MACROSS DYNAMITE 7 set for release in November

Bandai Visual is starting a four-part video series entitled MACROSS DYNAMITE 7 this 25 November. The story will take place one year after the first MACROSS 7 series, when Nekki Basara wanders alone in the galaxy and discovers a planet. The planet turns out to be occupied by the "Galactic Whales," another race besides the Protoculture-influenced Humans and Zentradi. Most of the original staff will return including creator/mecha designer Kawamori Shouji, director Amino Tetsuroh, and basic character designer Mikimoto Haruhiko. Bandai Visual will release a 30-minute volume every two months for ¥5000 (¥5250 with tax).

EVANGELION's Anno to dramatize novelist's work for next project

In an early June radio interview, controversial novelist Murakami Ryu said that director Anno Hideaki is already looking ahead to his next project after NEON GENESIS EVANGELION. After Anno expressed interest in adapting Murakami's works, the two have been discussing and finalizing tentative plans that will be announced later. Murakami is a renown writer who has written such provocative works as 69 and THE WORLD FIVE MINUTES LATER. Anno has co-created and directed several of Gainax's works including AIM FOR THE TOP! GUNBUSTER; NADIA (THE SECRET OF BLUE WATER); and THE END OF EVANGELION, the final EVANGELION anime project released 19 July.

SAKURA WARS 2 coming next year

SAKURA WARS (Sakura Taisen), the cross-genre love simulation/tactical adventure game that helped stabilize Saturn sales in Japan, is set to spawn the inevitable sequel. Red Co. plans to release SAKURA TAISEN 2: KIMI, SHI NI TAMOU KOTO NAKARE early next year.

Miyazaki's last film opened in Japan

The highly anticipated film THE PRINCESS MONONOKE (Mononoke Hime) opened in 260 Japanese theaters on 12 July after receiving favorable reviews at the advance press screening two weeks earlier. This film, the latest from Studio Ghibli, features Miyazaki Hayao as creator/scriptwriter/director and Hisaishi Jo as composer. Miyazaki has gone on the record as saying this film would be his last time in the director's chair. The 133 minute epic takes place in Japan at the dawn of its modern age when the allegorical conflict between nature and human reached its peak. Produced at the cost of ¥2,000,000,000 (approximately U.S.$20,000,000), the film employed over 125,000 traditional cels and computer graphics as well as digital compositing.

Yuuki reveals Escaflowne movie plans

Character designer Yuuki Nobuteru revealed theatrical adaptation plans for THE VISION OF ESCAFLOWNE (Tenkuu no Escaflowne or Escaflowne of the Skies) at Anime Expo '97. This cross-genre "new science fiction" television series aired last year and centered around Hitomi, a girl transported to the mystical world of Gaea. Yuuki compared the relationship between the ESCAFLOWNE series and the upcoming film with that of the first SUPER DIMENSION FORTRESS MACROSS television series and film, DO YOU REMEMBER LOVE?. According to Yuuki, the animation studio Sunrise, director Akane Kazuki, and most of the rest of the staff will return for the film. Yuuki will begin work at the end of summer and expects to continue working for over a year. Earlier last month, Yuuki associate Takahashi Makoto of The Man in the High Castle publishing circle had hinted at a second ESCAFLOWNE doujinshi from Yuuki next year for the then unannounced movie.

First Macross to be rebroadcasted in Japan and re-pressed in LD box

As part of the Macross 15th anniversary commemoration, television stations across Japan plan to rebroadcast The SUPER DIMENSION FORTRESS MACROSS in its entirety starting in August. Unlike the nationwide rebroadcast in 1990 when a newly animated SD version opening was shown to tie-in with a line of models, the original opening animation will be aired. Bandai Visual also plans to re-release a Y48,000 laser disc box of the first series this 25 October. Like the first 1989 box release, The SUPER DIMENSION FORTRESS MACROSS 15TH ANNIVERSARY MEMORIAL BOX will have all 36 episodes (including three episodes in CAV) as well as a still-frame production artwork collection. Co-creator Kawamori Shouji plans to create a new drawing for the box artwork.