AMINE AND MANGA

Nana (ナナ) is a Japanese shōjo manga series written and illustrated by Ai Yazawa, serialized in Cookie published by Shueisha. The manga derives its title from the name of the two main characters, both of whom are called Nana. One comes from a small town and follows her friends and boyfriend to Tokyo with the hope of having the dream life that she wishes for. The other comes to Tokyo with the goal of making it big with her band, Black Stones. The two Nanas meet on a train ride, then later while looking at the same apartment and decide to rent it together. The series chronicles their friendship and their lives as each chases their dreams. The author of the manga is currently sick and still recovering from the sickness. It was reported in late April 2010 that she has returned home from the hospital and that she does not know if or when she will return to work.

Nana is presently being released in North America by Viz Media. It was serialized in the Shojo Beat until the August 2007 issue, and continues to be released in tankōbon volumes. The manga has also been adapted into a highly successful live-action film with a sequel released on December 9, 2006, and an anime adaptation that premiered on April 5, 2006. The anime adaptation has subsequently been announced as licensed for release in North America by Viz Media. Funimation got the broadcast rights to Viz Media's dub and it premiered on the Funimation Channel on September 19, 2009

Nabari no Ou (隠の王, Nabari no Ō, lit. Ruler of Nabari) is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Yuhki Kamatani. The series premiered in Japan in Monthly GFantasy in 2004 and is currently still in serialization. Square Enix is also publishing the individual chapters in collected volumes with eleven volumes released as of June 2009. The series has been licensed for an English language release in North America by Yen Press. The first volume was released in May 2009.

J.C.Staff created a twenty-six episode anime adaptation of the Nabari no Ou manga series. Directed by Kunihisa Sugishima, the series premiered in Japan on TV Tokyo on April 6, 2008. The episodes subsequently air on other TXN networks, including TV Aichi and TV Osaka. The series has been licensed by FUNimation. Part one of the complete series was released in the US on DVD September 22, 2009.

My Neighbor Totoro (となりのトトロ, Tonari no Totoro), is a 1988 Japanese anime film written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki and produced by Studio Ghibli. The film follows the two young daughters of a professor and their interactions with friendly wood spirits in postwar rural Japan. The film won the Animage Anime Grand Prix prize and the Mainichi Film Award for Best Film in 1988.

The film was released on VHS and laserdisc in the United States by Tokuma Japan Communications' US subsidiary in 1993 with the title, My Friend Totoro

Streamline Pictures produced an exclusive dub for Japan Airlines' transpacific flights in 1988. Troma Films, under their 50th St. Films banner, distributed the dub of the film co-produced by Jerry Beck. It was released on VHS and DVD by Fox Video. Troma's and Fox's rights to this version expired in 2004. The film was re-released by Disney on March 7, 2006. It features a new dub cast. This DVD release is the first version of the film in the United States to include both Japanese and English language tracks, as Fox did not have the rights to the Japanese audio track for their version.

Mushishi (蟲師) is a manga series written and illustrated by Yuki Urushibara, published in Kodansha's Afternoon magazine from 1999 to August 2008.

The manga was adapted into an anime television series in 2005. The Artland production was directed by Hiroshi Nagahama. A live-action feature film adaptation, directed by Katsuhiro Otomo, premiered on March 24, 2007.

The Mushishi manga won an Excellence Prize at the 2003 Japan Media Arts Festival and the 2006 Kodansha Manga Award.