Ask John: What Anime are Coming to America Soon?

Question:
What can we expect for domestic anime releases this year?

Answer:
It seems like new anime series are coming out so quickly that it’s hard to keep up with them all, and sometimes difficult to know what’s interesting and what’s not. Especially on a limited budget, a little knowledge can help a few dollars go a long way. Perhaps you’ve heard of new titles scheduled for release but don’t know anything about them. Maybe you’ve seen a name mentioned online that you’ve never seen before. This guide exists to help. It’s virtually impossible to be completely comprehensive, but this handy reference should give you a brief guide to most of the anime you can expect to see released in America in the future, giving you a head start on your purchasing planning.

AD Vision
Angelic Layer: From the ladies of CLAMP comes this story of a young girl and her Barbie doll-style robot. But this doll doesn’t wear dresses, it fights in nationally televised martial arts tournaments!

Aura Battler Dunbine: From the creator of Gundam, the classic 1983 Dunbine TV series combined giant robots with fairies, sci-fi, swords and sorcery.

Bakuretsu Hunter OAVs: Without the limitations of television broadcast, the three Sorcerer Hunters OAVs include a bit more naughty humor and violence than the TV episodes, but otherwise are three self contained episodes with all the humor, adventure and drama fans expect.

Blue Seed 2: Operation Mitama Phase parts 1 & 2 introduce Valencia to the team and continue the monster hunting action of the Blue Seed TV series. The third and final Blue Seed OAV is a self contained episode heavily influenced by the American action movie Speed, with an unusual Japanese twist.

Chance! Pop Session: The struggles of three teen girls to break into the Japanese idol industry comprises this drama full of style and pop music.

Colorful: Sex jokes, sex jokes, and more sex jokes (but no nudity or actual sex) “color” this entertaining little show.

Cosplay Complex: Coming from the people that created Hand Maid May, you know that you can expect lots of cute girls, lots of fan service, and lots of cute schoolgirl, nurse, maid and anime costumes and uniforms in this 3 episode OAV series.

Crying Freeman: The long out of print 5 episode Crying Freeman OAV series will be re-released in America, in bilingual format for the first time ever.

Eden’s Bowy: Elf girls, cat girls, magic and sci-fi intertwine in this fun filled fantasy adventure.

Full Metal Panic: From the prolific Gonzo Studios comes this 24 episode action TV series about an elite team of anti-terrorist forces and their ace high-school age mecha pilots. Alternating comedy and serious adventure episodes with top quality TV animation, Full Metal Panic has something to offer everyone.

Ganbare Goemon: The Legend of the Mystical Ninja comes from Japanese television to American home video.

Genesis Climber Mospeada: Remember the third season of Robotech? Now you’ll have a chance to see it uncut and unaltered, the way it was always meant to be seen.

Gensomaden Saiyuki: The ancient Chinese myth gets a modern updating in this massively popular adventure tale of monsters, monks, magic, beautiful men and lots of existential, emotional angst.

Hoshi no Koe: Voices of a Distant Star: The amateur, one-man-produced anime masterpiece that took Japan by storm will finally get a chance to impress American viewers with its sci-fi story of separation, hope, and love that crosses time and space.

I Wish You Were Here: Biotechnology battles bio-horror in this short cyberpunk action series about the earth’s attempts to stop a deadly alien infection that’s quickly invading humanity, one body at a time. And amidst all the chaos, it’s a love story!

King of Bandit Jing: For the King of Bandits, stealing mere jewels and gems is child’s play. In this highly stylized and sometimes surreal adventure series, Jing and his partner, the talking bird Keel, steal unusual treasures worthy of the title of “king of bandits.”

Let’s Dance With Papa: Bizarre humor characterizes this short, late night TV series from 1999.

Mazinkaiser: After 20 years in retirement, Mazinger returns to animation! When Dr. Hell unleashes his ultimate attack, it’s up to classic giant robots Mazinger Z, Great Mazinger and Mazinkaiser to protect the world.

Nadesico: The Prince of Darkness: The Nadesico movie picks up 3 years after the end of the TV series with a much darker and serious, hard sci-fi tone.

Najica Blitz Tactics: Hiragi Najica looks like a rose, and has the thorns to prove it. Short miniskirts and high kicks are the order of the day in this action/adventure TV series from the creators of Agent Aika.

Neoranga: When three Japanese sisters suddenly inherit the title of “King” of a small South Seas Island nation, they also inherit its guardian god, the ancient and mysterious monster called Neoranga, and their simple lives are turned upside down by international conflict and ancient cults.

Noir: The cult hit of 2001, this stylish and violent thriller tells the story of two female killers- a professional assassin and a teen-age amnesiac with lethal skills- who form an uneasy alliance when a mysterious organization targets them both for death.

