AnimeNation Anime News Blog

FUNimation and digital programming distribution company OlympuSAT have announced plans to launch FUNimation Channel, a 24 hour linear broadcast anime television network. The network will be available to cable service providers nationwide, but no launch date has been announced.

ICv2 News reports that the FUNimation Channel will not, “interfere with successful runs of FUNimation properties on established cable and satellite venues such as the Cartoon Network.” The FUNimation Channel will, “include programming from top-rated shows in Japan that have not been aired in the U.S.”

Source: Anime News Network

Anime News Network has reported that The Anime Network’s video on demand programming will evolve into two different formats for availability through the Comcast service provider network. The Anime Network will continue to be available as a free video-on-demand (VOD) service, and will also become a pay-per-view VOD service. The differences between the free and premium VOD versions of the Anime Network have not been clarified.

SNK Playmore now hosts its Tokyo Game Show trailers for the King of Fighters: Another Day anime and King of Fighters Maximum Impact 2 PS2 game.

Adult Source Media has scheduled the release of the Arisa (”Mokemoke Taishou Dendou Musume Arisa”) and Girl’s Locker Room Lust (”Gakuen”) adult anime DVDs for October 4th. Each disc will contain one 30 minute episode and retail at $24.99.

Source: Anime on DVD

AD Vision has scheduled the release of two new graphic novel collections. The first volumes of angel/dust and Lagoon Engine Einsatz will retail at $10.99 each beginning November 22nd.

Source: Anime on DVD

Dubbing Studio PCB Productions now lists Mar as one of its dub post-production works for Viz Media, clearly suggesting that Viz Media has licensed the Mar Heaven anime television series for American release.

Source: Anime on DVD

Amazon.com has reported that TOKYOPOP has scheduled the following three domestic releases for March 30, 2006:

Someday’s Dreamers manga volume 1 by Norie Yamada & Kumichi Yoshizuki
Made in Heaven Kazemichi manga volume 1 by Ami Sakurai
Last Fantasy manhwa volume 1 by Hon Kwon Gang & Yong-wan Kwon

Anime on DVD also reports that Amazon attributes TOKYOPOP with the first Gravitation novel and the DNAngel: Feder artbook, but neither item seems to turn up in a current Amazon.com search.

TOKYOPOP has not yet confirmed any of these licenses.

Japanese adult PC game development studio Caramel Box has announced that its adults-only lesbian themed PC game “Otome wa Boku ni Koishiteru” (roughly, “Young Girl Falling in Love with Older Sister”), abbreviated in Japan as “Otoboku,” will be developed as an anime television series produced by Starchild Records.

Source: Moon Phase

Chara-Ani has announced that a School Rumble OVA DVD will be released on December 22nd. The DVD will retail at 7,140 yen and contain two original stories (”TV size”). It’s not clear if that means two 25 minute episodes, or two stories that are as long as one TV episode.

Source: Moon Phase

The official American website for the PS2 RPG Dragon Quest VIII now hosts a streaming trailer and allows site visitors to register to recieve a free playable demo of the game.

The official Japanese website for the Makai Senki Disgaea 2 RPG is now open.

Source: Moon Phase

Not anime but still potentially appealing to many anime fans, Shout! Factory has announced that the entire 13 episode 1989 Legend of Zelda animated series will be released on American DVD on October 18th. The 3 disc boxed set will retail at $29.98.

Question:
I have a mixed feeling about fansub. I remember you declared you would not deny the existence of fansub because the growing popularity of anime had been attributed to it. But some of my Japanese friends claim fansub is illegal and they are angry with the pirate activities by anime fans overseas Japan, however eagerly they love Japanese culture.

BTW ICv2 reported that the higher license fees were getting, the less profitable some minor became anime DVDs because the fans watched them with fansub and would not buy them. It is well-known that Media Factory officially announced it would ban the fansub of its own shows. Recently, however, I hear a firm attempts to distribute legalized fansubs.

So I’d like to certify your view of the future of fansub, apart from the issue of whether fansub is evil or not. Fansub will survive or not?

(more…)

Bandai Channel now hosts a streaming, 20 second long Windows Media television commercial for the Noein anime TV series, scheduled to premier on October 11th.

Source: Moon Phase

Japan’s Clover Studio now hosts its 3:24 Tokyo Game Show trailer for upcoming Playstation 2 adventure game Okami. The trailer is available in “normal” and “high” bandwidth Windows Media resolutions.

Source: Majoria’s News