•        

Welcome to our News archive for September 2004 - to see this month's news please click on the button below.
 


___________________________________________________________________________


27th September 2004

Out Now

We thought we'd wait till we saw it one the shelves considering the delays this title has suffered...

Ghost in the Shell: Standalone Complex vol 1 (Manga Video) Cert: 12

Highly anticipated by all and this month's Recommended Title, Ghost in the Shell: Standalone Complex vol 1 features both 5.1 Dolby Digital and DTS sound for both languages as well as European exclusive covers, and reportedly all of the sound problems which plagued the US release have been fixed.  The series is really good too so don't pass up the opportunity to enter our Competition to win the first volume!!!

Source:  Manga UK, HMV
___________________________________________________________________________


22nd September 2004

Sonic Free!

Jettix, a programming slot aimed at young teens from Fox Kids, has launched a new monthly magazine which not only features plenty of info on the cartoons the channel shows, but also comes with a free DVD featuring an episode of Sonic X!!  The magazine retails at a pocket-money friendly £3 and is available from all good newsagents (and most of the bad ones).

Source:  WHSmith
___________________________________________________________________________


22nd September 2004

Out Now

Whoops!  The ADV releases kind of slipped under the radar on Monday, but here they are in all their glory...

Final Fantasy Unlimited vol 4: Phase Four (ADV Films) Cert PG
Hellsing: The Collection (ADV Films) Cert: 15
Mazinkaiser vol 1: Turbo Smashing Sensation! (ADV Films) Cert: 15
New Cutey Honey: Collection 1 (ADV Films) Cert: 15
Prétear vol 4 (ADV Films) Cert: 12
Rune Soldier vol 2: Adventure For Dummies (ADV Films) Cert: PG
Slayers Gorgeous (ADV Films) Cert: U

ADV serve up a decent slice of anime goodness this month, covering both the old and the new.  Best is probably the limited edition release of Hellsing: The Collection, a four disc UK exclusive boxset which collects the whole series of the popular gothic actioner.  Also noteworthy are the releases of a couple of older titles in New Cutey Honey and Mazinkaiser, both from pioneering creator Go Nagai.  The first of these titles is the sequel to the series that pioneered the idea of the 'magical girl' nude transformation sequence later used in the likes of its co-release this month, Prétear, whereas the latter was a spin off from the first mech anime to feature pilotable robots, Mazinger Z.  Although computer game tie-in Final Fantasy Unlimited has been criticised for eschewing the RPG-style fantasy of its source, ADV redress the balance with the light hearted swords and sorcery romps Rune Soldier and Slayers, both of which are great fun and well worth a look.

Source:  ADV Films
___________________________________________________________________________


16th September 2004

The Beez Knees

French distributor Beez have announced several new releases for the UK market!!  First up are the final three Gundam Wing boxsets - each containing two DVDs and a Gundam figure - which are all released in October at a rate of one a week.  Following these sets come two cut-price 5 disc boxsets which collect the classic Vision of Escaflowne series, and the UK will also soon be seeing the long awaited release of Cowboy Bebop!!  Previously held up by licensing issues in Europe, fan-favourite Cowboy Bebop will make its DVD debut a couple of years after being screened on the now defunct CNX digital channel, and more than a year after the DVD release of the movie spin-off.

Source:  Play.com, AnimeOnDVD
___________________________________________________________________________


16th September 2004

Prime Time?

The little known independent distributor ILC Prime have announced several anime titles following the success of last years Darkness Trilogy.  As well as announcing further hentai titles, ILC Prime have also please many fans by announcing the DVD release of Project A-KO - a popular sci-fi comedy previously available on VHS from Manga Video.  Also announced are the re-release of Dominion Tank Police (which was previously released on DVD as a freebie with the now defunct PlayNation computer magazine), as well as two generally reviled OVAs - MD Geist and The Humanoid

However, the title that has caused the most interest and surprise from anime fans is the announcement of La Blue Girl Returns - the follow up to a hentai series notoriously banned by the British Board of Film Classification in 1996 because of prolonged scenes of eroticised rape and sexual violence.  Despite some relaxation of the BBFC rules since the original La Blue Girl was submitted it is incredibly unlikely for the new series to escape without some pretty hefty cuts, and it will be interesting to see if it suffers the same fate as its predecessor.

Source:  AnimeOnDVD
___________________________________________________________________________


11th September 2004

New Release Next Week:

Tokyo Godfathers (Columbia TriStar) Cert: 12

After their recent release of the decent short story compilation Memories, Columbia TriStar look set to become a major anime player with the highly anticipated release of Satoshi Kon's most recent film.  Critically acclaimed on its release in the US and highly rated by fans, Tokyo Godfathers is a touching tale about three homeless people who try to find the parents of an abandoned child on Christmas Eve.  The UK release has come as a surprise to some, but it is a very welcome one.  Click here for a picture of the cover.

Source:  Hyperlaunch New Media Ltd
___________________________________________________________________________


11th September 2004

Bad Complex-ion?

Online sources have suggested that the release of Ghost in the Shell: Standalone Complex volume 1 has been delayed until the end of the month.  Originally due out on Monday 13th September, it seems that we may have to wait until 27th September for our fix of Motoko Kusanagi & co, although this is as yet unconfirmed.  We'll know on Monday either way...

Source:  Play.com
___________________________________________________________________________


7th September 2004

Free episode of Bubblegum Crisis!

This months issue of TotalDVD's coverdisc contains the first episode of the classic cyberpunk anime in all it's DVD glory!  The magazine itself contains some fine anime reviews and a chance to win the magnificent Grave Of The Fireflies on DVD.  Seek it out at all good newsagents now.   

Source:  TotalDVD, WHSmith
___________________________________________________________________________


1st September 2004

New Releases Next Week:

Beyblade vol 1-3 Boxset (Contender) Cert: U
Cardcaptors vol 1 & 2 set (Contender) Cert: U
Cardcaptors vol 3 & 4 set (Contender) Cert: U
Fruits Basket vol 4: The Clearing Sky (MVM) Cert: PG
Kiddy Grade vol 2: Pieces of the Past (MVM) Cert: 12
Love Hina vol 1: Moving In
(MVM) Cert: PG
Urusei Yatsura OVA Boxset (MVM) Cert: PG
Yu-Gi-Oh! vol 1: The Heart of the Cards (Contender) Cert: PG
Yu-Gi-Oh! vol 1-3 Boxset (Contender) Cert PG

Contender Video have finally released Cardcaptors on DVD with a budget price point of £5.99 per volume.  This coincides with a price slash for their other anime titles, with the reissued Yu-Gi-Oh! dropping to £5.99 and the three volume Yu-Gi-Oh! and Beyblade boxsets retailing at just over £15 each.  Another bargain release is MVM's subtitle only release of the Urusei Yatsura OVA Boxset, which retails at £29.99.

Source:  Play.com; Amazon UK
___________________________________________________________________________


___________________________________________________________________________