February 27, 2006 No Miyazaki at the Oscars
According to this Jijitsushin news article (in Japanese) Miyazaki will not attend the ceremony this Sunday (5 March).
If Howl's Moving Castle wins the Best Animated Feature award the presenter will accept on behalf of Miyazaki.
Miyazaki did not attend the year Spirited Away was nominated (and won).
Thanks to T. Ishikawa for the news.
February 27, 2006 Free Screening of Totoro in Dallas
Buena Vista is sponsoring a free theatrical showing of the new dubbed version of "My Neighbor Totoro" in Dallas, TX on Saturday March 4th at 10 am at the Magnolia Theater, 3699 McKinney Avenue.
To attend the screening, download this pass (a Word document). You must call the RSVP number on the pass to get your name on the list. You can bring more than two people per pass, but you must let them know the number of people when you call. You also must bring a copy of the pass with you to the showing to get in.
Thanks go to Brad Johnson of Susan Jacobs Inc. for organizing this screening.
February 27, 2006 Updated: Miyazaki Films on Cartoon Network
Starting at 7:30pm Saturday, March 18, Toonami will celebrate their 9th anniversary by airing a month of Miyazaki films:
Spirited Away - March 18
Princess Mononoke - March 25
Castle in the Sky - April 1
Nausicaa of the Valley of Wind - April 8
Edits (if any) to the film remain unknown.
Thanks to Paul Mayer, Jean Yeatman, and Toon Zone News for the news.
February 26, 2006 "Tales from Earthsea" Trailer Translation
(0:04)
The balance of the world is collapsing.
(0:14)
People are moving restlessly, but without a purpose. The thing reflected in their eyes was a dream or a death, or other world somewhere.
(0:25)
Original: Ursula K. Le Guin "Gedo Senki" Screenplay: Miyazaki Goro, Niwa Keiko[1]
(0:43)
People's heads are becoming strange.[2]
(0:58)
Archmage Ged who left to search for the source of the disaster meets the boy Arren who has the darkness in the his mind.
(1:03)
Arren: Okada Junichi
(1:08)
Ged: Sugawara Bunta
(1:11)
The boy had been chased by the shadow.
(1:36)
The girl Theru who has a burn wound on her face appears in front of Arren who is frightened by the shadow.
(1:47)
Theru: Teshima Aoi (new face)
(1:55)
Tenar: Fubuki Jun
(1:57)
King: Kobayashi Kaoru
Vendor: Baisyo Mitsuko
Hare: Kagawa Teruyuki[3]
Cob: Tanaka Yuko[4]
(2:12)
Miyazaki Goro's first film.
(2:19)
Music: Terashima Tamiya
Insertion song: "A song of Theru"[5]
Singer: Teshima Aoi
(2:37)
"I hate a person who doesn't value life!"
(voice of Theru)
(2:44)
"Miyazaki Goro's first film Gedo Senki."
(narration and caption)
(2:50)
"This summer, Man and Dragon will be one."
(narration and caption)
[1]: Notation of the names is with the family name first.
[2]: Japanese transcribes "Ningen" [human being]. I translated it as "people". And Japanese transcribes "Atama" [head]". This "head" means brain or mind.
[3]: "Hare" is the name of a subordinate of the wizard.
[4]: "Cob" is the name of the wizard.
[5]: It already announced that Teshima Aoi sings the theme song and insertion song of Gedo Senki. The song used in the trailer is the insertion song. Miyazaki Goro wrote the words for these songs.
Thanks to T. Ishikawa for the translation and Jorge Enrique Monsegny Parra and Ita Kung for corrections.
February 24, 2006 New York International Children's Film Festival Screenings
The NYICFF has been a strong supporter of Studio Ghibli's works over the years and has premiered many of the English dubs.
My Neighbor Totoro has its east cost premiere at the NYICFF on March 11 at 11:00am and all attendees will receive a "Miyazaki DVD" (actual title unknown).
Nausicaa of the Valley of Wind is the other scheduled Studio Ghibli flim and will screen on April 1 and 2.
Ticket prices for each screening are $10.75 adults, $7.00 children under 12. Tickets may be purchased online for a $1.00 per order service charge.
