Cowboy Bebop

Ok, so the other day I mentioned the Cowboy Bebop Live Action Movie that’s apparently in the works. Well, since then I’ve found a few other articles about the announcement:

iFMagazine.com Exclusive: LIVE-ACTION ‘COWBOY BEBOP’ MOVIE IS IN THE WORKS

…Stoff goes on to explain his enthusiasm for the project and their attempts to remain faithful. “I have such an enormous admiration for its creators, that our first and foremost concern is going to be a real degree of faithfulness to the tone of the movie, to the mix of genres, and so on and so forth. When I met with them in Japan, one of the first things that I brought up was the experience that we had on A Scanner Darkly, and how hard we worked to remain faithful to Philip K. Dick, and that was our big concern here.” Don’t get confused, this does not mean that they’re going for a similar animated look like A Scanner Darkly, as he explicitly said that it’s going to be live-action.

AND THEN I came across the following article, via AICN’s Scott Green:

Keanu Reeves As Spike?

Rumor: Keanu Reeves as Spike in Cowboy Bebop Movie?!

However, a good friend inside the industry who is a very reliable source wrote in to tell me that the film is being fast tracked inside the studio and will most likely be out by 2010. He also revealed that Keanu Reeves has been attached as the lead character Spike for over eight months now and is still set for the role.

I suddenly had a feeling of deja vu when I read that. So what do you think? Could Keanu Reeves cut it as Spike?

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Mitsuya Cider and Peach Candy

Do you have a favorite snack that you love to have next to you when watching anime or reading manga?

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Add your favorite ‘write in’ snack in the comments!

VIZ Media is stepping up their presence in Hollywood:

Based in Hollywood, VIZ Prods. will be run by Jason Hoffs, a former production exec at Amblin and DreamWorks, who most recently had his own producing deal at Sony.

VIZ effort is another recent example of publishers, from the New York Times to vidgame companies such Capcom, becoming proactive in exploiting film projects hatched from their content.

“Properties like ‘Naruto,’ ‘Bleach,’ ‘Death Note,’ ‘Vampire Knight’ and ‘Monster’ are just a few properties that show the massive appeal of manga to many different demographics, and we have an almost endless pool of titles to draw from,” Hoffs said.

- VIZ Media Enters Movie Business, By Michael Fleming, Variety.com

What do you think? Are we going to start seeing Bleach, Naurto and Death Note live action anime films?

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This year’s Anime Expo was held at the Los Angeles Convention Center, and not at either usual location in Long Beach or Anaheim in Southern California. When the new venue was announced last year at AX, many fans expressed some apprehension of the new locale. One such concern was the hotels were too far away from the convention center. Another was the safety of the area.

Since this year’s attendance was estimated at 43,000, about 1,300 more attendees than last year, the location must not have scared away as many fans away as initially thought. We were unable to attend this past Anime Expo, so we weren’t able to catch what the new digs were like in person.

For those who did a get a chance to go, here’s your chance to air your opinion on what you think of the new Anime Expo location. Was it better or worse than Anaheim or Long Beach? How was the shuttle service? What did you think of the actual building? How easy was it to go from your hotel to the convention center? How safe did you feel? Overall, How did you like the new venue at Anime Expo this year?

Please share your thoughts on Anime Expo 2008 at the Los Angeles Convention Center in the comment section below!

Cons are great chances to catch a gander of things you’d never see anywhere else- ever. Some fantastic sights are always to be found, and it’s always good fun to try and pick out obscure, rare cosplays. Going to an anime convention is much like going on safari when it comes down to cosplay.

There are always “herds” of cosplay from popular anime (Naruto and Bleach come to mind), and the occasional “flock” of cosplays from less popular, but still fairly well-known, anime and games, and lastly there are the rarer, seldom seen cosplays from obscure anime and manga. Look! Over there! It’s that snake-guy thing seen on the left-hand corner of page hundred of Random Manga!! OMG! Get a picture before he gets spooked!

Each year offers new opportunities to finally check off the Cosplay-Watch List those cosplays we’ve longed to see, and see done right. Last year for me, it was Pip Bernadette from Hellsing at Anime Expo. That gal was dead on and looked fantastic, down to the tiniest detail. Then there was the absolutely adorable Schroedinger and the creepy Herr Doctor, also from Hellsing. Wow, three in one day! That’s good cosplay watching!

The one cosplay I’m still waiting to snap a photo of is a brilliantly done Alucard (another Hellsing, I know). It would be my greatest pleasure to see a perfect Alucard, cosplayed by a guy. Coming in close second on my wish list is a skillfully done L from Death Note. It’s an easy cosplay to do, but it’s hard to do right. I think it may be difficult to get perfect because people go visually verbatim with the hair. I’d also like to see a guy pull this one off successfully. I have many more minor cosplays I’d like to see, but I’m satisfied with the cosplays I’ve checked off so far.

