Tokyopop To Close North American Publishing Division

Anime News Network is reporting that the North American division of Tokyopop is closing their offices, but continuing their film division and their operations in Europe.

Current manga titles that may go out of print (so pick them up now, unless they go to another publisher) include classics such as "Fruits Basket," "Great Teacher Onizuka," the ".hack" series, "Love Hina," and "Sgt. Frog."

This is kind of disappointing, although the manga and anime worlds have been going into a bit of a decline for awhile. So it's not a shock.  But it's disappointing, so hopefully another publisher will pick up these titles for republication.  I know that Dark Horse has started picking up certain manga titles for "omnibus editions" (three volumes at a time put together) so hopefully more publishers will follow the lead to preserve these titles.

Our Thoughts And Prayers Go To Japan

Art by Noizi Ito, illustrator for the Haruhi Suzumiya light novels

I am sorry that I haven't written more here about it, I've just been trying to wrap my mind around it.

So far, over 10,000 feared dead, with 1,800 confirmed as of last night. Nuclear reactors are in danger of meltdown.  And a volcano just erupted earlier today, which may or may not make it difficult for planes to come in for assistance. Food and water is scarce at the moment.

Anime News Network is keeping a running list of anime/manga/industry members who have checked in online.

American simulcasts have been postponed until further notice, since right now it's news 24/7 over there.

Japan has one of the lowest rate of blood donations in the world, so if you can give blood at your local American Red Cross donation center or scheduled blood drive.

Review: Cat Shit One, Episode 1

For the next two weeks, you'll get a chance to sample this show yourself online before the show goes into full production.  In an attempt to drum up support, IDA is streaming the first episode online so people cahn check it out  It's already won an award for Best Short, and after having seen it myself, it's worth checking out.

For those unfamiliar with the manga it's based on, "Cat Shit One" was set in Vietnam and involved a recon team and their various missions. In the story, the characters are portrayed as animals depending on what side they fought for -- bunnies were Americans (a play on the Japanese name for rabbits, "usagi" -- USA G.I.), cats were the Vietnamese, etc. (The American title for the manga was, in fact, "Apocalypse Meow.") For the anime, they've set it sometime after 1991 (possibly around Desert Storm, although it could be today), and the US is fighting an unknown Middle Eastern country.

In this first episode, it was clear that they paid attention to detail to make sure that they got this story right.  They didn't focus so much on the CGI animation that they put out a story that would be total crap. Amazingly, this whole thing works.  Seargent "Packy" Perkins and his partner Botasky are in the process of rescuing hostages.  After seeing one of them get killed when trying to escape, Packy determines that they don't have much time and need to go in soon.  As he goes in, Botasky tries to pick the guys off one by one, but gets spotted and attacked himself.  So it becomes a race against time to get the hostages out of harms way and at the same time get out in one piece.

I would have to watch more episodes to determine whether this show has a future or not, but if the other episodes have the same quality as this first one then anime fans are in for a treat.

20 Percent Fewer Booths at TAF This Year

According to Anime News Network, the Tokyo International Anime Fair is reporting that 37% fewer exhibitors are renting 20% less space than they did last year. The economy isn't the issue in this case, but the law that was passed last month regarding regulations on anime and manga that expanded the scope of what could be sold to those under the age of 18.

After the law was put into place (someone can correct me on this, but I think this only affects Tokyo specifically, although it's significant because that's where most of the anime and manga are made), many exhibitors pulled out of TAF, especially after it was announced that Tokyo Governor Shintaro Ishihara, who was a major proponent of the law, is the head of the executive committee for TAF.

Some of those that have pulled out of the event have stated that they are going to hold their own expo on the same March dates as TAF.  Calling it the Anime Contents Expo (ACE), those who are slated to appear include some big names including Media Factory (Soul Eater, Pokemon movies), Kadokawa Shoten (Angelic Layer, Air), and Aniplex (Naruto, Fullmetal Alchemist, Bleach).

One that at this point hasn't committed to either event is Comic-10 Shakai.  If they don't rescind their boycott of TAF, most of the exhibitors said that they wouldn't participate in the events leading up to the fair.

It's interesting to see how this is all playing out.  What I don't understand is why Ishihara is on the executive board for TAF when he has come out in the past insulting anime and manga fans.  What the new law I think will do for anime coming in here in the United States is that it will be censored as badly as films were during the days of the Hays Code, and people will start seeking out older shows because of the restrictions put on filmmakers over there.  It's sad to see Japan take that step backwards.

