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Astro Boy - The Complete Series (2003)
No expense was spared to create this lavish 2003 'remake' of the classic series, the animation is breathtakingly lush and vivid -- easily topping most big-budget features in terms of production value. Some episodes aired on cartoon Network, but this boxed-set contains the complete series of 50 episodes, including 29 never before seen in the US, as well as a featurette "The Making of Astro Boy".
Astro Boy is the classic anime story of a permanently youthful robot boy modeled after the son of a research scientist, Dr. Tenma. Originally intended to be kept a secret, the atomic-powered robot becomes a renowned superhero who fights for justice and peace for humans and robots alike.
Time Bokan
It's every Tatsunoko cartoon character for himself! The villains from all the different shows in the venerable Time Bokan franchise compete in the wackiest of all wacky races. It's Winner Take All, in this celebrity deathmatch, and what does the winner take? They take starring roles in the second half of the video. There the villains are called upon to steal the famous Tatsunoko seahorse logo from Tatsunoko World.
Guest appearances abound as every character in Tatsunoko Productions' arsenal flit by the screen. Some you might recognize. (Does anyone not know Speed Racer?) Some you might have a passing acquaintance with (Kasshan). Oh yes, Gatchaman shows up too. And it is Gatchaman this time. They're not G-Force or Saban's Eagle Riders. They're Science Ninja Team Gatchaman, and they refuse to pay their restaurant tab. Go figure.
eX-Driver : The Movie
In the future, when cars do the driving for us, eX-Drivers exist to shut down runaway A.I. vehicles, using their superior driving skills and gas-powered race cars. This DVD is absolutely packed with extras - there is even a second "featurette" with a different set of eX-Drivers, as well as "illustration theater", tons of still-art to advance through, trailers, concept work and more.
Wonderfully done CGI of recognizable high-performance vehicles populate this movie along with a likable cast. It plays essentially like a console driving game, but with more dialog. If you liked Initial D, or get a kick out of high-octane action, then this movie is definitely your speed.
The Cat Returns
When Haru saves the life of an unusual cat, her world is transformed beyond anything she ever imagined. The Cat King rewards her good deed with a flurry of presents, including a very shocking proposal of marriage to his son!
This film is a sequel (hence the 'returns' as part of the title) to a film, Whisper of the Heart, that is not yet released in the states. It is however, the work of Studio Ghibli, as well as the work of Takashi Nakamura, Hayao Miyazaki and directorial newcomer Hiroyuki Morita. This charming film is helped along by an outstanding vocal cast that includes Tim Curry, Cary Elwes, Peter Boyle, and Elliott Gould.
Godzilla - Tokyo S.O.S.
For those of you who don't like all that pesky plot and character development getting in the way of monster carnage - this is your movie. This is one of the best action-filled Godzilla movies! A startlingly long amount of the running time is devoted to a three way melee between Godzilla, Mothra, and Mechagodzilla, and it's some of the best monster action Toho has ever filmed -- a battle scene that seems to take up 40% of the movie.
Director Masaaki Tezuka really puts this movie into high gear. The sound and picture quality of this movie are outstanding. The special effects in this film are very well done! Kudos to the Asada FX team! The scenes with Kiryu and Godzilla are just breathtaking. If monsters bashing each other are your cup of tea, then Tokyo S.O.S. is the movie to own.
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Cartoon Cool: How To Draw New Retro Style Characters
Chris Hart's latest "How-To" book examines the current trend of 50's look in animation, with hits such as Dexter's Lab, Atomic Betty and the PowerPuff Girls. Now the zingy, stylized look can be yours to master once author Hart reveals the secrets to this quirky and innovative niche.
This book is the first of it's kind to cover the retro "almost 50's" look that was also successfully used in Pixar's latest hit The Incredibles. Older fans may also recall the style used by Don Bluth for the arcade game hit "Space Ace".
Hollywood 2D Digital Animation:
The New Flash Production Revolution
Once upon a time, the only way to make your own animated movie was to spend a zillion dollars on paper, cels, paint, film, sound, editing, developing, etc. Now, you can do the whole thing on your computer, and do the whole thing in pretty much one application -- Macromedia Flash.
This very comprehensive book gets you started in creating your own anime for broadcast or film production (as well as the web) -- using the tools within Flash. Now you can achieve professional results at a fraction of the production costs. This is the future of animation production, so join the revolution now!
Chinese Calligraphy Made Easy
Most books about traditional Asian calligraphy go slowly, forcing you to learn many different types of strokes before going on to create characters. Not so with this book. Here, you'll learn just a few strokes at a time, and use them right away, creating characters and words immediately, motivating you to learn more stokes, which in turn, allow you access to a larger selection of characters and words.
Author Rebecca Yue also includes fun projects such as a bonsai pot, T-shirt, vase, and greeting cards. The five major styles are covered and fold-out flaps offer quick reference to key strokes.
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Utena 2: Virtual Star Embryology
A must-have companion CD containing unconventional, but unique blends of eerie, mischievous, whimsical, moody and emotionally-charged dueling chorus music produced by Shinkichi Mitsumune (Fooly Cooley) and J.A. Seazer for the Revolutionary Girl Utena TV series.
This 28-track CD swings out with 10 vocal tracks, including the second ending theme "Virtual Star Embryology" (as well as a Karaoke version), and the TV size versions of the first opening song "A Round Dance Revolution", the ending theme "Truth", as well as 18 instrumental tracks that retain the clever. eclectic characteristics of the first soundtrack.
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Titan Go King