Tag Archives: podcasts

Japan Station 03: Sacred Sailors

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Over in Hawaii, I’m interviewed by Tony Vega for the Japan Station podcast about the incredible story of Japan’s first animated feature, Momotaro, Sacred Sailors (1943).

“In this episode we discuss the origins of Japanese animation and its fascinating history. We particularly focus on the making of Japan’s first feature-length animated film: Momotaro: Sacred Sailors (桃太郎 海の神兵, Momotarō: Umi no Shinpei). Clements talks about how this World War II era Navy funded propaganda film got made, the challenges faced by the film’s director Seo Mitsuyo, the influence of Western animation like Popeye and the 1941 Disney film Fantasia,and what people today can gain by watching this sometimes strange and often unsettling work.”

Hear Me Now

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I feature in two podcasts up recently on AlltheAnime. One is the pre-Scotland Loves Anime interview, in which I talk about the politics of hosting Japanese guests, and libel a bunch of industry figures while discussing their peccadilloes. Then, a week later, I appear at the jury chairman in the big jury hoedown, when festival judges Amelia Cook, Rayna Denison and Elliot Page discuss the four films in competition.

Hear Me Now

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silent-voiceOver at All the Anime on their monthly podcast, I appear in my role as jury chairman on the awards committee for Scotland Loves Anime, in discussion with members of this year’s panel: Eric Beckman from Gkids and the New York International Children’s Film Festival, Anna Francis from the distributor National Amusements, and Miles Thomas from Crunchyroll. The fourth and final juror, Shelley Page from DreamWorks, was off climbing a hill in Edinburgh.

Discussion includes the four films under consideration: Kingsglaive, Momotaro — Sacred Sailors, A Silent Voice and Your Name, alongside the likely damage that Mods can cause to international sales, the rise and rise of Makoto Shinkai and the tropes of “disability” drama.

Listeners with an interest in what goes on behind the scenes at film festivals can also check out podcasts from earlier years. Highlights include Justin Sevakis and a NSFW digression on hentai in 2015, Gemma Cox on writing about women in anime in 2014, and Hugh David on film and video restoration in 2013.

Seven Years On

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milkycrisis-12It’s been seven years since the publicity junkets for Schoolgirl Milky Crisis, the book that led to this blog being started in the first place. And over on Youtube, Nozomi Entertainment have posted up their podcast interview with me from spring 2009, in which we discuss everything from the demographics of fandom to the problem of getting Chinese waiters to do backing vocals on “Help Me Rhonda”.

Podcastery

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3518686_1399254412953.75res_400_300I appear in my role as the Scotland Loves Anime jury chairman in this month’s All the Anime Podcast, in which we discuss the four features in competition: Miss Hokusai, The Case of Hana & Alice, Expelled from Paradise and Empire of Corpses. For anyone interested in the kind of dialogue that goes on behind the scenes at a film festival, it should be quite illuminating.

Since Anime News Network’s Justin Sevakis was one of this year’s judges, talk then turns to his career behind the scenes in US anime distribution, most notably the hellish life of a hentai trailer maker, with reference to the notorious Night Shift Nurses (pictured). As a result, this podcast is most definitely Not Suitable For Work, unless you work at at anime company — trigger warnings for necrophilia, scatology and incest, and that’s just the guests, everything from the Golden Partridge to the Golden Shower.

Podcast: A Dingo Stole My Anime

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close_ghibliJeremy Graves is joined by Jerome Mazandarani, Andrew Hewson and Jonathan Clements in the 26th Manga UK podcast to discuss last week’s Studio Ghibli news, the San Diego Comic Con, upcoming releases, and your questions from Twitter and Facebook. Includes an inadvisable impersonation of Meryl Streep, commentary track shenanigans, and Jerome’s skateboarding stunts. You can download the podcast here.

01:00. Jerome encounters the Suicide Girls. Notes on the inadvisability of branding the name of your favourite anime show into your flesh.

03:00. The introduction of the swear jar, and its purposes.

04:00. The controversy over this week’s Studio Ghibli news. Is the studio shutting down? The background to Toshio Suzuki’s various plans to keep the flame alive at Studio Ghibli – Plan A, Plan B… Plan F, Plan G.

07:00. Some unconfirmed and entirely speculative things that you might find in Mamoru Hosoda’s One Piece movie. Other people who have worked with Studio Ghibli and never quite replaced Hayao Miyazaki.

10:00. Suspending production; the former Toei staffing policy and how Ghibli copied it. The prospect that what we are seeing now is the return of “Silver Ghibli”. Goro Miyazaki and the power of nepotism.

lotteria-114:30. The prospects of a Ghibli-Disney tie-up, which are remote indeed. The unlikely story of a Berserk happy meal. Ghibli and children’s literature, and what made Ghibli such a good studio.

22:00. Manchester MCM Comic Con. Manga Entertainment’s “Road Dogs”, or should we call them Manga Dingos? Forthcoming changes to admissions policy at the October Comic Con in London.

