Broadcast News and Music Update
Getting started today on a musical note, I've been busy encoding a collection of Cowboy Bebop tunes for your listening pleasure. Considering Cowboy Bebop is such an incredible series in its own right, when I say its soundtrack is one of the highlight of the series, you know you're in for an aural treat. Composed by Yoko Kanno, known for the auditory magic she wove in both Escaflowne and Macross Plus, the music in this series is simply amazing, running a wide spectrum of Blues and Jazz tunes, from the melodic to the upbeat and quirky. Both the opening and closing songs, Tank! and The Real Folk Blues respectively, are included in the 11 pieces posted, as well as a variety of other interesting tracks. Some were chosen simply because I personally love the song; like both The Egg and I, and The Egg and You; while others were chosen for the impact they added to the scenes they accompanied, like Green Bird. If you've seen episode 5 you know what I'm talking about and if you haven't, see it and you will. Head on over the Music section and look for the new Cowboy Bebop music in the Real Audio section.
While on the topic of Cowboy Bebop, it's rumored that the series will find its way onto TV screens across France at some point in the future. The French broadcast rights to the series may or may not have been bought (real concrete info, huh? =P ) by one of two channels, either Canal Plus, a private channel, or Mangas, a station available through satellite. The series is in the process of being distributed on video by Dynamic, distributor for other titles in France such as Evangelion, Escaflowne, Gunbuster and Lain, but you can never argue with free anime on the tube.
With more info from the rumor mill, the June 8th issue of Shukan Bunshun has apparently reported that Crayon Shinchan will be gracing American and European airwaves within the next year. While this is seems like terrific news to me, the series having just the right skewed sense of humor to really get me going, a recent article in the Daily Yomiuri questions the viability of the series with an American audience.
Technically, Shinchan has already been successful on American television. Granted, this was in Hawaii though, so it's not likely to reflect the response seen in the rest of the country. It airs weekly on KIKU-TV, in a 7 PM slot on Saturday, and is shown in its original Japanese with English subtitles. While one could only hope the rest of the States would get this same subbed version, it's likely another translation will be used for other broadcasts, very possibly a dubbed version.
As we reported earlier, Grave of the Fireflies will be shown on both French and German television on the 12th of this month, but we now have some additional information on the French side of things. In France, Le Tombeau des Lucioles, the French title to the film, will be airing on Arte 8:45 PM. The movie had previously been broadcast via Canal Plus, but a film of this calibre is definitely worth a second viewing.
In a final bit of French broadcast news, Gunbuster is in the process of being aired on Game One, a video game oriented channel. Episode 2 aired this past Wednesday, and while details on the exact time and date of future broadcasts are unknown, the schedule appears to be following a one episode per week pattern. This series by Gainax deals with the topic of time dilations in a rather interesting manner and is a entertaining experience all round. The version shown will likely be subbed in French.
Before we wrap up for the day, Jin-Roh is on the verge of a wide scale release in Japan, hitting theatres later this month. While limited screenings have already occurred in a select number of European countries, including France, this will mark the release of the movie in earnest. Being released by Bandai Visual, the film was produced by Production I.G., written by Oshii Mamoru and marking the directorial debut of Okiura Hiroyuki, perhaps best known for his work on the characters design in Ghost in the Shell. The story takes place in an alternate past, in an occupied post WWII Japan. The increasing strictness of the government has brought about the formation of an underground resistance, but the conflict within the film deals not only with the government and the resistance, but with conflict between the ranks as well, as is the case with one soldier in particular, Fuse. While comparisons between Jinroh and Ghost in the Shell may be inevitable due to Okiura's involvement, the two films are very different, with Jinroh being unquestionably the more cerebral of the two. Perhaps a better comparison would be with Perfect Blue for its ability to have the viewer question the line between reality and perception, along with a solid dose of political intrigue thrown in for good measure.
Anyway, that's all the news for now, so get going and listen to some anime music. Thanks go out to Feena for keeping us up to date on the anime scene in Europe.
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