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ANIME EXPO 2011 ANNOUNCES MADHOUSE STUDIO CREATORS AS GUESTS OF HONOR

Source: Anime Expo 2011 News Release

LOS ANGELES (June 21, 2011) -- Anime Expo 2011 has announced Tetsuro Araki, Masayoshi Tanaka and Kentaro Hashimoto of Madhouse Studios as Guests of Honor. The trio will be present for a special July 2nd screening of the acclaimed zombie apocalypse series “HIGHSCHOOL OF THE DEAD” and will host a creator’s panel at Anime Expo, when it returns to the L.A. Convention Center from July 1 - 4, 2011.

Tetsuro Araki has engaged with a number of animated TV series, including “Di Gi Charat Nyo” and “GUNGRAVE,” as a Madhouse staff. He makes a shocking directorial debut, with the animation adaptation of the comic series “DEATH NOTE.” Since then he has directed the vampiric saga “Kurozuka” and adapted the zombie apocalypse “Highschool of the Dead.” Mr. Araki is now working with Production I.G. on his new series “Guilty Crown.”

As an animator, Masayoshi Tanaka has worked on popular series such as ”X,” “CHOBITS,” “EUREKA 7,” “HONEY AND CLOVER” and many more. As character designer and chief animator, his most famous works include “TORADORA!,” the animated adaptation of the Shonen Jump series “REBORN!” and “HIGHSCHOOL OF THE DEAD.” He is currently working on “Ano Hi Mita Hana no Namae o Bokutachi wa Mada Shiranai” at A-1 Pictures.

Kentaro Hashimoto has produced mega-hit animated television series like “Death Note” and “Kurozuka”. Mr. Hashimoto has brought out new animated interpretation of the classic literature by Ango Sakaguchi in “Aoi Bungaku: In the Forest, Under Cherries in Full Bloom.” His newest series is the acclaimed zombie apocalypse action animated series “Highschool of the Dead.”

The roster of Anime Expo 2011 Guests of Honor includes Japanese pop trio Kalafina; singing sensation Maon Kurosaki; techno pop band Nirgilis; “LASTEXILE -Fam, The Silver Wing-“ production team Koichi Chigira, Makoto Kobayashi, Takaaki Suzuki and Hiroyuki Birukawa; Japanese TV Host and blogger Danny Choo; voice actress and singer Miyuki Sawashiro; voice actors Toshio Furukawa, Vic Mignogna, Toshiyuki Morikawa and Taliesin Jaffe; stars of the Power Rangers series and movies; video game developer Sohei Niikawa; Crypton Future Media CEO Hiroyuki Itoh and Producer Wataru Sasaki; Vocaloid songwriter Onyx Kobayashi; manga artists Izumi Matsumoto and Fred Gallagher and anime director Seiji Mizushima. Anime Expo has also announced Hatsune Miku as its first ever Virtual Guest of Honor. Themed the “Year of the Fan,” Anime Expo 2011 will fully immerse guests into the world of Japanese animation, manga (comic books), music and fashion. Anime Expo is a non-stop marathon of Japanese pop culture that’s been likened to Halloween in July.

To stay updated on all of the latest Anime Expo 2011 news, follow us on Twitter, become a fan on Facebook and check us out on YouTube.

About Anime Expo

Held annually in Los Angeles, Anime Expo is North America’s largest anime and manga celebration. Anime Expo gives fans the rare opportunity to meet and hear from some of the most famous anime, manga and musical artists from Japan and get into the action through everything from costume play, karaoke and video competitions to exclusive screenings, non-stop video gaming competitions and the wildly popular Masquerade, in which fans transform themselves into their favorite characters through creative costuming, accessories and make-up and put on their own show before an audience of thousands. AX 2011 will be held July 1 – July 4, 2011 at the Los Angeles Convention Center. To register or for more information, please visit www.anime-expo.org.

Viz Brings The World’s First Virtual Pop Singer Hatsune Miku And SUPERCELL To The US

Source: Media Lab

Japanese pop group Supercell sees the digital release of its self-titled full-length major label debut in North America tomorrow – Tuesday, June 21^st– from Sony Music Direct (Japan), Inc., a division of Sony Music Entertainment Japan, Inc. Supercell Featuring Hatsune Miku will be available exclusively on iTunes and Amazon.

Supercell blends catchy pop melodies and technology-inspired vocals with captivating anime-influenced imagery and notably features the world’s first virtual pop star, Hatsune Miku. The group’s new record features 12 upbeat tracks, driven by the singer’s bright vocals and backed by lush electronic, pop and rock-inspired melodies.

