June 2010
June 28, 2010 Update:
The time is near! The biggest Anime event is almost here! Come join us at Anime Expo where we celebrate Anime for 4 days in a roll during the Independence Day weekend! For those who have not heard of Anime Expo, it held in the Los Angeles Convention Center in the heart of Los Angeles that features everything there is about Anime. There are vendors to purchase Anime merchandises, shows and featured special guests, cosplayers, artists, and more. The show runs from July 1 to July 4 2010. Mark your calendars and head on over to the LA Convention Center! And, don't forget to check us out at booth #1248. We will be waiting for ya... n . n
June 24, 2010 Update:
NEWS!!!
Supernatural Anime Concept Art Reveals Spikey Hair and Big Eyes
Are you ready for Supernatural: The Anime? If you live in Japan, you better get ready for it, because series creator Eric Kripke, and Japanese animation studio Madhouse are bringing the Winchester Boys to the animated screen, essentially remaking the first two seasons. But, you know, with spikier hair.
Though we won't see Sam and Dean getting back in their Pokéballs any time soon, or transforming into a demon killing Colt, we will get to see episodes from the first season in half hour anime format, plus a few originals.
The first season will have twenty-two episodes (covering the original seasons plus some of the new episodes) airing in January of 2011, and then released a few episode at a time in box sets here in the states.
Ouran High School Host Club Manga to Enter Final Arc
Anime cast to record fans' favorite manga quotes for upcoming CD
The August issue of Hakusensha's shōjo manga anthology LaLa has announced on Thursday that Bisco Hatori's romantic comedy manga Ouran High School Host Club will enter its final story arc in the next issue in July. The magazine is also launching a "Host Club: The Last Party" fan campaign to celebrate the story's pending conclusion and give away presents.
The campaign includes an illustration contest for fan art, as well as voting for the fans' favorite "Title Page Illustration Selection" and favorite quotes from the manga ("The Best Collection"). The cast of Ouran's anime adaptation will then record the top-ranking quotes for a CD. The CD will be offered to readers via a mail-away offer starting in the October issue of LaLa in August.
The Ouran High School Host Club manga launched in LaLa in August of 2003. In the story, high school freshman Haruhi pretends to be a boy so that she can take part in the wealthy school's Host Club, to which she owes a large debt. Viz Media licensed the manga and launched its North American release in July of 2005. The manga been among the top-ranked titles both in Japan and on the New York Times manga best seller list. In April 2006, a 26-episode anime began in Japan with Maaya Sakamoto as Haruhi and Mamoru Miyano as Host Club president Tamaki. Funimation licensed and released the anime in North America in 2008.
J-Rockers VAMPS to Perform at New York Anime Festival
The New York Anime Festival (NYAF) has announced J-Rock "super group" VAMPS, consisting of L'Arc-en-Ciel singer HYDE and Oblivion Dust guitarist K.A.Z., as its first announced guest for the 2010 event. The group will host a Q&A session and a concert during the October 8-10 weekend. The event will be part of the group's 2010 world tour, which will include stops in the United States, Spain, France, China, and Chile.
VAMPS was launched in 2008, although HYDE and K.A.Z. have worked together since 2003, in the early years of HYDE's solo career. The duo toured the United States in 2009 and played in 10 venues. Those venues included New York, two Warped Tour shows, San Francisco, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, and Baltimore, where the band performed at Otakon 2009.
NYAF, traditionally a standalone event, is taking place alongside the New York Comic Con (NYCC) at the Javits Center in New York City this fall. NYCC had already announced Stan Lee — creator of Heroman, Ultimo, and a wide variety of American comic book characters — as its "spotlight" guest of honor.
All of X Japan, Stan Lee to Attend Yoshiki's Benefit
The MAX 2010 event has confirmed that the entire X Japan group and Stan Lee, famed American comic writer and creator of the manga Ultimo and the BONES anime Heroman, will attend the Yoshiki Foundation benefit party on July 1 at Club Nokia in Los Angeles. The benefit event is intended to raise money for the Grammy Foundation and St. Vincent's Meals on Wheels. The Yoshiki Foundation is devoted to providing funds for children with bone marrow disease.
MAX 2010 takes place on July 1 at Club Nokia in Los Angeles. Other announcements for the event include a screening of the American trailer for Studio Ghibli's Tales from Earthsea, flash mob dance events with the AniMaid Café, an AMV contest, a collection of Power Rangers guests and events, and a screening of Kai-Ki: Tales of Terror from Tokyo.
Source: ugo.com & Anime News Network
June 23, 2010 Update:
We apologize for those customers who have Pre-Ordered the Range Muarta Anime Works 1998 - 2006 - PRISMTONE Art Book. Due to the publisher pushing the date farther back, we won't receive the books until July 2010. For those who have Pre-Ordered this title, we will ship your order once we have receive the shipment. We apologize for the inconvenience that this has incurred. If you have any other questions regarding this issue, please don't hesitate to e-mail us at info@animebooks.com.
NEWS!!!
Kisaragi Play, Circus Vocalist & Artist Head to AX
Anime Expo has confirmed that SOPHIA lead singer Mitsuru Matsuoka will join the rest of the Kisaragi mystery stage play's cast in the North American premiere of their production on July 2 in the J.W. Marriott Hotel in Los Angeles. The play adapts the acclaimed 2007 live-action film of the same name, in which five fans of a minor celebrity model realize that her alleged suicide is not what it seems.The cast includes (from left to right in the image above) Matsuoka, Yosuke Asari, Masahiro Usui, Yuichiro Nakayama, and Nezumi Imamura.
The Nikkan Sports newspaper had reported on Kisaragi's Los Angeles premiere two days earlier, but Anime Expo did not confirm the news until Tuesday.
The international software distributor MangaGamer has also announced that it will host vocalist Aina Kase (pictured at left) and artist Yuki Takano at Anime Expo. Kase has appeared at Anime Expo before, while this will be Takano's first time at the convention.
Kase performed the opening theme songs for the La'cryma adult game Sora wo Tobu, Mittsu no Houhou, and she also sang for the vocal albums of Da Capo and Valkyrie Complex games for CIRCUS as well as for F&C FC01's Canvas3 original soundtrack. (La'cryma is a joint venture between Broccoli and CIRCUS.) Takano worked with CIRCUS on the art for the Da Capo II games, the Princess Party games, and this month's RPG Academy game. She also worked with La'cryma on the Sora wo Tobu, Nanatsu-me no Mahou game and the upcoming fortissimo game.
KAT-TUN's Akanishi Adds Cities to U.S. Concert Tour
KAT-TUN boy band member Jin Akanishi has added at least seven cities to his solo American tour after the success of his Saturday engagement at Club Nokia in Los Angeles, which attracted approximately 2,000 fans (of which his promoters say 80% were non-Japanese). Akanishi's September-October tour stops now include Los Angeles (where he has already performed three concerts), New York, Chicago, Las Vegas, San Francisco, Anaheim, and Houston.
Akanishi starred in the live-action drama adaptation of Yukari Ichijo's manga Yukan Club, which featured KAT-TUN single "Keep the Faith" as its theme song. Akanishi also starred in the second season of the live-action adaptation of Kozueko Morimoto's manga Gokusen. His voice acting debut was as the title role in the Japanese-language dub of the 2008 Warner Brothers film Speed Racer.
KAT-TUN has also provided themes to the live-action drama based on Tadashi Agi's wine manga Kami no Shizuku (Les Gouttes de Dieu), and to the live-action drama adaptation of Tomoko Hayakawa's manga Yamato Nadesico Shichi Henge (known as The Wallflower in North America).
Toei, Shanghai Media Group Animate New Ikkyū-san Film
1975-82 TV anime about mischievous, clever monk-in-training already had 1978 film
The Japanese studio Toei Animation announced at a June 16 press conference in Shanghai that it is jointly producing a new Ikkyū-san anime film with the Chinese conglomerate Shanghai Media Group (SMG) and SMG's Toonmax channel. Toei animated the original Ikkyū-san historical comedy television series about a young monk-in-training from 1975 to 1982, when the studio was still known as Toei Dōga. The new Ikkyū-san anime film will open in China in February of 2012 — during the traditional Chinese New Year holidays.
The story of Ikkyū-san is loosely inspired by Ikkyū Sōjun, a real-life Buddhist monk who lived in 15th-century Japan. The anime imagines Ikkyū's childhood as a mischievous but clever monk-in-training at Ankokuji Temple. The original television series already inspired a 1978 Ikkyū-san to Yancha-hime (Ikkyusan and the Mischievous Princess) film. The television series premiered in China in 1983 and became a popular hit among children there.
SMG operates the children's television channel Toonmax, which is popular in China and particularly in the Shanghai area. Another Japanese anime studio, MADHOUSE, is collaborating with China Film Group Corporation, director Yuji Ikeda (Fushigi Yuugi, Monster), and original character designer Naoki Urasawa (Monster, 20th Century Boys) on a film titled Tibetan Dog (Tibet Inu Monogatari).
Source: Anime News Network
June 22, 2010 Update:
We apologize to all the fathers out there for not giving a shout out. HAPPY BELATED FATHER'S DAY TO ALL THE DADS OUT THERE!
It has been awhile since we have updated this section of our site due to the latest products on our site. We have a lot of new products and a lot of restock products that we know you can't get enough of. There are a lot of new items to tell you about, but we can't list them all for you. (It would be too long and boring.) We'll just give you the low down on the ones we know our customers will love. So, here we go...
