After three years of waiting we are finally getting an official U.S. release date (and official English translation) for Naruto Shippuden the Movie 2: Bonds (Naruto Shippuden: Kizuna in Japanese). The film premiered in Japan in August of 2008 and received excellent reviews from fans. (Remember, if you want more awesome anime to come to the U.S., do your part and see this movie in theaters in October or buy it later this year on DVD!)

“The 2nd NARUTO SHIPPUDEN movie finds the Hidden Leaf Village under attack from a mysterious group of flying ninja! Will Naruto and his friends be able to stop this new threat from the Sky Ninja from the thought-to-be-destroyed Land of Sky?!”

Leading up to the event, Viz Media is hosting an awesome 25th anniversary contest all summer long with tons of prizes. Anime fans will definitely want to go over to Viz’s website and enter this one:

“For our 25th year, we’re paying homage to the biggest heroes in anime with the Heroes of Anime Sweepstakes. Every month this summer we’ll award one lucky fan the latest Bleach or Naruto video games, or the latest DVD set from the biggest names in anime today. Get your entry in by September for a chance at winning a 16 GB iPad 2 with a month of Hulu+ (great for watching the latest episodes of Bleach and Naruto) or the Heroes of Anime Sweepstakes Grand Prize: a trip for two to the Naruto Shippuden the Movie: Bonds premeire in New York, NY.”

Sounds pretty awesome to me! Learn more about Naruto Shippuden the Movie: Bonds over at the official Japanese website or at the wikipedia page (Warning: Wikipedia = SPOILERS!). If you’re behind on the Naruto Shippuden series, go watch up to episode 220 at Viz’s website.

Viz Media announced last week that they’ve acquired the North American licensing rights for Hatsune Miku, the digital Volcaloid pop star icon who is set to take the world by storm.

“Hatsune Miku is the most popular of the Vocaloid Character Series software created by Crypton. Using their innovative software, users can create synthesized vocals using Hatsune Miku’s vocals just by typing in lyrics or a melody! In Japan, she has become a national phenomenon, appearing not only in video games, music videos, and on a plethora of accessories and goods, but in several sellout “live concerts”, appearing onstage as a 3D hologram, backed by a live band!”

Seriously folks, this is big news. During my most recent trip to Akihabara (last October) the stores were absolutely flooded with character goods, costumes and a ton of other stuff dedicated to Miku. She’s become a huge pop culture icon in Asia and is gaining tons of popularity around the world.

See Hatsune Miku here in action at one of her digital concerts in Japan:

I saw some of this digital projection technology in person at the MTV Video Music Awards Japan – 2006, where the group Def Tech first appeared as a super realistic hologram and then revealed themselves via explosion from backstage. It was really impressive and I can only imagine that the technology has come a long way since I last saw it in action.

Also, I can’t help but be reminded of the digital pop star (Sharon Apple) in the anime Macross Plus but she required a human to function. (While her producers told everyone that she had an artificial intelligence that included emotions, it was later revealed that this programming was incomplete and her emotions were “provided” by Myung Fang Lone.) Hatsune Miku, on the other hand is 100% computer program engineered by technical geniuses who met on the internet. It’s pretty amazing stuff.

U.S. Anime conventions have of course already seen a huge influx of Volcaloid related cosplay and goods, but what’s even more amazing is that Hatsune Miku has just starred in an American Toyota commercial – something that honestly blows my mind:

That’s all for anime update this week. I leave you with one more video of digital pop sensation Hatsune Miku: (Select CC button for English Subtitles):

This week: catch Tiger and Bunny online for free, and pick up Tenchi Muyo: Ryo Ohki’s new Classic DVD Box Set release!

First up on this week’s update:

Viz Media announced last week that it has officially acquired U.S. Rights for Tiger and Bunny, which is currently the top selling Blu-Ray series on Amazon.jp and is rapidly becoming a huge success here in the U.S. You can already watch Tiger and Bunny on Viz Anime’s website (as well as Hulu) and the episodes have been premiering the same day as they release in Japan. (They’re already up to episode ten, so you can have a little marathon to catch up if you want!)

