Human alert!Animax has traditionally broadcast animé shows only but for the first time the channel is premiering two new live action series, both with a reality angle.
In addition to these two new shows, there are also two new animé series.
Here's more about each:
Solitary (Live action)Premiere date: Saturday, 4 April 2009 at 20h15
Continues: Weekly. Saturdays at the same time.
Nine contestants. Ten weeks. Multiple challenges. Multiple breakdowns.
Solitiary is a reality series that pushes competitors to their physical and psychological limits in their quest for $50,000.
The premise of the show: getting out is as simple as hitting the Panic Button - but winning requires conquering personal fear and staying in isolation the longest.
In the confines of Solitary, contestants never meet and are unaware of how many other competitors there really are. Their only connection to the outside world is the disembodied, computer-generated voice of Val, their ally, confidant, taskmaster and, possibly, their worst nightmare.
Completely isolated in small octagonal pods, their environment is totally controlled from outside - light, sound, temperature and food. Because the bed slides out from a slot in the wall, even their sleeping arrangements are out of their control.
Within their pod, contestants constantly undergo a series of tests and treatments that push them to their personal limits.
The show is a psychological experiment without votes or finish lines - the only way for contestants to lose is to quit, and the only way to win is to endure.
Kenny vs Spenny (Live Action)Premiere date: Saturday, 4 April 2009 at 21h05 - two episodes back-to-back.
Continues: Weekly at 21h05, with double bills.
Reality-style entertainment series Kenny vs Spenny sees two friends engage in escalating rounds of outrageous and vengeful competitions that usually result in frustration and humiliation.
Like most pals, Kenny and Spenny have always competed against one another and what began as a childhood power struggle has morphed into a no-holds-barred hit TV series. Kenny sees every contest with his friend as a way to have fun, get things for free, meet girls and humiliate his pal on national TV and if he has to resort to underhand tricks to win, so be it.
Meanwhile, over the years it has become an obsession for Spenny to beat Kenny without compromising his moral principles and he views their silly competitions as nothing less than a biblical struggle between good and evil.
In the face of almost certain defeat he heroically, sometimes masochistically, often pathetically, continues to engage Kenny in competition after competition.
The show comes with a "Not for the faint-hearted!" warning.
Death NotePremiere date: Saturday, 11 April 2009 at 22h00 - two episodes back-to-back.
Continues: Weekly on Saturdays at 22h00, with double bills.
Yagami Light is a brilliant but bored high school student, who accidentally stumbles upon the "Death Note," a lethal supernatural notebook from the realm of the Death Gods, with the ability to kill at the stroke of a pen.
Holding the power of life and death in his hands, Yagami decides to create a perfect world, free of crime. However, when the corpses of the criminal population start piling up, the International Police Organisation sends the legendary detective “L” to track down the killer and a major battle of wits unfolds.
XPremiere date: Wednesday, 15 April 2009 at 18h30
Continues: Mondays to Fridays at 18h30
It’s 1999 and the end of the world is fast approaching. In Tokyo, two opposing groups battle over the fate of humanity. The seven Dragons of Earth seek to destroy mankind, purging the world of pollution and corruption.
Preserving humanity, despite its failings, are the seven Dragons of Heaven. Legend has it that these opposing groups must do battle, leading to Armageddon.
Following a six-year absence, the powerful 15-year-old psychic Kamui Shiro returns to Toyko, determined to protect his childhood friends, Fuma and his younger sister Kotori. However, fate has destined him for a greater role, which will see him engage in a heroic struggle to save the world.