Posted by Bob Muir on Apr 25, 2013 in
Anime,
Television 
In an interesting team-up, Pacific Rim director Guillermo del Toro has teamed up with Doctor Who and Sherlock writer Steven Thompson to adapt Naoki Urasawa’s critically-acclaimed manga Monster. It apparently took a while for del Toro to convince Urasawa, but he eventually accepted the proposal, and now Monster will be entering production on HBO. Urasawa’s original manga tells the story of a doctor who saves a child who grows up to be a sociopath, and the journey the doctor takes to right his wrongs. Read more…
Tags: guillermo del toro, HBO, manga
Posted by Ben Huber on Mar 8, 2013 in
Anime 
Some sad news for anime and manga fans everywhere: Toren Smith has passed away. He was an early translator of many popular manga titles and helped bring over many early works. He helped translate The Legend of Kamui, one of the first manga titles brought over, and went on to found Studio Proteus which aided in bringing over manga like Akira, Appleseed, Astro Boy, Lone Wolf and Cub, and Nausicaa. He also helped found AnimeCon 1991, along with Gainax’s Toshio Okada and John McLaughlin. Gainax even featured him (in name) in Gunbuster to recognize his accomplishments. His influence has been felt far and wide, and the anime & manga industry today would be very different if not for his impressive body of work. He will be missed. Read more…
Tags: manga, toren smith
Posted by Bob Muir on Dec 26, 2012 in
Anime 
Though it’s old hat by now, Dragon Ball (or for the portion that American fans like, Dragon Ball Z) is one of the biggest, most popular manga ever released in Japan. It’s always in print, with a new definitive version, but now a new version is finally adding something to make it even more palatable for anyone turned off by manga’s black-and-white style: color. Read more…
Tags: Dragonball, manga
Posted by Bob Muir on Dec 18, 2012 in
Anime 
If you haven’t seen Black Lagoon, an anime from 2006, let me bottom-line it for you: it’s a loving take on American action films and Western tones, as well as directors such as Quentin Tarantino and John Woo. It sounds like that would result in a parody, but it feels like an excellent homage, telling the story of a multicultural group of mercenaries and the people they meet in the criminal underground of Southeast Asia. The manga has been running since 2002, with most of it adapted in anime form, but has been on hiatus since 2010. Thankfully, fans won’t have to wait much longer for more! Read more…
Tags: manga
Posted by Bob Muir on Nov 27, 2012 in
Anime 
Looks like Viz is finally understanding that their digital magazine Shonen Jump Alpha was in an awkward place when it came to their content. With a two-week delay between the latest manga chapters that run in Japan’s Weekly Shonen Jump, their translations were not current enough to morally deter those who read free scanlations, yet too current to be collected into a full volume. As a result, I’m sure many fans of manga such as Naruto, Bleach, One Piece, and many more simply glanced at Viz’s offerings, asked themselves why they’d pay for a two-week old official version, and continued reading scanlations that appear a few days after a new issue was released. It looks like Viz got the memo, because now readers can get the content instantly. Read more…
Tags: manga
Posted by Michael Pinto on Jul 12, 2012 in
Anime,
Hobbies and Collections 
If you aren’t familiar with Danboard he’s a cardboard action figure who is based on an issue of the Yotsuba&! manga. The original model kit that became popular in Japan was produced by Revoltech, but this newest kit caught my eye because it’s made out of plastic! What;s nice about this new kit is that the cover features an illustration by the japanese artist Hidetaka Tenjin who is famous for his beloved illustrations of Mobile Suit Gundam and Macross. Shown below are a number of examples from Japan of local hobbyists who had fun with this kit: Read more…
Tags: Japan, manga
Posted by Ben Huber on Dec 18, 2011 in
Cinema,
Comic Books 
Two new pieces of news are floating around regarding Spike Lee’s remake of Park Chan-Wook’s film Oldboy. While Josh Brolin had been confirmed to be playing the leading man (Dae-su), several other important parts were left un-cast. However now we have two names popping up: Clive Owen is being offered the role of the villain (Woo-jin), and Mia Wasikowska the role of the lead female (Mi-do). I think Clive Owen is a perfect choice, and I love him as an actor. He simply needs more roles to breathe in, and this could be a great part for him. Read more…
Tags: manga, Oldboy
Posted by Michael Pinto on Nov 11, 2011 in
Anime,
Hobbies and Collections 
This collection of illustrations reminds me of an anime take on those Strawberry Shortcake characters from the 80s: Read more…
Tags: Anime, Fan Art, Japan, manga
Posted by Michael Pinto on Nov 11, 2011 in
Animation,
Hobbies and Collections 
At long last the One Piece x Hello Kitty goodies are hitting the shelves in Japan for all of those kitty pirates who want something cool for Christmas! This collection includes a line of phone charms, ear buds, a notebook and of course and iPhone case which can be purchased online (of course your ill need to know how to read Japanese): Read more…
Tags: Anime, Hello Kitty, Japan, manga, One Piece
Posted by Michael Pinto on Oct 19, 2011 in
Anime,
Comic Books,
Fandom 
As a retro anime fanboy my heart warmed up when I came across the table of Tara Tallan at the New York Comic Con — her webcomic Galaxion is very inspired by Star Blazers which happens to be one of my favorite shows in the universe. Unlike most science fiction stories this manga isn’t dark and gritty, if you love indie comics you can show Tara your support by buying the first two volumes of the series: Read more…
Tags: Anime, manga, Star Blazers, webcomics
