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Answerman & Ms. Answerman
Invasion of the Answer Snatchers

Okay, so after a long hiatus, we're back, this time with 20 action-packed questions. Ready to get started?

20 Questions? Do we have enough booze to last that long?



I cannot seem to find a answer to this question. I know there is one, don't get me wrong. I have forgotten the series and/or film name of what this chracter was in, and the character's name as well. The question is as follows :

Which male anime character has green hair, is super human, can fly, and is the MAIN character in his series and/or film?

This has stumped over 20 anime buff's that I have come across, the yahoo search engine, and a variety of other sources that should have proven extremely reliable. Unfortunately, I cannot seem to find my answer anywhere. Which means that the answer is very uncommon or even rare among people who think they know *EVERYTHING* about anime. All I know is that description, since I watched the movie 4 years ago and completely forgot almost everything about it.

Email me the answer you have (or find), please and thank you.

I'm not completely positive about this, but you're probably talking about Locke the Superman. He has green hair, is the main character of his series, can fly (I think..) and has super-human abilities (mostly psychic powers). Check this link out: http://www.scifi.com/anime/anime.cgi?25030 and see if we're correct.



Hi!
Do you know when Full Metal Panic will be released on DVD?

martin

Since it was just licensed this past summer, no, there is no release date yet. ADV takes a long time to announce release dates for new titles, and Full Metal Panic is no exception. The buzz about the show has died down a lot, so it's possible that ADV plans on sitting on that one for a while. Expect it next year sometime.

If you're desperate for a quick fix, the English version of Newtype magazine is publishing the manga for Full Metal Panic, and they'll probably make it available eventually in graphic novel format.



Yo, oh great and not even mildly feculant answerman.
I've watched a couple of episodes of Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex, and I've fallen in love with the soundtrack. I have much of Kanno's other work, so I was wondering if you could tell me where I could find a legitimate (Support the artist everyone!) copy of the soundtrack. Finnally, could you try to find out if Tsuneo Imahori(Trigun)playing the guitar on the GITS: Stand alone complex soundtrack?

THANKS!

---kathleen

The Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex soundtrack isn't available quite yet. A few places might have it for pre-sale, but I can't even find a release date out there in 'net land. Try CD Japan, or AMO Tokyo; these places will be the first to stock it when it's eventually released.

We aren't sure who's doing the guitar for the series. Don't assume that because it sounds the same, it's the same guy. Once the soundtrack DOES come out, information on the guitarist should be readily available online. Just keep checking.



My sister and I are big fans of weiss kreuz, and I was wondering if you know of any websites or any info on the new series. thank you for you time!

Sure. The new series, WeiB Kreuz Gluhen, airs on Kids Station in Japan. It's scheduled for 26 episodes. You might want to take a look at some of the character designs; notice they don't look anything like the old ones? Well, that's because the manga creator for WeiB Kreuz didn't want them to make a new TV series, so she sued the person who held the rights to the musical WeiB act (The same party responsible for making the new TV series). She won, so they aren't allowed to use her character designs or storylines. The names of the characters, the basic premise, and the music are all the same; I've found that fans of the old series don't care for the new one too much.

I tried searching for websites on WeiB Kreuz Gluhen, but most focus on the CD and not the anime itself. I enjoy the original WeiB Kreuz, but I was unable to tolerate the first episode of Gluhen. If you're big fans, I would suggest avoiding Gluhen.



Hi. I was wondering if there are any plans to release the I''s manga by Mazakazu Katsura in North America? Also, do you know when the T.V. series will be released in Japan.

Joshua

The I”s manga hasn't been licensed in the US yet, but it might be soon enough. Katsura's other work has proved popular enough, I don't see any reason why it shouldn't. There is no I”s TV series in Japan; there's an OVA series that's being run on pay-per-view and on a pay satellite channel. It might be a while before someone snaps it up, since the property hasn't really been considered for North American release just yet.

I haven't seen any of the anime based on Mazakazu Katsura's work, though I have read the translated manga for Video Girl Ai. The artwork is nice and the plotlines were simple with a lot of room to grow, but it targets males and not females. You may want to see if Viz snags the contract for I"s since they did the same for Video Girl Ai.



What do you think about the viability of sports and music anime being relased in America? Will they ever see the light of day here in the States? Personally I think that Kaiken Phrase, Gravitation, Captain Tsubasa, and Hiakaru No Go are some of the best anime out there. Thank you for you time and keep up the good work.

Gravitation has been licensed, and Enoki Films is trying to sell Captain Tsubasa, but as for the other shows, I think they have a slim chance. Kaikan Phrase has a bigger shot than Hikaru no Go, since Hikaru no Go revolves around a game that not many Americans play. The show runs forever and is pretty obscure, despite having a gigantic fanbase. Expect to see Kaikan Phrase long before Hikaru no Go gets licensed; although in this day and age, anything's possible.

