areaseven

Well, ADV Films announced at AX2004 that they have acquired the rights to this TV series. Any thoughts on this?

Gad Guard ( ガドガード ) GONZO Digimation/Fuji TV/Media Factory, 2003 Geneon Entertainment, 2004 Directed by Hiroshi Nishikiori (Azumanga Daioh, Angelic Layer). Rated 13-Up for violence, slight nudity, mature situations and strong language. Hajiki Sanada is a boy trying to make a living as a delivery boy while still attending school at a local Catholic church. One day, when he falls off his scooter during one of his deliveries, he discovers that the parcel he's carrying contains a cubic object known as a "Gad". A few hours later, during a ruckus on a back alley, the Gad suddenly materializes into a powerful and sentient robot. From that point, Hajiki names the robot "Lightning" and calls it his own. Story: B+ The first episode is very hard to follow, as nothing much happens. But the action starts to pick up after episode 2 and the fun just doesn't stop right there. Animation: A Leave it to GONZO (Full Metal Panic!, Vandread) to put some funky CG in this series. Character designs by Masahiro Aizawa (Sento Yosei Yukikaze, Orphen) and mecha designs by Toshiharu Murata (You're Under Arrest, Hellsing) give Gad Guard a retro look that feels a bit like The Big-O. On a side note, character designs are also by Yoshitsune Izuna, who is responsible for the new Buster Machine design in the upcoming Gunbuster 2. Soundtrack: A Kohei Tanaka (Gunbuster, Mobile Fighter G-Gundam) and Kazuhiko Sawaguchi supply a trippy mix of jazz and orchestral music to this series. Opening and ending themes by PE'Z aren't Seatbelts material, but still catchy and flavorful. Sub vs. Dub Gad Guard features Kenichi Suzumura (Shin in Macross Zero, Kamui in X) as Hajiki, Fumiko Orikasa (Chise in SaiKano, Pacifica in Scrapped Princess) as Arashi, Junichi Suwabe (Fuuma in X, Masami in Someday's Dreamers) as Katana, Kikuko Inoue (Belldandy in Ah! My Goddess, Mizuho in Please Teacher!) as Catherine, Masayo Kurata (Karinka in Steel Angel Kurumi, Shinobu in Love Hina) as Aiko, Masashi Ebara (Bolt Crank in Eat-Man, Cowboy Andy in Cowboy Bebop) as Jack, Tamaki Nakamishi (Shin in Pretear) as Satsuki, Yuko Sato (Yoh in Shaman King, Sanae in The Soultaker) as Takumi, and Unshou Ishizuka (Guld in Macross Plus, Jet Black in Cowboy Bebop) as Hachizuka. English dub review coming soon. DVD Extras Under construction. The Bottom Line If you're into retro mecha designs and jazz music, check out Gad Guard. You won't be disappointed. Links Geneon Entertainment's Official Gad Guard Homepage Fuji TV's Official Gad Guard Homepage (Japanese) Animax's Official Gad Guard Homepage (Japanese) Reference Anime News Network

Hah! The first cosplayer I encountered was dressed as May from Guilty Gear. Then I saw 50 other cosplayers until Man-Faye showed up.

Neil Nadelman

You talked to him? I don't know you.

Day 4: July 5, 2004 Well, it's the final day of AX2004. Four grueling days, countless hours of waiting in line and over $300 spent on merchandise, food and parking paid off. Geneon Entertainment I managed to score an autograph from Gungrave animation director Shino Masanori. And finally, after two days of frustration, I got Yoko Ishida to autograph my CD booklet. She's really nice in person and she speaks good English. Other than that, I also made contact with executives Hiroe Tsukamoto (Geneon), Stephen Tang (Geneon), John Sirabella (Media Blasters), Frank Pannone (Media Blasters), David Williams (ADV), Janice Williams (ADV), Mariela Ortiz (ADV) and Eric Rosenberger (Digital Manga Distribution). Over the past four days, I've taken hundreds of photos - mostly cosplayers. Once I have the chance, I'll post my favorites. In the meantime, here's a pic of me and staff members of Bang Zoom! Entertainment. (From Left: A7, Kaeko Sakamoto, Eric P. Sherman, ???, ???, Wendee Lee and Kari Wahlgren)