Nuku-Nuku Dash: The second 12 episode long All Purpose Cultural Cat Girl Nuku-Nuku OAV series is an alternate continuity story with a green haired and very subdued Nuku-Nuku raising a teen-age Ryunosuke.

Oh! Super Milk-chan: Heavily steeped in Japanese pop culture jokes and cruel black humor, Oh! Super Milk-chan is a side of anime you’ve probably never seen before. Think of South Park and superheroes with a distinctly Japanese twist.

Puni Puni Poemi: The Excel Saga cast reunites in this wacky 2 episode OAV series starring Nabeshin’s daughter, the magical girl and wanna-be voice actor Poemi.

RahXephon: Hailed by some as the next Evangelion, RahXephon, like Eva, is a giant robot show that adopts influences and traditions from numerous genre standards and turns them into something new and unusual. You probably won’t understand RahXephon, but you’ll have a good time trying to figure it out.

Rune Soldier Louie: From the creator of Lodoss War comes a look at the lighter side of swords and sorcery in this hilarious fantasy comedy in the vein of Slayers.

Sailormoon: After years of pleading, the first 2 seasons of the Sailormoon TV series will finally be released in America uncut, unedited and subtitled.

St. Seiya: Popular across much of the world for years, American fans will finally have an opportunity to witness the martial arts fantasy that almost certainly influenced Dragonball Z.

The Samurai: The vintage anime comedy finally comes to America, more than 10 years after its Japanese release.

Shin Shirayukihime Densetsu Pretear: Average schoolgirl Pretear is suddenly given magical powers and the duty of protecting the world from evil. Shoujo fans can look forward to a new magical girl show, and adventure fans can look forward to a story with a hint of a dark side.

Sorcerous Stabber Orphen Revenge: Orphen and his friends are back in the second Orphen TV series that trades angst and drama for slapstick and comedy.

Southern Cross: Remember the second season of Robotech? Now you’ll have a chance to see it uncut and unaltered, the way it was meant to be seen.

Spectral Force: Based on a popular Japanese Playstation strategy RPG, this fantasy epic of nations at war will appeal to the hardcore fantasy enthusiast in us all.

Steam Detectives: Young but brilliant detective Narutaki, his nurse assistant Ling-Ling, and his steam powered mecha back-up Golriki wage a constant fight to protect Steam City from evil in this TV series adaptation of manga by fan favorite artist Kia Asamiya.

Super GALS! Kotobuki Ran: The humor is fast and furious in this ultra-cute go-go-girl story about young Japanese “ko-gals” more interested in boys, fashion and shopping than work or school.

Wild Arms: Twilight Venom: Based on the popular Playstation RPG series, this 1999 TV series features a kid friendly style complete with a shrunk down gunfighter and cute, talking animal mascots that’s a big departure from the mature tone of the games.

Bandai
Argentosoma: Ryu Soma has been scared, both emotionally and physically, by the aliens that continually invade the earth, but mankind’s only means of survival seems to lie in working with one of the enemy. Between the devil and the deep blue sea, what choice does Ryu have, and what will he do?

Banner of the Stars: Feuled by strong demand from loyal fans, the second Crest of the Stars TV series is on the way.

Galaxy Angel: Five beautiful, selfish and stupid girls searching for the “Lost Technology” equals cosmic comedy like you’ve never seen!

Gene Shaft: Hardcore science fiction meets giant robots and mature storytelling in this short 2001 TV series.

Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex: The most expensive anime TV series ever created, don’t expect GitS TV to appear in America anytime soon, since it won’t be finished in Japan until nearly 2004.

Giant Gorg: One of the classic giant robot adventure stories of the early 1980s gets another chance to wow audiences courtesy of Bandai.

.hack//SIGN: With direction by the director of Noir and character designs by the chara designer of Evangelion, you know that this won’t be an average production. Hard fantasy meets the techno age in this story about an online fantasy game that’s influence touches the “real world.”

Infinite Ryvius: A massive cast, teen angst, political strife, loyalty and betrayal and even a ghost or two make this dramatic and dialogue intensive TV series a show that separates the hardcore fans from the “fanboys.”

Jizo Ningen Kikaider: The classic live-action superhero makes the leap to animation in this retro-futuristic adventure story.

Melty Lancer: Based on a series of popular Playstation games, the all female Melty Lancer team does whatever necessary to protect the galaxy. The animation is produced by Gonzo, famous for series including Blue Sub No. 6 and Gatekeepers.

Mobile Suit Gundam Z: Better known to fans as Zeta Gundam, the series that helped establish Gundam as the world’s foremost mecha anime series is finally coming to America.

Onegai Teacher: Romantic comedy with a sci-fi twist characterizes this fan favorite dramatic sitcom.

