Is Marvel getting ahead of DC with their anime series?

You know, there was always this question in the back of my mind over if ultimately manga and anime have taken over Western comics.

Nothing further from reality as Western comics still have the largest demand in the world and Manga style comics are a genre/niche that is growing as we speak, but it's still far from being mainstream.

The day we see a manga published in the United States by either DC or Marvel, that'd be the day we can say that manga is mainstream.

That being said, what is Marvel's interest in making X-Men, Blade and Iron Man anime series?







The answer can be in the fact that Marvel is looking to get the younger audiences or younger generations that are wayyy more interested in manga/anime than they ever will in Western comics.

Or they just want to experiment what could be the result of a crossover between these two radically different styles and approaches for diverse audiences.

Or even a simple wish to join creative forces for the sake of going beyond, such as Stan Lee and Hiroyuki Takei in their series Karakuridoji Ultimo, which is serialized in Jump SQ magazine and is being sold as a graphic novel on Amazon.

Western comics are all about realism and being anatomically correct as possible, yet at the same time with a certain degree of styling of forms and figures, but manga is expressionistic and relies more in characters, but that doesn't mean that the story can't be equally complex. You can say that manga is realistic in its own way because of the expression it conveys in each panel.

Right now, a crossover of these two styles of visual storytelling (and cultural approaches to life, actually) have either proved to be succesful or simply a failure, as in the case of the Wolverine anime, so it is still an ambigous land.

And DC is doing nothing? 


DC is just not being as vocal, but series like 'Young Justice' and 'Teen Titans' show a certain shift towards anime style, without necessarilly abandoning the traditional animation style of 'Superman: TAS', or 'Justice League Unlimited'. They want to cater to younger audiences without compromising too much of themselves.



And don't forget about the 'Batman: Gotham Knight' animated shorts, that was already a mild insinuation towards anime style in 2005, with studios Madhouse, Studio 4 °C and Production IG working with David Goyer, Brian Azzarello and Greg Rucka.

As for the upcoming comics relaunch on September and the new character design? It may be only me but I'm already seeing mecha influences in Superman's new suit.

Who's not to say that with the upcoming Superman movie in 2012, directed by Zack Snyder, and assessed by the Nolans, we may get anime shorts of Superman?

The answers are still in the open for open minds.

The winner of the Ao no Exorcist Deviantart contest is here!

This artwork was the winner of the Blue Exorcist contest held at the Ao-No-Exorcist group at Deviantart.

It was done by user ToshaSquare from Russia, who resulted the winner :-)

It was done with watercolor pencils and I'll submit more information right away!!

I just love the use of contrasts and the characterization.



This is her Deviantart account, which features many great artworks!

ToshaSquare on Deviantart

I've decided to start a webcomics review section

I have noticed that many authors rely heavily on
 Manga Studio for their works and it really pays off

This new section will review webcomics and/or webmanga. I make emphasis on 'webmanga', even though all are the same thing (for me, 'manga' can define the style or genre, yet 'manga' in Japanese means comics, or 'the image sketched in the mind')

Through a great discussion and meeting people in LinkedIn, I got introduced to the fascinating world of webcomics.

Webcomics are not the same as self-publication, nor can both can be considered 'vanity publishing'.

Webmangas are revolutionizing the comic book and arts industry in the sense that you're not limited or have to depend on a publishing house, but you can do it yourself on the internet and if we cite the case of Penny Arcade, for example, it can be a very profitable business if you decide to see it that way.

You can publish webcomics either on a owned-domain website of yours that lives off Google Adsense or other companies that can pay you for ad space, or on a directory that features it, with your own terms in regards to ads. Other methods include Paypal donations and selling merchandising items of Zazzle, CafePress, Etsy and similar sites.

The key here is that you gotta keep in mind that your ability to sell and market your work is as important as the work itself.

New Blade anime teaser trailer

Yet another anime adaptation of a Marvel comic, the series is set to premiere on July 1. It is also produced by Madhouse.

Marvel is pulling a smart move by presenting its key characters in the anime styled world, but the clash between American style and Japanese style are what is creating these hybrids.

(it is a completely different story with manga, though, just look at Stan Lee and Hiroyuki Takei's Karakuridoji Ultimo and The Innocent)

Exclusive interview with Everlasting Heart creator, Shigeto Yamagara!

