NEWS: 01/31/2K

Music fans take note: I just got an email mentioning that Animenation is having a 20% off sale on import CD's. Considering the usual expense of import CD's (and DVD's for that matter), any discount is noteworthy. 

More for the rumor bin, part 2: I've had a couple of people send me in this information, so it's corroborating it pretty well. Apparently most of these titles are listed as proposed and not definite (no dates listed either I believe), but they did contain product numbers. One of the folks who sent it in also clued us in to the Sol Bianca news awhile back that turned out to be accurate. So, without further ado: Armitage III: Perfect Collection (all the full episodes, not the compiled movie. $24.98), Bastard! Vol 1 - 3 (each $29.98), Dual (It was listed as 'proposed' in all formats. It looks like a new series from Pioneer. each $29.98), El Hazard (The original OAV series. No price listed.), Fatal Fury OAVs (from Viz. $29.98), Hyper Doll ($19.98), Key the Metal Idol (from Viz. No price listed.), Kishin Corps (The numbers didn't come through on the fax very well for this one. Either $34.98 or $24.98), Moldiver ($24.98), Nanako (Another series that looks to be a new acquisition. I'm not familiar with this series either. each $29.98), Phantom Quest Corp ($24.98), Please Save my Earth (Viz. $29.98), Ranma OAV box set (This actually had a release date of 2/22/2000 on it. $119.98). Again, as stated, these were almost all listed as proposed and with the Ranma being listed as 2/22, may be somewhat out of date. But it does give a good indication of some of the things we should see this year I hope.

NEWS: 01/30/2K

More for the rumor bin: A recent posting in the studio feedback and suggestion forum gave an indication of several titles, some already known, to be in production/planned for DVD release this year. "Cutey Honey, Gamera, Gasaraki, Gunsmith Cats, Lost Universe, Nadesico, Plastic Little, Princess Nine, Kenshin, Sorcerer Hunters. These aren't the only ones but are ones we've listed in our new catalog." Our in-production/rumored page has been updated.

DVD Contest: Though we're skipping January for our contests, someone else out there is picking up the slack for a DVD contest. Eternal Senshi is having a contest for the upcoming Sailor Moon R Movie! Check it out and you could win!

Top ten: Our weekly update as well as our final tally for January has been entered. The big winner this month among buyers? The Urotsukidoji Perfect Collection came out on top followed closely by Nazca. Check out the overall top ten for the year to date.

Keeping track: for those who like their DVD tracking software on the computer as opposed to on the net, the latest release from DVD Profiler has come out and has some spiff new features. 

New toy: Being the home theater nut that I am, we got in a new toy this week that some of you may want for your collection.

NEWS: 01/29/2K

New polling: We've added a new polling section today called Anime Hype!. We'll pop up some of the more talked about upcoming titles that are garnering some buzz to see just how much interest there is in some of these titles, as well as some of the dark horse types. Be sure to check it out.

Philosophy in a Teacup: This one brings us the exciting yet utterly nonsensical conclusion to the parallel universe ranting saga, where we see a Guymelef stuck on 'Park', Dornkirk billing Chaos for unsightly stains on the floor, and a HyperBoomer who thinks it's ChibiChibi. You'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll think he seriously need to be committed after this.

Petitions: We've added a new petition to our list today for you to check out. 

Do the Eva Shuffle: Yes, I do a little shuffle every time there's Eva news to post. DVD Express is now listing a 3/28 release date for the first volume. More than likely since it's slipped its tentative street date a couple times so far, instead of bumping it up a week or two each week, they opted to move it to the end of March. With any luck, we should be hearing something official from our friends at ADV Films sometime soon.

NEWS: 01/28/2K

New next week: Nothing actually. We get a bit of a reprieve before the next couple of months start kicking things into high gear. One of the first things due next month is A Chinese Ghost Story (Animated), which is looking to be more likely to hit as DVD Express is showing the full keepcase artwork. Does anyone know the original aspect ratio of this movie? Since the DVD is full frame, I'm unsure if it was originally created this way or not.

It's alive!: Due out this summer, SiN from ADV now has its own website. This should be a fairly cool release when it comes out, especially for DVD since it will contain the game on it as well as the movie. Hopefully more details will surface soon.

NEWS: 01/27/2K

Magic May: I've gotten a few emails today from a couple of people regarding what sounds like will be one of the bigger and more anticipated May releases. Media Blasters will release the Magic Knight Rayearth Memorial DVD Collection 1 on 5/23. The set (unspecified number of discs) will have a running time of 500 minutes and retail for 129.99$. This is likely to be a very cool set from Media Blasters! 

Ask LadyCat: Christy has sent in a sizeable column this week with lots of addendums to previous questions as well as some useful information on the upcoming release of Transformers: The Movie.

