SciFi Japan

    A look at homepage artwork for the new IKKI website. Photo courtesy of VIZ Media.

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    Source: VIZ Media, MediaLab press releases Official Site: sigikki.com Special Thanks to Evelyn Dubocq and Erik Jansen VIZ Media invites SciFi Japan readers to visit sigikki.com and test out the beta launch of a brand new collaboration to bring comics the likes of which American audiences have never seen to these shores. IKKI is a monthly magazine published in Japan that has established itself as the home of some of the most innovative, bold, and compelling series in the world of contemporary manga. Since its launch in 2003 IKKI has built a catalog of titles notable for its diversity. From action to comedy to drama, from slice-of-life stories to surrealist fantasies, the one common thing these works share is an uncommon emphasis on creative quality and on pushing the boundaries of the norm. In partnership with VIZ Media and its “VIZ Signature” line of graphic novels,

    Cover art for the first manga volume of Ikigami: The Ultimate Limit. Photo courtesy of VIZ Media. © Motoro MASE/Shogakukan Inc.

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    New Release Addresses Questions of Justice, Society, and the Appreciation of Life Source: VIZ Media, MediaLab press releases Special Thanks to Evelyn Dubocq and Erik Jansen “Depending on how a person lives their last day, the ikigami can be a death sentence, or an invitation to really live.” VIZ Media, LLC sends a chill down the spines of readers this month with the North American debut of Motoro Mase’s harrowing and suspenseful manga series – Ikigami: The Ultimate Limit – available now! Ikigami: The Ultimate Limit is rated ‘M’ for Mature Audiences and carries an MSRP of $12.99 US / $15.00 CAN. In a futuristic dystopian Japan there is new slant on crime deterrence with a sinister policy with an ironic twist. Each day a randomly-selected person is put to death to remind the population of the very value of life. Those who are condemned to

    Guilala, the X from Outer Space, stars on the cover of Pranke issue #34. © 2009 Pranke

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    Source: Kongula`s Pranke Editorial Team Official Site: Pranke The German monster magazine Pranke: Das Filmmagazin für Monsterfreaks is back with another fun-filled issue featuring the space kaiju Guilala. The Japanese beast is the focus of two articles; the first a retrospective (written by GUALAGON co-creator Ralf Lorenz) of the films THE X FROM OUTER SPACE and MONSTER X STRIKES BACK/ ATTACK THE G8 SUMMIT!, and the second an interview with recent Guilala suit actor Hariken Ryu conducted by indie filmmaker Jörg Buttgereit. Also on tap are a look at the 1931 Spanish version of DRACULA, sword and sorcery adventures with an emphasis on CONAN creator Robert E Howard, a review of GODZILLA KING OF THE MONSTERS, fantastic cinema from Bollywood, the making of the no budget fan film TROMAGGOT, Univeral Studios` “Classic Sci Fi Ultimate Collection” DVD set, a review of the GODZILLA UNLEASHED video game,

    Cover for VIZ`s English release of the Japanese anthology novel The Stationmaster. Photo courtesy of VIZ Media. © 2000 Jiro Asada

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    Author Jiro Asada’s Collection Of 8 Short Stories Explores Themes Of Loss, Love And Redemption Source: VIZ Media, MediaLab press releases Special Thanks to Evelyn Dubocq and Erik Jansen The publishing, animation and licensing company VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media) continues to introduce English-language readers to some of the best authors of contemporary Japanese fiction with the North American release of The Stationmaster, a collection of eight short stories by award-winning author Jiro Asada. The Stationmaster is available now with a SRP of $22.99 U.S. / $26.99 CAN. In the book’s eponymous opening story, railway man Otomatsu waits each day, as he has for most of his life, at the end of the line to greet the incoming trains. But where the cars once brimmed with passengers, they now carry only one or two or sometimes none at all. Facing the imminent closure of his station,

    The online video service Crunchyroll is now streaming the entire 25 episode anime series MOBILE SUIT GUNDAM 00. Photo courtesy of Crunchyroll. ©2007-2009 Sotsu, Sunrise, MBS.