Kaikan Phrase might not be released over here due to the fact that it's a dark, moody, and slow anime. The only thing it has going for it is the music. I would have to agree that Hikaru no Go won't be released out here due to the technical Go aspects that are a constant in the anime and the dedication these children and adults put into something that Americans might view as 'just a game'. As for anime about sports? Check out Princess Nine, which is a lovely series based around baseball.



Hello Answerman, Mrs. Answerman:

1) I'm noticing the trend (along with online friends of mine) towards what I call 'reality-based' anime. Instead of Mecha, Sci-fi, or Robots, we're seeing plots that could take place in real life (Noir, Ai Yori Aoshi ) Personally, I love the trend in comparing anime to TV drama in the US, because I think its usually a *LOT* better scripted. I have the feeling that more reality-based anime shows are on the way, even if some fans aren't happy with it... Any thoughts?

2) Also, I notice a lot of second-tier anime series get overlooked every year when first released in Japan. The more fanservice in the anime, (Chobits) the more pre-attention it gets while other series are mostly ignored. Example: Read or Die, which I believe you mentioned, and Kokoro Library, a personal favorite of mine, are two series on the second-tier that have definitely been overlooked at first. Do you see any surprises comingout for this year or in last year's pile?

Thanx. I thoroughly enjoy your column on ANN. Its great.

Incantrix

I'm counting this question as two, so we're up to 8 questions. 12 left. Yes, there is a trend towards.. “reality” based shows. I'm hesitant to call them “reality” based shows, since there's nothing “realistic” about either Noir or Ai Yori Aoshi. If what you mean to say is that big robot and mahou shoujo series seem to be on the outs, you're right. Those genres marginalize anime and make it a niche audience; the new stuff that's coming out, like Witch Hunter Robin, or GetBackers, could easily air on TV in the US without requiring some kind of drooling fanboy audience. I think what we're seeing is a movement towards normalizing anime, making it less fringe. I don't think this is a bad thing. For years anime has been typified as being for cult audiences only. I personally appreciate the attempt to normalize the content a bit and bring in a broader audience. As for your second question, I'll agree with Kokoro Toshokan being overlooked (and for a good reason..) but Read or Die was hyped up hugely by the fan community and is considered a major release. Pay attention to the fans if you want to an accurate meter of what's being ‘overlooked’ and what isn't. As for what shows will emerge as ‘surprises’.. well, there really haven't been any surprises. The shows the big companies – Pioneer, ADV – pimp the most are always the most successful. Cowboy Bebop, Hellsing, Trigun, etcetera and so on.. these were top-shelf titles in Japan and will be top-shelf titles in the US. It all depends on your taste. Shows that have good animation, lots of action and cute girls will undoubtedly be more popular than any show about quiet girls running a library on a hill. Which one would be more popular in a US movie theater? It isn't like there's some great injustice being done because there isn't a huge Kokoro Toshokan booth at Anime Expo next year; it's just a quiet show that isn't intended to be massively popular.

Kokoro Library has been overlooked for a very specific reason: the plot is much too slow for the average American audience. Piano moved faster than Kokoro Library, and the character designs didn't scream 'turn me into a hentai doujinshi' as much as Kokoro Library did. As for surprises for this year? The trend seems to be androids/cybernetics (Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex, Heat Guy J) and detective/mystery (Spiral, GetBackers). The detective/mystery genra (sp) has for the most part been overlooked in the previous years, so this is really the only surprise.



I just discovered bootlegs, and I have some questions:
What are bootlegs? Are they legal? How do you know if a CD is a bootleg? And is it really so bad to buy a bootleg, if it's 1/3 of the price?
Thanks for your time,
Nastassja

Bootlegs are basically someone stealing something, making an illegal copy of it, and selling it without paying the person who made it originally, they're illegal. You can tell if something is a bootleg by simply doing a little research. Look on legit websites like AMO Tokyo to see the original packaging. If there's any variation on that packaging design, it's a bootleg. If it came from Hong Kong or Taiwan, there's a very good chance it's a bootleg. It's bad to buy bootlegs because the people who worked hard to make that music or anime series do not get compensation from the sale of the bootleg.

Another way to tell a bootleg from a legal copy is the fact that the CD is 1/3 the price of the original for a new CD. And yes...it is bad to buy a bootleg. Expect karmic retribution.



dear great answerman and ms. answerman,

I've recently been reading about three animes, Burn Up!, Burn Up W, and Burn Up Excess. I'm asuming that these are three parts of one series, but I am writing to you to make sure. If my asumption is correct, I would like to know your personal opinion of the series.

Thanks

Skitzo

These are indeed three connected series, Burn Up! was the original and never made it past 1 episode, Burn Up W is a re-make with a different plot and new characters but a very similar overall feel and Burn Up Excess is a sequel to Burn Up W. All three focus mostly on breast size and the effects of motion physics on breasts of various sizes. In my opinion, all three series are unviewably awful.

