Anime Movie News

Yoko Kanno will compose the music for the Escaflowne movie, A Girl in Gaea. The film, scheduled for Japanese theatrical release on June 24, will feature Kanno’s new opening theme, “Yubiwa” (“Ring”), performed by Maaya Sakamoto, who also provides the voice of Hitomi Kanzaki. [Maaya Sakamoto also performed the opening theme song to the Escaflowne television series.] Victor Entertainment will release a single of “Yubiwa” on June 21. The original soundtrack by Kanno and collaborator Hajime Mizoguchi will follow on July 26.

The anime Panzer Cops film Jin-Roh will also finally receive its mainstream Japanese theatrical release this month, after having played successfully at film festivals in the United States, Poland, Germany and South Korea. The film, directed by Hiroyuki Okiura, is based on the original concept created by Mamoru Oshii. Blood: The Last Vampire, another long awaited film based on an original concept by Oshii, will receive its Japanese wide release this fall. Blood is “described as the first anime produced entirely on computers.” “Blood takes place at an American military base in Japan, and more than half of the dialogue is in English (Japanese viewers will see subtitles). The 50-minute film proved popular during limited screenings last April. A Playstation2 game based on the movie is due later this year.” Fans may recall both of these films being introduced in America by the Sci-Fi Channel Masters of Fantasy episode devoted to anime.

Source: Anime Colony