Sci-fi thriller RESET debuting on Digital & Blu-ray February 6th, 2018

Well Go USA

Entertainment

presents

Reset

Directed by Hong-Seung Yoon

Starring Yang Mi 

China, 2017, 107 minutes

From producer Jackie Chan and director Hong-Seung Yoon (The Target) comes the action-packed sci-fi thriller Reset, which will arrive on digital and Blu-ray February 6th from Well Go USA Entertainment. Yang Mi (Brotherhood of Blades II) stars as a scientist trying to save her son from death at the hands of kidnappers by using an experimental universe-hopping/time-travel technology to save him. Reset also stars Wallace Huo (Our Time Will Come), King Shih-Chieh (The Final Master), Liu Chang (“The Kings Woman”) and newcomers Hummer Zhang and Wang Lidan. Reset was nominated as Best Film at the 2017 Neuchâtel International Fantastic Film Festival.

Synopsis:
In the near future, scientist Xia Tian (Yang Mi) is on the verge of a major discovery: time travel. After she successfully sends living tissue back in time by 110 minutes, her years of work seem to have paid off, but everything unravels when her young son is kidnapped and held for a hefty ransom - all of her research. When the drop goes sour and her son is killed, Xia Tian desperately sends herself back in time using her prototype, where she discovers multiple versions of her future self. Now, all of the Xia Tians must band together to save their son in this action-packed sci-fi thriller from producer Jackie Chan.

VIZ MEDIA’S HAIKASORU LITERARY SCIENCE FICTION IMPRINT ANNOUNCES RELEASE OF "A SMALL CHARRED FACE"

HONTO NO HANA WO MISE NI KITA by Kazuki Sakuraba

Copyright © 2014 Kazuki Sakuraba

Even Monsters Need Families In Sakuraba’s Novel Depicting

A Vampire’s Unconventional Friendship With A Young Boy

VIZ Media’s Haikasoru literary science fiction imprint explores the domestic life of monsters in the release of A SMALL CHARRED FACE on September 19th.

A SMALL CHARRED FACE was written by Kazuki Sakuraba, whose previous critically acclaimed novel, RED GIRLS: THE LEGEND OF THE AKAKUCHIBAS, was also published by Haikasoru. A SMALL CHARRED FACE will be released in print with an MSRP of $15.99 U.S. / $21.99 CAN. An eBook edition will also debut on September 19th in the Amazon Kindle, Apple’s iBooks Store, Barnes & Noble’s Nook Book Store, the Kobo eBooks Store, and the Google Play Store.

In A SMALL CHARRED FACE, a boy name Kyo is saved from the precipice of death by a Bamboo, a vampire born of the tall grasses. They start an enjoyable yet strange shared life together, Kyo and the gentle Bamboo. But for Bamboo, communication with a human being is the greatest sin. “Sakuraba captivated North American readers with her award-winning novel, RED GIRLS, and she returns with a unique new story that depicts the relationship between vampires and modern youth in A SMALL CHARRED FACE,” says Nick Mamatas, Editor. “We invite readers to discover the unconventional, yet poignant and tender dynamic that develops between Bamboo and Kyo in this gripping new release.” Author Kazuki Sakuraba was born in 1971 and began publishing while still in college. Her early Gosick light novels were best sellers and were translated into English, and her adult fiction is also popular and critically acclaimed. RED GIRLS: THE LEGEND OF THE AKAKUCHIBAS won the Mystery Writers of Japan Award in 2007 and was translated into English in 2015. Watashi no otoko, a suspense novel about an incestuous relationship, won the Naoki Prize for popular fiction in 2008.

For more information on A SMALL CHARRED FACE and the Haikasoru imprint, please visit Haikasoru.com.

For more information on other titles available from VIZ Media, please visit VIZ.com.

BEYOND GODZILLA series lecture by curator Mark Schilling

Japan Society

presents

The H-Man © 1959 Sony Pictures; Blue Christmas © 1978 Toho Co. Ltd.; Invisible Man © 1954 Toho Co. Ltd.

Beyond Godzilla

Series Curator Lecture

When: Saturday, March 25th at 5:00 PM

Where: Japan Society NY

333 East 47th Street, NYC

Map

Beyond Godzilla series curator Mark Schilling traces the evolution of the sci-fi/fantasy genre in Japan that (save for one big, scaly beast) remains largely neglected, considering its prewar origins to the present. The lecture will introduce Schilling’s selections and provide context for their inclusion in relation to the history of sci-fi/fantasy films in Japan, from Toho sci-fi epics helmed by Ishiro Honda and Eiji Tsuburaya to fantasies by pioneering indie auteur Nobuhiko Obayashi and beyond.

Approx. 60 min. This event is free with the purchase of a ticket to any film in the series. Seating is limited. Ticketholders will be accommodated on a first-come, first-served basis.

Part of Beyond Godzilla: Alternative Futures & Fantasies in Japanese Cinema.

First volume of LEGEND OF THE GALACTIC HEROES science fiction series is coming March 8th

Legend of the Galactic Heroes, Vol. 1: DAWN

Cover Illustration © 2007 Yukinobu Hoshino

VIZ MEDIA’S HAIKASORU IMPRINT BEGINS

PUBLICATION OF THE CELEBRATED

LEGEND OF THE GALACTIC HEROES

SCIENCE FICTION SERIES

Opening Volume Of The Bestselling Japanese Space Opera

To Be Published In English For The First Time!!

VIZ Media’s Haikasoru literary imprint announces its first release of 2016 with the North American publication of author Yoshiki Tanaka’s epic space opera/military sci-fi novel, LEGEND OF THE GALACTIC HEROES, on March 8th.

LEGEND OF THE GALACTIC HEROES, VOLUME 1: DAWN is the first in the author’s celebrated series set to be released by Haikasoru, with Volumes 2 and 3 debuting this summer and fall, respectively. LEGEND OF THE GALACTIC HEROES, VOLUME 1: DAWN will debut in print with an MSRP of $15.99 U.S. / $18.99 CAN. An eBook edition will debut on March 8th for the Amazon Kindle, Apple’s iBooks Store, Barnes & Noble’s Nook Book Store, the Kobo eBooks Store, and the Google Play store. An audiobook version, read by Tim Gerard Reynolds, will debut the same day through Simon & Schuster Audio with an MSRP of $23.99 U.S.

In the thirty-sixth century humanity has conquered the galaxy and colonized countless star systems. The Galactic Empire, modeled along Prussian lines, and the democratic Free Planets Alliance are at war, and the fate of every human being in the universe hangs in the balance. This classic Japanese space opera, adapted into a legendary anime, is finally available in English for the first time.