More dates: Diamond Comics updated their somewhat unreliable Previews magazine today, but the only new title listed in there was the Cowboy Bebop Session 2 which is due in May. Animenation updated their upcoming lists yesterday with a couple of new titles. We should see Trigun Vol. #2 on 5/23, Sailor Moon S Movie on 4/11 and Sailor Moon SS Movie on 6/13. They also list the second Fushigi Yugi box as coming out on 8/8, but this date is in error as mentioned by a Pioneer rep in the forum. The box is set for a late fall release. I have to admit I enjoy seeing titles listed much farther in advance, especially for series that have plotted out release dates like Nazca. Being able to put the remaining three discs on preorder and not thinking about it afterwards is a good way to go. Our upcoming page has been updated with all the above mentioned information.

NEWS: 01/26/2K

Brief site news: For the most part, I tend to keep my personal life off of the site itself (though the chat is more informal). But due to things coming up, I just wanted to take a moment here. In another seven weeks or less, my wife and I are expecting our first child. Naturally as you can imagine, things are going to be just a touch busy. For the most part, this really won't affect the site much at all. Reviews will still be timely (we're raising an anime fan by gosh!) and news will be posted regularly. There just may be a day or two in-between where we don't update daily as we normally do. You can be assured that news will still be popping up on the forum on a regular basis as well as quick bits for those who are on the mailing list (see the bottom of the page). Essentially, there is no lessening of a commitment to the site. So don't hesitate to send in email and don't panic if I don't update every day in a row. We're still here and you can find me all over the place. Thank you for your understanding.

Sailor Planet Attack!: After a couple months of work, Erich Owens has sent in the definitive Sailor Moon primer. With the three movies coming up over the course of this year, those new to the show, especially in its unaltered form, will definitely benefit from reading this while die-hard Sailor Moon fans will be sure to enjoy the overall recap.

Here we go again: It's been a bit since my last editorial, but I had a little extra time today to sit down and put a few thoughts down. I look forward to seeing comments on the forum.

Petitions: We've added a new petition link today, this time for the Yawara on DVD drive.

NEWS: 01/25/2K

You rate it: So far this new addition is going over pretty well, and we've added a few more titles to the list to complete the month (as well as two titles that seem to be shipping early from some places). Remember, you can also add your own mini-review for each title to let others know what you thought about it!

New review: Since we've gotten our viewing of the 250 minute Urotsukidoji Perfect Collection out of the way, we settled into the final volume of El-Hazard, The Alternative World: Dreams of Tomorrow. Talk about an opposite opinion of Roman's review below.

Bandai firms it up: Well, one of the days I've been waiting for is the Pioneer Entertainment update that contains the Bandai DVD information. They confirm the 4/4 release date for Blue Sub #6 Vol. 1, Cowboy Bebop Vol. 1 and Eat-Man 98 Complete as well as giving some basic story information for each of the shows. Just over two months to go! I personally can't wait. Our upcoming page has been updated accordingly.

Right Stuf lists more DVD: According to today's update at the Right Stuf site, Bandai Entertainment is looking to release the Haunted Junction box set on 4/18. This is another show that wasn't dubbed by them, so it's subtitled only for the low price of 39.99$, same as the Eat-Man collection. They also list a 4/18 release date for the Ranma 1/2: OVA Box Set at a list price of 119$. Providing the date is correct, it should show up on the Pioneer entertainment site soon. Hopefully this box set also includes the CD that was in the VHS box set. The final new DVD listing for today is the first Sol Bianca DVD from Pioneer, The Legacy Vol. 1: Lost Treasures. This looks to hit on 4/25 with the first two OVA's on it. No word on the type of audio, but the Japanese release contained both DTS and DD 5.1 tracks.

Petitions: In order to get things a bit more organized, we've set up the petition page again to provide links to all the varying sites that are hosting anime DVD petitions. If you know of more, let us know and we'll add them ASAP.

Region 2 goodness: We've got a couple of new reviews in for you region 2 capable folks out there. Kenneth Lee has sent in a new one on the You're Under Arrest DTS Limited Edition DVD and Carlos Salgado has sent in one on Cowboy Bebop Vol. #4 release. We've also got what is likely to be a controversial region 2 review of the two Kite DVD's.

Region 1 goodness: We've also got a few region 1 alternate angle reviews up today. First up, Felix Kuo has sent in his first review and the first alternate angle review for Wild Cardz. Tania Tia Gatdula has sent in her latest missive on the final volume of Tenchi in Tokyo. while Sean Broestl has sent in a review of Ninja Cadets and manages to do so before my copy shows up! And not to be outdone, Roman Martel has gotten his review of El-Hazard, The Alternative World Vol. #4: Dreams of Tomorrow before me as well. Harumph! Be forewarned, there are major spoilers in his review.