SPT Layzner: Before Gasaraki, Ryosuke Takahashi thrilled giant robot fans with this classic story of outer space battles and classic giant robot clashes.

Central Park Media
Alien 9: Japanese school children usually have to clean up their classrooms. Now they also have to hunt down and capture the alien creatures that sneak into the school and disrupt classes. Cute characters, wild action, and occasional intense violence make Alien 9 a show with something for everyone!

D.N.A.2: DNA operator Karin comes back in time to prevent shy Junta from becoming the “mega-playboy” responsible for the world’s overpopulation, but something beside Junta isn’t right. The fan favorite romantic sci-fi drama from the creator of Video Girl Ai is finally coming to America!

Descendant of Darkness (Yami no Matsui): Death is apparently no hindrance to being beautiful in this supernatural detective story about handsome agents from beyond setting things right in the mortal realm. Gothic horror fans will love the tone; yaoi fans will love the homo-erotic overtones.

Nekojiru-So: Based on the underground manga by the late female artist Nekojiru, Nekojiru-So can only be described as a surrealistic Hello Kitty in Hell. When Nyaako looses half of her soul, her younger brother Nyata leads her zombie-like corpse on a twisted and disturbing quest through space and time to recover her missing soul.

Destination Films
Cowboy Bebop: Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door: The highly anticipated Cowboy Bebop movie will be released by a subdivision of Columbia Pictures, featuring a dub that uses the voice actors from Bandai’s dub of the TV series and some of the best action in the entire Cowboy Bebop series!

Dimension Films
Millennium Actress: Director Satoshi Kon earned worldwide fame with Perfect Blue. His follow-up, a drama about 50 years of Japanese history seen through the life of a Japanese actress, is poised to follow-up Perfect Blue’s perfection.

FUNimation
Dragonball GT: Because fans demanded it, the third and final Dragonball series will premier on American DVD before it’s 2004 premier on the Cartoon Network.

One Piece: One of the most popular anime TV series in Japanese history, the comical misadventures of Lufy D. Monkey and his pirate crew will finally have its chance to steal the hearts of American fans.

Tenchi Muyo GXP: It’s not the sequel to Tenchi Muyo that fans have been clamoring for, but the classic Tenchi characters do appear in this spin-off Tenchi Muyo Galaxy Police side story TV series.

Manga Entertainment
Kaidomaru: The people that created Blood: The Last Vampire take full digital anime back even further in time with this samurai action drama.

Read or Die: The fan favorite is finally coming to America! Combine the X-Men with James Bond and add a healthy serving of anime action and you get one of the most exciting and energetic action anime series ever filmed!

Media Blasters
7 of Seven: From the director of Giant Robo comes this cute adventure about poor Nana, who is accidentally split into 7 clones, each one having one aspect of Nana’s personality, and all of them with superhuman powers.

10 Warriors of Tokyo (Tokyo Jyushouden): Fans of X and Angel Sanctuary will find more beautiful boys and psychic battles in this OAV series story of reincarnation in present day Tokyo.

Dante’s Inferno: Based on Go Nagai’s classic horror manga, Mao Dante was the origin of the concept for Devilman. Coming from the creator of Cutey Honey and Devilman, this one won’t be for kids!

Genma Wars: Shinwa Zenya no Shou: If psychic battles in Babel II weren’t enough for you, check out this expanded television version of the classic sci-fi anime movie Harmeggedon.

Gun Frontier: Captain Harlock trades his spaceship for a horse in this interesting alternate universe tale that turns space pirates Harlock and Tochiro into cowboys.

Idol Project: With more cute anime girls and more catchy theme songs than you can possibly count, who needs a logical story? Don’t try to figure it out, just enjoy the ride!

If I See You in My Dreams OAVs: American fans will finally be able to see the romantic comedy OAV series from 1998 that later spawned a 16 episode TV series.

Jungle Emperor Leo: Kimba the true lion king will appear in America once more. This release may be Japan’s 1997 theatrical movie.

Madara: In the world of Madara, might and magic mean dragons, wizards, swords and… cybernetic battle implants! Cross Lodoss War with Battle Angel and you’ll have some idea of this wild, violent adventure OAV series.

Mars: Mitsuteru Yokoyama’s classic giant robot fantasy gets new life in this 2002 anime TV series.

Mirage of Blaze: Reincarnation, psychic powers, and beautiful young men characterize this TV drama in the vein of X and Tokyo Jyushouden.

Sentimental Journey: Anime fans of good stories told well will enjoy these “life simulation” tales of attractive young women and their lives, free of explosions, big guns, giant robots, or any other anime cliches.

Seraphim Call: In the not too distant future, the lives of 11 beautiful young women have their own stories, and finally all interact with each other in this “life simulation” drama featuring character designs by Aoi Nanase.

