There are four contests this time around.

Win Anime Expo 2009 Tickets from RighStuf

First, RightStuf has 5 one-day passes to Anime Expo 2009. 5 lucky winners will receive a pass to the Expo which takes place on July 2-5 at the Los Angeles Convention Center. Note: The winners will receive one day’s admission to the convention, however, they are responsible for their own travel and accommodations.

RULES: The contest is open to residents of the US and Canada 13 years and older. To enter, just fill out the entry form by June 4, 2009. See Official Rules for details.

Year of the Otaku Contest from RightStuf

The second contest from RightStuf is actually a continuing contest with winners selected weekly. The contest is called Year of the Otaku “What Kinds of Otaku are You?”. Past winners have received the first three volumes of the manga Toto! by Yuko Osada, a Bleach gift pack containing a Bleach mini-figurine and trading cards, a Blue Dragon gamer pack, featuring the Blue Dragon for the Nintendo DS, plus a Blue Dragon T-shirt, the first DVD of Midori Days, etc. The current prize is a Yu-Gi-Oh! trading card game tin featuring Elemental Hero Grand Neos. There will be two winners.

RULES: The contest is open to residents of the US and Canada 13 years and older. To enter, just fill out the entry form. The current contest ends on May 21, 2009 but another contest begins the following day. See Official Rules for details.

Naruto Shippuen Contest from Viz Media

Another weekly contest is being conducted by Viz Media. They have partnered with Bandai Collectible Games for this contest where the player has to answer a trivia question about Naruto Shippuen. The current contest will have 20 winners and the prize is the “Fateful Reunion” Starter Pack collectible card game. The winners will be drawn from the list of entries which had the correct answer to the trivia question.

Image of starter pack: BANDAICG.COM/NARUTO/ © 2008 Bandai America Incorporated

RULES: The contest is open to residents of the US and Canada (excluding Quebec) 16 years and older. To enter, just answer the trivia question and fill out the entry form. The current contest ends on May 20, 2009 but another contest begins the following day. See Official Rules for details.

Win A Sakura Matuou Figure from Mania

The last contest is from Mania and is the most recent in their series of figure giveaways. They have partnered with AAAanime to offer a figure of Sakura Matuou from Fate/Hollow Ataraxia. The figure features Sakura Matou in a swimsuit with towel. It is 1/7 scale.

Image of Fate/Hollow Ataraxia: Sakura Matou Figure
© Griffon Enterprises

RULES: To enter, you will need to have a Mania.com account and respond to the posting. The winner will be randomly selected on 05/29/09 from the list. This contest is open to residents of the continental United States only.

Anime/Manga Sales

Next, here are the sales:

RightStuf’s ‘Leading the Way’ Del Rey Sale

RightStuf’s current sale is called Leading the Way. You can take 33% off the retail price of all titles frm Del Rey. This includes pre-orders. The coupon code is guardian and the sale ends on May 21, 2009 at 11:59 CDT.

Anime Nation Sales

AnimeNation has several sales going:

Clearance Sale – Take 65% off select DVD, Books & Manga, CDs, Figures, and merchandise

Pre-owned Sale – Take 25% off select pre-owned DVD and manga

Hare + Guu Sale – Save almost 50% for the full series (7 DVDs and artbox)

Robert’s Anime Corner Store Clearance Sale

Robert’s Anime Corner Store is having a May Clearance Sale. You can take 5% off all in-stock items. Use the coupon code, MAYCLEARANCE5 during checkout. The sale runs through midnight EST on May 25, 2009.

The current economic situation has taken its toll on the anime and manga industry. This 2-part series will take a quick look at the various parts of the industry. Part 1 looked at manga. Part 2 will concentrate on anime, primarily in Japan and North America.

ICv2 has not yet released their figures for North American anime sales in 2008. In a previous report (printed in ICv2 Guide #51) and in last year’s white paper presented at the ICv2 Conference on Anime and Manga, ICv2 mentioned that anime sales have been dropping almost every year since 2003 ($550 million in 2003, $450 million in 2004, $500 million in 2005, $400 million in 2006, and $275-300 million in 2007). Considering the state of the economy, it is likely the 2008 total will be less than 2007’s.

The only good figures for 2008 I have seen for Japan covers the first half of the year. In September 2008, the Japan Video Software Association released a report about DVD sales and rentals from January through June. Anime was the largest genre with 27.4% of total sales in the market. It was followed by Western TV Drama and Asian Films. DVD sales as a whole were down 6.6% from 2007 and anime had a 13.5% drop in sales. The report also mentioned that anime had an 11.9% decrease in rentals.

Actually, the market for anime and anime related merchandise peaked in 2006 according to a May 2008 survey by The Association of Japanese Animations (AJA). The survey said that the anime industry’s market (including revenues from television, film, video production and rights, video sales, distribution, merchandising, overseas business, music, and publishing) grew from 2003 to 2006. In 2003, the market was worth 167.4 billion yen (approx. $1.7 billion dollars US) and that figure grew to 258.8 billion yen (approx. $2.6 billion US). However, in 2007, the market value dropped to 239.6 billion yen (approx. $2.45 billion US). Although final figures for 2008 are not yet available, it is likely that they will be lower than 2007’s. Also, due to the current economic downturn, there is a good chance that 2009’s and possibly 2010’s figures will be lower than 2008’s.

The executive director of the AJA is Yasuo Yamaguchi. He said in a recent Japan Times article: “The financial crisis is forcing sponsors to cut down on television advertisement fees, and this in turn is shrinking the budgets for animations, pressuring everyone involved in the production.” As to the future, Yamaguchi-san said: “I think we’ll see a major decrease in the number of anime programs broadcast. Agencies dependent on television as a primary financial source will need to search for alternatives.”

One TV executive has tried to predict what’s in store for anime in the coming months and years. Keisuke Iwata, head of AT-X (TV Tokyo’s satellite anime channel) has a rather sobering view of the future. He believes that “the global marketplace for Japanese animation will shrink from 2010 onward“. Iwata-san made this claim at the “Anime Business Forum + 2009″ event at Digital Hollywood’s University of Digital Content in Tokyo.

According to Iwata-san, most of Japan’s animation offerings to the global marketplace before 1996 were “border-less animation” (i.e., the settings and themes were not Japanese) like Kinpatsu no Jeanie and Moomin. He believed this changed with the release of Neon Genesis Evangelion and “that Evangelion expanded the global marketplace’s willingness to accept animation that is distinctly Japanese in one broad stroke“. A year or two after Evangelion, Pocket Monsters (aka Pokémon) became a hit which was followed in the early 2000s by Yu-Gi-Oh!. A couple of years later Naruto became a worldwide hit and Japanese animation was a seller’s market.

However, Iwata-san believes that growth from this point on will be difficult. He listed several factors:

• Japanese animation has now reached the saturation point in the global marketplace.
• Due to the worldwide recession and illegal net distribution, the North American marketplace is battered, the European marketplace is in grave condition, and the Japanese companies cannot rely on the Middle East, Asia, and other regions as potential new marketplaces.
• The market saturation, the worldwide recession, various circumstances in each country, illegal distribution on video-submission sites, and the rising yen all had a deep impact on the declining anime export business.

Iwata-san also said, “as it stands, we may have to go back to the way it was in the past — back to selling Japanese animation only to the Japanese marketplace.”

TV Tokyo has been planning on how to work in this difficult environment. They have already put some plans into motion, including putting shows like Naruto and Gintama on US video distribution sites like Crunchyroll. We will look into their plan of action in more detail later in this article.