Hardware: David Black has sent in a great detailed report on his new Pioneer 525 Codefree DVD Player (Modified Malaysian Model). I have to agree with him though, that is one ugly looking remote for it!

NEWS: 01/24/2K

Newly reviewed: We've gone through 250 minutes of anime goodness to bring you one of the highlights of our DVD collection. Check out our review for the Urotsukidoji Perfect Collection!

More Nazca: Can you tell we like this title? DVD Express updated today their anime listings today and they now show all four Nazca DVD's. Betrayal of Humanity is due on 5/9 while Eternal Power is due on 7/18, all day and date with VHS releases. The upcoming page have been updated accordingly.

Bandai dates: According to the Right Stuf update today, the first three Bandai Entertainment DVD's are due to hit on 4/4. Blue Submarine #6 Vol. 1, Cowboy Bebop Vol. 1 and Eat-man 98 Complete are the titles due, but as it's the first releases by the company, I'm sure just about everyone will allow a grace period with that date.

Anime 2K Checklist: Our Checklist for February has been updated (sans Eva of course). Since February is the month of Valentines, it looks like there's plenty in there for hentai fans. We'll update this list as more information becomes available.

You Rate It: Looks like we've managed to get this back up and running, so when you have a moment, check out how some of the first releases of 2000 are stacking up and add your ratings as well.

Top Ten: We updated our top ten list this morning and there's a couple of changes in the listing. Nazca is holding strong in the number one slot, but a couple more titles have fallen prey to the Urotsukidoji Perfect Collection which has snared the number three spot. 

Nazca in the Middle: Fox's new show, Malcolm in the Middle, featured a couple of brief clips of the Nazca anime in the new title sequence last night. While it wasn't a lot, it's interesting to see the various places that it's showing up these days. Anime is becoming more pervasive out there.

NEWS: 01/23/2K

Bandai bits: Kenny Liu wrote in today after attending the L.A. Science Fiction and Comic Con where Bandai screened several episodes of Gundam Wing. What is interesting to note is that when it airs on Cartoon Network, the 5:30 broadcast (daily) will be the edited version (apparently for violence) while there will be Saturday midnight showings of two episodes that will be uncut. They also indicated that the OVA series will be aired and included in the home video release. On an unrelated DVD tidbit, the representative there indicated that the Vision of Escaflowne could see as early as a June or July release with a dub on it. Bandai's definitely shaping up to be the company to watch this year.

You Rate It: We've had to reset what we were doing with this rating software due to some unknown technical glitch. Regardless, it now works and the first couple of discs are up there.

Pioneer possibilities: According to an Anime Fan update this past week, Pioneer is looking to release the Ranma 1/2 OVA box set on 4/25/2000 for roughly the same cost as the Tenchi OVA box set (120$). There's also indication that the Tenchi Universe series will see it's summer release as a box set, no price indicated. Other information has been covered here (Trigun, Sol Bianca), but they do make an allusion to some big summer release that they cannot talk about. We'll have more on these two developments when official word from Pioneer comes out.

NEWS: 01/22/2K

You Rate It: We've added a new section today, one we hope to keep expanding over this year. The You Rate It! section is where you can chime in on the audio/video/menu/packaging/content for each disc that gets released this year. We've added in the first couple from this year to get the ball rolling and providing the company that this is outsourced to doesn't keep giving me grief, we'll be adding to it.

Another one joins the fold: According to a brief Q&A session over at Anime Digest, Justin Delabar talked with Rhona Medina of Urban Vision about some of their plans for this year. The first question (showing Justin's true colors) was about their entry into the DVD market:

When and if this occurs, Urban Vision will be the last entry into the DVD field in one capacity or another. With TRSI making their first foray announcement this week and Anime Village's formal announcements in December, all domestic anime companies are actively involved to some extent in DVD. This is something that laserdisc never had going for it, even at its height. Things are looking bright!

Card Captor DVD: According to the ticker information over at Save Our Sailors, they claim to have word from the Nelvana that they will be producing English subtitled DVD's for this series. Hopefully with all the fan feedback to Nelvana for the series, this is going to be a (uncut) reality. 

NEWS: 01/21/2K

Mononoke madness: Bill Hunt over at the Digital Bits added something that has caused sensations among anime fans to his rumor mill update yesterday. In the tentative/rumored May releases, Princess Mononoke was mentioned. There's been a lot of discussions going on, and from what has been found out in the Miyazaki mailing list from someone who contacted Disney is that they aren't aware of it being in the queue for release. This is standard practice for unannounced titles. Whether it's true or not remains to be seen, and I know myself and many others won't believe it until we're holding it in our hands. To date, there still has not been any indication that Disney has secured the DVD rights to any Ghibli titles.

