Pixelbot here, welcoming you to the first ever of my new weekly column, Anime Update. Every Thursday, I’ll be looking for all the greatest things from Japan.

Without further delay, let’s move on to the biggest story today:

Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood. The best part? The episodes are available for FREE, only days after their Japanese release. This is all thanks to Funimation, so go check them out here. Story-wise, it looks to be just a re-telling of the original series, with more emphasis on the younger Edward and Alphonse Elric, and possibly the State Military. (Roy, Colonel Armstrong, etc.) Hopefully, they’ll also incorporate some of the elements from the manga.

Another Studio Bones classic, Eureka Seven is set to release a new movie in Japan during Golden Week. Being that it starts on April 29th, that’s not too far away. Surprisingly, details are ridiculously scant for something that close. The only thing I could find was an untranslated trailer:

Even for those familiar with the series, it doesn’t give away whole lot. We do see Anemone as a VERY old lady. If you remember, she was only sixteen-ish the last time we saw her. The only thing I can come up with is that she’s having some bad side-effects of being a human made Corallian. No word on a U.S. release date, but with the series holding multiple Anime of the Year awards, it will only be a matter of time. If you haven’t seen this one, do yourself a favor, and go buy it off Amazon. It’s simply an amazing story.

That’s really all the big news  for now, folks. Make sure to be here next Thursday for more!

1) I give you fine people: Cat Shit One, the animated series. Previously released in America as the manga Apocalypse Meow, CS1 takes similar subject matter, and moves it to the Iraqi theater. Despite the cuddliness, the story does seem pretty intense. I will be checking this out as soon as I can, and you should too on its release in late 2010. (A dubbed version on average will take about 6 more months…)

2) Let’s get into other news on the anime front. First of all, if you’ve been tired of all the boring “Bounts” story-arc-filler crap, Adult Swim is now double premiering on Saturdays so we can get to the kick-ass Espada storyline. Also they’ve hinted at a new series as well, so if it’s any good, you’ll be the first to hear a review from me.

3) Lastly, if you aren’t watching Code Geass, you’re missing out. One of the finest story lines in new anime out there, Geass mixes deep emotional issues with amazing mecha action, plus tons of fan service. Volumes one through six are available on DVD, and keep your eyes out for the special edition box sets. If you go with the first, you get a sturdy box to hold six discs, plus other extras.

According to SHH! The Hollywood Reporter reports that Gough and Millar (Smallville, Spider-Man 2, The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor) are set to pen the Robotech movie (I know, talk about 3rd string information…).

This more than likely comes as disappointing news to all you Robotech fans out there as Lawrence Kasdan, the genius behind Empire Strikes Back, Return of the Jedi, and Raiders of the Lost Ark, among other greats, was originally set to write the big screen adaptation… However, coming from a guy not super familiar with Robotech, I thought Spider-Man 2 was a strong, character driven movie which is something that should be strived for in any movie, so perhaps all is not lost.

I know, I know. “Pixelbot, I HATE anime! It all sucks!” I’ve heard this, and similar lines throughout my existence. Here’s the real issue: You haven’t watched the right stuff. “Dragonball” does not count, nor does “Pokemon”. So, without any further delays, I’ll teach you the simple steps to enjoy at least some anime.

First off, baby steps. Series are never a good starting point for the uninitiated. I recommend Hayao Miyazaki’s works first. Beautiful artwork, and stories good enough to make you forget you’re watching something Japanese. “Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind” or “Spirited Away” are prime examples of some of his work. While family films, they boast mature themes without reaching the gross-out factor of films like “Akira”. I can almost guarantee you will like at least one of his films.

So, You really liked them? The next steps are some no-miss series to look into, and there’s really something for everyone. Do you like psychological thrillers? Try Deathnote. It’s about a high school genius who stumbles on a notebook one day. Printed on the inside are instructions stating that anyone’s name written in the notebook will die, with other factors also available. On testing, Light finds the notebook to do just as it says, and assumes a new identity known as “Kira”, taking it upon himself to “clean” the world and start a new one filled with just people with him as their god.

Sounds far out, but the series’s real draw comes from clash of the opposing sides. The Police have a genius of their own, and he tries to expose the real identity of Kira to bring him to justice. The creators have crafted believable circumstances, and steps both sides would take to discover and avoid detection, respectively.

Maybe Sci-fi’s your thing? Then check out “Cowboy Bebop”. Arguably the best anime out there, I would even consider it one of the best televised shows, myself. It’s several years in the future, and Earth is in a bad way. A disaster involving Gate technology (the series’s version of hyperspace; more specifically, the gate to access said time/space warp) has literally destroyed the moon, filling the atmosphere with debris that regularly rain down on the surface, so common they’re reported much like rain showers. Those who could afford it went to Mars, and terraformed domes, living life much like usual. Because of this sudden spread of humanity, Bounty Hunters for criminals have become a necessity. Spike Spegiel and Jet Black are such individuals, and the story progresses fluidly through the episodes. The best thing to consider is that there’s not a lot of “No way could that happen in real life” moments. The characters are human; no jumping fifty feet in the air, they can get hurt, and even die. Also, you won’t find irritating J-pop here. All the music is done in a Blues/Jazz style, and you can pick up the complete box set for a paltry $39.99.

