Answerman
Super Grand Ultimate Mega Trivia Champion!
Last week's Trivia Challenge was a huge success. A ton of answers came in, and overall, I was totally impressed with how enthusiastic everyone was about it. We do have a winner, and he'll be listed at the bottom of the page along with his questions to defend his title of “Super Grand Ultimate Mega Trivia Champion”.
I received some really good questions this week, and here they are:
I was really engrossed by one thing in Phantom Quest Corp. and that was the drunken karaoke scene in the beginning of the 2nd episode. ^^ The back of the box explains that this is a type of song called enka, But I don't think the box explains it well enough, but what is enka?
-Manga Bob
This is an excellent question. Enka, and some people will disagree with me on this, is essentially like old-time country music. It uses a lot of really old fashioned, traditional Japanese instruments, like Taiko drums, and the lyrics are typically very depressing and slow, much like a Country song. It's a very old style of music, and has been around in Japan for a really long time. I once asked a Japanese person I know if it was popular in Japan; she said it was only popular with middle-aged folks and senior citizens. Apparently it's known for creating nostalgia among Japanese people.
Ok, there's been some rumors going around that there's a sequel to Gundam Wing post Endless Waltz called AC 219. Supposedly this series follows the offspring of beloved GW gang. Here's the source of my info "http://sailorcelaeno16.tripod.com/sailorcelaeno16/id3.html" under the Gossip column. Any truth to this?
-Sinbad
This reminded me of what whole “Dragon Ball After Future” thing, which fans insisted was a new TV series but turned out to be lame fanfiction instead. I went to the website you pointed me at and it all seems like a really cheesy lie. Just read the AIM log she has as “proof” and you'll see what I mean. It's probably bull; usually when something like this is only mentioned on one crummy little gossip page, that means it was made up in some random IRC channel and somehow got spat out to the web, where it festered further. I really, really hate fans who make things up and spread them around just for the sake of being cool until someone finds out that they're full of it. I get so many emails about made up sequels to popular shows; some day I'll reprint them here so you people can get a good concept of how many whoppers I get each month.
I was wondering are there going to be any new card captors on the WB. They are not as good as the manga, but they were still okay to watch.
-Chenise Williams
If the show continues to be popular, I guarantee new episodes will show up on WB. I'd rather watch paint dry than digest that hacked-up, insulting garbage, but hey, if that's your thing, you're welcome to it.
Hi Mr. Answerman!
Okie,I've got 3 burning questions that need to be answered:
1. Why the hell is anime so expensive! 30 bucks for one sub tape of three or
two eps? (4 if yer lucky) I know it's cheaper on websites, but you still have
to pay for shipping and stuff
2.How does one become a voice actor? Do they have auditions or go out on the street and say "Hey, you bub, wanna be an anime voice actor?"
3. Are Furi Kuri and FLCL the same thing? If so (or not ^^;;) Do you have any web adresses of fansubbers where I can get a good copy of FLCL?
Thanks a bunch, Mighty and Powerful Answerman!
~Tara-chan
- Subtitled anime on VHS is expensive because it doesn't sell very well. Thus, they have to increase the price of each subtitled volume in order to make up for the slow, sometimes nonexistent sales. It's much cheaper now than it used to be; 2 subtitled episodes of Ranma used to come in clamshell packaging and retail for 34.99. Nowadays, you can get 5 subtitled episodes of Kenshin for 30 bucks. Granted, it's not a whole lot cheaper, but you're getting more for your money. If you want to save a bit of money and take a considerable step forward in quality, invest in a DVD player. Most DVD places online pre-sell anime DVDs at half of what they cost in the store.
- Becoming a voice actor isn't easy; it's essentially the same as breaking into show business, except without the excessive amounts of money. You'll need to have a considerable amount of experience under your belt and a talented agent who knows where and who to market you to. It won't be easy, but if it's your dream, I'm sure you can manage it.
-
Indeed they are. FLCL is essentially an abbreviation for FuriKuri. I've only ever seen the show fansubbed digitally, save one or two places on the web that carry the first episode on VHS. I can't really divulge those places in this column, so check out www.fansubs.net. They have a big list of fansub distributors; see if you can find it there.
Hi,
Ok I know ADV (I believe) released Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon and Sailor Moon R seasons. I didn't read too much into except I didn't see any mention towards subtitled. By any chance did they release subtitled episodes? Are they accurate? I read that one of the head honchos over there at that company said something that wasn't the greatest thing to hear in a letter. If they haven't, is anyone going to release subtitled Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon and Sailor Moon R (Hopefully Pioneer)?
