Dragon Ball Live Action

There is one giant elephant you cannot ignore in the room and it is called Dragon Ball Live Action.

The cast has been assembled here....

Here is the list of cast from IMDB. James Masters as Piccolo? Never expected that!

Justin Chatwin ... Goku

Yun-Fat Chow ... Master Roshi

James Marsters ... Lord Piccolo

Emmy Rossum ... Bulma

Jamie Chung ... Chi Chi

Joon Park ... Yamcha

Randall Duk Kim ... Grandpa Gohan

IMDB Entry

Now most old fans of franchise are screaming blood. As usual.
Bulma is kinda hot though.

Personally it is an interesting project, but there will be a lot of challenges as expectations are high. Already people are upset that Goku was an American.

I do wonder if they capture the feel of the show. That is crucial.

Islamic protest on Jojo's Bizzare Adventure

Anime DVDs pulled after Muslims protest
'JoJo's Bizarre Adventure' called offensive

By Gavin J. Blair

May 22, 2008, 01:28 PM
TOKYO -- Shueisha Inc. has pulled an anime DVD series based on a popular manga after protests from Muslims about the negative portrayal of the Koran, the publisher said Thursday.

An episode of "JoJo's Bizarre Adventure" featured a villain looking at a copy of the Koran before ordering the killing of the hero and his companions, in a story set in Egypt.

Shueisha said the illustrators were unable to read Arabic and therefore unaware that the featured text came from the Islamic holy book, saying it was included to give "authenticity." The book doesn't appear in the original manga.

Source

More details and commentary from here

Link 2

In this case, I do felt the fault is on both sides, the Japanese for not consulting research properly and the Islamic ulama for over reacting to a mere entertainment medium.

But this is a replay of sectarian senstivity to protrayal of any associated memes in popular media.

Cosmode Online Launched.

First English based online magazine on cosplay now available. Signs of increasing internationalization of anime culture is here, plain to see. Will it expand or contract though? Hard to see, hard to say.

Here is the press release:

RELEASED: COSMODE ONLINE #001 - COSPLAY 1ST GRADERS STARTING TODAY!


TOKYO, Japan (May 25, 2008) OverDrive's COSMODE Online has released its first issue. Everyone has something to learn with tutorials on makeup, costume making, wig preparation, cosplay photography techniques, and cosplay manners.

"We strive to bring cosplayers and cosplay lovers around with world with only the best content", said Ted Harada, President of OverDrive, Inc.


The link is here.

It is now available for subscription.

Speaking of cosplay, I stumbled on this beautiful cosplayer doing a character from Clannad. Enjoy.





Until then.

Kara no Kyokai/Garden of Sinners/Rakkyo Ending Song

The ED song for Kara no Kyokai, Oblivious by Kalafina arranged by Kaijura. Beautiful and haunting song, suitable for the anime's feel and theme.

School Rumble 3rd Term. Or is it?

The promotion for new School Rumble series is up for 3rd time, and considering from the horrendously indecisive manga story....I think the anime can go on forever like Energizer Bunny. Already some fans of the story expressed anger at lack of resolution after such a long run.



The cast promotion of next School Rumble anime, VAs/seiyuus for Tenma (Ami Kozhimizu) and Yakumo (Mamiko Noto).

From what I knew, the love complication is yet to be resolved even at manga's chapter 220. To me that is like stringing along a cash cow as long as possible. Jin Kobayashi who parodied himself in the story as delinquent main character perhaps running of ideas?

The offical site with offical promo trailer for it

I don't really hope too much out of it, I do enjoy early parts but it has become a bit too draggy like Hispanic tele novela.

Yona Yona Penguin

Singapore broadcaster giant MediaCorp and leading Japanese animation company Madhouse Inc Monday announced a collaboration on a 13 million U.S. dollar computer-generated 3D anime feature film called Yona Yona Penguin.

The animation film will be directed by renowned Japanese animator Rintaro, who's made his mark in Japanese anime as the creator of Astro Boy.

Singapore's entry into billion dollar industry anime is this cutesy penguin story. I have to confess though, the name Madhouse did not struck me as the one will do cutesy, moe type of anime presentation.

Interesting industrial trend in anime, as it becomes more and more hybrid Japanese and something else now.