About.com Anime

Evangelion 1.0 - In-Depth Review of Evangelion 1.0

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 02:28:24 +0000

As remakes go, anime has always been a great venue for this kind of project. We love our collector editions, our starter kits, complete collections and the like. So, it's no surprise to discover that your favorite anime series is available in a variety of compilations.

Well, this is one compilation you won't want to miss.

Evangelion 1.0 is the first installment in the four-movie-series of the classic, Neon Genesis Evangelion franchise.

And although like in any good compilation, you already know the story line, Evangelion 1.0 does it a little better. Combining the first six episodes, Evangelion 1.0 starts you at the beginning of the NGE series, setting up all the action that's yet to come.

And judging from this installment, there will be plenty of that indeed.

Remember, these movies were not meant to simply collect the original episodes but also to improve them so expect better animation and some interesting changes in how the story develops.

Want to learn more? Check out my review of Evangelion 1.0.

Evangelion 1.0 - In-Depth Review of Evangelion 1.0 originally appeared on About.com Anime on Monday, November 23rd, 2009 at 02:28:24.

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Death Note Live Action Remake Update

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 01:37:20 +0000

You might remember back in 2008, Vertigo Entertainment announced it had plans to remake the live-action Death Note movie. You might also remember that earlier this year, Warner Bros. announced it had acquired those rights and was proceeding with the plan.

But what you may not know is that Zac Efron has apparently had some discussions with the powers-that-be on being a part of that project.

In an exclusive interview, Efron tells Collider.com that yes, he's "had a meeting" and loves the idea but it's not something they're actively working on at the moment.� You can see the full interview at their website.

Now, if you're wondering whether this latest movie release will introduce anything new, the answer is probably not. Although nothing official has been released regarding the storylines, the original idea was supposedly to remake the movies for an American audience without subtitles.

And as for when the movie might be released? No official word on that yet either but IMDB.com does have a listing that shows a target date of 2011.

Death Note Live Action Remake Update originally appeared on About.com Anime on Monday, November 23rd, 2009 at 01:37:20.

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Kaze no Stigma Series Profile

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 00:43:40 +0000

When Kazuma was defeated by his cousin Ayano in a battle to determine the heir of the sacred family sword - the Enraiha - he was banished from his house in disgrace by his father. Now four years later, Kazuma has returned and with new powers to boot - the power of Wind.

Can he form an alliance with his cousin Ayano? And can he convince her that he's not one who murdered his family?

Based on the novel series from the late Takahiro Yamato, Kaze no Stigma is an outcast-turned-hero kind of story with a nice supernatural twist for good measure and produced by Gonzo, you can be sure you're getting the flashy animation you expect in your anime shows.

Incidentally, the novels this series is based upon remains incomplete. Yamato passed away before ending the story and while I'm sure Gonzo gives us some resolution within the 24-episode anime series, it will be interesting to see if the full story arc ever gets finished.

Rated TV-14, this action-supernatural title has some mild violence but nothing too outrageous. Get the scoop on Kaze no Stigma, a new anime series from FUNimation here.

Kaze no Stigma Series Profile originally appeared on About.com Anime on Monday, November 23rd, 2009 at 00:43:40.

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'Darker Than Black' Side Stories Revealed

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 02:43:58 +0000

If you're a Darker Than Black fan, here's something you might enjoy:

The official Japanese website for Darker Than Black is now streaming a promo video for "side stories" to the anime series. The stories will explain what happened to the main character Hei during the two year span between the first Darker Than Black series, Kuro No Keiyakusha and the second installment, Ryusei no Gemini.

You might remember that Hei is a psychic "contractor" with the ability to control electricity. In the first series, he works with a secret agency - the Syndicate - to discover the secret to Hell's Gate and find his sister, Bai who has been missing for several years.