Since Viz has acquired the product license for this title, we should see announcements for DVD and Blu-Ray releases very soon (along with the possibility for toys, collectibles and other fun stuff!). It’s currently free to watch online, so check it out if you are a Shonen/Action manga fan (it fits the young-adult action genre quite well).
“TIGER & BUNNY follows veteran hero Wild Tiger on his fight against crime for corporate superheroes group NEXT, all the while being filmed by superhero reality show HERO TV… But a tendency to destroy public property while protecting the lives of the innocent has earned him the nickname “Crusher for Justice”… Now, under orders from his new employer, Wild Tiger finds himself forced to team up with rookie Barnaby Brooks Jr., aka “Bunny”… Will these two polar opposites be able to work together to fight crime?!”

Next up on this week’s update:

I’m happy to announce that Tenchi Muyo: Ryo Ohki got re-released in a new Classic Box Set today! The various Tenchi Universe series were some of my favorites back when they aired on Toonami in the late ’90s, and this is a great chance for those unfamiliar with the series to pick up the early episodes. You can find them here on Amazon for $13.99. Note that this boxed set is unedited (unlike what aired on Toonami back in the 90’s) so there will be some nudity.

Now if only they would release all the Tenchi Universe series on one huge DVD box set with special features!

For those of you who didn’t catch Tenchi back in the 90’s, here’s the English opening that aired on Toonami:

This week on Anime Update: The co-founder of X Japan and Stan Lee have teamed up for a new project, and Durarara is coming to Adult Swim this June.

First up in this week’s anime update:

Pow Entertainment has confirmed that Stan Lee recently collaborated with X Japan founder Yoshiki on a new “music super hero comic book and motion comic series.” Issue zero is set to launch at Comic-Con International in San Diego this July. The series, which was first announced last October, is not the first work shared by the two icons. Lee also appeared in one of X Japan’s music videos last year – “Born to Be Free.” Yoshiki told eager fans earlier this month at FanimeCon that he and Lee would be holding a press conference together at Comic Con.

“When I met Yoshiki, I was so impressed with his musical talents and unique creative eye that I knew immediately I wanted to work with him on something special where we could combine both our strengths. Creating a music Super Hero character was the natural evolution of our efforts,” said Stan Lee, Founder, Chairman and Chief Creative Officer (CCO) of POW! Entertainment.

The comic will portray Yoshiki as a “Gothic-styled superhero / vigilante” (Perfect for a Visual Kei artist of Yoshiki’s caliber!). His influences in the writing of the project included his interest in dragons and music. Lee has said that Yoshiki’s powers will activate “when certain musical notes are played on (his) drumsticks.” Yoshiki will also be composing music that will be heard during the motion comic, making it a truly unique collaboration for this type of media.

“Just like the rest of the world, I have admired Stan Lee and his creations my entire life. Just meeting him was so great and now working with him is one of the most fun and creative experiences I have ever had. To watch his mind at work is amazing and inspiring,” said Yoshiki.

Stay tuned for more announcements about this project in July when the press conference is held at San Diego Comic-Con.

Next up on this week’s update:

Aniplex of America announced today that its breakout anime Durarara!! will make its U.S. network television debut on Adult Swim this June. The 26-episode series is slated to air during the network’s Saturday evening programming block. Subsequent episodes will also be available on adultswim.com. The series will air in English dub format.

A pitch-black headless motorcyclist who roams the city?! High-tension suspense and action are taking over Ikebukuro, Tokyo! “Durarara!!” the animated TV series is based on the hit self-titled novel by Ryohgo Narita.

I’ve seen up to about the first half of Durarara and can say that so far it’s pretty good. The story revolves around a headless motorcycle rider who works as an underground courier in Ikebukuro, the Dollars gang, and the general mayhem that ensues. Check out Durarara when it comes to Adult Swim, and support more awesome anime series making their way onto major networks!

