I am really looking forward to the end of the year to see the cgi animated Space Battleship Yamato, the often stalled sequel to final yamato and formerly called rebirth. Its too bad it won't be traditionally animated. Leiji Matsumoto is not involved either. But its about fucking time a new Yamato film or tv series was made.
Most Americans know of this under its american chopped up version starblazers. Their is little hope the west will see this film released here with subtitles or dubbed.
Just like as far as i'm aware Kadokawa USA passed on Haruhi season 2. And it most likely won't be dubbed by the same studio. The first season sold not enough dvd's thanks to pirates and their fansubs. Also because of the current world economy and the times we know live in Anime is in real trouble in japan, especially in the usa.
Ponyo won't be released in theaters where i live which pisses me off, and so does the fact that evangelion 1.0 english dub is not getting a wide release though it is being shown at an Arthouse cinema in boston close to me as i can possibly attend it, the dvd does not come out til next year. Evangelion 2.0 for some unknown reason is not being shown at any film festivals subbed. Be a long time before the official dvd comes out and someone posts a sub script.
As for Haruhi we got only 3 real new episodes 7 were mostly repeats even with some new animation being drawn. the Endless Eight Arc has probably cost Kyoani any fans it has left after the constant cancellization and teasing.trolling on a second season. Then they do the animation in lower quality than before with a different director who left/was fired and went on to do Kannagi.
They spend all their best staff time and money on K-on instead of haruhi, after all their trolling they continued to do other projects which would make them money like the 2 Clannad seasons. Don't get me wrong i enjoyed the first clannad season but since they promised a second haruhi season they have done 4 or 5 other shows since 2006. Now its three almost four years later and they have the idea to put the first episode of the new season on dvd . 1 episode and charge 50 dollars for it.
I'll probably buy it since i really liked Bamboo Rhapsody. And i want to see it in better quality than their broadcast. But they really should have spent the time and expense this time to render haruhi in HD for a possible future HD release on Blu. Not doing so leaves haruhi in dvd resolution forever and is unthinkable.
Sean what did you think of Evangelion 2.0? From what i saw of the movie so far it is better than 1.0. And that was a kickass flick in my own opinion.
Miyazaki doing a hans chirstian anderson fairy tale like the little mermaid is interesting as is his spin on the story i'm sure. Though everyone will probably be comparing it to the disney version, which is unfair. I also believe it may have already been an anime long before disney ever made one. But i would have to research that more.
This Miyzaki film is more of kind of a kids film than he usually makes, except perhaps my neighbor totoro. Its almost the kind of film disney used to make. Maybe they will make films like that again now that Lasseter is in charge, we shall see. I heard/read that ponyo was 100% hand animated just like the upcoming disney film the frog princess. What film was the last for disney to actually draw by hand on cels?
I'm still waiting for the korean produced Astro Boy cgi film to come out before i can say if i think its good or bad.
I kind of agree with the japanese sesibility of comics and animation. Animation is animation and comics are comics, or in japan they would say anime is anime and manga is manga. Which does not mean Japan made only. Being an animation fan of all types worldwide has its advantages. The narrow mindset american only or japan only is kind of a joke to me at least. That line has been narrowed significantly too seeing as most american animation is outsourced to japan, korea and singapore, malaysia. Or had an an impact on the style of current american animation. Most 80's cartoons were either japan cartoons recut and redubbed to make them more palatable to westerners or were animated in japan anyway. Early American Animation especially Disney Influenced Tezuka whose style became the forerunner of all modern japan anime.