Nickelodeon Animation President Brown Johnson commented, ”Mike and Bryan have imagined a compelling new story inspired by the Airbender mythology that they so brilliantly crafted when the TV series began.  This new avatar is not only a girl, but also hot-headed, independent and ready to take on the world.”

The series takes place 70 years after Avatar: The Last Airbender with Aang’s successor, Korra, described as a “passionate, rebellious, and fearless teenaged girl from the Southern Water Tribe,” who seeks to master the element of Air.  According to Nickelodeon, “ Her quest leads her to the epicenter of the modern “Avatar” world, Republic City – a metropolis that is fueled by steampunk technology.  It is a virtual melting pot where benders and non-benders from all nations live and thrive.  However, Korra discovers that Republic City is plagued by crime as well as a growing anti-bending revolution that threatens to rip it apart.   Under the tutelage of Aang’s son, Tenzin, Korra begins her airbending training while dealing with the dangers at large.”

Source: http://www.superherohype.com/news/articles/104425-nickelodeon-greenlights-the-legend-of-korra

William Winckler (Tekkaman The Space Knight) commented, “”Anime and Japanese live-action fantasy will never be the same without him…Peter’s contribution to anime and Japanese live action will live forever.”

Mr. Fernandez- thank you for contributing to our childhoods and may you rest in peace.

Source: http://blastr.com/2010/07/speed-racer-dead-at-83-ra.php

Here are the times:

New York :  Angelica/Manhattan
11:30am  2:00  4:30  7:00  9:30  12:00am (Fri / Sat)
Los AngelesThe Landmark
11:50 – 2:20 – 4:50 – 7:20 – 9:45

San Francisco – The Kabuki
1:40 – 4:20 – 7:20 – 9:35

Seattle – Harvard Exit
1:30 – 4:15 – 7:00 – 9:40

Honolulu: Victoria Ward – Showtimes TBD

A new poster has been released as well with the tagline “There was a time when humans and dragons were one.”

Source: http://www.collider.com/2010/07/12/tales-from-earthsea-poster-goro-miyazaki-domestic-premiere/

Accusations of racism immediately spread when Shyamalan cast Caucasian actors, like Noah Ringer and Jackson Rathbone, as the Asian heroes, yet left Asian actors, like Dev Patel, to play the villains.  The site racebending.com proposed a boycott on the film as well as urged Asian Americans to write to film critics that the movie discriminates against them.

Shyamalan himself has furiously denied racism on his part and stated, “You’re coming at me, the one Asian filmmaker who has the right to cast anybody I want, and I’m casting this entire movie in this color blind way where everyone is represented. I even had one section of the Earth kingdom as African American, which obviously isn’t in the show, but I wanted to represent them, too!” (Source: http://scifiwire.com/2010/06/angry-m-night-shyamalan-d.php )

Racist or not, the film on its own has not generated positive critical buzz.  Currently on Rotten Tomatoes, only 4 out of 71 critics have given it a positive review and the overall rating is 6%, the lowest rating in Shyamalan’s filmography and one of the lowest ratings of a year that’s already full of disappointing films.  The consensus reads “Despite flashy special effects, The Last Airbender squanders the potential of its popular source material on an incomprehensible plot, laughable dialogue, and a joyless sense of detachment.”

Matt Goldberg, a fan of the anime series, stated in his review on Collider: “One is left to wonder if Shyamalan actually watched an episode of the series or just read the Wikipedia page and went to work.  The fact that he couldn’t be bothered to get the correct pronunciation of the characters’ names should tell you all you need to know.  And if you enjoyed the show’s humor, imagination, and depth, you can go ahead and forget about it.  It’s a joyless experience bereft of exhilaration, excitement, and fun.”

In spite of the controversial casting and poor critical response, the enticement of watching supernatural martial arts action in 3D has lead audiences right to it- the film opened to $3 million in its midnight showing, which is reportedly the highest midnight gross this summer for a non-sequel.  While the film is hardly expected to beat The Twilight Saga: Eclipse in the box office, the studio is optimistic that it will earn back the $145 million that it cost to make and the $50 million it took to market the film. (Source: http://www.deadline.com/2010/07/last-airbender-opens-to-3m-midnights)

Box office numbers seem to be the most influential factor for studios these days and the critical backlash on the film won’t matter much if audiences still flock to see it.  This is evident already in the film’s competitor this weekend, The Twilight Saga: Eclipse, which is the third film of a financially successful, yet critically marginalized franchise.

