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With strong competition from 2004's big success story MVM, alongside the resurgent Manga Entertainment and Beez, ADV Films certainly have their work cut out to remain the biggest UK distributor in 2005. However, one look at their release schedule for the first quarter of the year shows they have no intention of falling behind their rivals. The focus for the start of the year is very firmly on new titles, with the charge being led by the highly anticipated nuns n' demons actioner Chrono Crusade (main pic, above) and the highly anticipated Neon Genesis Evangelion: Platinum Edition - a remastered version of the seminal series that has had fans drooling in the US.
ADV aren't stopping there. Last year a number of new acquisitions were announced, and ADV have already confirmed January releases for GetBackers (a series about two people who use their strange special powers to recover lost or stolen items) and Gad Guard (a series about a magical stone that turns into a mech when possessed by someone with strong spiritual energy), as well as the continuation of such popular titles as Magical Shopping Arcade Abenobashi, Slayers and Rune Soldier. However, February is the one many are waiting for as it sees the release of the aforementioned Evangelion Platinum, alongside further volumes of other quality titles like Azumanga Daioh, Last Exile and Kino's Journey, whilst Chrono Crusade follows in March.
Other new titles confirmed for next year include the insane
Excel Saga spin off Puni Puni Poemy, the action packed Mezzo,
the ultra-violent New Fist of the North Star, feature length mech drama RahXephon The Movie and the supernatural
battling pop idols of Aquarian Age. However, we also wouldn't be
surprised to see the likes of Full Metal Panic! spinoff Full Metal
Panic? Fumoffu! and split personality actioner D N Angel in 2005, and a number of other
titles - such as cyberspace actioner Bastof Syndrome, classic mech series
Aura Battler Dunbine and the light hearted Soul Taker spinoff
Nurse Witch Kogumi - are also possibilities. Our Opinion With MVM breathing down their necks ADV Films
look to cement their position as the UK's biggest anime distributor with a
deluge of new titles. Unlike many of their competitors ADV's title
list for 2005 consists entirely of anime released in the last couple of years in
Japan, in fact some titles are still being released in the US!! ADV's
strategy is very forward thinking and it further reduces the gap between the UK
and US, which is no bad thing, and it will be interesting to see what titles
they have in store for the latter half of the year. They are taking some
risks though - people may not have heard of many of their upcoming releases and
as well as licensing the 49 episode long Get Backers they have also
licensed some potentially controversial titles in the shape of New Fist of
the North Star and Elfen Lied. However, we think that these are
both good signs that ADV Films and the UK market has grown enough to
support long series and are big enough to not be defined by controversy.
Consumers here will only benefit from this in the future. New Titles Confirmed For Release in 2005 Aquarian Age (TBC) Chrono Crusade (21st March) Gad Guard (17th January) GetBackers (17th January) Mezzo (TBC) Neon Genesis Evangelion: Platinum Edition (21st February) New Fist of the North Star (TBC) Puni Puni Poemy (TBC) RahXephon The Movie (21st February) Other Possibilities Aura Battler Dunbine - Classic mech series |
