7.31.2002
America was built on points! The last day of the month, the Sage Page now presents a selection of traditional, unique links.

First, we have (you guessed it) Kaze No Yojimbo. A rich, atmospheric series, Yojimbo's been called the next Cowboy Bebop. I love this animation and would love for it to get as much exposure as Bebop and as many fans. It's a long shot, but Yojimbo deserves it.

Next up, Papillon Rose, the on-again, off-again tribute to and parody of Revolutionary Girl Utena and Pretty Soldier Sailor Moon. It's never coming to America, so enjoy the site.

Thirdly, a site the Sage Page has long adored, The One and Only Tatara Fanclub. What can I say? I am "the world's most marriable guy".

And, that's not all. Wanna check out the world's longest cable-stayed bridge? Uh huh, the Tatara Bridge. Jealous?

From one Japanese landmark to another, stop by Tokyo Tower's official site and get a real-time view.

The World Cup is over. I know you're all thankful you won't have to read about football again until 2006, unless the Sage Page starts reporting on the Kashima Antlers.

Cyber-Six is an astonishing piece of art that will sadly never be appreciated for what it's worth.

I'm proud to announce that Sav! The World's Molly Star - Racer has been given the green by France3 Entertainment. A 26-episode series is now in production.

Why do I love Asuka Sohryu Langley so very, very, very much? Simple. The computer told me I do.

Harlan Ellison's Webderland is a magical world of bunnies, puppies, and pure hate.

The NSA denies the existence of a big blue ball that travels back in time. If you want to back step, there is an alternative, the Internet Archive. With great power comes great responsibility. Use it wisely.

When the busy world gets you down, you can always retreat to the zen world of solace that is the art of paper craft. There is no greater joy than building a Mitsubishi Zero with your own hands. Vroom! Vroom! Gat! Gat! Except, maybe, building a VF-1. Vroom! Vroom! Gat! Gat! Henkei! Henkei!

I have a dream. A dream filled with catgirls, miniskirts, and giant robots. This dream is called Cosmo Rose: V-SUIT.

Well, that's it. Tomorrow's the first of August. Make sure you come to us at our new address, homepage.mac.com/tatara/sagepage. Kampai!


7.30.2002
Digimon Frontier's US debut is set for 9.9 on UPN. Digimon will air Monday through Friday at 7:30 AM EST and Sundays at 10 AM. Most likely, the weekdays will be the realm of Adventure, 02, and Tamers, with Frontier laying claim to the Sunday slot.

The announcement, while making concrete the immediate future, doesn't put hearts at ease. ABC Family handled Digimon well. Will UPN be as kind? It's hard to say. This move puts Digimon back on a broadcast network rather than a cable station. It's a high profile animation, and by being shown on broadcast, it'll hopefully reach more viewers, but UPN is a fringe network at best, and there are large portions of the country where it does not reach.

Even if you have UPN, that doesn't guarantee you Digimon. As Mark Baggio notes, "some people may not be able to watch if their station opts for infomercials". Digimon's being packaged with other Disney animations with broadcast at the discretion of local affiliates. If they choose to air Digimon at different times from those posted above, they're free to. If they choose not to air Digimon at all, they're free to. When Saban pulled out of FOX Family Worldwide, he set in motion a wheel of causality that killed FOX Kids, killed his own production company, and completely redefined the animation powers in America. Networks and studios upset, we don't know what Tomorrow will bring. In Japan, Digimon is still going strong with at least two more series confirmed. Baggio speculates, however, that Frontier may be the last to make it to America. Let's hope Disney didn't move Digimon to UPN "to die".

Akadot Retail has limited copies for Five Star Stories.

Hasegawa will be releasing 1/72 versions of the F-14 and MiG 29 under the Macross Zero moniker.

Gunsight 1 is here!


7.29.2002
The news! The news! So much news!

New episodes of Home Moves begin next weekend on Adult Swim. Next Sunday is also the premiere of Meg Shields's favorite animation, The Oblongs.

Adult Swim: The Fansite has some vague Inu-Yasha mentions. In other words, Inu-Yasha's coming to Cartoon Network. Inu-Yasha's coming to Adult Swim.

Relatedly, FUNi pitched Blue Gender to the adult block, but CN wasn't interested.

You know what animation would be perfect for the pool? That's right, Kaze No Yojimbo. I'd gladly give up several organs to get this thing licensed. You can help by whispering sweet nothings to Bandai and ADV.

Speaking of ADV, here's the big news. ADV's announced that it's secured the rights to the first two seasons of Sailor Moon. Yes, uncut and subbed. Was that the news? No, this is. Anyone who's been a fan of Ronin Warriors long enough has most likely heard of Saint Seiya. Another pretty boy god armor animation, it predates YST and has a large following everywhere on the globe except America. Until now.

ADV's landed the rights to Saint Seiya.

You want more? Fine. Ready for the first moving pictures of Transformers: Armada?

A Gungrave animation is currently in production.

The remainder of Utena starts this November, spread across eight DVDs.

Yamato's releasing Max and Milia Super 1/60s. More importantly, the upcoming 1/48 VF-1 will retail for approximately $150, FAST Packs sold separately.

Two years ago, there was word that Al Pacino was going to star in a feature film with a completely CG actress. Simone's coming out 8.23. Here's the thing. The CG actress isn't a CG actress. She's a real life, flesh and blood woman named Rachel Roberts. Not since Snow Dogs have I seen such blatant false advertising!

The latest TV Guide ranks their "50 Greatest Cartoon Characters of All Time". Now, as one might suspect, I could say a thing or two or three on this topic, but I'm not going to. Frankly, there's a lot of stuff I agree with...

01 -Bugs Bunny
02 - Homer Simpson
03 - Rocky and Bullwinkle
04 - Beavis and Butt-Head
05 - The Grinch
06 - Fred Flintstone & Barney Rubble
07 - Angelica Pickles
08 - Charlie Brown and Snoopy
09 - SpongeBob SquarePants
10 - Cartman from South Park
11 - Bart and Lisa Simpson
12 - Fat Albert
13 - The Powerpuff Girls
14 - Daffy Duck
15 - Pikachu
16 - Gumby
17 - Betty Boop
18 - Top Cat
19 - Mickey Mouse
20 - Popeye
21 - Gerald McBoing-Boing
22 - Scooby-Doo
23 - Underdog
24 - Josie and the Pussycats
25 - Heckle and Jeckle
26 - Arthur
27 - Winnie the Pooh
28 - Felix The Cat
29 - Mr. Magoo
30 - George of the Jungle
31 - Ren and Stimpy
32 - Tom Terrific
33 - Tweety and Sylvester
34 - Bill from Schoolhouse Rock
35 - Space Ghost
36 - Yogi Bear and Boo Boo
37 - Mighty Mouse
38 - Wile E. Coyote and Road Runner
39 - Superman
40 - Batman
41 - Daria
42 - Wonder Woman
43 - Donald Duck
44 - Alvin (The Chipmunk)
45 - Boris Badenov and Natasha Fatale
46 - Woody Woodpecker
47 - Porky Pig
48 - Bobby Hill from King of the Hill
49 - Speed Racer
50 - Tom and Jerry


7.28.2002
If you've ever questioned why you come to the Sage Page, let me answer that. That's right, Hikaru Utada, Junichiro Koizumi, and George W. Bush. You're welcome.

Also, Hikki has a new arthouse wallpaper for your download enjoyment.

Tomorrow is the Toonami premiere of the original Zoids animation. Airing since spring in the wee hours of the morning, you can now finally watch the series when the sun is in the sky. So, there's no more excuse for not following Van and Zeke's journey from the edge of war to the border of peace.

I went into great detail a few months back when the animation first neared its conclusion. You're not watching, but you should be. It's a brave, stunning tale. Episodes like "Attack of the Winged Dragons" have all the plotting, characterization, and drama of Gundam W.

The real interest is in the show's final episodes, "Ancient Memories", "Zoid Eve", "Endgame", and "Return to Tomorrow", for these climactic four have yet to air. The series has already run through a number of times in the early morning, but CN's always neglected to broadcast this final arc. Is the network saving them for Toonami? Just who is the Dark Kaizer?

If that's not enough, ladies, take a look at Colonel Karl Lichen Schubaltz; gents, this is Fiona all growed-up.

While we're on the topic of Zoids (oh, stop whining), I'd like to remind you a third Zoids animation, Insect Guardner, is currently in the works.

The National Space Development Agency of Japan (NASDA) has unveiled its new Data Relay Test Satellite (DRTS) to be launched in September. Shown in Tanegashima Space Center in Kagoshima Prefecture, the 2.2m satellite is equipped for global data reception with the ability to transfer over 240 megabits of data per second.

Is that a new star in the sky? No, it's the International Space Station.

The US has the Human Genome Project. Japan has the Fugu Genome Project. Actually, an international research consortium headed by the American Department of Energy's Joint Genome Institute (JGI) has sequenced over 95% of the poisonous blowfish's DNA. Why? Fugu have the smallest genome among all vertebrates. We have 3 billion chemical letters in our genetic structure. Fugu have 375 million. Both man and fugu carry the same number of genes. The reason why man is so much more complex is our junk DNA with "no apparent function" -- the stuff that turned Tetsuo in a giant pulsating amoeba. If you're interested in the Fugu Genome Project, JGI's fugu site can be found at http://genome.jgi-psf.org/fugu3.

A Koizumi-led biotechnology panel wants Japan to be the most competitive nation in the global market. A strategy will be released by year's end.

The National Aerospace Laboratory of Japan (NAL) announced that the first flight test of their next-generation supersonic jet failed. Launched from Woomera, Australia, the rocket carrying the plane crashed immediately after takeoff. Designed to cruise at Mach 2.2 with a range of 10,200km, the Supersonic Transport (SST) will revolutionize travel if NAL can fix the whole blowing-up thing.

An international team of researchers has succeeded in recreating the state of the Universe immediately after the Big Bang via the world's largest particle accelerator.

Japanese shore crabs are now attacking Maine shores. These cute little crustaceans pose a threat to native soft-shell clams, mussels, and lobsters.

Foreign Minister Yoriko Kawaguchi said that Japan will continue to urge the United States to strengthen its measures to curb global warming. The Bush White House, liking SUVs, fossil fuels, and the taste of delicious, delicious oil, has begun a five-year study to see if global warming does indeed exist.

Two Japanese companies will take part in the construction of a new type of nuclear reactor called the Pebble Bed Modular Reactor (PBMR). The first test site is Koeberg, South Africa.

I was thinking about giving the Sage Page a new slogan with our pending 8.1 move. Maybe something like...

If one happy together oclock can be spent. It is very glad.

Too bad it's taken. No, don't laugh. That English is one-hundred times better than your Japanese.


7.27.2002
Starting August 1, we'll be at homepage.mac.com/tatara/sagepage. If you come to the site through sagepage.cjb.net, nothing will change.

Frenzy invites anyone in the Dallas area to attend an upcoming anime seminar featuring Yasuhiro Imagawa...

World renowned writer, director, and producer of Japanese Animation, Yasuhiro Imagawa, will talk about the behind-the-scenes process of making animated series and movies, showing video clips from the various programs he has created or directed. His projects include Mr. Ajikko, G Gundam, 7 Nanas, Giant Robot-The Night the Earth Stood Still, The Violinist of Hamelin, Boy, and Pet Shop of Horrors.

Date: Monday, August 5, 2002
Time: 7:00pm
Place: Addison Conference & Theatre Center
15650 Addison Rd., Addison (Dallas) TX
Cost: Free! Woo. First come/first serve
Info: Contact JASDFW at jasdfw@us-japan.org
Tel: 214-761-1791, Fax: 214-761-1793
Website: http://www.jasdfw.org

Daily Yomiuri looks at The Cat Returns.


7.26.2002
Asteroid 2002 NT7 will strike the Earth on February 1, 2019. This is what nukes are for.

AICN reveals Sen To Chiro's US poster.

