Anime Weekend Atlanta 7

Due to the recent terrorist attacks agains the U.S., the studio presence at AWA was limited, with only Animeigo, ADV, Media Blasters and Ironcat showing up. However, although no new acquisitions were announced, a number of interesting points were made by the studio representatives.

Animeigo
(represented by Robert Woodhead)

Animeigo is currently still working on converting their back catalog to DVD, premiering a remastered episode of Macross and two of You're Under Arrest at the convention.

The only extras on the Macross DVD's will be interviews with the production staff and "extensive" liner notes, which will allow more disk space for extremely high bit rates.

Extras on the eventual DVD release of Otaku no Video will include at least the original Japanese trailers, and possibly several other features.

The Macross movie release is currently still held up because of licensing problems, and Robert was not able to either confirm or deny the possibility of releasing the second TV season of You're Under Arrest.

ADV Films
(represented by Matt Greenfield and David L. Williams)

- Negotiations on the subtitled re-release of the first two seasons of Sailor Moon are reaching completetion

- The CLAMP title Miyuki-Chan in Wonderland will be released on one DVD with an MSRP of US$9.98. The packaging will include the paper dolls of the characters that were included with the Japanese DVD release.

- although no substantive information was available on the new Kenshin OVA series, it was speculated that the storyline involves a framing story surrounding a setting that immediately follows the conclusion of the first OVA series. The character design and overall "feel" of the new series will be similar to that of the first OVA, and thus significantly darker than the Kenshin TV series

- In cooperation with Right Stuf International, the Animetrax CD line will expand to over 100 title through the end of 2002, with the Boogiepop Phantom OST to be released shortly.

- The first episodes of Excel Saga will be completed in the spring or summer of 2002

- There is a possibility of a new Golden Boy series, although no further information was immediately available.

- Spriggan will go into theatrical release on 12 October.

- The live-action Gamera II and Gamera III movies will be released theatrically as well, with the first receiving a sub-only release, while the second will be both subtitled and dubbed.

- Negotiations are still ongoing on Noir, with a possible announcement expected at the NYAF in late October.

- The first volume of Neon Genesis Evangelion WILL be remastered, while two separate box sets of the series (a Premium Special Edition and a standard release) will be put out

- Finally, the following titles will be released throughout the rest of 2001 and most of 2002:
   OVA/Movies
    Rurouni Kenshin OVA II
    Colorful
    original Dirty Pair rerelease
    Nadesico movie
    Sorcerer on the Rocks (companion piece to Sorcerer Hunters/Bakuretsu Hunters)
    Zone of the Enders OVA
    Slayers movies/OVA's
    You're Under Arrest movie and 15-minute TV episodes
    Wonderful
    Sin II
    Plastic Little
   TV series
    Burn Up Excess
    Dark Millennium
    Eden's Bowy
    Legend of the Mystical Ninja
    Saiuki: Paradise Angels
    Milk-chan/Super Milk-Chan
    Wild Arms
    Steel Angel Kurimi

Finally, one of the "top three" cable channels in the U.S. has licensed an as-of-yet unstated ADV series for broadcast. Details are expected shortly.

Media Blasters
(representative: John Sirabella)

- Mezzo Forte, the follow-up to Kite, will be released starting in November using the same release scheme as Kite itself. A "less adult"/significantly cut version will be put out under the Media Blasters label proper, while a less-cut one will be released under Kitty Media. Throughout 2002, the studio will focus primarily on its four current major titles: Berserk, Weiss Kreuz, Kenshin, and Mahou Tsukaitai/Magic User's Club.

- An additional fifth series acquisition will be announced at BAAF in late October

- Before the end of the year, the hentai titles Stainless Knight and Dragon Rider II will be released under the Kitty Media label

Studio Ironcat
(representative: Steve Bennett)

- Studio Ironcat has officially announced that it is accepting artwork and story submissions from established and amateur artists and will be publishing original works in addition to its current line of manga titles. All artstyles will be considered - i.e. works sent in for consideration need not be manga - and all questions should be directed at the Ironcat website (www.ironcat.com)
- beginning in December, the rest of the original Vampire Princess Miyu manga series (following the six volumes released by Antarctic Press in the mid-1990's) will be released as eight unflipped graphic novels
- The 2002 Kitty Cosplay Calendar is currently in development
- All three Groundworks of Evangelion artbooks are currently being translated; there is also a possibility of release of the Vampire Princess Miyu artbooks
- The Spectral Force graphic novel has beeen completed and will be released as part of a package with ADV that will also include the Spectral Force anime and videogame
- As flagship title Futaba-kun Change nears the completion of its run, the manga title "You and Me", also done by Hiroshi Aro, has been acquired.
- Finally, Ironcat has asked that fans wishing to help in the negotiation/acquisition process for the shoujo title Hana Yori Dango continue sending in e-mails, petitions, and especially personal letters to the company asking that the title be brought over, explaining why they like it, and why Ironcat should be the company to translate and publish it in the West.

Stone Bridge Press

Helen McCarthy (frequent contributor to various anime publications, including Anime FX, author of ANIME! A Beginner's Guide to Japanese Animation (1993) and Hayao Miyazaki: Master of Japanese Animation (1999), The Anime Movie Guide (1996) and Jonathan Clements (voice actor/dubbing director/translater, editor of Mangamax, co-author with Helen of the Erotic Anime Movie Guide (1998) have announced the release of the latest Stone Bridge Press title, The Anime Encyclopedia, a 600+-page comprehensive guide to Japanese animation titles from 1917 to 2000. It includes entries for several thousand separate titles, as well as an extensive index, will be available in stores shortly, and may be followed by a similar manga encyclopedia.

Reported by Mikhail Koulikov