Anime is capable of telling great stories without characters monologue-ing for 5 minutes on how they’re gonna destroy you, you just have to look deeper. So, give it a try. You may be surprised with what you find.

As some more well-informed nerds know, Anime Banzai took place this last weekend. Being one of Salt Lake’s bigger Conventions, I once again ventured out to see exactly what was going on. So, how was it? Let me say, I don’t think I’ve had that much fun with humans in a long while.

Anime Banzai is a prime example of fan getting together to share a love for the world Japanese Anime presents us… And don’t forget that same love for dressing up like your favorite characters as well. The first surprise was seeing how quickly people lose their inhibitions during the course of the day. Spontaneous dance parties, singing of favorite songs, (Portal’s “Still Alive” was the choice of our day”) flying hugs from strangers, even people offering “Random battle” encounters.

Besides the fun caused by the guests, the convention planners had many things to offer. Cosplay battles, in which two man teams competed on-stage via dice rolling was a favorite of the day, putting improvisational fun along with the excitement of rooting for favorite characters had myself and many other in tears from laughing at the sheer over the top action.

After the show, I wandered about the halls to see exactly what else was going on. Along with the main floor, two other levels had also been reserved for activities. Upstairs was the screening room for attendees to just take a load off and watch some of their favorite shows, along with a crowded (and God-awful hot) Exhibitors Hall, while downstairs was a gaming room. In the latter, I faced my only disappointment: the poor handling of a Super Smash Brothers Brawl tournament. Call me a nitpicker, but waiting for a half hour in a hot room to register for the event, only to have the line change places, be moved from the front to the back, and find out there were only sixteen spots open on a game that can handle tourneys in the hundreds of players fried my circuits slightly. After all, how can I put you meatbags in your place if I can’t school you proper?

Vic Mignogna, Tiffany Grant and Sonny Strait, well known voice actors also were in attendence, but due to some communication mess-ups, I couldn’t snake some face time with them. However, what was noted is the dedication they had for the fans, signing autographs for several hours to make sure everyone in the huge line present was satisfied.

My day at Anime Banzai ended on a high note, fortunately. The last event of the day before the closing ceremonies was the AMV contest. For those unsure what that means, AMV’s are essentially fan made music videos spliced over anime in time with whatever song chosen. Varying from hilarious, to misty-eyed nostalgic moments, all entries were well made and admittedly, emotional in parts. (I had to fight off some oil leaks in parts myself. What can I say? This robot loves anime in a big way.) Mushi-shi, Fullmetal Alchemist, Code Geass, and even a bit of the Hypno-toad of Futurama fame made it into the line-up.

In all honesty, if you’re an anime fan in Utah, you have no reason not to attend. Hell, you don’t have to like it to have fun here. I’ll be showing up for sure next year, and yes, I WILL be cosplaying.

I had this letter forwarded to me, and I thought it was relevant enough to put on the site:

As you may know, the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund (or CBLDF) is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization dedicated to the preservation of First Amendment rights for members of the comics community.
On October 9, 2008, the CBLDF announced that it will participate as a special consultant to the defense of Christopher Handley, a 38-year-old Iowa manga collector who faces up to 20 years in prision for possession of manga that the government claims to be obscene. Of his collection of more than 1,200 volumes of manga seized by the government, Handley is being prosecuted for images that occur in just a handful of volumes. No photographic content is at issue in Handley’s case.
CBLDF Executive Director Charles Brownstein commented, “Handley’s case is deeply troubling, because the government is prosecuting a private collector for possession of art. In the past, CBLDF has had to defend the First Amendment rights of retailers and artists, but never before have we experienced the Federal Government attempting to strip a citizen of his freedom because he owned comic books.”
Putting the case into further context, CBLDF Legal Counsel Burton Joseph said, “In the lengthy time in which I have represented CBLDF and its clients, I have never encountered a situation where criminal prosecution was brought against a private consumer for possession of material for personal use in his own home. This prosecution has profound implications in limiting the First Amendment for art and artists, and comics in particular, that are on the cutting edge of creativity. It misunderstands the nature of avant-garde art in its historical perspective and is a perversion of anti-obscenity laws.”
Regardless of the extent of one’s involvement in the manga hobby, Christopher Handley’s situation is obviously a point of interest if not outright concern. I encourage—I implore—anybody with any affection for manga to make the effort to learn more about the case. (To start, more information on the case and the CBLDF’s involvement is available here.) After doing so, if you are so moved to make a tax-deductible donation to the CBLDF, you can do so here.

This is pretty much the craziest thing I’ve ever heard of.  And I wouldn’t blame anyone who didn’t have money to donate to the CBLDF if they didn’t, but if you have the money, then Sweet Zombie Jesus, this is something you should donate to.

And if you can’t donate, at least spread the word on this one.