Will The Last Airbender be yet another financially successful critical failure?  Will it expand into yet another money-making adaptation franchise that is unfaithful to its superior source material?  Will it continue Hollywood’s trend of favoring visual effects and 3D conversion over characters and story?

It all depends on whether you, the movie-goer, buy the ticket.  In this economy, I personally advise you spend wisely.

But still I want to ask you: how varied is your experience?

In a previous article I spoke about ways to expand your horizon as an anime fan and suggested that you try looking at the genres and authors you enjoy and exploring their histories, which can result in a surprising range of stories. If you’ve already made that leap, then I suggest the next step: total genre and theme shift.

Make as clean a break as you can from the types of stories you currently enjoy. Take a risk. If you’re into shounen series like Naruto and One Piece, try diving into a popular shoujo series like Nana. If you’re into shoujo, try taking a look at a series with wildly different art. Don’t let your preconceived notions get the better of you, and allow yourself to find something you like that’s outside your norm.

A good place to start is the Viz Signature IKKI site, based off of the Japanese manga magazine of the same name. There you’ll find chapters of series that can be a far cry from what you’ve experienced before, titles like the highly eccentric Tokyo Flow Chart and  Afterschool Charisma, which combines the bizarre and the familiar in an interesting fashion. And it’s free to boot!

I know it’s not completely possible to do that 180, and so I suggest finding out from your fellow fans and friends possible “unorthodox” series you might enjoy. Alternately, you can ask me here in the comments section and I’ll try to help. Good luck!

He’s actually not that nice.

You might find it odd that I’m addressing a topic which has little to do with anime or manga, but the “nice guy” phenomenon is something I think a lot of otaku have to watch out for. While the problem is certainly not limited to otaku or even geeks and nerds in general, it is one that often occurs in groups which are introverted and are considered to be at the “fringe” of social interaction. It’s a stereotype to be sure, that nerds are unsocial creatures, but it has some grounds in reality, and those grounds are where danger lies.

What are the dangers of this false niceness?  Well first and foremost, it hurts the guy. When “being nice” is simply an elaborate performance, instead of something born out of genuine compassion and concern for the wellbeing of others, it does not generate more kindness and sincerity. Instead, the acts are born out of a contradictory sense of selfish obligation, with the Nice Guy believing that being nice should be directly rewarded. But when his “hard work” is left uncompensated, he begins to feel like the victim of unfortunate circumstances. Perhaps he begins to think that the problem stems from others (”Maybe girls really do like Jerks!”). Then, fed up with a lack of success with girls, they may take another look at “Jerks” and begin to emulate their perceived behavior, wrongly believing that it is “what girls want.” By continuing along the path of the Nice Guy, they end up bitter and angry, believing that the world owes them something.

But the Nice Guy attitude, more than the danger it poses for men, is especially bad for women. Even before the Nice Guy decides to become the Jerk, there is a warning sign in his passive attitude. He believes that, given time, the girl he’s interested in will notice all of the subtle hints he has been dropping (if any at all), will come to her senses, and cast away her unworthy suitors. He does not make a move because he does not want to be associated with those whom he sees as treating women poorly. The reality, however, is that objectification is objectification, whether you’re treating someone as a statue on a pedestal or as a trading card to be collected. Telling a woman that you know what they really want better than they do is patronizing at best and misogynistic at worst.

So then how do you avoid falling into the Nice Guy trap? And if you’re in it, how do you get out? While I can’t guarantee that anything I say will do the trick, I have some good places to start.

First, realize that the reason Jerks seem to have more success with women than Nice Guys is not because women have a particular fondness for men who treat them poorly.  While you can be certain that confidence is an attractive quality in men, and that the guy full of bravado with his chest thrust forward will look better than the guy who appears to be defeated by life, there is a much more fundamental force at work here, and its name is “probability.” Simply put, the person who tries 100 times is more likely to succeed than the one never tries at all, and the first step to “trying” is to make it clear to another person that you are interested.

Second, if you are bothered by a lack of success, especially in comparison to others around you, do not jump to any extremes. Do not simply adapt what you think are the mannerisms and mindset of the Jerk and do not try to “get back” at women. Just the same though, don’t cling too hard to negative aspects of yourself. Change doesn’t have to be all encompassing, but it can still be welcome.

Third, don’t kid yourself. Even the kindest people have their limits. A person who wants to help his neighbors out might not be donating to charities, and the person who donates to charities doesn’t donate to every charity. What’s more important than just trying to earn Nice Points is to understand on some level the limits of your compassion. Essentially, be honest, if only with yourself.