In the opening novel of the series, “The Golden Brat,” Reinhard von Lohengramm, is a military prodigy and admiral of the Galactic Empire and has ambitions beyond protecting the borders or even defeating the Empire’s enemies. He seeks to overthrow the old order and become a truly absolute – yet benevolent – dictator. His rival, the humble Yang Wen-li of the Free Planets Alliance, wishes to preserve democracy even if he must sacrifice his political ideals to defeat the Empire. Their political and military battles play out over a galactic chessboard in an epic saga fifteen centuries in the making!

“The LEGEND OF THE GALACTIC HEROES series of novels were extremely popular in Japan also spawned popular anime and manga adaptations that have gained fans all over,” says Nick Mamatas, Editor. “We have received many requests from readers over the years asking us to publish LEGEND OF THE GALACTIC HEROES and this English publication is sure to capture a whole new legion of fans for the work of this celebrated author.”

Author Yoshiki Tanaka was born in 1952 and won the Gen’eijo (a Japanese mystery magazine) New Writer Award in 1978 for his debut story, “Midori no Sogen ni…” (On the Green Field…), which launched his career as a science fiction and fantasy writer. LEGEND OF THE GALACTIC HEROES: DAWN translates the European wars of the 19th Century to an interstellar setting and won the prestigious Seiun Award for Best Science Fiction Novel in 1987. Tanaka’s other works include the fantasy series, The Heroic Legend of Arslan, and numerous other science fiction, fantasy, historical, and mystery novels and stories.

For more information on LEGEND OF THE GALACTIC HEROES, other releases from the Haikasoru imprint, visit www.haikasoru.com.

For more information on other titles available from VIZ Media, visit www.VIZ.com.

Haikasoru Imprint to be at 73rd World Science Fiction Convention

VIZ MEDIA’S HAIKASORU LITERARY IMPRINT

PARTICIPATES AT 73rd WORLD SCIENCE FICTION

CONVENTION AND WELCOMES AUTHOR TAIYO FUJII

Award Winning Japanese Author Of GENE MAPPER Comes

To One Of The Longest Running Science Fiction Conventions

VIZ Media’s Haikasoru literary imprint has announced its participation at Sasquan, the 73rd World Science Fiction Convention. Haikasoru will welcome the acclaimed Japanese author Taiyo Fujii as a panel participant, and will host a retail booth (E4) in the main Dealer’s Room that will offer a wide variety of the imprint’s acclaimed titles at specially discounted prices.

Happening August 19th-23rd in Spokane, WA, Sasquan 2015 is the site of the 2015 World Science Fiction Convention, also known as “Worldcon,” an annual gathering of science fiction and fantasy fans. Additional details are available at: www.worldcon.org and http://sasquan.org.

Taiyo Fujii will be featured in several events throughout the convention and participating in several panel discussions:

Thursday, August 20th

11:30am – 12:00pm Taiyo Fujii Reading (Room 303B)
Join the author as he offers a personal reading of select passages from his works.

Friday, August 21st

11:00am – 11:45am Self-Publishing – When To Do It, When To Publish Traditionally (Room 401C)
Taiyo Fujii will be among the authors featured for a discussion of the whys and whens of self-publishing versus traditional publishing.

Saturday, August 22nd

11:00am – 11:45am The Future of Publishing (Room Bays 111C)
The publishing industry has changed dramatically, moving away from traditional models to online sales, self-publishing and ebooks. What could the next 20 years bring?

2:00pm – 2:45pm Kaffe Klatche – Taiyo Fujii (Room 202B)
A special insightful discussion with the author on his work and creative process.

4:00pm – 4:45pm SpoCon Presents – SubGenre Games (Grand Ballroom: Salon III)
Are you deep for dystopia? Crazy for cyberpunk? Soft on steampunk? We're pitting ten sub-genres against each-other to see which should shed its "sub" prefix and become a fully-fledged genre alongside the towers of Fantasy and Science Fiction. Join author Taiyo Fujii and Haikasoru Editor Nick Mamatas for this unique forum.

5:00pm – 5:45pm Seiun Awards & Publishing SF in Japan (Grand Ballroom: Salon III)
Taiyo Fujii will join two other prominent Japanese authors for a discussion of the famous annual literary award and the process by which science fiction literature is published in Japan.

Taiyo Fujii is the author of the mystery thriller, GENE MAPPER, and won a 2014 Nihon SF Taisho Award by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of Japan. GENE MAPPER was Fujii’s first novel and became Amazon Japan’s Number One Kindle bestseller of for 2012 when it was originally published. The novel was later revised and republished in both print and digitally in Japan as Gene Mapper – full build – by Hayakawa Publishing in 2013 and also was nominated for the Nihon SF Taisho Award and the Seiun Award. Fujii’s second novel, Orbital Cloud, won the 2014 Nihon SF Taisho Award and also took first prize in the “Best SF of 2014” in SF Magazine. Fujii’s English-language short fiction debut, the novelette “Violation of the TrueNet Security Act” appeared in Lightspeed Magazine in July 2015.

During Sasquan 2015, Haikasoru will offer GENE MAPPER along with a wide variety of its other titles for purchase with special convention pricing. Titles to be offered will include: ALL YOU NEED IS KILL (the novel which inspired the 2014 blockbuster Edge of Tomorrow); BATTLE ROYALE REMASTERED and the BATTLE ROYALE SLAM BOOK; GENE MAPPER; anthologies PHANTASM JAPAN and THE FUTURE IS JAPANESE (includes the Hugo Award-winning Ken Liu story, “Mono no Aware”); RED GIRLS and DENDERA.

For more information on GENE MAPPER and the Haikasoru imprint, please visit the dedicated website at www.haikasoru.com.

VIZ named North American licensee of TERRA FORMARS anime property

VIZ MEDIA NAMED THE NORTH AMERICAN MASTER MERCHANDISE

LICENSEE FOR THE SCI-FI HORROR ANIME PROPERTY

TERRA FORMARS

Leading Manga Publisher And Anime Licensor To Manage

The Licensing And Development Of A Range Of Products

Based On The Acclaimed Sci-Fi Creature Thriller

VIZ Media has been named the official North American master merchandise licensee for TERRA FORMARS.

VIZ Media will license and manage the development of a range of consumer and collectable products based on the edgy sci-fi horror anime series. The first of these are scheduled for release later this year.

In TERRA FORMARS, after humanity’s first manned mission to the Red Planet was lost a second expedition arrives. The explorers prepare to exterminate the cockroaches that were used to transform the Martian environment, but are shocked to discover that the insects have mutated into giant, aggressive humanoids with one overriding goal – exterminate the humans! However, this crew of explorers has each undergone the “Bugs Procedure,” terrifying experimental surgery designed to make them more than human…

“TERRA FORMARS is a gripping series well-suited for product development for the substantial North American market, and its strong characters and hyper-detailed artwork have captivated a substantial and growing fan base,” says Daisuke Aoki, VIZ Media’s Vice President of Licensing. “We look forward to working with leading manufacturing partners to develop TERRA FORMARS for the consumer product space and give fans of the series a range of unique and high quality products!”

