Ima, kore ga hoshiin da! - Anime Expo Tease

Anime conventions tend to be the ultimate tease for most fans. We are bombarded with images and sounds that won't make their way to television or store release for at least another 6 months. For a lot of fans, this is where they first encounter many of the current titles airing in Japan. For others, this is a time to collect memorabilia from the shows they've only heard about.

Not to be out done by shear word of mouth is the tease of company's acquisition announcements. Rumors and speculation run rampant before any major show with a slew of titles that everyone knows will be announced. Some companies are right up front and spill the beans right at the beginning of the . Others wait until the end of the to share the wealth. There is also the occasional slip of the tongue when a company announces that they are currently pursuing a property. Mahoromatic in the line up as well.

What's always amazing is the number of titles not announced as acquired. With the embarrassment of a company saying they are after a particular title then not getting it, many companies remain quiet about the really popular titles. No one has laid claim to Read or Die creative team.

Other companies take this time to announce the current status of many of their popular titles. Viz mentioned that Initial D shown on air as well. It was also mentioned that many changes made to character names of the show were done to make it more marketable.

Next up on any true Anime fan's list are the screenings. Read or Die got a lot of screen time in the viewing rooms, with Shōji Kawamori quick to promote his latest work provided a lot of insight into the creation of the series. The basic premise is about a young girl that dies, and then comes back to life understanding that the Earth is dying. It is now her mission to try and save the world from the pollution and other environmental disasters that are occurring. Having the complete first episode on a disk will definitely give the fans a chance to decide whether they will rush out to buy the series.

Not to be outdone, Columbia/Tristar provided a 35mm version of the Cowboy Bebop movie. This version was the subtitled version, so rumors still abound whether or not the original English cast is involved with the movie. Despite equipment problems, the movie looked gorgeous. Fans were on their feet as the familiar faces of the Bebop as well as many of the show's standard side characters worked their way through this new adventure. For the purists out there, don't fear, as the movie doesn't appear to have been through any unusual editing for the overly sensitive political correct police.

Overall, the Anime Expo did not disappoint. Many fan favorites have found homes with many North American distributors, and should be making their way to stores in the next year. Other lesser-known shows caught everyone's attention and should make their way on the acquisitions scene soon. For those who want it now, there was little to do but sit back and wait. Companies did their best to assure the fans that fan favorite titles would be in their hands shortly. Others were able to satisfy their desires with the screenings, while others were satisfied with the purchase of original un-translated Japanese Manga.

So now it's a waiting game as a whole new set of titles fill my "I want it now" list!