ADV Licenses and Recent News
Written by Jeremy Snow
Published on 06/22/2007
Originally from Binary Culture / [the-lowdown.net]
http://www.binaryculture.net

Well, ADV has been pretty busy recently! Here are the series and movies that they have recently announced licensing:

5 Centimeters per Second HOUSTON, June 22, 2007—ADV Films, the number one producer-distributor of anime outside of Japan, is pleased to announce it has acquired the exclusive theatrical, home video, and broadcast rights in North America to 5 Centimeters Per Second, the newest masterpiece from one of Japan’s most remarkable directors.



Makoto Shinkai has been called “the new Miyazaki,” for the care, sophistication, and depth of feeling he brings to his animated features. Shinkai produced Voices From a Distant Star (2002) entirely on his own using a Macintosh. The short film caused a stir and went on to win prizes at several international film festivals. Shinkai’s follow-up was the feature length film The Place Promised in Our Early Days (2004), which went on to win even more awards and enjoyed a successful art house run throughout North America. While Place Promised marked Shinkai as a creator to watch, 5 Centimeters Per Second cements his reputation as a world class director of the first rank.



This endeavor marks the first time Shinkai has worked closely with a full staff of animators and artists. 5 Centimeters Per Second is a successful collaboration that nevertheless maintains Shinkai’s signature touch. “The director’s trademarks of breathtakingly detailed visuals, understated narrative style, and themes of separation and loneliness are propelled to a new level.” (Newtype USA)



Synopsis: After transferring to the same elementary school, Takaki and Akari become best friends. But when both families are forced to relocate, their lives change. After a year of separation, Takaki is about to reunite with Akari. Sitting on the train from Tokyo, memories of the past rush through his mind as he draws closer to his life-long friend. When a snowstorm delays their fateful meeting, Takaki and Akari begin to wonder if they will ever be able to see each other again, and share their secret feelings. Join Takaki on a journey into three interconnected tales of love and lost innocence that span the minutes and months of their lives.



ADV Films will debut a 35mm subtitled version of 5 Centimeters Per Second at two late night screenings Saturday June 30. A limited number of tickets will be available for purchase at the ADV Films booth at Anime Expo. Both showings will take place at a theater within walking distance of the convention center and Expo hotels.



ADV is putting together a theatrical tour of 5 Centimeters Per Second for the fall. A DVD release is currently planned for December.

Xenosaga: The Animation HOUSTON, June 20, 2007 — ADV Films, the number one producer-distributor of anime outside of Japan, confirmed today that it has acquired exclusive home video and broadcast rights in North America for Xenosaga, the sci-fi anime based on the popular PlayStation 2 game series.



From acclaimed studio Toei Animation (Yu-Gi-Oh!, Air Gear) comes a 12 episode series that gamers and anime fans are sure to enjoy. The Xenosaga anime is inspired by the first installment of the Xenosaga video game trilogy for the PlayStation 2, Episode One: Der Wille zur Macht. The Xenosaga games gained great acclaim from fans and critics alike, ranking as one of the most popular role-playing game series of its generation. Whether you enjoyed the video game series or pulse-pounding space adventures, Xenosaga will have you feeling right at home!



Synopsis: Over four thousand years have passed since humans abandoned the planet Earth. Humanity is now on the brink of destruction, hunted down by a vicious alien race known as the Gnosis. The last hope of mankind rests in the hands of scientist Shion Uzuki and KOS-MOS, a battling android with unfathomable capabilities. Unbeknownst to Shion, the battleship they’re traveling in holds a mysterious object that attracts the Gnosis. When the Woglinde is attacked by the Gnosis, KOS-MOS is activated and begins to pursue her own mysterious plans.



Xenosaga will be presented over three DVDs, with the first volume reaching stores September 11.

Also, ADV has announced the following titles that will be released come August:

Air: The AnimationADV Films is proud to announce the first volume of a very special series that will take you on a journey of life, love and discovery. The first volume of this sensational and heart-felt series will be available on August 14.



