PA #88 // CONTENTS PA A N I M E N E W S N E T W O R K ' S ANIME VOICES 4 Letter From The Publisher PROTOCULTURE¯:paKu]-PROTOCULTURE ADDICTS 5 Page 5 Editorial Issue #88 (Summer 2006) 6 Contributors Spotlight SPOTLIGHTS 98 Letters 25 BASILISK NEWS Overview Character Profiles 8 Anime Releases (R1 DVDs) Story Primer 10 Related Products Releases Shinobi: The live-action movie 12 Manga Releases By Miyako Matsuda & C.J. Pelletier 17 Anime & Manga News 32 URUSEI YATSURA An interview with Robert Woodhead MANGA PREVIEW An Introduction By Zac Bertschy & Therron Martin 53 ES: Eternal Sabbath 35 VIZ MEDIA ANIME WORLD An interview with Alvin Lu By Zac Bertschy 73 Convention Guide 78 Interview ANIME STORIES Hitoshi Ariga 80 Making The Band 55 BEWITCHED AGNES 10 Tips from Full Moon on Becoming a Popstar Okusama Wa Maho Shoujo 82 Fantasia Genre Film Festival By Miyako Matsuda & C.J. Pelletier Sample fileKamikaze Girls 58 BLOOD + The Taste Of Tea By Miyako Matsuda & C. Macdonald 84 The Modern Japanese Music Database Part 35: Home Page 19: Triceratops 60 ELEMENTAL GELADE By Miyako Matsuda REVIEWS 63 GALLERY FAKE 86 Books Howl’s Moving Castle Novel By Miyako Matsuda & C.J. Pelletier Le Guide Phénix Du Manga 65 GUN SWORD Love Hina, Novel Vol. 1 By Miyako Matsuda & C.J. Pelletier 87 Live-Action Lorelei 67 KAMICHU! 88 Manga Kamisama Wa Chugakusei 90 Related Products By Miyako Matsuda CD Soundtracks 69 TIDELINE BLUE Otaku Unite! By Miyako Matsuda & C.J. Pelletier 91 Anime More on: www.protoculture-mag.com & www.animenewsnetwork.com 3 ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ LETTER FROM THE PUBLISHER A N I M E N E W S N E T W O R K ' S PROTOCULTUREPROTOCULTURE¯:paKu]- ADDICTS Over seven years of writing and editing anime reviews, I’ve put a lot of thought into what a Issue #88 (Summer 2006) review should be and should do, as well as what is shouldn’t be and shouldn’t do. E-mail: [email protected] Web: www.protoculture-mag.com Obviously, the purpose of a review is to inform the reader as to whether or not he or she might like the anime in question. Obviously the reviewer’s opinion may differ from the reader’s, and E d i t o r i a l S t a f f Publisher there’s no way for the reviewer to even know who exactly will be reading his review. So how Christopher Macdonald [CM] does a reviewer say to a reader, “you will like this show!”? He can’t. Editor-in-chief Claude J. Pelletier [CJP] Contributing Editor / Translator What he can do is give the reader the information he needs to come to his own conclusion. As Miyako Matsuda [MM] Editor long as the reviewer does this, his own opinion doesn’t really matter, it doesn’t even need to Julia Struthers-Jobin Associate-Editor be in the review. The reviewer’s opinion usually just serves to help flesh out the review and Bamboo Dong [BD], Jonathan Mays [JM] give an example of what one person may think of the anime. I believe strongly that a good Interns Kyle Chang, Natalie Khor, Steven Thach reviewer can say “I hate this show, it sucks” while at the same time telling certain people that C o n t r i b u t i n g W r i t e r s they might enjoy it, without ever needing to say “however, you may like it.” Zac Bertschy [ZB], Sean Broestl [SB], Mikhail Koulikov, Therron Martin [TM], Mario A. Rumor, Carlo Santos [CS], How can he do this? As I said, it comes down to giving the reader the information he needs to James S. Taylor [JT] come to his own conclusion. When the reviewer states his opinion of the anime he must Advertising & Business Issues Christopher Macdonald ([email protected]) explain why he feels that way. What was it about the anime that made him hate it or love it? He C o v e r must also, as objectively as possible, describe the anime’s technical merit: is it well written, is Cover used with the permission of FUNimation. Basilisk © the animation any good, is the art colorful or somber, is it exciting or slow-paced, etc. In Futaroh Yamada • Masaki Segawa • Kodansha / Digital Anime Project, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Cover layout by Istvan Pusztai. doing so, he can give the reader the necessary information to decide for himself, “Hmm, the S p e c i a l T h a n k s reviewer hates this show, but from what he says, I think I might like it.” To Bill Lai, Bob Brown, Chris Oar, Dallas Middaugh, Danielle Garnier, Erik Jansen, Evelyn Dubocq, Jason Alnas, Jeff Bowring, Keith Burgess, Lance Heiskell, Osamu Maseba, Some say that a reviewer must write to the intended audience of a show. To this, I say bollocks. Susan Hale, Sylverster Ip, Tamara Shumate, and Tricia