Variety reports that Production I.G., responsible for the Ghost in the Shell and Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence animated films that explore what it is to be a human while trying very hard not to have an understandable plot-line, has acquired rights to sell the said films for live-action remakes. The focus seems to be on a potential international (as opposed to Japanese) remake, and Hollywood in particular. Now, there’s a chance for Arnold Schwarzenegger to make his cinematic comeback as Bateau… probably under Michael Bay, too.

Updated 4th November, 2006: Added some personal experiences with Shopping Mall Japan

For some reason eBay has never made it to Japan. Instead, Yahoo! Auctions Japan is the place to go if you are looking for that rare Akira Kurosawa item, or the latest manga and anime releases. Read the rest of this entry »