UPDATE: More info on what happened from the Comics Reporter:

Mr. Handley’s case began in May 2006 when he received an express mail package from Japan that contained seven Japanese comic books. That package was intercepted by the Postal Inspector, who applied for a search warrant after determining that the package contained cartoon images of objectionable content. Unaware that his materials were searched, Handley drove away from the post office and was followed by various law enforcement officers, who pulled him over and followed him to his home. Once there, agents from the Postal Inspector’s office, Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency, Special Agents from the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation, and officers from the Glenwood Police Department seized Handley’s collection of over 1,200 manga books or publications; and hundreds of DVDs, VHS tapes, laser disks; seven computers, and other documents. Though Handley’s collection was comprised of hundreds of comics covering a wide spectrum of manga, the government is prosecuting images appearing in a small handful.

Eric Chase and his team at the United Defense Group have been vigorously defending Handley, and scored a major First Amendment victory earlier this year when the judge found portions of the PROTECT Act unconstitutional in his ruling on a motion to dismiss. District Judge Gritzner of the Southern District of Iowa found that subsections 1466(a)(2) and (b)(2) of 18 U.S.C. 1466A unconstitutional. Those sections make it a crime to knowingly produce, distribute, receive, or possess with intent to distribute, “a visual depiction of any kind, including a drawing, cartoon, sculpture, or painting,” that “is, or appears to be” a minor engaged in sexual conduct. Judge Gritzner found that those sections restrict protected speech and are constitutionally infirm.

Handley now faces charges under the surviving sections of 1466A, which will require a jury to determine whether the drawings at issue are legally obscene. The material cannot be deemed obscene unless it meets all three of the criteria of the Miller test for obscenity: “(a) whether the average person, applying contemporary community standards would find that the work, taken as a whole, appeals to the prurient interest; (b) whether the work depicts or describes, in a patently offensive way, sexual conduct specifically defined by the applicable state law; and (c) whether the work, taken as a whole, lacks serious literary, artistic, political, or scientific value.” The jury must answer all three questions in the affirmative in order to convict.

Eric Chase recognized the importance of the case, and of the CBLDF’s contribution to it, in a statement to the CBLDF: “This case represents the latest in a string of efforts by the Department of Justice to encroach on free speech. The United Defense Group is committed to fighting to maintain the protections guaranteed in the Constitution, and we appreciate the CBLDF’s support in this fight.”

I mean…  Kill pointed this out to me in a private chat, doesn’t all Manga of sexual persuasion appear to engage minors?  Teenagers at least?

This just seems in a weird line between black and white.

I haven’t been outed on the Robotech front yet, but I’m a giant Robotech nerd.

It’s true. When Robotech: Shadow Chronicles came out, I was there to see it, even though it meant an hour long drive to a theatre in the middle of bloody nowhere. (Not a smart distribution strategy, guys.) I own all the episodes and bust them out to watch every now and again (at least the first generation, which is the best) and I enjoy the hell out of it.

In fact, I think most people would enjoy the story, it’s a complex military soap opera with an underlying political story that really hits you right between the eyes. In fact, some of my favorite moments ever committed to celluloid are in this series… (Remember the episode, “Farewell, Big Brother?” That was dynamite.)

But when I heard that Tobey Maguire and his company acquired the rights to make the movie, I was secretly pissed because that meant that I’d never get a crack at adapting the adventures of the crew of the SDF-1…

But when I read who it seems as though they’re picking, not only could I not complain, I had to admire the shit out of the choice.

That choice?

Lawrence Kasdan.

That’s THE Lawrence Kasdan. The mastermind behind some of the best screenplays ever filmed in nerddom… Raiders of the Lost Ark… The Empire Strikes Back… Return of the Jedi…. Silverado (fuck you guys, westerns count as nerd movies)…

But seriously, Kasdan wrote this scene:

That pretty much assures the man’s place in whatever after-life he might believe in.

Yes, you may have heard, as I have, of the Dragonball movie in production under Dune Entertainment. You may ask, “Why in God’s name would they do that?” Or you may be on your knees crying with joy. That’s Dragonball, you either hate it with every fiber of your being, or you sit up at night holding your set of replication Dragonballs shouting “KAMEHA-MEHA!” at the top of your lungs each time one of the Saiyans belt out their famous chant, followed seconds later by mass obliteration of a large chunk of scenery.

This is Dragonball, for better or worse. The actual question here is: Will the movie be any good? According to different sources, it will follow the Piccolo story arc of the anime. Bold move, considering it’s one of the most beloved stories in the Dragonball series, and a bad move could send thousands of gel-haired fans into a tearful protest.

One particular thing that may excite fans is that Akira Toriyama is billed as a writer for the film, along with Ben Ramsey. For those who don’t know, Toriyama-san is pretty much the father of Dragon ball, writing and drawing the original DB mangas and the hundreds of episodes for the TV show. He’s also famous for his work on the Dragon Quest series of video games. (Basically, wherever huge hair is present in games or anime, he’s usually in the credits)

But what about the talent? I’ll be honest: it doesn’t look good. Aside from Chow Yun-Fat, the whole thing has been filled with TV stars, with Justin Chatwin headlining as Goku. Yeah, I don’t know who he is, either… But, he was on one episode of Lost. Doesn’t that count for something?

I’ll find out for myself come April 8th of next year. After all, I do own Mortal Kombat on DVD…