You can get satisfaction out of it and it has the potential to lead to better things, but being nice is not a competition, nor is it a means to an end. Always keep that in mind as you go out and meet others. The advice and warnings I’ve given, while geared towards romance, are not simply limited to relationships, but applies to friendship and interacting with your fellow human being, whether you meet them down the street or at a convention.

Although it might be considered cliché to talk about romance on Valentine’s Day, this is Otaku Crush, the site where anime fans can meet other anime fans, so I think it is only fitting that love and confessions be discussed. As a tribute to this holiday, I wanted to share some of my favorite confession scenes.

Also incidentally, this list has a good deal of overlap with my “Best Couples” list. Should you be surprised?

TOP 10 FAVORITE CONFESSIONS IN ANIME AND MANGA

From Domon Kasshu to Rain Mikamura

Mobile Fighter G Gundam

Though declared the strongest fighter in the universe, by Domon’s own words his most difficult battle is putting into words his true feelings. Domon’s teary confession is so heartfelt that it frees Rain from the grip of the Devil Gundam, with their combined love so strong that it tears a hole in the Devil Gundam and saves humanity, literally.

From Ohtani Atsushi to Koizumi Risa

Lovely Complex

Risking tearing apart their close friendship, Risa originally professed her love for Ohtani, only to get rejected not once by him, but twice. This makes it all the more surprising when Ohtani sneaks in a kiss amidst fireworks, clearly showing that his feelings had grown into something more.

From Li Shaoran to Kinomoto Sakura

Cardcaptor Sakura

Although he knew his own feelings for a long time, it is only after an intense battle in which Sakura finally became the true master of the Clow that Shaoran gathers the courage to express his love for her. The anime and manga differ a little, but either way we truly learn that the greatest symbol of love is the teddy bear.

From Tsubaki Akira to Urabe Mikoto

Mysterious Girlfriend X

Eager to prove just how he feels about Urabe, Tsubaki takes out his most valued possession, a photograph of the girl he liked in Junior High, cuts it into pieces, and throws it over a bridge. Though normally reticent, Urabe takes Tsubaki’s actions to heart, showing an enormous display of emotion as only Urabe would.

From Takemoto Yuuta to Hanamoto Hagumi

Honey and Clover

Takemoto, after challenging himself to ride his bike from Tokyo all the way to the northernmost tip of Japan, realizes what is really important to him and upon returning to Tokyo confesses to Hagu. His confession, a simple “I love you” and nothing more, is short, sweet, and goes a long way in showing how much Takemoto has grown

From Arima Souichirou to Miyazawa Yukino

His and Her Circumstances

To Miyazawa, scoring highest on the latest exam proved her superiority over Arima, but to him it was just another reason why she was wonderful. His simple and elegant confession totally takes Miyazawa by surprise, though unsurprisingly things only get more complicated after that.

From Mamiya Chiaki to Konno Makoto

The Girl Who Leapt Through Time

A peaceful bike ride together is the perfect moment for Chiaki to confess to Makoto, but what really makes this moment is Makoto’s reaction. Worried that Chiaki’s confession would change their friendship forever, she uses her newly-found time travel abilities to try and prevent that perfect moment… over and over and over again.

From Hayami Akito to Kurata Sana

Kodomo no Omocha

When Akito’s brilliant idea to express his feelings by saying “I don’t hate you” does not get the message across, he takes advantage of a spilled drink to sneak in a kiss on Sana. Guy that he is, Akito’s immediate reaction is to nonchalantly blame a flabbergasted Sana for moving her face too close.

From Eureka to Renton Thurston

Psalms of Planets Eureka SeveN

After a long period apart and a great deal of soul-searching on both sides, Eureka and Renton reunite while caught in the middle of an intense aerial battle. Eureka is so excited to tell Renton her true feelings that she ends up quiet and blushing, but a warm embrace from Renton shows that no words are needed.

From Sasahara Kanji to Ogiue Chika

Genshiken: The Society for the Study of Modern Visual Culture

Sasahara manages to express his interest in Ogiue, but the fact that the both of them are complete otaku makes his confession ten times more awkward than normal. Still, that is the charm of their relationship, and despite stumbling over his words Sasahara manages to show Ogiue just how caring he really is.

So those are my favorites. If you’ve got your own favorite confessions, or even ones you’d like to have seen in your favorite shows, drop a comment and tell the world!

