Tokyopop plans to launch one of its hottest new properties, Real Bout High School, in a number of formats this spring. In late April the first Real Bout High School graphic novel will appear in Tokyopop's new 'authentic' right-to-left format (see 'Manga Right to Left -- Will It Fly?'). Less than a month later, the first DVD containing the Real Bout High School anime will hit the street with a number of special features including a special 'Making Of' featurette, outtakes, and previews. Simultaneously with the DVD release Tokyopop will also release the CD soundtrack with music composed by Takeshi Yasuda for the anime series.
Produced in 2001, the Real Bout High School anime comes from the cutting edge Studio Gonzo, the same studio that produced Blue Submarine No.6, Gatekeepers, and Vandread. The fact that this series debuted in Japan just last year demonstrates the shrinking gap between when series debut in Japan and in North America. Together with the release of the manga trade paperback and the CD soundtrack, the concurrent appearance of the first volume of the anime series also demonstrates that American manga/anime packagers are coordinating their efforts to provide retailers with more related merchandise in a concentrated time frame. Both of these trends should benefit retailers.