For more information on TERRA FORMARS or other licensed properties available from VIZ Media, please visit www.VIZ.com.

Home media release of COPPELION coming February 3rd from VIZ

©Tomonori Inoue・Kodansha / COPPELION Committee

VIZ MEDIA ANNOUNCES THE HOME MEDIA

RELEASE OF COPPELION ANIME SERIES

After A Catastrophe Contaminates Japan’s Old Capital, Three

Genetically Engineered Girls Embark To Rescue Survivors;

Complete Series Released As DVD/Blu-Ray Combo Pack

VIZ Media brings the sci-fi action of COPPELION to fans as it announces the home media release of the 13-episode anime series as a Blu-ray/DVD Combo Pack on February 3rd.

COPPELION will be released in a comprehensive edition containing 2 DVDs and 2 Blu-ray discs, offering 16:9 video and 1080p High Definition resolution, housed in an illustrated chipboard box, with an MSRP of $69.99 U.S. / $81.99 CAN. In addition to the complete series, bonus features include clean opening and ending segments and original series trailers. A bonus COPPELION production art gallery is also included.

In the not-so-distant future, a catastrophic event has turned the old capital of Japan into a wasteland, forever changing the lives of its people. Decades later, three schoolgirls set foot into the now forsaken city. They are the Coppelion, genetically engineered humans created by the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force to operate under the lethal conditions of the contaminated city. Trained since birth, the girls must use all of their skills and resources to carry out their one and only mission: to rescue those left behind.

“Ibara, Aoi and Taeko comprise the Coppelion, three genetically engineered girls that seek to rescue forgotten survivors in the smashes ruins of the Old Capital and uncover a dark secret about themselves in the process,” says Charlene Ingram, Senior Marketing Manager, Animation. “This new Combo Pack release fittingly presents the gripping series in its entirety and gives fans the opportunity to add this lushly animated adventure to their personal collections.”

COPPELION is the animated adaptation of the popular manga series created by Tomonori Inoue, which ran in Japan in Monthly Young Magazine, and was produced by GoHands, the award winning studio that also produced the anime series, K (also distributed by VIZ Media).

For more information on COPPELION or other award-winning anime titles available from VIZ Media, visit www.VIZ.com.

GARGANTIA ON THE VERDUROUS PLANET will be available tomorrow

© oceanus / 2013 Gargantia on the verdurous Planet Committee

 VIZ MEDIA ANNOUNCES THE HOME MEDIA

RELEASE OF ANIME SCI-FI ADVENTURE SERIES 

GARGANTIA ON THE VERDUROUS PLANET

Complete 13-Episode Animated Series Created

By Famed Production I.G. Studio Released In

Beautifully Packaged Blu-Ray/DVD Combo

Pack Editions Filled With Premium Extras

VIZ Media delivers to fans the home media release of the verdant animated sci-fi adventure – GARGANTIA ON THE VERDUROUS PLANET – on a special Blu-ray/DVD Combo Pack and a standard DVD edition tomorrow, October 7th.

The renowned anime studio Production I.G. created this 13-episode series that blends beautiful character and production design with a moving story about a young soldier’s adventures on a strange and mysterious planet.

VIZ Media gives GARGANTIA ON THE VERDUROUS PLANET a collection-worthy treatment with a 16x9 widescreen presentation and the inclusion of 2 bonus OVA episodes. The home media releases feature premium packaging with an O-Card for the DVD edition and an illustrated chipboard box with a full-color 2-sided Amaray™ wrap and a special GARGANTIA ON THE VERDUROUS PLANET art book included with the Blu-ray/DVD Combo Pack. Dialogue options include Japanese and English dubbed audio tracks along with English subtitles for both editions. Also included are clean opening and closing segments and the official promotional trailers and broadcast TV commercials. DVD MSRP: $44.82 U.S. / $51.99 CAN; Blu-ray/DVD Combo Pack MSRP: $69.99 U.S. / $81.99 CAN.

In the distant future, Ledo, a young soldier from space wakes up and finds himself marooned on an ocean planet. Growing up in space, and knowing nothing but battle, he is a stranger in a strange land, full of odd customs and a foreign language, but he’s not alone. Starting a new journey on this verdurous planet, Ledo must find a way to survive and reconcile the fact that he may never be able to return home.

“GARGANTIA ON THE VERDUROUS PLANET is a gorgeous and thrilling series that will resonate with fans on every level,” says Charlene Ingram, Senior Manager, Animation Marketing. “The characters are beautifully designed and rendered, and the lavish and imaginative animation brings humanity's long lost home world to life in a vivid way that is mesmerizing to watch and enjoy. GARGANTIA will make a wonderful addition to any collection, and we look forward to ardent fans as well as legions of new viewers enjoying this extraordinary anime adventure.”

For more information on GARGANTIA ON THE VERDUROUS PLANET or other anime titles available from VIZ Media, visit: www.VIZ.com.

Sci-Fi & Fantasy story anthology PHANTASM JAPAN coming September 16th from Haikasoru

VIZ MEDIA’S HAIKASORU IMPRINT SET TO RELEASE

PHANTASM JAPAN: FANTASIES LIGHT AND DARK, FROM AND ABOUT JAPAN

Sample The Fantastic, The Strange, And The Surreal In A

Stirring New Anthology Of Sci-Fi And Fantasy Stories

Inspired By Japan From An Array Of Noted Authors

VIZ Media’s Haikasoru literary imprint brings a fantastic anthology of short stories inspired by the Land of the Rising Sun to readers across the English-speaking world with the release this Tuesday. September 16th of PHANTASM JAPAN: FANTASIES LIGHT AND DARK, FROM AND ABOUT JAPAN.

Co-edited by Haikasoru’s Nick Mamatas, a noted sci-fi author and Bram Stoker Award-winning anthologist, and Masumi Washington, Haikasoru’s Editor-in-Chief, PHANTASM JAPAN presents more than 20 works by a stirring collection of some of today’s most compelling fiction authors, including New York Times best-seller Zachary Mason, horror master Gary A. Braunbeck, the Hugo Award-winning Tim Pratt, and others. PHANTASM JAPAN also features works by several highly acclaimed Japanese authors such as Project Itoh (HARMONY, GENOCIDAL ORGAN), Miyuki Miyabe (BRAVE STORY, ICO: CASTLE IN THE MIST, APPARITIONS), and Sayuri Ueda (THE CAGE OF ZEUS), whose works have been published in English by Haikasoru.

PHANTASM JAPAN: FANTASIES LIGHT AND DARK, FROM AND ABOUT JAPAN will be available in print from Haikasoru for $14.99 U.S. / $16.99 CAN. An eBook edition will also be available for $8.99 (U.S. / CAN) for the Amazon Kindle, Apple’s iBooks Store, Barnes & Noble’s Nook Book Store, the Kobo eBooks Store, and the Google Play store.