The current economic downturn has also exacerbated a couple of existing problems with anime production in Japan. First, it is becoming increasingly difficult to become an animator in Japan. An apprentice can earn around 80,000 yen (approx. $795 US) per month working on “in-between cels” (the drawings that bridge the key cels to create a sense of motion). One example mentioned in a Japan Times article, looks at apprentice animator Yuko Matsui. She says that she is not able to save money nor pay her national pension fees with her salary even though she lives with her parents.

A study done by the Japan Council of Performers’ Organization showed that an average “in-between” cel earns 186.9 yen (approx. $1.86 US). It is not unusual for an in-betweener to work on 500 in-between cels per month for a TV animated series. The study says that, at best, this comes out to maybe 94,000 yen (approx. $934) per month with the animator working 250 hours on average. Masayuki Kawachi, a special effects animator at Toei Animation Studio and president of the All-Toei Labor Union, said in the article, “Drawing in-between cels is hard work and it sure doesn’t pay much, but it’s still an important skill that every animator should learn“.

Many of today’s key frame animators and storyboard artists got their start as in-between animators. However, those jobs have been increasingly outsourced to countries like China, South Korea, and the Philippines. The current estimate is that 90% of in-between work has been outsourced overseas. With respect to the remaining jobs in Japan, Kawachi-san said, “…with the recession eating away at production fees and forcing agencies to downsize or go bankrupt, young and aspiring animators can’t find places to work“.

The second existing problem was most recently brought to light by a report from the Japan Fair Trade Commission, which was released on January 23, 2009 in three parts (outline, part 1, part 2 in PDF format). It mentions that many companies commission and recommission production work to smaller agencies. Many times the smaller companies were forced to accept contracts with insufficient negotiations. Some of the complaints from these smaller agencies include:

• “We had to accept the schedule based on the production cost of a preposterously low budget for each animator without any consideration for holidays.”
• “The commissioning company canceled the order without explanation, and did not compensate us for expenses already incurred for the production.”

Another problem mentioned in the report was the lack of copyrights attributed to production agencies. The current practice is to split the copyright among the sponsors. This means the actual creators see little if any secondary use benefits.

Several trade unions (including Kawachi-san’s All-Toei Labor Union) appealed to the culture ministry in 2006 with a proposal for restructuring the animation industry including the main issues and possible solutions. However, there was no response from the government.

Image of ICv2 Guide #51: ©ICv2

ANN Stories: TV Tokyo’s Iwata Discusses Anime’s ‘Road to Survival’ (Updated), Anime Firms Say They Were Forced to Take Low Tenders

Japan Times Article: Future of ‘anime’ industry in doubt

How have the larger animation production companies reacted to the economic downturn? Here are three examples.

In November 2008, Gonzo’s parent company GDH made several announcements:

• The annual output of anime projects would be reduced from 8 to 4 in the next fiscal year
• Their four internal studios would be combined into one division
• They would sell off their GDH Capital financing subsidiary
• They were asking for about 50 GDH and Gonzo employees to take early retirement (excluding employees of Gonzo Rosso, their online game subsidiary)

On the latter announcement, 36 employees decided to take the early retirement offer, which included a severance package of one month’s pay.

In February, GDH announced that Gonzo would be restructured. Within the next 5 years, Gonzo would trim its creative staff from 130 down to 30. The reason given for this move was that DVD sales had slowed and put Gonzo in the red.

Later that month, GDH announced that it would absorb Gonzo and that GDH would take on the name Gonzo. Starting April 1, GDH moved its business offices from Shinjuku in central Tokyo to western Tokyo’s Nerima ward which was Gonzo’s former headquarters. The reason for this move was to reduce redundancies in business operations, cut costs, and increase efficiency.

In March, GDH announced that it would divest itself of its online game subsidiary Gonzo Rosso, even though Gonzo Rosso made a profit last fiscal year (which ended in March 2008) with 1.635 billion yen (approx. $16.4 million US) in sales and a profit of 36 million yen (approx. $360,541 US). GDH’s board of directors decided that rather than split their focus between animation and online games, the company should concentrate solely on its animation business. In a related announcement, GDH said it was also divesting itself of its minority share of Tablier Communications, a developer of net radio programs and merchandise related to anime and voice actors.

In February, NAMCO Bandai Holdings announced a reorganization of its subsidiaries. This reorganization included Bandai Visual. The plan for Bandai Visual is to take the three production departments from the content division and the advertising and sales promotion department from the business strategy division and create six new departments. These new departments are:

• The Gundam department…will be devoted entirely to the mecha franchise which is the most profitable of any of NAMCO Bandai’s franchises
• The high end department…will focus on the projects aimed at the most dedicated fans in the customer base
• The character department
• The anime department
• the film department
• the music department

NAMCO Bandai Holdings had a third quarter net income of 9.019 billion yen (approx. $90.33 million US) which was a 26 % drop from the same period in 2007.

Anime, music, and game production company Marvelous Entertainment (Gunslinger Girl and Mushi-Shi), in a similar move to GDH’s, has asked for about 20 employees to volunteer for early retirement. This announcement was made in late March. The company employs 120 people (as of Dec. 31, 2008). Those who opt for early retirement will receive a special severence payment. This move was due to lower than anticipated sales and the company expected to be 1.31 billion yen (approx. $13.12 million US) in the red at the end of the fiscal year (which ended in March).

ANN Stories: GDH Asks 50 Employees to Voluntarily Retire, Gonzo to Restructure, Reduce Staff Count from 130 to 30 (Update 3), GDH to Absorb Its Gonzo Subsidiary, Adopt Gonzo’s Name, Gonzo’s Parent Company to Sell Off Game Subsidiary (Updated), Reorganization of Bandai Visual Announced, Marvelous Entertainment Asks for 20 Employees to Retire

Meanwhile, in North America…even before the current credit freeze and recession, North American anime companies were having problems.

In 2007, Geneon Entertainment USA first laid off most of its marketing and sales staff, then a couple of weeks later they stopped the marketing, sales, and distribution of all their products. Still, Geneon USA remained a license holder and was able to work out a deal in 2008 with FUNimation where the latter would manufacture, sell, and distribute select DVDs from Geneon.

Another company, Bandai Visual USA was liquidated in 2008 and its content was absorbed by NAMCO Bandai Holdings’ other North American subsidiary, Bandai Entertainment.

The remaining companies have problems of their own.

Arguably, the shakiest company is ADV Films. After their parent company, A.D. Vision, had to layoff 13 employees in October 2007, ADV Films had a rather messy breakup with former investor/partner Sojitz in early 2008. ADV lost the rights to about 30 titles, most of which were acquired by FUNimation. They also lost the funding which had been provided by Sojitz. In an October 2008 interview with ICv2, A.D. Vision CEO John Ledford said:

“In the short term, the breakup with Sojitz forced us to reinvent our business. We’ve reached out to new partners and focused on our core strengths, localization and distribution. Our arrangement with Sentai Filmworks is an example of this. There are others we’ll be announcing in the weeks to come. It hasn’t been easy, but we’ve reached an equilibrium that works and is sustainable.”

Mr. Ledford spoke about partnerships with two other companies…Switchblade Pictures and Sentai Filmworks. Switchblade specializes in ‘Asian Shock’ live action pictures. Sentai is a licensor of anime. Most are older titles like Mahoromatic and Tsukihime, with a few newer titles like Clannad. ADV will be acting as distributor and service bureau for both of these companies.

He also spoke about the anime market in general in North America. He said that big titles are still selling well. These include any of the Final Fantasy titles as well as any Miyazaki film. Niche titles also sell well since the up-front licensing cost is low and there is a large enough fan base who will purchase the DVDs. He commented on the problem outside of these two areas:

“Where things get tricky is in between the big hits and the smaller niche titles. Series that are strong but may not be world-beaters. Viewership is larger than ever, thanks to the Internet, but fans just aren’t buying DVDs like they used to. And when the costs stay the same, you’ve got a lot of solid, quality productions that end up running in the red.

