Welcome to Gaia! ::

Tokyo International Anime Fair 2008
（TAF）

What is TAF?
TAF is a business fair that bares little resemblance to what most fans would call an Anime Convention. It is, essentially, an event that seeks to bring animation companies together to discuss the industry as well as show each other what their upcoming projects are. It also offers up and coming animators to make them selves known to the animation business world. The first two days of the event were strictly for business relations while the last two days were open to everyone, featuring concerts, symposiums as well as an Anime Awards ceremony.

For more information, check out what the Governor of Tokyo and the President of the Association of Japanese Animations have to say concerning the event.

Who was there?
A very long list of animation producers, mostly from all around Asia, had booths set up inside the 3rd East Hall of Tokyo’s Big Score. Big names in the industry, like Studio Ghibli, Gonzo, Aniplex, Gainex, Geneon, Madhouse, Bandai, Sunrise, Tezuka Productions and Toei, were present, along with many small companies. Even Disney, Nickelodeon and Cartoon Network had booths at TAF.

Also present were some of the animation colleges of Japan, such as Tokyo Animation-college Professional School, Osaka Animation-college Professional School, Nippon Engineering College, Kyoto Seika University and Tokyo Designer Gakuin College. One area of the convention hall was set aside specifically for up and coming creators to display their animated works, complete with a small viewing theatre.

All together there was close to three hundred animation companies, TV stations, colleges and a few merchandise companies (such as Good Smile Company) present at TAF.

For a full list of the Exhibitors present, go here.

What looks promising?
Anime Innovation Tokyo – So far, this organization (along with the help of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government) has put out four animated works and currently has four more in production. The title that caught my immediate attention was the trailer for Cencoroll.
Official Website – www.anime-innovation.jp)

Directions – This small company has been around since 2004 and has recently taken on an up and coming talent by the name of Yasuhiro Yoshiura. He has done mostly short works, and a screening of his first TV series The Time of Eve was shown.
Official Website - http://www.directions.jp/index.html

Production I.G – Three points of interest are coming from the company that produced both of the Ghost in the Shell films, one is a brand new film from the same director, Mamoru Oshii, entitled Sky Crawlers. Also from I.G is the upcoming second animated season of CLAMPS XXXholic. Information on both of these works can be found here. Thirdly, the new animated series from the manga artist Shirow Masamune Real Drive will premiere on April 4th, 2008.
Official Website - http://www.productionig.com/

Hokuto 7 Project – In celebration of its 25th birthday, seven new features set in the Hokuto no Ken universe will emerge this year; among them, a brand new series, an OVA and even a Muscle Musical. For more information, go here.

Studio 4 C – In the works from this studio is the animated feature of the manga Detroit Metal City to debut sometime after the release of the live action film.
Official Website - http://go-to-dmc.jp/index.html

Also from the same company comes another collection of animated shorts from five talented animators. (Studio 4 C was responsible for both Memories and The Animatrix) The project is called “Genius Party Beyond” and features five works – #1. “Gala” by Mahiro Maeda ; #2. “Moondrive” by Kazuto Nakazawa ; #3. “Wauwa the Doggy” by Shinya Ohira; #4. “Toujin Kit” by Tatsuyuki Tanaka; #5. “Dimension Bomb” by Koji Morimoto.
Official Website - http://www.studio4c.co.jp/top.html

Imagi Studios Limited – This studio has been working on an animated movie version of the popular series of works (movies and TV series) Highlander. It is set to enter Japanese theatres on July 5th, 2008.
Official Website - http://highlander-movie.jp/

GAINAX – The only project made known at TAF was the Tengan Toppo Gurren Lagann movie. A screening of the preview as well as talks with some of the cast and crew was held at their booth.

anima inc. – This company has, in the past, mostly been responsible for animation done for video games, but at TAF they were handing out free DVD samples that featured four short animated works. The DVD, called an Original Demoreel, is entitled Colors.
Official Website - http://www.studioanima.co.jp/

Who were the featured “Up and Coming” animators?
TAF 2008 had a designated area called “Creator’s World” which featured twenty rookie animators, mostly from Japanese animation universities, who were showcasing their work. These up and coming animators were:

1. Kazunobu Azuma
http://kuu-kan.com
2. Usagiou
3. Taka Kato
4. Kaisei Kishi
http://www.h3.ne.jp/~kaisei_k
5. Kuroyanagi Teppei
http://nipppon.com
6. Keitouunji
http://www.ktooonz.com
7. Studio Rikka
http://www.studio-rikka.com
8. Takorasu
http://takorasu.com
9. Tange Films
http://www.tangefilms.jp
10. Tokioheidi
http://www.tokioheidi.com/
11. Meteor
http://www.ganagona.com/
12. Kei Yoshimizu
http://www.keica.jp
13. Hiroco Ichinose
http://ichinose165.com
14. Ryu Kato
15. Ikue Sugidono
http://pecoraped.himegimi.jp/
16. Takashi Taniguchi
http://mc.adka.net/
17. Aya Hidaka
http://hopstep.tv
18. Tomomi Masuda
http://www.studio-tbox.jp/
19. Matsumo
http://www.msformat.com
20. Ryouichi Mori

Where are the pictures?
Here!

No problem!

Also, added link to pictures at the bottom.

Any questions or what-not, feel free to ask. (as it will help me to possibly expand this a little more)

Because he was trying to figure out how to steal this for himself and this for me and Luna (as well as to provide his getaway in classic style)...


Oh, and here's an obligatory DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU

gonk heart God I love this guild.