News for 9-19-07

Tsubasa Tokyo Revelations Trailer Online

The official homepage for the upcoming Tsubasa: Tokyo Revelations OVA series now hosts a downloadable 15 second long trailer. The first of three OVAs is scheduled for Japanese release as a premium with the limited edition Tsubasa -Reservoir Chronicle- volume 21 manga that goes on sale in Japan on November 16th.

Broadcast of School Days Final Episode Canceled

The Mainichi Daily News reports that during the pre-dawn hours of Tuesday, September 18th, a 45 year old police sergeant employed by the Minami Police Depeartment in Kyoto, Japan, was murdered by his 16 year old daughter, who attacked him with an axe. In response to the shocking crime, the TV Kanagawa, Chiba TV, and Aichi TV networks canceled their broadcasts of the final episode of the School Days anime television series because the episode depicted a high school age girl committing an act of bloody violence.

The episode had already been partially censored before its planned TV broadcast. Animation studio TNK apparently made the blood depicted in the episode black instead of bright red; however, for reasons of tact, the censoring was not deemed sufficient. Reportedly satellite TV network AT-X, which airs anime with age appropriate advisory messages, has not yet decided if it will broadcast the episode.

Source: Mainichi Daily News

CMX Announces New Titles

CMX has revealed its acquisition of translation and distribution rights to Yu Yagami's four volume "Go West," and three volume "Dokkoida?!" comedy manga series. The first volume of Dokkoida will be released next February. The first volume of Go West will debut in November 2008.

CMX has also announced plans to distribute American editions of Daisuke Torii's "Zombie Fairy" manga, and Arashi Shindo's "Leader's High!" manga. Both titles are published in Japan by DC Comics' partner company Flex Comics.

Source: Publisher's Weekly

Viz Pictures Acquires Live Action Death Note Films

Viz Pictures has formally announced its acquisition of North American distribution rights to the two live action Death Note motion pictures, based on the successful manga by Tsugumi Ohba & Takeshi Obata. Death Note and Death Note: The Last Name will premier at the Austin, Texas Fantastic Fest film festival held from September 20-27, and at the 2007 Vancouver Asian Film Festival, November 1-4. Limited theatrical screenings will continue throughout 2008 with a DVD release of both films coming next summer.

Tokyo University to Teach Anime

Japan's Yahoo News has reported that the Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music, regarded as one of Japan's finest schools for the arts, is developing a curriculum specializing in anime production and research.

While other Japanese universities including the Kyoto Seika University offer courses in manga and anime study and production, and the Bunkyo Gakuin University, Hongo Campus currently offers public seminars on anime history and production, this new curriculum at the Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music will be Japan's first university to offer a major in the study of anime.

Source: Canned Dogs