Let's start with books...
Benjamin Illustrations - Flash
One of our favorite artists has published his new illustration book! Benjamin has been working on many of his novels and comic book novels, and finally had time for his art work. This illustration book covers most of his new work along with his older works with precise flow of movement and the usage of colors. It is a truly masterpiece that would take your breath away. It also includes a bunch of sketches of his works and each one more captivating than the last.
Apple Anthology Vol. 4
This summer is all about the series. This series is for those who love Korean art. For those who have not heard of the Apple Anthologies, this series consists of a collection of Korean artists who love to share their love art to the world with their illustrations. Over 30 Korean artists, their works reflects their representation of their views of the world and their creative imaginations. It is a must for all art fans to own.
Girls Girls Girls! 5 E☆2- ~Pure Girl Collection~
Here is another series that we know you will love. This is the ever famous E☆2 Collection Girls, Girls, Girls series in their fifth volume to date. Just as the title stated, there are ladies in every page from over 20 different artists. What more to say then enjoy. If you love what you see, feel free to enjoy the rest of the other volumes of this series as well.
Macross Variable Frighter Master File VF-19 Excalibur
We have not forgotten about all those Macross lovers out there. If you love the Macross Variable Fighter Master File: VF-1 Valkyrie title or any of their planes, then this book if for you. It is pretty much a VF-19 Excalibur information book with everything you want to know about this plane. There are transformation phases, images, the history, and more. It is a great book so don't miss out on it.
Now that we have gotten the books out of the way, here are the figures that we all come to love...
Much of our latest products are all from the Macross and REVOLTECH series. So, here are some that are way cooler than the rest...
Let's start with the Macross series.
Macross Frontier VF-25F Tornado Messiah Valkyrie Alto Saotome Custom
Macross Yamato 1/60 Scale VF-1J Hikaru Ichijo
Next, the REVOLTECH series...
Revoltech SF #001: Alien
Revoltech SF #005: Jack Skellington
Revoltech SF #006: Gamera
Revoltech Fraulein #018: Evangelion 2.0 Shikinami Asuka Langley
NEWS!!!
X Japan's Yoshiki to Host July 1 Benefit Party in L.A.
X Japan founder, drummer, and pianist Yoshiki has announced that he and his Yoshiki Foundation America will throw a free benefit party as part of the MAX 2010 event on July 1st, 2010 at Club Nokia in Los Angeles.
The event will include a masquerade contest and a fashion event featuring designer H. Naoto (also a guest at this year's 2010 Otakon event), as well as giveaways such as rare X Japan items and a chance to meet Yoshiki in person in the Club Nokia VIP room. Attendees of MAX's screening of KAI-KI: Tales of Terror from Tokyo or the AniMaid Café events will receive "a special limited edition X Japan/Yoshiki keepsake" and premiere access to the party.
The Yoshiki Foundation is a 501(c)3) charity devoted to providing funds for children with bone marrow disease, the illness that caused the death of X Japan's vocalist Hideto "hide" Matsumoto in 1997. The event will specifically raise funds for the Grammy Foundation and St. Vincent's Meals on Wheels.
MAX 2010 takes place on July 1st at Club Nokia and requires no attendance fee, instead charging for individual events. Other announcements for the event include a screening of the American trailer for Studio Ghibli's Tales of Earthsea, the aforementioned flash mob dance events with the AniMaid Café, an AMV contest, a collection of Power Rangers guests and events, and the aforementioned screening of Kai-Ki.
Sound Horizon CD with Virtual Idol Miku Hits #2 Weekly
"Ido e Itaru Mori e Itaru Ido," the single from the Sound Horizon musical group with vocals by the virtual idol singer Hatsune Miku, ranked #2 on Oricon's weekly singles chart for the June 14-20 week. The CD single sold 47,000 copies, a record for Sound Horizon. It is the first new release from the group in two years.
Sound Horizon had confirmed on June 11 that Hatsune Miku, Crypton Future Media's synthesized voice package based on YAMAHA's Vocaloid 2 software engine, provided some of the vocals on the single. Other vocalists include Märchen von Friedhof, Joelle, Miki, and Crypton Future Media's "Junger März_Prototype β." Akio Ohtsuka, Rica Fukami, Nobuo Tobita, Miyuki Sawashiro, Asuka Tanii, Toru Ohkawa, Saki Fujita, and Sascha contributed their voices, while former Megadeth guitarist Marty Friedman (Detroit Metal City) and former Siam Shade (Rurouni Kenshin) drummer Junji can also be heard.
This past May, the Exit Tunes Presents Vocalgenesis feat. Hatsune Miku compilation album became the first "Vocaloid album" to top Oricon's weekly album ranking chart. Earlier this month, "Little Braver" CD single by the Angel Beats! anime's fictional Girls Dead Monster band sold 38,854 copies to rank #2 on Oricon's chart.
Infinite Stratos Light Novels Get TV Anime Green-Lit
"Battle romantic comedy" about pilot academy with only girls except 1 boy
The 96th "Sono Na mo J" flyer is announcing this month that a television anime adaptation of Izuru Yumizuru's IS (Infinite Stratos) light novel series has been green-lit. The "popular high-speed school battle romantic comedy" centers around the IS Academy: a school for training the pilots of the Infinite Stratos weapon system, which can only be used by females. Candidates plucked from girls from countries all over the world are brought here — as well as one boy named Ichika Orimura. As it turns out, Ichika is "the only male in the world who can use the IS." His classmates include Hōki Shinonono, a childhood friend.
Media Factory's MF Bunko imprint will publish the fifth volume of the light novel series with okiura's illustrations in Japan on June 25. Kenji Akaboshi launched a manga version in Media Factory's Monthly Comic Alive magazine last month.
Manga UK Confirms No DVD for Honey & Clover, 3 Others
Also: Ichigo 100%, Save Me! Lollipop, Sasami: Magical Girl Club; digital release possible
Anime localizer Manga Entertainment's United Kingdom branch announced via Twitter on Wednesday that four titles it licensed over the past few years would "probably not get a UK DVD release." These titles are:
* Honey and Clover
* Ichigo 100%
* Save Me! Lollipop
* Sasami: Magical Girl Club
In a follow-up Twitter post, Manga UK claimed that it had not "dropped" the titles, and were hoping to distribute them digitally in the UK. The company added that it decided not to pursue the DVD option of the last two titles due in part to the costs of converting masters from NTSC to PAL, submitting to the British Board of Film Classification, authoring, and marketing.
Live-Action Akira Film Plans Get New Writer
Albert Torres writes for Book of Eli helmer Albert Hughes; visual artists in pre-production
The Collider.com movie news website interviewed producer Andrew Lazar (Jonah Hex, Space Cowboys, Get Smart) on the planned live-action Akira films, and Lazar revealed that his Akira team hired a new writer named Albert Torres to work with director Albert Hughes (Menace II Society, From Hell, The Book of Eli). Lazar said that Hughes is "off conceptualizing the movie with a bunch of visual artists" in pre-production development. When asked about the challenges of getting the project made as a big-budgeted, high-profile studio release, Lazar responded:
"Akira happens to be something that Warner Brothers management loves. They see the value in the title. They see the value in the franchise, and what the underlying property meant. It's a pretty seminal piece. And so they think that, with a guy who is a visionary director like Albert Hughes, it's not pushing a boulder up the hill for Akira because, quite frankly, the studio is really enthusiastic about it."
Lazar also confirmed that the first film will cover Katsuhiro Otomo's first three Akira manga volumes, and the next three volumes will be covered "hopefully, if we're fortunate enough to do a second one."
Screenwriter Gary Whitta was previously attached to the project, which actor Leonardo DiCaprio (Titanic, The Aviator) is producing through his Appian Way production company. According to ComingSoon.net, Mark Fergus and Hawk Ostby also worked on the films' scripts before Torres was hired.
Weekly Shonen Jump Launches Naruto's Forest Campaign
Japanese, English-speaking fans encouraged to take part in tree-planting project
In celebration of the Naruto manga selling over 100 million books in Japan as of this past April, Weekly Shonen Jump publisher Shueisha and the PresentTree company have established a campaign to plant 7,610 trees on mountains in the Yamanashi prefecture to create "Naruto's Forest." The project will care for the forest for ten years until the trees can grow independently.
The campaign also encourages fans to enter a drawing to become a tree sponsor. Each winner will receive a numbered certificate with information about their specific tree, and numbered signs will be erected next to the trees so each winner can locate their tree. An English-language version of this contest is also available for fans abroad.
To promote the campaign, Naruto creator Masashi Kishimoto drew a special illustration of "the Future of Naruto's Forest."
Anime Expo, MangaGamer to Host 3 More Guests for 2010
Actress Saki Aibu, voice actress Minami Kuribayashi, artist Fujimaru to appear
Anime Expo has confirmed reports that actress Saki Aibu will attend the July 1-4 convention for the world premiere of her new film Eternal First Love in Los Angeles. Aibu starred as Riiko Izawa in the live-action adaptation of Yu Watase's manga Absolute Boyfriend, as well as voicing roles in Doraemon, Professor Layton and the Eternal Diva, and Kaiketsu Zorori.