Darker Than Black is a 25-episode post-apocalyptic anime, distributed by FUNimation in the States. Volume 6 was released in August, 2009 containing the last episodes of the first series along with an OVA that addresses some of the romantic sub-plots that were hinted throughout the story.

While it's almost a given that FUNimation will pick up and produce the second installment of the series, no word on how that will play out with these new side stories. Which will come first? We'll have to wait and see.

'Darker Than Black' Side Stories Revealed originally appeared on About.com Anime on Monday, November 16th, 2009 at 02:43:58.

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Best Shojo Action Anime Titles

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 02:13:21 +0000

The fun of action anime continues with this latest top picks list from yours truly.

While putting together a comprehensive look at the action anime genre, I realized that it's typically thought of as a genre specifically for the guys.

Not that girls don't also appreciate traditional action anime titles like Naruto, Dragonball Z and Cowboy Bebop - we most certainly do... But wouldn't it be nice, I thought, if there were a separate list of action titles, just for the girls?

So, that's exactly what I've done.

As always, I'd love to expand this list even more, so if you've got an action anime title that falls under the shojo category, send it my way so we can add it here.

Best Shojo Action Anime Titles originally appeared on About.com Anime on Monday, November 16th, 2009 at 02:13:21.

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'Final Fantasy XIII' - A Sneak Peek at the New 'Final Fantasy' RPG

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 00:57:59 +0000

Looks like Square Enix has done it again.

Continuing to ride success of the ever-popular Final Fantasy saga, the much-anticipated RPG sequel - Final Fantasy XIII - is slated to be released on March 9, 2010.

Available for both PS3 and XBox 360 platforms, the newest game in the Final Fantasy franchise promises over-the-top game play as well as the breath-taking graphics the series has always been known for. For those of you who don't yet own a PS3, it was announced by Sony's Kaz Hirai at a FFXIII premier party that a PS3/FFXIII bundle is planned for release in March as well... so if you were thinking about going PS3, March might be the ideal time to do that.

If XBox 360 is more your style, you might like this little contest: XBox wants you to help promote the upcoming release of Final Fantasy XIII and they're willing to reward you to do it.� Complete the free registration at their website and then use your Twitter account to promote the Final Fantasy March release. Your tweet must contain the link "xbox.com/FFXIII" and the hashtag #FFXIIIXBOX.

If you're not quite sure how to make that happen, just click the big blue Twitter button on their site and XBox will create the tweet for you.

What do you win?

Not quite sure, but according to their site, everyone who registers will be privy to an exclusive, secret XBox Live "prize". Don't know exactly what that is, but you know it can't be bad.

To learn more about the upcoming release, check out our Final Fantasy XIII sneak peek here.

'Final Fantasy XIII' - A Sneak Peek at the New 'Final Fantasy' RPG originally appeared on About.com Anime on Monday, November 16th, 2009 at 00:57:59.

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Astro Boy: The Movie - A Complete Anime Guide Review

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 03:25:19 +0000

Wondering if you should go see the new Astro Boy movie?

Apparently, so were a lot of anime fans.

Although Astro Boy didn't fare well against some of the other releases hitting the box office, it hung tight about midway on the box office top 10. Read the many reviews and you'd find a mixed bag of comments, some from those who said the flick was fine while others gave it a big thumbs down.

So why the mixed reviews?

For some long-time anime fans, Astro Boy didn't live up to expectations. Not because the CGI isn't good... it's actually great. And not because the story is too dark or too scary for younger kids. Quite the contrary, Astro Boy is a perfect solution for a family-friendly movie.

So, why all the fuss?

If you're familiar with the original Astro Boy anime series, then you'd understand. The movie is based "loosely" on Osamu Tezuka's 1963 anime series but the new adaptation takes quite a few liberties with the storyline. Dr. Tenma for example, has a change of heart in the movie and tries to help and protect his new robot boy creation. This didn't happen in the original series -- in fact, Dr. Tenma sold Astro to a circus when he realized that Astro would never fill the shoes of his real son.