Kung Fu Cult Cinema has the following on the the upcoming UK Special Edition of Battle Royale...

Here's coming the much-anticipated directors version of the cult movie 'Battle Royale'. Released in cinemas in Japan, but never before seen in the UK, the Battle Royale Directors Cut DVD features an extra 8 minutes, including an alternative ending (all with optional English subtitles), presented in anamorphic widescreen. This limited edition two-disc set also features a Making Of documentary, interviews with director Kinju Fukasaku and Beat Takashi Kitano, and original theatrical trailer. In addition, the boxed set will include a poster art collectors card and a unique film frame card and a 4-page booklet. Choose your weapon and fight for your copy now before the new term begins. The limited edition set will retail for £29.99 and will go on sale from the 29th of September.

This may be the source of the US Special Edition rumors. Don't forget, Battle Royale Second is in production as we speak.

Did you know that anime-inspired French animation Totally Spies airs in Japan?

While cloning is a big no-no in the US because of something called "ethics", a South Korean woman is carrying a cloned embryo. She will give birth next year.

There's a new version of the NewType Macross Zero spread. An official desktop, it can be downloaded at http://www.geocities.com/kaiyouske/macross0.jpg. Because of remote linking issues, you may need to copy-and-paste the link into a new window for the image to load.

Dean Stockwell guest stars on tonight's Stargate SG-1. Virginia Hey guest stars on tonight's Farscape.

If you're the petitioning sort, want to send a letter to Big West? What's all this about? Sit back. Here we go.

Earlier this year, Harmony Gold made a lot of noise (and a lot of enemies) when it ordered Blasto Toys, Anime Nation, and many other online merchants to immediately stop the sale of any and all Macross goods and to surrender all of their current stock.

Framing this abuse of power was the Japanese court battle between Tatsunoko and Big West over ownership of Macross. Judge Toshiaki Iimura ruled for the latter. Following the verdict, Macross.co.jp was updated with a personal message from Kaya Ohnishi, President of Big West...

We brought a lawsuit against Tatsunoko Production to confirm our copyright ownership of TV anime "The Super Dimension Fortress-1 Macross" which has been broadcast in Japan since 1982.

Consequently, on February 25, 2002, the Tokyo District Court accepted our assertion and ruled that we are copyright owner of all character patterns attached hereto as lists No.1 to No. 41.

It is an inevitable ruling by the court that made a thorough examination on production process of "The Super Dimension Fortress-1 Macross."

The vital importance of this is that Tatsunoko sold Macross's international license to Harmony Gold. According to the Japanese courts, Tatsunoko had no right to do so. In other words, Harmony Gold doesn't have any legal claim to Macross. Harmony Gold can't tell Blasto Toys, Anime Nation, or anyone not to sell Minmay wallscrolls and Valkyrie toys.

(This brings up what's-been-called the "Harmony Gold / Toycom Valkyrie Holocaust of 2000" in which HG barred Toycom from selling Yamato VF-19s stateside despite the fact that the VF-19 is featured not in Macross but in Macross Plus which HG cannot even attempt to claim it owns.)

Now, Scott T. Hards, President of Hobby Link Japan, speculates in The Plight of the Valkyrie that Big West engaged its court battle not to confirm its rights in Japan but overseas. He states...

Individuals close to Big West have commented off-the-record that Big West is furious with Tatsunoko and Harmony Gold's handling of the property internationally. Not only is Big West earning no royalties from the show's international marketing, but HG has never consulted Big West about creative or editorial matters related to the show. In other words, all of the editing and changes made to turn Macross into "Robotech" were done without the permission of the show's original creators. The same goes for HG's "Toynami" merchandise -- none of which was approved by Big West (or by Kaiyodo, the Japanese model company whose Valkyrie sculpt appears to have been stolen for the Toynami Valkyrie items).

Indeed, Kaya Ohnishi closed his address on Macross.co.jp with the following...

We will take advantage of the copyright to develop more "Macross" products.

It wasn't long before Big West declared Sunwards Macross's rightful international goods distributor...

Sunwards is pleased to announce commencement of Valkyrie products overseas distribution. The distribution right is licensed by an agreement with Big West. Our first product release is VF-1S Strike Valkyrie in August. Our right is invested by Big West whose copyright ownership was judicially affirmed by the Tokyo District Court ruling on February 25, 2002.

But, that's the last we've heard. Apparently, Harmony Gold sent a friendly (threatening) letter to Sunwards, stating -- if the Yamato Valkyrie dared touch American shores -- they would raise a fleet of lawyers the the innermost circle of hell.

What's the point of this story? My favorite animation is Macross. As a child, I was raised on Robotech. Now, to see this war is disheartening. I don't want to bash Harmony Gold. I really, really don't. But, when they act so arrogant, pompous, and ridiculous, it's hard not to. Yamato, Bandai, Banpresto, and Toynami all have VF-1s coming into the market. To see HG make gunpoint threats is preposterous. Not wanting to lose a single sales point, they're hurling their weight around. If you want a VF-1, you're going to buy Harmony Gold's Masterpiece Edition Veritech. Period.

But, you know what? HG can't control the market. There's always eBay. There's always HLJ. I just picked up a nice Banpresto Perfect Transformation Super Valkyrie yesterday. Sunwards said their Strike Valk is coming in August. It's going to get ugly. In the wake of the Japanese court ruling, Harmony Gold should be making real nice with Big West, but they're only making more baseless, authoritative decrees. Mind telling me how HG can tell Big West that they can't release the Yamato Valk? I'm just so full of questions. Forgive me, but what kind of arrogance does HG have? It's pretty damn clear that they don't have legal ownership. How the hell can they tell the creators of Macross that they can't bring their (superior) VF-1 stateside? It's puzzling. It's vexing. It's hurting.

I want a resolution. Will it come to another court battle? Maybe. Make no mistake, they'll be casualties. Any Harmony Gold / Big West showdown is doing to leave a lot of people dead. Still, it's better than this stalemate. Macross doesn't deserve this. Macross deserves better. Harmony Gold cannot conduct itself with such contemptible hubris and expect not to invite fire.

I grew up on Robotech. Going against HG is like going against a parent. Of course, that's a part of growing up. Maybe Harmony Gold and Big West have been working on a secret deal these past months. Wouldn't that be wonderful? Of course, they're not. Very soon, the blood is going to flow. What Harmony Gold is doing is wrong.


7.25.2002
Greater Uncertainty Principle.

Tonight at 1 AM EST on Sci-Fi is LEXX's Brigadoom.

On the recommendation of Shusu, I want to reinforce my recent Internet Archive commentary. It is a tool. It is a powerful tool. Able to do nothing less than raise the dead, Megchan's Digimon Encyclopedia and Macross 3D are two examples of its authority.

Hell, wanna backstep to Project Back-Step? Just hop into the big blue ball and take a look at SevenDaysTV.com and UPN's Seven Days site.

The Internet Archive is a godsend that I hope can be appreciated and respected. It is the past. Shusu wanted me to reiterate that Megchan's Encyclopedia is gone. She's currently working on a downloadable version but is losing interest and losing patience. Megchan doesn't want any more questions about the encyclopedia. It'll be done when it's done.

Meanwhile, Yashamon will make his anime debut in this summer's Digimon movie.

LucasArts and Medal of Honor's producer are teaming up to create a new WWII flight sim.

Hurricanger's US version is currently in pre-production. It is presently being translated and adapted.

Claudia Christian is shopping around her script, White Buffalo. Some of her B5 alumni may star. Half Past Dead has been renamed Lockdown and is coming out 11.15.

Anime News Service reports the following on Macross Zero...

To be released 25 October 2002 Catalogue number BCBA-1332 Price 5,000 yen Approximately 30 minutes, Dolby Digital sound (5.1 and stereo), single layer, 16:9 anamorphic aspect ratio Billed as a movie quality OVA, eight years have passed since war broke out after the famous alien spaceship crashed on Earth in 1999. In those years, veteran pilots have fallen one by one and now teenagers take to the battlefield. Young UN F-14 pilot Kudo Shin crash lands on a deserted island in the South Pacific. However, an unusual energy reading is detected on the island and soon UN and anti-UN forces are fighting for control of the island, thought to hold the legacy of technology (Protoculture) bought by the aliens to Earth in ancient times. Kudo was not to know that this was the start of important event that was to be erased from the annals of history.

Also from ANS is word of a CG One Piece movie, Adventure in Grandline.

John Frankenheimer's (non anime) Ronin airs tonight at 9 PM EST on TNT.


7.24.2002
Pyogora is the monster king!

9.24 marks the US release of Zone of Enders : Idolo. The ZOE series will follow.

Escaflowne: A Girl in Gaea saw its American debut yesterday. Already, there's a problem.

From Bandai...

With the release of the Escaflowne - Ultimate Edition 3 disc set this past Tuesday -- We have received a number of complaints regarding the "feature" disc of this release. Further investigation revealed that a small batch of the Ultimate Edition "feature" disc were defective during the replication process. If you have a copy that freezes when played at the 12th Chapter point -- please contact our customer service department at support@bandai-ent.com for directions on how to get a replacement disc.

Weekend Journal has a look at Sen to Chiro's trip across the Pacific, its translation, and coming debut. Things are looking good. Things are looking very good. Cross you fingers that Disney releases it wide.

While we're waiting for a theatrical premiere, Japan just got the film on DVD. With over three million copies sold, there's growing noise about the image quality.

Otakufreak5456 recently saw the animation and can only rave.

You're going to have to wait until September 20 to see this film (which isn't that far away), but to tide you over trailer, promos, and previews. Absolute beauty.

Interestingly, there hasn't been much talk of Ghibli's The Cat Returns, which opened on the 19th in Japan.

The latest NewType poll shows that Ruri Ruri is number eight with fans (and still number one with me)...

Favorite Male Character
01. Spike Spiegel (Cowboy Bebop)
02. Sagara Sousuke (Full Metal Panic)
03. Inuyasha (Inuyasha)
04. Kamina Ayato (RahXephon)
05. Motosuwa Hideki (Chobits)
06. Tsukasa (.hack//SIGN)
07. Kazuma (Scryed)
08. Haru Glory (Groove Adventure Rave)
09. Edogawa Conan (Detective Conan)
10. Lufy D. Monkey (One Piece)

Favorite Female Character
01. Chii (Chobits)
02. Sakuraba Aoi (Ai Yori Aoshi)
03. Misha (PitaTen)
04. Teresa Testerosa (Full Metal Panic)
05. Chidori Kaname (Full Metal Panic)
06. Belldandy (Ah! Megami-sama)
07. Shidou Harkua (RahXephon)
08. Hoshino Ruri (Martian Successor Nadesico)
09. Mihama Chiyo (Azumanga Daioh)
10. Sumomo (Chobits)

Favorite Show
01. Chobits
02. Full Metal Panic
03. RahXephon
04. Azumanga Daioh
05. .hack//SIGN
06. Mobile Suit Gundam
07. Ai Yori Aoshi
08. Cowboy Bebop
09. PitaTen
10. Card Captor Sakura
11. Inuyasha
12. Scryed
13. Happy Lesson
14. Onegai Teacher
15. One Piece
16. Bandit King Jing
17. Tokyo Mew Mew
18. Hikaru no Go
19. Rave
20. Mahoromatic

At 7 PM EST on 7.28, the History Channel invites you to take a trip to Japan's sunken pyramids...

Most historians and archaeologists maintain that civilization as we know it began about 5,000 years ago with the emergence of the earliest Egyptian dynasty. But, a small yet persuasive number of scientists believes that a highly advanced civilization, nearly twice as old, flourished during the last Ice Age. Solid evidence of this 10,000-year-old civilization is difficult to produce, but some feel a recent discovery off the coast of a tiny Japanese island, Yonaguni, may be the proof they seek.


7.23.2002
Biggest anime release of all time, eh?

Did you like Iron Chef USA? No? Me neither. Anyway, Iron Chef USA is coming to DVD on 8.27 for $14.99. You can use the disc as a coaster.