European game publisher MangaGamer has also announced two additional guests: voice actress and singer Minami Kuribayashi and artist Fujimaru. Kuribayashi starred as Haruka Suzumiya in Rumbling Hearts and Erstin Ho in My-Otome. She has also sung themes for Blassreiter, School Days, and others. Fujimaru worked on the Kira Kira Curtain Call and Dear Drops adult games from the Japanese brand OVERDRIVE.
Anime Expo announced on Thursday that voice actor Masakazu Morita will also appear as a Guest of Honor. MangaGamer guests include UR@N, Yuka Kayura, Shinji Katakura, Hiroshi Takeuchi, Kazutoshi Matsumura, and Japanese game publisher Age (with Sou Miyata and Kyousuke Himukai).
Translated Manga Scan Aggregator Removes 350+ Series
Adminstrator: site is trying to negotiate after "copyright issue"
MangaFox, a site that aggregated translated scans of manga, has removed at least 350 titles from its website as of this writing. A site administrator cited an unspecified "copyright issue" as well as the recent formation of a coalition between U.S. and Japanese manga publishers against scanlation sites. The administrator added that "our boss is trying to negotiate" with unspecified parties.
The initial slew of 235 removed titles consisted entirely of Viz Media licenses, but a later update indicated that more titles had been removed at the behest of unofficial scanlation groups, including titles licensed by other publishers and titles unlicensed in North America. The number of removed titles now total at least 350.
The U.S. and Japanese publishers' coalition was announced on June 8. At the time, the coalition — which includes Vertical Inc., Viz Media, Tokyopop, and Yen Press, as well as members of Japan's Digital Comic Association such as Kodansha, Shogakukan, and Shueisha — announced that it was considering legal action against 30 unnamed scanlation aggregators.
MangaFox is owned by a company called Hangzhou NOEZ Technology Co., Ltd., who claims that MangaFox ranks "within Alexa's top 2,000 sites worldwide with over 1,000,000 daily visitors and 400,000 registered members." Hangzhou NOEZ is based in Hangzhou, China, although it was originally founded in New York. NOEZ owns several other anime- and manga-related sites, including one dedicated to streaming anime episodes, one featuring both anime and manga to download, and a social networking site for anime fans. Several of these affiliated sites still list titles that MangaFox had removed, although their scanlation links are now either broken or redirected to competing scanlation aggregators.
Mangafox and NOEZ have not yet responded to ANN's request for comment.
Bleach Singers RSP to Perform at Anime Expo
Musical duo sang "Kansha," "Tabidatsu Kimi e" ending themes for anime
Anime Expo has announced that the musical duo RSP will perform on July 1 at the Nokia Plaza L.A. Live in downtown Los Angeles. RSP members Ai and Saki will be official Guests of Honor of the July 1-4 convention, and true to their name (Real Street Performance), their Los Angeles performance will be outdoors. The duo performed the "Kansha" and "Tabidatsu Kimi e" ending theme songs for the Bleach television anime series.
Alive Manga Writer Tadashi Kawashima Passes Away
Kawashima finished manga from his sickbed before passing away on June 15
The editors of Kodansha's Monthly Shonen Magazine have announced that Alive - Saishū Shinka teki Shōnen (Alive - The Final Evolution) manga writer Tadashi Kawashima passed away on Tuesday, June 15, due to liver cancer. He was 42.
The editors noted that Kawashima continued to work on the manga from his sickbed and managed to complete the manga this past February. Even after finishing Alive, he proceeded to work on a new series while he battled liver cancer. The editors offered their condolences on Kawashima's passing.
Source: Anime News Network
June 9, 2010 Update:
NEWS!!!
Manga Publishers Form Anti-Piracy Coalition
Thirty Sites Targeted
A group of Japanese and American manga publishers have formed a coalition to battle scanlations of manga titles, the group announced today, with thirty sites identified for action. The participants include the 36 members of Japan’s Digital Comic Association, Square Enix, Viz Media, Tokyopop, Vertical, the Tuttle-Mori Agency, and Yen Press.
“...[T]o protect the intellectual property rights of our creators and the overall health of our industry, we are left with no other alternative but to take aggressive action,” a spokesperson for the group said. Scanlation sites are urged to “take it upon themselves to immediately cease their activities,” with injunctive relief, statutory damages, and referral to law enforcement agencies promised for those sites that do not comply.
Sites featuring scanlations, which allow online reading of manga in fan-translated English versions almost immediately upon release in Japan, have reached mammoth proportions. Onemanga.com, the largest of these sites, is the only comic-related site in the top 1000 sites worldwide, according to Google’s list of top sites.
Manga publishers have been slow both to take action against scanlation sites and to offer legal alternatives for fans that want to read manga in digital format. For years, publishers appeared to view the scanlation sites as free marketing that primed the market in the U.S. for future release of legitimate editions and quietly tolerated them. And although the digital comics business for mobile devices is huge in Japan, Japanese publishers have largely ignored the market here, leaving illegal options the only way to read manga on cellphones or desktops. We asked Viz Media’s Gonzalo Ferreyra why manga publishers were so slow to offer legal alternatives here, and he told us that sorting out the issues in Japan was taking a long time.
But with manga sales in the U.S. plummeting, and the number of titles licensed for the U.S. also dropping rapidly, the Japanese publishers appear to have finally decided that they need to take action. Shonen Jump editors recently asked for scanlation sites to voluntarily stop, a precursor to this industry-wide coalition.
A coalition of American comic publishers has already drawn blood, successfully getting the largest source of American comics on the Web shut down and the ownership charged.
Whether the new anti-piracy coalition formed by manga publishers will be as successful remains to be seen. But comic store retailers that specialize in manga, who almost uniformly believe that scanlations are hurting their sales, will undoubtedly cheer the efforts and hope that the massive amount of pirated manga content available online begins to diminish.
Black Rock Shooter Footage to Premiere at Anime Expo
Blogger Danny Choo to bring exclusive footage from Good Smile Company
Blogger and Anime Expo guest Danny Choo confirmed on Sunday that Good Smile Company will provide him with "10+ minutes" of exclusive footage from the Black Rock Shooter anime project to screen at the July 1-4 convention in Los Angeles.
The 50-minute anime project showcases the Black Rock Shooter character illustrations by artist huke. Ryo's work inspired the musical artist Ryo to compose a "Black Rock Shooter" song using the Vocaloid2 voice-synthesis character Hatsune Miku, and a "pilot edition" of anime has already been released in September. The project is being directed by Shinobu Yoshioka and supervised by Yutaka Yamamoto (Kannagi, Haruhi Suzuymiya, Lucky Star), whose studio Ordet is handling the animation production.
The anime was initially slated to be released for free online and in magazines later this month. However, the project's website announced last month that the magazines are delaying their release of the anime by one month.
Source: ICv2 & Anime News Network
June 7, 2010 Update:
Summer is coming up and we can't wait for summer to arrive! Fun in the sun, hanging out with friends, and summer savings! Sign up for our newsletter and receive all the updates and savings this summer. Don't forget to check up on our Animebooks' Corner on updates on upcoming conventions and specials. We wouldn't want you to miss out on great savings, special deals, and events.
Shunya Yamashita One Voice 3rd Art Book Pre-Order
*Pre-Order!*
Don't forget to Pre-Order your copy of the new Shunya Yamashita One Voice 3rd Art Book now. Save $5 off the cover price if you Pre-Order your copy today. This special offer will not last long, so get your copy today!
NEWS!!!
Alive - The Final Evolution TV Anime Formally Dropped
Revival of Alive - Saishū Shinka teki Shōnen anime failed after Gonzo's delisting
The editors of Kodansha's Monthly Shonen Magazine have confirmed on Saturday that the anime plans for the Alive - Saishū Shinka teki Shōnen (Alive - The Final Evolution) manga have been halted, despite the best efforts of those involved to revive the project.
In June of 2008, the magazine announced that Tadashi Kawashima and Adachitoka's Alive - Saishū Shinka teki Shōnen science-fiction adventure manga would be animated for television. The manga follows the life of a Tokyo high school boy named Taisuke Kanō, after a mysterious force causes mass suicides across the world. However, Kanō and his friends not only survive the calamity, but have evolved, as a species, into something darker.
According to the Monthly Shonen Magazine editors, production on the anime project was suspended last year due to the delisting of the Gonzo anime studio from the Tokyo Stock Exchange. Gonzo was co-producing the anime with another studio, AIC. The people involved did their best to revive the project after Gonzo's delisting, but to no avail.
The manga began its serialization in the magazine in 2003, and the manga ended in Japan this past February. Del Rey published the eighth of 21 volumes of the manga in North America last November.
Bibliotheca Mystica de Dantalian Novels Get Anime
Story about forbidden books of demonic wisdom from Asura Cryin's Mikumo
A media tie-in information sheet from Kadokawa Group Publishing's Kadokawa Sneaker Bunko imprint has announced that an anime adaptation of Gakuto Mikumo's Bibliotheca Mystica de Dantalian (Dantalian no Shoka) light novel series is in the works. More details will be provided in the August issue of Kadokawa Shoten's The Sneaker magazine on June 30.
The story centers around a young man named Huey who inherited a musty old estate, as well the entire book collection contained therein, from his grandfather. Huey meets Dalian, a girl in a black dress who is quietly reading in the basement piled high with books. Dalian controls the gateway to the Bibliotheca Mystica de Dantalian, the forbidden books of demonic wisdom.