That’s why right now the best business to be in are the hits and the ‘super-niche’ [Mr. Ledford calls the niche anime titles, 'super-niche' since anime itself is a niche] titles. Anything in between can kill you.“

Mr. Ledford mentioned that A.D. Vision’s VOD (video on demand) service, Anime Network, has been a success and is making a profit for the company. As to ADV’s future, he said:

“I think diversity is the key to our future. We’re broadening our content mix–at least within genre entertainment, which is our strength. Don’t expect to see “How-To” videos or anything like that soon!

In a year’s time you should see ADV working with more outside partners like Sentai and Switchblade, providing the same sort of localization and distribution services to a broader array of clients. In particular I think Amusement Park Media, our independent production company, will continue to diversify its business beyond anime or even filmed entertainment. There are some exciting opportunities taking shape that should keep our actors and contract employees busy for years to come, and I hope to talk about some of that with you soon.“

An optimistic assessment, though only time will tell if ADV’s strategies pay off.

Another shaky company is Bandai Entertainment. Their problems have not been as visible as ADV’s. However, in January, the company announced that it was “re-evaluating its operations due to the worsening economy”. According to an ANN report, Bandai is finalizing its strategy for the next three years. For the near future, the company would be laying off some of their 19 full time staffers. Many of these staffers would remain as contracted consultants to finish current projects. When asked by ANN what brought about the restructuring, President Ken Iyadomi said, “The downturn in the DVD market sell through“.

Shortly after this announcement, Bandai Entertainment made another about delays with the releaseses of Gundam Seed Destiny Anime Legends Part 2 and Wolf’s Rain Anime Legends Perfect Collection. Both were originally scheduled for release in February and would instead be released in April. The announcement also mentioned that the Lucky Star Volume 6 Limited Edition DVD and Gurren Lagann Best Sound CD were under indefinite delay.

Three weeks later, Bandai announced that Lucky Star Volume 6 Limited Edition was canceled (thanks to Piroko for this heads up in the Anime Releases for March 2009 comments).

Then on April 6, Bandai Entertainment announced more delays, including additional delays for Gundam Seed Destiny Anime Legends Part 2 and Wolf’s Rain Anime Legends Perfect Collection now slated for May. There were also another set of cancelations…ZegaPain Anime Legends and Flag Anime Legends.

This instability in their release schedule along with their restructuring makes for an uncertain future.

According to Mania, Media Blasters also announced delays, with several titles listed as indefinite delays. Quoting the Mania article, “No reason has been given for the delays but the titles are spread across all their lines and there doesn’t seem to be a particular rhyme or reason for it“. Included among the affected titles are Voltron Fleet of Doom (The Movie) and Twelve Kingdoms Complete Volumes 1-10, Eps. 1-45. It’s too early to tell if this is signifies a major problem with the company or if it is just a bad hiccup in their distribution system.

FUNimation had its own restructuring in early January. Gen Fukunaga, president and CEO of FUNimation Entertainment made the following statement about the restructuring:

“This decision was not taken lightly and thoughtful consideration was given as to how this move would affect our customers, vendors and employees. However, we must anticipate and adapt to the current economic climate. This action is expected to streamline our processes as we manage our business for long-term growth.”

About 20 employees were laid off out of approx. 140 employees. According to Senior Public Relations Manager Jackie Smith, “The production department was not affected and fans should not be concerned about current or future productions of their favorite series“.

In addition, FUNimation’s parent company, Navarre Corporation also laid off about 30 people or 7%-8% of the workforce. The affected departments were finance, information technology, and operations.

Navarre also announced their third quarter financial results in early February. The company had $171,6 million in net sales which was a $46 million drop (21.1%) from the same quarter the previous year. This resulted in an operating loss of $32 million. In the same quarter the previous year, the company had an operating income of $8.6 million. If restructuring costs are taken out, then there would be an operating income of $2.6 million. Navarre blamed the economic downturn as the main cause of the decline in revenues.

As mentioned in Part 1 of this series, Viz Media has started to restructure which included some layoffs.

ANN Stories: Funimation Restructures with Layoffs in Several Departments (Update 2), Funimation’s Parent Navarre Confirms Staff Reductions, Funimation’s Parent Announces Third Quarter Results, Bandai Entertainment to Restructure with Staff Layoffs, Lucky Star 6 LE Cancellation Confirmed

Mania Articles: Bandai Delays and Cancels More Titles, Media Blasters Plays the Delay Game

ICv2 Interview: Interview with John Ledford, Part One, Interview with John Ledford, Part Two

Now for a little positive news…

First, as mentioned earlier, TV Tokyo has developed a plan of action to keep them competitive in the current and future markets. In late February 2009, TV Tokyo President and Co-CEO Masayuki Shim announced at a press conference that TV Tokyo will create a new department which will oversee its anime business. The working title of this entity is the “Anime Department” and it will concentrate in particular to overseas sales. All of the existing anime units will be consolidated into three sections…operations, production, and business matters.

The goal of the new department is to increase revenues from sources outside of broadcasting. Currently, TV Tokyo makes 15% of their revenues from outside sources. With the new department, they hope to increase that number to 20% and, eventually, to 30%.

ANN Story: TV Tokyo to Establish New Anime Departmen

In August of 2008, Kadokawa Holdings started an experiment. Instead of filing lawsuits to prevent people from posting videos on YouTube which contain material from one of their franchises (The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya, Lucky Star, Strike Witches, etc.), Kadokawa decided to sponsor some of the user submitted video on their YouTube channel (which Kadokawa opened in early 2008). These MADs (also known as AMVs in English) would have ads placed directly in the video using the inVideoAd system. The hope was that this would generate a profit. In an interview given at the Creative Commons conference in the northern Japanese city of Sapporo (from a Businessweek article), Tsuguhiko Kadokawa, chairman and CEO of Kadokawa Holdings said of the experiment, “I think a lot of people are watching to see whether we will succeed. If we can do something they haven’t been able to do up to this point, they may follow suit.”

So far the experiment has been paying off. The three months from September through November 2008 saw the company average an income of over 10 million yen (approx. $101,000 US) per month. Kadokawa expected to spend around $1 million US on the experiment. Assuming their monthly income stays at the 10 million yen mark, they could recoup their investment costs within 10 months.

Image © 2006 Nagaru Tanigawa / Noizi Ito / member of SOS

ANN Story: Kadokawa Gets Over 10 Million Yen Monthly from YouTube (Updated)

Businessweek Story: Japanese Anime Studio Embraces YouTube Pirates

In March 2009, Japanese production company Lucent Pictures Entertainment (Squad, an upcoming collaboration with Masamune Shirow) announced that they were forming a strategic alliance with Studio 4°C (Steamboy & Tekkonkinkreet). The result of this alliance is a new studio called Lucent 4°C (L4C). An announcement of the studio’s first project will be made at the end of 2009. The planned schedule is to eventually release 2-3 titles every year.

L4C recently showcased their “next-generation video techinques” at the Tokyo International Anime Fair 2009. The technical demos featured included Sachiko, a project that has been under development since 2005 by director Koji Morimoto (Studio 4°C). The demo highlighted L4C’s combination of “animation footage + three-dimensional video techniques”.

In an unrelated development, not long after the formation of L4C, Shouji Murahama (co-founder and former president of Gonzo) announced he had left Gonzo and had started a new company called Lambda Film. He will be serving as the representative director for Lambda Film’s board of directors. No details were given for the company’s future plans. This isn’t the first time Murahama-san has done this. In 1992, he left Gainax to co-found Gonzo with directors Mahiro Maeda and Shinji Higuchi .