Haikasoru publishes some of the most compelling contemporary Japanese science fiction and fantasy stories for English-speaking audiences, and is the first imprint based in the U.S. dedicated to Japanese science fiction and fantasy in translation.

PHANTASM JAPAN: FANTASIES LIGHT AND DARK, FROM AND ABOUT JAPAN • MSRP: $14.99 U.S. / $16.99 CAN • Available September 16th
The secret history of the most famous secret agent in the world; A bunny costume that reveals the truth in our souls; The unsettling notion that Japan itself may be a dream; The tastiest meal you’ll never have; A fedora-wearing neckbeard’s deadly date with a yokai; and the worst work shift anyone – human or not – has ever lived through. Welcome to PHANTASM JAPAN!

“PHANTASM JAPAN seeks to use the fantastic not to mystify, but to demystify, to bring the English-speaking world not only traditional stories of tanuki (raccoon dogs) and kitsune (foxes), of ghosts and yokai (supernatural monsters), but the bleeding edge of the Japanese fantastic,” notes Nick Mamatas in the introduction to the book. “Japanese fantasy is in a dialogue not only with Japan’s spiritual traditions and modern experiences, but also with Western ghost stories and science fiction. Japanese fantasy is in dialogue with virtually everything, from the New Weird to real life horror.”

Haikasoru’s previous short fiction anthology, THE FUTURE IS JAPANESE, was published in 2012. It included Ken Liu’s “Mono No Aware”, which won the Hugo Award for Best Short Story. The anthology itself was nominated for the Locus Award, and other stories nominated for the Sturgeon, Shirley Jackson, and SF&F Translation Awards. Five pieces from THE FUTURE IS JAPANESE were also reprinted in various “year’s best” science fiction anthologies.

For more information these titles and the Haikasoru imprint, visit the dedicated website at www.haikasoru.com.

Sentai Filmworks acquires REIDEEN

An ancient artifact holds the key to victory for the human race as an alien terror rains down from beyond the skies in Sentai Filmworks' latest acquisition, REIDEEN. This mecha sci-fi action series is directed by Mitsuru Hongo (Outlaw Star, Pilot Candidate) with animation direction by Takuya Saito (Sakura Wars: The Movie, Bunny Drop), prop design by Shinji Suetomi (Neon Genesis Evangelion: The End of Evangelion, Robotics;Notes) and animation production by Production I.G. (Haikyu!!, ANOTHER).

Synopsis: Mathematically gifted, Junki Saiga is a typical high school student, until his family hears that his father’s remains were discovered. His father was an archaeologist and researcher who had disappeared during an exploration years ago. Along with his remains were artifacts and notes near Japan’s pyramid, which is a place thought to be man-made.

Soon after the shock of his father’s remains being discovered, a meteor comes crashing from the sky carrying a foreign robotic life-form that immediately begins to cause havoc. This sequence of strange events simultaneously triggers a bracelet left from his father’s research to activate and merge with an ancient robot that had been hidden inside Japan’s pyramid, this is REIDEEN.

To save the world Junki and REIDEEN must fight this alien threat! Faced with multiple enemies, REIDEEN and Junki must overcome those that seek REIDEEN’s power and those that want to see REIDEEN and Junki destroyed. Without the help of the nation or even his friends, Junki must push himself to succeed in piloting REIDEEN.

REIDEEN will be available soon through select digital outlets with a home video release to follow.

New Sci-Fi horror manga series TERRA FORMARS coming July 15th

TERRA FORMARS © 2011 by Ken-ichi Tachibana, Yu Sasuga/SHUEISHA Inc.

MAN’S COLONIZATION OF MARS GOES SHOCKINGLY AWRY

IN THE INTENSE NEW SCI-FI HORROR MANGA SERIES

TERRA FORMARS

Off-World Terror Takes A Deadly New Form In A Gripping

Sci-Fi Action Series From VIZ Media’s Signature Imprint

VIZ Media administers a spine-tingling dose of sci-fi horror with the launch of the new manga (graphic novel) series – TERRA FORMARS – on July 15th.

The series, illustrated by Kenichi Tachibana with story by Yu Sasuga, will be published under the VIZ Signature imprint, is rated ‘M’ for Mature Readers, and will carry an MSRP of $12.99 U.S. / $14.99 CAN. Future volumes of TERRA FORMARS, which is continuing in Japan, will be released domestically on a bi-monthly basis.

In the late 26th century, overpopulation on Earth has reached the breaking point and humanity must find new frontiers. The terraforming of Mars has taken centuries but is now complete. The colonization of Mars by humanity is an epoch-making event, but an unintended side effect of the terraforming process unleashes a horror no one could ever have imagined…

In the opening volume, after humanity’s first manned mission to the Red Planet was lost, a second expedition arrives. The explorers prepare to exterminate the cockroaches that were used to transform the Martian environment, but are shocked to discover that the insects have mutated into giant, aggressive humanoids with one overriding goal – to exterminate all humans! However, this crew of explorers has each undergone the “Bugs Procedure,” a terrifying experimental surgery designed to make them more than human…

“Kenichi Tachibana’s crisp and kinetic artwork is the perfect vehicle for Yu Sasuga’s sci-fi action drama that will grab TERRA FORMARS readers from the very first chapter,” says Mike Montesa, Editor. “Step off-world into a stark vision of humanity’s future gone shockingly awry in this intense new horror story that presents the dark side to man’s quest to create new worlds among the stars.”

Yu Sasuga made his debut as a manga writer in Miracle Jump with TERRA FORMARS, a project in collaboration with artist Kenichi Tachibana. TERRA FORMARS was nominated in 2013 for a Manga Taisho award. Tachibana’s previous works include Potchari Maniacs and his 2007 series, Lucky Seven Stars.

For more information on TERRA FORMARS, or other manga titles from VIZ Media’s VIZ Signature imprint, visit www.VIZ.com.

SNOWPIERCER and BOON Joon-ho

John Hurt, with glasses, Chris Evans, center, and Jamie Bell, right, at the tail of the train

Last night, Thursday, June 26th, I had a wonderful evening at the Walter Reade Theater of the Film Society of Lincoln Center. BOON Joon-ho's fabulous science fiction thriller Snowpiercer was shown in all it 125 minute uncut glory and afterwards Director Boon (The Host, Mother) took part in an interview and Q&A with Subway Cinema Co-Founder and Executive Director Goran Topalovic.

Tilda Swinton as Mason, Wilford's chief spokesperson

When the Weinstein Company logo came up during the opening credit, I let out a long, not particularly loud but clear "hiss." This elicited considerable laughter from the audience, many of whom clearly were well aware of the hostility Harvey Weinstein generated amongst Asian film fans with his desire to have Snowpiercer's running time shortened for American audiences, as he had Wong Kar Wai do with The Grandmaster.