Thanks to Clyde Adams III and Eugene Myers for the news.
February 22, 2006 Updated: "Tales from Earthsea" Trailer to Premiere on NTV
Studio Ghibli announced that the trailer for Tales from Earthsea will air on NTV's "Zoom In Super" program (5:30am - 8:00am) on February 23.
"Zoom In Super" has premiered previous Studio Ghibli film trailers before they're attached to other films in theaters.
Catsuka has a of the trailer.
Ghibli World has two versions of the trailer for viewing, additional voice cast details, and a translation of Goro Miyazaki's comments on his father.
Thanks to T. Ishikawa, Tsuka, and Peter van der Lugt for the news.
February 22, 2006 Updated: Additional FilmFour Showings
Although the FilmFour season officially ended in February, the UK-based satellite television channel has scheduled a couple of the films which were absent from the original line-up:
April 1 - Whisper of the Heart
April 2 - My Neighbor Totoro
April 5 - Whisper of the Heart
April 6 - My Neighbor Totoro
April 10 - The Little Norse Prince
April 11 - Lupin III: Castle of Cagliostro
April 12 - Nausicaa of the Valley of Wind
April 13 - Laputa: The Castle in the Sky
April 14 - My Neighbor Totoro
April 15 - Princess Mononoke
April 16 - Kiki's Delivery Service
April 17 - Grave of the Fireflies
April 18 - Pom Poko
April 19 - Porco Rosso
April 20 - Only Yesterday
April 22 - The Cat Returns
April 21 - Whisper of the Heart
Thanks to David Taylor at TV and Satellite Week for the news.
February 22, 2006 Anime Art of Hayao Miyazaki Released
The book by Dani Cavallaro recently hit bookstores, more details from the publisher.
February 21, 2006 Newsbits from Japan and Europe
The main theme music to Howl's Moving Castle (The Merry-go-round of Life) was an instrumental in the film.
Lyrics were recently written by Wakako KAKU who wrote lyrics for Itsumo Nando Demo (Always with Me) from Spirited Away and "Sekai no Yakusoku" (The Promise of the World) from Howl's Moving Castle.
The song is included on a CD by Japanese female singer Kumiko scheduled for release on March 8. The title of the CD is "Kumiko's Best - Waga uruwashiki koimonogatari (Ma Plus Belle Histoire d'Amour)".
Information currently availlble from the top page at the official Studio Ghibli site (in
Japanese) or CD Japan (in English).
Studio Ghibli announced that the NHK's program "Seikatsu Hot Morning" will air a 50 minutes long interview with Hayao Miyazaki from 8:30 AM to 9:25 AM on February 24. It is the first time that he guides the museum on TV. Ghibli says "It becomes valuable 50 minutes."
According to Goro Miyazaki's February 21 blog, 18 years old girl Aoi Teshima sings "A song of Theru" in the trailer. He also announced that he will write about why he became a director and thoughts about the relationship with his father. (Partially covered in the blog's Prologue)
According to the February 17 production diary, 326 of 1,235 (26%) cuts of Gedo Senki were completed.
Details of production situation:
(According to the February 15 production diary)
Layout: 1,218 of 1,235 (99%) cuts completed.
Goro did the layout of 402 (33%) cuts
Key animation: 790 (64%) cuts
Animation: 458 (37%) cuts
Background paintings: 468 (38%) cuts
Ghibli World has news about the re-opening of the "Totoro House" in the Aichi prefecture.
Takahata is the guest of honor at
Anima 2006 in Brussels. Questions for the director can be sent to Ghibli World for possible submission.
Thanks to Fumio Saku Takeuchi, T.Ishikawa, Peter van der Lugt, and Werner Geeroms for the news.
February 16, 2006 "Howl" Nominated for a Saturn
The Saturn Awards are issued by the Academy of Science Fiction Fantasy and Horror Films.
Howl's Moving Castle is nominated in the Best Animated Film catagory along with Chicken Little, Corpse Bride, Hoodwinked, Madagascar, and Wallace and Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit.
Thanks to Daniel Zelter for the news.
