Katherine's Anime Blog

Ready to learn a little Japanese anime lingo? Today's anime word of the day is "tankōbon", as in, "The first Code Geass manga was released as a tankōbon in December, 2006 by Asuka Comics DX."

So, what does that mean? Click here to find out :)

According to an interesting post at THAT Anime Blog, the instant Ramen Noodle turned 50 yesterday (August 25th). In 1958, creator Momofuku Ando had the pleasure of watching his treat go on sale in Japan. Little did he know that Ramen Noodles would soon become a staple for anime fans all over the world :)

So, let me ask you:

What's your favorite food for a weekend (or late night) anime marathon?

• Gotta' have some ramen!
• Always something chocolate.
• Chips, pretzels, something salty.
• Popcorn, of course!
• Healthy - veggies, yogurt and the like.
• Cereal
• Whatever I have on hand.
• I prefer to fast during anime marathons.
• View Results

In a recent press release, VIZ Pictures announced that the second Death Note live-action film - Death Note II: The Last Name - will be featured at almost 400 theaters across the U.S. on October 15th and 16th, 2008. Directed by Shusuke Kaneko, the second film finishes out Kaneko's adaptation of the supernatural manga by Tsugumi Ohba and Takeshi Obata (the first live-action movie hit the theaters this past May).

Those of you who subscribe to VIZ's Shonen Jump Magazine can get a jump on the tickets and order in advance beginning August 29th. Tickets will be available to the general public as of September 5th.

You can see a sneak preview of the latest Death Note addition by visiting VIZ's official Death Note website.

Oooh... this ought to be fun :)

According to a New York Times article, Marvel Entertainment has cut a deal with Madhouse (Vampire Hunter D, Death Note) to give four traditionally western superheroes an anime facelift. Simon Phillips, President of Marvel, says the company wants to do more than just import the American characters into anime-style artwork. Instead, the Marvel/Madhouse team intend to re-imagine the superheroes within the Japanese culture. "It will create an entire parallel universe for Marvel," Phillips said.

The new characters will be the stars of four new anime series scheduled to premiere in Japan in the Spring of 2010. Marvel also has plans for comic books and mobile downloads.

If you're like most anime fans, you just simply can't resist building a diversely interesting collection of anime goodies. From Limited Edition DVD's to action figures, plushies and yes, even all those keychains, there's a ton of anime merchandise to keep you busy.

But learning how to buy is just as important as what you buy because, unfortunately, there's quite a bit of room for error. So to help you out, I've put together this handy little guide to collecting anime, including pricing guide resources, shopping tips and even some help with spotting those bootleg DVD's.

According to a post at ANN, the 20th volume of the Fullmetal Alchemist manga contains confirmation that a second series is in the works. This rumor had previously been essentially denied by Bones' President Masahiko Minami who said in an official statement that there was no such project currently existing within the company. He did however, go on to say that the studio is certainly interested in the project but that no decision had yet been made.

Apparently, that's all changed although no word just yet on when the new series might be released. Stay tuned...

Let's go back to 1998. Aerosmith sang I Don't Want to Miss a Thing while Celine Dion's Heart Will Go On brought tears to our eyes. We listened to Iris by the Goo Goo Dolls while Will Smith was Gettin Jiggy With It. The Denver Broncos won the Super Bowl and the New York Yankees took the World Series. Armageddon, Bug's Life and There's Something About Mary dominated the theaters. And could we ever forget... Cowboy Bebop made its premiere.

Lots of good stuff going on this week, so let's get to it, shall we? :)

If you're a Dragonaut fan, check out the official Japanese website - they've added a streaming trailer for the extra 26th episode that will be included in the final DVD volume but did not air while the series was showing on TV.

Bandai has confirmed that the first set of Code Geass DVDs have been shipped and Volumes 1 and 2 plus some limited editions should be hitting your favorite DVD shelves. You can check them out and compare prices on Code Geass DVDs here.

And speaking of Code Geass, Bandai has also confirmed that the sequel to Code Geass - Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion R2 will be shown on Adult Swim after the first series has ended. Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion began airing on Adult Swim in April of this year.

VIZ Pictures has announced a series of special theatrical screenings of Happily Ever After, a live-action comedy based upon the popular manga by Yoshiie Gouda. Directed by Yukihiko Tsutsumi, the movie originally caused some controversy for dealing with some sensitive relationship aspects with dark humor. Happily Ever After will screen in Seattle, WA August 15-21 at the Grand Illusion Cinema, followed by Scottsdale, AZ for a showing on October 4th at the Scottsdale International Film Festival, and then onto Pittsburgh, PA for a screening on October 10th at the 2008 Japanese Film Festival at the University of Pittsburgh.

Looking to get your foot in the door in the anime and manga industry? Well, here's your chance. Bang Zoom! Entertainment needs several interns and who knows? Maybe one of these positions is for you!

Okay, now THIS is an AMV! Love the song - Madonna and Mr. Timberlake singing 4 Minutes to Save the World and the anime shots are great. You'll notice clips from My Hime, Fullmetal Alchemist, Girls Bravo, Rozen Maiden and more.