Presentation PA #56

No longer a science fiction?!? Here in Canada, all Canadian TV stations have been reporting about Julie Payette, a Quebecoise astronaut from Montreal, and the interest toward the Space itself is greater! It has been 20 years since Mr. Yoshiyuki Tomino first came out and created the first episode of Mobile Suit Gundam. In those days, we felt it was all fiction story based on scientific aspects. Now, it really doesn't seem to be such a far-away future, and in fact, the space is getting really closer to us, I think! According to an interview article of Mr. Takeyasu Yoshioka, vice-president of JEM Project team of NASDA in Japan, Japan is working on artificial gravity generator for the International Space Station -- that Japan is builduing with USA, Canada, Europe & Russia. This station will be floating 400 km above the Earth's ground. In fact, two modules of that station are already in position. Gundam was set in "the space-century", and it had the artificial gravity by centrifugal force. We all thought 20 years ago that it was fiction. Now, Japan is making it! Little did I dream such a thing could come true in space! This is no longer a science fictionÉit's science "reality"! In 19th Century, could people ever dream of what we have today, like rockets, space station, planes, and computers, so I do not wish to say that life in space is impossible, but next century would be quite different and also exciting to use space as a matter of fact. When science fiction writers talked about "Space Colony", we thought it was fiction, but maybe it might not be a fiction any longer in the 21st century, when people start using space commercially. I even heard that Hilton Hotel was thinking about building an hotel on the moon in the 21st Century. And to this day, I still remember clearly when I interviewed Director Hideaki Anno (Evangelion) at Anime Expo several years ago: "Mr. Anno, if you had time & money, where would you like to travel, Sir?" I expected the answer like, well, somewhere on earth, say, the USA, China, South America, or Africa... but his answer was: "Of course, SPACE! The Universe is unlimited! I'd love to jump in the space shuttle and travel all over the universe!" Well, I do hope his wish would come true during our lifetime. And yes, if or when the space becomes "profitable", people will go in space more & more for sure and even live there!

By the way, we would like to hear from our readers more often, to let us know what anime & manga works you like, how you feel, your favorites heroes & heroines, your favorites model kits, games etc. Please keep in touch with us; it would help us to cover the stuff you want. We are always doing our best to offer you more informations!

Miyako Matsuda

This summer issue is light (only 60 pages), but no less full of interesting contents. It is offering you three spotlights and two Anime Stories. The first spotlight (8 pages including overview, character files and synopses) covers the TV series of RECORD OF LODOSS WAR, that USMC will start releasing in August. The second spotlight (7 pages) presents a little known, strange, but quite interesting OVA series: JOJO'S BIZARRE ADVENTURE. Despite that fact that it is unlikely that it will ever be release, it is a series that is worth knowing. The last spotlight (6 pages) covers the second season of MAGIC KNIGHT RAYEARTH. The first season was presented in PA#44 and Media Blasters will start releasing it in September. Manga Entertainment will also release the RAYEARTH OVA in Fall.

In this issue, our Anime Stories are introducing you to two anime titles: NEORANGA (that was shown on Japanese TV as part of Anime Complex) and STEAM DETECTIVES (based on Kia Asamiya's manga). This issue is also presenting two companies: the anime releaser Urban Vision (with a short corporate history and a list of their released titles) and the video game releaser Himeya Soft (with a review of five of their games). Finally, this issue offers a report on the Animazement convention, Anime Under Fire Part 13, Anime Trivia! Part 2, and our usual reviews (manga, live-action movies & anime) and news! Enjoy!

Claude J. Pelletier