News

SDCC: New "Afro Samurai" Details Revealed
By William C. Maune
07-22-2006, 12:19 AM
At the San Diego Comic-Con on Friday, new details were revealed about the upcoming Afro Samurai anime starring Samuel L. Jackson. The series, slated to run on Spike TV, will be five episodes long, although there may be more episodes if it does well. Each of the five episodes had a budget of over $1 million. Because the series is being made with Japanese television in mind, the uncut version of each episode will be 25 minutes long. Spike TV will be cutting three minutes out of each episodes though for an American television run time of 22 minutes. While the episode length is being made with Japanese television in mind, this will be Gonzo's first anime made initially for an English language audience. Thus, it will subsequently be dubbed into Japanese.

Full article can be seen here.

The official site for Afro Samurai.

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Holding The Power of Anime
July 22nd, 2006 3:20 PM by Aaron H. Bynum

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ICv2, a comics culture media group focused on disseminating the finer points and projects of select areas of the comics and animation industries, has released a list of which they have considered the most powerful individuals presently active in the western anime industry. The list, consisting of several executive officers of leading North America anime title distributors, reveals not so much which company holds the largest influence nor which organization garners the highest revenue; but rather gives enthusiasts a glimpse into which individuals, behind the companies, has the most control or capacity for future gain and/or growth.

Full article can be seen here.

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This is serial manga in Mainchi Shimbun, which has English translation. Shows how big anime has become so far. Perhaps trying to emulate the popularity of Megatokyo?

The manga.

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Wired
Issue 14.07 - July 2006

Meet the Geek Elite

At first glance, there’s not much to distinguish Koota Umeda from the millions of other Japanese salary­men. When we meet for a beer in a Tokyo bar, the personable 23-year-old is wearing a smart new suit and presents his business card with impeccable manners (he works for a major Japanese tech company). But the unfashionable side part in his hair hints at secret proclivities. The proof comes when he whips out his digicam to show me photos of his enormous, meticulously organized collection of manga, which he keeps in his bedroom at his parents’ house.

Full article can seen here.