Patlabor wraps up 1997 for Animerica with the cover feature: “Anime Robots, Manga Heroes. Mecha in Manga”
Highlights:
Review of Neon Genesis Evangelion Volume 8 of 13. Yes 13 VHS volumes for the series. 2 episodes a tape. That’s the way it was and you had to like it or else.
CPM’s US Manga Corps advertises another title that time has forgotten: Yotoden – Chronicle of the Warlord Period. At least the art design for their ads have improved.
Their new tagline is “Central Park Media – The First Name in Japanese Animation.”
I don’t get ADV’s headline for Sol Bianca “Five Young Women Against an Entire Solar System…The Odds Are About Even” Their ad also had the statement “Voted North America’s BEST ORIGINAL VIDEO ANIMATION Release*” The asterisk text is really small an in the lower left hand side. The award was given at Anime Expo – in 1993. Attendance that year according to Wikipedia’s AX page was 1,693 attendees.
ADV’s tagline is “Animation for a New Generation!”
If VIZ was still selling Maison Ikkoku merchandise today, I would buy a Piyo Piyo shirt.
So this issue in December 1997. What a perfect time for the Swimsuit fan art section. Featured anime fan art includes Shampoo, Tuxedo Mask, Ranma -girl type and -boy type, Ryoga, and Misato from Evangelion.
The retail ads showcase a good Gap ad parody involving Shinji, Asuka and Rei. Also, this might be AnimeNation’s first ad.
Was Legend of the Crystals (based on Final Fantasy) from Urban Vision any good?
I chuckled at VIZ’s J-Pop ad. The first letters they highlighted spelled AMV PJ.
I want to thank you very much for scanning the ads and articles from these mags. Im 24 years old and I missed out on a lot of the early 90’s otaku culture. My fandom began in 1999 when Toonami was awesome between 4-530PM lol. I really enjoy looking through these ads and reading your commentary on the top. I look forward to more.