Dragonball Z makes news: The Dallas Observer has updated their site to include an article that ran this week that delved into the studio that is FUNimation. The article is pretty interesting throughout, and I'm sure it exemplifies many of the problems all the anime studios face throughout the day, but there is a DVD mention in there. Check it out.

Card Captor bit: Once again showing the kind of waves anime fandom can make, Steve Brandon sent in a bit of information that appeared in this weeks Variety that had a supplement on the National Association of Television Programming Executives) 2000 convention in New Orleans. There was a lot of anime being shown, since Pokemon has definitely helped open that door, there's a section that talks about Card Captor. The prominent quote Steve sent in? "The volume of requests for tapes shut down Nelvana's voicemail and e-mail systems the day it was announced." This hopefully indicates as has been rumored that we will be seeing both of these releases sometime this year.

Pan-Dimensional madness: A new Philosophy in a Teacup has arrived today, with the 4th installment in the Pan-Dimensional series, Out of the Frying Pan and into the Fireball. You know with a subtitle like that, SD Chaos-chan is not going to come out unscathed.

A note for readers: I've had a few emails over the past couple days about my comments earlier along the lines of saying that Cool Devices is a wonderful series. In the royal sense, we here at Anime on DVD don't shy away from the "naughty" genre of hentai. We've reviewed the discs released last year, the Overfiend Perfect Collection is being lined up for a spot in our Essential Anime Collection and yes, we're looking forward to seeing Cool Devices and whatever other hentai titles that get announced. Anime on DVD isn't aimed just at general and kids audiences, but we do label our mature reviews and sections as such. Please don't bombard us with "you suck" emails because we enjoy something you don't. For those looking for more information on Cool Devices, check out their site.

NEWS: 01/20/2K

Cool Devices revisited: In addition to the bit we posted earlier today about these discs, we found that the NuTech DVD site is also up to date and contains all the information about these releases. It looks like each disc also contains conceptual artwork and photo galleries. We've added the cover artwork to our upcoming page and if you find those interesting at all, make sure to drop by their site to check out the higher quality larger scans that they have (front and back) for all the discs. It looks like the spines will produce one image as well, as you can see in the box set "front" image.

Bandai shows DVD fans the love: Bandai Entertainment, distributor for the English Language VHS tapes for Anime Village and the label under which their bi-lingual DVD's will come from, sent out this press release today:

---

Bandai Entertainment
Mobile Suit Gundam Wing Video Release

Scheduled to be released in May 2000, Mobile Suit Gundam Wing will available both in English Language VHS, English Subtitled VHS , and on DVD. The VHS will contain 4 episodes for the first volume and 3 episodes thereafter. While the DVD will contain 5 episodes for each volume.

The first volume of both the VHS and DVD release will contain a limited edition 3D jacket cover. This specialized cover will be limited to the first print run of both the VHS and DVD), making Gundam Wing a true collectible.

The Gundam Wing DVD will contain both the English language and English subtitled versions. Other features will include the Gundam Wing Commercials, trailers, teasers, image gallery, and more...Further information will
be forthcoming.

For more information, please visit both www.AnimeVillage.com or www.gundamofficial.com

---

This is definitely great news for DVD fans. The episode count is right, the extras are there, and it's day and date. If this becomes the norm for Bandai's titles, it may just start raising the bar for other studios as well. 10 discs instead of 16 tapes? No VHS for this anime fan.

Cool Devices for all: Upon a little further investigation, I've found out two things about the upcoming Cool Devices release. The first is that the discs will be all region, so fans around the world can enjoy this wonderful series. The second is that it looks like it's coming from a familiar company, NuTech. They're the folks who did the Anime 18 titles last year such as La Blue Girl and Twin Angels. Overall those discs were good, and with this being a straight sub only release, should be free of errors. 

Due next week: Next week has two new anime DVD releases. The first is the finale to what's been a very fun TV series, El Hazard: The Alternative World #4: Dreams Of Tomorrow and Media Blasters makes their debut on the format with their first release, Ninja Cadets. And for those who keep track of pre-orders, DVD Express is now listing both Kite and Best of Kitty Vol. #1. 

NEWS: 01/19/2K

Review and review news: It's been chaotic around here lately and we've fallen a touch behind in our reviewing (and in our multiple watchings of Nazca!). This weekend will see the review of the Urotsukidoji Perfect Collection, but until then we've got our review of Tenchi in Tokyo Vol. #8: A New Ending up. We've also got a bunch of alternate angle reviews in the waiting, but due to several people ignoring the recently updated review submission guidelines, we're going over them with a fine tooth comb before we publish anything. If you've sent in a review and it's not up yet, it's in our "to review" folder.