Image of Lucent Pictures Entertainment/Studio 4°C Alliance diagram courtesy Lucent Pictures Entertainment, Inc.

Image of Shouji Murahama: blog.murahama.jp

ANN Stories: Lucent Pictures, Studio 4°C to Launch L4C Anime Studio, Former Gonzo Head Shouji Murahama Launches Lambda Film

The current economic situation has caused many governments to take action. Japan is no exception. In early April, Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso held a press conference. There he outlined a plan which would increase Japan’s gross domestic product (GDP) by 120 trillion yen (approx. $1.22 trillion US) and add 4 million jobs. The plan relies on three pillars:

• The “low-carbon revolution” which would boost the country’s use of solar power, electric cars, and energy efficient appliances
• A “society of health and longetivity” which would seek to build a society friendly to the elderly and would create 300,000 new jobs in the nursing care industry
• Exporting Japan’s “soft power” in fields like fashion and anime

Of course, we are most interested in that last pillar. At the press conference Aso-san said:

“The word ‘manga’ has entered the global lexicon… Japan has materials that attract consumers around the world such as animation, games, fashion — so-called ‘Japan Cool’…By linking the popularity of Japan’s ’soft power’ with business, we wish to grow it into a major industry worth 20-30 trillion yen (approx. $204-307 billion US) and create 500,000 new jobs by 2020.“

It helps that the Prime Minister is a self proclaimed manga otaku. He is said to be an avid reader of the Rozen Maiden manga and is sometimes called “Rozen Aso”.

But, there is a caveat to this optimistic plan. Aso-san’s government will be facing elections later this year and his popularity numbers have been low almost since taking the premiership last September

Press Conference Image of Taro Aso: Xinhua/Reuters Photo

ANN Story: Prime Minister Aso: Anime, Manga Are Part of Japan’s Recovery

AFP Articles: Aso pledges two million new jobs in three years, Manga could rescue Japan economy: PM

China View Article: Japanese PM vows to lift GDP by 120 trillion yen by 2020

Finally, positive North American anime news was rather slim. Most companies were undergoing some sort of restructuring. However, there was one story which caught my eye.

There is a new company, Zakka Films, whose mission is to release early and lesser known Japanese titles on English subtitled DVDs. Their first release is called The Roots of Japanese Anime: Until the End of WWII. It features 8 cartoons from 1930 to 1942 and includes 1942’s Momotaro’s Sea Eagles, a 37-minute wartime propoganda piece. The DVD includes comentary tracks by scholars of Japanese film, a gallery of promotional placards for Momotaro’s Sea Eagles, a pair of songs meant to be played with the two pre-sound animated shorts, and comes with a 12-page booklet on the history of pre-Tezuka anime. Zakka Films’ website says that they are focusing primarily on anime and documentary, but as time goes by it should expand to other genres so long as it meets their criteria of filmmaking excellence and historical significance.

The company was brave to launch in such an economic climate. Perhaps they will be helped by John Ledford’s belief that one of the best businesses to be in is ’super-niche’. He also said in that ICv2 interview:

“Like any home media, anime DVD sales are fairly recession proof. A downturn might keep you from going on vacation, but that’s all the more reason to pick up the boxset you’ve been thinking of for the last few weeks.”

If both his assessments are correct, then Zakka Films should be successful.

ANN Story: New DVD Company to Release 8 of the Earliest Anime

RightStuff Holiday Contests

RightStuf is currently holding two contests.

First is a holiday themed contest. Five lucky winners will receive a stocking stuffed with Ken Akamatsu’s My Santa OVA.

The contest is open to residents of the US and Canada 13 years and older. To enter, just fill out the entry form by December 4, 2008. See Official Rules for details.

Emma Contest

Their other contest celebrates the upcoming release of the EMMA: A Victorian Romance – Season 2 DVD Collection. While the DVD collection is not one of the prizes, RightStuf has teamed with CMX Manga to offer prizes which will expand the winners’ experience in the Victorian world created by Kaoru Mori.

The Grand Prize winner will receive a high-quality replica of EMMA artwork, illustrated by Kaoru Mori. Five runners up will receive he first volume of the EMMA manga, as well as the SHIRLEY manga.

The contest is open to residents of the US and Canada 13 years and older. To enter, just fill out the entry form by December 17, 2008. See Official Rules for details.

RightStuf Gobble Up Incredible Deals

RightStuf also has a couple of sales. One is called Gobble Up Incredible Deals! You can "save at least 30% off almost everything." This includes DVDs, CDs, Books, and merchandise (including pre-orders). Only Bargain Bin, Weekly Special and Closeout items are not eligible. No coupon code is needed and the sale ends at 11:59pm CST on December 7, 2008.

Bargain Bin Blowout

They also have a clearance sale called the Bargain Bin Blowout. You can save up to 95% off the MSRP of a select list of DVDs & CDs. This sale also ends on December 7, 2008.

AnimeNation’s Stocking Stuffer Sale

AnimeNation’s current sale is their Stocking Stuffer Sale. You can take off 25% on select stockings and merchandise. No deadline has been given for the sale.

In addition to this sale, AnimeNation has two other special sales:

Deep Discount Disco Sale

Their clearance sale is called the Deep Discount Disco Sale. Choose from a select list of DVDs, CDs, Books, and Merchandise

Take 20% off the price of Pre-Owned DVDs and manga, while supplies last.

YesAsia.com’s Annual Clearance Sale

YesAsia.com is holding their annual clearance sale. You can save up 85% off a select list of DVDs, CDs, Books, and merchandise. Note that many of the DVDs are Region 2 and are not subbed. The sale ends on December 31, 2008.

CDJapan’s DVD Clearance Sale

CDJapan has a DVD clearance sale. You can save up to 70% off a select list of DVDs. Note that most if not all of the DVDs are Region 2 and are not subbed.

If your order is 3000 yen or over (excluding shipping charges), then you can get a 500 yen coupon. The offer and the coupon code expire on December 31, 2008.

If your order is 5000 yen or over, then you qualify for an entry into one of 6 drawings:

Gift Set A: Studio Ghibli DVDs

A collection of classsic Studio Ghibli DVDs…the following 10 titles will be included: "Tales from Earthsea," "Howl’s Moving Castle," "Spirited Away," "Whisper Of The Heart," "Princess Mononoke," "Only Yesterday," "Kiki’s Delivery Service," "My Neighbor Totoro," "Laputa," and "Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind."

There will be 3 winners.

Gift Set B: Visual kei fukubukuro bag

The bag is packed with random assortment of rare Visual kei items. Included are guitar pick, photobook, poem book from Kyo (Dir en grey), poster, leaflet, and collector items for Gackt and Malice Mizer that are not on sale. These great items will be packed randomly in each Fukubukuro bag.

There will be 5 winners.

Gift Set C: Studio Ghibli Gift Set

Included are the following Studio Ghibli items: Totoro doll, "Laputa" keychain, "Spirited Away" cell phone strap, "Kiki’s Delivery Service" playing cards, "Panda! Go Panda!" lunch box, jigsaw puzzle (not pictured), and book of "Studio Ghibli Layout Designs" packed wtith layouts actually used during the creation ofthe movies.

There will be 5 winners.

Gift D: Sushi USB Memory Stick

Collaboration of latest high technology and traditional Japanese art. Hand made by professional artists who originally make sushi replicas displayed in front of sushi resteraunts.

Sushi Topping: Tuna, shrimp or squid (randomly selected)

Memory Capacity: 1 GB

There will be 20 winners.

Gift E: Remote Control Helicopter

Control the flight in two directions; vertical and rotational. No assembly is needed. Six AA batteries are all you need for the flight. Transmitter functions also as a charger for the helicopter. Charge Time: 30 minutes. Flight: 5 minutes.