At AX2004, guests have a sneak peek at Geneon Entertainment's upcoming release Submarine 707R, based on the manga by Satoru Ozawa (Blue Submarine No. 6). The OAV series, directed by Shoichi Masuo (who has worked on Gunbuster and Vandread), features character designs by Minoru Murao (Last Exile) and Jun Takagi (Condor Hero), mechanical designs by the legendary Kazutaka Miyatake (Macross, Gunbuster) and a screenplay by Hiroshi Ohnogi (Macross Zero, RahXephon). In addition, the opening sequence is directed by Hideaki Anno (Gunbuster, Neon Genesis Evangelion). Sony Music Entertainment's Submarine 707R Homepage

In an interesting turn of events, the licensing rights to New Getter Robo did not go to ADV Films. Instead, they went to Geneon Entertainment. Looks like Geneon is Dynamic Planning's new best friend.

The series ended in Japan weeks ago -nyo. Did anyone catch the last few episodes -nyo? BTW, Bandai Entertainment made it official that they're releasing Di Gi Charat Nyo in the U.S. either later this year or early next year -nyo. I'm looking forward to seeing it on DVD -nyo.

Good news: At AX2004, Bandai Entertainment announced they have acquired the rights to Scrapped Princess. I am so getting this series on DVD next year.

TF Alternators are 1:24 scale. 1:18 cars are much larger.

Yeah, it was a bad time for Haruko-chan to call in sick.

I was actually an hour late on this one, as I had a hard time looking for the panel. Once I got there, nothing much happened. Egan Loo and veteran translator Neil Nadelman were hosting the panel. After the discussion, we looked at the rather small merchandise table. Mr. Nadelman handled a 1/48 Valk (VF-1J Max Type) for the first time and he was very impressed by it. I met up with Commander McBride, Bob_Coffee, >EXO< and Bobe-Patt. Hopefully, we'll meet again next week.

Nowhere near the level of Man-Faye, but also appearing at AX2004 were Man-Yuna (Final Fantasy X & X-2) and some skinny guy dressed up as Chii.

Okay, I was hoping no one would mention that person, but since it's too late... On Friday, while waiting in line to receive my badge, I was at least 150 meters away from the entrance when I saw a vague figure in red and yellow from that distance. From that point, I yelled, "MAN-FAYE ALERT!" and everyone turned around. Too bad I didn't see the person get kicked out. However, I saw a couple of people wearing yellow T-shirts that said, "I slapped Man-Faye's ass and all I got was this stupid T-shirt."

Keith Burgess: "We're working on it."