Right Stuf does it right: TRSI has announced their first DVD today. And while it's not Tylor, it's something that I'm sure some people will get excited about, and it's a box set too. On 2/29/2000 they'll release the Cool Devices Box Set (All 11 Operations) as a sub only release (never dubbed) for the price of 79.99$. At the same time, they're releasing them as three separate DVD's for the price of 29.99$ on the same date if you're not sure just what kind of sick twisted hentai you like. This is definitely an interesting release approach. Can Tylor be far behind? Thanks to Sean Kemp of Anime Cafe for catching this just as it was posted on their site.

A jumble of info: Ok, let's see. DVD Express updated with some stuff today. They've added the complete box artwork for the 2/8 release of Sailor Moon R: The Movie: The Promise of the Rose as well as adding the info for the release. With this new information, it also looks like they got some for A Chinese Ghost Story (Animated) which looks like it has shifted from a TBA release date to 2/8! At least now that VHS tape will stop mocking me at Suncoast.

Gasaraki again: I've gotten a bunch of emails asking what Gasaraki is all about, to which I can only respond, check out the Anime Web Turnpike and this article here.

A quick thanks: I just wanted to say thanks again to all the hard working people who contribute to this site. From Roman and Christy to the alternate angle reviewers and everyone who helps moderate the unofficial chat as well. I also want to throw out a thanks to a local Suncoast employee who also apparently works on the site, though I don't know who he is. Hi Nick!

NEWS: 01/18/2K

A hint of things to come: Here's some news that'll make some people happy, especially me. in the studio feedback forum there's a lengthy discourse about last years acquisition of Gasaraki by ADV. While things aren't set in stone, it looks like production is beginning on it and it will have a late summer to early fall release. The cool thing? It looks to be another day and date series with the VHS from ADV. I personally haven't seen the show yet, but have a CD and heard several songs from it all without seeing one picture. Depending on who you listen to, this show could have the eventual hype similar to Evangelion. Our In Production page has been duly updated.

Nazca in the Middle: Anime's making another appearance in a few weeks, according to a rep from New Gen Pictures, the company behind the dub and DVD of last weeks Nazca. Apparently, in the next few weeks the Fox show Malcolm in the Middle will be getting a new opening sequence and a couple of clips from the Nazca anime will be shown in it.  

CPM bits: For those who get the TOKYOPOP magazine, the Feb-Mar 2000 issue has a great full page ad for the February release of Cybernetics Guardian for the sweet price of 24.95$. Also, it looks like on 4/18/2000 we'll see the next release from their Anime 18 label with Ogenki Clinic. This looks to be a dub only DVD release as several Anime 18 titles were never subtitled or the dub contained less than the uncut sub release (such as the Overfiend releases). Cover art and title description are now in our upcoming section.

Gotta catch 'em all: Warner's set the firm date for the Pokemon: The First Movie. We can expect this dub-only DVD from them on 3/21/2000. The Gaming Intelligence Agency has unearthed the first details on this disc. It'll have a commentary from the director and producer, a brand new animated segment, "The Story of Mewtwo's Origin", a preview of Pokémon: The Second Movie, due out this summer, "Poké-Fun Facts: The History of Anime", guides to various Pokémon games, as well as an archived version of Nintendo's online Pokédex (seen at pokemon.com) and M2M's music video "Don't Say You Love Me". No word yet on the audio format. C'mon, you know you want to hear Pikachu in 5.1! Thanks to Coury Carlson for providing the link to the GIA.

Sony speaks on Kenshin: Chat regular "Dragonbeast" had sent off an email to Sony Japan this past weekend with regards to the Kenshin title postings that had come up. He was rather surprised to receive a response from Ryuta Shiiki, a VP for SPE Visual Works. He's posted this information elsewhere (and on the unofficial chat) where Mr. Shiiki said, "Yes, ADV and MB would like change the title, too. They know the market. We
 are working on it, so it has not been decided yet. You will see it soon". 

New announcements: Pioneer updated today and listed a new title. On 3/14/2000, we'll see the next volume of Nazca, Blood Rivals. This disc contains episodes 4-6 of this 12 episode series. The upcoming title page has been adjusted.

NEWS: 01/16/2K

Rurouni Kenshin: According to an email I have received from high up in Media Blasters, there is firm word that the series when it is finally announced, will not be called Samurai X as was previously mentioned in the forum. Fans may now have a collective sigh of relief. I have also removed the previous posting on it so as not to cause any confusion.