27:30. Announcements from the Manchester MCM Comic Con. Ghost in the Shell Arise, and the typographic misery of Production I.G’s name.

31:30. Bayonetta: Bloody Fate out on the 24th November.

34:00. Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Gods coming to DVD on 10th November. Some theatrical screenings coming up, including the chance to demand your own at Ourscreen.com. How does “crowd-sourcing for cinemas” work?

42:00. Harlock: Space Pirate, coming on DVD and Blu-ray in February 2015, but available now on Netflix. The 3D version will be included on the Blu-ray. More on Jerome’s obsession with steelbooks.

45:00. Jerome’s adventures at San Diego Comic Con. The Mondo poster company and their fantastic Ghost in the Shell poster, and the behind-the-scenes concern that make premiering it at San Diego such a cunning marketing decision.

51:00. Jerome’s Hulk sandwich and his karmic skateboarding injury.

54:00. How did you licence Jormungand when you’ve said before that it’s difficult to get Geneon shows?

55:30. Promising recent releases, not necessarily coming from Manga Entertainment.

63:30. Legal streaming sites such as Crunchyroll, Animax, and Wakanim.

69:30. Expanding into streaming services.

71:00. The cost and economics of releasing on Blu-ray. Do some people really not yet know that Blu-ray players will also play DVDs? Why hasn’t Blu-ray been as fast as the DVD to be taken up by consumers?

76:20. How much easier is it to licence anime in the days of email? Face-to-face meetings still required in the modern age.

81:00. The departure of Jerome to another meeting, leaving the lunatics in charge of the asylum.

82:00. Why aren’t there any more UK-based commentaries these days? All kinds of behind-the-scenes shenanigans making commentary tracks difficult and/or expensive.

91:30. No news on Black Butler or K-On Blu-rays. Well, no good news, anyway.

93:00. Changes in the prices of older products. The politics of bundling, and how that leads to crappy releases when the accountants demand you actually release the thing that you never actually wanted to buy in the first place.

98:00. With the world going eco, do you think that the time is right for a release of Marine Boy?

100:00. Some of the past Manga Entertainment releases that we have almost completely forgotten about, including the marvellously titled Red Hawk: Weapon of Death and the problematic Dark Myth.

105:00. And we’re out! Thank you for listening.

And we’re out. The Podcast is available to download now HERE, 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.

The Left Side of the Beast

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Gossip galore in Manga UK’s 17th podcast… or should that be ON our 17th podcast

podcastJeremy Graves and Jerome Mazandarani (with Jonathan Clements of Schoolgirl Milky Crisis joining from the interwebs) are on hand to discuss new releases, upcoming releases, behind-the-scenes gossip, and a whole bunch of topics from Tom Cruise to the Tibet Code in our latest podcast, available to download now.

00:00 Jeremy’s grovelling apology for audio issues that probably only exist in his head.

01:00 Reasons why Jonathan Clements is like Jack Reacher, none of which anyone believes. Jerome’s claim that 1990s fashions are coming back, and celebrations of thirteen years married to Mrs Jerome.

03:20 Horizon in/on the Middle of Nowhere, and translation issues arising. So much anguish over one bloody preposition, leading to cancelled printing runs, recalled designs, and a run-in with the BBFC. The politics of advanced information sheets at film fairs, and the dangers of being the poor sod who has to translate them. The bad old days of the “spotting list”.

17:00 Jerome’s interest in the animated film based on George Akiyama’s Asura.

19:00 And we finally, officially start, with news that Andrew Hewson has sold his mum into white slavery in Marrakesh. Shopping recommendations in Perth for all of our… dozens of Western Australian listeners.

21:00 New releases since our last podcast, including Naruto Shippuden Box Set 12, Mardock Scramble: Second Combustion, Code Geass Season 2, FMA Conqueror Of Shamballa on BD, FMA Movie Double Pack on BD, Oblivion Island, Persona 4 Box 2, Redakai Vol.1, Okami-san & Her Seven Companions, Nura Rise Of The Yokai Clan, Loups=Garous, Fractale, King of Thorn and Tiger & Bunny Vol.2. And a shout-out to HMV, still fighting the bricks-and-mortar corner on a high street hopefully near you.

Redakai-1.jpg25:00 Redakai crops up in Asda, and Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn, coming out on the 27th May, and Warhammer 40K: Ultramarines coming soon, and Jerome’s man-love for Sean Pertwee.

28:00 Another plug for Supernatural the Anime series, coming from Warners and exclusive to Amazon UK on 27th May.

31:00 Upcoming Manga UK releases 29th April: Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood Vol.3 on Bluray; 6th May: Penguin Drum Part 1 on DVD; 13th May: Street Fighter II The Movie on Bluray,; Dragonball Z Season 7, Bleach Complete Series 10 on DVD and the sub-only releases of Black Rock Shooter on DVD; 20th May: K-On! Season 2 Part 1 on DVD, Hellsing Ultimate 5-8 on DVD and Bluray, and an announcement of something else. No, wait, it’s not an announcement. As you were.

cat_planet_cuties.jpg33:00 Cat Planet Cuties delayed till 8th July, because of a subtitling issue, with a bonus explanation of the difference between NTSC and PAL. The pitfalls of screening anime without watching them first, as confessed by Jerome.