Meanwhile, the MASH Season II DVD was released today.

Team NINJA has a new official site and new DOAX site.

Want a new wallpaper?

CNX has temporarily shut down. Jeff Harris posted a manifesto detailing the reasons why. Toonami's dead? Far from it. In fact, it's getting new blood very soon. 8.5 marks the start of G Gundam and the original Zoids.

Excited over Major Kusanagi's not-so-naked television debut? Wondering if she'll be coming to the US? Here's a press release to calm your nerves...

BANDAI ENTERTAINMENT ANNOUNCES THE ACQUISITION OF HOME VIDEO AND BROADCAST RIGHTS FOR THE BIGGEST ANIME RELEASE OF ALL TIME - GHOST IN THE SHELL: STAND ALONE COMPLEX

Cypress, CA (July 22, 2002) -- Bandai Entertainment Inc. announced today in conjunction with Production I.G., its acquisition of the home video and broadcast rights in North America for the highly anticipated anime television series -- Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex. Created by Production I.G. (Jin-Roh: The Wolf Brigade, Love Hina), original story by Masamune Shirow (Appleseed, Ghost in the Shell), directed by Kenji Kamiya, and music by Yoko Kanno (Cowboy Bebop, Escaflowne) -- Stand Alone Complex is the television series sequel to the animated film that redefined Japanese animation, Ghost in the Shell (1995).

In the future, life between the digital and physical world has been blurred. The boundary of technology and humanity has been stretched beyond imagination with lives being led in both the electronic and physical worlds. With the melding of man and machine -- a new cybernetic level of existence is being created -- An existence that continues to redefine mankind.

Further production and release details on Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex in both Japan and North America will be forthcoming. Production I.G. has launched the official Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex website -- which can be found here at: http://www.production-ig.com/Ghost_TV.html

Tatara means the highest secret teaching system of Martial Arts and original Shintoism spirit?


7.22.2002
I am Peanut. I will be your pilot today.

Wasn't there some big Production I.G news coming out today? Yes, there was, and Mashima made sure I wouldn't forget. Ghost in the Shell has a sequel manga. Why not a sequel animation? In secret production for two years, I'm proud to report on Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex.

I hope you caught yesterday's Harvey Birdman. This show just keeps getting better and better. Last night saw Birdman prosecute the Neptunes on behalf of Japanese pop group Shoyu Weenie over copyright law. Maybe it's just my kindergarten level of Japanese, but isn't mochi with shoyu "ricecakes with soysauce"?"

We're about to get a little starry eyed. You'll know the update's back to normal when I mention the delicious fruit of the mango tree.

I was investigating the Sage Page's coming Tataramon contest, when I stumbled upon something. Megchan's Digimon Encyclopedia. Didn't she go down? Yes. Megchan's Encyclopedia doesn't exist in the present, but it exists in the past.

Are you ready to be changed on a fundamental level? Enter the Internet Archive. Terabytes and terabytes of data, this is the entire web preserved forever. I'm speechless. Stunned. This is incredible. This archive is a resource. This archive is an invaluable tool. It is a time capsule, a record, and a testimony. It is who we are. This is humanity's most basic and universal drive. This is the one thing we strive for above all else -- immortality.

On the most trivial of levels, has there ever been a site you frequented that's gone down? Enter its URL in the archive. It'll be there. Words. Images. For the future. Do you remember when the Sage Page was at www.klink.net/~tatara? It still is.

I can't even fathom the shape of this. I cannot give an adequate example. This is a wish and a prayer. It is what the human animal strives for. It is the next hill. It is every dream fulfilled.

I urge you to explore the archive. I urge you to tell others about it.

How would you like your words to reach 50,000 years into Tomorrow? There is another preservation project currently being undertaken. As a species, the one thing we fear, loathe, and utterly dread is death. We create. We form communities. We make life. We do this to evolve. To become more. To somehow, someday possess the stars. If we don't, we were never here at all. Launching at the end of this year year is KEO. A satellite, it will orbit this blue globe until we are no longer who we are. When it returns, the mountains and sea will have changed. Forests may have regrown. There may be no forests at all. Clean nuclear technology. Nuclear winter. A world nation. Genocide. We don't know -- we can't know -- what Tomorrow will bring. But, good or bad, we must be the ones who bring it. You can be cynical. You can not care. But, I will dream. I will hope. I will pray. Write a message. This may be the most important thing you ever do.

Mango trees can produce fruit for three centuries.

Digimon Frontier is coming stateside 9.7; however, it will not be on ABC Family. Unless this is a joke, Frontier will air on UPN. I don't know if this is true. I don't even know if UPN has an animation block. We'll find out soon. Also, there's a new Angemon... Slash Angemon.

CBS President Leslie Moonves recently spoke on his network's upcoming Hitler mini-series...

Considering the number of dramas done about the Holocaust ... I was surprised it was considered controversial.

Ever wonder how a Valkyrie's controls work? Never? Well, you're going to find out. Also, here's a survey of Macross uniforms.

A few years back, there was planning for a 3D Macross project. Any information on the animation is long gone, but it once was on the official site. Care to back step?

Even if you've never seen Macross, when asked who the best chara is, you should be trained to reply "Max Jenius". Despite being UN Spacy's best fighter pilot and ending a war by marrying Zentradi ace (and total babe) Miria, he never gets his fanfare. Finally, Max got some well-deserved limelight in the Dreamcast Macross M3. The game never saw release stateside, off course. (If you recall, VFX-2 was being ported by Bandai. There's even a demo in issue 23 of the Official PlayStation Magazine. Ultimately, though, the title was dropped in favor of adding more staff to the English version of Digimon World. Bad move. And, this is from a Digimon fan.)

If you're interested in M3, IGN has screenshots and movies. Check out the intro. And, don't listen to IGN. The game doesn't suck.

Care for a look at the last Dreamcast game ever? Ikaruga. Best overhead shooter ever? Maybe.

Robotech trading cards are coming. Yeah?

I am, however, excited over Battlecry. Take a look at the new movie posted at Popculture Shock. This is the terminal battle of Space War I. This is the thing Tatara-chan used to dream about.

Wanna see a giant floating Kawamori head? Of course you do! Click here now!

Take another look at RuliWeb's Xenosaga feature. Shion in a bikini? Jr. vs. Albedo? Want more Der Wille zur Macht? Here you go.

Here's more on The Daily Show: Global Edition from the AP Wire...

Does signing of Jon Stewart mean CNN will be the place to turn for laughs?
Mon Jul 15,11:03 AM ET
By DAVID BAUDER, AP Television Writer

NEW YORK - Hoping that news may sell better when glitzy and funny, CNN is entering the comedy business by signing up a popular American talk show host known for his acerbic wit and political satire.

The news company has signed Jon Stewart of Comedy Central channel to make a weekly version of his satirical news program, "The Daily Show," to air late at night on its international network.

For now, it will be available only to CNN viewers outside the United States, where Stewart already has shows on Comedy Central. It will be stripped out of the CNN International feed that reaches a select few American homes.

In an era in which many Americans find out about current events through late evening satirical television talk shows by Jay Leno or David Letterman, the idea of comedy on CNN isn't shocking, said Charles Bierbauer, former CNN correspondent and dean of the University of South Carolina's communications school.

Already on CNN, Larry King, whose show is available to both domestic and international audiences, frequently sprinkles entertainers among newsmakers on his show.

Indeed, Stewart's "The Daily Show" would seem in line with Turner chief Jamie Kellner's drive to bring more glitz and glamour to the formerly staid, now often slick, CNN. The show is scheduled for the weekends.

"Jon is smart, he's witty, he's relevant," said Rena Golden, general manager of CNN International. "We think our audience is just going to eat this up. He's got a wry sense of humor that I think will really translate abroad.

"I always knew how much it would help our show to be seen in sub-Saharan Africa," Stewart cracked.

CNN executives say privately there's been no talk of airing Stewart's show domestically. The comedian is signed at Comedy Central through the 2004 presidential election, and the comedy network -- used to having talent poached by bigger companies -- is fanatical about enforcing its contracts. Even if Stewart were to leave, Comedy Central owns the rights to his show's format.

Comedy Central is also using the deal to raise its international profile, spokesman Tony Fox said. The network is owned in part by CNN parent AOL Time Warner, and under the new arrangement Comedy Central will get a portion of CNN's advertising revenue for the show.

Particularly on weekends, the international network often mixes entertainment programming with news, Golden said. It has a music show and fashion programming. The CNN International audience is generally much younger than the domestic one, she said.

News is still king at CNN, but the hiring and promotion of several high-profile news hosts such as Connie Chung, Paula Zahn and Aaron Brown reflect a belief that viewers are drawn to personalities as much as a desire to find out what's going on.

Stewart and CNN have flirted before, if awkwardly.

The comedian appeared on the premiere of Chung's new prime-time show last month, although its host didn't seem to know what to do with him. And CNN White House correspondent John King appeared on "The Daily Show" last week, with clips later shown on CNN.

Stewart says his show "supposedly exists as a counterpunch" to CNN's serious news programming, which he thinks has "slightly more bombast" than before. He has a hard time seeing himself on CNN domestic, however, joining forces with the people he makes fun of.

Stewart's got more practical immediate concerns, like how his jokes are going to span the globe.

"It's strange enough to think we're going to be on in Bahrain," he said, "let alone what network we're going to be on."

And, anyone remember this classic? Seriously.

It is considered customary in our culture, once a business deal is concluded, to blow something up. Kampai!


7.21.2002
The US Navy's China Lake Proving Ground is larger than the state of Rhode Island.

Wanna watch TOKYOPOP's Initial D trailer?

Tonight at 9 PM EST, Food Network premieres Good Eats: Down and Out in Paradise. One solid hour of sun, fun, food, and pop culture. What can I say? I love Alton Brown.

HLJ is staging a massive Valkyrie sale. If you hurry, you can get get a Yamato VF-1 for only ¥3400! Of course, HLJ's just doing this to make room for the delicious Super and Strike Valkyries.

Also, be sure to take a look at Cheng's VF models and prepare to get weak in the knees. Can you believe the VF-2?

Viz has licensed Great Dangaioh.

CBS is apparently really going ahead with a mini-series on the early life of Adolf Hitler, and it has Ewan McGregor eyed for the lead.

IF Labs has made public pictures of the pretty little piece of plastic they call Bulma.

George Petty died twenty-seven years ago today. Responsible for the homefire goddesses that watched over GIs in their foxholes, he gave American boys a reason to fight.

Ladies and gentlemen (at least gentlemen), we've got a little more imformation on the game that quite possibly justifies purchasing an Xbox, Dead or Alive Xtreme Beach Volleyball. The Korean RuliWeb has a Quicktime promo of the game (and a Xenosaga feature with never-before-seen images). Neotaku, meanwhile, has a nice fansite. There's also Outlaw Volleyball, but while Xtreme Beach Volleyball has a demure charm, Outlaw Volleyball looks to be nothing more than naked exploitation. No pun intended.


7.20.2002
Hop Sing Yin's Mercantile.

ADV reveals the casting to one of its most-anticipated series, Noir....

"Mireille": Shelly Calene-Black ("Cleao" in Orphen, "JC Armack" in Sin)

"Kirika": Monica Rial ("Miharu" in Gasaraki, "Izumi" in Princess Nine)

"Chloe": Hilary Haag ("Nene" in Bubblegum Crisis Tokyo 2040, "Ryo" in Princess Nine)

"Altena": Tiffany Grant ("Asuka" in Neon Genesis Evangelion, "Chocolate" in Sorcerer Hunters)

Tiffany Grant is also Nadesico's Ryoko Subaru. She's an interesting choice for Altena.

Tomb Raider: The Angel of Darkness's score is performed by the London Symphony Orchestra.


