The otaku culture is becoming increasingly popular in France. Over 60,000 people are expected to attend this year's Japan Expo held in Paris from 7/7 to 7/9. Manga artists such as Morishige, Aki Shimizu, Hideki Owada, Kenjiro Katatsu, and Mamiya Takizaki, as well as animator Kizuhide Tomonaga, are will be attending the expo.

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A restaurant worker (34) was arrested on charge of possessing (on HDD) and selling (through his website) pirated anime DVDs. According to the story, ever since September 2005, the man has managed to sell pirated DVDs to over 300 people, and has made over 4,000,000 yen.

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Two Japanese men (29 and 25) were arrested for stealing 130 volumes of Dragon Ball. According to the report, the men visited their local bookstore between 5/10 to 5/15, each time leaving with the manga hidden in their shirt.

According to the men, they did it so that they can sell the manga, and use the money to play. Currently they have already sold one set of Dragon Ball (1-34, Complete Edition). According to the report, after visiting the bookstore numerous times, the store staff b

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According to some early info, in Weekly Shounen Jump No. 31 (7/9), an announcement will be made regarding a D.Gray-man anime in Fall 2006.

David Taylor takes a Phoenix Down.

Two all new magazines specialized in cat manga:

Neko no Akubi: Bunkasha, first issue to be releaesd on June 16 .
Nekodama: Aoba Shuppan, first issue to be released on June 28.

The August issue of bishoujo game magazine "PUSH!!" went on sale on 6/21. As previously reported, the magazine has a special cover featuring Saber from Fate/stay night by Takeuchi Takashi and "Konomi" from ToHeart2 by Mitumi Misato. The special featured article is titled "The Law of Hit" (rules for succesful hits) and is about Type-Moon and Leaf. Below is a translation of the Akiba article on this feature:

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Together with Japan China New Century Association, the Beijing Films Academy has founded the China Japan Anime Manga Research Center in its school. The center will realize the school staff's wish - to increase the school's quality of the technical aspects of its anime and manga field with the help of Japan. According to the JCNCA's wish, the center will also help promote Japanese images in China through its anime and manga. The China Japan Anime Manga Research Center will not only promote the joint research of Japan and China,

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Nana anime's opening song, "ROSE" by ANNA inspi' NANA [BLACK STONES], and the ending song, "a little pain" by OLIVIA inspi' REIRA (TRAPNET), will be released on June 28, 2006. There will be a CD + DVD version as well as a CD version. The anime Nana is is currently being aired on Nihon Terebi.

The first issue of a new bishoujo battle magazine from Kill Time Communication will be released on 7/25. The magazine, Comic Valkyrie, is aimed at readers of all ages (while there might be questionable contents from time to time), and will be released every other month on the 25th, for 550 yen.