If a reviewer properly describes the show and explains his feelings, the intended audience Narwani for their help and support. won’t need to be pandered to in order to figure out for themselves whether or not they could S U B S C R I P T I O N 6 issues: $30 US/Can (in Canada add $2.10 GST; in Que- like the show. For example, if he says, “I don’t like this showSample because it lacks plotfile and character bec add $4.51 GST & PST) or $45 US overseas. Send check or money-order to: Protoculture, P.O.B. 1433, Stn B, development while focusing too much on action and fight scenes, with fast-paced animation Montreal, Qc, Canada, H3B 3L2. Payment by credit cards & PayPal available from the web site: www.protoculture.ca/ and ever stronger opponents,” lovers of tournament anime will know that this is an anime for PA/PASub.htm. them. He doesn’t need to say, “Tournament lovers, this anime is for you, the fight scenes are D I S T R I B U T I O N awesome, the animation splendidly detailed and there’s always a new, stronger opponent In Canada: Cosmix ((514) 744-9494), Disticor ((905) 619- 6565), Marché Clandestin ((514) 282-3930), Middleman around the corner. No time is wasted with complex plots, it’s all about the fights!” Media ((416) 203-2926), Snap! ((416) 588-4006). In U.S.A.: Anime Nation ((727) 796-7561), Complete Strategist ((212) 685-3880), Diamond ((410) 560-7100, www.diamond Provided he knows what he is doing, there really is no need to put a positive spin on the show comics.com), Kinokuniya (NY: (212) 765-7766, SF: (415) 567- 7625), Made In Japan ((607) 484-2412), Nikaku Animart or to take into consideration the show’s intended audience. ((408) 971-2822), Right Stuf ((515) 252-6116), RPV ((714) 671-1270), Tower Records (www.towerrecords.com). In England: Esdevium (011 44 125226116). So don’t just skip straight to the ratings, they won’t help you figure out if the show is any Published by Protoculture, P.O. Box 1433, Station B, good. Montreal, Qc, Canada, H3B 3L2. Protoculture Addicts is ©1987-2006 by Protoculture • The copyrights and trade- marks mentioned herein are the property of their respective On another note, this issue of Protoculture Addicts marks a huge change over our past issues, owners. Protoculture Addicts acknowledges the creators and copyrights holders of the materials mentioned or pic- I hope you notice and appreciate the changes. Protoculture Addicts 88 is a step towards tured herein, and does not seek to infringe on their rights • All rights to articles/artwork revert to their respective writ- Protoculture Addicts issue 89, the issue that will be a culmination of a year’s worth of work ers/artists upon publication • Contributors are responsible for their views which are not necessarily those of Protoculture and fine-tuning. That being said, please let us know what you think of this issue so we know ○○○○○○○○ Addicts • No part of this magazine can be reproduced without permission from the publisher, except for review what we did right and possibly what we didn’t do right. purposes • Spoilers Warning: This magazine contains im- portant plot details about several Japanese animation. Read- ers discretion is advised • Legal deposit at Bibliothèque et Christopher Macdonald Archives Nationales du Québec & National Library of Canada, 2006 • Printed in Canada • ISSN 0835-9563. PA #88 // ANIME VOICES / LETTER FROM THE PUBLISHER PA Publisher – Protoculture Addicts 4 PA #88 // ANIME VOICES / P PA ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ CREDITS PAGE FIVE EDITORIAL ARTICLES: Basilisk © Futaroh Yamada • Masaki Segawa When I’m on the prowl with my girls, there’s certain attributes that draw me towards certain • Kodansha / Digital Anime Project, Inc. All Right Reserved. Blood + ©2005 Production IG • Aniplex • men. Baseball caps supporting a sports team? That’s good. Collegiate-wear? Always a good MBS • Hakuhodo. Elemental Gelade © 2005 Azuma sign. A worn and tattered Cowboy Bebop shirt? Ooh… not so good. Truth be told, I don’t think Mayumi / Mag Garden • EG Committee • Sotsu Agency • TV Tokyo. ES © 2002 Fuyumi Soryo / KODANSHA LTD. I would ever want to date an anime fan. All Rights reserved. Full Moon o Sagashite © Tanemura Arina / Shueisha • TV Tokyo • NAS. Gallery Fake © Fujihiko Hosono / Shogakugan • TV Tokyo • Gallery Fake Wait, wait, put down those hatchets! It’s not as simple as you think. Don’t get me wrong—I Project. Gun Sword © AIC • Team DannChester / Gun Sword Partners. Kamichû © Besame Mucho / Aniplex. have great respect for anime fans. After all, we’re pretty awesome.