From famed production studio Kyoto Animation (Full Metal Panic: The Second Raid, Inuyasha) and Director Tatsuya Ishihara (The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya, Kanon) comes a thought-provoking series that has American fans already singing praises. With gorgeous animation and character designs, Air TV marked the first anime to have a Blue Ray DVD release in Japan.



Synopsis: Yukito is a traveling performer - a wanderer. He survives with only the clothes on his back, a puppet, and a story from his mother -- the story of “The Girl in the Sky.” He doesn’t know who or where she is; only that he must find her. On the verge of starvation, he is befriended by a young misfit named Misuzu, whose eccentricities serve to hide a troubled home life. Misuzu offers Yukito a place to stay, and in return he listens to her dreams -- dreams in which she lives in the sky. To make ends meet, Yukito takes odd jobs from the local doctor, where he meets Kano - another girl with an odd fascination with the sky. As his search moves forward, Yukito finds that the possibilities are as numerous as the pitfalls. Will he find the girl in the sky? Does she even exist? The answers change with the breeze. The questions are up in the Air.



Air TV Volume One (SRP $29.98 DVD) is an anamorphic DVD-only release including the first four episodes, presented in both English 5.1 and Japanese 5.1 with English subtitles. Extras include clean opening animation, clean closing animation and previews of upcoming ADV Films releases.

Kurau: Phantom Memory ADV Films is proud to bring you the third volume of the sci-fi series fans can’t get enough of. With a strong female lead and a dark futuristic setting, Kurau Phantom Memory is sure to keep fans pleased when the third volume becomes available on August 14.



From Studio BONES (Eureka 7, Fullmetal Alchemist, RahXephon), with Character Designs by Tomomi Ozaki (Le Chevalier D’Eon) Kurau Phantom Memory is a captivating story filled with intrigue, secrets, conspiracies and revelations. Fans of Ghost in the Shell and Noir will feel right at home. Great animation, a solid story, and plenty of action make Kurau: Phantom Memory the perfect title for any fan.



Synopsis: Arriving in California, Kurau and Christmas seem to have briefly escaped the GPO, but the discovery of a facility designed to extract Rynax power quickly reveals the global scale of the conspiracy set against them. Before they can take further action, Ayaka’s task force closes in once again and a series of pitched battles follow, leaving Christmas captured and Kurau with her powers severely impaired. Now her only chance of saving her pair lies in following her assailants back to the moon, where the origins of Rynax power and a confrontation with her father await. A circle closes, and the horrors of Rynax energy will be unveiled, in the third amazing volume of Kurau Phantom Memory!



Kurau Phantom Memory: The Binary Complex (SRP $29.98 DVD) is a DVD-only release including episodes nine through twelve, presented in both English 5.1 and Japanese 2.0 with English subtitles. Extras include Key Words, production artwork, four Japanese DVD spots, plus clean opening animation, clean closing animation and previews of upcoming ADV Films releases.

Pani-Poni Dash! Delinquent Genius ADV Films is proud to announce the release of the fifth volume of Paniponi Dash!, the high-school comedy series that is so funny it hurts. The next installment of hi-jinks is slated to arrive on August 14.



From studios Gansis and Shaft (Negima!?) and Director Akiyuki Shinobi (Petite Cossette) comes a hilarious new high school comedy that should appeal to fans of Excel Saga and Azumanga Daioh. Join Becky, the gang, and one really depressed bunny as they get themselves into all sorts of trouble on and around campus.



Synopsis: What’s worse than having a sick teacher? Having your sick teacher be a really cranky 11-year old…that’s what. When the sick bug quarantines the whole school, both temperatures and tempers are rising to dangerously hilarious health levels. Things get even weirder when Ichijo electrocutes Himeko turning her into a world-conquering maniac, while the Drama Club and the Film Club finally come to blows in their longstanding war against each other. Later, when Becky doesn’t show up for school, the girls decide to draft an imposter to replace her so she doesn’t get in trouble with the most terrifying presence at the school—the dreaded PTA! Make sure you’re not late for more A+ craziness with the maniac class of Paniponi Dash!



