Japanese town of Washimiya estimates that the Lucky Star anime has brought over one billion yen (~ US$11 million) into the local economy after the town’s main shrine, the Washinomiya Shrine, was featured in the popular anime in 2007.
The full economic impact of Lucky Star cannot be determined for certain; but the sales of related goods alone have been pegged at 70 million yen.
Visitors during the New Year’s holidays (Japanese would traditionally visit a shrine) increased from 90,000 in 2007 to 450,000 in 2010; that’s plenty of tourism money for a small town with less than 40,000 of population. LUCKY star indeed.
[via Animenewsnetwork][image by Hideki][Jp]
Former Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi has found himself a new job… as a voice actor for an upcoming live-action Ultraman movie.
The full title of the film is Giant Monster Battle: Ultra Galactic Legend The Movie, to be precise lol.
Koizumi will lend his voice as the Ultraman King, an ancient Legendary Hero in the Ultra family. The film will open in Japan on December 12.
Koizumi is one of the most of popular postwar Prime Ministers in Japan. He retired in 2006, and the political arena has been in chaos ever since. The current PM Yukio Hatoyama, amazingly, is Koizumi’s 4th successor in just over three years.
[via Animenewsnetwork and Japanprobe]
After the highly popular life-size 18-metre Gundam model in Tokyo, another giant Japanese robot statue, the Tetsujin 28-go (lit. Iron Man #28), is set to welcome its visitors in Kobe following its completion earlier this week.
Tetsujin 28 was created in 1956 by Kobe-born Mitsuteru Yokoyama; it was one of the earliest giant robot characters in Japanese manga. The comic was later adapted into anime series and was aired in US as well, retitled as the Gigantor.
The Tetsujin 28 statue is located at Kobe’s Wakamatsu Park. It’s similar in height with the Gundam statue, but doesn’t have moving parts like the Tokyo counterpart. The Kobe robot is built as a permanent structure though, whereas the Gundam was disassembled after two months of exhibition.
If the trend keeps going, we might be seeing dozens of giant robot models across Japan in future… pretty fitting tourist attraction for the #1 robotic nation lol.
[image from the project's official website [Jp]]
Guinness World Records have officially recognised Yu-Gi-Oh! as the top selling trading card game of all time with more than 22.5 billion cards sold since its introduction a decade ago.
Yu-Gi-Oh! was first created as a manga by Kazuki Takahashi in 1996 before spawning into a huge franchise, which includes anime series, video & online games, and trading card games etc.
The collectible card game is developed and published by Konami since 1999; more about the game on Wiki [image from Yugioh-card]
Two Toyama based animation studios, P.A. Works and The Berich have created some short animes to promote Toyama tourism, based on the theme “Tear Bringing Toyama Prefecture”.
Sharing here are videos from P.A. Works; three short stories about love, friendship and family; with Mt Tateyama, Toyama Bay, and Gokayama as backdrop.
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A life-sized 18m Gundam model was assembled at Odaiba Island in Tokyo to mark the 30th anniversary of “Mobile Suit Gundam”, the very first Gundam anime series which evolved into a highly successful franchise over the years…
The real scale Gundam can do a few simple tricks, no big deal… but the details of the model itself is still pretty impressive.
The Gundam is going to be displayed for only two months unfortunately, it could turn to be Tokyo’s new tourist attraction if it’s kept for a much longer period.
Video via Akibahobby; check out some of their pics [Jp] as well.
Animax Asia is set to make the world’s first same-time simulcast of an anime TV series with “Tears to Tiara”, premiering on April 6th simultaneously (same day, same time) to the series’ 1.35am (Tokyo) debut in Japan [more on Animax]
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Korean actress Jun Ji-hyun, or Gianna Jun, is kicking off the promotion campaign for her supposedly Hollywood debut movie “Blood: The Last Vampire”, a live action adaptation of the same title Japanese anime film.
Jun is beginning her promotion in Japan where the movie will make its global premier on May 29th (titled as “Last Blood” in Japan). The actress looks pretty cool in the stills, but things are not doing too well for the film at the moment.
There’s not much buzz created for the movie; and the trailer (British version) looks kinda disappointing… seems like it would have to rely on Jun’s fans and the original anime’s fans to support the box office.
But, as compared to the likes of “Dragonball” and “Chun Li”, the Blood anime probably doesn’t have a similarly huge fan-base to begin with. And if there’s no other attractions being pulled out in the next few weeks… things are not looking good.
The movie will be released in Europe in mid-June, but the US release date has not yet been set, which could be another huge concern. In worst case scenario, the US distributor might turn it into a DVD release if it’s not doing well in other markets… I wonder if it could still be called a Hollywood debut for Jun if it happens.
Best of luck to Jun Ji-hyun, because she really needs some luck for the film.
[Update] Sony Pictures has acquired the US rights for the movie; Gianna is getting a Hollywood debut after all.
