www.theRealmCast.com – Welcome to the Realm Cast

by: the Moleman (aka George Cordero)

Well folks we’re excited to be covering Anime Expo for our first time ever. I’d like to think we’ve covered every aspect of our geeky lifestyle. To date we’ve covered Comic-Con for nearly a decade now, Wizard World (Chicago & tour), DragonCon, G.I. Joe Convention, Stargate Con, Star Trek Cons, etc. It would seem though that due to the surge in popularity that anime has endured over the past several years we have been missing one of the biggest aspects of our lifestyle. So tomorrow myself and the members of the Realm toys will hit the L.A. Convention Center in full force to bring you all the fun stuff from AX2009. Stay tuned and expect daily recaps, audio interviews, a huge gallery giving you the experience of actually being there.

by: the Moleman

Nation¹s Largest Anime and Manga Convention Launches Official Convention Video Coverage Site With New Videos in Anticipation of Upcoming Event

Anaheim, California (June 21, 2009) ‹ Anime Expo® 2009 launches the convention¹s official video coverage site, AXBackstage, of the nation¹s largest anime and manga convention held July 2-5, 2009 at the Los Angeles Convention Center. (more…)

by Cesar Aguirre-

As the title says.. Leave it to the Japanese!  These are the people that have those claw games that instead of catching a stuffed animal, you can catch a live lobster for dinner!  Well, these same people go to great distances sometimes for what they love.  And they love them some GUNDAM.

(more…)

by Chris Eaton-

Some exciting news coming out of Anime Expo.  We here at THE REALM TOYS will have full coverage on the site during and after.  Can’t wait.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

ANIME EXPO® 2009 ANNOUNCES EARTHIAN, YOUSEI JIKEN, MOBILE SUIT GUNDAM 00 AND
LOVELESS MANGA ARTIST/CHARACTER DESIGNER AS AN OFFICIAL GUEST OF HONOR (more…)

by Chris Eaton-

Well, its official!  We here at the Realm Toys will be pimpin it at ANIME EXPO this year!  It’ll be part of our EXTENSIVE Con coverage this summer, which will ramp up this week with a report on BOT CON.
Until then, enjoy this sweet ad for ANIME EXPO 2009 and check out www.anime-expo.com for info if you plan on being in the LA area in July.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

ANIME EXPO® ANNOUNCES GURREN LAGGAN DIRECTOR AND CHARACTER DESIGNER AS 2009
GUESTS OF HONOR

Celebrated Talents Imaishi and Nishigori to Attend Nation¹s Largest Anime
and Manga Convention

Anaheim, California (May 26, 2009) ‹ 12th Animation Kobe Director Award
winner, Hiroyuki Imaishi and 7th Annual Tokyo International Anime Award
recipient, Atsushi Nishigori, are now announced as official Anime Expo® 2009
Guests of Honor at the nation¹s largest anime and manga convention held July
2-5, 2009 at the Los Angeles Convention Center. More information can be
found on the website www.anime-expo.org <http://www.anime-expo.org> .

After graduating from Tama Art University, Mr. Hiroyuki Imaishi, was hired
as an animator for the Gainax Company, Limited. His first work was the
animation that many critics considered a social phenomenon NEON GENESIS
EVANGELION. Since then, Mr. Imaishi has worked on storyboards and as art
directors for such hit anime series as HIS AND HER CIRCUMSTANCES and FLCL.
Mr. Imaishi made his directorial debut with the OVA DEAD LEAVES. Mr.
Imaishi has also worked on RE: CUTEY HONEY and TENGEN TOPPA GURREN LAGGAN
franchise. Mr. Imaishi was also the recipient of the 12th Animation Kobe
Director¹s Award.

Character designer Mr. Atsushi Nishigori has worked on many titles including
MAHOROMATIC, THIS UGLY YET BEAUTIFUL WORLD, HE IS MY MASTER, OVER THE TOP! 2
and serves as the character animation director for the TENGEN TOPPA GURREN
LAGGAN franchise. Mr. Nishigori was also the recipient of 7th Annual Tokyo
International Anime Awards¹ Individual Character Design Award category.

Mr. Imaishi and Mr. Nishigori join Daisuke Ishiwatari, Yosuke Kuroda,
Toshimichi Mori, Morning Musume, Yasuhiro Nightow, Satoshi Nishimura and
Kari Wahlgren as official Anime Expo® 2009 Guests of Honor.

Attendees, Press and Industry Members are also encouraged to view the video
coverage site of the 2008 convention at www.AXBackstage.org
<http://www.AXBackstage.org> .

Red & Black Sponsors include: FUNimation, Silver Sponsors include: Anime
News Network and Digital Manga Press, Patron Sponsors include: COPIC,
Central Park Media and The Right Stuf, Media Sponsors include: ImaginAsian
TV, Animation Magazine, Anime Insider Magazine, Anime News Network and UTB
Hollywood.

About Anime Expo®
Located in Los Angeles, California – Anime Expo®, the nation¹s largest
anime/manga convention, serves to foster trade, commerce and the interests
of the general public and animation/ comics industry. This event serves as a
key meeting place for the general public to express their interest and
explore various aspects of anime/manga, as well as for members of the
industry to conduct business. AX 2009 will be held July 2 ­ July 5, 2009 at
the Los Angeles Convention Center in Southern California. More information
can be found at its website (www.anime-expo.org).

About Society for the Promotion of Japanese Animation
The Society for the Promotion of Japanese Animation (SPJA) is a non-profit
organization with a mission to popularize and educate the American public
about anime and manga, as well as provide a forum to facilitate
communication between professionals and fans. This organization is more
popularly known by its entertainment property ­ Anime Expo®. More
information can be found at its website (www.spja.org <http://www.spja.org>

by: The Moleman

Check out the trailer for Blood: The Last Vampire. This thing looks sick. It’s got vampires & demons and Crouching Tiger style fighting & swordplay. Thank you Far East for helping birth a REAL vampire movie instead of that Twilight crap we had a few months ago… oh God- I just threw up in my mouth a little bit.

…stupid Twilight

Below are the posters released so far.

by Cesar Aguirre-

It seems that WB is giving the anime adaption another try.  The unfortunate failed experiment that was the superb SPEED RACER  didn’t hamper the outlook on anime properties to be adapted.

So Warner Brothers is going to go with something a bit fresher in the minds of the anime community with an American remake to DEATH NOTE.

For those unaware, Death Note revolves around a intellectual  high school student named Light.  While walking home one day he finds a notebook on the ground.  Inside the book is a instruction manual and blank pages explaining that anyone in possession of said book can kill any person they want by writing their name in the book and the fate in which they die.  When the true owner of the book, a Shinigami or Death God, named Ryuk reveals himself to Light, he informs him that he can use the book to his hearts desire and that he’ll be hanging around to watch the outcome for entertainment value.  This leads Light to become a sort of worshiped vigilante named Kira.  Light begins plans to rule as leader of a crime free world, until an international detective genius named simply L starts to unravel Kira’s true identity and lead to Lights possible capture.

The series is very cat and mouse, with Light and L dueling each other in a battle of wits. It has already been made into an anime series that aired on Adult Swim last year, and into 3 movies in Japan: Death Note, Death Note; the last name, and L Change the World.

This latest adaption will hue closer to the mangas, apparently lifted from the first 3 volumes.

Personally, I’m not really sure how WB is going to market this thing. It has a  very large following, but the concept is a bit out there, and how the general public will take to it is really unknown.

Charley and Vlas Parlapanides (”War of the Gods”) will adapt the script. Roy Lee, Brian Witten, Dan Lin and Doug Davison will produce.

No release date has been announced as of yet.