NEWS: 01/15/2K

Macross reviewed: Though it's not saying much beyond how good the full 5.1 track is and that the subtitles are correctly timed, I've redone the review for the second volume of Macross Plus. The previous reviews have been renamed both in the review and in the index as "1st pressing" while the new one naturally has the moniker of "2nd pressing". And yes, for those wondering, I did go down to Suncoast to snare it. Unfortunately they have both good and bad pressings on the shelves (and no volume 1's!).

Macross revisited: Oh boy is my face red. Apparently in my attempt to get the information out of the large number of postings about the Macross Plus second pressing, I got them mixed up. I've corrected it and have added it clearly here as well. The versions are labeled thus:

NEWS: 01/14/2K

Rumored title: In today's Right Stuf web update in addition to listing all of the Manga titles and mentioning the already announced Anime Village titles, they drop a line that Haunted Junction is in the queue to be released on the shiny format sometime this year. Also noted is that the Best of Kitty disc from Media Blasters has shifted from a 2/8 release to a 2/22 release.

Oopsie: According to an update from Diamond Comics, the Sailor and the 7 Balz DVD isn't actually a DVD but a CD-ROM instead. I can now thankfully dump this show from my memory.

Pioneer deck: Pioneer updated their site again with some news a couple days back that we missed that may be of interest to El-Hazard DVD buyers. Check out a couple samples of the poker deck that you can send in for.

Macross fixed: Through several confirmed reports in the forum, the second pressing of Macross Plus is out there in the retail world now. What's fixed? The center channel is available this time around (causing many to say it now deserves that A rating) and the subtitles on the second disc are correctly timed. How can you tell the difference? The corrected version's white stripe label along the top of the DVD case should read "Macross Plus: Volume x: Parts X and X" and not "Macross Plus: Volume X". Manga did a recall last year with Ninja Scroll's audio problems, but that was with far less discs being sold and far less consumers than there are now. No word on whether Macross Plus will get a recall.

Almost a Ghibli fix: Though the Ghibli titles are hard to find on DVD legitimately, a new release from Isao Takahata (Grave of the Fireflies, etc) is making it's way to Japan this year. Goshu the Cellist is scheduled for a February release and has several staff interviews on it, including a 40 minute one with Takahata himself. You can find out more about this show here.

Urusei Yatsura update: Robert Woodhead mentioned on the Animeigo DVD mailing list this week that the first UY box set looks like it should be good for a late February release. Though no specific dates have been set (which means there's still time to help drive down the price by signing up for it), he indicated that there will be more information about it soon.

Alternate angle: Steve Brandon, author of the much talked about Case for Individual Disc story this week, has sent in his review for the Fushigi Yugi: Suzaku box set today. Settle in and give it a read!

NEWS: 01/13/2K

Finally, Fushigi: Though the dreaded "Disc 3" problem got me in my Fushigi Yugi box set, we've persevered on at last and have done a marathon session to finish the last two discs. My review, though written over the course of a month, is finally complete.

Due in next week: Due out next week we've got three titles that couldn't belong together more. Check out Pokemon Vol. 13: Wake Up Snorlax!, Pokemon Vol. 14: Jigglypuff Pop and Urotsukidoji: Perfect Collection (Adults Only).

NEWS: 01/12/2K

New review: I give you fair warning, I am completely stoked about today's review of Nazca: Blades of Fate. 

Manga gets busier: According to Kevin Cook of DVD Animania, the update that Right Stuf posted was somewhat incomplete. The 03/28 date should see the release of Castle of Cagliostro as well, and the 4/25 date should have Perfect Blue and Wings of Honneamise.

Talking content: We've got a chock full column here with the latest Ask Ladycat. There's all kinds of info in there from reader questions and comments, so be sure to check it out.

A case to be made: One of the bigger things that anime DVD fans go back and forth on (since we don't argue sub/dub anymore, right?) is which way to release a series, especially a catalog series? Box sets or individual releases? Well, Steve Brandon has taken his keyboard to task and has sent in this great article on it.

X marks the spot: With thanks to chat room cutie Tong Lin, we've gotten some dates for the upcoming theatrical release of the X/1999 movie. Based on the dates, I doubt the March DVD release some vendors have indicated is likely. ;)

NEWS: 01/11/2K

Manga 2000 Begins: According to an item update by anime distributor Right Stuf, Manga has set some mighty fine goals for themselves starting with the second quarter of this year. First, at the end of the first quarter on 03/28, they will be releasing the Devilman DVD (two episode disc). And then a month later on 4/25, they have targeted Blackjack, Patlabor Movie 1 and Patlabor Movie 2 for releases. All discs are listed for 29.95 and no features are listed. Some of these are theatrical movies and I'm hoping will contain anamorphic prints as they have done in the past for Ghost in the Shell.

Hardware updated: Perhaps inspired by with my post yesterday of my new receiver, Thomas Kinnen has sent in a review of the Sony STR-DE935 Receiver/amplifier. 

