iTunes releases

[Jiminy]

According to the US iTunes store has added some Tezuka productions. There are the dubbed versions of shows already released in region 1 (Astro 1980s, Black Jack OAVs, Jungle Emperor Leo), as well as the new Phoenix (also dubbed) and a few of the dialogue-free Experimental Short Films.

I don't use the iTunes store, and I'm not sure if I can even look at the US version of it, but if these already up that would mark the first official release of the new Phoenix and its dub, and the first American release of the short films.

[Rocku]

Thanks Jim for the info! I went to go check it out, and it suceeded my expectations. There's a link to it in the banner, actually, on the main page.

The series that causes the most excitment for me, obviously, is the new Phoenix. Currently, they're up to part two of "Future" (my favorite, lol) and there's normally four parts to each of the stories (each part being about 25 minutes), except for "Ressurection."

Each episode costs about 2 bucks, but you can buy the whole season for $9.99, though I'm not sure how many were in season one. At any rate, go check it out. As Jim stated, the only other two they have are the 1980s Astroboy and Black Jack.

[cmoon]

So phoenix is coming out on itunes before DVD? That's sort of a bummer. Not for itunes but more because they should speed up the process of getting the DVD out.

[Jiminy]

It's good to hear that they have a banner for it on the main page of the store though - it might drum up a bit more interest in the series and Tezuka in general. $10 for the series is pretty good too.

They might view it as advance publicity, and hoping the people who like it will want to shell out a bit more for something with a higher resolution.

[Rocku]

I'm happy that they posted his short films now, it's nice to get people familiar with his contemporary work as well. However, I'm a little irked they didn't post his self portrait. I guess they thought it would be too short for 1.99.

For my end of semester final in my Studio forum class, I'm doing a power point presentation on the 1949 Metropolis manga. I thought it would interest people since not a huge persentage of today's youth knows that there was manga from the 40s. Anyway, part of the project involves personalized artwork to go along with it. I wanted to do a short film a self portrait of myself morphing into some goofy things, a play off of Tezuka's short film. I was hoping they'd have it on itunes so I could have a copy to show my peers as an example. I guess I could always use the one on youtube, I'd just feel so tacky. It would have been nice to have it on my desktop.

Once the project is done I'll be happy to share it with whoever is interested. It's coming out very nice so far.

[Deda]

I love his experimental film... I would probably buy the rest too if it wasn't for the fact... i can't stand dubs!!! It annoys me to no end.... I wish they had alternatives, with english subtitles but japanese audio, Atom has such a cute voice....

anyway, I am glad to know that the experimental films will be there too, I always show it to my animation students in college and they know nothing about animation!!! my GOOOD!!! except for the few things they watch on TV or at the movies or stuff they dowload and they never get the good ones!!!

I alwasy show them Broken Down film because it's hilarious and Jumping because it's breath taking... I love it when they come to me after class and say "I didn't know japanese animation was like that!" and then i tell them "Desshou?" hahahahahhaha

[putrocca]

The experimental films on itunes don't have any dialog anyway so it doesn't matter if they're dubbed. It is too bad about the phoenix and Black Jack, though, being dub only.

[Deda]

[Rocku]

[Deda]

I think you are also more used to it than I am... see dubbing has a tradition of maybe 80 years... and when they dub they sound like regular people talking, even for anime... (well not so much recently as the new generation of voice actors... all sound sort of... drunk... to me hahahah)... anyway, when I first heard an american dubbed anime I thought it was over acted and it annoyed me... based on that I said that thing about pinoko... because I could not imagine over acting with a tiny shrill voice that pinoko might have...

i think because the quality of translations and dubbing is going down in Italy as well or maybe it's just me getting old... I am more and more disinclined to watch dubbed stuff... for example, next year there will be maaaany release of Tezuka DVD anime in Italy (I'll keep you posted on that.. as I will keep you posted on the Astroboy manga release of next year)... and if they didn't have an original track available on the dvd rest assured I would not buy them!