Thanks
As far as I know, ADV has no plans to release the subtitled versions of Sailor Moon and Sailor Moon R. They own the exclusive rights to these two seasons. Pioneer only owns Sailor Moon S and SS, and possibly Stars at this point. Sometime in the distant future, we might see subtitled versions of the first two seasons, but I wouldn't count on it happening anytime soon.
I've been getting into the Maison Ikkoku manga. I noticed that Viz published "lost episodes" of Maison Ikkoku in Animerica Extra last year. Where these "lost episodes" just cut from the comic run of the manga or are the cut in the graphic novel as well? Is the only way to read them to get the issues of Animerica Extra? Is that the reason why there are 14 volumes of the manga in America and 15 in Japan? Thank you for reading this and hopefully answering it.
To answer your question, yes. The “lost episodes” of Maison Ikkoku were episodes of manga that Viz decided to hack out for one reason or another. As far as I know, they were cut altogether. They do not appear in either the single-issue run or the graphic novel series. The diehard fan base for the series complained loudly enough and Viz relented, publishing them in Animerica Extra. I'm not sure if Viz plans on releasing these episodes in graphic novel format; I assume they will.
I'm not a big hentai fan but I am a huge Eva fan, so I was alternately appalled and amazed when I saw a clip from the Evangelion Hentai Video. I expected it would look like some crappy animated GIF someone threw together in thier spare time, but instead it looks almost exactly like a real episode of the series! Who made this, and how on Earth is it legal?
Ha! I was wondering when someone would ask me about that video! It's a chinese bootleg video, created essentially to feed those who really like watching the EVA cast get it on. From what I've seen, the character designs are apparently on-model enough to look like the real thing (Aside, of course, from what they're doing..) To answer the second part of your question, I don't know exactly who made this video, but I know for certain that it isn't legal in any sense of the word. If anyone out there knows who made it (I suspect it's a fan circle in China that chooses to stay anonymous for obvious reasons..) let me know.
Hi,
I'm a big fan of Slam Dunk anime, and was wondering why this show hasn't been pick up by and domestic companies yet, I believe this show would be popular if given a chance. Have you heard any rumors of a company possibly picking up Slam Dunk in the future.
D
Nobody has licensed Slam Dunk yet, and I'm not sure I'm surprised. Granted, it might be popular here, but the show has some heavy romantic elements in it that may not appeal to the young boys it would be marketed towards in the US. I haven't heard any rumors yet; but if Cartoon Network needs another show it can air in reruns perpetually, Slam Dunk might just fit the bill. Keep an eye out.
Simple question. Have you heard anything about any US company buying the rights for Weiss Kreuz to release in the US? That is all!
Igraine
Simple answer: Nope.
I heard from someone that although ADV had acquired Excel Saga, they have no
plans on releasing it, is this true? or is it just a rumor?
thanks!
John Stallsmith
Today's Answerman Tip: Don't listen to your friends. ADV has every intention of releasing Excel Saga, they just take forever to release the series they acquire. I believe Nadesico took more than a year to release here, Those Who Hunt Elves took something like 2 years to be released after ADV announced that they'd acquired it. Just be patient.
Answerman,
Have you heard if any US companies have picked up, or may be looking at, Ghost Sweeper Mikami?
It seems to be a perfect show for Pioneer (who released Phantom Quest Corp.) or Bandai (who released Haunted Junction).
However, while I can find a few internet sites dedicated to the series, I can't find any signs of interst in the series on the part of any US companies.
Also, if you know, could you tell me how many episodes were made and if there was more than one movie.
Thanks for your time.
Darrin.
Manga Entertainment has licensed Ghost Sweeper Mikami, and although it isn't on their release list yet, it should be out sometime within the next two years. There are 45 episodes, and only one movie.
In one of your previous replies you mentioned that almost any Ghibli DVD is a definite bootleg. However, I'm still pretty convinced that mine is not. I bought it from a Canadian dealer but it seems to be from Hong Kong. It is in a hard keepsake with Japanese lettering, which has a description of the film as well as all the DVD specs as might be found on a legitimate DVD. It has non-regional coding and has Chinese subs which are removable. There are two company names associated with it: Video Star Holding Inc. and Animation International Inc. Canyou tell me if mine is a bootleg or not?
