Karas - Tatsunoko's 40th anniversary project - has been teased in this column for months now, and after finally seeing the first episode, it has become evident that the series has lived up to its hype. This is one hell of a good-looking piece of animated work, and pretty much blows all other recent work out of the water. The opening credits alone, with titles cleverly blending into an ongoing battle between two characters as they weave through the sky, plunges you head-first into an animated world that is a joy to watch.

After a bit of story exposition (a future Tokyo littered with violence), the energy amps up again, at a pace that is consistently thrilling to watch. There really is something different about the way 2D and CG are mixed together to create a sense of speed and disorientation whenever the protagonist - our man Karas - is in action. Tatsunoko has been clear about the fact that this is a big-budget project, and it truly shows.

The series is set to be released over 6 volumes, each DVD coming out on a monthly schedule. The first episode came out at the end of May, but the second volume has already been delayed, with no release date in sight.

If you've passed in front of the KDDI Designing Studio in Harajuku recently, you might have noticed a trailer for an animated short film called Kakurenbo being projected on the building's giant screen. Kakurenbo translates as hide-and-seek, and this 30-minute OVA release certainly looks like a nice little piece of creep/horror. Featured in a host of festivals (Tokyo International Fantastic Film Festival, Onedotzero), it marks a nice start for the very independent (they count only 2 members) Yamatoworks studio. The DVD was released at the end of June.

Last month's release of the Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam: A New Translation film (Kidou Senshi Z Gundam: Hoshi wo Tsugu Mono) broke daily box office records at some of the theaters it debuted in, including Tokyo's Cine Libre Ikebukuro and Shinjuku Joy Cinema. Just goes to show that Gundam fandom will never die.

Although it remains to be seen whether there's any life left to wring out of the Highlander franchise, a new anime-style film, Highlander: Vengeance, is set for release sometime next year. Produced by the folks at Madhouse (Ninja Scroll, Metropolis, Paranoia Agent, the Patlabor films) and directed by Yoshiaki Kawajiri (Ninja Scroll, Vampire Hunter D, Animatrix), the film once again follows our favorite Scottish immortal, Colin MacLeod, in a story that sees a submerged New York, and the hero's continued quest to avenge the death of his lover. A trailer is now online, and it looks rather nice.

As the series that debuted in the Spring are winding down, it's time to get ready for the start of a few new ones, with the most promising probably being Gun X Sword. From the trailer that can be viewed on the series' official site, it looks like we can expect some very nice eye candy, with character designs and a look that recall Cowboy Bebop (which is not a bad thing at all). The story description is very cryptic though, so it remains to be seen whether the storyline will be engaging enough to match the visuals. The series premiered July 4 (following this column's deadline, so no review), and will continue to air Mondays at 25:30 on TV Tokyo.

If you just can't wait for the upcoming Production I.G. Blood+ series to start (see last month's column), you'll probably be happy to learn that three related but separate manga series are scheduled to debut this month in three different anothology magazines: Beans Ace Magazine, Monthly Shonen Ace, and Ciel Magazine.

The first season of the Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex series was a mix of standalone (lame pun obviously not intended) episodes, and the season-long "Laughing Man" storyline. This Fall will see a special cut of that storyline, to be released as a two-disc set. This re-compilation will come in at 140 minutes, and will feature some newly animated scenes.

Fans of Leiji Matsumoto's classic Galaxy Express 999 are either going to be intrigued by the following, or fall down and start crying: director Jeff Lau is behind a sci-fi kung-fu film adaptation of the series, called Galactic Princess, starring a host of Hong Kong film regulars (like Sammo Hung and Gordon Liu). Consider this writer in the latter category.

In need of some new anime entertainment for your PSP (and too lazy to convert the anime you already own into PSP-ready video files)? The next couple of months will see the following UMD (the PSP's disc format) releases: Ghost in the Shell, Blood: The Last Vampire, Ninja Scroll, Akira, and some more episodes of Samurai Champloo.

BusinessWeek recently published a fascinating report on the business side of anime, which can be read online (see the data section for the link to the article). It's definitely an eye-opener, especially the bits concerning the salaries a typical animator in Japan can expect to make. It's a wonder the industry can survive, and continue to expand - if you look at the number of titles being released, you certainly get the feeling that the industry is currently on a high.

The Gonzo studio onslaught continues, with the release of trailers for a few new projects: the beautifully animated film Gin-iro no Kami no Agito, and the Solty Rei TV series.

This month sees the airing of Lupin III's annual TV special, which is always a welcomed Summer treat. Angel Tactics (Tenshi no Sakurakyu Takutikusu) brings our favorite thief to Nevada's Area 51, where plenty of hijinks will surely ensue, with appearances by the usual cast of Lupin regulars. The 2-hour movie will air July 22 on NTV at 21:00.