Day 2: July 3, 2004 I came in at around 9:30 and proceeded to the third floor. Live in Concert: MIQ (pronounced "Miku") The artist formerly known as MIO performed many of her old-school anime songs from Sentou Mecha Xabungle, Aura Battler Dunbine, Area 88 and Heavy Metal L-Gaim. She also did the theme of Cybuster from the Super Robot Wars series, as well as her version of the ending theme of Yuusha-Oh GaoGaiGar FINAL, before ending the show with "Men of Destiny", the opening theme from Mobile Suit Gundam 0083. Live in Concert: Yoko Ishida ( 石田燿子 ) If someone drew a huge crowd that day, it was J-Pop singer Yoko Ishida. Dressed in an indigo kimono, she started the show with "Towa no Hana" (Ai Yori Aoshi). She then performed songs from Gunparade March and Texhnolyze, as well as two original songs from her CD Sweets. Afterwards, she performed two songs from her upcoming Anime/Eurobeat cover CD Hyper Yocomix - "Let Me Be With You" (Chobits) and "Asu e no Brilliant Road" (Stellvia). The show ended with "Takaramono" (Ai Yori Aoshi ~Enishi~). There was an autograph signing, but 3/4 of the line (including myself) was told to leave. Will try getting Yoko-chan to autograph my CD tomorrow. Bang Zoom! Entertainment I attended their panel, where they had fans try their voice acting skills on sample clips from Witch Hunter Robin and Ai Yori Aoshi ~Enishi~. Representing the group were producer Eric P. Sherman, producer Kaeko Sakamoto (Mokona in Magic Knight Rayearth, Utsume in Ai Yori Aoshi) and talents Dave Wittenberg (Kei in Please Teacher!/Please Twins, Kaoru in Ai Yori Aoshi), Wendee Lee (Faye in Cowboy Bebop, Kiyone in Tenchi Muyo!) and Kari Wahlgren (Witch Hunter Robin, Edith in Yukikaze). Shortly after the tryouts, the staff had a trivia question: Name five works from Bang Zoom! Entertainment. Since I named Chobits, Ai Yori Aoshi, Witch Hunter Robin, Heat Guy J and Figure 17, I won a Chobits pencil board autographed by Michelle Ruff (Chii) and Sandy Fox (Sumomo). After the show, I talked to the staff and cast, who were extremely friendly. I also bumped into Mary McGlynn (Motoko in Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex, Urd in Ah! My Goddess: The Movie), who remembers me from the time we met at the Wizard World Con this past March. Eric and Wendee noticed I was wearing a Heat Guy J T-shirt and asked where I got it. I told them about the huge T-shirt booth downstairs; I hope they managed to buy theirs. Macross Panel Unfortunately, Shawn couldn't make it. Hosting the show were Egan Loo and veteran translator Neil Nadelman. Nothing much happened other than previewing Macross Zero episode 4 and the Macross PS2 game. Mr. Nadelman also checked out a 1/48 VF-1J (Max type) Valkyrie. and was very impressed by it. -- Day 3: July 4, 2004 Today, I came back with plans to score an autograph from Yoko Ishida after the whole fiasco that happened yesterday, but I decided to wait in line for the Tomokazu Seki (Van in Escaflowne, Sousuke in Full Metal Panic!) panel. Tomokazu Seki ( 関 智一 ) Sporting blond hair, he made his appearance to the delight of hundreds of fan girls. Most of the questions submitted were pretty random, but he managed to answer most of them: - He likes cats, but he's allergic to them. - He's afraid that if he stops smoking, his voice acting won't be the same. - He drives two Nissans; one of them being an Elgrand (minivan). - He doesn't have a particular favorite role, but he mentions that his role as Domon Kasshu in Mobile Fighter G-Gundam is important, as it was his first lead role. - He mentioned that one thing he fears is the duration of his character in a series. According to him, the easiest indication that your character in a Gundam series will die is a lengthy dialogue. - At the end of the panel, he wished to return next year. Afterwards, I waited in line for nearly two hours to get Tomokazu's autographed. He signed my Escaflowne Ultimate Edition box. Geneon Entertainment I managed to get autographs of Submarine 707R director Shoichi Masuo and character designer Minoru Murao. The cool part was that Murao-san did character sketches on my Submarine 707R and Last Exile boards. Day 4 report coming tomorrow night.