7.19.2002
Klink.net... Homepage.com... Angelfire.com... Mac.com... The Sage Page has moved around a bit. The Sage Page is moving again. Just hold on. Listen carefully, Apple's iTools has become .Mac. No longer free webspace for intellectuals, recluses, and communists, Steve Jobs has decided to join the ranks of the premium, corporate, capitalistic, bourgeoisie barons of the internet.

When I'm pulling in the big animation writer bucks, we'll see about getting the site a domain name. (Of course, SagePage.com, SagePage.net, and SagePage.org are already taken.) Right now, when I first moved here, I said the Sage Page was staying put. It is. Somewhat. The Sage Page (and Nadesico PS) will remain on Apple's server, but their addresses will change.

Coming this August, the Sage Page will be located at http://homepage.mac.com/tatara/sagepage and Nadesico PS will be found at http://homepage.mac.com/tatara/nadesicops. If you're visiting the sites through SagePage.cjb.net and NadesicoPS.cjb.net, nothing will change.

The exact date the Sage Page and Nadesico PS move hasn't yet been determined, and mothballed versions will remain at their present addresses until these accounts expire.

The Sage Page's two present projects (one of them being a restored gallery) have been put on hold because of the upcoming intra-server reorganization.

Hey, Tatara, what's your favorite movie? Wings of Honneamise. No, what's your favorite live-action movie? Battle Royale.

I've spoken obsessively about this picture in the past. Able to be viewed on any number of dimensions from an action thriller to a gruesome parable, BR's a vivid movie that could have only been made in Japan. I'm pleased -- very pleased -- to announce that another class has been selected by the Millennium Education Reform Act. Under production right now is Battle Royale Second.

Pushing in every direction, BR2 looks as if it will be a might successor. Submachine guns in school. Riots in the street. Martial law.

What I find most intriguing in the BR timeline is that Japan wins WWII. Director Kinji Fukasaku lived through WWII...

I was fifteen when World War II came to an end. By then, my class had been drafted and was working in a munitions factory. In July 1945, we were caught up in artillery fire. Up until then, the attacks had been air raids and you had a chance of escaping from those. But with artillery, there was no way out. It was impossible to run or hide from the shells that rained down. We survived by diving for cover under our friends.

After the attacks, my class had to dispose of the corpses. It was the first time in my life I’d seen so many dead bodies. As I lifted severed arms and legs, I had a fundamental awakening … everything we’d been taught in school about how Japan was fighting the war to win world peace, was a pack of lies. Adults could not be trusted.

The emotions I experienced then–an irrational hatred for the unseen forces that drove us into those circumstances, a poisonous hostility towards adults, and a gentle sentimentality for my friends–were a starting point for everything since.

I've been doing some chatting about Hellsing Vol. 1 with various online merchants. Some swear the art box comes with a blood bag, some swear it doesn't, and some don't know what I'm talking about. E-mailing Pioneer, I've come back with the authoritative answer...

No, Pioneer has decided not to include a fake bag of blood in any of the versions of the Hellsing DVD.

Starting 9.21, CNN International will carry a weekly version of The Daily Show titled "The Daily Show: Global Edition".

Omron Corp. has developed a system based on Bluetooth wireless link technology that allows for a cell phone's unique ID chip to open subway gates.

Hitachi Ltd. has begun marketing a liquid-cooled laptop computer. The Flora 270W Silent Model circulates a liquid coolant through a series of internal tubes to dissipate heat from its high-speed microprocessor. The liquid coolant also serves to minimize noise from the computer's CPU.

Five automakers have joined with the Japanese Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry's Electric Vehicle Association in a three-year road test of fuel-cell powered cars.

Mike Crandol has written a lengthy essay on the meaning, message, and metaphor of Evangelion, Understanding Evangelion. ADV has a similar article, Human Instrumentality Project: Religious Themes In Neon Genesis Evangelion. ADV also has something on what's-been-called the "Shinto EVA", Gasaraki, Memos.

Stargate SG-1 and Farscape air tonight on Sci-Fi. Michael Shanks returns.


7.18.2002
Pioneer's just stated that Hellsing Vol. 1 will not come with a blood bag as originally announced. Sigh.

Even through there's no actual bag of fake blood attached to the art box, that's no excuse not to invest. Honestly, Hellsing's one of the slickest animation's you'll find. A cross between Trigun and Vampire Hunter D with a healthy dose of Resident Evil thrown in, anyone with even a remote interest in shounen, atmospheric, crime, or horror animation needs to give Hellsing a go. If Vash and Hunter D got together in some unholy yaoi action, Arucard would be their demonic bastard hellspawn. Wait? Arucard? Isn't it Alucard? I don't know. Hellsing HQ has a primer.

For the good of America, Letterman may again attempt to get on Oprah.

Six new episodes of Ren and Stimpy are coming to TNN.

LEXX airs Monday through Thursday nights at 1 AM EST on Sci-Fi. Next Thursday is the all-singing, all-dancing "Brigadoom".

President of Production I.G, Mitsuhisa Ishikawa, sends the following message...

We would like to announce that on July 22nd at midnight (0:00am) Tokyo time, Production I.G will release a new section within our current website with details covering our next animated project that has been in development for nearly two years.

The new website will include things such as image galleries, production journals, interviews and will be updated regularly as production moves forward. Personally, I am very proud of the work done on this project. All of the creators and people involved in making this project have worked extremely hard to demonstrate our steadfast commitment to creating high quality Japanese animation for the world to enjoy.

Please visit our site on July 22nd to learn more about this exciting high profile project.

The F-14 can spot an oncoming threat at almost 200 miles. It can lock and fire on six simultaneous targets. Its radar can detect enemy craft as low as 50 feet and as high as 80,000 feet and does so three times faster than the radar of any other fighter.

Emmy nominations have been announced. Futurama, Samurai Jack, Justice League, Andy Richter, Stargate SG-1, Enterprise, Lost Battalion, South Park, Scrubs, The Daily Show, and The Late Show are all up for awards.

Be sure to watch The Daily Show tonight at 7 PM EST on Comedy Central for Jon Stewart's controversial interview with fascist Ann Coulter.

Associate Keegan tells us where to go for a look at Romero's fourth zombie flick, Dead Reckoning.

Man-Machine Interface is coming this October. Who wants a press release?

GHOST IN THE SHELL 2: MAN-MACHINE INTERFACE #1

By Masamune Shirow, translated by: Frederik L. Schodt, cover by Masamune Shirow.

March 6, 2035. Motoko Aramaki is a hyper-advanced cyborg, a counter-terrorist net security expert, heading the investigative department of the giant multi-national, Poseidon Industrial. Partly transcending the physical world and existing in a virtual world of networks, Motoko is a fusion of multiple entities and identities, deploying remotely controlled prosthetic humanoid surrogates around the globe to solve a series of bizarre incidents. Meanwhile, Tamaki Tamai, a psychic investigator from the Channeling Agency, has been commissioned to investigate strange changes in the temporal universe, brought about by two forces, one represented by the teachings of a professor named Rahampol, and the other by the complex, evolving Motoko entity. What unfolds will all be in a day's work...a day that will change everything, forever. Man-Machine Interface, the sequel to Masamune Shirow's groundbreaking Ghost in the Shell reaches American shores. Featuring 100 pages of new art and story created since its original publication, most rendered in full color with digital effects on a level never before seen in the annals of graphic fiction.

40 pages, $3.99, in stores on Oct. 30.

The American version of Man-Machine Interface has all the naked Motoko naughtiness edited out.

Dreamworks has the international rights to Satoshi Kon's Millennium Actress. Pray they do a good job. Pray Millennium Actress gets a wide release. Pray.

Apple's iTools is now .Mac. New name, new pricetag.


7.17.2002
Mark Baggio sends us the latest intel on Saban and Disney. When Saban sold out FOXKids, all of its library went to the Mouse. After the initial period of screams and hair-pulling, we were pleasantly surprised to see that Disney's doing some things right, the capstone being their upcoming release of Digimon Frontier. Mr. Baggio now reports that what-was-Saban has been renamed "Sensation Animation", and it'll be Sensation Animation responsible for Frontier.

Mr. Keegan, meanwhile, reports Babylon 5: The Complete First Season - Signs and Portents is coming to DVD on 11.5 for $99.95, and South Park: The Complete First Season will be out a week later, 11.12, for $39.95.

Hikaru Utada will perform an English version of Kingdom Hearts's theme, "Hikari", for the game's American release. The Japanese single as well as Hikki's third album are available now.

Here's a cleaned-up version of NewType's Macross Zero spread. Words and page break gone, it makes a perfect wallpaper. Of course, Harmony Gold, realizing that a lot of people are very interested in the new Macross, have shouted, "We have a new series, too!" It's coming 2004.

Tim Thompson takes a look at Lilo and Stitch...

This movie doesn't open like most other Disney animation features - with the opening credits not appearing until nearly fifteen minutes into the film. A mad scientist is being inquiried about a certain genetically enhanced creature that he made for the sole purpose of destruction. Our neighborhood friendly mad scientist gets put away, and his creation is SUPPOSED to be exiled to an asteroid or meteor or moon or something. Well, this creation is also incredibly smart. He creates havoc in the monstrous escort fleet...and winds up on earth.

Now - this next part I found pretty funny...in an ironic sense...I'll tell you why shortly. The Grand Council considers gassing earth, hence killing all life and the monstrous creation of the scientist...but we find that the Galactic Federation runs a lot like the US government - they can't gas earth because it is a wildlife refuge to rebuild...are you ready for this?...the MOSQUITO population - considered endangered throughout the galaxy. Why was this funny? Both my fiancee and I were covered with about fifty mosquito bites from the picnic we had at the Kankakee River State Park (Illinois) earlier that day. The mosquito? Endangered? HA!

This blue monster pulls in a few of his arms and back spines to try and appear like a dog...but all the other dogs in the pound are terrified of him for some reason. In comes Lilo. Her parents are nonexistent (hey, it's been a couple weeks since I saw it), and her sister is attempting to take care of her...and it isn't going well. The mammoth social worker, Cobra Bubbles, shows up and tells Nani (Lilo's 20 year old sister) that she has about a week to get her act together if she wants to keep Lilo. Nani then takes Lilo to go to adopt a dog, and Lilo decides that she has to have the blue one...and names him Stitch. *Sighs*.

Stitch does everything in his power to destroy and make a mess of Lilo and Nani's house...and does a pretty good job of it. However, a book in Lilo's room happens to reach Stitch's heart, and he slowly begins to understand non-destructive feelings...although while he discovers these feelings, he continues to destroy stuff, either on purpose or by accident (both happen). The people sent to capture Stitch are incompetent at best...but are hilariously funny while going about it.

Meanwhile, the Councilwoman reappears on earth of all things and is intent on taking Stitch back home after a highly destructive battle between two different capture parties and Stitch (with Lilo caught in the middle, of all things) winds up razing Nani and Lilo's house. However...Lilo has the ownership rights to Stitch...and since Stitch is supposed to be exiled...agrees to let him stay on Earth with Lilo.

Oh yeah. Did I mention that Cobra Bubbles is a former CIA agent?

This movie is very funny, and will have you alternating between sidesplitting laughter and heartbreaking tears...or close to tears. If you are in the mood for humor, go see "Lilo and Stitch." It is the best comedy currently showing right now.

Finally, Mashima gives us definitive proof that Japanese Animation -- at least Akira -- does lead to violence.


7.16.2002
Aimbots suck!

Today, the Sage Page goes commercial, showing you loyal readers four delectable anime titles all coming out July 23.

The Escaflowne Box Set is a numbered limited edition and comes with an exclusive Black Escaflowne action figure. If you're a fan of the animation, or even if you've never seen it before, you'll treasure this set.

To complete the Escaflowne experience, you can't be without the movie. Escaflowne: A Girl in Gaea comes in a three-disc set with bonus features and the OST. (There's also a movie-only regular edition.)

One of the slickest series of late, Hellsing is about to debut. Hellsing Vol. 1 comes with an art box and packet of fake blood. Don't forget, Hecksing premieres this fall on Toonami.