SONG Kang-ho as Namgoong Minsoo

As far as the movie itself goes, it's set in the not too distant future. An attempt to fix global warning has succeeded too well and has brought on a world-wide ice age. Only a thousand or so human beings are still alive, and they live on a train that continuously travels around the world. Their is a definite hierarchy amongst the passengers. At the very head of the train, in charge of its perpetual motion engine is Wilford (Ed Harris), an entrepreneur who had been a train enthusiast since his childhood and had created the train and in its route. At the tail of the train are the lowest of the low, the "unwashed masses" who subsist on "protein bars" made out of you-don't-want-to-know-what. In between are the well off and the security forces that keep them safe. One of Wilford's spokesperson functionaries is Mason, played by an almost unrecognizable Tilda Swinton. She reminds those in the tail that there's a place for everyone on the train and that everyone should remain in their place. Her speeches are punctuated by the refrain "and so it is."

In the school car of the train

Chris Evans -- looking nothing like his Captain America character -- plays Curtis, the reluctant leader of a revolt of the "tail people." To make it to the front of the train and gain control of the engine, he obtains the assistance of Namgoong Minsoo (SONG Kang-ho) to open the security gates between the cars by bribing hims with Kronole, an addictive substance which is inhaled. Both Namggong, who designed the security system, and his daughter, Yona (KO Ahsung) are addicted to Kronole.

Along the way there are several violent confrontations with the security forces, startling revelations of how the "one-percenters" live, all of which culminates in a startling face-off between Curtis and the finally-revealed Wilford.

Goran Topalovic (left), BOON Joon-ho (center) and the translator (right)

In the interview/Q&A afterwards, the charming BOON, who spoke mainly in Korean but often briefly punctuated his remarks in English, provided numerous insights into the film. Although the story is based on Le Transperceneige, a graphic novel by Jacques Lob, Benjamin Legrand, and Jean-Marc Rochette, the film differs from it in major ways. The whole idea of revolution, for example, came from the director; it is not in the original source material. BOON also said that it was not that difficult working primarily with English-speaking actors and dialogue, mainly because the process of making a film is much the same everywhere in the world.

One way in which it did differ, and presented him with somewhat of a problem, was the need to deal with unions, something he doesn't face when making films in South Korea. Also challenging was the need to comply with rules for child actors. He was concerned because one fairly lengthy scene involved about fifty children. He explained that he was able to move shooting along at a good pace for that scene by dividing the children into two groups and filming one group in the morning, the other in the afternoon.

I happened to become aware of one interesting piece of information in the lobby afterwards. I overheard someone talking about KO Ahsung, who plays Yona, the daughter of SONG Kang-ho's character. Currently just shy of her 22nd birthday, she had played  Hyun-seo, the little girl that was taken by the monster in BOON's The Host (2006), when she was thirteen year old. I found this to be an interesting little factoid that I hadn't seen in any writings about Snowpiercer.

As I said, it was a great evening all-around.

AsianCineFest Rating for Snowpiercer: 4 out of 4 stars; highest recommendation. One of the best thrillers I've seen in a long time.

Starting today, Friday, June 27th, Snowpiercer will begin a one week run at the Elinor Bunin Munroe Film Center as part of the New Releases at the Film Society film series. Director BOON Joon-ho will participate in Q&As at the 6:15om screenings on Friday and Saturday.

GARGANTIA ON THE VERDUROUS PLANET now streaming for free on VIZ's Neon Alley

VIZ MEDIA’S NEON ALLEY LAUNCHES

BEAUTIFUL ANIMATED SCI-FI ACTION SERIES

GARGANTIA ON THE VERDUROUS PLANET

Catch The Entire Subtitled 13-Episode Series FOR FREE

On Neon Alley Online Anime Streaming Platform!

VIZ Media brings the intergalactic action drama – GARGANTIA ON THE VERDUROUS PLANET – to its new Neon Alley FREE online streaming anime platform. The lushly animated 13-episode adventure was created by the famed animation studio Production I.G. and is available today in its entirety at NeonAlley.com. For $7.99 a month, U.S. fans can also access GARGANTIA ON THE VERDUROUS PLANET on mobile and digital devices through the subscription-based Hulu Plus Video-On-Demand service. The premiere of a dubbed version will follow later in the year.

In the distant future, Ledo, a young soldier from space wakes up and finds himself marooned on an ocean planet. Growing up in space, and knowing nothing but battle, he is a stranger in a strange land, full of odd customs and a foreign language, but he’s not alone. Starting a new journey on this verdurous planet, Ledo must find a way to survive and reconcile the fact that he may never be able to return home!

“GARGANTIA ON THE VERDUROUS PLANET is a gorgeous story charting young pilot Ledo’s journey of self discovery as he visits a strange and nature-filled planet ‘Earth’ for the very first time,” says Charlene Ingram, Senior Manager, Animation Marketing. “The evocative adventure delivers a substantial plot, intriguing characters and beautifully rendered animation created by Japan’s most famous anime studios. With the flexibility of the free Neon Alley streaming platform, fans can dive in and marathon the entire series at their leisure!”

Neon Alley delivers the hottest in subbed and dubbed digital anime series, simulcast world premieres, exclusive on-demand access, and a massive legacy catalog of new as well as classic favorites (in HD when available). NeonAlley.com is a premier on-demand, online destination for streaming anime content in the U.S. The service is available for FREE online and also anytime, anywhere across a wide array of different devices, including PS4, PS3, Xbox One, Xbox 360, Roku, Chromecast, and a variety of other mobile devices through the subscription-based Hulu Plus Video-On-Demand service. Additional details on Hulu Plus-enabled devices can be found at http://www.hulu.com/plus/devices.

Additional information on Neon Alley is available at www.NeonAlley.com.

For more information on anime titles from VIZ Media, visit www.VIZ.com.

EDGE OF TOMORROW movie tie-in novel and ALL YOU NEED IS KILL graphic novel coming soon

EDGE OF TOMORROW - Movie Tie-In Edition:

©2014 Warner Bros. Ent. All Rights Reserved.

VIZ MEDIA’S HAIKASORU IMPRINT ANNOUNCES

EDGE OF TOMORROW OFFICAL MOVIE TIE-IN NOVEL AND

ALL YOU NEED IS KILL ORIGINAL GRAPHIC NOVEL RELEASE

Two New Science Fiction Action Titles Timed

To Release With The Summer Blockbuster Movie 

EDGE OF TOMORROW

Starring Tom Cruise And Emily Blunt

VIZ Media’s Haikasoru literary imprint supports the upcoming release of the gripping sci-fi action film, Edge of Tomorrow with the release of an official movie tie-in novel on April 29th. The new EDGE OF TOMORROW paperback release will carry an MSRP of $7.99 U.S. / $9.99 CAN. The book features a cover with the official movie poster featuring Tom Cruise and Emily Blunt in their title roles from the film. The EDGE OF TOMORROW novel was written by Japanese author Hiroshi Sakurazaka, and was previously published as ALL YOU NEED IS KILL.