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    Legendary Anime Studio`s Historic Franchise to Appear on World Anime Channel Source: BAM! Marketing, Publicity & Promotions press release Special Thanks to Chase Wang Crunchyroll announced that it is partnering with Bandai Channel to bring the latest series in the historic GUNDAM franchise to Crunchyroll. MOBILE SUIT GUNDAM 00 from legendary anime studio Sunrise will begin streaming on Crunchyroll starting today. More information can be found at crunchyroll.com/gundam00. Vice President and COO of Bandai Channel, Takeshi Shimizu, states, "We are looking to create a synergy effect between the world-class contents of one group company, Sunrise, and the retail distribution strength of another group, Bandai Entertainment, culminating digitally on Crunchyroll." "This relationship is very important for us," states Vince Shortino, Representative Director of Crunchyroll`s Japan office."GUNDAM is one of the most well known anime franchises of all time. We look forward to bringing the

    Three contestants have won copies of Schoolgirl Milky Crisis: Adventures in the Anime and Manga Trade from Titan Books! ©2008 Muramasa Industries Ltd.

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    Source: Titan Books Official Site: schoolgirlmilkycrisis.com Special Thanks to Tom Green Thank you to everyone who entered SciFi Japan`s Schoolgirl Milky Crisis: Adventures in the Anime and Manga Trade contest, and to Tom Green and Titan Books for making this giveaway possible. The following randomly drawn entrants will receive a free copy of the book Schoolgirl Milky Crisis by Jonathan Clements: Chase Chenier Alex Rushdy Joseph W. Whalen Congratulations to the winners! Your names and contact info have been given to Titan Books and they will be mailing the book to you soon. Questionnaire Responses: There were no single correct answers for this contest. Here are the questions and some sample replies that we received... 1. Name three Japanese animated films that have been theatrically released in the United States. A: Studio Ghibli`s PRINCESS MONONOKE, SPIRITED AWAY, and HOWL`S MOVING CASTLE were the most-repeated

    MONSTERPOCALYPSE players will soon be able to add characters from the classic anime VOLTRON: DEFENDER OF THE UNIVERSE to their game lineup. Photo courtesy of Privateer Press, Inc. Voltron is © 2009 World Events Productions, Ltd.

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    VOLTRON: DEFENDER OF THE UNIVERSE EDITION of MONSTERPOCALYPSE Collectible Miniatures Game Coming in 2010 Source: Privateer Press press release Official Site: Monsterpocalypse.com Privateer Press, Inc. and World Events Productions, Ltd. are proud to announce an agreement giving Privateer Press rights to license the widely popular Voltron: Defender of the Universe for Privateer’s hit collectible miniatures game MONSTERPOCALYPSE. The new set is expected to release in early 2010 and will feature iconic characters from the classic VOLTRON animated series. Matt Wilson, Privateer Press’ Chief Creative Officer and MONSTERPOCALYPSE creator, said about the agreement, “MONSTERPOCALYPSE was created with the goal of being able to feature guest stars from our favorite films and TV shows that have done so much to inspire the creation of the game. Along with millions of other fans since VOLTRON hit our airwaves in the 80s, we at Privateer have all been in love

    Win a copy of Schoolgirl Milky Crisis: Adventures in the Anime and Manga Trade from Titan Books! ©2008 Muramasa Industries Ltd.

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    Get a Copy for Free, Courtesy of Titan Books and SciFi Japan Source: Titan Books Official Site: schoolgirlmilkycrisis.com Special Thanks to Tom Green Titan Books is offering SciFi Japan readers a chance to win a copy of their new book Schoolgirl Milky Crisis: Adventures in the Anime and Manga Trade. For anyone wondering "What the heck is Schoolgirl Milky Crisis?", the answer is that the book is a collection of articles and essays on manga, anime, and Japanese movies written by British author and scriptwriter Jonathan Clements. Clements is a highly respected authority on the subject, having co-authored The Anime Encyclopedia, written The Dorama Encyclopedia: A Guide to Japanese TV Drama, and provided liner notes for anime and Japanese movie DVDs. He has been a writer and columnist for the UK Sci-Fi Channel website, the BBC, Newtype USA, Judge Dredd Megazine, NEO, 2000 AD, and SFX

    The new issue of Shonen Jump includes a password for readers to unlock a free 120 page online preview of Naruto manga Volume 45. © Masashi Kishimoto/SHUEISHA Inc.

