

Which day out of Golden Week would you use as an excuse to have a party, picnic or political rally? Would you raise a carp flag for your puppy or baby brother/ sister? Would you toast Greenery Day with a Midori sour? Celebrate the birth of Emperor Showa, or have a protest rally on that day? Which holiday would you celebrate?

Hey, I know we don’t celebrate the same holidays as the Japanese, but share which day out of Japan’s longest vacation season you find most appealing in the comments below!

801 Media

Aurora Publishing

Aurora Publishing

May

• Walkin’ Butterfly, Vol. 3

Broccoli Books

Broccoli Books

CMX

CMX

May 7

• Crayon Shinchan, Vol. 2

Dark Horse

Dark Horse

May 7

• Eden: It’s an Endless World, Vol. 10

May 14

• Appleseed, Vol. 2
• Blood +, Vol. 2
• Red String, Vol. 3

May 28

• Berserk, Vol. 28
• Path of the Assassin, Vol. 11

Del Rey

Del Rey

May 6

• Hell Girl, Vol. 2
• Kitchen Princess, Vol. 6
• Nodame Cantabile, Vol. 13

May 13

• Parasyte, Vol. 3
• Toto!:The Wonderful Adventure, Vol. 1
• Tsubasa, Vol.17
• The Yagyu Ninja Scrolls, Vol. 3

May 20

• Haridama: Magic Cram School, Vol. 1
• Maid Machinegun Vol. 1
• Mamotte! Lollipop, Vol. 6
• Mushishi, Vol. 4
• Psycho Busters, Vol. 3
• Shugo Chara!, Vol. 4
• Yozakura Quartet, Vol. 2

May 27

• Metal Gear Solid, Vol. 1
• Minima!, Vol. 2
• My Heavenly Hockey Club, Vol.5
• The Reformed, Vol. 1

Digital Manga Publishing

DMP

May 13

• Endless Rain
• Enchanter, Vol. 8
• Happiness Recommended
• Better Than a Dream
• Loving Gaze

May 27

• A Love Song for the Miserable
• S, Vol. 1
• A Strange and Mystifying Story, Vol. 1
• Red
• A Promise of Romance

DrMaster Publications

DrMaster Publications

May

• Chinese Hero, Vol. 6
• Magic Lover’s Tower, Vol. 1
• Magic Lover’s Tower, Vol. 2
• Metro Survive, Vol. 2

Go! Comi!

Go! Comi!

No May releases

Netcomics

Netcomics

May 1

• Do Whatever You Want, Vol.2
• Honey Senior, Darling Junior, Vol.2
• Romance Papa, Vol.2
• Operation Liberate Men, Vol.3
• The Great Catsby, Vol.6

Seven Seas Entertainment

Seven Seas Entertainment

May

• Amazing Agent Luna Omnibus I (Contains AALuna Vol. 1-3)
• Dance in the Vampire Bund, Vol. 1
• Hollow Fields, Vol. 2
• I, Otaku: Struggle in Akihabara, Vol. 2

Tokyopop

TokyoPop

May 1

• Archlord, Vol. 5
• Battle Club, Vol. 6
• Clam No Kiseki, Vol.11
• The Good Witch of the West, Vol. 6
• Kedamono Damono, Vol. 3
• Rozen Maiden, Vol. 8
• Sakura Taisen, Vol. 7

May 6

• Gatcha Gacha, Vol. 7

May 8

• Getbackers, Vol. 24

May 9

• Kingdom Hearts II, Vol. 2

May 10

• Brave Story, Vol. 4
• GTO: The Early Years - Shonan Junai Gumi, Vol.7
• The Queen’s Knight, Vol. 11
• Rave Master, Vol. 28
• Sgt. Frog, Vol. 15
• Trinity Blood, Vol. 6

