Ghibli’s latest may take while to reach States

Anime productions from Studio Ghibli have always had a cachet here in the United States. The last two films to make it stateside, "Spirited Away" and "Howl's Moving Castle," garnered Oscar nominations for best animated feature ... and who can deny the inherent cuddliness of the Totoros?

It stands to reason, then, that the studio's latest release, "Gedo Senki" or "Tales from Earthsea," about an arch mage and a prince battling an evil sorcerer, would be anticipated here as well. Maybe not highly anticipated -- the first film from Goro Miyazaki, son of acclaimed filmmaker Hayao Miyazaki, received lukewarm reviews in Japan, along with criticism from "Earthsea" series author Ursula Le Guin about the liberties taken with her work. But it was still the top-grossing film in Japan this summer.

How the film would fare in America, though, probably won't be known for several years because of a 2004 Sci Fi Channel "Earthsea" miniseries. As Guin told the New York Times in a recent interview, "Miyazaki's movie won't be shown as long as the Sci Fi Channel people sit on their rights, which they have until '09, unless they decide to stop being a dog in the manger."

Better pop some popcorn and watch all the Ghibli movies already out on DVD again; it could be a while before another localized film debuts on our fair shores ...

Random plugging

It might not be anime, but one of ADV's latest releases, the three-volume, live-action "Vermilion Pleasure Night," is one of those series that has to be seen to be believed.

Take the always off-center Japanese sense of humor and add in liberal doses of sexuality and pop-art sensibility, and you might start getting an idea of what "Vermilion" offers.

It's the kind of variety show that will either delight or repulse viewers. This one's for adult audiences only ...

Cel Shaded, a look at the world of Japanese anime and manga, appears every Monday. Reach Jason S. Yadao at jyadao@starbulletin.com