Anime On DVD has posted a review of I’’s, Vol. 3. I was disappointed to read that the US publisher, Viz, has edited this volume for nudity. Earlier volumes were apparently edited as well. I find the decision to edit I’’s odd, considering that Viz chose to market the series as part of their Shonen Jump Advanced line, supposedly for older readers. Shouldn’t the mere notion of doing an edit of this nature send big warning signs that the title isn’t appropriate for your intended audience?
I’m reminded of the whole CMX/Tenjho Tenge fiaso, which I wrote about earlier this year. From what I gather, the edits have continued and CMX has refused to acknowledge the collective outcry.
Unfortunately, I’’s and Tenjho Tenge are not the only manga titles that have been Puritanized en route to US shores. Following Tenjho Tenge, Anime On DVD set up a discussion forum devoted to manga editing. It’s probably the best place to go to find out which titles have been edited or otherwise share your thoughts on the subject of editing in general.
Personally, I would like to see our US manga publishers take some responsibility and choose their licenses more carefully, or translate mature titles faithfully and package them accordingly. Censoring an existing creative work is degrading to the artist and insulting to the fans.
The 11th annual Anime Weekend Atlanta event was held on September 23-25 at the Waverly Hotel off Cobb Parkway in Smyrna. This year was the first time I have attended the event. The only other *con experience I have to draw upon is DragonCon, which is much broader, but still much the same in format. You’ve got your same basic elements: discussion panels, presentations, special guest appearances, video rooms, game rooms, costume contests, an artists’ gallery, and a vendor room. Basically, everything aimed to please a targeted fanbase. With AWA, there’s a noticeable shift in the emphasis on video rooms, as anime is a visual medium.
The first panel I attended covered anime production from the US side. It was headed by translator Neil Nadelman, ADV staffer Mariela Ortiz, and producer/voice actor Mike Sinterniklaas. Voice actress Monica Rial was slated, but did not attend the panel. Specific topics included deadlines, rush jobs, the trouble with acquiring materials, and working with our friends in Japan. I came away with the impression that producing anime is definitely for the dedicated.
Next up was the Production I.G presentation. The presentation consisted mostly of demo discs and closed with a short Q&A session. We were shown clips from I.G’s recent works including Ghost in the Shell 2nd Gig, Innocence, IGPX, and the Prince of Tennis movie. CLAMP’s Tsubasa and XXXHolic were mentioned, but no trailers were shown. We also saw trailers from Production I.G’s sister company, Xebec, whose recent works include Negima. The closed Q&A was rather disappointing as the I.G representative was unable or unwilling to go into any great detail about current projects.
The most impressive showing at the Production I.G panel was definitely IGPX, or Immortal Grand Prix, the product of a collaboration between I.G. and Cartoon Network. It looks to be a violent and fast-paced form of mecha racing and the animation looked top-notch throughout the trailer. IGPX is scheduled to air in Japan this October and in America this November.
I perused the dealer’s room after the I.G panel and caught the tail end of Full Metal Fantasy, a live-action fan film based on Full Metal Alchemist which is currently only being screened at *cons, followed by J-pop idol Yoko Ishida in concert. The concert, while enjoyable, was quite short and I only recognized one song, the O.P. from Ai Yori Aoshi. Geneon, the concert’s sponsor, seemed intent on pushing "Para Para" dancing, which I can only assume to be related to the rhythm and dance game Para Para Paradise. I didn’t stick around to learn the details.
Instead, I sat in on a two hour showing of Space Battleship Yamato: The Making of an Anime Legend. The documentary detailed the formative years of the Yamato anime dynasty, which included no less than three TV series and five feature films. I had only heard of the US release of Yamato, Star Blazers, only in passing, but I was impressed with the evolution of the animation over the course of the Yamato timeline and the formative role the title played in the sci-fi subgenre of anime.
My first AWA was a pleasant opportunity to immerse myself in anime fandom. I look forward to the spending more time there in the future.