Supercell is a group of multimedia creators and artists led by composer/lyricist Ryo. Hatsune Miku, whose name means, “first sound of the future,” is a digital female avatar and the most popular of the Vocaloid Character Series software originally created by Crypton Future Media using Yamaha’s Vocaloid 2 engine to create synthesized vocal tracks.

The record’s first single, “THE WORLD IS MINE,” was released in North America on May 10^th on iTunes and Amazon and placed as high as Number 4 on the iTunes World Music charts.

In Japan, Hatsune Miku is a major national phenomenon appearing in many popular video games and music videos. She’s also played several sellout “concerts,” where she performed on stage as a 3D hologram backed by a live band. Her international notoriety is spreading to North America, where she’s currently featured in a new commercial for the 2011 Toyota Corolla. Hatsune Miku is also scheduled to perform her first U.S. concert, “MIKUNOPOLIS in LOS ANGELES,” at the 2011 Anime Expo in Los Angeles, CA July 1-4. Information on the concert is available at: http://mikunopolis.com.

More information on Supercell is available at: http://www.facebook.com/supercell.JPN.

Anime Expo: July 1-4

Anime Expo 2011 opens July 1 at the Los Angeles Convention Center in downtown Los Angeles. The Expo runs from Friday, July 1 through Monday, July 4.

Last year, Anime Expo drew over 45,000 attendees. The show began in 1992 that drew 1,750. Previously, Anime Expo was held at the Long Beach Convention Center and the Anaheim Convention Center.

Anime Expo (AX) showcases the latest anime-related products and representatives of anime production companies and manga publishers will be in attendance.

Danny Choo, television personality, blogger and anime enthusiast, will be special guest at AX. He hosts Culture Japan, a television show that presents Japanese pop culture to the world.

For more information on Anime Expo, go here.

GODAIZER - A Giant Robot And Monster Orgasmotron

Written By: Ken Hulsey
Source: Hillary Yeo

Last December I posted an article about a great new animated giant robot short called "Godaizer" which has been a three year labor of love for film maker Hillary Yeo. Today, thanks to Yeo, I was able to view the finished product and let me tell you I was left nearly speechless. What Yeo has been able to capture is the pure essence of both the giant robot and giant monster genre in one amazing 20-minute film.

Think of "Godaizer" as "Tetsujin 28-go", "Mazinger", "Ultraman: The Next" and "WXIII: Patlabor the Movie 3" all assembled together to mash up in a perfect union with a bow on top.

There is no way that any fan of either Japanese anime or Tokusatsu could walk away from this one without feeling totally satisfied. The animation is beautiful and seamless, the robot design for "Godaizer" is timeless, (as if it jumped off the screen from a 70s Japanese cartoon) the monster is a nasty looking as can be and the combat sequences look pure Tsuburaya/Tanaka/Honda.

Here is a short synopsis of the plot:

An independent computer animated short about a robot repair warehouse run by a old man and his grandson where old decommissioned giant robot Godaizer is kept.

When a giant monster is awoken, its time for Godaizer to rise again and defeat it. But at what cost is it going to take to take down the monster?

At this time Yeo has entered "Godaizer" in a few festivals, including the Long Island International Film Expo. The film maker is also trying to get the word out there about his short film, which I am more than happy to aide him with, and has found the process to be a little harder than he first anticipated. True, it is hard to get noticed in this modern age where entertainment is literally at your fingertips, but I am more than confident that when people are able to see "Godaizer" the word will spread like wildfire.

Yeo has created something special here so don't be surprised if his career takes a major step forward after this.

See Also: More Robot Mayhem In Hillary Yeo's GODAIZER

More Robot Mayhem In Hillary Yeo's GODAIZER

Written By: Ken Hulsey
Sources: Twitch / GODAIZER Web Site / Avery Guerra

If you have actually taken the time to read many of my articles here at MIN, you have undoubtedly noticed my tendency to bitch and moan about copy-cat films, the fact that film makers seem to all make the same type of film at the same time, i.e. Bigfoot films and giant shark flicks, and the use of CGI animation over old-school stop-motion effects. That being said, you will probably be surprised to learn that there is one genre out there that no matter how many films get produced, I won't complain about it, that is, the giant robot genre, and I am actually thankful that the latest improvements in CGI effects have given film makers the tools to produce quality work on a small budget.

I know, you just fell out of your chair.

True, many of these films are either homages, or based on existing robot franchises, which I suppose makes them copy-cats, none the less, but I love them anyway.