The Haikasoru imprint has also announced the May 6th release of the ALL YOU NEED IS KILL official graphic novel adaptation. Written by Haikasoru editor and noted sci-fi author, Nick Mamatas, and featuring full-color artwork by popular comic book artist Lee Ferguson (Green Arrow, Miranda Mercury), the new graphic novel offers a single-volume retelling of the original ALL YOU NEED IS KILL novel that inspired the EDGE OF TOMORROW movie. The graphic novel carries an MSRP of $14.99 U.S. / $17.99 CAN, and features an oversized North American graphic novel trim size of 6 5/8" x 10 ¼”. An eBook edition will also be available worldwide for $8.99 (U.S. / CAN) for the Amazon Kindle, Apple’s iBooks Store, Barnes & Noble’s Nook Book Store, and the Kobo eBooks Store. North American fans can also access the graphic novel digitally on the VIZ Manga App as well as through VIZManga.com.

The Edge of Tomorrow feature film is slated for U.S. release from Warner Bros. Pictures on June 6th, and will be presented in 3D and 2D in select theaters, and 3D IMAX. The movie is directed by Doug Liman and stars Tom Cruise, Emily Blunt and Bill Paxton.

The story is set in the future when aliens called Mimics invade. Keiji Kiriya is just one of many recruits shoved into a suit of battle armor called a Jacket and sent out to kill. But he dies on the battlefield after only a few minutes, only to be reborn each morning to fight and die again and again. On his 158th iteration, he gets a message from a mysterious ally – the female soldier known as the Full Metal Bitch. Is she the key to Keiji's escape or his final death?

ALL YOU NEED IS KILL Graphic Novel:

All You Need Is Kill © 2004 by Hiroshi Sakurazaka

In 2009, ALL YOU NEED IS KILL served as the launch title for Haikasoru, a unique imprint developed by VIZ Media dedicated to publishing the most compelling contemporary Japanese science fiction and fantasy for English-speaking audiences. New York Times best-selling author John Scalzi declared ALL YOU NEED IS KILL to be a novel that, "reads fast, kicks ass, and keeps on coming," and it has proven to be one of Haikasoru's most popular titles. Sakurazaka's other novels include Characters (co-written with Hiroki Azuma) and SLUM ONLINE, which was published in English by Haikasoru in 2010.

“Live…die…repeat. ALL YOU NEED IS KILL / EDGE OF TOMORROW delivers a nightmarish, action-packed spin on reliving one’s own triumphs, and failures,” says Nick Mamatas, Editor, Haikasoru. “Catch the original story that inspired the gripping movie with the official movie tie-in edition, and in the Western comic book mode with the ALL YOU NEED IS KILL official graphic novel. Both of these debuts are perfect reads leading up to the highly anticipated theatrical debut of Edge of Tomorrow this summer!”

"The ALL YOU NEED TO KILL graphic novel stays very true to the original source novel," says Joel Enos, editor for the new comic. "We made a conscious effort to create something unique that could stand on it's own away from both the original novel, the film and the upcoming manga, but would nicely complement and pay respects to all three! Lee's retro-futuristic art style especially puts ALL YOU NEED TO KILL as a comic into it's own orbit!"

Author Hiroshi Sakurazaka was born in Tokyo in 1970 and published his first novel, Modern Magic Made Simple, in 2003 with Super Dash Bunko, a popular young adult light novel imprint. There are now seven volumes in the series, and it was adapted as a manga in 2008 and became a television anime series in 2009. His 2004 short story, "Saitama Chainsaw Massacre," also won the 16th SF Magazine Reader's Award. Sakurazaka published All You Need Is Kill with Super Dash Bunko in 2004 and earned his first Seiun Award nomination for best of the year honors in Japanese science fiction. In 2010, Sakurazaka started an experimental digital magazine AiR with fellow author Junji Hotta. He remains one of Japan's most energetic writers of both light novels and adult science fiction.

Haikasoru’s Nick Mamatas is the author of several novels, including The Damned Highway (with Brian Keene) and Love is the Law. His short fiction has appeared in Asimov's Science Fiction, Tor.com, Weird Tales, and numerous other venues. He's also written comics for Media Blasters and the Squid Works! Collective and has been nominated for the Hugo, World Fantasy, Bram Stoker, and Shirley Jackson awards.

Artist Lee Ferguson has worked in comics since 2001, when he broke in at Marvel on the 9/11 Heroes tribute book, followed by work on the company's X-Men titles. Since then, he's worked at DC, IDW, and Dynamite, while also putting out Freak, his creator-owned project from Image Comics. His newest book is The Many Adventures of Miranda Mercury, co-created with Brandon Thomas and published through Archaia Comics. In 2012, Miranda Mercury was on YALSA’s Best Graphic Novels for Teens list and was also nominated for four Glyph Awards, including Best Artist.

For more information on EDGE OF TOMORROW / ALL YOU NEED IS KILL and the Haikasoru imprint, visit www.haikasoru.com.

For more information on other titles available from VIZ Media, visit www.VIZ.com.

ACF 2026: Sci-Fi Fantasy Anime series ACCEL WORLD is coming to Blu-ray & DVD on November 26th

© REKI KAWAHARA/ ASCII MEDIA WORKS/ AW Project

VIZ MEDIA BRINGS THE ACTION IN NEW BLU-RAY

AND DVD HOME VIDEO EDITIONS FOR THE

SCI-FI FANTASY ANIME SERIES ACCEL WORLD

From Reki Kawahara, The Creator Of SWORD ART ONLINE,

A Bullied Teen Finds Power And Strength In A Virtual Reality

Video Game; Special Premium Art Booklet Included As A Free

Gift With Purchase From Select Online Anime Retailers

VIZ Media invites fans to accelerate with the home video release of the ACCEL WORLD anime series on DVD and Blu-ray on November 26th. The new 2-disc set features 12 episodes of the sci-fi fantasy series, is rated ‘TV-14,’ and carries a DVD MSRP of $44.82 U.S. / 43.24 CAN; Blu-ray MSRP is $59.97 U.S. / $66.15 CAN. Preorders are available now through select retailers.

A special 48-page premium art booklet featuring art and character profiles from this popular series and is also included (only while supplies last) as a special free gift with purchase from select online anime retailers including Right Stuf, Anime Pavilion, and Robert’s Anime Corner Store.

© REKI KAWAHARA/ ASCII MEDIA WORKS/ AW Project

ACCEL WORLD dialogue features include English and Japanese stereo audio, English subtitles, as well as a character art gallery, clean opening and closing segments, and the original Japanese broadcast trailers.

In the year 2046, people use portable devices called Neuro-linkers to manage their daily lives in virtual reality networks. But advances in technology haven't managed to do away with bullies, and 13-year-old Haruyuki Arita finds himself a frequent target. Haruyuki escapes his miserable life in virtual games – until the day Kuroyukihime, the most popular girl in school, introduces him to a mysterious program called Brain Burst and a virtual reality called the Accel World. This set contains Episodes 1-12 on 2 discs.