The creator of this self-produced Flash anime short, also known as 'Kimi to Boku', was kind and attentive enough to give an interview for this blog, in the middle of the March 11 Earthquake, the tsunami, and the nuclear crisis that followed. It was quite the challenge but it was well worth it.  Even in the face of the worst of adversities one has to get up and move on as if nothing, and that's what true strenght is like.

Photo from the set of 'Everlasting Heart': the kitten is incredibly freaking adorkable 

Born in Miyazaki prefecture, located in the south west region of Japan, in March 30th, 1965, Yamagara, also known as 'Shiget', is a self-taught artist who ensures there's always something new to learn everyday. "I am even learning from your questions at this moment", he indicates.


'Kimi to Boku', or Everlasting Heart was the very first flash online based anime, launched in 2001. It has garnered 4.8 million page views since, it was translated into English and the creator published a book version in 2009.


The live-action adaptation, which was made available this month, has Beck's Aoi Nakamura as the mangaka, and Maaya Sakamoto as the voice of the cat, as well as the performer of the theme song.

-What inspired you to become an artist?
There are lots of messages which I want to get out through my creation. My job is to take it shape. It is my lifework.

-What technical obstacles or limitations did you find when making Kimi to boku?
It is normal that there are technology obstacles when the work is produced. The problem is how to overcome it. It is a lifetime.

-What would be your advice for people that want to become better animators or artists?
Approach of productions are various depending on a person. It is accomplished sooner or later if you have a strong will that you want to pass it around through your work. The most important thing is not giving up. My motto is “Be what thou would seem to be.".

-Which are your current projects?
I finished filming “Kimi to boku” , and am getting ready for creating new animation.
This new animation will be about Animal Rescue and Pet Loss. Everybody needs to be saved. It will be completed by July 2011 that is 10th anniversary of “Kimi to Boku”, then it will be shown online. It has been scheduled to deliver English version within 1 month time afterward. I want you to look forward to it.

-Do you think that going the 'independent' route is the best way, rather than seeking employment in a studio? I mean, making your own projects and giving them internet exposure?
Business is the first priority for companies. I don’t prefer that way when I created my work. First of all, I publish my work and restructure it as commercial use if it is necessarily. I think it would be a great encouragement for young creators if it becomes successful as a business model. It is not only about your taste, technique and knowledge to make it success. You also need to have skills of producing and promotion. It is not easy but I am very confident that a great case example was made by making the world first film adaptation of a flash animation.

-Do you think that the situation with illegal distribution of manga and anime around the world could be solved? If so, how?
It is nothing unusual to get rip-off in in the capitalist society. However, we have the right to reform it. It would be for a while to get social selection. My job is creating works and I am not a politician but I am ready to help to reform our society.

Photo from the set of 'Everlasting Heart', in a scene of dubbing. "I was sometimes discussing with the director about the scenario and production on the set. The main characters, played by Aoi Nakamura and Maaya Sakamoto, met up the first time at the dubbing session. These two actors made the movie so great. I had joined since the movie was still at the planning stage and also got in to filming and dubbing sessions", Shigeto comments.

-What would you advise a graphic designer or digital animator to put in their portfolio (demo reel)?

There are two choices as to self promotion. Firstly a method that you get jobs directly. Another one is a method that you send your own image to as many people as possible. I believe it is the best way that those two methods get together and it becomes a professional artist (a creator) yet you might get nothing with just having passion and techniques.

However it would not be that difficult if this question meant just about getting jobs. You can just provide your technique which is just good enough for the job which you targeted. It is possible to be an employee if you have enough skills for the job.

Learning technique and expression means you expand your job, expression and ideas. If you work on it very hard, you will find a way. In addition, I say that the promotion is just a method and it is not “aim”.

Photo from the set of 'Everlasting Heart'. Shigeto Yamagara says: "I was really lucky that I could get involved in this process, taking a step into the new world of movies and having a view as the original creator for this animation and story. It may not be exaggerated to say that the deep understanding of the director and all the staff for the movie created a quality that even old fans of this animation will be satisfied with"

Kimi to Boku (You and I) is the story of an aspiring mangaka and his cat, told from the cat's perspective. It follows the friendship between the cat and the young man from when they first meet up to when they must part. The story is autobiographic, based on the creator's personal experience with his cat.