Tales of Eternia: The popular Playstation fantasy RPG from Namco was adapted into anime form in this 13 episode TV series featuring character designs by Inomata Mutusumi and theme songs by Masami Okui.

Varoom One: Fans of Guyver and Generator Gawl can look forward to this story of teens and bio-organic superheros.

Wild Seven Another: CHIPs these guys aren’t! Get ready to face the wildest, most violent motorcycle cops on the beat.

Miramax
Pocket Monsters movie 5: If you think Pokemon is a dead, think again! Warner Bros. passed on movies 4 & 5, but Miramax stepped in and “captured” these two flicks for American theatrical release. Movie 5 will be released to theaters this summer.

Pioneer
Ai Yori Aoshi: Fans of Love Hina and Tenchi Muyo will find another show to fall in love with in this romantic drama with a bit of slapstick, a bit of serious drama, and a heavy dose of Japanese culture.

Automatic Maiden Mahoromatic: When combat android Mahoro is decomissioned from active duty, she decides to spend the rest of her life like a “normal person,” specifically as a maid. But Mahoro has only one year left to live! Can Mahoro live a lifetime in one year, and will her old enemies let her?

Chobits: Chobits is CLAMP’s risqué ecchi title, but it’s still tame enough for most viewers to thoroughly enjoy. Chii is a “persocom,” a personal computer in the shape of a pretty young woman. At first she seems to be broken because all she can say is “Chii.” But is she really defective, or could she actually be one of the legendary Chobits supercomputers?

Gatekeepers 21: Thirty years after the events of the Gatekeepers TV series, the Invaders are a bigger threat than ever, but the new, younger Gatekeepers team is also smarter, faster and more sophisticated than their predecessors were.

Little Snow Fairy Sugar: Created by Koge Donbo, the creator of Di-Gi-Charat, Sugar is a sweet and simple story of absent minded little snow fairy Sugar’s life with schoolgirl Saga and both of their trials and tribulations as they work toward their goals.

Master Keaton: Archaeologist, former SAS special forces soldier, detective and scholar, Taichi Keaton is a world traveling tourist and problem solver whose adventures range from mysteries to anti-terrorist actions to animal preservation efforts. Fans looking for an adventure with brains need look no farther.

Sakura Taisen: The Motion Picture: The Tokyo Hanagumi team is joined by a mysterious new face, and faces a terrifyingly powerful new demonic threat in this stunning, action oriented motion picture produced by an all star cast with a massive budget to work with.

WXIII Patlabor: The third Mobile Police Patlabor movie isn’t directed by Mamoru Oshii, but it still retains all of the drama, tension and photo realistic art associated with the Patlabor movies. In this film, the Section 2 police find themselves up against a massive bio-engineered monster luring in Tokyo Bay.

Right Stuf
Comic Party: Anime fans in America will finally be able to enjoy this look at anime fans in Japan- specifically the world of “doujinshi” (fan created manga).

Gakuen Senki Muryo: When new student Muryo transfers in, school becomes all about reading, arithmetic, and psychic battles across the campus!

Gravitation: It’s boys night out in this story of rock & roll and boy/boy love. The fan favorite 13 episode shounen ai TV series is finally coming to America.

Ko Beast Century: The classic anthropomorphic adventure from creator Satoru Akihori (Saber Marionette, Lamune & 40) finally comes to America!

Super Techno Arts
Jojo’s Bizarre Adventures: Heavy metal pun names and over-the-top ultra violence characterize this pair of fan favorite action OAV series about fighters that duke it out with supernatural auras called “Stands.”

Robot Carnival: Released in the early 80’s, this film is a montage of shorts whose common thread lies in those mechanical beings known as robots. Featuring contributions by some of the best talents in the anime industry, the stories told here range from whimsical and fantastic to profound and thought provoking.

Sci-Fi Harry: There may be more than meets the eye to meek and timid Harry when the people around him begin mysteriously dying.

TOKYOPOP
Brigadoon: The staff of Gaogaiger trade giant robots for cyborgs in this nostalgic, fast paced adventure story set in the 1970s.

Groove Adventure Rave: It’s all musical puns, magic swords and roving adventure in this post apocalyptic adventure for family audiences.

Initial D: The fan favorite series is finally coming to America. Don’t let the character designs or heavy use of CG fool you, this great drama about mountain auto racing is extremely addicting and one of the best anime TV series in years.

Marmalade Boy: The fan favorite romantic comedy finally comes to America! This is shoujo at its finest.

Reign (Alexander): The creator of Aeon Flux, Peter Chung, partnered with the Madhouse anime studio to create this epic, sexy and violent story of the reign of Alexander the Great.