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    Source: VIZ Media, MediaLab press release Special Thanks to Evelyn Dubocq and Erik Jansen VIZ Media announced today that Shonen Jump magazine has a special treat for readers—an invitation to read a free preview of the upcoming Naruto manga Volume 45 (rated ‘T’ For Teens)— online at shonenjump.com, for a limited time only. These chapters will not run in the magazine and will not be available in graphic novel form until July 2009. The 120-page preview will be available online beginning today through May 5th exclusively at shonenjump.com. A preview link appears on the homepage. Visitors must type in the password that appears on page 20 of the May issue of Shonen Jump to access the chapters. Naruto is one of the hottest series from Japan and continues to be one of VIZ Media’s most successful manga and animated properties. Back in February, VIZ Media unveiled

    Crunchyroll will simulcast next week`s brand-new NARUTO SHIPPUDEN episode. © 2002 Masashi Kishimoto/2007 Shippuden

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    Online Media Distribution Leader to Release Anime and Live Action Titles from TV Tokyo, Tezuka Productions, CoMix Wave, Gonzo, Munhwa Broadcasting and More Source: BAM! Marketing, Publicity & Promotions press releases Special Thanks to Chase Wang The online media distribution giant Crunchyroll has announced a stunning number of new acquisitions and business partnerships over the past month. More information on each of these announcements can be found at crunchyroll.com. Crunchyroll and Gonzo Forge the "Urban Jungle" of SHANGRI-LA with Dream Team Members Bessho, Ohnogi, Mori and Murata Crunchyroll and Gonzo team up again to bring SHANGRI-LA, the animated 3D-CGI sci-fi property from NewType based on the original novel by Eiichi Ikegami, for a worldwide debut starting on April 06, 2009. SHANGRI-LA is a must-see anime series put together by a dream team of acclaimed talents including director Makoto Bessho, writer Hiroshi Ohnogi, creative producer Takeshi

    Cover for the DRAGONBALL: EVOLUTION Sticker Book. Photo courtesy of VIZ Media. DRAGONBALL © 2009 Fox, Based on Dragon Ball series by Akira Toriyama. Dragon Ball TM & © Bird Studio/Shueisha, Inc.

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    Three-Part Chapter Book Series, Junior Novel, Collectible Sticker Book and Posterzine Based On The New Feature Film Source: VIZ Media, MediaLab press release Special Thanks to Evelyn Dubocq and Erik Jansen VIZ Media, LLC is releasing an array of DRAGONBALL: EVOLUTION publications based on the upcoming live-action film from 20th Century Fox starring Justin Chatwin as Goku, Emmy Rossum as Bulma, Jamie Chung as Chi Chi, and Chow Yun-Fat as Master Roshi. Rated PG, the movie centers on a team of warriors, each of whom possess special abilities. Together, they protect Earth from a force bent on dominating the universe by controlling the mystical objects from which the film takes its name. DRAGONBALL: EVOLUTION opens nationwide on April 8th and is inspired by Akira Toriyama’s smash hit Dragon Ball manga series, also published domestically by VIZ Media and featured in Shonen Jump magazine. DRAGON BALL has

    Cover of the April 2009 Annual Art Issue of Shojo Beat. Photo courtesy of VIZ Media. © VIZ Media, LLC

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    April 2009 Issue Covers Visual Arts And Techniques Taught By Leading Manga Creators Well As Fashion, Crafts And More Source: VIZ Media, MediaLab press release Special Thanks to Evelyn Dubocq and Erik Jansen VIZ Media, LLC`s annual Art Issue of Shojo Beat magazine is expected to hit newsstands nationwide on March 17th. In addition to the next installments of the currently serialized shojo manga series HONEY AND CLOVER, HONEY HUNT, CRIMSON HERO, SAND CHRONICLES, HARUKA: BEYOND THE STREAM OF TIME and VAMPIRE KNIGHT, this special issue will allow readers to explore the latest trends in Japanese kawaii artwork, evaluate the approaches of top shojo manga creators and more! The special April 2009 Art Issue of Shojo Beat, a continual favorite with readers, takes a broad approach to art, focusing not only on visual arts but also fashion, crafts, and cooking. “The Fine Art of Kawaii” spotlights

    Linda Haynes as Dr. Anne Barton and Masumi Okada as Dr. Jules Masson in LATITUDE ZERO. Photo courtesy of Linda Haynes. ©1969 Toho Co., Ltd.