-Would you have a cat again in the future?
It is not going to happen. This is because ”Ginougou” the main character of “Kimi to Boku” is still alive in my heart although I love cats and dogs both. I am still with him.
However, I don’t disagree that other people getting new cats in to their lives. I will show my answer in the new cat animation.

-What book have you been reading as of lately?
I read modern literatures to gossip magazines when I was young. I don’t have much time to read books though I have never been lazy to read data or get photos for future creations. I also like reading portfolios of Japanese/foreign illustrators or some books about making of movies.

-What is your favorite manga and/or anime series?
I am currently reading “Mugen no Junin” “Historie” “JoJo Series” I have countless old favorite comics and I have repeatedly read those. I have read some of them at least a 100 times. I don’t have any commercial animations which stick out in my mind. The reason is that I actually don’t have good knowledge for current commercial animations. As an aside, I got a huge impact from Osamu Tezuka and Fujio Akatsuka as manga artist and Osamu Dezaki and Akio Sugino as animator.

-What do you think of life at this stage?
It is very difficult to face to all the things happening around me.
At the same time, it is also very difficult to live honestly. However, I wish I could and am trying to make it happen. This type of life might not be easy but it is very important challenge of life to accept the difficulties and get over it. It should be good if I could have good life with big confidence and then burn my life out at the end.

My only wish is to have time to say “Thank you” to the people who would be left behind of my death.

English translation by Saki Anderson.
http://on.fb.me/g6fi0u

The flash anime short and its live action version are both available on

http://universal-radio.jp/
http://universal-radio.jp/animation/EVERLASTING_HEART/

It was a great interview, and a great opportunity to get more insight on the process of self-producing digital work and marketing it online, a strategy or method that is slowly but effectively changing the anime and manga industry.

Link to previous news on 'Kimi to Boku': http://myanimemangafix.blogspot.com/2011/01/kimi-to-boku-flash-anime-gets-live.html

The origin of the word 'Weeaboo'

Always present as part of internet community jargon, who and what is a 'weeaboo'?

Memes dedicated to the meaning of this word

The word 'weeaboo' originated in the 90's in the infamous but legendary message board known as 4chan.org. It took form after a relatively obscure arcade game that consisted of slapping a duck with a paddle and the duck would make a'weeaboo' sound, meaning how idiotic can some fanboys and fangirls be.

It is a despective term used for people in Western countries that become so obsessed with anime, manga and otaku culture in general, that they believe they can go to Japan and live exactly the same lifestyle as depicted in the series they watch, or that Japan is some sort of Disneyland where situations and people are exactly like the anime series they watch.

According to urbandictionary.org, a weeaboo can be someone who likes their illegally downloaded anime to have romanji karaoke in the opening songs so they can memorize and sing them in Japanese, uses constantly words like 'kawaii', or 'moe', or even 'sugoi' to refer to things, end their sentences with 'desu', imitate all facial expressions from anime characters, imports groceries and candies from online Japanese stores, believes that anything from Japan is better than what is produced in America or Europe, and the list goes on.

In general, they live a life completely absorbed in otaku culture, thinking that the complexity of Japanese culture can be reduced to that.

But what is the difference with a Japanophile, for example?

Japanophiles are more about the culture and the way of life of the Japanese. They are more interested in history, traditions, society, politics, economy, and mostly it is for academic purposes. But that doesn't exclude an interest in media, and we can say that anime and manga are the most popular expressions of Japanese culture. It is what the foreign world sees, no doubt about that.

That's why I'm all against generalizing and discriminating groups of people with names.

Internet connection crisis

I've been all these days without a stable connection to the internet :-( How frustrating. At least with the connection I have right now I'll put up the new poll.

Mobile Suit Z Gundam manga announced!

There's quite some interesting developments in Kadokawa Shoten as of lately, as Gundam Ace magazine and another Kadokawa magazine, Monthly Newtype, are collaborating this summer on a new manga magazine.

The magazine will feature tie-in manga for franchises in other media, and the announcement features images from Sunrise's upcoming Sacred Seven television anime series and BONES' upcoming Towa no Quon anime film series. More details will be provided in the next issue of Monthly Gundam Ace.

Also, more great news for mecha fans!

