Mainichi Shimbun reports that an incomplete manuscript of Osamu Tezuka’s Black Jack manga was discovered recently. It will be put on exhibit October 30, 2007 at the Osamu Tezuka Manga Museum in Takarazuka, Japan.

Kodokawa Shoten reports that each DVD volume of the Lucky Star series has sold over 50,000 copies, currently totaling around 530,000 with its current 8 Lucky Star DVD releases. Four more volume releases are expected with high hopes of reaching the staggering amount of DVD sales that the Haruhi Suzumiya franchise has obtained.

Advertising corporation Dentsu Inc., the owners of Geneon Entertainment, have posted an estimated 4.7 billion yen (US$41 million) consolidated and a 5.1 billion yen (US$44 million) non-consolidated loss for its current fiscal year. The losses reflect the sudden downsizing of Geneon Entertainment USA. The company also announced it will be posting a 7.2 billion yen (US$63 million) loss due to a discontinued sales and broadcasting partnership with Tohokushinsha Film Corporation.

Viz Media recently announced that Naruto will be featured in 585 Toys R US stores nationwide this weekend. The stores will contain a special Naruto Nation area featuring Naruto products. The stores will also participate in a free photo activity for kids and Cartoon network will be giving away 150,000 Naruto stickers. Full press release after the jump.

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Nangoku Banana’s Hiki will premiere in the Wings’ October issue. Mizuno Tohko’s Ousama Game will be ending in Lala’s October issue. Tsuda Masami’s Eensy-Weensy Monster will be ending in the November issue of LaLa. Fujiwara Akira’s Diamond Life will be ending in the November issue of Petit Comic.

The official Jyūshin Enbu - Hero Tales website has posted a new promotional trailer and a short commercial preview for the anime series, which will air in Japan starting October 7, 2007.

An interview with the Senior Manga Editor of PopCultureShock, Katherine Dacey-Tsuei, has appeared in a recent issue of Flipped, regarding CLAMP.

Barbican will be screening the anime titles listed below from October 2007 to June 2008 in London. Admission tickets cost £8.50, more information can be found here

Romeo X Juliet - October 30, 2007
Byosoku 5 Centimeters - November 27, 2007
Tales from Earthsea - January 29, 2008
Yugo the Negotiator - February 26, 2008
Area 88 - March 25, 2008
Patlabor II - April 29, 2008
Le Portrait De Petite Cossette - May 27, 2008
Metropolis - June 24, 2008

Policy in the Ancona area of Italy have arrested and charged six people with copyright violation. The six people in question have been accused of illegally mass producing and distributing 300,000 copies of pirated anime DVDs; 80,000 DVDs and approximately US$1.4 million were reportedly confiscated.

ADV Films is hosting a new promotional trailer for the upcoming Blade of the Phantom Master (Shin Angyo Onshi) anime film.

Gaia Online is streaming the first two episodes of Kiddy Grade for free here.

The CBC television network in Canada will be broadcasting the premiere of Studio Ghibli’s film Spirated Away this Sunday, September 30 at 5:00pm EST/PST.

The three Naruto manga volumes released earlier this month have made it into the top 150 best selling booklist from USA Today for the fifth straight week. Naruto vol. 18 ranks in this week at #74, vol. 17 at #100, and vol. 16 at #117. Last week’s rankings can be found here. The next three Naruto volumes from Viz will be released on October 2.

The marketing team for Evangelion: 1.0 You Are (Not) Alone announced a count of over one million for the attendance figures since the movie opened on September 1. Marketing strategies including the character Rei on the cover of the Japanese Rolling Stones magazine and partnerships with both Pizza Hut and Yahoo! Japan have contributed to this high attendance number.

Animate TV has posted a promotion video of Bamboo Blade, available in low quality and a higher quality.

Bandai Namco Games posted a promotional video for the new Suzumiya Haruhi no Yakusoku (The Promise of Haruhi Suzumiya) Japanese PSP game. The video states the Haruhi franchise has sold over 800,000 DVDs, 4 million copies of the original novels, and over a million copies of manga volumes. The video is available in narrowband and broadband.

Bandai Visual USA announced its entire catalog, including upcoming releases, will be sold primarily through their dot-anime.us website. As I mentioned before Geneon USA was Bandai Visual USA’s primary distributor. While Bandai is currently working on alternate distribution arrangements, product delays are to be expected.

Japanese anime studio Gonzo has contracted out to FUNimation to send a cease and desist letter to an English fansub group (Shinsen-Subs) in regards to their Romeo x Juliet fansubs. FUNimation has stated they do not currently have the license to Romeo x Juliet.

Animate TV and Square Enix have sponsored a new trailer for Sketchbook ~full color’S~ in both low quality and high quality.

Hiroshi ÅŒsaka, the co-found of Bones and animation director of numerous works, has passed away at the age of 44; he was diagnosed with cancer in the spring of 2007. ÅŒsaka’s works included animation credits on the anime City Hunter 3, Golden Boy, Macross Plus, and Ronin Warriors before co-founding BONES in 1998. He would then go on to work on the renowned fan favorite, Cowboy Bebop.