Besides Bibliotheca Mystica de Dantalian, Mikumo also wrote the Asura Cryin' light novel series that inspired the television anime of the same name. Greenwood's G Yūsuke has been illustrating Bibliotheca Mystica de Dantalian since it began serialization in The Sneaker in 2008, and the fifth compiled book volume shipped in April. Chako Abeno (sola, White Album) launched a manga adaptation in Kadokawa's Monthly Shonen Ace magazine in March, and Monaco Sena launched a separate Bibliotheca Mystica de Dantalian: Dalian Days manga in Kadokawa's Comp Ace magazine that same month.
Animatrix's Studio 4°C to Animate New ThunderCats
New series based on '80s fantasy action series to run on Cartoon Network
Warner Bros. Animation is announcing on Thursday that Studio 4°C, the anime studio behind Tekkonkinkreet, Genius Party, and parts of The Animatrix, is animating a new version of the 1980s fantasy action television series Thundercats for the Cartoon Network. Sam Register, Cartoon Network's Executive Vice President of Creative Affairs, described the new series as "Warner Bros. Animation's first anime series." (Several Japanese studios subcontracted on the original Thundercats series as well.)
Studio 4°C had previously worked with Warner Brothers on The Animatrix, Batman: Gotham Knight, and Halo Legends — three earlier Japanese-animated Warner Brothers projects based on American entertainment franchises. Register is serving as the new project's executive producer after working on Hi Hi Puffy AmiYumi, Transformers: Animated, Teen Titans, Ben 10, and Batman: The Brave and the Bold. Michael Jelenic (Batman: The Brave and the Bold, Wonder Woman) and Ethan Spaulding (Avatar: The Last Airbender) are producing.
Gackt Confirms July Dates for 1st European Tour
Singer to hold 5 concerts in U.K., France, Spain, Germany Japanese rock star and occasional anime voice actor Gackt has announced on Tuesday that he will hold five concerts throughout western Europe in July, starting in London on July 16 and ending in Bochum, Germany on July 24. The tour dates are as follows:
Date City
7/16 London, United Kingdom
7/18 Paris, France
7/20 Barcelona, Spain
7/22 Munich, Germany
7/24 Bochum, Germany
Tickets will go on sale on June 7.
Disappearance of Haruhi to Screen in LA June 24
Stephanie Sheh, Christina Vee and other actors to be present
Bandai Entertainment has announced that The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya, the first ever movie in the Haruhi Suzumiya franchise, will be screened at the Laemmle's Sunset theater in Hollywood on June 24.
Stephanie Sheh, the English voice of Mikuru, and other undisclosed cast members will appear at the screening. Sheh will be autographing the theatrical poster from the film, which will be given away to attendees.
Christina Vee, the actress that portrays Haruhi Suzumiya in Bandai Entertainment's live-action ASOS Brigade videos, will also be present and will perform several of the series songs in English and Japanese.
The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya adapts the fourth volume from Nagaru Tanigawa and Noizi Ito's original light novel series about an eccentric, assertive girl who creates her own school club for her strange antics. The movie opened at the Japanese box office on February 6, and it earned the equivalent of US$7,479,561 after eight weekends at the end of March.
The English subtitled version of the film received its official North American premiere at the Viz Cinema in San Francisco on May 21st. Bandai Entertainment also announced that the film will screen in Hawaii later this month.
Totoro Sells 1-Millionth DVD after 440 Weeks in Japan
Miyazaki, Ghibli's film DVD has remained in Japan's weekly top 300 since 2001
Hayao Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli's My Neighbor Totoro film has sold 1.001 million DVD copies in Japan as of the May 24-30 week — 440 weeks after its first release. The 1988 film first shipped in Japan on September 28, 2001. It has remained in the top 300 of Oricon's weekly DVD ranking charts ever since. By contrast, the 2-Disc Special Edition of Gore Verbinski's Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest has also sold one million copies in Japan, but has only ranked on the weekly charts 26 times.
Despite this record, Totoro is only the #3 top-selling Ghibli film on DVD in Japan to date. Spirited Away has sold an estimated 2.344 million copies on DVD since 2002, and Howl's Moving Castle has sold an estimated 1.216 million copies on DVD since 2005.
Japanese Man Arrested for Fake Anime/Game Stickers
Police believe stickers of Ghibli films, Pokémon, FF were produced in China
A shop owner in the Japanese prefecture of Chiba has been arrested and has allegedly admitted to selling illicit game console "skin" stickers featuring art from Studio Ghibli's anime films, such as My Neighbor Totoro, Laputa: Castle in the Sky, and Kiki's Delivery Service.
33-year-old Daisuke Yamashita of Matsudo City (about 30 kilometers or 20 miles east of Tokyo) has been charged with selling two counterfeit stickers and possessing 13 more, all with Studio Ghibli artwork. Police seized approximately 1,319 forged stickers from Yamashita's home, and believes them to be imported from China. The seized stickers feature art from franchises such as Pokémon and Final Fantasy as well as other works for a total of 53 characters.
Police say that Yamashita sold the pair of stickers in an online auction for 3,160 yen (about US$34.60), and they suspect he has earned over 2 million yen (US$22,000) from selling similar knockoffs.
Source: Anime News Network
June 1, 2010 Update:
*THANK YOU FOR STOPPING BY OUR BOOTHS AT FANIME CON 2010 AND PASADENA'S ROCK 'N CON 2010! WE APPRECIATE ALL THE LOYAL FANS THAT SUPPORTED US THERE! WE COULDN'T HAVE DONE IT WITHOUT YOU!*
NEWS!!!
Anime Expo to Host Voice Actresses Yui Horie, Eri Kitamura
Studio Hard Deluxe founder Nobuyuki Takahashi also to attend July convention
Anime Expo has announced that it will host voice actresses Yui Horie and Eri Kitamura at the July 1-4 convention in Los Angeles. Both actresses will be promoting their work in the Toradora! comedy romance anime, which will be released through NIS America in July.
Besides her role as Minori Kushieda in Toradora!, Horie has voiced roles in more than 100 anime, including Love Hina's Naru Narusegawa, Fruits Basket's Toru Honda, School Rumble's Eri Sawachika, and Negima!'s Makie Sasaki. She has also sung theme song performances for more than 20 anime, including Bakemonogatari, Toradora! and Sister Princess. Horie has also voiced Hitomi in the Dead or Alive video game franchise.
Kitamura, who voices the role of Ami Kawashima in Toradora!, has voiced roles in more than 60 other anime, including Minami-ke's Yuka Uchida, Queen's Blade's Alleyne, Vampire Knight's Rima Tōya, and Last Exile's Tatiana Wisla. Kitamura has also sung theme songs for Kodomo no Jikan, Seto no Hanayome, and Working!!.
Studio Hard Deluxe founder Nobuyuki Takahashi will also be attending the convention. Takahashi has worked as a film editor on Ringu, Dark Water, and Juon: The Grudge, and is an executive committee member for the Tokyo Anime Fair.
Horie, Kitamura, and Takahashi will join previously announced guests: blogger Danny Choo, musical guests AKB48, SOPHIA, MELL, and Macross Frontier singers Megumi Nakajima and May "May'n" Nakabayashi; manga artist Rei Hiroe (Black Lagoon); singer Erina Mano; voice actor Katsuyuki Konishi (Gurren Lagann's Kamina, D.Gray-man's Komui Lee, Skip Beat!'s Ren Tsuruga); director Kenji Kamiyama, chief animation director Satoru Nakamura, and producer Tomohiko Ishii of the Eden of The East television anime series and films; director Shinichi "Nabeshin" Watanabe (Excel Saga, Puni Puni Poemy, Tenchi Muyo GXP); voice actress Yuu Asakawa (Love Hina, Azumanga Daioh, Bubblegum Crisis 2040); animation director and co-founder of the BONES animation studio Toshihiro Kawamoto (Cowboy Bebop, Wolf's Rain); and six Japanese DJs.
Polyphonica Novelist Junichi Ohsako Reportedly Passes Away
Ohsako wrote Nene route of Loveplus game, Blade of the Immortal novel Kadokawa Shoten editor Sōichiro Nakatsu and author Rabo Asai report that Zoa Hunter novelist and game writer Junichi Ohsako passed away on Tuesday, May 25 at 11:27 p.m. According to fellow writer Hisashi Maeda, Ohsako was responsible for writing the Nene route of the popular Loveplus "virtual girlfriend" simulator for the Nintendo DS game console. Ohsako also wrote several novel adaptations of the Polyphonica visual novel software franchise and the Blade of the Immortal manga.
Macross Frontier Movie Launches Shōjo Manga Series
Sheryl ~Kiss in the Galaxy~ based on early years of idol character
Shōjo manga creator Kariko Koyama has launched Sheryl ~Kiss in the Galaxy~, a series based on last year's Macross Frontier ~Itsuwari no Utahime~ film, in the July issue of Kodansha's Bessatsu Friend magazine on Friday. Shoji Kawamori, the creator of the Macross science-fiction romance franchise and the director of the Macross Frontier movie, is collaborating on the manga's original story. The first manga installment covers the early years of the idol singer character Sheryl Nome in vocal school — a storyline not seen in the animation thus far.
