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Bandai, the Japanese company behind Sailor Moon, the original Power Rangers
and a host of products and projects, is a major force in the anime industry.
Appearing at Animazement were two men with ties to Bandai: Toshifumi Inagawa
(left), model kit producer and magazine editor; and Nobuyuki Takahashi
(right) head of Studio Hard, a multimedia production house that handles
projects for Bandai. |
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Takahashi had some intriguing news: an all-anime 24-hour cable television
channel will be started this year. To be named Animax, the channel is being
formed by Sony Music, Sunrise, Toei and other companies. Studio Hard will
produce anime and modeling shows for the channel. It's great news for anime-starved
fans - but the all-anime channel will be available only in Japan. |
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Ironically, Inagawa was on hand at Animazement to deliver a farewell address
to one of his favorite projects, B-Club Magazine. Created by Bandai to
promote its projects and encourage new artists, B-Club went out of publication
in February after 13 years in circulation. |
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However, B-Club's demise cleared the way for two new Japanese magazines
to take its place. The modeling side of B-Club's coverage will go into
Replicant, a publication that covers the modeling world that will compete
with Hobby Japan. |
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B-Club's anime coverage essentially goes to the new AX Magazine, which
will be created by Studio Hard and Takahashi's "army of otaku consultants.
It's our job to wage war, but it's not a war of destruction - it's a war
of construction," Takahashi said. |