Going Inca: It's been about a month since the last batch of DVD releases (and those kept us busy for nearly two weeks!) but this week sees the arrival of the first anime DVD's of 2000. Highlighting it is the beginning of a new 12 episode series called Nazca from Pioneer. During the months previous to its release, there had been comments both pro and con about the series, and with its release new viewers are casting their thoughts about on it. Check our two new reviews today from Justin Emerson and site staff member Roman Martel.

NEWS: 01/10/2K

A request: Please take a moment to answer our latest poll regarding sub VHS and DVD buying.

The female factor: As anime continues to grow, and the 2000 convention season will surely prove it even more, anime is gaining quite a number of female fans. Following up her controversial article last month about the Pros and Cons of Being a Female Anime Fan, Tena Mastrangelo of SailorStarlights.com has gotten in touch with several anime companies to find out how they're marketing to this new segment of fandom. Find out all about it here.

Do the Eva Shuffle: In our continuing drama regarding the release of the first Eva disc, Reel.com is now listing a date of 02/29/2000. Whether it's accurate or not remains to be seen, but let's hope future releases aren't looking at leap year days!

Oh yeah: Starting with my reviews this week, some will note that we've now got a new receiver. We picked up a Sony STR-DE835 receiver this afternoon to add the DTS capability to our home theater. Having experimented with the El-Hazard OVA DTS soundtrack, and comparing it to both the Dolby Surround and Dolby Digital tracks, I'm very impressed. Here's hoping anime companies take advantage of existing Japanese DTS tracks to give fans an extra reason to move to DVD.

NEWS: 01/09/2K

Top ten: With the first full week of 2000 now behind us, the top ten for the year is starting to show the diverse titles that are coming out this year.

Alternate angle: Forum regular and creator of the Uncut Kite Petition, Jim Lazar, has sent in a detailed look at the Fushigi Yugi: Suzaku box set for your reading pleasure.

Region 2 review: Steve Mah has sent in a great report on the region 2 release of Gundam 0080: War in the Pocket Vol. 1 & 2 and included a scan of the complete cover as well! Gundam fans definitely need to check this out. 

NEWS: 01/08/2K

Pioneer good: With the new year, Pioneer Animation is in the process of redesigning their site. So far I'm definitely liking the changes in the format. There's also official word on the El-Hazard poker deck. Looks like DVD fans caused trouble once again... but it's good news for all! There's also a tidbit about the second Fushigi Yugi box set in there. Does an 8/8/2000 date sound plausible?

Pioneer bad: According to a post in the forum from a Pioneer rep, the Dog of Flanders DVD release looks like it will definitely be a dub only released and the edited version at that. For shame. And for charging subtitle price of 29.99 for it as well. The curious thing is that the newly revamped Pioneer site lists the DVD as having the same running time as the subtitled VHS tape. Hopefully we'll find out their "final answer" soon before too many orders get canceled.

Essentially yours: Continuing in our "house cleaning of things to do", we've added our latest entry to the Essential Anime Collection. Check out Ghost in the Shell.

NEWS: 01/07/2K

In stores soon: Next week sees two releases coming down from Pioneer, bringing the first new anime releases of 2000 into our waiting hands. Nazca: Blades Of Fate and the final volume of Tenchi in Tokyo #8: A New Ending. Neon Genesis Evangelion Collection 0:1 still has no date, though the increasingly unreliable Image Entertainment lists it as a 1/25 release. Hopefully we'll hear an inkling of a date soon from ADV.

New review: Getting scooped on next weeks release, Tania Tia Gatdula has sent in the first online review of Nazca: Blades of Fate! Check it out for the first look details of Pioneers latest series.

NEWS: 01/06/2K

New Years Philosophy: Kicking off the new year with his first new Philosophy in a Teacup, His Lordship Chaos brings you "Y2omaKe: Year of the Otaku".

CES 2000 news: The first day of the Consumer Electronics Show 2000 is underway and things are being shaken up a bit already. Beyond Toshiba telling studios to get it in gear and realize that anamorphic and widescreen are the future, there's some articles of interest for readers here. Bear in mind that the links may not function after a few days: DVD Express announced its plans to become more of an Amazon.com like store now that their merger is complete with Maximum. They'll turn into Express.com sometime in the first quarter 2000. They've also acquired the Gamefan magazine and presumable the Gamecave online store as well, which means we may see more anime items being offered through them. Panasonic also made their press release available regarding their DVD Recorder deck due out in summer 2000. No prices were given for the deck itself.

Now this is a box set: As much as I'm enjoying the Fushigi box set, the Japanese still know how to outdo the US companies when it comes to the big box. Weighing in with 24 discs, comprising the entire 96 episodes of the series, Maison Ikkoku comes to region 2 DVD on 3/8 at a rather reasonable price of 1200$. Pricey by our standards, but what a way to get an entire series in one big honkin' box.