Amazon.com

Well, I just returned from Day 1 of the AX2004. Took a lot of pics, which I'll post sometime tomorrow night. After having to wait in line for 2 1/2 hours to get my I.D., I proceeded to tour the Anaheim Convention Center with a couple of rookie anime fans I met in line. But before that, I bumped into voice actors Lex Lang (Space Pirate Captain Herlock: The Endless Odyssey, Gineas in Mobile Suit Gundam: The 08th MS Team), Dave Wittenberg (Kei in Please Teacher!, Saito in Ghost in the Shell Stand Alone Complex) and Sandy Fox (Sumomo in Chobits, Marie in Please Teacher!/Please Twins). If you have seen Chobits dubbed, what you hear as Sumomo is Sandy Fox's actual voice. On to the booths... Media Blasters Told the reps that Figure 17 is their best title this year. In a way, they couldn't agree more and they never expected the title to be so good. I ended up coughing up $120 to get all six DVDs of the series. Bandai Entertainment Got a free Wolf's Rain poster. Told the two rookies to check out Witch Hunter Robin and Yukikaze. Viz, LLC Once again met senior official Toshifumi Yoshida. He told me that the whole "Side-Kick Wave" snafu on vol. 1 of Dangaio was the reason why he took up translating anime. ADV Films/Suncoast Didn't bother to join the crowd in the company's annual freebie throwing. ADV reps threw out posters, panties (from Najica Blitz Tactics, in case you didn't get their punch line) and stuffed Menchi (Excel Saga) and Jonathan (Kaleido Star) dolls. Geneon Entertainment Managed to get autographs from Tsukihime's character designer Kaoru Ozawa and director Katsushi Sakurabi. Shortly afterwards, I got autographs from R.O.D -The TV-'s character designer Masashi Ishihara, director Koji Masunari and screenplay writer Hideyuki Kurata. Manga Entertainment Met Keith Burgess once again. Guess what his answer was when I asked him about releasing Gunbuster on DVD... Super Techno Arts Well, aside from JoJo's Bizarre Adventure, the company is releasing a movie titled Shadow. They were also selling Urotsukidoji art books as well. Bang Zoom! Entertainment Once again bumped into Lex Lang and Sandy Fox. Bought Lex's music CD and had him autograph it. He's really cool in person. That's it for today. Will return for the Day 2 report.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f6h7auwGiK4 Excalibur Orion Pictures/Warner Bros., 1981 Directed by John Boorman (Zardoz, Exorcist II: The Heretic) Screenplay by Rospo Pallenberg (Exorcist II: The Heretic, The Emerald Forest) and John Boorman Based on Le Morte d'Arthur by Sir Thomas Mallory Running Time: 140 minutes Rated R for graphic violence, nudity, sexual situations, suggestive incest and mild language. "Behold! The Sword of Power! Excalibur! Forged when the world was young, and bird and beast and flower were one with man, and death was but a dream!" - Merlin Cast - Nigel Terry (Archeptolemus in Troy) as King Arthur - Nicholas Clay (1946-2000) as Lancelot - Cherie Lunghi (Victor's mother in Mary Shelley's Frankenstein) as Guinevere - Nicol Williamson (Cogliostro in Spawn) as Merlin - Helen Mirren (Victoria in Red 1-2, Queen Elizabeth II in The Queen) as Morgana - Paul Geoffrey as Perceval - Robert Addie (1960-2003) as Mordred - Gabriel Byrne (Dean Keaton in The Usual Suspects) as Uther Pendragon - Keith Buckley as Uryens - Katryne Boorman as Igrayne - Liam Neeson* as Gawain - Corin Redgrave as Cornwall - Patrick Stewart* as Leondegrance - Charley Boorman as young Mordred - Barbara Bryne as young Morgana - Telsche Boorman (1957-1997) as the Lady of the Lake *If you don't know these guys, you must've been living under a rock for the past decade. "Any man who would be a knight and follow a king... follow me." - King Arthur Synopsis Forged by a God. Foretold by a wizard. Found by a man. That was the great sword Excalibur, which symbolized power over one nation to whoever wielded it. Excalibur was first handed to the ruthless knight Uther Pendragon, who abused his leadership privileges and Merlin's sorcery to betray his comrade Cornwall and steal his wife Igrayne for one night. Nine moons after Cornwall's "accidental" death, Igrayne gave birth to Uther's illegitimate son, who was then taken away by Merlin as part of Uther's deal with him. Before his untimely death at the hands of enemy forces, Uther impaled Excalibur through a stone, vowing that the one who succeeds in drawing out the sword will rule England. Many years later, a young man named Arthur surprises the whole of England by successfully drawing Excalibur out of the stone, immediately granting him the title of King. Using his newly-acquired leadership characteristics and his sword, Arthur establishes the great court of Camelot and assembles the land's greatest warriors to form the Knights of the Round Table. But with glory comes despair, as his wife Guinevere betrays him by having an affair with his best knight Lancelot. Arthur's half-sister Morgana plots her revenge on him and Merlin by seducing him and giving birth to the bastard child Mordred. And Arthur's quest to acquire the Holy Grail has proven to be disastrous with many of his knights perishing halfway through the perilous journey. Can King Arthur and Excalibur still reign throughout these ordeals? "Now, once more, I must ride with my knights to defend what was, and the dream of what could be." - King Arthur Lowdown So why did I bring up this classic film? Seeing that a new King Arthur movie is premiering next week, I once again ask, "What's the whole point of making another King Arthur movie when we already have Excalibur?" First Knight was a complete snooze-fest while the animated film The Quest for Camelot was no better. They all should've learned from director John Boorman and his 1981 masterpiece. Despite its rather adult atmosphere, Excalibur boasts the best acting and cinematography compared to the later adaptations. Solid performances by the predominantly Shakesperean cast (and some of Boorman's family members) give life to Sir Thomas Mallory's epic with a score of memorable lines and excellent character development. The special effects are also nothing short of breathtaking. Perhaps one of the biggest highlights of the movie is its soundtrack. Trevor Jones' (Time Bandits, League of Extraordinary Gentlemen) original score is excellent on its own, along with excerpts from Richard Wagner's classical pieces. But what stands out and completely defines the film is "Oh Fortuna", from Carl Orff's Carmina Burana. As a matter of fact, after the release of Excalibur, "Oh Fortuna" has been the most widely used classical piece on TV, radio and film. If you haven't seen Excalibur yet, you owe it to yourself to rent buy the DVD. It sure beats coughing out $8 to see another potentially lousy King Arthur adaptation. Other than that, pick up Monty Python and the Holy Grail as well. Rating: A Reference The Internet Movie Database