Paniponi Dash!: Delinquent Genius (SRP $29.98 DVD) is a DVD-only release episodes 19 through 22, presented in both English 5.1 and Japanese 2.0 with English subtitles. Extras include AD Vid-Notes™, a video short “In Class With The Cast”, videos for both “Yellow Vacation: Rei Version” and “Yellow Vacation: No. 6 Version”, plus clean closing animation and previews of upcoming ADV Films releases.


Best Student Council: Special Talents-Crazy times ADV Films is proud to announce the release of the fifth volume of Best Student Council. Join the council and the infamous puppet when they arrive on August 14.



From the Production Team at J.C. Staff (Azumanga Daioh) and Director Yoshiaki Iwasaki (Love Hina) comes the most highly anticipated comedy of the year. Join the girls of the academy and one strange puppet on one ride that is sure to leave you laughing.



Synopsis: At Miyagami Academy, the students in the “Maximum Authority Wielding” Best Student Council have some pretty special talents. But what if one of those extra-special students is really a puppet? Or what if, against her family’s wishes, she’s so talented that she’s asked to become the next big idol in Japan? Or what if she finds a tiny baby and everyone thinks it’s hers, or worse yet, that she’s a man? To top it all off, what if she creates a card game about all of her friends and exposes their innermost feelings and secrets to the whole world? Now that’s just wrong! Or is it? Find out for yourself in volume five of the Best Student Council. When things get a little crazy around Miyagami Academy, these talented students are at their best.



Best Student Council: Special Talents, Crazy Times (SRP $29.98 DVD) is a DVD-only release episodes 19 through 22, presented in both English 2.0 and Japanese 2.0 with English subtitles. Extras include the Japanese game promo, plus clean opening animation, clean closing animation and previews of upcoming ADV Films releases.

Innocent Venus: Cruel World Order ADV Films is proud to announce the first volume of a 12 episode series that is sure to leave a lasting impression. The first action-packed volume of Innocent Venus will be available for purchase on August 21.



Hailing from famed production studio Bandai Visual (Mobile Suit Gundam, Cowboy Bebop) and directed by Jun Kawagoe (New Getter Robo), Innocent Venus is anything but your run-of-the-mill mecha story. This is an exciting, action-packed series with sophisticated settings, great character designs and a fluid animation style that incorporates 3D cell-shading. The entire production is top-notch.



Synopsis: A mass of violent storms ravages the planet, and over 60 percent of the world’s population is wiped out in an instant. What remains of life on Earth is a broken and barren existence. But in Japan, there is an exception. Here, the wealthy rule. They own the war machines, they suppress the masses, and they have a very dark secret. Caught in the middle of this conspiracy is an innocent child, a girl, codenamed Venus. The military has her in their crosshairs, but the rebels are determined to protect her. What is her purpose? What are her powers? Can she offer new hope for a world so drastically changed? Innocent Venus is a compelling adventure painted with stunning images that are horrifying and beautiful at the same time. The world as you know it is about to change… for better or worse.



Innocent Venus: Cruel World Order (SRP $29.98 DVD) is an anamorphic DVD-only release including the first four episodes, presented in both English 5.1 and Japanese 2.0 with English subtitles. Extras include clean opening animation, clean closing animation and previews of upcoming ADV Films releases.

009-1 Volume 2 ADV Films is proud to announce the second volume of the sexy sci-fi thriller, 009-1. The adventures of Mylene and the team continue when volume two hits store shelves on August 21.



From legendary creator Shotaro Ishinomori (Kamen Rider, Kikaider, Gilgamesh) with help from veteran production companies TBS (Ah! My Goddess, This Ugly Yet Beautiful World) and Aniplex (Fullmetal Alchemist, Blood+) comes 009-1. The series stars Mylene Hoffman, a secret agent that Anime Insider describes as, “sophisticated, charming and disarming.”



Synopsis: The battle between East and West continues to escalate as Agent 009-1 takes on her greatest challenge yet: trying to find time to relax! Just wait ‘til you see what she calls a vacation! First she finds herself going toe to toe with a deadly cyborg that has “strategically-placed” golden guns! Then she discovers that an old friend, who originally helped her defect, has gone double agent and is smuggling intelligence to both sides for extra cash! Will she reminisce with him about old times or have to take him out? Meanwhile, Mylene’s superiors think she’s going too soft on the bad guys! Are they actually keeping an eye on the body count? More super-spy intrigue! More slam-bang action! Mylene redefines “sleeping over” at a friend’s house! All the secret bases are covered in the second action-packed volume of 009-1!