For more anime, manga and geek news from Japan and around the world, keep reading Big Shiny Robot!

Hey everyone! This week on Anime Update we’ve got AM2 convention guest announcements and information about a new charity manga series that you can pick up to benefit the Japanese Red Cross.

First up: Convention AM2, held in Anaheim, California, has just announced two very special guests will be attending this year from July 1st – 3rd. Akihiko Yamashita and Miho Shimogasa will be the guests of honor at what is one of the most anticipated anime, manga and music conventions on the West Coast!

Akihiko Yamashita is known for his outstanding work on the character design for Giant Robo: The Animation – The Day the Earth Stood Still and Zegapain. His first directorial work was at the world famous Studio Ghibli where he directed Chuzumo. Yamashita-san has also directed some of Studio Ghibli’s most famous projects including Howl’s Moving Castle, The Borrower Arrietty, Ponyo, and the latest film from Ghibli – Kokuriko. Check out this stunning trailer for The Borrower Arrietty – one of Yamashita-san’s most recent projects:

A fun side note about Yamashita-san: he has huge admiration for the works of J.J.Abrams and has said he is an avid “Trekker/Trekkie”.

Miho Shimogasa was born in Yokohama and decided to become an animator during her first part-time job as a cell painter (this was while she was still a university student).  Upon graduating, Shimogasa-san joined the highly recognized anime studio Artland as an animator. She later became a freelance animator and has worked on such notable titles as Cutey Honey Flash, Kocchi Muite, Miiko, Nightwalker, Gokudo, Gravitation, Psychic Academy, The Prince of Tennis, Ultra Maniac, Powerpuff Girls Z, and Battle Spirits: Shonen Toppa Bashin. Shimogasa-san has served as Animation Director of Sailor Moon Supers, Sailor Moon Sailor Stars, and as assistant director in Galaxy Express 999: Eternal Fantasy.

Shimogasa San with her nekko. Kawaii desu ne!

Fun fact about Shimogasa-san: her name was used to name a twin maid character in Detective Conan.

A pass is not required for general admission to AM2, but those who do purchase a pass will receive many benefits. Attendees can avoid the anticipated huge lines at autographs, premiere screenings, workshops, main events, concerts and panels by purchasing a Passport Fast Pass.  This pass will also provide holders with priority seating options at Main Events and at Concerts as well as earning discounts with nearby theme parks, retailers and local restaurants during the event weekend. Activities at the convention will include Exhibit Hall, AMV’s, Arcade, Summer Festival, World Cosplay Summit, Behind the Voice Actors Studio, Rum Party Pirates, Masquerade, Cosplay Chess, Dances, Fashion Shows, Table Top, Console Gaming, AniMaid Café, AniMaid Café Host Club, Workshops, Panels, Concerts and more! Get more information about AM2 over at their website.

Second this week: Viz Manga is now hosting Takehiko Inoue’s Smile: Pray for Japan charity manga series on their Digital Manga App.

Drawn on the iPad with Zen Brush app, the illustrations by master manga creator Takehiko Inoue portray smiling Japanese citizens of all ages. These images reflect a message of hope in the aftermath of the devastating disasters that struck Japan on March 11th. The creator has approved the wide use of these images for fundraising efforts in Japan. The digital compilations available through the VIZ Manga app is the first use of these images for fundraising outside of Japan.

Volumes 1 and 2 are now available and are priced $9.99 and $1.99 respectively. Future volumes will be made available for $1.99. All proceeds will be donated directly to the Japanese Red Cross Society. So, if you’ve been buying manga on your digital device, give this a look and support Japan’s Earthquake recovery! Learn more over at Viz’s website.

For more anime, manga and geek news from Japan and around the world, stay surfing on BSR!