Ronin Warriors Vol. 4 also comes out 7.23. Remember, the OAVs are coming next year. In a related story, ANN has a review of RW. It doesn't pull many punches and gets a few details wrong, but it's not half-bad.


7.15.2002
Looking for a job? Like giant robots? HLJ is hiring.

I'll admit that I wasn't the biggest fan of Harvey Birdman when it first premiered. I found it only mildly amusing as opposed to the utter, utter hilarity of Brak, Sealab, and Aqua Teen. A lot of people felt the same way. Now, though, things are different. If you've caught any of the new episodes of Birdman currently airing on Adult Swim, it's a completely transformed animal. It's sublimely wonderful. I can sum up the changes in a single word... Peanut.

Namco's Venus Project has been renamed Venus and Braves. A tactical RPG, it looks promising.

Also, if you're interested, take a look at the unadulterated brilliant horror of Cosmo Rose: V-SUIT.

Care for shirts, hats, sauces, and candy all with the mug of you favorite Iron Cooking Man branded on it? Click on over to the official Iron Chef store.


7.14.2002
Recently, McDonald's has been in the news for adding beef flavor to its fries. Now, is Pizza Hut adding beef extract to its cheese?

Do you have a sunburn? Is your face red? Has the summer heat turned you into a puddle of dripping goo? Not to fear, Sage Page Mercantile is here, and we're running a hat sale.

The Sage Page surveys the realms of animation and science fiction fairly decently. We don't, however, look that much into movies. In what may become a regular feature, long-time confidant Tim Thompson expands our content.

First, Crocodile Hunter: Collision Course. Steven Irwin appeared on Late Night and The Daily Show last week. He blew me away. He blew TT away, too...

Croc Hunter can best be described in two sentences: The most insanely funny movie I have seen in many, many years. Steve Irwin loves to play with the most dangerous snakes, lizards, and spiders in the world, but is scared to death of PARROTS...he qualifies as the most insane person alive.

Croc gets 4 1/2 out of 5 stars - seeing him digging through ten pounds of real croc poop at one point in the movie nearly caused me to puke...but the scene was insanely hilarious. The old bitch with the shotgun was pretty fun in a sadistic way, too. Irwin nearly gets bit several times by snakes that would kill him if they bit him, as well as a spider more poisonous than the brown recluse and the black widow. He is...recklessly careful. Sounds strange, but it's true.

Next, Road to Perdition. After seeing Perdition, Dave Letterman's spoken nightly of it, stating that it's the best film he's ever seen. Is TT as impressed?

Road to Perdition - Wow. Amazing. 5 out of 5 stars. Must see - if you like crime films. Tom Hanks is amazing, as is the teenaged actor (can't remember his name, though). Due to the quality of this film, all I will say is that it is a must-see. Part of the film was actually shot about 15 minutes from where I go to school...in a town called Momence, IL (filming took place in Momence, I mean). This film is almost the polar opposite of Croc Hunter...not much humor...you won't exactly split your side laughing during this one. It is still one of the best movies I've ever seen.

Expect more. Maybe.

Ghilbi's closing until February 2003. The studio in the red? Maybe Miyazaki just wants to treat his staff to a tropical island vacation.

Last week, I talked about Beyblade and Shinzo. I'm going to talk about them again. Beyblade is a series about kids fighting battles with magic tops. As I watched the National Championships from Seaside Dome, the arena packed with cheering fans, I kept coming back to the fact that they're just spinning tops. No amount of camerawork is going to change that. There's a different between monsters, cards, and tops. The novelty of Beyblade's wearing off. It's clear is just wants me to buy, buy, buy.

I was brutal with Shinzo. To it, I'd like to apologize. The series an adventure combining shounen and shoujo themes. While I'm still not too keen on some of the chara designs, I can't let that block a greater appreciation. Unlike I initially thought, it's got something to it. While Beyblade is a sad beast of marketing, Shinzo has substance.

If you liked Monster Rancher, give it a go.

Tonight, new episodes of Harvey Birdman and Mission Hill air on Adult Swim. Next Saturday's a Cowboy Bebop marathon.


7.13.2002
Comedy Central premiered Beat the Geeks last year, and it soon became a nightly event in the dorm. While I agreed with the principle, I felt the actual mechanics of the game could have been tightened immensely. I'm happy to say the formula's been changed. Beat the Geeks -- airing nightly at 7:30 PM EST -- is now far geekier, far pithier, far faster, and far better.

Six new episodes of Black Books begin 8.18 on Comedy Central at 7 AM. If you enjoy the series, you may want to look at the British official site. While America still has episodes it has yet to see, there'll be no new Black Books in England. Apparently, the comedy's third season isn't happening. Writer and star Dylan Moran is now living in Edinburgh with his wife and children, needing a break because the series was "doing his head in". "

Last night's Stargate guest starred Blu Mankuma -- Tigertron. With Venus Terzo doing a guest spot in the previous episode, we can only guess which Beast Wars alum is next. I hope it's Scott McNeil. While it's doubtful Mr. McNeil will actually appear, it's confirmed Michael Shanks will. Daniel Jackson is back.

Two new press releases (AKA instant content) have just been posted.

First up, CN's official G Gundam statement...

G Gundam Premieres During Toonami

New Gundam Series Joins Toonami August 5 at 5:30pm (ET, PT)

Cartoon Network will premiere G Gundam on Monday, August 5, during Toonami, the network's top-rated afternoon action-adventure franchise. The 49 episode series will air Monday - Friday at 5:30 p.m. (ET, PT).

G Gundam occurs at the beginning of the thirteenth Gundam Fight in the year Future Century 0060. The elite of humankind have immigrated to various space colonies, leaving the poor behind on Earth. In an attempt to eliminate war, the nations developed the Gundam Fight, a tournament held every four years to determine the ruler of the Earth Sphere. For the tournament, each nation sends a Gundam and a pilot to Earth where they engage in battles with Gundams of the other nations. The winner is bestowed with honor and glory while his nation obtains the right to rule the world until the next tournament.

This time, more is at stake than a simple battle for power. Neo Japan's Gundam Fighter, Domon Kasshu, is on a mission to find his brother. Domon's brother fled to Earth after stealing a prototype Gundam called the Dark Gundam and for this crime, Domon's father has been sentenced to a state of suspended animation. Only by winning the tournament and tracking down the Dark Gundam can Domon clear the family name and save his father.

Next, TOKYOPOP explains why they changed "Seiji" to "Hawk"...

AN OPEN LETTER TO THE ANIME AND MANGA FAN COMMUNITY

TOKYOPOP & Initial D

During the past few days, there's been a lot of discussion about TOKYOPOP's plans for Initial D. We've taken notice, and thought we would chime in some insight from within the walls of TPOP headquarters...

First, we score Initial D, this kick-ass franchise property from Japan. We get the anime, the manga, the merchandising -- and we are thrilled! Then, we start making our plans. This is gonna be Speed Racer for the new millennium -- we're thinking lunch pails, videogames, t-shirts... you name it!

We also know that we have a responsibility to be true to the spirit of the original Japanese version of Initial D. So, we start having lots of late night sessions about how to present Initial D to the widest possible audience and yet still retain its core essence. Some of us insist on calling the car the 'Hachi-Roku,' others call that insane and say that the only way to present the car to an American audience is as the 'Eight-Six.' We talk to bigwig network execs who want all the kanji removed from the logo and the car, who want to change tofu delivery to pizza delivery, who are utterly mystified at our insistence on retaining the original Japanese sound effects and printing the manga right-to-left, and who want us to refer to Takumi as Jeffrey "because it would be easier to pronounce"!

Most of the time, amidst this onslaught, we stick to our guns. Tofu stays tofu - place names like Mount Akina, Myogi, Akagi, the names of the racing teams, the name of the very prefecture wherein the story unfolds, the Fujiwara Tofu Shop kanji on the side of the Eight-Six -- we keep them all. But, bless our pointy little heads, we decide to create nicknames for some of the character names in the books because we know that they will have to be changed when the show gets on television, anyway -- and at least we can keep the nicknames close.

So, Takumi becomes Tak, and Itsuki becomes Iggy, and Bunta & Kenji become Bunta & Kenji (wait, those aren't good examples - gomen!), and Wataru Akiyama becomes Aki, and Keisuke Takahashi becomes K.T. It could've been worse -- we could've been forced to go with Dirk, Patsy, Buffy, Andrea, Chelsea, Geoffrey, and Chandler ... and, just FYI, the hot Sega Initial D arcade game due in a neighborhood near you soon will also feature the same names currently running in our manga.

So, why did we release the first volume of the manga with the original names? We simply screwed up -- d'oh! -- and went to press before our strategy was finalized. Those of you who bought the original print run of Volume 1 now find yourselves with a true collectible. Just so you know, our next printing of Volume 1 will have the altered names. Also, in the spirit of full disclosure: there are a few sex scenes in the manga that we'll be altering -- one in the 1st volume, another later on in Vol. 8 or 9. These edits are necessary because we are positioning Initial D in the U.S. for a younger audience than it serves in Japan.

And thus, the saga has unfolded. We're still wildly excited and overwhelmed by the initial fan and industry response to Initial D -- future plans for the property include all the things fans have asked for over the years -- and only occasionally received for such a mainstream property: premium, uncut, subtitled DVD releases, limited collector's sets of the uncut manga themselves, exclusive 'bundles' comprising rare merchandise and obscure treasures... Rest assured, we are committed to making Initial D available in as many fan-friendly formats as possible.

So, if the broadcast TV version of Initial D is not to your liking, we completely understand. There'll be an unedited, subtitled, Japanese language DVD release coming that we think you'll enjoy. If the manga with the altered names isn't your thing, that's cool, and we certainly respect your right to disagree with us. (We're thinking of shrink-wrapping the 'nicknames' version of the manga with a bottle of White-Out and a felt-tip pen so that fans can make their own name-changes as they see fit - whaddya think?)

We are passionate about anime and manga, and we believe in helping spread the word to as many people as we can. Many of us remember the joy of discovering Gigantor, or Robotech, or Yamato, or Dragonball, or Pokemon for the first time, and then rushing home from school every day so we would not miss a single episode. And we recall the further element of mystery when we learned that these shows came from Japan! At first, they were just great shows with weird, fascinating, complex story lines and an incredible approach to graphic design and camera work. Only later did we begin to obsess about where they came from, and then take the further step of comparing our initial innocent appreciations with the original Japanese source material -- the birth of the otaku, ne?

This will all happen again with Initial D -- an entire generation of kids is gonna get hooked on anime and manga... without ever really thinking of it in those terms -- they'll just really like the show, and will want to see more things like it. And some of those kids WILL go on to become true fans and go through all the evolutions of appreciation that we all know and love so well... eventually seeking out subtitled DVDs, collector's editions of the manga, cosplaying Tak at AX, and learning to speak and read Japanese themselves so that they don't even have to deal with our choices.

At TOKYOPOP we will always remain committed to both audiences: we will be there to 'break' new shows and to expose anime and manga to the widest possible audience, and we will also never renege on our commitment to serve the fan market, as well -- because that's where we came from, and that's where all the real fun lies, anyway, ne?

TOKYOPOP STAFF

I applaud TOKYOPOP's endeavor to keep so much of the material authentic. I'm very, very happy that tofu and kanji will remain. Looking at everything that's been preserved, the changing of names to reach a larger audience seems small. My issue is with the audience TOKYOPOP is trying to reach...

These edits are necessary because we are positioning Initial D in the U.S. for a younger audience than it serves in Japan.

I don't know how much you know about Initial D, but it's about the underground street racing scene in Japan. It's rough. It's brutal. It's not for little kids. Changing names is one thing, but dumbing down an animation is another. I don't like how the manga's being altered, either. It's a visual medium. Anime and manga tell stories through pictures. While dialogue, names, and terms may need to be changed to reflect the audience's language, the images should be universal.