I like plot with my big-breasted anime, thank you...



Answerman,

I read somewhere that the 'X' TV series was actually supposed to be longer than the 24-episodes that were released. My questions are:

1) Does the TV series end with a conclusion? &

2) Were Japanese fans happy with the TV series?

Thanks for your patience and consideration.

Francis

Why don't you take this one, Ms. Answerman?

Most anime doesn't go past 24-26 episodes, so its likely that they didn't plan for anything past this. The TV series DOES have a conclusion, though it was a serious let-down in an otherwise wonderful anime. This is due to the fact that the manga is still running, leaving the ending most likely in the hands of the animators and not in the hands of CLAMP.

Japanese fans must be used to having rushed, unfinished endings to X animation projects, since now there's been a movie and a TV series and both of them were released long before the manga ever got close to finishing, which it still hasn't. It's hard to say exactly what the Japanese fans were expecting, but I doubt they wanted a definitive end.



do you know if there are any plans to release DBGT in the us on tv?

Yup. There's even a preview of it on the Fruits Basket promotional DVD that's available now at Suncoast. Go check it out.

I have yet to figure out why anyone would want to sit through DBGT...then again, it's still better then Kokoro Library...



Dearest Answerman,

How might one find out if an anime movie (such as "Cowboy Bebop: Knockin'
on Heaven's Door" or "Spirited Away") is going to be screened in
theaters in one's general area? For example, Portland, Oregon. How can I know if
and where it might be? (Insert polite but true compliments about your column and
Answerman Jr--- awww.)

- Keelin

Check your local theater listings. Seriously, that's the only way to know. Rarely do websites for tiny film releases like Bebop or Spirited Away have detailed release information on the website. Check your theater listings every Friday; that's the best answer I can give you.

You can also try asking the managers of the theatres near you as they generally know what they will be showing.



Answerman,

Is there gonna be more Noir? I'm a big fan of the action and shoot 'em ups, and Noir pushed all the right buttons. I immediatly jumped on it, and watched the series then was dissapointed when it was all over. I didn't have a satisfied feeling like I did with Evangelion, and I wanted more. So, do you know anything about more Noir? A movie, a second season, possibly a manga.

Anyway, thanks for your time,

Ownerizer

Big D, Texas

Nope. The creator of Noir said “GOOD LORD, NO! NO MORE NOIR! LEAVE ME ALONE, YOU CURSED FANBOYS!” when asked if there was going to be a sequel at Anime Expo this past summer. Well, okay, he didn't say that exactly, but he did deny that a sequel was in production. Sorry, dude.

If you're interested in action or shoot 'em up anime, try watching Trigun or Hellsing to satiate your cravings.



Answerman, Ms. Answerman and Answercat Jr,

Hi! And congrats on 100 columns!

While having lunch today, I rewatched an episode of Hunter x Hunter and realized how much I enjoy this anime. It's a lot deeper and darker than you think if you just saw the opening or the first episode. Anyway, I was wondering if you know if it has been acquired or if there is any talk of any American company looking at it. Any information is greatly appreciated!

nan

Not as of yet. It's a long series and a very popular one in Japan, and it's perfect fodder for Cartoon Network. Expect it to be announced sometime next year, possibly by Funimation. This is all speculation, of course. Nothing official has come down the pike.

I've watched a little bit of Hunter x Hunter, and it is definitely worth watching. Naruto has a similar style and storyline as well, if you're interested in seeing another anime like it.



Hello
I recently perchased the excellent Ghost in The Shell, Akira (no-doubt the best film in existence all genres combined) and Blood: The Last Vampire all on Limited Edition DVDs.
I found all 3 great of course but somehow (although warned) i found myself very dissapointed by the way Blood ended. I was told it whould only last 50 mn but I found myself with many unanswered questions. Don't get me wrong, I thought the graphics and drawings used where the best ever, but as it's said in the review on your (brilliant) site, the mistakes are on the storyline and charector depth. Look, I understand that you can't fit everything in 2 hours but 50mn is just a joke!
Anyway, my questions were:
- Is anyone working on a sequel to Blood?
- If yes, will it be any longer than the first episode?
- Is the purchase of the "Evangelion" series DVD a good choice?
- How about Patlabor?

Thank you for your time.

Greg [AKA Azreal]

There's a Blood manga that goes into considerable detail, far more than the film does. Check it out when it's released here eventually. They're supposedly working on a Playstation 2 game as well, that will probably go into greater depth than the film did. As far as a full-fledged anime sequel, I wouldn't hold my breath. They might be working on something, but they haven't announced it yet. Buy Evangelion and the two movies, it's an excellent show. Patlabor I've heard many good things about but haven't seen myself. Try 'em both; you might like them.

*zzzzzzz* that's technically four questions...looks like we're done.

Sounds like a plan. See you all next week.

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