Range: 5m. Helicopter size: L=16.5cm, W=7cm.

There will be 20 winners.

Gift F: Swarovski Decoration Kit

Decorate your gadgets such as cell phone, i-pod, and digital camera! Included in the kit are 12 colors of quality swarovski rhinestones regarded for their quality, brilliance, and clarity, specially designed tweezers and adhesive glue. Special issue of "Decoden" magazine packed with instrucions, techniques, and great decoration ideas is also included.

There will be 20 winners.

The deadline for the drawings is December 10, 2008.

Check out all of them – you just might win some cool anime prizes!

Mania has another contest for residents of the continental US. Their partner for this contest is AAAanime, who has given several figures to Mania. This contest features Rin Tohsaka (Fate/Stay Night) in a maid outfit by the Good Smile Company. The PVC figure is 1:8 scale, pre-painted, and comes with a plastic base.

RULES: To enter, you will need to have a Mania.com account and respond to the posting. The deadline is 8:00am EST on 11/7/08. This contest is open to residents of the continental United States only.

For yaoi fans, Go! Comi is celebrating the upcoming publication of Elfquest co-creator Wendy Prini’s manga-influenced comic adaptation of Edgar Allan Poe’s Masque of the Red Death short story with a giveaway. Here is a description of the prize from Go! Comi’s website:

“To perfect the color on each and every page of the print edition, our Production Manager James Dashiell and Wendy herself spent hours pouring over digital files, tweaking them until they were exactly what they should be. After the digital files were sent to the printer, they mailed us color proofs to pour over yet again to guarantee a flawless product.”

One complete set of these interior color proofs, plus the cover color proof will be given to one lucky winner.

RULES: To enter, you must be a registered member of Go! Comi and fill out the contest form on the contest page. The contest is open to residents of the US and Canada. The deadline is November 30, 2008 at midnight PST.

RightStuf has a new contest which marks the upcoming DVD release of Bandai Entertainment’s The Girl Who Leapt Through Time. FIVE lucky winners will receive a full-sized theatrical poster featuring artwork from the movie.

RULES: The contest is open to residents of the US and Canada 13 years and older. To enter, just fill out the entry form by November 20, 2008. See Official Rules for details.

RightStuf’s current sale is called Radical Savings. You can take 40% OFF the retail prices of all DVDs and 33% OFF the retail prices of all CDs and merchandise from Bandai Entertainment. (This includes pre-orders!)

The coupon code is radical and the sale ends November 9 at 11:59 pm CST.

AnimeNation is still running their Overstock Explosion Sale. You can take off up to 75% on select DVDs, books & manga, CDs, and merchandise. No deadline has been given for the sale.

In addition to this sale, AnimeNation has several special sales:

Take 33% off the limited edition Lucky Star volume 3 that includes a DVD, CD, and t-shirt!

Take 33% off the Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya Complete DVD Collection

- Save up to 35% on all Bleach merchandise

Mania: Beyond Entertainment

First, here are a couple of contests for UK residents. Mania, formerly known as AnimeOnDVD, has partnered with a pair of UK distributors for two different contests.

MVM Entertainment has provided Mania with three copies of Starship Operators, Vol. 1. Here is the synopsis:

Starship Operators

Starship Operators, Vol. 1

“For the 73rd class of cadets of the Defence University of the small planet Kibi, a maiden voyage on the new warship Amaterasu is a fitting event just before graduation. As they are returning home, however, they are shocked to hear news of a declaration of war by an aggressive neighbouring Kingdom. When the Kibi government surrenders without a struggle, the cadets decide to fight back using the Amaterasu, with funding from the Galaxy News Network. The only stipulation? Exclusive airing rights to the action and good ratings! So, the cadets find themselves as the “stars” of their own reality show. Only on this reality show, you can die!”

To enter, send an email to contest@animeondvd.com with the subject of “STARSHIP”. The winners will be randomly selected on 10/17/08 from the list. For more entry details, go here.

The other UK contest has Mania partnering with Manga Entertainment UK . For this contest, three lucky winners will receive a 3-DVD bundle of Hellsing Ultimate Vol. 1, Death Note Vol. 3 and Buso Renkin Vol. 2. Here are the synopses:

Hellsing Ultimate UK Edition

Hellsing Ultimate Volume One (UK)

“For over a century, the Hellsing Organization has been secretly protecting the British Empire from the undead ‘freaks’. When Sir Integra Hellsing succeeded as the head of the organization, she also inherited the ultimate weapon against these undead enemies: a rogue vampire named Arucard.

Armed with an enormous ‘anti-freak’ gun and possessing mysterious and frightening powers, Arucard is forced to shoot Seras Victoria, a policewoman held hostage by a vampire. ‘Do you want to live?’ he asks Seras, whose very answer changes the course of her existence. Now reborn as Arucard’s servant, Seras is torn between her conflicting humanity and her vampire urges…”

Death Note

Death Note Volume Three (UK)

“For genius detective L, Light’s behavior is too perfect to be true, and to get closer to him, he enrolls at the same university and even invites Light into the investigation.

The murders continue, but with a new twist – there appears to be a second Kira at work! L has Light post as the original Kira in order to lure out the copycat, and Light agrees, hoping to divert suspicion from himself. But he’s surprised to discover that this new Kira has an ability even Light himself lacks…”

Buso Renkin

Buso Renkin Volume Two (UK)

“Alchemist Warriors Kazuki and Tokiko continue their war against the evil homunculi. But the awakening of Victor, the “King” of all homunculi, triggers the dark force lurking within Kazuki. Cursed with the black kakugane, he becomes a marked man. Hunted by their former allies, Kazuki and Tokiko find help from the most unlikely source…

As the showdown in this century-long battle nears its conclusion, the future rests in the hands of one young man. Kazuki must make a final decision that no one, not even Tokiko, could have predicted!”

Contest Rules: To enter, send an email to contest@animeondvd.com with the subject of “UK BUNDLE”. The winners will be randomly selected on 10/10/08 from the list. For more entry details, go here.

NOTE: Remember, both of the above contests are open to UK residents only.

Nagato Yuki in Swimsuit

Nagato Yuki Figure (US)

Mania does have a contest open to US residents. Their partner for this contest is AAAanime, who has given several figures to Mania. This contest features Nagato Yuki (The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya) in a swimsuit as sculpted by Tanaka Touji. The figure is 1:8 scale, pre-painted, and comes with a clear plastic base.

RULES: To enter, you will need to have a Mania.com account and respond to the posting. The winner will be randomly selected on 10/10/08 from the list. This contest is open to residents of the continental United States only.

RightStuf! and YA Entertainment Contests

RightStuf! and YA Entertainment are co-sponsoring another K-drama contest. “THREE lucky winners will receive a copy of I Really, Really Like You, Vol. 1 – a DVD box set that contains the first 18 episodes of the series! PLUS, three runners up will each receive an ‘I Love K-Drama Bag’ with that includes the first three episodes of I Really, Really Like You and sample episodes from My Lovely Sam-Soon, Stairway to Heaven, and Damo: The Undercover Lady Detective!.”

RULES: The contest is open to residents of the US and Canada 13 years and older. To enter, just fill out the entry form before September 25, 2008. See Official Rules for details.

A Banquet of Bargains

A Banquet of Bargains

RightStuf also has their usual sales. The current one is called A Banquet of Bargains. You can take 33% off the retail price of graphic novels, books, and more from Tokyopop. This includes pre-orders. The coupon code is banquet and the sale ends on October 12, 2008 at 11:59 CDT.

AnimeNation Overstock Explosion Sale

Anime Nation

AnimeNation is still running their Overstock Explosion Sale. You can take off up to 75% on select DVDs, books & manga, CDs, and merchandise. No deadline has been given for the sale.