For further information, Nadesico's translator, Dan Kanemitsu, has written a wealth of text on crossing ideas between languages. If you ever read a single essay on this subject, read his Traductore Traditore: The Traitors and Whores We Are.

Also, John tackles why anime fans are so stuck up.

Tonight's Adult Swim is three hours of Yu Yu Hakusho.

Check out NewType and Shounen Jump's American sites. Both mags are coming our way very, very soon.

The J. League returns to play today. Care for a primer?

As the White House discusses hostilities with Iraq, there's been talk to ensure that Japan will still refuel USN ships in the eventuality of a war.

Frank Darabont, writer of the upcoming Indiana Jones IV, talks cryptically about the plot. No Nazis?


7.12.2002
Chocolate Chimp Cookies.

The August NewType has something very special and very beautiful inside. Do you want to see the first images of Macross: VF-0? Take a good, long look.

Sara is the shaman, Mao is the cute girl with her fingers outstretched in a "V", and Shin Kudou is the test pilot of the VF-0 Phoenix. Bearing a heavy resemblance to the VF-1, the VF-0 also seems influenced by the MiG-29. It's a sensual aircraft. The paramount detail that you cannot overlook is the Jolly Roger behind the canopy and on the jet's tail. Skull Squadron, boys and girls.

Was it good for you?

The American cast of Inu-Yasha's been announced. Ronin Warriors alumni David Kaye and Paul Dobson are involved. Brad Swaile will guest star as Nobunaga. No, not that Nobunaga.

Watch The Daily Show tonight at 7 PM EST on Comedy Central. Dick Cheney's support of Arthur Andersen is disturbing. Steve Irwin is hilarious.

Last week, thanks to Mark Baggio, the Sage Page reported on new episodes of Medabots, but if you happened to watch ABC Family this week at 8:30 AM EST, you'd note the episodes weren't that new. Classic Medabots airs Monday through Thursday. It's only on Fridays that Medabots Spirits is broadcast.

HomelandProtection.net wants to know if you own a gamma radiation alarm. You don't? Lucky for you, guess what HomelandProtection.net is selling?

Meanwhile, at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a report is being passed around. It's the Buffy Paradigm. That's right. Buffy. As in Buffy: The Vampire Slayer.

In Nagoya Basho news, Kaio's withdrawn from the tournament do to his arm injury.

Stargate SG-1 and Farscape return to Sci-Fi tonight. Aeryn's back.


7.11.2002
Was airing 24 hours of Iron Giant a good idea? It was a very good idea. Cross your fingers, and CN may do it again next year.

Sci-Fi's Pegasus and Golden Raven Award winning Dog Soldiers airs tonight at 9 PM EST and tomorrow at 6.

Gundam SEED's official site, the aptly named Gundam-SEED.net, is now online.

TokyoPop's bringing Initial D to the states. Hoping to broadcast the series (on Toonami), the company is replacing all the J-Pop with American tunes and westernizing all the names...

Tak (original name Takumi)
Iggy (original name Itsuki)
Cole (original name Koichiro)
Natalie (original name Natsuki)
Boss (original name Yuichi)
Ry (original name Ryosuke)
K.T. (original name Keisuke)
Zack (original name Takeshi)
Maya (original name Mako)
Simone (original name Sayuki)
Kyle (original name Kyoichi)
Hawk (original name Seiji)
Aki (original name Wataru)
Carrie (original name Kazumi)

Let me get this straight, TokyoPop is changing "Seiji" to "Hawk" instead of something sensible like --- wait for it -- "Sage"? Also, how's "Aki" any less Japanese than "Wataru"?

Ghibli's completed The Cat Returns. It'll be released on 7.20 with the second episode of Ghibli's own Otaku No Video, the semi-autobiographical Ghiblies. Nausicaa.net has trailers for the animation. Also, here's a shot of the cast. How did Miyazaki celebrate? With people in giant cat suits, of course.

There's a new Gun Survivor 3 movie over at Capcom.co.jp.

Square will be releasing Romancing Saga and Saga Frontier on the PS2 in the form of Unlimited Saga this December.

Letterman appeared on the premiere of Nightline: Up Close, in his first interview in five years.

There's a new look at Tom Cruise's historic epic, The Last Samurai.

A new Maho Tsukai Tai animation is in the works. Based of the Koto manga, look for more soon.


7.10.2002
Pioneer Disney animation Ward Kimball has passed away.

Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines's teaser trailer is online. The second Resident Evil movie is currently being penned. Also, there's some casting news on the next Tomb Raider. You know, the butler was the best part of the first one.

Weiss Kreuz: Gluhen chara designs are now on the web. If you recall, this sequel series was postponed because of legal and likeness issues. While Aya looks pretty much unchanged (save a new color coat), the rest of the Knight Hunters gave gotten total makeovers.

Anime News Service, celebrating Gluhen's redesign, also has a new look. Long financially supported by Akadot, this is the first time ANS is under the red and black marquee. The Sage Page has yet to get a sugar daddy, but the moment ADV buys us up, free DVDs for everyone.

The trial of David Westerfield now involves anime, casting the medium with a broad lecherous paint brush. Anime News Network documents several articles on the subject. One of the incriminating websites mentioned is anime.com, which is the tamest, least-offensive Japanese Animation site on the internet.

Now, website endorsed by associate Pause, Banzai Girl Jinky. It's in bad taste, especially after the above, but she does use a mac.


7.9.2002
We've known for several months that Central Park Media had the rights to Utena's Black Rose saga, but, at AX, CPM revealed it has the rights to all of Utena. The revolution will begin this fall.

The final episode of Digimon Tamers was the highest rated animation in Japan during the week of March 25-31.

The PowerPuff Girls can beat Mojo Jojo, the Gangrene Gang, and Him, but they can't beat the box office. Their premiere movie only took in $6 million opening weekend instead of an expected $25 mil.

Wolfgang Petersen will direct the upcoming Batman vs. Superman. The winner? Batman, silly.

You think you're a Final Fantasy fan because you've got a Yojimbo statue and a Zidane wallscroll? Squre's just released the ultimate gift... Company Stock . Now, you can actually own part of Final Fantasy.

GameForms has a preview of Metal Gear Solid 2: Substance.

The Nagoya Basho continues. Kaio isn't doing well. Nursing his injured arm, the Ozeki has yet to win a match, currently down 0-3.

Lastly, the Sage Page is currently working on two exciting -- or at least new -- features that will premiere next week.


7.8.2002
I can breathe.

There are Gundam fans and Macross fans. I'm a Macross fan. While I enjoy the Gundam saga and am excited over Gundam SEED, my favorite animation is the original Super Dimensional Fortress Macross. It's a love story. It's a simple love story. While the Macross Universe has giant robots and spaceships, it's about relationships. It's about people.

And, since Macross VF-0 was announced, I been searching daily for any news. Frankly, I feel like I'm asphyxiating in anticipation. The only solid information I've come across is this production sketch. Everything else is speculation.

A Macross panel was held at Anime Expo, and I'm now waiting with bated breath for the full story. Presently, bits and pieces have come out. Next month's NewType will have a feature on the animation. Further, the first issue of the American NewType will also have coverage. (Speaking of the American NewType, here's the just-launched official site.)

Anime News Service has a short write-up on the new Macross...

As for Macross Zero, the story takes place 1-2 years before the original Macross, the film will be a mix of 2-d and 3-d animation, and the Outlaw Star character designer will be doing the characters for Zero. Unfortunately, Kanno will not be doing the music for the anime, because Kawamori felt it would be too similar to Macross Plus, and he likes to begin each Macross fresh. And while no singer for the anime has been announced, it will definitely be a woman. The songs themselves will have environmental themes. Unfortunately, the Macross Panel could not comment on the recent Big West/Tatsunoko dispute.

So, it's confirmed the new animation will be a prequel. This means a lot of things. Because the first series started with the Zentradi invasion, VF-0 will take place before any alien contact. It's going to be about the construction of the SDF-1 and the Valkyrie. Since we know Roy Fokker was VF test pilot, we can speculate with some certainty that he'll appear. Further, because Roy is Hikaru's "oniisan", we may see a younger Ichijyo. We may even see cadets Claudia and Misa. But, because they weren't involved with UN Spacy until after the Zentradi attack, odds are Minmay and Max won't show up. As for antagonists, they're going to be human. This was the time of the United Nations Wars.

The Anti-United Nations Military Organization. The breakdown of the world economy. The Defensive Battles for South Ataria Island. The Kirghiz and Kazakh riots. The assassination of UN Government President Harlan J. Niven. The evacuation of Mars Base. Guerilla warfare throughout America. The hijacking of the Tsiolkovsky. The destruction of Grand Cannon II. The atomic bombing of St. Petersburg.

Macross World has other gems. The story "never happened". Like Gundam 0083, the events that transpire in VF-0 will be classified at its completion. The actual VF-0 prototype is called "Phoenix". A trailer for the OAV was shown at the Macross Panel...

The sequence opens with a narration and kanji on the screen talking about how it is 2002 and something else. I can't read Japanese but I'm guessing that it's mentioning the next production. We cut to a jungle setting. Camera is at ground level and we see 2 sets of legs walking by bear-foot. One is wearing a dress and the other is showing bear legs (probably wearing shorts since the camera view only goes up to the knees). The scene switches to a male in pants and a tank-top with a bandage wrapped around his head. He is holding a wooden knife/short stake. Back to a torso shot of our 2 individuals. The 2 individuals are somewhat dark skinned kinda like native Hawaiian dark-skin for reference. The person in front is the one wearing the dress. The dress has a multi-colored strip running along it with a canvas-color for the rest of the dress. The male with the stake jumps out and brings it up and quickly turns around pointing the stake at the individual in the dress. He looks kinda scared/paranoid and injuried. The person in the dress is scared out of his/her (probably her) wits (who wouldn't if someone was ready to kill you). We do get facial shots of our desperate male and female. IIRC, she has mid-neck length hair. We then fade to black and come back in with shots of the F-14 flying around. It happens pretty fast so I don't think I got the order of this scene right. We see shots of the nose and a cannon firing off rounds. The shots look like they are coming out of the nose-cone area. We jump to scenes of the pilot and back to the F-14. We then see a bunch of missiles being fired and the F-14 does barrel roles throws out the decoys (chaff/flare) and more dodging goodness. Classic Macross-missile-storm stuff. It fades to black and a blurry image of the VF comes, changes to GERWALK and then changes to Battroid. The VF is either a black color or intentionally shadowed out and the camera moves for a close-up and fade to black and the logo, "Macross Zero". Fade out.

The first volume of Macross VF-0 premieres 10.25.2002.


7.7.2002
Gaiden, Kikoutei Densetsu, and Message are coming to the states! Confirmed yesterday by the Bandai Panel at Anime Expo, we'll start seeing the OAVs next year. Kudos go to Mashima for beating me to the report. Happy? Very happy? Very, very happy? Express that joy in the BBS.

Also revealed at AX, Bandai will be releasing a two-disc Cowboy Bebop set with six episodes remixed in 5.1 and DTS sound.

Pioneer stated it has the rights to WXIII, the third Patlabor movie. (Yeah!) The company hopes to release the film theatrically.

FUNimation will be handling Yu-Gi-Oh's DVD treatment. They're getting the masters from 4Kids Entertainment. 4Kids only wants the dub on the disc while FUNi is screaming that English-only discs are the stupidest thing in the world. The first few DVDs will be dub only, but FUNi hopes to include a Japanese track with later volumes.

DragonBall GT is currently being translated.

Meanwhile, ADV's announced that it was the mysterious distributor who licensed Rahxephon. Vol. 2 of Excel Saga is coming 8.27 with some strange extras. Care to meet Nabeshin?

The Nagoya Basho began today. Kaio's first match ended in a lost. This does not bode well.

Mashima continues to rock the world with confirmation of Gundam SEED. He brought pictures. The terribly effeminate bishounen star is Kira Yamato, his chariot the sharp, angular Strike Gundam.

New episodes of Harvey Birdman begin tonight on Adult Swim.