009-1: Volume 2 (SRP $29.98 DVD) is an anamorphic DVD-only release including the episodes five through eight, presented in both English 5.1 and Japanese 2.0 with English subtitles. Extras include the pilot video, the Japanese TV commercial collection, weapons and gadgets, plus clean opening animation, clean closing animation and previews of upcoming ADV Films releases.

Le Chavelier D'eon: Ancien Regime ADV Films is proud to bring you the fourth volume of a masterfully told story that appeals to fans of history, politics and zombies! The next installment of Le Chevalier D’Eon will be available on August 21.



From Director Kazuhiro Furuhashi (Get Backers, Rurouni Kenshin TV) and Production I.G. (Ghost in the Shell, Blood+) comes a tale of murder, mystery and mysticism. Le Chevalier D’Eon is a masterful fictionalization of the real life Charles D’Eon de Beaumont, a diplomat, writer, spy, and Freemason known as one of the best swordsman in France, whose true gender was a source of speculation well into the late 18th century.



Synopsis: France, Russia, now England. No land is safe from the temptation to possess the Royal Psalms. Now that D’Eon and his comrades know who has the Royal Psalms, they track the traitor to England. But the thief has friends in powerful places, both in the palace and in the stained glass windows of a church, where an order of dark mystics holds terrifying rituals. While Lia’s soul becomes more active in her possession of D’Eon’s body, one of the spies comes into possession of something else, a secret letter from the king that reveals no one, not even your sworn sovereign, is to be trusted in this macabre maze of intrigue, swordplay, and supernatural power.



Le Chevalier D’Eon: Ancien Régime (SRP $29.98 DVD) is an anamorphic DVD-only release including episodes 13 through 16, presented in both English 5.1 and Japanese 2.0 with English subtitles. Extras include Historical Notes, plus clean opening animation, clean closing animation and previews of upcoming ADV Films releases.



About ADV Films:

In the 15 years since its inception, ADV Films has become the #1 producer-distributor of Japanese animation (“anime”) outside of Japan and has the largest English-language anime library in the world. With best-selling titles such as Neon Genesis Evangelion, RahXephon, Robotech, Full Metal Panic, Hello Kitty and Azumanga Daioh, ADV Films’ extensive catalog is fueling the popularity of anime around the globe. Always on the forefront, ADV is introducing North America to bold new anime franchises such as the new Guyver, Le Chevalier D’Eon, Gantz, and Elfen Lied. ADV Films’ library also includes popular live-action science fiction programs such as The Jim Henson Company's Farscape, the nationally syndicated Gene Roddenberry’s Andromeda and the Saturn Award-nominated Mutant X. In 2005 ADV Films was voted “Best Anime Company” in the SPJA awards, presented at Anime Expo, North America’s largest anime convention. The readers of Anime News Network designated ADV Films “Overall Favorite Anime Company” in both 2004 and 2005.



Parent company A.D. Vision, Inc. encompasses a variety of complementary media divisions, spanning publishing, television, licensing and merchandising and continues to expand into new areas. Its Anime Network™ is “America's #1 Anime Channel,” reaching more than 40 million households. Anime Network is the nation’s top video-on-demand (VOD) offering as well as a 24/7 linear cable channel and is the first television network dedicated to bringing anime and anime-related programming to consumers nationwide. The company has two publishing arms: Newtype USA, North America’s top-selling anime and manga monthly magazine, and ADV Manga™, dedicated to publishing graphic novels. Headquartered in Houston, the company has offices in Europe and Japan. For more information, visit www.advfilms.com.


That's the update for now. This year looks like it will be an exciting one for anime fans. Personally, I'm psyched about 5 centimeters per Second. Makoto Shinkai is turning out to be one of my favorite anime directors. Keep an eye out as I'll be doing some reviews of older works, including Makoto's previous films.