The live action Akira was in the news again last week. Now we have Keanu Reeves to add to the miles long casting rumor list that has circulated for the past three years. This list has gone from Leonardo DiCaprio and Joseph Godon Levitt (actors who I would have been a bit happier with because they’re actually talented), to Justin Timberlake and Robert Pattinson, and now to Keanu Reeves (who is currently in talks to play Kaneda). The Hollywood Reporter, who published this story along with news that Albert Hughes (From Hell, The Book of Eli, Dead Presidents) will be directing the project, wrote that this film will be an adaptation to NYC from “Neon Tokyo.” Yep, Hollywood totally has their source material together for this film…

A recent picture that People Magazine posted of Keanu Reeves running through the Streets of NYC.

Sure, Keanu Reeves, why not? If the writing and direction turn out to be better than I expect then he could actually make Kaneda seem a bit more believable than any of the other actors recently rumored to touch the script (other than Levitt, of course, he’s a great actor and I’m sure he didn’t want anything to do with this most-likely terrible script.). At least the project won’t end up with Justin Timberlake and Robert Pattinson in the leading roles. I had been imagining the following exchange in my head for the last few weeks if they actually were put into this train wreck of a production:

This script has been passed around so many times that I’m starting to wonder if it’s worse than I’ve ever possibly imagined. When I posted a few weeks ago about the upcoming live action Akira I had already pretty much given up on it being any good. But hey, maybe Hollywood will suprise me. Maybe they’ll hire some consultants from the original animated film from Japan, bring them over and ask them for their advice. Maybe they’ll consult the creator of Akira, Katsuhiro Otomo, and actually get some real insight as to what he imagines in a live action adaptation in New York City. Maybe they’ll throw away this crappy script that nobody wants to accept and just re-write it with the original creation in mind?

Or maybe it will look something like this animated production from Harry Partridge:

Hey, at least Reeves can ride a motorcycle. Check out this photo of him riding in California. It just screams “I am so totally the leader of a bike gang! Watch out Neo New York City! I’m a total badass!”

But wait, wasn’t Reeves rumored to be involved in a live action Cowboy Beebop adaptation? Whatever happened to that? I’ve seen rumors around the internet that the project was (thankfully) scrapped since it didn’t have enough support, but there’s not much concrete news to confirm or deny that the Cowboy Beebop live action film even made it past the idea stages. Oh, and did I forget to mention that Tetsuo and Kaneda are supposed to be teenagers? Why is the rumored casting list so much older? Have they scrapped the original characters altogether in favor of something completely different? Make up your mind Hollywood! (And tell me enough in advance so I can mentally prepare myself for whatever it is you’re doing to all these anime properties.)

Well, I’m out of ideas. If any of you think you know what the new Akira film will actually be about, leave your thoughts in the comments field. In the meantime, I’ll just keep dreaming for something like this to happen:

:

Hey everybody. I’ve got 3 pieces of news for you in this weeks Update: the Trigun Movie Announcement, free epsiodes of Monster now online, and 20% off Dragon Ball on Viz’s Digital Manga App! (Bonus video from Japan this week: Cat Weightlifting.)

First up: Trigun fans rejoice! The big news this week is that the film Badlands Rumble is coming to theaters in North America this summer. Badlands Rumble released on April 24th of last year in Japan, nearly twelve years after the series first launched on TV Tokyo, and Madhouse Animation worked hard to produce a film that would be able to follow the success of the series.

Fans of the dub will be ecstatic to know that Johnny Yong Bosch is reprising his role as Vash the Stampede.

They may be less excited, however, to know that no other voice actors from the original dub will be returning for this film. I’m not too worried, though, because we’ve got some great voice talent up for this film including Colleen Clinkenbeard (Soul Eater, Fullmetal Alchemist, Dragon Ball, Romeo X Juliet) as Amelia and Luci Christian (Soul Eater, One Piece, Ouran High School Host Club) as Meryl Strife.