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    Actress Recounts Working on Toho Fantasy Epic in Latest Shock Cinema Magazine Source: Shock Cinema magazine Official site: shockcinemamagazine.com Shock Cinema #36 recently rolled off the presses, featuring a lengthy interview by Steve Ryfle with actress Linda Haynes, one of the stars of Toho’s LATITUDE ZERO (1969). Haynes was a neophyte actress when producer Don Sharpe whisked her away from Hollywood to Japan, where she spent several months filming alongside big-screen legend Joseph Cotten and co-stars Patricia Medina, Richard Jaeckel, Cesar Romero, Akira Takarada, and others in the troubled U.S.-Japanese co-production about a war between undersea kingdoms. The interview covers the breadth of Haynes’ career—which also included the blaxploitation classic COFFY (1973) with Pam Grier, the Paul Newman neo-noir THE DROWNING POOL (1975), and the revenge exploitationer ROLLING THUNDER (1977), in which she co-starred as William Devane’s girlfriend—but much of it is devoted

    Prototype of the DRAGON WARS Limited Editon Premium Diorama. This early version is missing the Dragon`s signature long whiskers, but that feature will be included in the final product. Photo courtesy of Zero Nine Character Co., Ltd. © 2007 Younggu Art Entertainment Co., Ltd.

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    Visiting the Merchandising Company for Shim Hyung-rae`s Creations Author: Kim Song-ho Source: Zena Pictures / Zero Nine Character Co., Ltd. Special Thanks to Hong Gi-hun and Park Sang-kyu A SciFi JAPAN EXCLUSIVE There has never been a heyday for Korean monster films. Japan in the 1960s had their first "monster boom", and there have been countless movies and television programs in the decades since. The US has also produced hundreds of such films. But, until now, there have been only a handful of Korean monster films made since the 1960s. Even so, there is history of monster films in Korea. From the quintessential giant monster movie YONGARY, MONSTER FROM THE DEEP (Daekoesu Yonggary, 1967) to the recent hit DRAGON WARS (D-War, 2007), Korean monster films have been produced for over four decades, sometimes experiencing ebbs and flows, or even depressions. However, merchandising

    Promotional art for the anime series BLUE DRAGON, now available on iTunes. Photo courtesy of VIZ Media. © 2007 BLUE DRAGON PROJECT/TV TOKYO Based on the Xbox 360 game

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    Special Launch Promotion Includes Free Download of the First Episode of BLUE DRAGON on iTunes Through March 10, 2009 Source: VIZ Media press release Official Site: Bluedragon.viz.com Special Thanks to Evelyn Dubocq VIZ Media, LLC has announced the availability of its popular animated series BLUE DRAGON on the iTunes Store in the US and Canada. As a special launch promotion, the first episode of BLUE DRAGON will be available for download for free on the iTunes Store until March 10th and can be found at itunes.com/tv/bluedragon. The BLUE DRAGON animated series, based on the popular Xbox 360 role playing game, is a classic adventure story of magical Shadow powers, flying air fortresses, and unbounded heroism! Brought together by fate, Seven Soldiers of Light must awaken the Shadow within themselves in time to overcome a despotic power and bring peace to their land. Their ensuing journey through

    Decades after they first stomped across theater screens, classic movie monsters are finally available to fans and toy collectors with the Korean Monster Collection 3-pack. Photo courtesy of Hong gi-hun.

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    Fan-Made Figures of Three of Korea`s Most Well-Known Monsters Author: Kim Song-ho Source: Hong Gi-hun, Big Monster Club Can you believe that, in the 40 years since the initial releases of South Korea`s YONGARY, MONSTER FROM THE DEEP (Daekoesu Yonggary, 1967) and SPACE MONSTER MAN WANGMAGWI (Ujugoein Wangmagwi, 1967), there hasn`t been any merchandise of the titular monsters? Well, it`s true. How about Pulgasari from North Korea`s PULGASARI (1985)? Very limited number of figures were released in Japan, but that`s all. Not in Korea. But now we have them because, in 2008, an avid Korean monster fan made them himself! The man in question is Hong Gi-hun. He is a graphic designer and the founder of Big Monster Club, the biggest monster film club in Korea. Mr. Hong founded the club in 1999 on the community section of now-defunct nkino.com, a Korean movie portal site. After

    Crunchyroll will simulcast next week`s brand-new NARUTO SHIPPUDEN episode. © 2002 Masashi Kishimoto/2007 Shippuden