Macross Frontier ~Itsuwari no Utahime~ is the first of two films based on the Macross Frontier television series, which is itself a sequel to The Super Dimension Fortress Macross series. There have been several Macross Frontier manga already (including the main manga adaptation in Kadokawa Shoten's Monthly Shonen Ace magazine and two in Kadokawa's Comp Ace magazines), but none of the previous manga were shōjo. Kadokawa also publishes a quarterly magazine called Macross Ace.
The singing voice of Sheryl Nome, May "May'n" Nakabayashi, will be performing with Megumi Nakajima (Ranka Lee) and a "mystery guest" at Anime Expo in Los Angeles on July 2.
Yamaga: New Gainax Work Set in 20th Century Britain
Co-founder confirms 2nd "more refined" work after Panty & Stocking with Garterbelt
Gainax anime studio co-founder and executive director Hiroyuki Yamaga has confirmed at FanimeCon on Saturday that his company is planning two works: the previously announced Panty & Stocking with Garterbelt project and a second, "more refined" work set in Great Britain during the 20th century. Yamaga is currently answering questions during his "History of Gainax" panel at FanimeCon in San Jose, California. (The panel's interpreter inadvertently translated Yamaga's response about the second project's setting as "19th-century England," but Yamaga had actually said "20-seiki Igirisu" or "20th-century Great Britain.")
Gainax had revealed in an April job listing that it is working on a new anime production from May to October, and the job listing indicated that the project is set in Great Britain from 1900 to 1930.
Durarara!!, Vampire Knight, Eden of the East, More Licensed in U.K.
Baccano!, Solid State Society, Moribito, Slayers releases also revealed
The British anime distributors Beez Entertainment, MVM Entertainment, and Manga Entertainment announced their new licenses at London MCM Expo's anime industry panel on Saturday.
Beez Entertainment, the British video arm of the Namco Bandai Group, announced that it will release Durarara!!, Mobile Suit Gundam 00 Season 2, and the Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam: A New Translation movie compilation trilogy. Durarara!! will be the first title that Beez will be releasing with English subtitles only. The company revealed that it has one more subtitle-only release in the works, and will consider a future dub release for those titles if one becomes available. Beez is also adding Outlaw Star to its Anime Legends line.
Manga Entertainment announced at the panel that it has licensed the Vampire Knight anime series, and will release one DVD each month starting in October. The company also announced that it would release the Eden of The East television series on both DVD and Blu-ray Disc in a two-disc set in November, as well as the Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex: Solid State Society film on Blu-ray before Christmas. Manga further announced that it has licensed the Baccano! anime series. Manga Entertainment noted at the panel that it is interested in setting up an anime streaming website for UK fans.
MVM Entertainment confirmed that it will be releasing Blade of the Immortal, Moribito - Guardian of the Spirit, Slayers Revolution, and Slayers Evolution-R. MVM has also told ANN that Rozen Maiden - Träumend will be released in July, and Pet Shop of Horrors will be released in August. Solty Rei, Samurai Deeper Kyo and Aquarion will be getting box set releases for the first time. MVM also announced at the London MCM Expo that it will move away from single-disc releases.
Source: Anime News Network
IF YOU MISS OUT ON ANYTHING FOR THESE MONTHS, COME CHECK IT OUT UNDER THESE SECTIONS.
June 24, 2010 Update:
NEWS!!!
Are you ready for Supernatural: The Anime? If you live in Japan, you better get ready for it, because series creator Eric Kripke, and Japanese animation studio Madhouse are bringing the Winchester Boys to the animated screen, essentially remaking the first two seasons. But, you know, with spikier hair.
Though we won't see Sam and Dean getting back in their Pokéballs any time soon, or transforming into a demon killing Colt, we will get to see episodes from the first season in half hour anime format, plus a few originals.
The first season will have twenty-two episodes (covering the original seasons plus some of the new episodes) airing in January of 2011, and then released a few episode at a time in box sets here in the states.
Anime cast to record fans' favorite manga quotes for upcoming CD
The August issue of Hakusensha's shōjo manga anthology LaLa has announced on Thursday that Bisco Hatori's romantic comedy manga Ouran High School Host Club will enter its final story arc in the next issue in July. The magazine is also launching a "Host Club: The Last Party" fan campaign to celebrate the story's pending conclusion and give away presents.
The campaign includes an illustration contest for fan art, as well as voting for the fans' favorite "Title Page Illustration Selection" and favorite quotes from the manga ("The Best Collection"). The cast of Ouran's anime adaptation will then record the top-ranking quotes for a CD. The CD will be offered to readers via a mail-away offer starting in the October issue of LaLa in August.
The Ouran High School Host Club manga launched in LaLa in August of 2003. In the story, high school freshman Haruhi pretends to be a boy so that she can take part in the wealthy school's Host Club, to which she owes a large debt. Viz Media licensed the manga and launched its North American release in July of 2005. The manga been among the top-ranked titles both in Japan and on the New York Times manga best seller list. In April 2006, a 26-episode anime began in Japan with Maaya Sakamoto as Haruhi and Mamoru Miyano as Host Club president Tamaki. Funimation licensed and released the anime in North America in 2008.
The New York Anime Festival (NYAF) has announced J-Rock "super group" VAMPS, consisting of L'Arc-en-Ciel singer HYDE and Oblivion Dust guitarist K.A.Z., as its first announced guest for the 2010 event. The group will host a Q&A session and a concert during the October 8-10 weekend. The event will be part of the group's 2010 world tour, which will include stops in the United States, Spain, France, China, and Chile.
VAMPS was launched in 2008, although HYDE and K.A.Z. have worked together since 2003, in the early years of HYDE's solo career. The duo toured the United States in 2009 and played in 10 venues. Those venues included New York, two Warped Tour shows, San Francisco, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, and Baltimore, where the band performed at Otakon 2009.
NYAF, traditionally a standalone event, is taking place alongside the New York Comic Con (NYCC) at the Javits Center in New York City this fall. NYCC had already announced Stan Lee — creator of Heroman, Ultimo, and a wide variety of American comic book characters — as its "spotlight" guest of honor.
The MAX 2010 event has confirmed that the entire X Japan group and Stan Lee, famed American comic writer and creator of the manga Ultimo and the BONES anime Heroman, will attend the Yoshiki Foundation benefit party on July 1 at Club Nokia in Los Angeles. The benefit event is intended to raise money for the Grammy Foundation and St. Vincent's Meals on Wheels. The Yoshiki Foundation is devoted to providing funds for children with bone marrow disease.
MAX 2010 takes place on July 1 at Club Nokia in Los Angeles. Other announcements for the event include a screening of the American trailer for Studio Ghibli's Tales from Earthsea, flash mob dance events with the AniMaid Café, an AMV contest, a collection of Power Rangers guests and events, and a screening of Kai-Ki: Tales of Terror from Tokyo.
Source: ugo.com & Anime News Network
June 23, 2010 Update:
NEWS!!!
Anime Expo has confirmed that SOPHIA lead singer Mitsuru Matsuoka will join the rest of the Kisaragi mystery stage play's cast in the North American premiere of their production on July 2 in the J.W. Marriott Hotel in Los Angeles. The play adapts the acclaimed 2007 live-action film of the same name, in which five fans of a minor celebrity model realize that her alleged suicide is not what it seems.The cast includes (from left to right in the image above) Matsuoka, Yosuke Asari, Masahiro Usui, Yuichiro Nakayama, and Nezumi Imamura.
The Nikkan Sports newspaper had reported on Kisaragi's Los Angeles premiere two days earlier, but Anime Expo did not confirm the news until Tuesday.
The international software distributor MangaGamer has also announced that it will host vocalist Aina Kase (pictured at left) and artist Yuki Takano at Anime Expo. Kase has appeared at Anime Expo before, while this will be Takano's first time at the convention.
Kase performed the opening theme songs for the La'cryma adult game Sora wo Tobu, Mittsu no Houhou, and she also sang for the vocal albums of Da Capo and Valkyrie Complex games for CIRCUS as well as for F&C FC01's Canvas3 original soundtrack. (La'cryma is a joint venture between Broccoli and CIRCUS.) Takano worked with CIRCUS on the art for the Da Capo II games, the Princess Party games, and this month's RPG Academy game. She also worked with La'cryma on the Sora wo Tobu, Nanatsu-me no Mahou game and the upcoming fortissimo game.
KAT-TUN boy band member Jin Akanishi has added at least seven cities to his solo American tour after the success of his Saturday engagement at Club Nokia in Los Angeles, which attracted approximately 2,000 fans (of which his promoters say 80% were non-Japanese). Akanishi's September-October tour stops now include Los Angeles (where he has already performed three concerts), New York, Chicago, Las Vegas, San Francisco, Anaheim, and Houston.
Akanishi starred in the live-action drama adaptation of Yukari Ichijo's manga Yukan Club, which featured KAT-TUN single "Keep the Faith" as its theme song. Akanishi also starred in the second season of the live-action adaptation of Kozueko Morimoto's manga Gokusen. His voice acting debut was as the title role in the Japanese-language dub of the 2008 Warner Brothers film Speed Racer.
KAT-TUN has also provided themes to the live-action drama based on Tadashi Agi's wine manga Kami no Shizuku (Les Gouttes de Dieu), and to the live-action drama adaptation of Tomoko Hayakawa's manga Yamato Nadesico Shichi Henge (known as The Wallflower in North America).