There's also the addition of President Stone, ruler of Metro City who has a serious political agenda that revolves around harnessing the power of the "blue core energy" -- the energy that powers Astro -- and using it to power a military robot and start a war.

But before you listen to all that fuss, I'm going to ask you to give this one a chance. Astro Boy is a beautiful work of CGI brilliance. The storyline, although different from the original series, is still really well done and makes for a happier movie, an important feature if you're taking young ones to see it.

Find out why I think Astro Boy is the perfect family-friendly anime flick here.

Astro Boy: The Movie - A Complete Anime Guide Review originally appeared on About.com Anime on Monday, November 9th, 2009 at 03:25:19.

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Action Anime Sub-Genres and Themes

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 03:11:46 +0000

Do you like edge-of-your-seat excitement? Heart-pumping chases, bad-to-the-bone fist fights and in-your-face action that makes you gasp for breath?

Then you're an action anime fan!

But just what makes a good action anime?

The truth is, there are number of things that make a good action flick... from down-in-the-dirt fisticuffs to chasing the bad guy across the Universe. There's also action anime titles that make your skin crawl, your heart beat faster and leave you sleeping with the light on at night, "just in case".

The reason that the action anime genre is so varied is that it crosses over so well with so many other exciting genres. Want to learn more about these themes and subcategories? Click here to take a look at all the sub-genres and themes that make action anime so great.

So, now you tell me...What's your favorite action anime theme?

Action Anime Sub-Genres and Themes originally appeared on About.com Anime on Monday, November 9th, 2009 at 03:11:46.

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Miyazaki's 'Ponyo' Hits DVD Shelves in 2010

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 02:44:41 +0000

If you didn't make it to the theaters to see Miyazaki's newest work, Ponyo, take heart -- this amazing anime feature film will hit the DVD shelves on March 2, 2010.

Coming from Disney's Buena Vista Home Entertaiment, Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea will release in three editions: standard, a 2-disc Special Edition, complete with plus Ponyo and a Blu-Ray edition that has all the DVD extras included in the Special Edition but not the plush figure.

Ponyo is the story of Sosuke, a young boy who rescues a fish that is stranded on the shore and names her Ponyo. Ponyo's father, Fujimoto thinks the humans have kidnapped his daughter and calls on the water spirits to bring her home. This causes a confrontation between father and daughter fish and Ponyo uses her father's magic to wish herself into a human so she can be with Sosuke.

The transformation works but unbalances the Universe and all sorts of awful catastrophic events begin to happen.

Ponyo is the work of Hayao Miyazaki (Spirited Away, Howl's Moving Castle, KiKi's Delivery Service, Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind) and Studio Ghibli. It is Miyazaki's biggest grossing film to date in the U.S., bringing in over $15 million at the box office.

Source: ICv2.com

Miyazaki's 'Ponyo' Hits DVD Shelves in 2010 originally appeared on About.com Anime on Monday, November 9th, 2009 at 02:44:41.

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Best Action Anime Titles

Mon, 02 Nov 2009 04:00:52 +0000

There's just something about a good action anime that gets your blood pumping, isn't there?

In fact, action anime continues to be one of the most popular genres, producing blockbuster after blockbuster as anime series go.

Action anime encompasses a wide variety of sub-genres and themes, including martial arts, ninja, adventure stories, thrillers and even a few comedies.

The key to a good action anime is that it has to have some "oomph" to it. You want it to leave you breathless, to get you excited and to be intense... at least part of the time. Will they escape? Will our hero win the battle? Will they find the secret key and save the Universe?

This is the stuff action anime series are made of and to show my appreciation of this genre, I thought it would be fun to share some of my top picks with you.

So, here they are... some of my favorite action anime titles.

Best Action Anime Titles originally appeared on About.com Anime on Monday, November 2nd, 2009 at 04:00:52.

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