Funimation has only released this about the plot so far:

TRIGUN: popular sci-fi action anime series with the original storyline created by Yasuhiro Naito. The setting takes place in a remote planet of the near future. It portrays the life and actions of a wanted man named Vash, an extreme pacifist by nature bizarrely nicknamed as the “human typhoon”. Story and designs have been renovated for this animated film, so that not only fans, but people who haven’t read the original manga or seen the animated TV series could enjoy the work.

Since this is incredibly vague, allow me to fill you in as to what Trigun is all about! Vash the Stampede finds out that he has a huge bounty on his head, for 60,000,000,000 double dollars! Unfortunately, Vash cannot remember his alleged destruction of the city of July or anything surrounding the events that led to his being pursued by bounty hunters. Though armed to the teeth, Vash generally uses non-violence to save the innocent as he works his way towards finding out why he’s become a wanted man. It’s not the deepest story out there, but it’s a fun Sci-fi Western series, and the movie will probably be just as good (if not better for removing filler from the main story).

I’ll let you know more about the film as soon as Funimation releases more details. Until then, here’s the Japanese trailer for the film from last year. It basically introduces Vash as the wanted man with the 60 Billion Double Dollar bounty on his head, and lets us know that he’s back with all our favorite characters to face off against the criminal of the century:

Up next in this week’s Anime Update: catch free episodes of Naoki Urasawa’s MONSTER online at vizanime.com!

What if doing the right thing cost you everything? What would you do if a child you once saved grows up to become a monster! Dr. Kenzo Tenma’s selfless act changes his life forever when the young boy he once saved reappears nine years later amid a string of unusual serial murders… Tenma now must go on the run to clear his name, and stop the monster he set loose upon the world!

Let me just say that Monster is an awesome show. The story is extremely well written and you truly root for Dr. Tenma as he tries to clear his name and his conscience. I’ve already watched through the first ten episodes and am really pleased with the plot and the characters.

The best news about this series coming to Viz Anime’s website is that they’re going to be putting up new episodes each Friday, and they’ll be uploading all the way to the series finale on June 3rd. I’m psyched because this means I’ll finally get to see what happens to Tenma! Definitely check this series out if you like a suspenseful story.

Finally on this week’s Update: Viz Manga is offering readers 20% off each of the $3.99 volumes of Dragon Ball for their Digital Manga App. Remember, it’s free to download the app, and you can find out more at Viz Manga’s website.  Dragon Ball is a classic that defines the medium! If you haven’t read it, it’s absolutely a must-read!

That’s all for this week’s update. For more anime news, updates and geek news from around the world, Stay Surfing on Big Shiny Robot!

I leave you this week with another obscure video from Japan: a television show that pits cats against each other to see who can carry the biggest fish – it’s Cat Weightlifting! You don’t need any Japanese language skills to enjoy this video. Just fast forward to a few minutes in and check out one of the most ridiculous shows I ever saw on television in Japan.

This week: K-On movie announcement, Akira issues 1 – 6 re-printed and flying off the shelves, some new Netflix streaming titles, and a new digital manga app. for iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch. (Bonus at the end: Japanese Zelda commercial with subtitles!)

First up: K-On! – a show about a group of high school girls who join their school’s “light music club” in order to save if from collapse – already has a movie in the works. This is no surprise considering the huge popularity of the show (especially in Japan). You can check out the Japanese trailer here. If you watch the show, you’ll get the idea. There’s not really much to translate – Yui introduces the group and explains that they will be back in an upcoming movie in which you’ll get to see some more of their high school adventures. The movie’s release date is currently set for December, 2011 and considering the speedy release that this series got I’m sure we’ll see the movie get subbed and dubbed pretty quickly.

Second on the list: The highly acclaimed manga version of Katsuhiro Otomo’s Akira has recently been re-printed by Kodansha comics. Volume 6, which just released on April 12th, has already made its way onto the New York Times Bestseller’s: Manga list. If you’re interested in reading this story in its original form, and getting the rest of the story if you’ve only seen the movie, definitely pick these up before they goes out of print. Volumes 1 – 6 are available at all major stores and Amazon has a deal on Volume 6 for $19.79.