An Anime Primer for Parents

(Originally posted at Examiner.com)

It started with your son or daughter started watching Pokemon when they were younger.  And as they got older, the titles got stranger. Yu-Gi-Oh? xxxHolic? Chobits? And what the heck does "hentai" mean?

As a parent myself, I try to keep up with what my stepchildren are interested in. I have an advantage since I'm interested in anything Japanese.  But if your child has an interest in anime or mangas, here are some tips to understanding some of the more frequently used words in the anime and manga culture.

Anime -- In Japan, the word simply means "animation." So all animation is termed "anime."  In the United States, "anime" is strictly for any animation coming out of Japan.

Manga -- Japanese graphic novel, read right to left.  This can take some getting used to if you've never seen a manga before.  In the past, they were published in the American style "left to right," but in recent years more publishing companies have been getting into the business of keeping the artwork the way that the original artists intended.

Shoujo (Shojo) -- "Young Woman" in Japanese, usually under the age of 18.  Mangas and animes aimed at the shoujo audience typically have similar characteristics, such as "pretty" boys, idealized romances, flowery art.

Shounen (Shonen) -- "Young Man" in Japanese, usually under the age of 18. Mangas and animes aimed at the shounen audience often typically have a lot of humor, action and adventure, "idealized" women.

Otaku -- In Japan, "otaku" is a term used to describe someone who is a "super fan" of anything, such as anime, manga, video games, trains, etc.  It's not necessarily seen as a good thing in the Japanese culture.  Here in the United States, the term is used specifically for anime and manga fans.

Fanservice -- Typically a scene in a show or an entire show that plays to the interests of the fans.  Typically used to describe constant panty shots of women or other elements that attract young men into watching the show, but can also refer to an inside reference within the show.

Hentai -- In Japan, the term is used with people.  In the United States, it's used for certain types of anime.  It means "pervert." It's the Japanese version of pornography, but it tends to deal with subjects that American audiences might think are a little strange.

Lolicon/Shotacon -- I mention the term only because there are times I'll be using it when talking about the new bill passed in Tokyo that is related to this. Lolicon/shotacon is the equivalent of sexualizing children in manga and anime works. The term "Lolicon" comes from Nabikov's novel "Lolita" and refers to young girls, while "shotacon" is named for a character in the show Gigantor.

Yaoi/Yuri -- If you go to a convention, you'll see people with buttons referencing "yaoi" and "yuri." Yaoi is "boys love," while yuri is "girls love." Although there is some pornographic versions of both of these genres, it's not necessarily always the case.

Moe -- Pronounced "mo-ay." This one is a tough term to describe, because it relates to a feeling more than a genre of work.  It's the feeling you get when you watch certain characters on the screen and you just want to protect them.  Usually the characters are young-looking and cute.  In recent years moe has been a regular feature in a lot of anime and manga stories.

Harem -- Harem stories often involve one guy in a situation with four or more women, or one girl in a situation with four or more boys.  Usually in the story all the women will be vying for the attention of the guy, and vice versa. It's a common story element, so it will be mentioned quite a bit in reviews.

Mecha -- Robot shows, either portrayed in a realistic fashion (Mobile Suit Gundam) or fantastical one (Gigantor).

Magical Girl -- If you are familiar with Sailor Moon, you are familiar with the concept of the magical girl. She often has unexplained powers that are activated with the assistance of a magic item. An extension of this is the magical girlfriend, which often has a hapless guy who finds himself with a girl with special powers who is in love with him (Oh! My Goddess!).

Welcome To The First Post!

Welcome to Turning Japanese, a blog on anime, manga, and just general Japanese nuttiness.

To introduce myself, I am the Franklin Anime Examiner for the Manchester, NH page over at Examiner.com.  However, because of the limitations I have in putting stories over there I decided to start this blog for other tidbits that I can't put there.

For example: over here I'll be able to do a feature that was going to go over there but it wasn't "local" enough for the site: weekly reviews of anime shows currently showing on Hulu. Since the site has over 170 anime and growing, I thought it would be a good idea to feature those shows that are online once a week to give you, the fans, ideas on what's good out there and what to avoid as you're thumbing through the anime section.

All reviews will keep parents in mind, giving general information on content.  Since I'm a parent and stepparent, I'm conscious of what some parents would find appropriate and what others want to avoid.

So watch this space for news, reviews, and anything else related to Japanese entertainment.