© REKI KAWAHARA/ ASCII MEDIA WORKS/ AW Project

“ACCEL WORLD is the hottest new anime title to join the VIZ Media home video library and we are very excited to also offer it to buyers with a gorgeous, full-color bonus art booklet that is only available for a limited time through select anime retailers,” says Charlene Ingram, Senior Manager, Animation Marketing. “This series blends a highly imaginative online game with real world impact and adds a new twist to one teen’s solution to being bullied. ACCEL WORLD quickly became a fan favorite since VIZ Media debuted it on the same day as its Japanese broadcast and we look forward to the series drawing in new and veteran fans alike with this exciting release that arrives in time for the start of the holiday season.”

ACCEL WORLD is based on a series of popular light novels written by Reki Kawahara (Sword Art Online) and was produced by the famed anime studio Sunrise (TIGER & BUNNY, Mobile Suit Gundam, Code Geass, Cowboy Bebop, KEKKAISHI). Kawahara entered the first novel in the series into ASCII Media Works' 15th Dengeki Novel Prize in 2008 and won the Grand Prize. ACCEL WORLD has also inspired a popular manga series and several video games.

For more information on ACCEL WORLD and other animated titles from VIZ Media please visit www.VIZAnime.com/accelworld.

ACF 2054: Same day simulcast premiere set for new sci-fi anime action series COPPELION

 VIZ MEDIA DELIVERS THE NEW ANIME SERIES COPPELION

TO NORTH AMERICAN AUDIENCES THE SAME DAY

AFTER THE JAPANESE BROADCAST PREMIERE

Following A Catastrophic Disaster, Three Genetically Engineered Youths

Travel To Save Those Forsaken By The Rest Of The World In A Special

Simulcast Series Premiere On VIZ Anime, Hulu and Hulu Plus

VIZ Media has announced the very special online simulcast premiere of the new sci-fi anime action series – COPPELION – on VIZAnime.com, the company’s own website for free anime, as well as on the free, ad-supported Hulu and Hulu Plus subscription service (www.hulu.com).

The new program (presented in Japanese with English subtitles) launches in North America on Wednesday, October 2nd, the same day after its debut broadcast in Japan, with a new episode to be available to stream domestically each Wednesday.

COPPELION takes place in the not-so-distant future as a catastrophic event has turned the old capital of Japan into a wasteland, forever changing the lives of its people. Decades later, three schoolgirls set foot into the now forsaken city. They are the Coppelion, genetically engineered humans created by the Japan Ground Self-Defense Forces to operate under the lethal conditions of the contaminated city. Trained since birth, the girls must use all of their skills and resources to carry out their one and only mission: to rescue those left behind.

“COPPELION is one of the most anticipated anime for Fall 2013, and fans won’t want to miss the opportunity to catch the thrilling debut of this lushly animated series this week,” says Charlene Ingram, Senior Marketing Manger, Animation. “Ibara, Aoi and Taeko are a breed of genetically engineered beings known as the Coppelion who embark on often dangerous missions to restore hope and rescue people from the forsaken city. Plenty of action and unique characters are in store as the girls slowly uncover the Old Capital’s dark secrets!”

COPPELION is the animated adaptation of the popular manga series created by Tomonori Inoue that has been ongoing in Japan since 2008 and is currently featured in Monthly Young Magazine. The animated series is produced by GoHands, who also produced the original anime series K, seen domestically on VIZ Media’s VIZAnime and Neon Alley platforms.

View the COPPELION trailer at http://www.hulu.com/watch/539158.

For more information on COPPELION and other animated titles from VIZ Media, visit www.VIZAnime.com.

ACF 2052: Sentai Filmworks announces acquisition of CASSHAN

Sentai Filmworks has announced its newest acquisition, from the creator of Speed Racer and Gatchaman: CASSHAN. This 35 episode sci-fi epic is the creation of Tatsunoko Production’s legendary Tatsuo Yoshida and features series composition by Takao Koyama (Slayers TV, Saint Seiya TV) and character designs by Tatsuo Yoshida and Yoshitaka Amano (Final Fantasy video games, Vampire Hunter D OVA), with music by Shunsuke Kikuchi (Doraemon, Getter Robo).

Synopsis: When lightning strikes the prototype android BK-1, a new horror is unleashed on the world as the resulting monster Buraiking begins taking over all other robots on Earth, setting them against their creators in a massive orgy of planet-wide destruction! With humanity helpless in the face of the new Neoroiders and their mechanical armies, mankind’s only hope may lie in the hands of Tetsuya Azuma, son of the creator of BK1, who transfers his consciousness into an android body to become a Neoroider himself… the ultimate robot fighter: Casshan!

Now, together with his robot dog Flender and the beautiful Luna Uetsuki, the daughter of another scientist and wielder of the most robot-lethal gun on the planet, Casshan is on a mission to clear his father’s name, avenge his mother’s death, and save the Earth from the iron clutches of Buraiking! But things aren’t going to be easy, not when you’re three against thousands, and Buraiking has some shocking surprises in store that will rip Casshan’s world in two! It’s the ultimate blast from the past as the battle for the future pits the good bots against the bad in CASSHAN.

CASSHAN will be available soon through select digital outlets with a home video release on subtitled DVD and BD to follow in 2014.

ACF 2021: Sci-Fi author Ken Liu wins Hugo Award for "Mono no Aware"

THE FUTURE IS JAPANESE © 2012 VIZ Media

VIZ MEDIA’S HAIKASORU IMPRINT ANNOUNCES

A HUGO AWARD WIN FOR AUTHOR KEN LIU’S SHORT STORY

“MONO NO AWARE,” FEATURED IN THE FUTURE IS JAPANESE

Author Wins Science Fiction Literature’s Most Prestigious Honor For

Story About A Japanese Astronaut Contemplating His Childhood

VIZ Media’s Haikasoru imprint has announced that author Ken Liu’s short story, "Mono no Aware,” appearing in the acclaimed anthology THE FUTURE IS JAPANESE, has won the 2013 Hugo Award for Best Short Story. The Haikasoru imprint offers some of the most compelling contemporary science fiction and fantasy stories for English-speaking audiences, and is the first imprint based in the U.S. dedicated to Japanese science fiction and fantasy in translation.

The Hugo Awards, presented annually since 1955, are one of science fiction’s most prestigious honors and are voted on by members of the World Science Fiction Convention (WorldCon), which is also responsible for administering them. The 2013 Hugo Awards Ceremony recently place at LoneStarCon 3, in San Antonio, Texas.

THE FUTURE IS JAPANESE, edited by Nick Mamatas and Masumi Washington, is an anthology collecting science fiction from, and about, Japan, by some of the world’s best genre writers. Ken Liu’s short story, "Mono no Aware,” tells the tale of the last Japanese survivor aboard an American space habitat after an asteroid has destroyed the Earth. This is the second story for which Ken Liu has won a Hugo Award.

