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NewsA round-up of various 2008 end-of-the-year reports and 2009 look-aheads from various sites:
Heisei Democracy, a blog "devoted to the latest in news, reviews, and opinion on the two-dimensional culture of Japan, with particular emphasis on the media (anime, manga, console games), ero (eroge, eroanime, eromanga, doujinshi), and hobby (PVC figures, garage kits, analog games) sides of the industry, and the culture and events surrounding them", has been inactive since September 2008. A few days ago, an announcement was posted announcing that the blog will resume operation. Also, Ikimashou.net, another great otaku blog covering Japanese anime, manga, games and otaku culture in general that got its domain stolen at the beginning of 2008, is now back in action as well, and has made a post detailing what happened to the blog. In late 2006, Leiji Matsumoto accused J-Pop singer Noriyuki Makihara of plagiarizing lyrics from the Galaxy Express 999 manga, and announced that he would like to hear an apology from Makihara. In 2007, Makihara Noriyuk filed a 22 million yen lawsuit against Leiji Matsumoto for "repeated demands for an apology and false accusation." Now Daily Yomiuri Online reports that the Tokyo District Court has ordered Leiji Matsumoto to pay 2.2 million yen in compensation for defaming Noriyuki Makihara:
In early December, former animeOnline news editor Gia announced the launch of Anime Vice, a new community-based anime site with sibling sites Giant Bomb (gaming) and Comic Vine (comics). Also, a bit late, but Yaoi Press has moved its blog to a new address. Finally, Manga Recon's Senior Manga Editor Katherine Dacey is stepping down, replaced by Michelle Smith.
The event takes place twice a year. The latest one, Comiket 75, is taking place from 12/28 - 12/31. Below is a round up of some of the English coverages from around the internet: From Papo de Budega comes an interview with Queenie Chan, creator of Tokyopop's The Dreaming, which is also being released in Brazil by Lumus. The 14th Salón de Manga de Barcelona took place in Spain between October 30th – November 2th. The event featured a variety of activities such as expositions, anime, and magazines, the Spanish section of the World Cosplay Summit, and other competitions. Artists from the Japan's entertainment industry also appeared at the event: Kaiji Kawaguchi, (Eagle's mangaka), Yoshikazu Yasuhiko (Gundam: The Origin), Junko Mizuno (Cinderalla), art director Ian Lovett (the games Fable II). The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Japan Foundation invited Takamasa Sakurai and Michihiko Suwa as well. From About.com:Manga comes an interview with Wendy Pini, the creator of Elfquest and a new yaoi manga-inspired adaptation of Edgar Allen Poe's Masque of the Red Death. In this interview, Pini talks the backlash and criticism she has received from the comics industry from when Elfquest first debuted in 1978, mostly because of its anime-inspired character designs (which was unusual in 1978), her meeting with Candy Candy creator Yumiko Igarashi, and reactions from yaoi manga fans, straight and gay, when she debuted Masque of the Red Death at Yaoi-Con 2008. Author of the Honey and Clover manga Chika Umino will draw the cover of Japanese pop group Dreams Come True's "Tsuretette Tsuretette" CD album, which goes on sale on November 12. She will also draw a 16-page "winter story" manga for the upcoming album. Retailer news website ICv2 posted a four-part interview it conducted with CEO of Dark Horse Comics Mike Richardson. Richardson speaks on the impact of the ever-slowing economy on comic book sales, comic book online distribution, illegal file sharing, and also a hint at a "big" announcement for later this year. "We have a huge announcement that I’ll tell you about later, very shortly. It will be a gigantic project working with another company. Obviously, that tidbit for you, to watch the skies..." Richardson told ICv2 regarding the announcement. |
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