With a nod toward the recent poll, Which Anime Should Be Made Into Live-action?, Fuji Television is producing a new live-action drama based on Keiji Nakazawa’s manga Barefoot Gen. The manga is loosely based on Nakazawa’s experiences as a survivor of the A-bombing of Hiroshima. The manga was adapted into three live action films (released between 1976 and 1980) and into two anime films (by Madhouse) in 1983 and 1986. This new version will air on Fuji TV on August 10 & 11 (a few days after the anniversary of the bombing) as a two part drama special.
Anime News Network (ANN) article:
Barefoot Gen to Become Live-action Drama
Japanese source:
Sanspo
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Speaking of Barefoot Gen, Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Aso who used the Barefoot Gen manga as part of his “manga diplomacy” announced the creation of an “International Manga Award” for manga artists and creators from outside Japan. “We want to make this award the ‘Nobel Prize’ of Manga”, Aso said. The award will be funded by the Japan Foundation. Nominations came from the public as well as recommendations from publishing companies (both inside and outside of Japan). The winner was selected on June 22. The selection was made by manga authors Michiko Satonaka, Takashi Yanase, and Tetsuya Chiba plus a group of former chief editors from several well known Japanese manga magazines. The awards ceremony was held on July 2 in Tokyo.
The English version of the Mainichi Daily News article (with a link to the original Japanese story):
Manga award planned for foreign authors
UPDATE:
Lee Chi Ching of Hong Kong won the first International Manga Award for his Sun Zi’s Tactics comic series. The announcement was made on June 29. Also announced were the three runners-up…China’s Kai (1520), Malaysia’s Benny Wong Thong Hou (Le Gardenie), and Australia’s Madeleine Rosca (Hollow Fields). All were invited to the July 2 awards ceremony in Tokyo.
ANN story:
Hong Kong Artist Wins Japan’s 1st ‘Manga Nobel Prize’
Japanese source:
animeanime.jp
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Toei Animation has announced that they will produce three 3D animated films based on Leiji Matsumoto’s manga Galaxy Express 999. There will be an educational element to these films since they will be shown in IMAX theaters (a large percentage are connected with museums and science education organizations). Technical consultants will include Yasunori Matogawa of the JAXA (Japan’s NASA) Education Center and Takafumi Matsui, Tokyo University planetary physics expert.
The first film will be 32 minutes long and its title is “Timeline of the Starry Sky: The Sun and the Extinction of the Dinosaurs”. It will premiere in Japan on July 14th. The other two films are (tentatively) called “Outer Space and the Horse Head Nebula” and “The Expanse of Time Space: The Starry Sky is a Time Machine”. Toei also hopes to distribute the films internationally.
ANN’s story:
3D Galaxy Express 999 Anime Announced
The Japanese Source:
Anime! Anime!
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Johnny Depp, known most recently for his role as Capt. Jack Sparrow from the Pirates of the Caribbean films, has played another pirate, “Pirate Captain Johnny”. This was a cameo role on the recent Doraemon Ichi-jikan Kaizoku Special (Doraemon’s One-Hour Pirate Special). The program aired on TV Asahi, Friday, June 29 at 7:00pm. According to the Japan Times Channel Surf:
“…one of the characters, Suneo, shows off his prized possession: a pirate galleon in a bottle. Impressed, Nobita and his friends start talking about pirates. The little girl Shizuka asks Dorami — Doraemon’s sister — to show them some real pirates with the help of one of her futuristic devices. The children watch a real pirate fight to save a group of children just like themselves. Dorami and Shizuka decide they want to go back in time to help.
The battle is joined by that famous Hollywood actor who has recently done more to boost the image of pirates than anyone else in the past 50 years.”
One note…since subtitles are usually not allowed on Japanese children’s TV programs, Depp either read his lines in English or had to do a phonetic read in Japanese…here he attempts to communicate with kids in a recent promotional visit to Japan.
ANN story:
Johnny Depp to Guest-Voice on Doraemon Pirates Special
Japanese Sources:
MTV Japan & Daily Sports
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The Japanese beverage company, UCC (Ueshima Coffee Company), has recently (June 18) revived its UCC Coffee: Milk & Coffee Evangelion Project cans preceding the release of the upcoming four films. The last time UCC offered Eva coffee was during the release of the first two films in the late 1990s. Also, as part of its “Human InstruCANtality Project” campaign, UCC will have drawings for 1000 Rei Ayanami figures packaged in a translucent replica of the coffee can as well as for 3000 telephone cards.
ANN article:
New Movies Mark Return of Evangelion Coffee in Japan
Japanese source:
Saishin Anime Joho
UCC’s slogan is “Good Coffee Smile”. It looks like Gendo needs more coffee.
Hopefully, it doesn’t taste like LCL…
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