February 14, 2006 "Tales from Earthsea" Voice Cast
From Ghibli World via Sanspo comes word of the main voice cast for Tales from Earthsea.
Ged will be voiced by Bunta Sugawara (72) who also did the voice of Kamaji in "Spirited Away".
Junichi Okada (25) will play Prince Arren. He's best known for his involvement with the singing group V6.
February 13, 2006 Studio Ghibli Museum News
Information about "THE DAY I HARVESTED A STAR", a short film screening at the Studio Ghibli Museum has been posted at Ghibli World.
Thanks to Peter van der Lugt for the news.
February 9, 2006 Film Screenings Around the World
Cineworld in the UK are showing Howl's Moving Castle and Spirited Away on Saturday mornings at 10am in their "Movies for Juniors" slot. The cost for juniors is 1 pound, no-one over 12 is allowed without a child.
The Madison Cinematheque at the University of Wisconsin will be screening Kiki's Delivery Service on April 29 at 7:30pm with a 35mm print (Japanese audio/English subtitles).
Thanks to Tony Shaddock abd William Meyer for the news.
February 8, 2006 NTV Miyazaki Interview
Ghibli World now has the complete NTV Miyazaki interview mentioned in the previous news article.
It's not subtitled but does contain more footage of the new Studio Ghibli Museum shorts.
Thanks to Peter van der Lugt for the news.
February 6, 2006 TV Coverage of the Studio Ghibli Museum and Miyazaki
Catsuka is hosting a clip from NHK's "Ohayo Nippon" that shows footage of the new Studio Ghibli Museum shorts. The file is also mirrored at Ghibli World.
A news clip about Miyazaki aired on NTV. It covered his work cleaning a forest called Fuchi no Mori in a place over Higashi Murayama city in Tokyo, and Tokorozawa city in Saitama. Miyazaki lives nearby and established the fund in order to protect the forest from housing development ten years ago. He annually helps in the cleanup effort with other residents.
Thanks to T. Ishikawa and Peter van der Lugt for the news.
February 5, 2006 "Howl's Moving Castle" Shutout at the Annie Awards
The 33rd Annual Annie Awards were swept by "Wallace and Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit" which won in 10 catagories including Best Animated Feature.
The winner of the Best Animated Feature Annie has gone on to win the Best Animated Feature Oscar every year.
February 2, 2006 News from Japan
Britain's ITV1 The South Bank Show on February 19 will focus on anime and manga with at least a mention of Miyazaki.
Studio Ghibli announced that NHK's "Ohayo Nippon" will air an interview with Miyazaki about the new museum shorts around 7:45 AM, February 6. A part of the film is also introduced a bit.
Watch Impress reports that Buena Vista has announced a Blu-ray Disc lineup and Buena Vista Japan DVD campaign related to films released this year. Gedo Senki (Tales from Earthsea) is included in this campaign, however, the content of the campaign was not announced.
According to this picture, three million hits were recorded on December 13 when Studio Ghibli new website opened. This picture says "January 13", but it might be a mistake because it is written "the first day".
Toshio Suzuki makes a reference to Gedo Senki in "The History of Ghibli" section of the Studio Ghibli website: "The challenge in the production of Gedo Senki is a cost cut. Previous Ghibli film needed about 18 months for the drawing. This may be a reckless challenge, but it is the important thing to improve high cost constitution of Ghibli. The success or failure of this film will control the future of Ghibli."
Animation work began on September 6. Perhaps Gedo Senki will be completed in May. Therefore, production cost is largely reduced.
Thanks to T. Ishikawa for the news.
February 2, 2006 "Howl" News Bits
Yahoo! Asia News covers the Japanese film industry for 2005 and notes that Howl's Moving Castle earned 19.6 billion yen and the number one spot for box office totals.
The Hollywood Reporter has an article about the nominees for Best Animated Feature Film. Choice quote:
---
Bill Kroyer, governor of the Academy's animation branch, said the group isn't swayed by the popular vote at the boxoffice.
"The branch is not choosing movies because of commercial popularity or financial success," he said. "They're choosing because of the art of animation and what is being done to extend the medium from the animator's viewpoint."
---
Thanks to Daniel Zelter for the news.
