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Answerman
Solo Mission

Okay! We're back in business. This week we have a guest answerer, Sakechan, a formidable well of anime knowledge.

I feel honored to be seated next to the infamous Answerman, whose well of knowledge is like the sewers of Arizona, long and deep.

Right. Let's get started.



dear might answerman and ms. answerman,

i've been looking up information for the, You're Under Arrest series, from what i've been reading, i think there's supposed to be a movie, an OVA, and two seasons. but, i am having problems finding out which ones are available in america. i found out that the movie is licensed by ADVision, and the OVA is licensed by AnimEigo. but i don't know who has licenesed the seasons, if they are licensed. Can you tell me if any of my information is wrong? and the deal with what is available in america? and i would like your personal review on the series.

Thanx

So far, you're on the right track, dude. There's a You're Under Arrest movie, which has been licensed by ADV Films. I think they were planning a theatrical release, but at this point, they're probably just going to go with a DVD release. There's a series of short episodes, called You're Under Arrest Special, which I don't think has been licensed yet. There's a 4-part OVA that AnimEigo released a while back. AnimEigo also licensed the first 52-episode season of the TV series, and the first box set is now in replication and will be shipping to preorder customers shortly. Presumably they also have an option on the second season. I'd imagine that they'll exercise that option when sales figures for the first season come in. The OVA will be available as the first part of the TV series, since they consider it the first four episodes of the show. As for my personal opinion of the show, while I'm a fan of Fujisawa's artwork, his storytelling (particularly in You're Under Arrest) has always struck me as dry and boring. I didn't really find anything too engaging about the series.

The series is being released in the US soon, so you won't have long to wait. As for the second season and specials, like Zac said, it all depends on sales figures. ADV has a lot of projects up its sleeve right now, so a lot of the decision-making will be influenced by sales and fan support. As for the series, my opinion of it is rather nonchalant. It has nice artwork, but as far as the series itself goes, the plot is rather tiresome, and follows the same story cycle per episode. However, the specials that the series spawned are pretty hilarious, and are worth seeing, so hopefully ADV will take it upon themselves to license them as well.



I recently saw a Noir preivew on my Excel Saga 3 (its pushing it now...). Is Noir as cool as the preview makes it to be? Its the only upcoming anime i know of that im really interested in. Fortunatly ive still got Berserk (Can a show be too good?) and FLCL (Sync-Point is quite slow in releasing). On a scale of 1 (Burn up) to 10 (Berserk), where would Noir fall?

Personally, I'd put Noir somewhere between a 5 and a 6. While the show has style and meaning, it takes 10 episodes for the series to go anywhere. I don't really like the character designs, and the storyline plods along a bit slowly for my taste. Watch Bee Train's new show, .hack//SIGN. It's got the same sense of style Noir does, except with vastly more interesting characters and story progression.

I would place Noir somewhere between 6-7.5 myself. The action aspect in the series is fun to watch, and the music is moody and pleasant, but the story takes a long time to fully develop. It's a rather slow-paced story, but luckily, it has enough interesting elements to keep one interested. It doesn't have as much action as Berserk, which seems to me to be the kind of anime series that appeals to you, so Noir be a little slow for your tastes.



Hey

Just a copule of quick questions for you. First, have you seen the OVA Hakkenden: Legend of the Dog Warriors? I came across it while in Suncoast the other day, and it looked interesting. I have been searching for a review of the show, but I can't seem to find one. I have been looking for a serious drama/action oriented show about Feudal Japan, but good ones seem rare (and before you suggest it, I have seen Kenshin and don't care for it.).
Thank you for your help

Boy, there's a lot of opinion-related questions this week. I'll bite. Hakkenden was okay; nothing too spectacular. It's a good example of AIC's early work and one of the more serious projects they've done. It's deadly serious and a little slow, but a good adaptation of the original Japanese story. Check it out if you dig old Samurai movies.

While I am only slightly familiar with Hakkenden, what I saw of it was interesting. The story is somewhat dry, but it allows one to examine a part of Japan's storytelling culture and get a taste of the samurai movies that were made in Japan back in the day. Since you didn't like Kenshin, you may like Hakkenden, as the two are very different from each other. Whereas Kenshin is goofy and radically fictionalized, Hakkenden is much more serious. As for other Feudal Japan-based anime series, there aren't many that exist in that genre that are available in the US yet. Since series like Hakkenden are being released, however, maybe interest in the genre will start to expand.



I just got some questions and i'd really appriciate if you would answer them.The first one i'd like to know is if the Hellsing manga has been translated yet?The second being had they translated Chobits yet,if so do they have a dvd release yet?Please answer me back when you can
Your #1 Fan Tim

The Hellsing manga hasn't been licensed yet. There are a few fan translations out there that I know of, but it has yet to be picked up for US release. Pioneer plans on bringing the first Chobits DVD out on March 11th, 2003, so you've got a bit of a wait ahead of you.



Here's a few quick addendums to last week's column:

Your statement regarding the continuation/sequel of Berserk is incorrect--they aren't just rumors. I've attended several Media Blasters panels at conventions and they've confirmed that another series for Berserk is indeed in preproduction. This doesn't mean it'll ever see the light of day necessarily, but it does put it at a much higher level than a mere rumor since they are actually working on it. Ask John from the Right Stuf site has said the same thing as well.

Thanks for pointing that out! It's true that Media Blasters has mentionned a sequel in pre-production. Many series in 'pre-production' never make it into real production, but it certainly is a bit more than rumour. Oh, by the way, John is from Anime Nation, not TRSI.

It's good to know that fans will send me politive and detailed updates when I manage to err.




Actually, http://www.kannonews.com/ has some information on the release of the Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex soundtrack (although it doesn't appear to say whether it's the first of however many or anything). The pertinent info is that it comes out on January 22, 2003, and the catalog number is VICL-61051.

I don't know what their sources were, and I don't know any good Japanese news resources myself, so that's all I got. But it'll do.

--Shih Tzu

Thanks, Shih!

Alright, that's it for today. Look for Ms. Answerman to return this Friday. Peace out, Sakechan.

Thanks Answerman. In the meantime I'll be polluting my well of knowledge with more overdoses of shoujo-ness.

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