38:40 Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood Complete Blu-ray box, will now be appearing in a slightly different format, due to matters beyond our control.

44:00 A Ghost in the Shell Stand Alone Complex blu-ray box set – is it possible, and how much would people pay for it? Is £35 too much…?

48:00 Jonathan reports on Dublin’s Japanese Film Festival, and why so many Japanese people turned up to watch the films.

tibet_code_10.jpg53:00 Oriental DreamWorks announces that it’s doing The Tibet Code as its first live-action film in China; we discuss what it is about and why it could be a whole new can of worms regarding author He Ma, and allegations over the casting. Iron Man 3 and Skyfall and their odd Chinese sequences.

63:00 Tom Cruise options Yukikaze; although the anime is not available in the UK, you can order yourself the original novel in English right now!

67:00 Guillermo del Toro options Naoki Urasawa’s Monster.

72:00. Ask Manga UK. A list of titles that listeners would like to see in the UK, and Jerome dodging giving straight answers to a bunch of them.

76:00 What determines which shows get a Blu-ray release? It’s all about commerciability, which is apparently a word.

80:00 What is your favourite special feature on DVDs?

83:00 What’s the chance of seeing Naruto Shippuden Movie 3: The Will of Fire?

84:00 Do you think the time from Japanese air-date to DVD release in English is too slow…?

90:00 And we’re done.

The Podcast is available to download now HERE, 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.

New Podcast

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Your vertically-enhanced host, Jeremy Graves, is joined by the newly-healed, disease-free Jerome Mazandarani, Andrew Hewson and Jonathan Clements for another rip-snorting, fan-baiting, Jerome-bashing podcast, featuring questions from you, yes you, answered by us, yes us.

00:00 JC on the costs of living in China, and the prospects of a Chinese middle class. Singing the praises of Western Phoenix booze. How on earth does that relate to anime? No worries, here’s a picture of Karen Allen impersonating Jonathan Clements.

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05:00 Pricing and quality in China.

09:00 parallel importing.

13:00 Why are people still asking about One Piece? The behind-the-scenes panic last month that led to our hasty previous podcast (thanks, Amazon!). JC sleeps like a baby while Andrew and Jeremy run around in ever-decreasing circles. Mark Smith and his human minions. The problems of coordinating announcements and products.

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16:00 On which note, announced on Amazon and exclusive to Amazon right now: Supernatural the Anime, about which we are instant experts, thanks to Wikipedia. Check out our article about Warner Brothers and the anime world.
28: 00 Recent releases – what’s out this week and coming soon. Including discussion of the unlikely connection between Oblivion Island and Skyfall.

33:00 Disney’s announcement (or lack thereof) of no new 2D animated films coming, and what people feel about that. Is it really the end of an era, or did “the era” really end some time ago? The controversy over Rhythm & Hues filing for bankruptcy despite Oscar attention.

40:00 Outsourcing in the film business, and the devious actions of accountants who can chase the money around the world. Bob the Builder is now made in Poland… make your own jokes. How can a film about Space Nazis, shot in Germany and Australia be called “Finnish”? And Revolver Entertainment gets shown the revolving door.

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47:00 The history of the PlayStation, and what effect it’s had on modern media.

50:00 It’s brand spanking new news. Manga UK new release announcements: Deadman Wonderland and Steins; Gate.

57: 00 The MCM Expo is now the MCM Comicon.

60: 00 The death of Toren Smith and matters arising, including the top five Toren accomplishments. And in his memory, a rehash of the old Oh! My Goddess argument, just for old time’s sake.

75:00 Ask Manga UK. Almost an hour of your questions, yes yours, answered, dodged or otherwise belittled. The fate of Lupin III; the possible return of UK-based dubs and a tangent about looking for work as voice_over.jpga voice actor. What links Naruto to Hawaii Five-0, at least next week? A plug for the book Voice-Over Voice-Actor by Yuri Lowenthal and Tara Platt, and for the scheme to raise money for Peter Doyle.

87:00 Happy memories of Saiko Exciting, and the likelihood of there ever being anything like it again. The recent ratings for Summer Wars on Sky, and how those ratings are reflected in Japan.

94:00 The return of fifteening? A release date for Aria: The Scarlet Ammo? Would you rather have the Japanese market or the UK market? The possibilities for the Macross franchise in the UK.

101:00 Possibilities for Blu-ray releases of things thus far only released on DVD. The possibilities of UK Blu-ray only release. The mechanics of an Irish release, and why we don’t do many. The nature of the subtitles currently used.

110:00 Fate/Zero’s dub; what’s wrong with lending DVDs to friends (nothing). Chihayafuru’s chances of getting licensed. The perils of letting people know when a licence is about to run out. And the plans to have a live recording of the *next* podcast at the Birmingham Comicon. And we’re out!

The Podcast is available to download now HERE, 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.