Third: here’s another great chance to watch some more staples of anime if you are a Netflix subscriber! As of this week, both Death Note and FLCL (pronounced: “fooli cooli”) will be available in the “watch instantly” section. FLCL is a title I would highly recommend to anyone new to anime – it’s a strange combination of fun, weird and crazy that works quite well. Allow me to suggest that you watch all six parts in one sitting to really take in the weirdness of the plot.

Lastly: if you’re an iPhone or iPod Touch owner and a manga reader, you should know that Viz Media has just announced that their Manga App will now be available on these devices (plus the iPad). It’s a great way to get access to tons of digital manga titles and take them with you (I really enjoy reading manga on the train.). Viz currently has 28 series available in full through the application.

They’re giving away a discount to those who decide to pick up some titles. Download of the application itself is free. Check out more details and available series over at Viz’s website.

To support the launch, we’ve also kicked off a special promotion for 40% off select Volume 1 manga (only $2.99 ea, through midnight May 9th)! This is across all devices – iPhone, iPod Touch AND iPad!

Here's a preview of what the app looks like on an Iphone.

Well, that’s all for today. Remember to stay caught up with all your anime, manga and geeky news just stay surfing on BSR!

Since this week was a bit light on anime news – I give you this fantastic and hilarious Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past commercial from Japan in the early 90’s. It’s one of my favorite videos on youtube. Enjoy!

Big Shiny Robot is excited to bring you this interview with voice actor extraordinaire Steve Blum! For those of you who aren’t familiar with his work, Mr. Blum is probably most well known as Spike in Cowboy Beebop, Mugen in Samurai Champloo, Wolverine in Wolverine and the X Men, and currently as the voice of Starscream on Transformers Prime on the Hub network.

For me personally, it was an absolute honor to interview Mr. Blum. I have been a huge fan since the 1990’s and have enjoyed his voice acting work in countless series and video games (most recently as Wolverine in Wolverine and the X Men and as Zaka in the Playstation 3 game Valkyria Chronicles).

Check out our interview in which Mr. Blum talks about getting started as a voice actor, working with legends like Frank Welker and fellow anime talent Crispin Freeman, some of his favorite characters, his current projects, and more!

Listen to the interview here: Steve Blum Interview

You can hear Mr. Blum at work as the ultra-cool bounty hunter Spike Spiegel in this great trailer for Cowboy Beebop the Movie:

and as Wolverine in this fantastic trailer for Wolverine and the X Men:

To check out more from Steve Blum, what he’s working on, where he’ll be appearing this year, and some really cool interactive audio clips, head over to his site at www.steveblumvoices.com

In this week’s Anime Update, we get down to discussing the live-action adaptation that is supposedly in the works for the Japanese classic, Akira. This post is pretty rant-y so prepare yourselves! Oh, and shame on you if you haven’t watched Akira yet since it’s been out since 1988, but this review contains footage with spoilers. You’ve been warned!

I first saw Akira in 2000 when a friend lent me his VHS copy, saying “If you like Anime, you have to see Akira. It’s a classic.” Not too long after watching it, I went to nearby Boston and bought myself a DVD version because I had to own it in the then-new format. It was such a chilling, excellent film, and it truly reinforced my love of anime, science fiction, and Japanese literature. The anime itself stands up as a great science fiction film, and the manga is even more incredible. If you actually take the time to read all six volumes, you’ll see just how much they had to cut out to make that film in 1988.

Allow me to be completely frank here, I don’t believe that there is any way Hollywood is going to produce a live action Akira film that’s any good. They’ve changed writers three times in the past couple of years, and the project itself has been tossed around since the early 1990’s due to the astronomical budget it would require. (Rumors state that it’s estimated at around $300 million…though I believe this estimate was made in the 90’s before recent advances in special effects and computer technology.)