Today's film, "GODAIZER", is an homage, it is CGI, it's story seems to be based (heavily) on "Tetsujin 28-go", some of the mecha looks exactly like the ones in "Macross" and the monster looks kinda like the one from "Ultraman: The Next." In fact some of the story looks like it may have been inspired by "Ultraman: The Next" or possibly "WXIII: Patlabor the Movie 3", which to me doesn't matter, because it looks like one hell of a cool short film.

"GODAIZER" has been a three year project for film maker Hillary Yeo who has poured both heart and soul into creating a visually stunning tribute to the great giant robot anime of the 1970s and 80s.

When I say stunning, I mean stunning. Though the animation in "GODAIZER" is computer generated, I has all the qualities of hand-painted art.

Truly beautiful.

No word yet on any release info on this one, so we'll just have to wait and see what develops.

Until then, here is the trailer plus a few stills:

Godaizer Animation Short - Full Trailer from hilscreate on Vimeo.

"Space Battleship Yamato": Right Place At The Right Time!

by Armand Vaquer

Talk about perfect timing!

Space Battleship Yamato opened in Japan yesterday. The scuttlebutt is that the live-action movie is a hit at the boxoffice, in fact, it's number one! Although I have a busy schedule while in Tokyo next week, I will squeeze in a viewing of the film during an evening. Talk about being at the right place at the right time!

It is based on the widely-popular anime series of the mid-1970s/early-1980s. Some critics have panned the movie and some purists of the anime series are peeved over some character changes. Still, the movie is doing well.

The plot:

The year is 2199, and the Earth has been under radioactive siege from extraterrestrials known as the Gamilas for five years. The Earth's surviving population has moved underground to escape the bombardment, but the contamination is slowly penetrating to reach them. The last space battleship of the exhausted Earth Defense Forces, Yamato, sets out on a journey to Iscandar, a planet located in the Large Magellanic Cloud, to acquire a device that can heal the ravaged Earth before it is too late.

The movie was directed by Takashi Yamazaki and it stars Koyuki, Hiroyuki Ikeuchi and Meisa Kuroki.

Space Battleship Yamato was released by Toho Co., Ltd.

Chichinoe Infinity - Pin Up Lady Hibiki - Statue Sculpture

Source: Entertainment Earth

Order Your Sexy Statue Today!
Only $154.99

Chichinoe Infinity Pin Up Lady Hibiki Statue Sculpture:

This item has features and themes that are for adults only. Ages 18 and up. Recommended for mature collectors.

Deep thoughts, with Pin Up Lady Hibiki!

Grossly outrageous and awesome Hibiki!

Hibiki's got the curves!

The Chichinoe Infinity Pin Up Lady Hibiki PVC statue stands approximately 12 1/4-inches tall. This lovely red head has her hand on her chin, in serious deep thought. From concept illustration in Japan, this lovely young lady makes her way into your collection!

Age:15+
Size:1:5 scale

The First Look - Voltron Movie Concept Art

Written By: Ken Hulsey
Sources: JoBlo / Avery Guerra

It seems like we have been being teased about a live-action "Voltron" movie now for about a decade. Well, actually since 2008 to be precise, but it has seemed like forever.

Now, finally, the thing is going to be made by Atlas Entertainment, who took over the project from Fox-based New Regency, who went as far as to hire a director for the film (Max Makowski) then backed away from the project. Atlas is apparently kicking things into high gear on this one. Reportedly the studio has hired Thomas Donnelly and Joshua Oppenheimer to write the screenplay for "Voltron" and had Swedish artist Andree Wallin produce three, very cool looking, pieces of concept art. One of which is above.

Since the film is still in it's infancy there isn't much else to report at this point, unlike New Regency, Atlas hasn't rushed out to find a director for "Voltron" before they have all their ducks in a row.

We can only hope that the studio takes this one seriously, and from the concept art it looks like they very well might, so that they don't try and hand us some more of the same old "Transformers" crap.

Go over to Joblo and check out their exclusive concept images from "Voltron" - HERE

See Also: Max Makowski May Be Ready To Take On Voltron / As Soon As The Checks Clear Voltron Will Begin / Shogun Warriors - Beast King Golion Jumbo Action Figure / Voltron Vehicle Robot Vinyl Collection Action Figure / New Toy Tuesday! - Retro Frankenstein And Wolfman, The Fly, Classic Voltron, A Sexy Anime Girl And The Scent Of Captain Kirk / Privateer Press Announces Voltron: Defender of the Universe Game Contents / Privateer Press To Release "Voltron" Game This Summer / Privateer Press Adds Voltron To Monsterpocalypse