Middle Earth: The Anime?

By Andrew Osmond. An anime cinema feature film of JRR Tolkien’s Middle-Earth has been announced, entitled The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim. At last, an anime film with a title that Japanese people will find as hard to pronounce as the rest of us! It’s directed by Kenji Kamiyama, the man…

Eternity and the Auto Memory Doll

By Jeannette Ng. An “Auto Memory Doll” was originally the name given to the typewriters of Telsis, invented by a man who wanted to help his novelist wife to continue writing after she became blind. But much as “computers” were once both the machines that computed and the women who operated them, Auto Memory Doll…

Penguindrum

By Andrew Osmond. In Penguindrum, a dorky penguin hat – that’s a hat that looks like a penguin, not one made out of penguins – brings a beautiful girl back to life. This miracle starts an adventure that’s insanely odd even by the standards of anime. The girl is Himari Takakura, the angelic sister of…

Interview: Tadao Tsuge

By Gianni Simone. Tadao Tsuge is the stuff of legend. Though, until quite recently, he was nearly unknown outside Japan, the veteran comic artist was one of the pioneers of alternative manga and a key contributor of avant-garde magazine Garo between the late 1960s and early 1970s. Differently from his older brother Yoshiharu, Tadao has…

NEWSWIRE: July 2021 Releases + August Sneak Peek

It’s that time again! Yes, it’s time to go through our schedule of forthcoming releases, and lift the lid on the titles that will be coming to pre-order over the coming month, as we look over our release slates for July and (at least in part) August. We know what you’re here for, so let’s…

Gundam 0083: Stardust Memory

By Andrew Osmond. Gundam 0083: Stardust Memory is a terrific “untold chapter” in the Gundam franchise, and an excellent way into Gundam for newbies. Stardust Memory is essentially one story, told over 13 half-hour episodes, with all-new characters, a compelling arc and production values which still look impressive today. Many of the other Gundam series…

Interview: Yukari Takeuchi

By Gianni Simone. Yukari Takeuchi, CEO of Seven Seas, LLC. Takeuchi is an entertainment industry veteran who for more than 30 years has been involved in many aspects of the animation business, from production and distribution to licensing and merchandising. An early participant in indie mega-fair Comiket during her college years, Takeuchi joined TMS Entertainment…