The June issue of Monthly Gundam Ace is also announcing that creator Hiroyuki Kitazume is drawing a new manga adaptation of Yoshiyuki Tomino and Sunrise's Mobile Suit Z Gundam robot anime series in the next issue in May. Kitazume had worked as an animation designer on the Z Gundam television series, and then he designed the characters in the Mobile Suit Gundam ZZ and Mobile Suit Gundam: Char's Counterattack sequels. Kenichi Matsuzaki, the scriptwriter who was responsible for the first Gundam series' scripts, setting, and science-fiction research, is acting as the supervisor of the new manga.

Matsuzaki is credited with Gundam's version of space colonies (based on physicist Gerard K. O'Neill's original concepts), Minovsky particle, and Solar System weapon. Kitazume had previously drawn the Mobile Suit Gundam: Char's Deleted Affair ~ Portrait of Young Comet manga in Gundam Ace from the magazine's inaugural issue in 2001 to 2009. The character designer of the first Gundam series, Yoshikazu Yasuhiko, has also been drawing his Mobile Suit Gundam: The Origin re-imagining of the first Gundam story since Gundam Ace's inaugural issue. The magazine happens to be celebrating its 10th anniversary in June.

Source: ANN

Toei Animation Incorporated got sued for 1 billion!

Japanese studio Toei Animation announced that a man, named Isaac A. Potter, Jr, filed a lawsuit against Toei's American subsidiary, Toei Animation Incorporated (TAI), over rights related to the Knights of the Zodiac (Saint Seiya in Japanese) anime series.

Potter alleges that TAI's Knights of the Zodiac infringed on his copyrights and trademarks. In addition to TAI, Potter named the United States of America as a defendant. Potter is seeking an injunction against TAI, US$1 billion in punitive damages, and additional statutory damages.

Toei adapted Masami Kurumada's 1986-1990 mythological fantasy manga Saint Seiya into a 1986-1989 television anime series of the same name. ADV Films and DiC Entertainment released the anime in North America in two versions: a version with English subtitles under the original name, and a version with English dubbing under the name Knights of the Zodiac. As such, Toei filed for registration on a U.S. trademark on "Knights of the Zodiac" for animation, trading cards, clothing, and toys on May 20, 2002, and received the registration on May 20, 2008. The dubbed Knights of the Zodiac version premiered on the American Cartoon Network on August 30, 2003.

The plaintiff and his brother Samuel J. Potter, under the name Potter Boys' Creations, obtained copyright protection for a drawing entitled "Zodiac Knights 2000" on October 10, 1995. They then filed a U.S. trademark for "Zodiac Knights 2000 ZK" for clothing, games, advertising, and other services on February 24, 1997, although the status of this trademark has been "abandoned" and "dead" since April 9, 1998. They also filed the trademark "Zodiac Knights 2000" separately in Indiana on March 1, 2004, and the status of that registration is "live."

In May of 2003, the Potters published a book called Zodiac Knights 2000 Featuring Creatures of the Knights: Creatures of the Knights (A New Era). Potter used the services of 1st Book Publishing, a company that offers to print books for authors seeking to self-publish their works.

Toei consulted with its legal representation and asserts that it finds no legal grounds for the plaintiff's current lawsuit. Toei said that it will fight the suit and could try to dismiss it. The studio added that it does not believe the suit will affect its business.

Talk about absurd!!! Looks like someone wants to churn money out of the wrong pothole!!!

The Ao no Exorcist contest on DeviantArt is on!

To celebrate the fact that the anime premieres on April (tentatively April 3rd since it's going to air on Sundays), we, at our group #Ao-no-Exorcist on DeviantArt are organizing a contest in which the winners get some nice prices!

Here's the info from our Ao No Exorcist page:

NEW CONTEST!

Contest Title: Risin' up, the Anime!

Theme: The AnE Anime! Artworks based on the trailers are good shot.
Start: March 1st*
End: June 1st*
*Dates may change if needed be.
Rules:

During te contest there will be a file named "Contest",that's where you must submit your art.
Before or after you submit your art you must comment on the blog post with something like: "I submited <link> for the contest." Just to let me know, so I can put your name and the link on the post. ALL SORTS OF ARTWORKS WILL BE ACCEPTED. Drawings, written works, whatever.
 The theme is the AnE anime, I highly recoment you all to watch the trailers again and base yourself on this.
It would be apreciated if you'd put on the Artist Comment part something like "This deviation is for the contest on the Ao no Exorcist group." with our link or banner, something like that.
It has to be Ao no Exorcist related.
It has to be an original piece, no stealing.
It has to be something made for this contest, not something you had already submited on the group.

