Anime Unleashed on TechTV

da3dAlus writes "Beginning December 30, the first series of a new anime block will start on TechTV's new "Anime Unleashed" program. As billed by TechTV, "Anime Unleashed focuses on the science-fiction elements of anime--titles that imagine what our near or far future will be like, investigate the relationship between humans and machines, dream of what alien civilizations could be like, and more." The block will premiere with single half-hour episodes airing Monday through Thursday at 1am EST, followed by a two-hour block of anime on Friday from 11pm to 2am EST. Some of the series slated to be shown include Crest of the Stars, Serial Experiment Lain, Dual! Parallel Trouble Adventure, Betterman, and Silent Mobius. Additionally, a contest is being held until the first of January 2003 by TechTV to create a new logo for the program."

Comments

Re:by definition...

[Anonymous Coward]

Actually, it doesn't. I watch about 40+ shows a year, and have no specific genre that i love, and i can guarantee you that most of anime is indeed not sci-fi.. some of the shows i'm currently watching that are NOT sci-fi:

noir
witch hunter robin
hikaru no go
demon eyes kyo
kare kano
naruto
fruits basket
rurouni kenshin
el hazard
chobits

there's more but i can't be bothered to come up with all at the moment.. yeah so there's lots of fantasy there.. =p

Of course, there's some sci-fi too that i'm currently watching, like:
dot hack slash sign
nadesico
scryed
outlaw star
ghost in the shell standalone complex
rahxephon
turn a gundam

yeah so i watch a lot of shows at once, but then again sometimes i can take months with just ONE series hehe

some good anime

[dav]

Serial Experiment Lain is one of the best productions of any sort that I've seen in a long time. I actually have not seen the entire series yet, but I think it is a fantastic example of cutting edge animation, and so far not a single tentacle rape scene! Tivo has been sporadically grabbing Lain episodes for me for awhile now, I might have to look into getting Tech TV just for that.

I also have come to enjoy Cowby Bebop. It's an odd mixture of sci-fi anime, westerns and late 50's jazz beat. There's a lot more to anime than what I had assumed at first. There's a lot of potential in this artistic medium that is only now surfacing in The States.

Re:It's good thing...

[Golias]

Fan service on Trigun??? The only two regular female characters are always wearing heavy dusters over loose clothing.

Cowboy Bebop is also not terribly gratuitous. Yes, Fay Valentine dresses and acts kind of slutty when she is working her cons, but that's just following the "lovely pickpocket" that goes back to Lauren Bacall in "To Have or Have Not." It serves the story, not just young perverts looking for cartoon T&A.

Re:Yeah, Sure...

[LostCluster]

In Canada, cable networks must get a license from the CRTC in order to operate, and those licenses must be specific in describing the format of the network.

TechTV Canada asked for a license based on the TechTV of 2001, which was entirely a news and infomation channel. Therefore, they declared that TechTV Canada would be entirely nonfiction programming, mainly drawing on the TechTV content from the USA, with a few additonal Canadian-made shows to satisfy the CanCon rules.

Therefore, when TechTV USA realized that the all-day TechLive format wasn't going to survive, the flagship network could change directions without having to ask for permission. Canada couldn't, so they're stuck replaying what nonfiction the USA group is producing over and over again to fill their day.

In order for Thunderbirds, Max Headroom, or Anime Unleashed to make it to Canada, they need to clear that regulartory hurdle first.

Anime == Geek culture

[MamasGun]

Actually I think that this new Anime bloc on TechTV is great. I have been waiting for someone to pick up Serial Experiments: Lain, and was actually hoping that MTV would be the ones to do it. However, TechTV is a great venue for this to show up on. Lain in particular is all about the same stuff that is TechTV's stock in trade: it's all about people's place in a world of accelerating technology.

Now if they'd pick up .hack...that would rock. Plenty of room for the kind of synergies they love there, especially when you consider that Sony is putting out a translated .hack MMRPG this coming year. Extended Play, anyone? .hack on The Screensavers' LAN Party (powered by NVidia)? It would be a suit's dream.

I'd also like to see Excel Saga there, but I doubt it would fit the TechTV format. Actually I can't think of a cable channel off-hand where it would fit. Comedy Central? Too wild for them. Sundance? IFC? Maybe there, but I've never seen Anime on either. Oh well.