May 11

• The Good Witch of the West, (Novel) Vol. 2

May 12

• Initial D Volume 30
• Warriors, Vol. 3

May 13

• The Adventures of Duan Surk, Vol. 4
• Aria, Vol. 2
• Cherry Juice, Vol. 3
• Chibi Vampire, Vol. 8
• Chronicles of the Cursed Sword, Vol. 21
• Demon Flowers: Kuruizaki No Hana, Vol. 3
• Fantamir, Vol. 3
• Foxy Lady, Vol. 1
• Good Luck, Vol.5
• Harukaze Bitter Bop, Vol. 2
• Heavenshield, Vol. 1
• Kannazuki No Miko: Destiny of Shrine Maiden, Vol. 1
• The Kindaichi Case Files, Vol. 17
• King of Thorn, Vol. 4
• The Knockout Mode, Vol. 9
• Love Pistols, Vol. 5
• Manga Sutra–Futari H, Vol. 2
• Monochrome Factor, Vol. 2
• Rhysmyth, Vol. 2
• Samurai Deeper Kyo, Vol. 28
• Satisfaction Guaranteed, Vol. 7
• Short Sunzen!, Vol. 2
• V.B. Rose, Vol. 2
• White Night Melody, Vol. 1
• Wild Adapter, Vol. 5

Viz Media

Viz Media

May 6

• Absolute Boyfriend, Vol. 6
• Black Cat, Vol. 14
• B.O.D.Y., Vol. 1
• Crimson Hero, Vol. 8
• Dr. Slump, Vol. 15
• Fairy Cube, Vol. 1
• Gin Tama, Vol. 6
• High School Debut , Vol. 3
• Hikaru no Go, Vol. 12
• Hunter x Hunter, Vol. 20
• Kaze Hikaru, Vol. 9
• Kurohime, Vol. 5
• Love Com, Vol. 6
• Nana, Vol. 10
• Naruto, Vol. 29
• S.A, Vol. 4
• Sand Chronicles, Vol. 2
• Shaman King, Vol. 16
• Skip Beat!, Vol. 12
• The Prince of Tennis, Vol. 25
• Whistle!, Vol. 19

May 13

• Basara, Vol. 27
• Flame of Recca, Vol. 27
• Hayate the Combat Butler, Vol. 7
• Project Arms, Vol. 19
• Switch, Vol. 2
• The Record of a Fallen Vampire, Vol. 1
• Togari, Vol. 6
• Yakitate!! Japan, Vol. 11

May 20

• Case Closed, Vol. 23
• Kekkaishi, Vol. 13

May 27

• Rurouni Kenshin, Vol. 2 (VIZBIG Edition)

Yen Press

Yen Press

May

• 11th Cat, Vol. 5
• Heavenly Execution Chiwoo, Vol. 4
• Legend, Vol. 2
• One Thousand and One Nights, Vol. 4
• Shoulder-a-Coffin Kuro, Vol. 1
• Sundome, Vol. 2
• You’re So Cool, Vol. 1

• Anime Street Pavilion, San Francisco, California (USA)

May 23-25, 2008

• Animazement
  Durham, North Carolina (USA)
• Anime North
  Toronto, Ontario (Canada)
• Florida Supercon
  Weston, Florida (USA)

May 23-26, 2008

• FanimeCon
  San Jose, California (USA)

May 24, 2008

• Arkansas Anime Festival
  Springdale, Arkansas (USA)

May 23-25, 2008

• ConQuest
  Kansas City, Missouri
  Primarily a sci-fi con with a smattering of anime and cosplay.
• Marcon
  Columbus, Ohio
  Mainly a sci-fi/ fantasy con with some anime.

May 24-25, 2008

• London Movie, Comic and Media Expo
  London, England
  A con showcasing pop culture media with anime and manga included.

May 24-26, 2008

• Saboten-Con
  Phoenix, Arizona (USA)

May 30-June 1, 2008

• A-Kon
  Dallas, Texas (USA)
• Wizard World Philadelphia
  Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (USA)
  Mainly a comic convention with some anime.
• Epitanime 2008
  Paris, France (Site language is French)

May 31, 2008

• JapAniManga Night
  Winterthur, Switzerland (Site language is German)