What cosplays have made it onto your Cosplay-Watch List? Is it a rare character? Or is it a popular one, but one you want to see done perfectly? Is it a character from a video game, anime or manga? Does a group cosplay tickle your interest? Have you been crossing your fingers, hoping this will be the year to finally get a snapshot of that one elusive cosplay? Which cosplays are you hoping to spot at the cons?

And no, I’m not referring to Ghost In The Shell: Innocence. This time, it’s something of an updated version…ala Star Wars Special Edition™. But do fans want it?

Ghost in the Shell 2.0 will include new visual effects, a new dubbing and a rerecorded 6.1 soundtrack. It will be shown in selected Japanese cinemas starting July, 12, 2008. - blog.affenheimtheater.de

You’ll also see a teaser trailer for Ghost In The Shell 2.0 on the website. Thanks to TwitchFilm for the head’s up!

What do you think of a revamped Ghost In The Shell movie?

Deviant artist, MightyOtaking has just released his five part “The Rise and Fall of Anime Fansubs“. In it, he breaks down the current state of fansubs and fansub groups. He bemoans how fansubs have become more flashy than an anime itself, and have become distracting and annoying.

Angry fans and fansubbers alike have responded furiously to his videos, calling his work everything from “arrogant” to a bit of “faggotary”. If you haven’t already seen it:

While the man may have taken the absolute worst examples of fansubbing to prove his point, he still manages to concisely make it by citing examples and contrasting them. He even goes so far as to research various experts in the field of translation and inserts their views on translation. MightyOtaking, aka, Paul Johnson, goes on to say that fansubs just ain’t what they used to be: clear and legible.

I personally don’t watch many fansubs, and have never encountered the wretched examples he highlights in his piece. But if I ever did have to sit through something as gut wrenching as the ones he chose, I too would be inspired to create an outlet for my pain.

To me, his video is one that isn’t meant to necessarily point fingers and condemn, although it really does, but to try and tell people to be more inclusive with their work. I believe what he’s trying to say is that if you love anime enough to want to share it by fansubbing it, make it so that newbies and veterans alike can get something from the experience.

I’ve also read in ranting responses to this movie that fansubbing is about “competition” and “fun“. If that’s what translation has devolved into, then fansubbers who believe in competition should call their work something else. Call it something like Hyper-Cultural Language Lesson x 1000!!!, but don’t call it translation. I totally back what he says about localizing the dialog, and that means translating it.

I also have to agree that the screen is not the place to explain a cultural reference. I’m of the school of thought that in order to learn, people need to work at it. Having something handed to you like that is just plain lazy. If someone’s curious about a reference, pause the DVD, write down the words and look it up. There are these vast stone building, filled with books and information called libraries. And then there’s the entire internet. Going to either or both will result in learning more than originally planned. That’s priceless. Sitting in front of a screen, hitting pause, and reading a cultural reference, that’s lazy. We don’t need anymore lazy.

Enough about what I think of what MightyOtaking is saying, what about you? Are you a fansubber? Has his video cheesed you off ten ways to Sunday? Does he make a valid point? Should we be grateful for the current state of fansubs or should fansubbers go back to the old school method of translation? Do you like the fansubs being put out, or do you agree with Mr. Johnson? What’s your reaction to the controversial fansub documentary?

Today’s Friday and chances are you love anime. You may not be “in love” with anime, and you may not have an extra toothbrush at its apartment, but you’re probably having a “thing” with anime.

I personally love it. I love the way anime looks, sounds and how it makes me feel. It has a way of making me laugh and of inspiring me to think things I might not usually. Not to mention how pretty anime is, how easy on the eyes. It’s not a superficial affair, however, we have long talks about perseverance and heartbreak, about short term goals and long range plans. Anime told me it might consider permanently moving its stuff over here if its reception was any good. I hope it does. I do so love anime.

You may or may not have the relationship (going steady) with anime that I and I know many people do. It may be a phase for you, a casual fling you’ll toss out and forget about in the morning. A two or three year stand, if you will. I think my seven year affair has lasted so long and is still going so strong because of all the potential I see in it. I see a whole lot in anime: storytelling device, art form, entertainment, thought provoker, controversy, culture bridge, and so on.

But for some people, the magic is gone. There’s just no spark any more, and all those long nights in front of the TV seem so empty now. If you’re losing interest with anime, why have you? Has anime not delivered all it promised it would? If you haven’t lost interest but you know someone who has, why have they cut anime off? Is there a reason, or is it that the relationship has grown all it has and simply ended? What is it about anime that’s made you avoid it at parties and in conversation? Why have you or a friend ditched anime?

Please share in the comment section below your breakup scenarios with anime!