AnimeNation Blog

The fully animated opening animation for the adult PC game The God of Death is now available from the game’s official website. The MPG format anime clip is available in a 24MB low resolution compressed LZH file, and a 71MB high resolution compressed LZH file. The anime footage is suitable for viewers of all ages and features at least one character designed by popular doujinshi artist Blade. Please note that the “CG” section of the website contains images suitable for adults only.

Source: Moon Phase

Independant comic publisher Drawn & Quarterly has announced plans to publish its first English translated manga. Yoshihiro Tatsumi’s vintage alternate manga “The Push Man and Other Stories” will be published as a 176-page hardcover retailing at $19.95 beginning this September.

Source: ICv2 News

The official Japanese website for the upcoming anime TV series Shuffle is now open. The first episode will premire at 12:30 AM on July 7th.

Source: Moon Phase

Animate.tv has revealed the primary production staff of the upcoming Aria anime TV series, based on the manga by Kozue Amano. The anime will be produced by Hal Film Maker (Princess Tutu, Uta-Kata) and feature direction by Junichi Sato (Doremi, Futago Hime), character design by Koga Makoto (Dokuro-chan), scenario by Reiko Yoshida (MariMite, Kaleidostar), art design by Junichiro Nishikawa (Someday’s Dreamers, Kaleidostar).

The Animate.tv site also now has a page for the Mahou Shoujo Lyrical Nanoha A’s (Ace) television series.

Source: Moon Phase

Bandai and CyberConnect2, the developers of the original .Hack RPG series for the Playstation 2, have announced development of a new PS2 and PC online RPG called .Hack//Fragment. The game will not require the PS2 HDD and will not have a monthly fee. The game can be played both online and offline.

Source: The Magic Box

Question:
Why are some women in anime, like Kitsurubami from FLCL, extremely tan? I could understand if it was for the sake of cutural diverity, except that in some anime characters like Heero Yuy and Duo Maxwell From Gundam Wing seem to be from similar cultures, but the first is Asian and the later is American. On top of that, it is a very unnatural look. Is this just the animators diverisfying or is there more to it?

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Galaxy Anime has updated with three new exclusive interviews:

AD Vision’s David L. Williams talks about the past six months, the new co-production trend, and the live action Evangelion movie.

Steve Carlton, Localization Producer for NIS America, fills everyone in on their latest release, Atelier Iris: Eternal Mana.

Lance Heiskell, Brand Manager for Funimation, talks about the company’s going Gonzo plan and latest acquisition.

New adult anime distribution company JapanAnime has officially opened. The company’s first three DVD releases, Jiburiru (Makai Tenshi Jibril) volumes 1 & 2 and Sex Warrior Pudding volume 3, are available now. JapanAnime expects to release three new DVDs every month.

Source: Adult Video News

GungHo Online Entertainment has announced plans to develop a Fist of the North Star massively multi-player online role playing game for release in Japan next year. Specifics of gameplay such as the ability to play as major characters from the original manga/anime series have not been decided yet.

Source: ITmedia Games

According to Japanese fan site Moon Phase, Studio Deen will produce an anime adaptation of Yoshihiro Takahashi’s manga series Ginga Densetsu Weed. The Weed anime will air on Skyperfect pay-per-view later this year.

The first three volumes of the Ginga Legend Weed manga series were released in America by Comics One.

ICv2 News has confirmed AD Vision’s plans to release the Shadow Skill television series in America beginning this November.

The official Japanese website for the Playstation 2 simulation RPG Mobile Suit Gundam Seed -Generation of C.E.- is now open. The game will be released on August 11th.

Source: Moon Phase

Question:
Do you think that series such as Kannazuki no Miko and Yami to Boushi to Hon no Tabibito will ever be licensed here in the U.S.A? I know that shoujo-ai and yuri aren’t as popular as shounen-ai and yaoi here, but there are some fans of shoujo-ai and yuri here in the U.S.A, and there really aren’t many anime series or manga out for them right now.

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Galaxy Anime sources within Geneon and Anime Expo have confirmed that the GUNxSWORD anime television series which will premiere in Japan on July 4th has been licensed for US release by Geneon and will be formally announced at Anime Expo. The first episode will premiere at the “Geneon’s Anime Festival Block” July 2nd in the Anaheim Convention Center’s live programming room.

CMX has scheduled release dates for several debut publications.

An Appleseed movie film comic will be released on July 6.

The first volume of Tachibana Kaimu’s Pieces of a Spiral will be released on September 7th.

The first volume of Iwahara Yuji’s Chikyu Misaki manga series will go on sale September 14th.

Source: ListerX