Overstock Explosion

In addition to this sale, AnimeNation has several special sales:

Take 25% off all Viz Big editions of popular manga that contain 3 volumes per book.

Take 27% off the limited edition sixth Death Note DVD which includes a figure of the shinigami Rem.

Take 27% off the second season of Bleach in its exclusive limited edition version that includes an Ichigo figure.

Take 25% off the limited edition collector’s set of Code Geass that includes 2 DVDs, 2 CDs, a manga, and more.

All Naruto collectables are now on sale…including savings on DVDs, manga, CDs, t-shirts, toys, and more.

YesAsia.com’s 10th Anniversary Lucky Draws

YesAsia.com is celebrating it’s 10th Anniversary by holding monthly Lucky Draws from July through December. Prizes will be given away each month. This month’s prizes include a pair of Sony Ericsson mobile phones and three Sony Bluetooth audio receivers with earphones.

To participate:

• Every order placed will automatically mean an entry into the Lucky Draw. More orders mean more entries.
• At the end of each month, all the entries will be collected and the winners will be drawn.
• Any purchase from YesAsia.com will qualify for inclusion in the Lucky Draw. No minimum purchase is required to qualify.
• Unfortunately, orders from Hong Kong do not qualify for the Lucky Draw.

For complete details, go to their Lucky Draw page.

New York Anime Festival and RightStuf! Contests

RightStuf! is currently holding three contests. Here they are in order of deadline dates:

The New York Anime Festival is partnering with RightStuf for the first contest. Five winners will be selected to receive weekend passes to the Festival. NOTE: this does not include travel and accommodations.

The contest is open to residents of the US and Canada 13 years and older. To enter, just fill out the entry form by September 21, 2008. See Official Rules for details.

Death Note Contest

For the second contest, RightStuf is teaming up with Viz Pictures for a ticket giveaway. Five winners will receive a pair of tickets to the theatrical screening of of the live-action movie Death Note 2: The Last Name on October 15th and 16th. Check this link to see if the movie will be screening in your area.

The contest is open to residents of the US and Canada 13 years and older. To enter, just fill out the entry form by 11:59 p.m. on Tuesday, September 23rd. See Official Rules for details.

K-Drama Contest

Finally, RightStuf! and YA Entertainment are co-sponsoring a K-drama contest. The winner will receive a K-drama goodie bag which includes a box set of the romantic drama, My Girl, as well as a sampler DVD, Korean Drama Classics, Vol. 1. Four runners up will receive an “I Love K-Drama” bag along with sample episodes from My Lovely Sam-Soon, Stairway to Heaven, and Damo: The Undercover Lady Detective!.

The contest is open to residents of the US and Canada 13 years and older. To enter, just fill out the entry form before September 25, 2008. See Official Rules for details.

Amazing Deals from RightStuf!

RightStuf also has their usual sales. The current one is called Amazing Deals. You can take off 40% off the retail price of all DVDs and 33% off the retail price of all merchandise from ADV Films. This includes pre-orders.

The coupon code is amazing and the sale ends on September 21, 2008 at 11:59 CDT.

AnimeNation’s Overstock Explosion Sale

AnimeNation’s current sale is their Overstock Explosion Sale. You can take off up to 75% on select DVDs, books & manga, CDs, and merchandise. No deadline has been given for the sale.

CDJapan Coupon Campaigns

CDJapan has a pair of coupon campaigns for large orders: Campaign 1 – For a limited time, you can receive a 500 Yen coupon for orders over 5000 Yen (does not include shipping charges).

• This applies to orders placed on and after September 8, 2008 (Japan Standard Time)
• Coupons will be sent 2 days after the order has completed shipping
• Coupons expire 2 months after date of issuance
• Coupons may only be used with orders over 3000 Yen

Campaign 2 – Spend over 20,000 Yen (does not include shipping and service charges) over 3 months and you can receive a coupon worth between 700 and 1500 Yen.

• 3 month purchases of over 20,000 Yen will receive a 700 Yen coupon
• 3 month purhcases of over 30,000 Yen will receive a 1000 Yen coupon
• 3 month purchases of over 50,000 Yen will receive a 1500 Yen coupon
• Order totals are calculated at the start of each month, so the coupon will be sent within a month of the shipment of the order that pushes the total above 20,000 (or 30,000 or 50,000) Yen
• Coupons expire 2 months after date of issuance
• Coupons may only be used with orders over 3000 Yen

Check the coupon campaign page for more details.

AnimeNation has their ongoing Red Hot Overstock Sale offering up to 60% off a select list of items. Also, if you make a purchase (sale or otherwise) you are automatically entered in their Holiday Giveaway. No end date is listed for the sale, but the contest ends on December 30.

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RightStuf! has posted the full list of sale items for their 12 Days of Anime sale:

1. Eureka Seven DVD Bundle (1-10) – $89.99 (63% OFF)
2. Inu Yasha Movie DVD Box Set (Deluxe Edition) – $39.99 (55% OFF)
3. Chobits Mini Box 1+2 DVD Bundle – $48.99 (59% OFF)
4. My-HiME DVD Bargain Bundle (1-7) – $69.99 (59% OFF)
5. Vol. 1 of Venus Versus Virus, Pumpkin Scissors, Innocent Venus, & Red Garden Xenosaga – $13.99 each (52% OFF)
6. Big O DVD Collection & Big O II DVD Collection – $18.99 each (52% OFF)
7. Rumbling Hearts DVD Bundle (1-3) – $19.99 (77% OFF)
8. Initial D Season 1 DVD Box Set – $29.99 (60% OFF)
9. Irresponsible Captain Tylor OVA Ultra Edition – $24.99 (64% OFF)
10. Burst Angel DVD Box Set – $39.99 (55% OFF)
11. Boys Over Flowers DVD Bundle (1-12) – $89.99 (69% OFF)
12. Scrapped Princess DVD Collection – $23.99 (52% OFF)

For Day 13, RightStuf! posted a list of an additional 16 DVDs/bundles/sets for sale with discounts between 52% and 78%. No coupon codes are necessary. The sale ends on December 25 at midnight CST.

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Robert’s Anime Corner Store holiday discounts have ended, but they do have some Holiday Specials from a list of select DVDs and figures. Also, most of their figures and toys still have a 10% discount or more from their regular prices.

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CDJapan is having a holiday sale…the 2007 CDJapan Holiday Offer. This sale offers discounts of up to 70% off of select CDs (music and drama) and DVDs (anime, live action, western, gravure, etc.). The sale ends on January 10. There are a couple of caveats. The prices are in yen and the DVDs are R2. If your purchase is 3000 yen (about $26.49 US) or more, you can receive an additional 500 yen (about $4.41) discount in the form of a coupon…if you purchase 5000 yen (about $44.16), you will receive another 500 yen coupon. These coupons are valid through December 31.

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yesasia.com is having their end of year clearance sale. You can save up to 80% on select items including manga, anime, live action (Japanese, K-drama, etc.), western films, games, etc. If your order totals $50 or more, you will receive a $5 coupon for your next purchase. The sale ends on December 31.

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Here are a couple of contests:

AnimeOnDVD’s 44 Days of Christmas contest continues. Each day, AOD will be giving away a DVD (on December 17, the prize was Kodocha, Vol. 13). You have to enter every day. Check AOD’s home page and click on the 44 Days of Christmas link (under contests) to see the current prize and for entry rules.

Their other running contest is their Magic, Mayhem and Pretty Boys from ADV Films Contest. The winner will receive Vol. 1 of three different series…Magikano, Tokyo Majin,and The Wallflower. Check their contest page for entry details and rules. The contest ends on December 24.