DX Dekaranger Robo ( DXデカレンジャーロボ ) Bandai, 2004 Made in Thailand AAA Batteries (x2) not included Contents - Patrol Striker - Patrol Gyrer - Patrol Trailer - Patrol Armor - Patrol Signer - Gyro Wapper (2-piece) - Signal Cannon - Judgment Sword (2-piece) - Instruction Manual - Foil Sticker Sheet - SPD Badges - Patrol Signer Display Sign Card (x6) Today, while shopping at Anime Jungle at Little Tokyo, I bought this DX Dekaranger Robo for $85. Not as cheap as HLJ, but still less expensive than most other shops. If you've read StealthLurker's review, then you're familiar with the quality of the toy. However, this review covers the major features of the Dekaranger Robo - including the lights and sounds. Each DekaMachine has its unique features. Patrol Striker has two manipulators (Striker Arms) stored under the quarter panels. The Gyro Wappers (handcuffs) or the Judgment Sword can also be mounted on the rear wheels. In addition, Patrol Striker houses two AAA batteries that power the light and sound features. Patrol Gyrer's wings house the Gyro Vulcans and Gyro Wappers when not in use. A tow hook under the fuselage can be deployed or closed. Patrol Trailer stores the Signal Cannon and the blade portion of the Judgment Sword. The Signal Cannon can also be mounted in a firing position. Patrol Armor has floodlights that double as the handle of the Judgment Sword. Patrol Signer can display different sign cards: SPD Badge, Do Not Enter, SPD Route Only, Attack, and Capture. When combined to Robot Mode, Patrol Signer can display a big red X as part of its Judgment mode. Transforming the DekaMachines is a cinch; it will take you at least 15 seconds to combine them to form Dekaranger Robo. Many photos portray the DX Dekaranger Robo as huge, but once all five DekaMachines are combined, the robot stands at 9" tall. Flip a switch on the underside of Patrol Striker and it will let out a chirp, indicating that the light and sound features are working. Attaching the limbs on Patrol Striker will trigger the electronic sounds of metal parts joining together. Press the panel on the front labeled 1, and the LED lights on the chest and legs will blink while a clashing sound will play. Afterwards, the leg LEDs will flash up and down, the chest LEDs will dance in circles, and the familiar police siren will blare out. While it looks very close to its live-action counterpart, DX Dekaranger Robo suffers from the same syndrome faced by every other Sentai robot: lack of articulation. It's at most a brick, with only the arms swinging forward and back. And unfortunately, the head has absolutely no movement. Despite the imperfections, the DX Dekaranger Robo is an excellent display piece. If you're a Sentai freak, or if you just got hooked on Tokusou Sentai Dekaranger, you owe it to yourself to pick this toy up. Detail: A Features: A- Articulation: C Value: B+ Special thanks to Anime Jungle

Well, since this is the resident car-related thread: During my stay in the Philippines, I noticed a few cars I've never seen before. Toyota Vios. IMO, this subcompact should've hit the U.S. instead of the fugly Echo. Funny thing is that Britney Spears is on the car's TV commercials. Ford Lynx. Bigger than the Focus. Not as hip-looking, though. Ford Everest. Instead of the Explorer, the Philippines has this SUV with rather bland styling. Honda City. Here's another subcompact that looks good.

I agree. No animated Spider-Man adaptation comes close to Bakshi's version. BTW, zeus the zentran, it's Bakshi, not "Bashki".

Yeah, the whole pregnancy angle died out a long time ago. Don't be surprised if Lita gives birth to a hand. Or better yet, she gives birth to Kane's mask, which means Kane will wear it once again in order to resurrect his career.