1975-82 TV anime about mischievous, clever monk-in-training already had 1978 film
The Japanese studio Toei Animation announced at a June 16 press conference in Shanghai that it is jointly producing a new Ikkyū-san anime film with the Chinese conglomerate Shanghai Media Group (SMG) and SMG's Toonmax channel. Toei animated the original Ikkyū-san historical comedy television series about a young monk-in-training from 1975 to 1982, when the studio was still known as Toei Dōga. The new Ikkyū-san anime film will open in China in February of 2012 — during the traditional Chinese New Year holidays.
The story of Ikkyū-san is loosely inspired by Ikkyū Sōjun, a real-life Buddhist monk who lived in 15th-century Japan. The anime imagines Ikkyū's childhood as a mischievous but clever monk-in-training at Ankokuji Temple. The original television series already inspired a 1978 Ikkyū-san to Yancha-hime (Ikkyusan and the Mischievous Princess) film. The television series premiered in China in 1983 and became a popular hit among children there.
SMG operates the children's television channel Toonmax, which is popular in China and particularly in the Shanghai area. Another Japanese anime studio, MADHOUSE, is collaborating with China Film Group Corporation, director Yuji Ikeda (Fushigi Yuugi, Monster), and original character designer Naoki Urasawa (Monster, 20th Century Boys) on a film titled Tibetan Dog (Tibet Inu Monogatari).
Source: Anime News Network
June 22, 2010 Update:
It has been awhile since we have updated this section of our site due to the latest products on our site. We have a lot of new products and a lot of restock products that we know you can't get enough of. There are a lot of new items to tell you about, but we can't list them all for you. (It would be too long and boring.) We'll just give you the low down on the ones we know our customers will love. So, here we go...
Let's start with books...
Now that we have gotten the books out of the way, here are the figures that we all come to love...
Much of our latest products are all from the Macross and REVOLTECH series. So, here are some that are way cooler than the rest...
Let's start with the Macross series.
NEWS!!!
X Japan founder, drummer, and pianist Yoshiki has announced that he and his Yoshiki Foundation America will throw a free benefit party as part of the MAX 2010 event on July 1st, 2010 at Club Nokia in Los Angeles.
The event will include a masquerade contest and a fashion event featuring designer H. Naoto (also a guest at this year's 2010 Otakon event), as well as giveaways such as rare X Japan items and a chance to meet Yoshiki in person in the Club Nokia VIP room. Attendees of MAX's screening of KAI-KI: Tales of Terror from Tokyo or the AniMaid Café events will receive "a special limited edition X Japan/Yoshiki keepsake" and premiere access to the party.
The Yoshiki Foundation is a 501(c)3) charity devoted to providing funds for children with bone marrow disease, the illness that caused the death of X Japan's vocalist Hideto "hide" Matsumoto in 1997. The event will specifically raise funds for the Grammy Foundation and St. Vincent's Meals on Wheels.
MAX 2010 takes place on July 1st at Club Nokia and requires no attendance fee, instead charging for individual events. Other announcements for the event include a screening of the American trailer for Studio Ghibli's Tales of Earthsea, the aforementioned flash mob dance events with the AniMaid Café, an AMV contest, a collection of Power Rangers guests and events, and the aforementioned screening of Kai-Ki.
"Ido e Itaru Mori e Itaru Ido," the single from the Sound Horizon musical group with vocals by the virtual idol singer Hatsune Miku, ranked #2 on Oricon's weekly singles chart for the June 14-20 week. The CD single sold 47,000 copies, a record for Sound Horizon. It is the first new release from the group in two years.
Sound Horizon had confirmed on June 11 that Hatsune Miku, Crypton Future Media's synthesized voice package based on YAMAHA's Vocaloid 2 software engine, provided some of the vocals on the single. Other vocalists include Märchen von Friedhof, Joelle, Miki, and Crypton Future Media's "Junger März_Prototype β." Akio Ohtsuka, Rica Fukami, Nobuo Tobita, Miyuki Sawashiro, Asuka Tanii, Toru Ohkawa, Saki Fujita, and Sascha contributed their voices, while former Megadeth guitarist Marty Friedman (Detroit Metal City) and former Siam Shade (Rurouni Kenshin) drummer Junji can also be heard.
This past May, the Exit Tunes Presents Vocalgenesis feat. Hatsune Miku compilation album became the first "Vocaloid album" to top Oricon's weekly album ranking chart. Earlier this month, "Little Braver" CD single by the Angel Beats! anime's fictional Girls Dead Monster band sold 38,854 copies to rank #2 on Oricon's chart.
"Battle romantic comedy" about pilot academy with only girls except 1 boy
The 96th "Sono Na mo J" flyer is announcing this month that a television anime adaptation of Izuru Yumizuru's IS (Infinite Stratos) light novel series has been green-lit. The "popular high-speed school battle romantic comedy" centers around the IS Academy: a school for training the pilots of the Infinite Stratos weapon system, which can only be used by females. Candidates plucked from girls from countries all over the world are brought here — as well as one boy named Ichika Orimura. As it turns out, Ichika is "the only male in the world who can use the IS." His classmates include Hōki Shinonono, a childhood friend.
Media Factory's MF Bunko imprint will publish the fifth volume of the light novel series with okiura's illustrations in Japan on June 25. Kenji Akaboshi launched a manga version in Media Factory's Monthly Comic Alive magazine last month.
Also: Ichigo 100%, Save Me! Lollipop, Sasami: Magical Girl Club; digital release possible
Anime localizer Manga Entertainment's United Kingdom branch announced via Twitter on Wednesday that four titles it licensed over the past few years would "probably not get a UK DVD release." These titles are:
* Honey and Clover
* Ichigo 100%
* Save Me! Lollipop
* Sasami: Magical Girl Club
In a follow-up Twitter post, Manga UK claimed that it had not "dropped" the titles, and were hoping to distribute them digitally in the UK. The company added that it decided not to pursue the DVD option of the last two titles due in part to the costs of converting masters from NTSC to PAL, submitting to the British Board of Film Classification, authoring, and marketing.
Albert Torres writes for Book of Eli helmer Albert Hughes; visual artists in pre-production
The Collider.com movie news website interviewed producer Andrew Lazar (Jonah Hex, Space Cowboys, Get Smart) on the planned live-action Akira films, and Lazar revealed that his Akira team hired a new writer named Albert Torres to work with director Albert Hughes (Menace II Society, From Hell, The Book of Eli). Lazar said that Hughes is "off conceptualizing the movie with a bunch of visual artists" in pre-production development. When asked about the challenges of getting the project made as a big-budgeted, high-profile studio release, Lazar responded:
"Akira happens to be something that Warner Brothers management loves. They see the value in the title. They see the value in the franchise, and what the underlying property meant. It's a pretty seminal piece. And so they think that, with a guy who is a visionary director like Albert Hughes, it's not pushing a boulder up the hill for Akira because, quite frankly, the studio is really enthusiastic about it."
Lazar also confirmed that the first film will cover Katsuhiro Otomo's first three Akira manga volumes, and the next three volumes will be covered "hopefully, if we're fortunate enough to do a second one."
Screenwriter Gary Whitta was previously attached to the project, which actor Leonardo DiCaprio (Titanic, The Aviator) is producing through his Appian Way production company. According to ComingSoon.net, Mark Fergus and Hawk Ostby also worked on the films' scripts before Torres was hired.
Japanese, English-speaking fans encouraged to take part in tree-planting project
In celebration of the Naruto manga selling over 100 million books in Japan as of this past April, Weekly Shonen Jump publisher Shueisha and the PresentTree company have established a campaign to plant 7,610 trees on mountains in the Yamanashi prefecture to create "Naruto's Forest." The project will care for the forest for ten years until the trees can grow independently.
The campaign also encourages fans to enter a drawing to become a tree sponsor. Each winner will receive a numbered certificate with information about their specific tree, and numbered signs will be erected next to the trees so each winner can locate their tree. An English-language version of this contest is also available for fans abroad.
To promote the campaign, Naruto creator Masashi Kishimoto drew a special illustration of "the Future of Naruto's Forest."
Actress Saki Aibu, voice actress Minami Kuribayashi, artist Fujimaru to appear
Anime Expo has confirmed reports that actress Saki Aibu will attend the July 1-4 convention for the world premiere of her new film Eternal First Love in Los Angeles. Aibu starred as Riiko Izawa in the live-action adaptation of Yu Watase's manga Absolute Boyfriend, as well as voicing roles in Doraemon, Professor Layton and the Eternal Diva, and Kaiketsu Zorori.
European game publisher MangaGamer has also announced two additional guests: voice actress and singer Minami Kuribayashi and artist Fujimaru. Kuribayashi starred as Haruka Suzumiya in Rumbling Hearts and Erstin Ho in My-Otome. She has also sung themes for Blassreiter, School Days, and others. Fujimaru worked on the Kira Kira Curtain Call and Dear Drops adult games from the Japanese brand OVERDRIVE.
Anime Expo announced on Thursday that voice actor Masakazu Morita will also appear as a Guest of Honor. MangaGamer guests include UR@N, Yuka Kayura, Shinji Katakura, Hiroshi Takeuchi, Kazutoshi Matsumura, and Japanese game publisher Age (with Sou Miyata and Kyousuke Himukai).
Adminstrator: site is trying to negotiate after "copyright issue"
MangaFox, a site that aggregated translated scans of manga, has removed at least 350 titles from its website as of this writing. A site administrator cited an unspecified "copyright issue" as well as the recent formation of a coalition between U.S. and Japanese manga publishers against scanlation sites. The administrator added that "our boss is trying to negotiate" with unspecified parties.
