For those that didn’t see last week, the new Manga UK podcast is up.
And we’re back for another podcast, with Jeremy Graves, Jerome Mazandarani, Andrew Hewson and Jonathan Clements, ranging over everything from the disgraced Chinese politician Bo “Selecter” Xilai, to the care of the elderly in Japan, the world of dog poo, advice for avoiding earthquakes, and a little bit about Japanese animation every now and then.
00:00 Jonathan Clements reports on the weather in Xi’an and Beijing smog – dust storms from the desert, and the best job in China.
04:30 Former Japanese prime minister Taro Aso and his assault on “tube people” – a welcome return of anime and manga’s greatest political ally. But with friends like these… Increases in Japanese VAT and what that might mean for anime. See, everything is connected. It’s like Cloud Atlas, here, but with more swearing.
10:20 The politics of hard subtitles and grey importing.
13:00 And so we begin… with Brand Spanking New News, starting with Panty and Stocking on Blu-ray. The reasons behind combined DVD/Blu-ray releases. Reasons to shop at Shopmanga.co.uk.
22:00 Drifters of the Dead packaged with Highschool of the Dead and the mixed response online. Some plans to keep everybody happy.
27:00 The original Hellsing, on its way to you from Manga UK, along with Kenichi the Mightiest Disciple. The first season of Last Exile (but why…!?). Lupin III: A Woman Named Fujiko Mine. K-on the movie… which leads us onto a discussion of dog poo.
37:00 January and February releases: Shiki, DBZ, Bleach, Code Geass (not Code Geese, and certainly not Code Gay Ass), some side notes on the silent equals sign in Loups=Garoux, Journey to Agartha (not Agatha), Tiger and Bunny, Baka and Test 2, Eden of the East the Definitive Collection.
44:30 Ask Manga UK. Your questions answered, or occasionally dodged. Black Rock Shooter’s chances on Blu-ray (not much); the criteria for Blu-ray makeover; the sad story of the Perfect Blue rights; the precedent set in the 1990s by Studio Ghibli’s high rights prices; the changing attitude of the Japanese studios towards foreign investment.
51:40 Manga UK’s New Year resolutions, and a very brief discussion of changes at HMV and Play.
55:00 The chances for digital downloads in the future. Ghost in the Shell Arise, and matters… arising.
61:00 The possibilities and pitfalls of titles released with English-audio only. The “strategic error” of Afro Samurai.
66:00 What does Kaze actually do? And several questions dodged for now because we have to go away and look up the figures. And we’re done.
Available to download now, or find it and an archive of previous shows at our iTunes page. For a detailed contents listing of previous podcasts, check out our Podcasts page.