Now cleaning up the mess that is my soiled drawers, I’ll do my best to type without my fingers shooting off my hands and my head exploding. X Japan has confirmed that they will be playing at the Lollapalooza festival in Chicago this summer, slated for August 6^th to August 8^th. Book your flight and buy your tickets now, this is happening. Drummer and founding member Yoshiki was in attendance at this year’s Grammy awards, where he made the statement. He’d walked the red carpet that night having spent much of last week in Hollywood filming several significant music videos for the songs, Jade, Rusty Nail, I.V., and Endless Rain.

Daring to be the person to underestimate the knowledge of any of you, X Japan was responsible for songs featured in CLAMP’s X series, both the film X, and its short prequel X².

This performance comes after the bands reuniting in 2007 of all its original members except their guitarist, Hideki Matsumoto, who died tragically in 1998.

Source: http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2010-02-02/x-japan-band-invited-to-lollapalooza-fest-in-august

Navarre Corporation, the parent company of the anime licensing and distribution company Funimation, announced on Monday that it had a net decrease in sales for the third quarter of fiscal year 2010, which ended on December 31.

Navarre does not report Funimation’s results separately; instead, it reports on its overall publishing segment, which includes Funimation and Encore. This publishing segment reported net sales of US$20.9 million for the period ending December 31, a decrease of 15 percent from the net sales this time last year. Navarre credited one-third of the decrease to the closure of its BCI budget video division, which generated no sales during the quarter. Navarre said sales of anime products declined “as a result of a weaker release schedule compared to the prior year.”

Operating income during the third quarter for the publishing segment was US$2.9 million, as compared to an operating loss of US$30.9 million for the same time last year, which was due to a recognition of US$34 million in restructuring and impairment charges.

On the whole, Navarre’s net quarterly sales were down 22 percent and year-to-date sales down 19 percent compared to last year. However, Navarre reported that net income increased to US$7.2 million this quarter, compared to a net loss of US$47.7 million in the same quarter last year.

In the Q3 2010 Navarre Earnings Conference Call

on Tuesday, Chief Executive Officer Cary Deacon said Funimation “met internal targets for the quarter,” but a “weaker release schedule … and a weak general DVD market” contributed to the decline in sales. Deacon said that Navarre is “set for expansion, now we need to find it and buy it,” in reference to acquisitions by both Funimation and Encore. Funimation’s license of Dragon Ball Kai (known as Dragon Ball Z Kai in English) was noted in particular.

During the conference call, Deacon also mentioned Funimation’s co-production initiative, and said that Funimation’s “digital initiatives continue to provide double-digit growth.”

On Tuesday, Navarre’s shares rose 4 cents per share, or 2.04 percent, to US$2.00.

The best place to look is the Super Robot Wars series of video games. While the US-released Original Generation series of SRW games featured characters with no origin except other SRW games, the main thrust of SRW is in crossing over various popular giant robot anime and manga into a sort of Flinstones Meet the Jetsons with Fire and Destruction. Starting in the 32-bit era, these games started getting voices and using the original voice actors from the original anime. When you heard Amuro Ray talk, you knew that was Furuya Tohru.

But then they hit that inevitable event that befell Gouri and others before him. At that point, you have two choices: Recast the role with a new actor, or use existing voice clips forever. When Grendizer protagonist Duke Freed’s voice actor Tomiyama Kei passed away, Super Robot Wars MX used a new actor, probably due to the fact that Grendizer hadn’t really appeared in any later voiced games and they had no good voice samples. Similarly, when Sayla Mass of Gundam fame’s  voice actor Inoue You passed, she received a new voice for Super Robot Wars GC. But when Suzuoki Hirotaka, aka Bright Noah from Gundam and Haran Banjou from Daitarn 3 passed away, the creators of SRW must have had enough high-quality audio for them to continue using his voice. This is no surprise, seeing as both Bright and Banjou appear in nearly every SRW game.

But then Suzuoki Hirotaka had another role in a very popular anime: Pokemon. There, he was the voice of Sakaki or, as English-speaking audiences know him, Giovanni, leader of Team Rocket, and in that role it would be impossible to simply reuse existing audio and so he had to be recast. Currently, Miyake Kenta, probably best known at this point as Zangief in Street Fighter 4 voices the former Viridian Gym Leader.

Gouri Daisuke himself voiced a number of notable character in giant robot anime, such as Dozle Zabi (Gundam), who is pictured above, and Bask Om (Zeta Gundam), so it remains to be seen how the Super Robot Wars series will handle it this time.