The initial slew of 235 removed titles consisted entirely of Viz Media licenses, but a later update indicated that more titles had been removed at the behest of unofficial scanlation groups, including titles licensed by other publishers and titles unlicensed in North America. The number of removed titles now total at least 350.
The U.S. and Japanese publishers' coalition was announced on June 8. At the time, the coalition — which includes Vertical Inc., Viz Media, Tokyopop, and Yen Press, as well as members of Japan's Digital Comic Association such as Kodansha, Shogakukan, and Shueisha — announced that it was considering legal action against 30 unnamed scanlation aggregators.
MangaFox is owned by a company called Hangzhou NOEZ Technology Co., Ltd., who claims that MangaFox ranks "within Alexa's top 2,000 sites worldwide with over 1,000,000 daily visitors and 400,000 registered members." Hangzhou NOEZ is based in Hangzhou, China, although it was originally founded in New York. NOEZ owns several other anime- and manga-related sites, including one dedicated to streaming anime episodes, one featuring both anime and manga to download, and a social networking site for anime fans. Several of these affiliated sites still list titles that MangaFox had removed, although their scanlation links are now either broken or redirected to competing scanlation aggregators.
Mangafox and NOEZ have not yet responded to ANN's request for comment.
Musical duo sang "Kansha," "Tabidatsu Kimi e" ending themes for anime
Anime Expo has announced that the musical duo RSP will perform on July 1 at the Nokia Plaza L.A. Live in downtown Los Angeles. RSP members Ai and Saki will be official Guests of Honor of the July 1-4 convention, and true to their name (Real Street Performance), their Los Angeles performance will be outdoors. The duo performed the "Kansha" and "Tabidatsu Kimi e" ending theme songs for the Bleach television anime series.
Kawashima finished manga from his sickbed before passing away on June 15
The editors of Kodansha's Monthly Shonen Magazine have announced that Alive - Saishū Shinka teki Shōnen (Alive - The Final Evolution) manga writer Tadashi Kawashima passed away on Tuesday, June 15, due to liver cancer. He was 42.
The editors noted that Kawashima continued to work on the manga from his sickbed and managed to complete the manga this past February. Even after finishing Alive, he proceeded to work on a new series while he battled liver cancer. The editors offered their condolences on Kawashima's passing.
Source: Anime News Network
June 9, 2010 Update:
NEWS!!!
A group of Japanese and American manga publishers have formed a coalition to battle scanlations of manga titles, the group announced today, with thirty sites identified for action. The participants include the 36 members of Japan’s Digital Comic Association, Square Enix, Viz Media, Tokyopop, Vertical, the Tuttle-Mori Agency, and Yen Press.
“...[T]o protect the intellectual property rights of our creators and the overall health of our industry, we are left with no other alternative but to take aggressive action,” a spokesperson for the group said. Scanlation sites are urged to “take it upon themselves to immediately cease their activities,” with injunctive relief, statutory damages, and referral to law enforcement agencies promised for those sites that do not comply.
Sites featuring scanlations, which allow online reading of manga in fan-translated English versions almost immediately upon release in Japan, have reached mammoth proportions. Onemanga.com, the largest of these sites, is the only comic-related site in the top 1000 sites worldwide, according to Google’s list of top sites.
Manga publishers have been slow both to take action against scanlation sites and to offer legal alternatives for fans that want to read manga in digital format. For years, publishers appeared to view the scanlation sites as free marketing that primed the market in the U.S. for future release of legitimate editions and quietly tolerated them. And although the digital comics business for mobile devices is huge in Japan, Japanese publishers have largely ignored the market here, leaving illegal options the only way to read manga on cellphones or desktops. We asked Viz Media’s Gonzalo Ferreyra why manga publishers were so slow to offer legal alternatives here, and he told us that sorting out the issues in Japan was taking a long time.
But with manga sales in the U.S. plummeting, and the number of titles licensed for the U.S. also dropping rapidly, the Japanese publishers appear to have finally decided that they need to take action. Shonen Jump editors recently asked for scanlation sites to voluntarily stop, a precursor to this industry-wide coalition.
A coalition of American comic publishers has already drawn blood, successfully getting the largest source of American comics on the Web shut down and the ownership charged.
Whether the new anti-piracy coalition formed by manga publishers will be as successful remains to be seen. But comic store retailers that specialize in manga, who almost uniformly believe that scanlations are hurting their sales, will undoubtedly cheer the efforts and hope that the massive amount of pirated manga content available online begins to diminish.
Blogger Danny Choo to bring exclusive footage from Good Smile Company
Blogger and Anime Expo guest Danny Choo confirmed on Sunday that Good Smile Company will provide him with "10+ minutes" of exclusive footage from the Black Rock Shooter anime project to screen at the July 1-4 convention in Los Angeles.
The 50-minute anime project showcases the Black Rock Shooter character illustrations by artist huke. Ryo's work inspired the musical artist Ryo to compose a "Black Rock Shooter" song using the Vocaloid2 voice-synthesis character Hatsune Miku, and a "pilot edition" of anime has already been released in September. The project is being directed by Shinobu Yoshioka and supervised by Yutaka Yamamoto (Kannagi, Haruhi Suzuymiya, Lucky Star), whose studio Ordet is handling the animation production.
The anime was initially slated to be released for free online and in magazines later this month. However, the project's website announced last month that the magazines are delaying their release of the anime by one month.
Source: ICv2 & Anime News Network
June 7, 2010 Update:
NEWS!!!
Revival of Alive - Saishū Shinka teki Shōnen anime failed after Gonzo's delisting
The editors of Kodansha's Monthly Shonen Magazine have confirmed on Saturday that the anime plans for the Alive - Saishū Shinka teki Shōnen (Alive - The Final Evolution) manga have been halted, despite the best efforts of those involved to revive the project.
In June of 2008, the magazine announced that Tadashi Kawashima and Adachitoka's Alive - Saishū Shinka teki Shōnen science-fiction adventure manga would be animated for television. The manga follows the life of a Tokyo high school boy named Taisuke Kanō, after a mysterious force causes mass suicides across the world. However, Kanō and his friends not only survive the calamity, but have evolved, as a species, into something darker.
According to the Monthly Shonen Magazine editors, production on the anime project was suspended last year due to the delisting of the Gonzo anime studio from the Tokyo Stock Exchange. Gonzo was co-producing the anime with another studio, AIC. The people involved did their best to revive the project after Gonzo's delisting, but to no avail.
The manga began its serialization in the magazine in 2003, and the manga ended in Japan this past February. Del Rey published the eighth of 21 volumes of the manga in North America last November.
Story about forbidden books of demonic wisdom from Asura Cryin's Mikumo
A media tie-in information sheet from Kadokawa Group Publishing's Kadokawa Sneaker Bunko imprint has announced that an anime adaptation of Gakuto Mikumo's Bibliotheca Mystica de Dantalian (Dantalian no Shoka) light novel series is in the works. More details will be provided in the August issue of Kadokawa Shoten's The Sneaker magazine on June 30.
The story centers around a young man named Huey who inherited a musty old estate, as well the entire book collection contained therein, from his grandfather. Huey meets Dalian, a girl in a black dress who is quietly reading in the basement piled high with books. Dalian controls the gateway to the Bibliotheca Mystica de Dantalian, the forbidden books of demonic wisdom.
Besides Bibliotheca Mystica de Dantalian, Mikumo also wrote the Asura Cryin' light novel series that inspired the television anime of the same name. Greenwood's G Yūsuke has been illustrating Bibliotheca Mystica de Dantalian since it began serialization in The Sneaker in 2008, and the fifth compiled book volume shipped in April. Chako Abeno (sola, White Album) launched a manga adaptation in Kadokawa's Monthly Shonen Ace magazine in March, and Monaco Sena launched a separate Bibliotheca Mystica de Dantalian: Dalian Days manga in Kadokawa's Comp Ace magazine that same month.
New series based on '80s fantasy action series to run on Cartoon Network
Warner Bros. Animation is announcing on Thursday that Studio 4°C, the anime studio behind Tekkonkinkreet, Genius Party, and parts of The Animatrix, is animating a new version of the 1980s fantasy action television series Thundercats for the Cartoon Network. Sam Register, Cartoon Network's Executive Vice President of Creative Affairs, described the new series as "Warner Bros. Animation's first anime series." (Several Japanese studios subcontracted on the original Thundercats series as well.)
Studio 4°C had previously worked with Warner Brothers on The Animatrix, Batman: Gotham Knight, and Halo Legends — three earlier Japanese-animated Warner Brothers projects based on American entertainment franchises. Register is serving as the new project's executive producer after working on Hi Hi Puffy AmiYumi, Transformers: Animated, Teen Titans, Ben 10, and Batman: The Brave and the Bold. Michael Jelenic (Batman: The Brave and the Bold, Wonder Woman) and Ethan Spaulding (Avatar: The Last Airbender) are producing.
Singer to hold 5 concerts in U.K., France, Spain, Germany Japanese rock star and occasional anime voice actor Gackt has announced on Tuesday that he will hold five concerts throughout western Europe in July, starting in London on July 16 and ending in Bochum, Germany on July 24. The tour dates are as follows:
Date City
7/16 London, United Kingdom
7/18 Paris, France
7/20 Barcelona, Spain
7/22 Munich, Germany
7/24 Bochum, Germany
Tickets will go on sale on June 7.