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RightStuf! has a new contest…the Geneon Entertainment Contest. There will be 4 winners. Each will receive a package which includes the first volumes of Elemental Gelade, Bottle Fairy and Kamichu!, plus a full set of Sakura Wars pencil boards featuring art from the series. To enter, fill out their entry form before January 3. You have to be 13 years or older to enter…check their rules page for details. The winners will be announced on the January 4th edition of RightStuf’s Anime Today podcast.

Freebies

Yahoo! Comics Japan has recently launched a free online manga magazine called Flex Comix Flare. The target audience for the magazine is women. Here is the lineup, from ANN’s translation:

• Starting October 18: Kanashi no Homura: Yume Maboroshi no Gotoku by Eri Motomura is an historical epic set in Japan’s feudal era, and Nariyuki Mystery Club by Makoto Hasebe is a high school slapstick comedy.
• Starting October 25: Sayonara Boku no RyÅ« (Farewell, My Dragon) by Koh Karakemi is a story about a mountain village boy and his half-dragon.
• Starting November 1: Riegienda Monogatari (The Story of Riegienda) by Naoko Moto is a fantasy of a magical tea shop — literally named "Magical" — in the town of Riegienda.
• Starting November 8: Motonomoto no Ana no Naka by Taka Amano is a Japanese-style fantasy about a boy’s encounter with a mysterious figure in a library.

Of course, there are some caveats. The manga will be in raw form so there will be no translation; you will need to be able to read Japanese to fully enjoy the manga. The software requirements are any recent version of Windows (except for Windows XP Professional x64 Edition) and Internet Explorer 5 or higher.

ANN Story:
Yahoo! Comics Japan Launches Free Net Manga for Women

Japanese Source:
Ultimatum

Contests

If you are a reader from the UK, then you can enter two contests running on AnimeOnDVD.

First, they will be giving away two sets of Noein: Complete Series Box Set. Here is a synopsis from RightStuf!:

"In the near future, a violent battle takes place between the dimension La’cryma (protector of humanity) and the dimension Shangri-La, bent on the annihilation of all space-time. A group known as the Dragon Calvary is dispatched through space and time, searching for the only thing that can stop the invasion: the Dragon’s Torque.

In the present, twelve-year-old Haruka and her friend Yuu are contemplating running away from home when they meet a member of the Dragon Calvary named Karasu. He believes that Haruka possesses the Dragon’s Torque – and claims to be Yuu from fifteen years in the future…"

Second, they will be giving away two sets (not sure about this as their page for this contest has some incorrect information) of Robotech: The Complete Saga. Here is a synopsis from Wikipedia:

• The First Robotech War (The Macross Saga) concerns humanity’s battle against the Zentraedi, a race of giant warriors who are sent to earth to retrieve the flagship of the Robotech Master Zor. The ship contains the last known source of Protoculture in the universe.
• The Second Robotech War (The Masters) begins when the creators of the Zentraedi, the Robotech Masters, attempt to take up where the Zentraedi left off, and capture the protoculture held within the remains of the SDF-1.
• The Third Robotech War (The New Generation) occurs after the alien Invid have been alerted to the existence of Protoculture on Earth by events that transpired at the end of the Second Robotech War. The planet is conquered, then enslaved, and it is up to the Robotech Expeditionary Force to retake their ancestral homeland.

Both contests are random drawings. Here are the contest information pages for Noein and for Robotech. Both contests are open until 8am on Friday, November 16. Again, these contests are open to UK residents only.

If you are a resident of the US or Canada, then here are a couple of contests for you. RightStuf! has two prize packages.

First, there is the Gackt package. Here is RightStuf!’s description of the contest:

"J-rock fans rejoice! Viz is bringing the video collections of one of the genre’s most popular artists to North American fans with the release of TWO Gackt video collections! To celebrate, they’ve put together a prize pack that includes both Gackt: The Greatest Filmography 1999-2006 Red and Blue DVDs, plus a coffin cell phone charm, a copy of the Shojo Beat music issue with an article on the superstar, and a “Gackt” black vinyl totebag to carry it all!"

Then there is the Ping Pong package. This includes the DVD of the live-action movie plus an extra-large T-shirt and an athletic towel. Here is a synopsis of the movie from RighStuf!:

"Best friends Peco and Smile have been playing ping pong since they were little kids. While the unique and brazen Peco plays to win and loves the sport, the quiet and introverted Smile thinks of it as just a way to kill time with friends, and plays only because he looks up to Peco as his hero. Though Smile is the more talented player, he frequently and intentionally loses to Peco out of a misguided sense of friendship.

However, after Peco is badly beaten by his old pal Demon in an important inter-high school tournament and quits the game, Smile becomes the newest celebrity of ping pong. Smile begins training for the next championship, waiting for the return of his hero, whom he is destined to meet in one last match."

The contests are open to anyone 13 years or older. Check RightStuf!’s contest page for official rules and entry form. Both contests are open until December 6, 2007.

Sales

Here are three sales updates:

First, RightStuf!’s new sale is called "Book It" which naturally refers to a sale on graphic novels and books…in this case, from Tokyopop. You can take 33% off of the retail price of novels, manga, and art books. The sale also includes pre-orders. The coupon code is bookit. The sale ends November 18 at 11:59 CST.

AnimeNation has several sales going on under the umbrella title of Holiday Studio Sales:

• ADV Sale…you can take 40% off of any ADV release including pre-orders
• FUNimation Sale…you can take 35% off all current titles
• Nozomi Sale…you can take 40% off their titles through the end of November
• Hentai DVD Sale…you can take 40% off of titles from ASM, Critical Mass, and JapanAnime

Plus, you can use the coupon code ANHOLIDAYS to save an additional 10% on orders over $99.

Robert’s Anime Corner Store also has a holiday themed sale…"Gobble Up the Savings". Take up to 7% off any item in the store (excluding the deal of the day). This includes existing sale items. Here are the coupon codes:

• Save 3% off any order over $99 – GOBBLEUP3
• Save 5% off any order over $199 – GOBBLEUP5
• Save 7% off any order over $299 – GOBBLEUP7

Coupons are valid until midnight (EST), November 15.

Also, figure and toy purchases qualify for an additional 10% off.

Celebrate Halloween with ADV and Huge Savings!

• Special $15 Pricing on New Releases!
• Plus you can save up to 75% on your favorite ADV titles!
• And you receive a FREE Gift with purchase (while supplies last)!

Don’t wait to take advantage of these great deals! Click HERE to start shopping!

*Sale ends November 2nd, 2007

First, from ANN, the Gaia Online Community is streaming the first two episodes of Kiddy Grade. Here is a synopsis from RightStuf!:

“In Star century Zero-One-Sixty-Five, the Global Union was born. To provide an impartial mediator to the various planetary governments of the G.U., the Galactic Organization of Trade and Tariffs, or G.O.T.T. was simultaneously formed to settle economic disputes amongst the member planets.

Existing in the shadows of the G.O.T.T., the ES Force serves as the G.O.T.T.’s primary law enforcement organization. ES Force members Eclair and Lumiere are on the front line, pursuing all manner of criminals and bringing them to justice.”

The Behind the Scenes: NARUTO The Movie: Ninja Clash in the Land of Snow is still being streamed as well.

If you’re in Japan, you can pick up a couple of free magazines…primarily in Tokyo. Publisher Dejima has been distributing a weekly manga magazine called Comic Ganbo (or Gumbo) at 30 Tokyo-area train stations. Comic Ganbo has been available since mid-January.