Spring looks hot: We've got some good stuff for you here from Pioneer. Unconfirmed officially, but it looks like we'll be seeing Sol Bianca starting this spring on 4/25. The six episodes spread across three discs will be released on 4/25, 6/27 and ending on 8/22. No word on whether the 5.1 track from the Japanese release will be on it (as found on the Japanese website) but with Pioneer it should be expected. Click here to check out this slow loading but gorgeous couple of pictures that we've acquired today about the show! Also listed with this information from the Bandai/Pioneer 2000 Guide were shows such as Nazca, Sailor Moon movies and something called Goodbye Tenchi. 

Alternate angle: David Banz has sent in a review for the first Tenchi Muyo in Love movie. Check it out!

NEWS: 01/05/2K

Studios take note: After weeks of hearing about it's impending arrival, chat and forum regular Tong Lin got in his region 2 copy of the You're Under Arrest DTS Sound Limited Edition DVD. After poring over it for many days he and Kwan Fu Sit have composed their review and sent along a few scans. Like a couple of other recent theatrical releases in Japan (Spriggan, Tenchi Muyo in Love 2, Nadesico: Prince of Darkness) these DVD's are showing just how gorgeous in both video and sound that anime can be done. So, whichever company eventually licenses this movie from Bandai, know that there is an anamorphic print as well as Dolby Digital and DTS soundtracks for it. Without further ado, please read the review!

Right Stuf... sorta: 'J.S' wrote in today to let me know that Right Stuf is listing the Castle of Cagliostro for release on 1/30/2000. I'm not sure how accurate it is (since that's a Sunday to begin with) and knowing Manga's previous release delays, I'm guessing Right Stuf simply shifted the date forward a couple of months. 

Hardware: Henschel Orcino has sent in a great review that a lot of you out there looking for codefree players should look into. Check out the details on this Pioneer DVL-919 Codefree player.

Ask Ladycat: The first column of the year by Christine is up for your reading pleasure. Remember, if you've got questions, she's got answers, so send 'em in!

NEWS: 01/04/2K

Essential anime: To start the new year off right, we've added a title that definitely deserves to be in our Essential Anime Collection. Check out the newest entry, Grave of the Fireflies.

Reviewers notice: We've updated our review submission guidelines. If you send in reviews sporadically or regularly, please take note of them and the changes.

Shipping early: As usually happens with CPM titles, Animenation has gotten in their copies of the Urotsukidoji Perfect Collection DVD. The street date for everyone else is the 18th. 

NEWS: 01/03/2K

Region 2 review: Meng Veng has sent in a review of something a lot of us have seen on Ebay lately, Laputa: Castle in the Sky.

Alternate angle: Steve Brandon has continued his series of reviews with the latest installment of Tenchi In Tokyo Vol. #7. Be sure to settle in and check it out!

Pioneer clarification: In response to the postings in the forum and in yesterdays news about Moldiver, the original posting was clarified in that Moldiver isn't necessarily off the schedule, it's just not lined up for 2000. Hopefully it will get released in 2001.From the indications in the couple of posts, it definitely sounds like Pioneer looks to have a full year. The first quarter looks relatively quiet, so maybe things will pick up soon in terms of announcements and dates.

NEWS: 01/02/2K

Pioneer indications: According to a posting in our forum, there's some indication of what should hit this year. Mid summer should see the release of the Tenchi Universe TV series. From the full schedule Pioneer has for box sets, I doubt this one will get it (and they need to stretch out more Tenchi releases anyway). Kishin Heidan is trying to be squeezed into the 2000 schedule but may get pushed to early 2001. The only bit that truly disappointed me was that Moldiver was unlikely to make the transition to DVD. I remember picking these up monthly when they released them to laserdisc here in the U.S. back in 1993 and had been looking forward to getting a "Perfect Collection" of it all on one disc. C'mon guys, it's six episodes. :)

Round 1: The opening round of our Best of 1999 voting has completed and you can now check out the top five DVD's of 1999 as voted by you, the readers.

Top ten: We've updated all of our top ten pages today. The top ten of 1999 can be found here, while the slate has been cleared for the top ten of 2000. And as always, you can check out the monthly listings here. December has been finalized and it marks the first time a CPM title has entered the ranks as well! We'll be updating the monthly listings every Sunday from here on out, so be sure to check it out to see what people are ordering.

Petition time: A new petition banner has been added to the sidebar, this time for the Maison Ikkoku series. Click on the pic to go to the site that's hosting it (it may be offline during Y2K weekend). Hopefully it'll fare better than what's happening to Kite...