At Anime Expo, Right Stuf announced the creation of Nozomi Entertainment, a licensing, production and distribution sub-division. 'Nozomi' is the Japanese word for 'wish' or 'hope,' and the declared mission of Nozomi Entertainment is to give fans 'what they want.'
Nozomi Entertainment had two major announcements, Victorian Romance Emma and Lost Universe.
Kaoru Mori's eight-volume seinen manga Emma (published in the U.S. by CMX) has inspired a cult following in Japan that includes an 'Emma Maid Cafe' in Shibuya and a Website dedicated to selling replica's of Emma's costume. This meticulously researched Victorian period piece eschews all fantasy elements in favor of an unsparing look at the difficulties of a romance across the rigid class lines of the era. The Emma manga has inspired two anime series, a 12-episode Emma: A Victorian Romance that aired in 2005, and Emma: A Victorian Romance Second Act, which debuted this April. Nozomi Entertainment plans to release Emma in Season 1 and Season 2 Box Sets, which will have a suggested retail price of $49.95. The Emma anime series will only be available in sub-titled versions.
Previously released by ADV, the Lost Universe anime is based on a series of novels by Slayers creator Hajime Kanzaka. Nozomi Entertainment plans to release the 26-episode series in a box set with the original ADV English dub and a new subtitled translation.