Mike
If it's from Hong Kong, it's a bootleg. Trust me on this. The only Ghibli movies to that have been released in Japan on DVD are Tonari no Yamada-Kun and, if you want to call it a Ghibli release (Which it isn't, really..) Panda Ko Panda. They are distributed only by Buena Vista Japan and names like “Video Star Holding Inc.” (Which sounds like a bootleg company to me..) wouldn't be on them. Sorry to say, you own a bootleg.
I am a Regional Director of a game defense organization for Role-Playing Games. If I saw against RPGs what I am now seeing against anime in these news reports, I would be calling the Chair as soon as I could. These attacks can get very bad. Something needs to be done _now_ to stop it before it gets any worse. However, I am not entirely sure what to do. I am wondering if you have any good ideas as to how we could either generate some good press or at least force some sort of favorable follow-up report from the various news organizations. Thank you for your time and support.
-M. Alan Thomas II
The amount of negative press that anime is currently getting is being blown out of proportion by anime fans. Okay, so the press rediscovered that in addition to Pokémon, Digimon and Dragon Ball, things like Rei-Rei, Orchid Emblem and La Blue Girl exist as well. The press likes to paint things in black and white, so right now, they aren't finding a middle ground. A few small newspapers and some major ones have printed some reactionary “Oh My God, Hentai exists!” articles, but it's not like Suncoast is yanking titles off the shelves or demanding that everything be edited down for children. That won't happen; it can't. There are too many diehards out there and they will stop something like that from occurring. A few pro-anime reports have come out recently, and I think overall, the tide is slowly turning. The best thing we can do is counter the articles that are out there and continue to promote and support all types of anime, and hopefully defend them against the reactionary judgments handed down by the American public.
At this point in the column, I'd normally print a few things regarding my recent argument with the Yaoi fandom. I'm going to let this topic drop, as I feel that I've made my point. It's “cute” when girls by pornography, and it's apparently “gross” when men buy pornography. It's a crappy double standard that's programmed into our heads from day one, and it won't stop until people finally accept that porn is porn is porn and nobody is better or worse than anyone else for buying or not buying it, regardless of gender. A Yaoi convention is a porn convention, and I'm convinced that those attending have little to no pretense that somehow it isn't. If they do have that pretense, well, they need to grow up.
And now, the moment you've all been waiting for; Trivia Championship!
There were a TON of responses last time. It was wonderful.. a proud day in the eyes of Answerman. This week's winner is Chris Tolar, who was the first to get them all right. Here are his answers:
-
What's the name of the small black cat in Trigun?
The small black cat's name is Black Cat, or Kuroneko. Kuro <black> Cat <Neko> -
In the Slayers Special OAV series, how many clones of Na-Ga are there?
I believe there are, not counting Na-Ga herself of course, ten Clones of Na-Ga -
At the end of Fushigi Yuugi, how does Tamahome kill Nakago?
With all the power of the Suzaku seven, Tamahome punches right through Nakago, who lost his power after Miaka sealed Seiryuu away. -
In The Vision of Escaflowne, what does the Escaflowne require to activate
itself?
It requires Dragu-Energist and also blood pact from the pilot to operate Escaflowne. -
In Rurouni Kenshin, what does the Kanji on the back of Sanosuke's shirt
mean?
From what I know from the Fansubs, It was "bad".
Steve Broida
Stella Paredes
Tom (No last name given.)
Mr. Tolar has chosen to write his own questions to defend his title. A few of them are far too difficult, so I'll be writing 3 this week. Here they are:
-
Gundam W and Fushigi Yuugi both featured the voice actor Takchito Koyasu.
In Saber Marionette J, who did he play and how was the part radically different compared to the roles from the others series? -
In Slayers, although never formally proven or stated in the series, they
do make some hints at it, who is Amelia's sister?
-
In X/1999, what were the names of the two factions fighting each other, and how did their philosophies differ?
-
In Berserk, what's the name of the mysterious warrior who rescues Gatts and Caska from the Eclipse Massacre, and is he in the anime series or not?
-
What's the name of the car (It's an actual car in Japan) Natsumi and Miyuki drive in You're Under Arrest! ?
Ganbaru yo!
Got a burning question that you can't seem to answer? Maybe the Answerman can help you! Contact the Answerman at [email protected] (answerman at animenewsnetwork.com) with your questions!
