News for 31 Jan 2000

Bandai Entertainment's First DVDs, GUNDAM WING Release
Bandai Enteratinment's first DVDs will be released on 4 April 2000. The first three titles to be released are:

BLUE SUBMARINE NO. 6: VOLUME 1: BLUES. This title was originally scheduled to retail for $24.98, but Bandai Entertainment has confirmed that the suggested retail price has been reduced to $19.98.

COWBOY BEBOP DVD 1. Contains the first five episodes of the television series on one dual-language DVD. Extras include animated menus and additional video footage. Retail price is $29.98. Additional volumes are scheduled to be released monthly.

EAT-MAN '98. All twelve episodes of this series are being made available on one specially-priced two-disc set. $39.98.

The details of the GUNDAM WING video release have also been revealed. The English dubbed VHS will contain the edited version of the series (as shown on the Cartoon Network). Volume 1 will contain four episodes and retail for $14.98. The subtitled VHS of Volume 1 will contain four episodes (unedited) and retail for $19.98. The dual-language DVD will contain five episodes of the unedited version of the English dub and the subitlted version, and will retail for $24.98. All formats will be released monthly.

Square Unveils Next Three Final Fantasy Games At Square Millennium Show
At the Square Millennium event hosted on 28 Jan in Tokyo, Japan, Square officially unveiled its latest in the Final Fantasy franchise—three, as a matter of fact. FINAL FANTASY IX will be a PlayStation title and will be released in Summer 2000. Square also announced FINAL FANTASY X for PlayStation 2, to be released early Spring 2001. Both titles eschew the futuristic look of VII and VIII and return to the series' "fantasy" roots.



FINAL FANTASY IX



FINAL FANTASY X



FINAL FANTASY XI, and the PlayOnline menu screen

Perhaps the most noteworthy mention was of FINAL FANTASY XI: ONLINE ANOTHER WORLD, expected in Summer 2001, which will be a complete online RPG playable on the upcoming PlayOnline service in partnership with Japan's NTT Communications. PlayOnline will support online game services, email and chat, as well as e-commerce and e-distribution, such as downloading digital music and comics right from the internet. (Sources: IGN, Magic Box)

GUNDAM WING Televised Debut Set
EX has confirmed that GUNDAM WING will begin its run as part of Cartoon Network's Toonami—the highest-rated block on the network—starting 6 March. Two versions of the program will air. The edited version will air Monday through Friday from 5:30 - 6:00 pm (EST), while the unedited version will air every Saturday at Midnight. Both televised versions are English-language dubbed.
Bandai Entertainment announced a home video release of both the edited and unedited versions of GUNDAM WING earlier this month.

Manga Entertainment Announces DVDs for 2000
Manga Entertainment has told EX that it plans to release a lot of its back catalog onto DVD this year. First up will be PERFECT BLUE, WINGS OF HONNEAMISE, CASTLE OF CAGLIOSTRO, and DEVILMAN 1 and 2. No release dates have been set yet, but Manga Entertainment has promised to provide us with additional information as it becomes available.

GUNDAM WING Flies On To Video
Bandai Entertainment announced today that its latest GUNDAM show, MOBILE SUIT GUNDAM WING (née NEW MOBILE REPORT GUNDAM WING) will be available in English language VHS, English subtitled VHS, and dual-language DVD. The series will be released monthly, beginning in May 2000. Volume 1 of the VHS tapes will contain 4 episodes; future volumes will contain 3 episodes each. The DVD release will contain 5 episodes per volume.
In addition, the first production run of Volume 1 (both VHS and DVD) will contain a limited-edition 3D card of the cover art. This unique card will become a true collectible for anime fans.
To coincide with the television debut of GUNDAM WING, Bandai America will be releasing a line of GUNDAM WING action figure model kits nation-wide this spring, and the Sega Dreamcast game GUNDAM: SIDE STORY is scheduled for release in April.
Bandai Entertainment also told EX that GUNDAM WING is scheduled to begin airing on the Toonami Block of the Cartoon Network in March. More information can be found on http://www.bandai-ent.com as it becomes available.

X Marks The Spot
Manga Entertainment recently released the first set of dates for the limited theatrical release of the CLAMP film X. The screenings start in March, so check the listings below for locations near you.
Danielle Opyt of Manga Entertainment has told EX that they will provide us with updates as new dates and locations are added. So check back here to see where it will be appearing next. Times and locations are subject to change.

	10 March		Varsity Theatre		Seattle
	2 March		Cinema Village		New York City
	24-30 March		Nuart Theatre		Los Angeles
	7-13 April		Ken Cinema		San Diego
	14 April		Dobie Theatre		Austin (Tentative)
	21 April		Lumiere Theatre		San Francisco
	21-25 April		UC Theatre		Berkeley
	21 April		Rafael Film Center		San Rafael
	21 April		Camera Cinemas		San Jose

Shueisha Top Selling Manga 1999
Shueisha's online Comic Web recently announced the publisher's top 10 best-selling manga series for 1999. They were:

	1.	ONE PIECE / Oda Eiichiro (WEEKLY JUMP)
	2.	HANA YORI DANGO / Kamio Yohko (MARGARET)
	3.	RUROUNI KENSHIN / Watsuki Nobuhiro (WEEKLY JUMP)
	4.	HUNTER X HUNTER / Togashi Yoshihiro (WEEKLY JUMP)
	5.	SALARY-MAN KINTAROU / Motomiya Hiroshi (WEEKLY YOUNG JUMP)
	6.	KAMIKAZE KAITOU JEANNE / Tanemura Arina (RIBON)
	7.	HOUSHIN ENGI / Fujisaki Ryu (WEEKLY JUMP)
	8.	YU-GI-OH! / Takahashi Kazuki (WEEKLY JUMP)
	9.	KODOMO NO OMOCHA / Obana Miho (RIBON)
	10.	KOCHIRA KATSUHIKA-KU KAMEARI KOUEN-MAE HASHUTSUJO / Akimoto Osamu (WEEKLY JUMP)

As of 1999, the top 5 best-selling Shueisha manga series of all time were:

	1.	KOCHIRA KATSUHIKA-KU KAMEARI KOUEN-MAE HASHUTSUJO / Akimoto Osamu (WEEKLY JUMP)
	2.	DRAGON BALL / Toriyama Akira (WEEKLY JUMP)
	3.	SLAM DUNK / Inoue Takehiko (WEEKLY JUMP)
	4.	KINNIKU-MAN / Yude-Tamago (WEEKLY JUMP)
	5.	ROKUDENASHI BLUES / Morita Masanori (WEEKLY JUMP)

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