GKIDS has announced it has acquired distribution rights to Miss Hokusai, the latest feature from Japanese animation powerhouse Production I. G. (Ghost In The Shell, A Letter To Momo). The film by renowned director Keiichi Hara (Colorful) took home the Jury Prize at the Annecy Film Festival, swept the top jury and audience awards at […]
Archive for the ‘Anime’ Category
Anime Blu-Ray Review: “Monthly Girls Nozaki-kun”
July 6th, 2016 
Charles Solomon When Chiyo Sakura (Juliet Simmons), the heroine of the broadcast series Monthly Girls’ Nozaki-kun (2014), awkwardly tries to confess her love to classmate Umetaro Nozaki (Ty Mahany), she mistakenly says “I’m your fan!”–and he responds by giving her an autograph from a special pad. Nozaki is tall, handsome and terminally clueless; he’s also the creator […]
ANIME REVIEW: “The Girl Who Leapt Through Time”
June 29th, 2016 Charles Solomon Although he had worked as an animator and director on numerous TV series and three “Digimon” features, The Girl Who Leapt Through Time was the first film to showcase Mamoru Hosoda’s talent as a director. If you were to ask her, Makoto Konno (Emily Hirst) would say she regards herself as a normal high school […]
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Tags: Mamoru Hosoda 
Comments Off on ANIME REVIEW: “The Girl Who Leapt Through Time” ANIME REVIEW: “Shonen Hollywood: Holly Stage for 49”
June 26th, 2016 Charles Solomon The Japanese pop music industry is famous–or infamous–for manufacturing pop groups that become the flavor of the month, then quickly fade from view. Shonen Hollywood: Holly Stage for 49 (2014) offers a mildly upbeat look at the phenomenon.
“Assassination Classroom: Season One Part One”
June 6th, 2016 Charles Solomon Based on the manga by Yusei Matsui, the series Assassination Classroom has a premise that’s bizarre, even by the freewheeling standards of anime. An alien destroys 70% of the moon, leaving just a permanent crescent. He threatens to do the same to the Earth unless certain conditions are met. The creature insists on being made […]
BOOK REVIEW: “Blanc et Noir: Takeshi Obata Illustrations”
May 22nd, 2016 Charles Solomon Takeshi Obata is a noted manga-ka, or manga artist, whose work includes the popular titles “Hikaru no Go,” “Death Note” and “Bakuman,” all of which have been animated. The first two have also been adapted to live action. This large-format (10.5” x 15”) anthology showcases his artwork for magazine covers, posters, calendars, etc. The illustrations […]
ANIME TRAILER: Kenji Kamiyama’s “Napping Princess”
May 17th, 2016 Jerry Beck Here’s a teaser for Napping Princess: The Story Of the Unknown Me (Hirune Hime – Shiranai Wabash No Monogatari), the new anime film by director Kenji Kamiyama (Ghost In The Shell: Stand Alone Complex; Eden Of The East). Opening in Japan later this year via Warner Bros., the film is set in Okayama prefecture in […]
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Must-See Chinese Animated Feature Trailer: “Big Fish & Begonia”
April 19th, 2016 Jerry Beck Coming out on July 8th in China, Big Fish and Begonia is an elaborate animated feature directed by Liang Xuan and Zhang Chun. According to this Chinese website, the film was 12 years in the making – and partially funded through crowd sourcing.
ANIME REVIEW: “Eden of the East: The Premium Edition”
April 10th, 2016 Charles Solomon American animated characters sailed unscathed through the financial meltdown of 2008 and its after effects: Po could afford all the dumplings he could eat, Hiro and his friends had the cutting-edge technology and supplies they needed, and Hiccup wasn’t underwater on his father’s hut. Their Japanese counterparts wrestled with problems of money and motivation in […]
Funimation Puts Anime Feature “The Empire Of Corpses” In Limited Theatrical Release
April 9th, 2016 Jerry Beck Funimation’s anime pick-up The Empire Of The Corpses, is getting a limited U.S. theatrical run this month. Based on the Project Itoh zombie steampunk novel, the story has been adapted to anime by Wit Studio (Attack on Titan) with Ryoutarou Makihara directing. Funimation is placing the feature in select theaters on April 19th & 20th in select U.S. cities.
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