 PRIZES!

 FIRST PLACE.
- Their Artwork on our Featured spot!
- Their Artwork featured on  Nakamura's blog, [link] !
- Get to choose 3 of the prize donators to make yourself a prize!

 SECOND PLACE.
- Their Artwork on our Featured spot!
- Get a prize from one of the prize donators to make yourself a prize!

 THIRD PLACE.
- Their Artwork on our Featured spot!
- Get a prize from one of the prize donators to make yourself a prize!

 FOURTH PLACE.
- Their Artwork on our Featured spot!


 PRIZE DONATORS!
- Just to remember you, those guys can also take part in the contest, just can't get a prize from themselves!

 dragonlurker
 mayamei
 Danyeda
 L3gitimat3
 jkingbudha


What are you waiting for? Do your best!

Feel free also to join our group anytime and always check out the latest updates on both the anime and manga of this great series by Kazue Kato!!!

Do girls get nosebleeds too?

While we mostly see the guys having nosebleeds when they see a extremely hot, sexy woman, I don't see the reason why girls, both in anime and manga, shouldn't.

Basically the reaction in the male and the female body is the same when we see someone extremely attractive or desirable. Our blood pulse increases and starts flowing into that certain part of the body, either voluntarily or involuntarily.

So, girls get nosebleeds when they a hot guy, specially if it's a bishonen character!

Bleach: To end or not to end?

Ok, so it's been quite a while since this manga was first published in 1999 and got its anime on 2004.

The story developed, we all fell in love with its unique characters that always offer something for someone, as it has sold thousands of copies in manga and DVDs around the world.

But since one of the main arcs that have motioned the very core of the story of the series came to an end recently in the manga, it's difficult to predict where the series will go. What's left? Bleach GT?

This even has impacted the anime with a rumor that it would end soon, with possibly a break and a relaunch, even the Technical Director couldn't exactly debunk the rumor.

I mean, it's quite obvious, isn't it?

It's interesting how the latest poll in this very blog shows how divided and polarized readers feel right now.

Could Bleach really last 10 more years without losing steam?

Barely 33% of the votes responded with a HELL yeah!, and a really close 32% responded with an absolute NO.

Ahh...nostalgic times

Yet the one important portion of voters is unsure with 'It frightens me' (6%), 'Hmm...not sure how it would turn out?' (11%) and 15% answered 'No way if it turns out like Dragon Ball', which sums still 32%!!!

You know, I'm not really fond of extending stories for the sake of doing so, or for editorial pressure, but I'd still bet on what KuboTaito-sensei has to offer.

After all, the Aizen arc could just well be 'the flashback/backstory' of Kurosaki Ichigo...

Noitamina timeslot will go through some changes

With the sudden(?) ending of the first season of Kuragehime, Fuji TV channel is changing a bit of its programming, adding series such as Anohana and C, which will premiere on April of this year.

Anohana is short for Ano Hi Mita Hana no Namae o Boku-tachi wa Mada Shiranai. (Here we go again with long names!), whereas C is a story is set during the 21st century when the economic future of Japan is in doubt.

Another series, called No° 6, which is an adaptation of the novel by Atsuko Asano, will premiere on July, produced by studio BONES. It is a science fiction story set in a future model city in 2013. Raised as a top-ranking elite since the age of 2, a boy named Shion lives in an exclusive area in No. 6. On the night of his 12th birthday, he rescues a boy who calls himself "Nezumi" ("Rat"). Nezumi ran away from the city's Special Security Area. From that moment on, Shion's life is changed forever...

And Air Usagi Drop, based on the Usagi Drop manga, will also air in July. 30-year-old bachelor Daikichi comes home from his grandfather's funeral to discover a little girl named Rin in his garden. Rin is the 6-year-old illegitimate daughter of Daikichi's grandfather, and Daikichi decides to take her in when no one in the family accepts the responsibility.

The manga has been running in Shodensha's Feel Young women's magazine since 2005, and Yen Press will publish the third manga volume in North America in March.

(source: Anime News Network)

Happy New Year!

2011 certainly bodes for a great year of changes in the manga and anime industry, as we can see that digital and online media is overtaking everything. Companies are looking to stream their own content on their own websites to help combat illegal distribution.

There could be quite some interesting developments for this year!