There are no Japanese actors reported in the casting yet. Actually, it’s so far been reported that all Western actors are set to play the leading roles, and George Takei asked Hollywood last week to remedy this situation (as well as to quit “Whitewashing” films made in Hollywood that should have Asian ethnic groups playing characters that were originally Asian to begin with.). On top of all this, the film is going to be changed in location from Neo Tokyo to a somewhat altered version of a futuristic New York City. Rumor also has it that they’re changing all the Japanese names to Western names…leaving us to wonder how much (if any) of the plot will remain intact.

Here’s the rest of what is missing from the necessary equation, and why Hollywood should quit messing with our anime adaptations:

One of the most important aspects of Akira is that it was written by a Japanese writer who’s own cultural background and experience (coupled with a love of good sci-fi) inspired him to write such an excellent science fiction manga. Otomo grew up in Occupied Japan in the 1950’s and 60’s when a lot of families had been faced with their lives being completely turned upside down and the hard work that everyone had to do in order to regain stability. His parents were a part of a generation completely shaped by the loss of the war and the dropping of nuclear bombs in both Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and the cultural impact of these events is still evident even today in art and cinema produced in Japan.

Though a story of science fiction, Akira explores many themes with deeper meaning that can serve as cautionary tales for humanity – including the potential ramifications of nuclear holocaust, social unrest and revolution as a result of inequality, and the dangers of power and corruption. The story itself is chilling and somewhat disturbing, and to think that this could be watered down really does make me think that much of the deeper meaning of this story would be lost.

Another point that should be mentioned here is that anything less than an ‘R’ Rating would be even more devastating to the story, especially since this dystopian, cyberpunk reality is pretty rife with violence, psychic-blasting mutations, graphic and disturbing images, and what I believe Hollywood tends to call “strong themes.”

If that doesn’t merit an R rating…I don’t know what does…

Of course, I can’t forget to mention Hollywood’s recent track record in making live action adaptations of Anime. Let’s review with two recent disasters known as Dragon Ball and The Last Airbender.

I was willing to write off The Last Airbender from the moment I heard M. Night Shyamalan was directing. That little piece of news was enough to keep me out of the theaters because I had really enjoyed the series and honestly felt it had been quite good for a Nickelodeon produced Amerime (American region cartoon that is done in an anime style). Needless to say, the film was a complete flop and fans were sad (some outraged) to see the series completely destroyed on the big screen. The dialogue was terrible, the plot was glossed over…the only positive in this movie consisted of the special effect demonstrations of element manipulation. In similar stride to the upcoming Akira release, the ethnicities of most of the major characters were changed (and this definitely did not help the already sucky adaptation).

Dragon Ball, as you probably know, was awful. In my opinion, it might be the worst live action adaptation of any anime series. Even the trailer was completely terrible. I could go on and on about how bad this movie was, but you don’t want to read that much…so here are two pieces of evidence that will say it all:

This…

and this... (It's so bad, it hurts to look at.)

Dragon Ball brings me to my final point, and this one’s a big one: if a movie is going to be bad (Now, I mean REALLY bad, like Gigli levels of bad), and you know it’s going to be bad, DON’T PAY TO SEE IT IN THEATERS! Let it bomb. Don’t give the studios more money to keep making sh*t. I feel terrible that I actually paid seven dollars to see Dragon Ball…I should have demanded my money back! While I can’t endorse the piracy of these atrocities, I can certainly tell you not to buy the DVDs or pay for a movie ticket! Then, when a copy has magically landed into your possession, make fun of it with your friends in comfort knowing that you didn’t support the studio in making more sh*tty movies.

My final advice to Hollywood: either hire the original creator and staff to advise you on Akira, or drop the project! Save yourselves from losing the buckets of money you are bound to lose, and save us from having to witness the final product of your failure.

For more news on the upcoming Akira live action film, and all your other anime and geek news, keep surfing on BSR.