Ms. Answerman

Apocalypse

No rant this week, just a bunch of questions.

---

Dear Ms. Answerman,
I recently learned that Alichino has been licensed by Tokyopop. I've had the pleasure of reading the first three volumes, and I assumed that the last volume was never published. On TP's website, they only have three volumes listed. The end of the third volume was a cliffhanger, which makes me very nervous! What does Tokyopop intend to do for an ending? Will they publish a cliffhanger? Please help soothe this girl's agitation!
Thanks,
Morgan

The magazine, EYES, which Alichino was originally serialized in, no longer exists. Unless the mangaka is extremely rich, the series cannot continue until a company (or an individual with a lot of money) decides to license it. It's been a few years since the final volume was published in Japan, so there's a very good chance you'll be left hanging with the third volume. As for Tokyopop's plans, they'll release all three volumes and then move onto another series. It wouldn't be the first time that an incomplete series is licensed for US distribution (Yami no Matsuei come to mind).

---

Dear Ms. Answerman:
I am hearing a lot of conflicting reports on whether or not Cartoon Network will be showing the OAV episodes (27 – 30) of Wolf's Rain. Will they end the current run with episode 26? What have you heard? (If I have to wait for the OAVs to be released on DVD... sigh... that's a long wait!).
Thanks a lot
TMC

In Japan, Wolf's Rain ran for 30 episodes (26 regular TV episodes then a four-episode OVA). In America, Wolf's Rain will only run for 26 episodes, the four filler ones being replaced by the four from the OVA. So, to answer your question, Cartoon Network will only show 26 episodes, but those will include the OVAs. As far as I know, this was the plan from the beginning, but concern is understandable since they didn't come out and say specifically that the OVA episodes would be included.

---

Dear Ms. Answerman,
I've done some searching on the web for Gabriela Robin, and have come across some info that suggests that she and Yoko Kanno are one person. Is that true?

It's impossible to say whether it's true or not since no one has come out and said “yes they're the same” or “no, this is the real Gabriela Robin”. Truthfully, I wouldn't be surprised if they are the same, since pseudonyms are used with some regularity by actors and writers. Many times they're used to separate ones professional and personal life, while other times they're used so that one can do work they normally couldn't do. It's also possible that Gabriela is a talented, shy woman and Yoko created this mystery so that Gabriela could continue to live a secluded life.

---

I was looking at the credits of wolfs rain the other day and I notice the name Johnny Bosch. The name sounds very familiar. And then I remember a guy who was in the Power Rangers TV series with the same name, but his middle name was used in those credits. Is this the same guy, and if so, what other anime has he done voice for?
- Y.V.

Considering he was the Green Power Ranger over 10 years ago, you've got a real talent for remembering names. Johnny Yong Bosch also has quite a resume as a voice actor for anime series. In Wolf's Rain he's the voice of Kiba, but he's also done Vash from Trigun, Claus from Last Exile, Haruto Sakaki from Witch Hunter Robin, as well as others.

---

dear ms answerman,
you probably get these kinds of emails, but can you recommend a few tv shows or movies for someone who has been out of the anime loop since around when cowboy bebop came out. thank you very much.
sincerely,
randy madrid

Truthfully, the ‘which anime series/movies should I buy’ question only comes around once every few months, so when it does I figure it's about time to update the list of my top picks. Especially now that a lot of really good shows are coming out as we speak.
My top pick would probably be Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex. I'm guessing you've seen/own Cowboy Bebop, so you'll be pleasantly surprised to know that Yoko Kanno, the woman behind CB's music also did the music for GitS: SAC. Overall, Stand Alone has everything you could possibly want in a series: incredible animation, interesting characters, and an engaging plot that'll make it worth your time to go back and watch the series over again.
Two other shows that are at the top for the same reason Stand Alone is are Wolf's Rain (which is currently on Cartoon Network) and Texhnolyze. All three of these are aimed towards teen+ audiences and all of them are worth the bucks you'll be shelling out.
Some movies you might want to check out are the Cowboy Bebop movie (if you haven't seen this one yet), The Animatrix, or Spirited Away (or any of Miyazaki's films that you haven't seen).
If you're still looking for more series/movies, head over to your local anime store and jot down a few of the names for series that look interesting. With your list in hand, check out each series in ANN's anime encyclopedia and see what other fans think about each series.