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    Source: BAM! Marketing, Publicity & Promotions press release Official Site: crunchyroll.com Special Thanks to Chase Wang NARUTO continues his journey to assist Team Kakashi in next week`s (Thursday; February 19, 2009; 3:00 am PST) simulcast, with Japan, of NARUTO SHIPPUDEN #97 on the fully anime licensed site and leading online destination for anime - Crunchyroll. The leading online anime distributor will simulcast the newest episode for Anime Subscription Members and also provide free viewing of the previous week`s simulcast. More information can be found at www.crunchyroll.com/naruto. Episode Synopsis: From the results of the analysis of the crystallized Parasitic insects, the enemies currently fighting Kakashi`s team are identified as users of the Crystal Style, a rare type of jutsu. Still unclear on what Orochimaru`s objective is, Tsunade cannot hide her irritation and anxiety. Meanwhile, the search team fends off Gozu and Rinji only to find themselves in a

    Cover for The Lord of the Sands of Time, the first novel to be published under the Haikasoru imprint. Photo courtesy of VIZ Media. © 2007 Issui Ogawa; Originally published in Japan by Hayakawa Publishing, Inc.

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    First-Of-Its-Kind Imprint Launches This Summer To Publish The Best In Contemporary Japanese Science Fiction Novels Source: VIZ Media, MediaLab press releases Special Thanks to Evelyn Dubocq and Erik Jansen VIZ Media, LLC, one of the entertainment industry’s most innovative and comprehensive publishing, animation and licensing companies, has announced the launch of a brand-new imprint called Haikasoru (meaning “High Castle”), which will publish an array of contemporary Japanese science fiction and fantasy stories for English-speaking audiences. This is the first time an imprint with a dedicated focus on Japanese SF has launched in North America. Haikasoru is scheduled to publish twelve books a year and launches in the summer of 2009 with four titles: The Lord of the Sands of Time by Issui Ogawa, All You Need Is Kill by Hiroshi Sakurazaka, ZOO by Otsuichi, and Usurper of the Sun by Housuke Nojiri. Haikasoru will be helmed

    Ad for VIZ`s free streaming episodes of the new NARUTO SHIPPUDEN series. Photo courtesy of VIZ Media. © 2002 Masashi Kishimoto/2007 Shippuden

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    VIZ Media To Provide Near Simultaneous U.S.-Japan Release Of New NARUTO SHIPPUDEN Animated Episodes Source: VIZ Media, MediaLab press releases Special Thanks to Evelyn Dubocq and Erik Jansen Last November, VIZ Media, LLC, one of the entertainment industry’s most innovative and comprehensive publishing, animation and licensing companies, announced an innovative and unprecedented multimedia plan to provide near-simultaneous Japan-U.S. release of NARUTO, one of the most popular Japanese animated and manga properties in the world. This campaign is the latest expansion of VIZ Media’s ongoing strategy to utilize the web to its maximum potential to stream a variety of hit animated properties. Beginning this Thursday, January 15th the latest episode of the NARUTO SHIPPUDEN (English-subtitled) animated series will be available for free viewing on the ultimate destination for anything NARUTO – the official NARUTO website, www.naruto.com, within days of its original airdate in Japan. A new English-subtitled

    The acclaimed Toei anime series GALAXY EXPRESS 999 and CAPTAIN HARLOCK are now available on Crunchyroll. Photo courtesy of Crunchyroll. © Leiji Matsumoto/Toei Animation © 1978 Toei Animation Co., Ltd.

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    Online Streaming, Subscription and Download-To-Own of Classic Toei Animation Titles Source: BAM! Marketing, Publicity & Promotions press release Special Thanks to Chase Wang The Japanese anime production studio Toei Animation Co., Ltd. continues their partnership with the online media distribution giant Crunchyroll to provide streaming, subscription and download-to-own options for GALAXY EXPRESS 999 and CAPTAIN HARLOCK beginning today. More information can be found at www.crunchyroll.com. Mr. Kanji Kazahaya, Director of Toei Animation Co., Ltd.`s International Department, states, "We are excited and thrilled to be continuing our digital business developent with Crunchyroll. This is the new frontier for the anime industry and Crunchyroll is an ideal company to work with because of its international reach and strong community base." "We are extremely pleased to be continuing our strong partnership with Toei Animation," states Crunchyroll CEO Mr. Kun Gao. "Working with Toei Animation allows us

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