A more recent publication is Cospick…Japan’s first free magazine for cosplayers. It was created by media company Cross Bridge (which also operates the online Akihabara information site Ak!ba TV). One major benefit of this magazine for cosplayers is that it is a guide to cosplay-themed events across Japan. The usual way cosplayers learn about events has been through e-mails, blogs, and word of mouth. In addition to listing the events, Cospick also prints ads for hotels and restaurants in the area around each event.Cospick is a bi-monthly publication which started in August. The premiere issue was available at Comic Market (Comiket) 72 and around 6500 magazines were handed out.

Cospick Image: © CosPick, Cross Bridge Inc.

ANN Stories:
Japan’s First Free Manga Magazine Arrives January 16th
Free Magazine for Japanese Cosplay Events Launched

Japanese Sources:
Mainichi Shinbun (Comic Ganbo)
IT Media (Cospick)

There are two sales worth mentioning:

RightStuf! is calling their new sale Prime Time for Bargains. Take 40% off the retail prices on DVDs from ADV Films. For books, CDs, and other merchandise from ADV Films, take 33% off the retail price. This includes pre-0rders. Note: items in the Weekly Specials, Bargain Bin, or Closeout are not eligible. The coupon code is primetime and the sale ends on October 7, 2007 at 11:59 CDT

In recognition of the Geneon situation, AnimeNation is having a Geneon Entire Catalog Going Out of Print! Buy It Now or Never! sale. Actually, it is more of an announcement than a sale. However, they still have the following mini-sales going:

• Hentai CD-ROM Sale – Good news for hentai fans. You can save an extra 15% on the price of all adult PC games.
• Figure Sale – Take up to 43% off a select list of figures…note: limited quantities.
• Risky Safety Closeout Sale – Save 83% on this 3-DVD bundle of the Risky Safety series.

The following is not a sale, rather it is an announcement of a recent agreement between Apple and Tezuka Productions:

The US iTunes Store is now offering three anime series, one movie, and 8 shorts from Tezuka Productions. The three series are Astro Boy (the 1980 color version – 52 episodes):

“2030 AD. After being abandoned by his creator, a young boy robot is rescued by an ‘android advocate,’ Dr. Elefun, who adopts him as his own and guides him in the use of his special powers to aid and protect mankind. Endowed with super strength, rocket-powered flight, a selfless heart and a kind demeanor, Astro Boy fights a never-ending crusade against the forces of evil.”

Black Jack (10 episode OVA from 1993 – 2000):

“In a world where the grim reaper can strike at any time, a brilliant renegade surgeon known only as Black Jack operates outside the law. For the rich and dying, he performs miracles of a macabre medical nature. Unafraid of mysteries that verge on the paranormal, Black Jack is the one man with the power to cheat death… for a terrible price!”
Phoenix (2004 – 13 episodes):

“Throughout time, mankind has chased after the dream of immortality. The Phoenix, in the form of a bird of fire, is said to hold the key to eternal life. Great wars are fought in a vain attempt to possess it and, as a result, civilizations rise and fall. Phoenix is a collection of five stories from the past, present and future. Many will perish because of their desires, and they are the lucky ones. True pain comes for those who find immortality and experience the burden of living forever.”

Synopses from RightStuf!. All are English dubbed.
The movie is Jungle Emperor Leo. This is the 1997 version which uses the second half of Osamu Tezuka’s manga, Jungle Taitei (Jungle Emperor aka Kimba the White Lion) where Leo (Kimba) is now an adult:

“Leo, King of the Jungle, lives at the foot of Moon Mountain. His family life is threatened when a group of humans come in search of Moonlight Stones. Only concerned with money, they have no regard for the jungle. Leo must fight to protect the world he loves, or lose everything!” Synopsis from RightStuf!. The movie is also dubbed.

The 8 shorts are experimental films by Osamu Tezuka.

Muramasa (1987):

“The story is about a haunted sword called “muramasa,” which was found stuck in a wara-ningyo (straw figure). The Samurai who obtained it cut at wara-ningyo every time he found any in order to test the sharpness of the sword. But whenever he cuts, the figures immediately turn into humans. The story symbolizes a warning to protect the current state of peace that rests solely on nuclear deterrence.”

Tales of the Street Corner (1962):

“The scene is set with a poster on a street corner, a girl who cherishes her teddy bear, a street lamp and a playful moth that is drawn to the lamp. These creatures and inanimate objects, each with their own dramas, get involved in a war and the story ends in a tragic climax. This is a private animated piece that expresses feelings rather than telling a story. It can be said that Tezuka Osamu, frustrated with working for big companies, made an attempt here to depict what he really wanted in his animation. This work illustrates that even a poster on the wall can have a vivid drama behind it, and brings the magic of animation alive for us.”

Drop (1965):

“A man adrift on the sea finds three drops of water on his raft’s mast. He desperately tries to get at these drops to quench his thirst, but they will not fall into his mouth. This is a simple animation with a gag theme, just like the chasing in ‘Tom and Jerry.’ It is one of Tezuka Osamu’s independent films, made in no more than a week. He even drew all the backgrounds himself.”

Broken Down Film (1985):

“A scene from an American animated piece called ‘Dudley Do Right‘ shows a scene in which a queen is tied to a railroad track with ropes and shouting, “Help!” This image was often used in serial action films of the silent comedy period. In this short film, a western-style hero fights a villain and saves a beautiful woman in the same situation. This classical scene, however, is marred, blurred and smudged because the film itself is very old. Not only does the hero have to fight the villain, but he also has to struggle hard against the bad condition of the film.”

The Legend of the Forest (1987):

“Inspired by Tschaikovsky’s fourth symphony Op. 36, “A Legend of the Forest”, Tezuka Osamu worked through the concept for more than ten years in order to complete four episodes. Only the first and fourth installments were actually completed. The original idea was to review the entire history of animation ranging the pre-Disney, Disney, and post-Disney TV animation era in four episodes. The first installment was an animated version of the Manga “Mosa, the Flying Squirrel” which was published as one of the Lion Books series. For this work, a very primitive method of animation was used — it employed a certain editing trick to make still drawings look as if they were moving. For the fourth installment, the story developed around forest destroyers presented in the limited made-for-TV animation style scattering forest nymphs presented in Disney-style full-animation. Tezuka Osamu thus expresses the rich “forest” of animated art being driven out by TV.”

Mermaid (1964):

“Tezuka Osamu told us through this story that imagination, the power to fantasize, is a wonderful wing given to humans, who cannot fly. He proceeds to accuse our controlled educational system of robbing us of this natural wing. Around the time of this production, Japan’s fiercely competitive examinations were criticized for producing average children with no individuality all over Japan. Tezuka Osamu suggested in his animation that society might be headed in the wrong direction. The story begins in a fictional country where imagining is prohibited. When a boy saves a fish, which transforms itself into a mermaid and astonishes everyone, he gets arrested for imagining and producing such nonsense. Then he is robbed of his imagination. The story depicts the frightening side of a controlled society and escape from that kind of society, a theme similar to that of Terry Gillium’s science fiction film ‘Brazil‘.”

Pictures at an Exhibition (1966):

“This is an omnibus animated work unfolding along with a famous work of classical music, like a Tezuka Osamu version of “Fantasia.” It consists of ten episodes inspired by Mussorgsky’s “Pictures at an Exhibition” Suite.”

Jumping (1984):

“As a boy skips down a street, his stride becomes bigger and bigger, and he then jumps over towns, a forest, the sea, going higher and further. Finally he reaches a country in wartime. This work is very interesting in that the boy’s jump turns to a god’s jump, to a point where he is watching over human destiny. This work surprised the entire world because the whole film was shot in one cut with 4,000 motion pictures. It received many awards.”

Synopses from Tezuka Osamu @ World. The shorts are not dubbed.

iTunes image: © Apple, Other images: © Tezuka Productions

ANN Story:
Tezuka Anime Downloads Added to American iTunes Store (Updated)

Japanese Source:
Tezuka Productions (pdf)