Looking for a pet? You can't go wrong with the Mutsu Water Looper.


7.6.2002
Happy to you log pony.

Urban Vision will be re-releasing Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust in a special-director's-cut-ultimate-edition DVD with new features including Japanese dialogue, storyboards, and a DTS track next year.

FOXKids is currently airing CMs for the FOX Box, kicking off 9.14. The promo doesn't mention that FOXKids dies on that day and 4Kids takes over.

ABC Family, inheriting its programming from FOX, premiered its Saturday block today...

07:00 AM - Beyblade
07:30 AM - Shinzo
08:00 AM - Spider-Man Unlimited
08:30 AM - Spider-Man
09:00 AM - Beyblade
09:30 AM - Big Guy and Rusty the Boy Robot
10:00 AM - X-Men
10:30 AM - Spider-Man
11:00 AM - Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends
11:30 AM - The Incredible Hulk

Beyblade and Shinzo are the only things we haven't seen before. Are they worth watching? Moderately. The premise of Beyblade is that kids fight with spinning tops imbued with the ancient spirits of samurai, tigers, and dragons. Yeah, there's a marketing tie-in. It's just odd to see gangs fighting with little tops. It's not threatening at all to be held-up by a bully brandishing one of these things. You've got to scratch your head. When your partner is a pocket monster, digital monster, or some form of plucky robot, you can believe it, but when it's a spinning top, I don't know. Give Beyblade a shot, if only to see the premise in action.

If interested, you can visit Takara and TV Tokyo's Beyblade sites. Also, you can view the OPs, EDs, and clips from Beyblade and Beyblade 2002.

What self-respecting ghost would be caught dead inside a top?

Now, to Shinzo. A boy named Yukomo wakes up to find all of humanity dead. In a strange future world, he is the key to finding a mysterious place called Shinzo and saving man from extinction. It sounds ambitious, but it's not. Yukomo's gimmick in his quest is that he uses souls trapped inside game cards, gaining the powers, spells, and abilities of the entities on the cards. I know what you're thinking, but it's not like Digimon Tamers. Why? He doesn't shout "Card Slash".

Frankly, Beyblade is fine art next to Shinzo. Shinzo doesn't have anything really to talk about. It falters in the execution. It's timid with some really ugly chara designs. Take a look. While Beyblade is just so bombastic that I'll come back, I haven't found anything attractive yet in Shinzo.

Impress Game Watch has images of the Nobunaga's Ambition Online beta. This is KOEI's attempt at making a silicon society. The Japanese strategy developer is striving to create nothing less than an online civilization with all the nuances of politics and an economy. Looking at the screenshots, you've dwarfed by the utter expanse of this project.

Earlier this year, the official Cowboy Bebop website went away. As part of the cowboy philosophy, Watanabe-san took the site offline while it was still hot. Of course, the otaku spirit wouldn't allow such a thing to disappear. The site's been replicated entirely by fans at CowboyBebop.org.

Recently, Toonami debuted in Japan. Check out the official site. What's on Toonami Japan? ReBoot, Justice League, Batman Beyond, War Planets, and Spawn.

Also, care for a look at the Japanese Samurai Jack and PowerPuff Girls?

Despite golden reviews from critics and fans alike, PowerPuff Girls: The Movie isn't raking in cartoonish stacks and stacks of money. Why? Because it's an alternative movie from an alternative studio. The film's playing in very few theatres, on very few screens, and showing very few times. Don't let politics screw the animation. Take the time to see PowerPuff Girls this weekend.

And, check out Craig McCracken's interview with the LA New Times.


7.5.2002
You know Laguna is going to kick so much ass.

I hope you enjoyed yesterday's fireworks, cookouts, and the PowerPuff Girls Movie, but America's not the only country celebrating this time of year. While we're proud of Bill Pullman and Jeff Goldblum fending off an alien invasion, Japan has her share of July festivals.

But, isn't there something we're forgetting? Isn't there something about the Fourth of July so obscure and nichey that you're better off not knowing? Yes. The Nathan's Famous Fourth of July International Hot Dog Eating Contest. Held annually on the Fourth in Coney Island, it used to be the domain of only America's biggest eaters. Recent years, though, have been witness to a change, Japanese competitors summarily burying the heaviest American hopefuls. Did yesterday continue this upset? It most certainly did.

Successor of champions Hirofumi Nakajima and Kazutoyo Arai, Takeru Kobayashi won the eating contest for the second consecutive year, retaining the prized Mustard Belt. 113 pounds, the slim Nagano native downed fifty-and-a-half hot dogs in twelve minutes. Not only defeating challengers from the Americas and Europe, he also bested himself. Kobayashi-san broke his own record of fifty hot dogs from 2001's event.

This is all fun and games, right? Not so. It's taken very seriously across the Pacific. TV Tokyo, who sponsored the warrior, has decided not to air the competition in Japan following the death of another man training for the contest.

And, did you know the coveted Mustard Belt is kept under glass in the Imperial Palace? Really.

Japan Times has a somewhat topical article, Our yankii are different from your yankees.

The new Gundam series currently in production may be titled Gundam SEED. I can't wait for the fifty-foot gunblade.

The official American Gundam site is conducting a poll, ranking the most popular Mobile Suits. The poll has a decent selection of UC and AC bots, but where's Tallgeese?

A second In-Yasha movie is currently in production. Kagami no Naka no Mugenjo will premiere in Tokyo in December.

What's the one thing most sentai series lack? Bishoujo. I'm talking an entire team of bishoujo. But, don't worry, Dimensional Detective Wecker has your back. My favorite's Sayaka.

Ultraman Cosmos stopped filming after shounen star Takayasu Sugiura was arrested earlier this year, charged with brutally beating a vocational school student. Sugiura has recently been released and cleared of any involvement. It's not yet known if Cosmos will return to production.

Sony's releasing translucent colored PS2s in Japan. First up is Ocean Blue followed by Zen Black.

Of course, I know you want to see Yu Suzuki bowling. (He's the guy who made Shenmue.)

The FOX News Channel will cease broadcast in Japan later this month.

Interested in Trigun, EVA, or Jin-Roh cosplaying? You may want to check out Generation Propz.

Kyodo News reports that, according to a Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) report, Japan's animation industry is shrinking with studios relying more and more on South Korean production houses.

In an unrelated story, Kyodo News also mentions the following...

The submarine Nadashio, which was involved in a collision with a pleasure fishing boat in Tokyo Bay in July 1988 that killed 30 people, was towed Friday from the Maritime Self-Defense Force (MSDF) base in Kure, Hiroshima Prefecture, to a scrap company in the nearby town of Etajima.

The Nadashio's collision has left the MSDF a black-eye it still has to contend with. The reason why I'm relaying the story is that the ND-001 Nadesico was named partly as a play on "Nadashio".

Metal Gear Solid fans might want to take note that Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd. has developed shape-memory polymer screws that become smooth when heated, allowing for easy removal from household appliances for recycling.

ABC Family kicks off its new weekend block tomorrow...

Saturdays (starting 7.6)
07:00 AM - Beyblade
07:30 AM - Shinzo
08:00 AM - Spider-Man Unlimited
08:30 AM - Spider-Man
09:00 AM - Beyblade
09:30 AM - Big Guy and Rusty the Boy Robot
10:00 AM - X-Men
10:30 AM - Spider-Man
11:00 AM - Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends
11:30 AM - The Incredible Hulk

Sundays (starting 7.7)
07:00 AM - Beyblade
07:30 AM - Shinzo
08:00 AM - Spider-Man Unlimited
08:30 AM - Spider-Man
09:00 AM - Beyblade
09:30 AM - Big Guy and Rusty the Boy Robot
10:00 AM - Best of Power Rangers
10:30 AM - Best of Power Rangers
11:00 AM - Best of Power Rangers
11:30 AM - Best of Power Rangers

Slayers is rumored to be a part of this block, but the network hasn't yet said anything. We'll find out tomorrow.

Did I say there'd be no more football / soccer coverage until 2006? I lied.

FIFA has just announced the winner of the Golden Ball award. Was it Ronaldo? Rivaldo? Ronaldinho? No. It is Oliver Kahn who has been recognized as the tournament's best player. Previously taking home the titles of German Footballer of the Year and Best European Goalkeeper, Kahn is fully deserving of the Golden Ball. His performance in the World Cup was nothing short of godlike.

In JFA news, Philippe Troussier's replacement has been revealed. Troussier repeatedly stated he was leaving his position of national team coach well before the World Cup ever began. J. League chairman Saburo Kawabuchi has now named his successor. Kashima Antlers coach Zico will helm Team Japan.

Stargate SG-1 and Farscape aren't on tonight, Sci-Fi continuing its Twilight Zone marathon. They'll be back with new episodes next week. What is on tonight is Sumo Digest. Get a look at the most recent basho at 8 PM EST on ESPN. Kaio!


7.4.2002
It's July 4th. What kind of patriotic coverage does the Sage Page have in store? Tatara's commentary on PowerPuff Girls: The Movie.

I was a fan of PowerPuff Girls since before the beginning. Do you remember when there were only three shorts airing as part of the What-A-Cartoon Show? I do. I've got the first thirty episodes on VHS. I have the original plushes. DFFQI even had what-may-be the first PowerPuff webpage, PowerPuff 101.

But, the Sage Page really hasn't covered the PowerPuff series or movie. Why's that? I could say it's because I wanted to stay spoiler free, but the honest truth is that I've grown distant. I loved the animation from the start, but then it got popular. I was competing with eight-year-olds. I couldn't win. I was tired to getting in fights over which girl's the best. (Don't you dare say it's anyone but Buttercup.)

I missed an episode. Then, I missed two. Then, I let three go by.

That's how it was. I passed the torch to my schoolgirl successors. Years have gone by, and I really haven't paid attention to the three super girls. I've been aware of this movie since 2000. I've seen the barrage of promos for months and months. I just wasn't excited.

That changed last week when I read AICN's first review...

The kids were genuinely excited to be seeing this particular film, and I couldn't help but flash on the crowd at the Chinese two weeks earlier for the SCOOBY-DOO premiere. Same company, AOL/Time-Warner, also a big kid's premiere, with tons of kids in attendance. The energy was totally different, though. The kids at SCOOBY weren't interested in the film. There was a group of girls in front of us who couldn't have been older than nine, all of them already bored and cynical about the entire premiere experience, more worried about what "Freddy and Sarah" were wearing than about the film itself. It was funny and sad in equal measure. I didn't detect even a bit of that in the pre-POWERPUFF audience, though. Those kids were there to have a good time.

In a matter of seconds, ever neuron in my brain began to kick. I realized it all at once. This was Cartoon Network. Cartoon Network is in it for the art. Cartoon Network is in it for the animation. Cartoon Network exists for cartoons. This isn't going to be something cheap and commercial. This is going to be good. This is going to be very good. This is going to be everything that is good, and honest, and pure.

Suddenly, I was paying attention. I was looking over everything that I had lost. CN's putting their all into this movie. Look at how it's being promoted. This is an event. It can't fail. Everything has been poured into it. Have you seen the brilliant Adult Swim CMs for the film?

I think my favorite quote about the picture is the following...

It seems odd in the extreme to be emotionally drained by something this tongue in cheek, but I was seriously as dazed after PPG: THE MOVIE as I was after the first time I saw AKIRA.

That's something. That's not a heartless Capitalist beast. That's something clean. Don't get me wrong, I want this movie to make cartoonish stacks and stacks of money. I want this to be a financial success. Cartoon Network needs it to be.

So, what did I think? Was it good? Was it worth seeing? Yes. It's the PowerPuff Girls. It's everything in the TV show made bigger and better. It's an 87-minute episode. It's the origin story. This is the cinematic telling of how Blossom, Bubbles, and Buttercup came to be and how they chose to fight crime. It's a story of amazing moments. Naming the girls. Playing tag. Looking for unicorns at the zoo. Making a bed on an asteroid. Visually, it's stunning. And, some of the lines are just pure gold. You have no idea how great Mojo Jojo's army of super monkeys is.

