[Hawkeye]

Okay when I was reading throught Newtype and came across an Artical for a new anime in production. I did a double take when I read the name Witchblade, I can't believe I don't believe that a Japanese animation comany has produced this.... They taken an american comic and produced an Anime... What is wrong with this picture....

They taken a plot line and completly re-written it here...

New characters, new settings... Arg.... Well once it aired in April I guess I have to wait untill all 26 episode have aired before I pass judgement. But knowing how these things end up, I'm not holding my breath here.....

Anime series

In 2004 Japanese animation studio GONZO announced an anime version of Witchblade, with a subsequent manga adaptation to be published by Kodansha. The anime version is considered controversial by some due to the fact that GONZO has announced that the main character of the anime is of Japanese ethnicity but is not Itagaki, one of the previous bearers of the Witchblade. Instead it is a new character named Masane. This has caused some fans to cry out against what they see as a nipponization of the franchise.

The anime series will begin broadcast during April 2006 and will run for 26 episodes (a standard series run). The lead character (and new blade wielder) is the kind-hearted Masane who, despite her good intentions, is fairly clumsy and not good around the house. After the events of an earthquake that struck her home 6 years before the series "year zero" (which is 2000), Masane has no recollection of her past previous to this date. When she comes into contact with the Witchblade, Masane also finds herself under the watchful eye of an organisation called the NSWF (national scientific welfare foundation).