Stephanie Sheh, Christina Vee and other actors to be present
Bandai Entertainment has announced that The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya, the first ever movie in the Haruhi Suzumiya franchise, will be screened at the Laemmle's Sunset theater in Hollywood on June 24.
Stephanie Sheh, the English voice of Mikuru, and other undisclosed cast members will appear at the screening. Sheh will be autographing the theatrical poster from the film, which will be given away to attendees.
Christina Vee, the actress that portrays Haruhi Suzumiya in Bandai Entertainment's live-action ASOS Brigade videos, will also be present and will perform several of the series songs in English and Japanese.
The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya adapts the fourth volume from Nagaru Tanigawa and Noizi Ito's original light novel series about an eccentric, assertive girl who creates her own school club for her strange antics. The movie opened at the Japanese box office on February 6, and it earned the equivalent of US$7,479,561 after eight weekends at the end of March.
The English subtitled version of the film received its official North American premiere at the Viz Cinema in San Francisco on May 21st. Bandai Entertainment also announced that the film will screen in Hawaii later this month.
Miyazaki, Ghibli's film DVD has remained in Japan's weekly top 300 since 2001
Hayao Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli's My Neighbor Totoro film has sold 1.001 million DVD copies in Japan as of the May 24-30 week — 440 weeks after its first release. The 1988 film first shipped in Japan on September 28, 2001. It has remained in the top 300 of Oricon's weekly DVD ranking charts ever since. By contrast, the 2-Disc Special Edition of Gore Verbinski's Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest has also sold one million copies in Japan, but has only ranked on the weekly charts 26 times.
Despite this record, Totoro is only the #3 top-selling Ghibli film on DVD in Japan to date. Spirited Away has sold an estimated 2.344 million copies on DVD since 2002, and Howl's Moving Castle has sold an estimated 1.216 million copies on DVD since 2005.
Police believe stickers of Ghibli films, Pokémon, FF were produced in China
A shop owner in the Japanese prefecture of Chiba has been arrested and has allegedly admitted to selling illicit game console "skin" stickers featuring art from Studio Ghibli's anime films, such as My Neighbor Totoro, Laputa: Castle in the Sky, and Kiki's Delivery Service.
33-year-old Daisuke Yamashita of Matsudo City (about 30 kilometers or 20 miles east of Tokyo) has been charged with selling two counterfeit stickers and possessing 13 more, all with Studio Ghibli artwork. Police seized approximately 1,319 forged stickers from Yamashita's home, and believes them to be imported from China. The seized stickers feature art from franchises such as Pokémon and Final Fantasy as well as other works for a total of 53 characters.
Police say that Yamashita sold the pair of stickers in an online auction for 3,160 yen (about US$34.60), and they suspect he has earned over 2 million yen (US$22,000) from selling similar knockoffs.
Source: Anime News Network
June 1, 2010 Update:
NEWS!!!
Studio Hard Deluxe founder Nobuyuki Takahashi also to attend July convention
Anime Expo has announced that it will host voice actresses Yui Horie and Eri Kitamura at the July 1-4 convention in Los Angeles. Both actresses will be promoting their work in the Toradora! comedy romance anime, which will be released through NIS America in July.
Besides her role as Minori Kushieda in Toradora!, Horie has voiced roles in more than 100 anime, including Love Hina's Naru Narusegawa, Fruits Basket's Toru Honda, School Rumble's Eri Sawachika, and Negima!'s Makie Sasaki. She has also sung theme song performances for more than 20 anime, including Bakemonogatari, Toradora! and Sister Princess. Horie has also voiced Hitomi in the Dead or Alive video game franchise.
Kitamura, who voices the role of Ami Kawashima in Toradora!, has voiced roles in more than 60 other anime, including Minami-ke's Yuka Uchida, Queen's Blade's Alleyne, Vampire Knight's Rima Tōya, and Last Exile's Tatiana Wisla. Kitamura has also sung theme songs for Kodomo no Jikan, Seto no Hanayome, and Working!!.
Studio Hard Deluxe founder Nobuyuki Takahashi will also be attending the convention. Takahashi has worked as a film editor on Ringu, Dark Water, and Juon: The Grudge, and is an executive committee member for the Tokyo Anime Fair.
Horie, Kitamura, and Takahashi will join previously announced guests: blogger Danny Choo, musical guests AKB48, SOPHIA, MELL, and Macross Frontier singers Megumi Nakajima and May "May'n" Nakabayashi; manga artist Rei Hiroe (Black Lagoon); singer Erina Mano; voice actor Katsuyuki Konishi (Gurren Lagann's Kamina, D.Gray-man's Komui Lee, Skip Beat!'s Ren Tsuruga); director Kenji Kamiyama, chief animation director Satoru Nakamura, and producer Tomohiko Ishii of the Eden of The East television anime series and films; director Shinichi "Nabeshin" Watanabe (Excel Saga, Puni Puni Poemy, Tenchi Muyo GXP); voice actress Yuu Asakawa (Love Hina, Azumanga Daioh, Bubblegum Crisis 2040); animation director and co-founder of the BONES animation studio Toshihiro Kawamoto (Cowboy Bebop, Wolf's Rain); and six Japanese DJs.
Ohsako wrote Nene route of Loveplus game, Blade of the Immortal novel Kadokawa Shoten editor Sōichiro Nakatsu and author Rabo Asai report that Zoa Hunter novelist and game writer Junichi Ohsako passed away on Tuesday, May 25 at 11:27 p.m. According to fellow writer Hisashi Maeda, Ohsako was responsible for writing the Nene route of the popular Loveplus "virtual girlfriend" simulator for the Nintendo DS game console. Ohsako also wrote several novel adaptations of the Polyphonica visual novel software franchise and the Blade of the Immortal manga.
Sheryl ~Kiss in the Galaxy~ based on early years of idol character
Shōjo manga creator Kariko Koyama has launched Sheryl ~Kiss in the Galaxy~, a series based on last year's Macross Frontier ~Itsuwari no Utahime~ film, in the July issue of Kodansha's Bessatsu Friend magazine on Friday. Shoji Kawamori, the creator of the Macross science-fiction romance franchise and the director of the Macross Frontier movie, is collaborating on the manga's original story. The first manga installment covers the early years of the idol singer character Sheryl Nome in vocal school — a storyline not seen in the animation thus far.
Macross Frontier ~Itsuwari no Utahime~ is the first of two films based on the Macross Frontier television series, which is itself a sequel to The Super Dimension Fortress Macross series. There have been several Macross Frontier manga already (including the main manga adaptation in Kadokawa Shoten's Monthly Shonen Ace magazine and two in Kadokawa's Comp Ace magazines), but none of the previous manga were shōjo. Kadokawa also publishes a quarterly magazine called Macross Ace.
The singing voice of Sheryl Nome, May "May'n" Nakabayashi, will be performing with Megumi Nakajima (Ranka Lee) and a "mystery guest" at Anime Expo in Los Angeles on July 2.
Co-founder confirms 2nd "more refined" work after Panty & Stocking with Garterbelt
Gainax anime studio co-founder and executive director Hiroyuki Yamaga has confirmed at FanimeCon on Saturday that his company is planning two works: the previously announced Panty & Stocking with Garterbelt project and a second, "more refined" work set in Great Britain during the 20th century. Yamaga is currently answering questions during his "History of Gainax" panel at FanimeCon in San Jose, California. (The panel's interpreter inadvertently translated Yamaga's response about the second project's setting as "19th-century England," but Yamaga had actually said "20-seiki Igirisu" or "20th-century Great Britain.")
Gainax had revealed in an April job listing that it is working on a new anime production from May to October, and the job listing indicated that the project is set in Great Britain from 1900 to 1930.
Baccano!, Solid State Society, Moribito, Slayers releases also revealed
The British anime distributors Beez Entertainment, MVM Entertainment, and Manga Entertainment announced their new licenses at London MCM Expo's anime industry panel on Saturday.
Beez Entertainment, the British video arm of the Namco Bandai Group, announced that it will release Durarara!!, Mobile Suit Gundam 00 Season 2, and the Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam: A New Translation movie compilation trilogy. Durarara!! will be the first title that Beez will be releasing with English subtitles only. The company revealed that it has one more subtitle-only release in the works, and will consider a future dub release for those titles if one becomes available. Beez is also adding Outlaw Star to its Anime Legends line.
Manga Entertainment announced at the panel that it has licensed the Vampire Knight anime series, and will release one DVD each month starting in October. The company also announced that it would release the Eden of The East television series on both DVD and Blu-ray Disc in a two-disc set in November, as well as the Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex: Solid State Society film on Blu-ray before Christmas. Manga further announced that it has licensed the Baccano! anime series. Manga Entertainment noted at the panel that it is interested in setting up an anime streaming website for UK fans.
MVM Entertainment confirmed that it will be releasing Blade of the Immortal, Moribito - Guardian of the Spirit, Slayers Revolution, and Slayers Evolution-R. MVM has also told ANN that Rozen Maiden - Träumend will be released in July, and Pet Shop of Horrors will be released in August. Solty Rei, Samurai Deeper Kyo and Aquarion will be getting box set releases for the first time. MVM also announced at the London MCM Expo that it will move away from single-disc releases.
Source: Anime News Network
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