It's not the best animation to ever come out of this country -- As I've been saying ad nauseam, I feel Iron Giant is -- but this doesn't mean PowerPuff Girls isn't special. It is everything that is good, and honest, and pure. It's a simple story. It's not trying to preach. It doesn't feature mixes from today's hottest bands. There are no paid product placements. It's the tale of three little girls finding out who they are.

That's the power of animation. It's about the characters. It's not about the actors, what they're wearing, or who they're sleeping with. You're not going to the movie to see Matt Damon, Freddie Prinze Jr., or Lil' Bow Wow. This is why I love animation. You're going to see Blossom, Bubbles, and Buttercup.

It's sweet, and cute, and utterly charming. I pray it does well. It if does, it's the start of a new era. If it doesn't, it's another Final Fantasy. This is an important movie. This is CN's first. Who could have imagined that Craig McCracken's student film, Whoop Ass Girls, would be transformed into a feature film? Dreams can come true. PowerPuff Girls is Craig's dream. I can only applaud Cartoon Network for making it real.

If you're a fan of PowerPuff Girls, a fan of Toonami, a fan of Cartoon Network, a fan of anime, or a fan of animation, see this movie. It's sugar, spice, and everything nice.


7.3.2002
Real Dead Outlaw.

You may have heard this before. It might just be breaking news. Either way, it's a big story, and I got it from ClaudiaChristian.net...

Babylon 5 will be coming out on DVD this Sept. New Wave Entertainment will be releasing this first set so if the response is there, the rest of the seasons will get released as well.

CC previously announced that she'll provide the voices of several characters in Summoner 2. She recently revealed she'll portray DeWinter in Westwood's upcoming Earth and Beyond.

Meanwhile, AICN has a review of Miss Christian's new film, Half Past Dead. The review, however, fails to mention CC.

From Sony, From Hanna is an indispensable resource for any gaijin looking to live in Japan.

I hope you've taken a look at Iron Giant by now. If you haven't please do. You have until 7 PM EST tonight to catch it on Cartoon Network. You have to see this film.

The Sage Page conducted a non scientific poll of a grand total of one petshop asking about hamster sales in the wake of Hamtaro's colossal American debut. The result? Hamster sales are up.

Hamtaro's official American site has decent content. You can find the birthdate, height, and sign of all of Hamtaro's friends. You can read episode capsules. You can get a glimpse of the marketing juggernaut that is coming. You can even learn to speak Ham-Ham.

Hamtaro's official Japanese site, though, offers flash games, personal Ham-Ham greetings, GameBoy screenshots, the ability to play Rock-Paper-Scissors against Hamtaro, and -- the show stopper -- pictures of fans' real pet hamsters.

Matt Greenfield written a letter to fans about Jess Calvello and Excel Saga...

Yes, it is true that Jessica Calvello has decided not to finish recording the part of Excel in Excel Saga. This is not a situation that any of us here at ADV are happy with, myself least of all, and we went to great lengths to find some schedule adjustment that would allow her to complete the series. In the end, however, we had to accede to her wishes to proceed with recording the show without her. Although this may be hard for some fans to understand, the potential for stress or strain to one's vocal chords can weigh heavily on an actor or singer. No one knows Jessica and her voice better than Jessica. In the end it was Jessica's decision to make as to whether or not she wanted to continue, just as it has always been her decision. We respect that.

As most of you also know, Jessica was my personal choice for the role of Excel, and I have been dead set on having her from the beginning, even though we all knew it would mean flying her from New York to Houston twice per volume in order to make her participation even possible. Losing her now, after we had achieved such great work on the first three volumes of Excel Saga, is therefore particularly bitter, but Excel Saga is far more than the story of one character, and the rest of the cast will remain unchanged. From all of the reviews I have read, and all of the comments that have been forwarded to me personally, I think it is fair to say that the general consensus has been that EVERYONE in the cast has done a fantastic job; and while all of us will miss Jessica greatly, it makes far more sense to continue with a new Excel rather than stop the whole project once Jessica informed us that she would rather not continue. To do otherwise would be to deprive everyone of the work of a great many other extremely talented actors who have performed miracles in making the English version of Excel Saga, once known as "the show that could not be dubbed," into the amazing success it has been. And, indeed, Jessica has given them her blessing to continue. With that in mind, we are now in the final stages of re-casting and I believe we have found someone who will be able to step into the admittedly big shoes filled first by Kotono Mitsuishi and then by Jessica. Will her performance be the same as Jessica's? No, of course not... for the same reason that Jessica's performance was different from Kotono's even though she (Jessica) insisted on trying to re-create Kotono's performance exactly, down to the sound of each individual nonsense sound. Every actor is different and even though they may be reading the same lines, they are re-filtered through that actor's own personal tastes and experiences. Just as Jessica brought a more hyper sense of franticness to Excel, the new Excel will doubtless bring her own flavor to the role, and as a director I refuse to try and make her performance an exact slavish copy of Jessica's, just as I allowed Jessica to follow her own path to finding the inner Excel. All I ask is for you, as fans, to give the new Excel a fair listen before deciding whether she is "better" or "worse" than Ms. Calvello. And I do acknowledge, that as a fan, this kind of objectivity is hard to achieve. When the Japanese voice of Lupin was recast a number of years ago, I found it hard at first to adjust to the change, and who among us hasn't gotten involved in that ancient argument as to who was the "better" James Bond... Connery, Moore, Dalton, Brosnan, Lazenby...? In the end, such arguments are often pointless, since without that succession of actors there would have been no further Bond films for the world to enjoy once Connery retired, no further Tarzans after Elmo Lincoln, no new Sherlock Holmes and so on. Such is the case now. Ms. Calvello has decided not to continue with ES, so it is up to the rest of us to accept her decision and continue onwards. Life has given us a lemon, but I think we still have the ingredients for some really great lemonade.

If you haven't yet, give Excel Saga a go. It's got songs about genocide, songs about department store (and their roofs), songs about afros, and songs about manga writers being the scum of the Earth. Excel Saga isn't all songs, either. No, Excel's about eating stray dogs and the Great Will of the Macrocosm having relations with immigrant workers.

If you're in the money spending mood, check out the best Cowboy Bebop shirt ever.

Tomorrow, TLC celebrates the 4th with a 14 hour Junkyard Wars marathon.


7.2.2002
24 hours of Iron Giant begin tonight at 7 PM EST on Cartoon Network. Watch it. Iron Giant is quite possibly the best animation an American studio has ever turned out. It's a beautiful, tearful story.

Tomorrow, head on over to your nearest theatre and take a look at PowerPuff Girls: The Movie. A breathtaking experience, CN's scored big.

In the meantime, Digital Arsenal has uploaded thirty-two trailers, previews, and promos for the film. Cartoon Network is pushing with their all to sell this animation, and it deserves it. Definitely, check out the CMs, especially the Adult Swim promos and the J-Pop "In A World".

At the other end of the animated spectrum, far, far away from Iron Giant and PowerPuff Girls, Adam Sandler stars in Eight Crazy Nights, coming this winter.

Getting back on track, ABC Family's new weekend block kicks off this Saturday. Their weekday morning block, though, is on now...

7:00 AM - Digimon Tamers
7:30 AM - Digimon Tamers
8:00 AM - Power Rangers Wild Force
8:30 AM - Medabots

What's the big deal? The Medabots episodes currently airing aren't the ones seen on Saturday mornings last year. ABC Family is indeed taking over where FOXKids left off. The second Medabots series, Medabots Spirits, is on now. Kudos go to Mark Baggio for the discovery.

Captain Harlock: Endless Odyssey is back in production.

The Seattle Times has a story comparing America's pathetic cellular industry next to the galaxy-crossing capabilities of wireless Japan. Next up is Magic World Club-D.

Think Hamtaro is cute? You don't know cute until you've seen Hamtaro in Japanese. It hurts. It hurts so much.

Also, be sure to check out the trailers to the bishoujo war epic 6 Angels and Satoshi Kon's spellbinding Millennium Actress.

Don't forget, G.I. Joe airs nightly at 1 AM EST on Cartoon Network.

This and next Saturday, Adult Swim Action will consist entirely of Yu Yu Hakusho. All new episodes of Harvey Birdman premiere this Sunday in the pool. Get your limited edition Adult Swim action figures while they last.

Zoids: Chaotic Century will move from its 6:30 AM timeslot to Toonami real estate, replacing Zoids Zero, on 7.29. Will we see the final three episodes this time around? Pray.

The Boys From Brazil, the 1978 Nazi-cloning yarn starring Gregory Peck and Laurence Olivier, airs 7.10 at 2:50 PM EST on AMC.


7.1.2002
July begins today and the Sage Page wants to generally wish you well, but we've got another motive, too. The Sage Page has to do the PBS Fund Drive Thing. Our BBS expires at the end of the month, and we're asking for your help.

Three months for $18. Six months for $30. Twelve months for $54.

We've got $10 in the Community Chest, and every dollar you donate will help keep the little planet banner free. Plus, there's an additional incentive... The Gauntlet of Pain. While walking through Akihabara in a moogle suit is a bit out of our means, the Sage Page will try to accommodate your tests, trials, and challenges. If you donate, you get a say in the future of the site. What content do you want to see? More coverage of releases by ADV, Bandai, and AnimEigo? More of what's hot right now in Japan? What's going on inside Cartoon Network Studios? The latest from Gainax and Xebec? Japanese live action cinema? Sci-Fi?

Maybe you want more Kaze No Yojimo and Claudia Christian. Maybe not.

Tell me what you want next. The gallery? Ronin Reserve: King of Swords? The return of reviews? Actual coverage of Ronin Warriors? To never mention football or the J. League again? To keep Zoids and Digimon forever out of the news? If you want the Sage Page to do something, your donation will make it happen. If you tell me to watch 24 hours of Big Wars, I will.

Now, on to today's news.

G.I. Joe makes its Cartoon Network debut tonight (well, tomorrow morning) at 1 AM EST.

ADV is currently working on Nadesico: The Prince of Darkness. The US release of the film will include translation notes from Dan Kanemitsu.

Disney may be keeping Digimon Frontier's original themes and score when it comes stateside this fall. Suddenly, Disney's not so evil.

In further Digimon news, Toei will be releasing the seventh Digimon movie on 7.20, The Revival of the Ancient Digimon. The film features a war between Beast and Human-type digital monsters on an island at the end of the digital world. In the Frontier world, digimon are split into Beast and Human groups. The children use B Spirits to evolve into monstrous creatures, while they transform into hominid soldiers using H Spirits. There's a really sweet Angel digimon, Generamon, who premieres in the film.

In other movie news, Cartoon Network presents twenty-four solid hours of Iron Giant starting 7.2 at 7 PM EST. 7.3 marks the premiere of CN's first feature film, PowerPuff Girls: The Movie. CN's promoting the hell out of it and for good reason. It legitimately deserves it. This film captures innocence and adventure perfectly.

After their enormous life-size Zaku, Bandai's realized it was a bit too big and decided to scale down the rest of the Hybrid line. They've now revealed the RX-78-2, the next of their giant models. It's no longer ridiculously huge, but it's still pretty big.

While I've yet to document any major finds on Macross VF-0, I did score a nice look at the Macross 20th Anniversary Premium Collection. The disc is ¥3800. The bragging rights are priceless.

Capcom will release Resident Evil 2 and 3 for the GameCube on 11.1 Unlike the first game in the series, 2 and 3 will not be remakes of the PlayStation originals, being instead direct ports of the PSX classics. They're priced at $19.99 each.

Sci-Fi's scheduled two more encore showings of the Pegasus and Golden Raven Award winning film Dog Soldiers. You can catch this vivid nightmare on 7.11 at 9 PM EST and 7.12 at 6 PM.

We conclude with IGN's look at Taiko No Tatsujin, the best taiko drum sim on the market.

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