THE FUTURE IS JAPANESE carries an MSRP of $14.99 U.S. / $17.99 CAN and is available from most major North American book retailers. An eBook edition is also available for the Amazon Kindle, Apple’s iBooks Store, the Barnes & Noble’s Nook Books Store, and the Sony Reader™ Store.

"I'm very, very grateful to the voters who have conferred this honor on me,” says author Ken Liu. “I wrote 'Mono no aware' because I loved the characters and the ideas that motivated them, and I'm glad to see these resonated with readers."

“We are thrilled Ken Liu’s story, Mono no Aware, won the Hugo Award,” says Masumi Washington, Haikasoru Editor-in-Chief. “Succinctly illustrating the Japanese concept of mono no aware through the eyes of Hiroto, a man who was just a child when the world ended, the story is a wonderful introduction to the work of this talented author. We invite readers to explore it along with a dozen other fantastic science fiction, fantasy and cyberpunk tales that are contained in THE FUTURE IS JAPANESE.”

Ken Liu is a Chinese-American science fiction writer, poet, lawyer and computer programmer. His short stories have appeared in The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, Asimov's Analog, Lightspeed, Clarkesworld, and other magazines, as well as several anthologies, including the Year's Best SF. He is also a translator of science fiction and literary stories from Chinese into English. Liu’s short story "The Paper Menagerie" is the first work of fiction, of any length, to have swept the Nebula, Hugo, and World Fantasy Awards. His novella, "The Man Who Ended History: A Documentary,” was also nominated for a 2012 Hugo Award.

For more information on THE FUTURE IS JAPANESE and the Haikasoru imprint, visit the dedicated website at www.haikasoru.com.

ACF 2013: MELANCHOLY OF MECHAGIRL is now available

MELANCHOLY OF MECHAGIRL © 2013 Catherynne M. Valente

 VIZ MEDIA’S HAIKASORU IMPRINT DEBUTS CELEBRATED

SCI-FI AUTHOR CATHERYNNE M. VALENTE’S

MELANCHOLY OF MECHAGIRL

Award Winning New York Times Bestselling Author Delivers

An Exciting Collection Of Inventive Short Stories Inspired By Japan

VIZ Media’s Haikasoru literary imprint delivers an exciting collection of stories and poems by New York Times best-selling fantasy and science fiction author, Catherynne M. Valente, as it announces the release of MELANCHOLY OF MECHAGIRL. The new book is available now through all major book retailers, is rated ‘T’ for Teens, and carries an MSRP of $14.99 U.S. / $16.99 CAN. An eBook edition is also available for $8.99 (U.S. / CAN) for the Amazon Kindle, Apple’s iBooks Store, and the Barnes & Noble’s Nook Book Store.

Haikasoru publishes some of the most compelling contemporary Japanese science fiction and fantasy stories for English-speaking audiences, and is the first imprint based in the U.S. dedicated to Japanese science fiction and fantasy in translation.

A woman who dreams of machines; a paper lantern that falls in love; the most compelling video game that you’ve never played – and that nobody can ever play twice. This collection of Catherynne M. Valente’s stories and poems with Japanese themes includes the celebrated novella, “Silently And Very Fast,” the award-nominated, “13 Ways of Looking at Space/Time,” and “Ghosts of Gunkankima,” which originally appeared in a tiny book smaller than a human palm and was published in a limited edition of only 24.

“MELANCHOLY OF MECHAGIRL is Haikasoru’s first release by a non-Japanese author, but Catherynne Valente’s vivid prose and Japanese inspirations make this collection ideally suited to our publishing mission,” says Nick Mamatas, Haikasoru’s editor. “The collection of inventive short stories and poems also features some of Valente’s most admired stories, including the Hugo Award-nominated novella, ‘Silently and Very Fast’ and the Locus Award finalist ‘13 Ways of Looking at Space/Time,’ along with a pair of brand-new stories to anchor the collection: the semi-autobiographical, meta-fictional, and utterly magical, “Ink, Water, Milk,” and the cinematic, demon-haunted, “Story No. 6.”

Catherynne M. Valente has been lauded by many as one of the best writers to emerge in the science fiction/fantasy genre in the last decade. A New York Times bestseller for The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making (#8, May 2011), she has also been a Hugo Award nominee in multiple categories, including Best Novel, Best Novella, Short Form Editor, and Best Fan Cast. She has been a Hugo Award winner for Best Fan Cast, a two-time World Fantasy Award nominee, three-time Locus Award winner (in the same year in three categories), and an Andre Norton Award winner.

For more information on MELANCHOLY OF MECHAGIRL and the Haikasoru imprint, visit www.haikasoru.com.

ACF 1962: BLACK MAGIC M-66 Region 1 DVD available today

Black Magic M-66

Directed by Masamune Shirow

and Hiroyuki Kitakubo

Japan, 1987, 48 minutes
In Japanese with English subtitiles
S.R.P. $19.98

Years and years ago, in what now seems like an ancient era in home video, I bought an English-dubbed VHS tape of Black Magic M-66 that was put out by Manga Entertainment. Today Black Magic M-66 finally becomes available as a Region 1 single-disc DVD from Maiden Japan.

Sybel learns of the crash of a military aircraft

Based on a 1983 manga by Masamune Shirow (one of the directors of the anime´), Black Magic M-66 was an original video animation (OVA), meaning that it was created for the home market, not for theatrical release or television. Having seen the English-dubbed version, I was excited to learn that Maiden Japan was releasing it with the original Japanese language soundtrack and English subtitles.

Pursued by the military, Sybel races to rescue Ferris

This futuristic animation begins as a military aircraft flies through a severe storm, has engine trouble, and crashes in a forest. Two coffin-like containers, each marked M-66 are disgorged. Their contents were M-66 anti-personnel automated soldiers. Now activated, the units set off on their test program mission, which one of the scientists involved in the project foolishly left loaded in their memory. The target of this termination program is Ferris, the granddaughter of Professor Matthew, who created the units. The M-66 automated soldiers are programmed not only to destroy their target, but anything that gets in the way of their completing the mission.

A military aircraft about to land

Meanwhile, intrepid freelance video reporter Sybel has her shower interrupted when her scanner picks up news of the crash. She sets off with her assistant and becomes involved in an action packed adventure to destroy the M-66 units before they destroy Ferris.

Ferris (left) and Sybel

There's nothing much in the way of significant extras on the disc, just an "Also Available from Maiden Japan" collection of trailers and the credits for the DVD. It's also unfortunate that there isn't an optional English-dubbed soundtrack available; perhaps Manga Entertainment still has the rights to distribute a dubbed version.

An M-66 unit approaches Ferris and Sybel

Still, Black Magic M-66 is an OVA classic. It belongs in the collection of anyone who takes their anime ´ seriously.

ACF rating: 3.5 out of 4 stars; very highly recomended.