AnimeNation Blog

The official Hayate no Gotoku ~ Hayate the Combat Butler anime series homepage has announced that the popular TV show will get a second series.

The official Noramimi anime series homepage has announced that the show will get a second series.

The official Kodomo no Jikan anime series has announced development of a second television series. The confirmation of a second season comes despite several Japanese television networks refusing to broadcast the first season, and the first season being broadcast on Japanese television and internet only in a heavily censored format.

Source: Anime News Network

Shaft, the anime studio that produced the Negima!? Spring and Summer OVAs and the second Maho Sensei Negima television series will animate a series of three new Negima OVAs.

The first OVA will be released on July 17th, bundled with the limited edition version of Negima manga volume 23, and will adapt manga chapters 176 & 177.

The second OVA will be released with the limited edition volume 24 manga on October 17th and adapt manga chapters 178 to 180.

The third and final OVA will be released with the limited edition volume 25 manga on January 17, 2009 and will adapt manga chapters 182 & 183.

Source: Anime News Network

A camcorder recording of the Tokyo International Anime Fair trailer for Madhouse and director Takeshi Koike with co-creator Katsuhito Ishii’s anime sci-fi automobile racing film Redline has turned up on YouTube. The film is tentatively scheduled for Japanese release next year.

A camcorder recording of the Tokyo International Anime Fair trailer for the Ultraviolet: Code 044 television series is now one YouTube.

A camcorder recording of the Tokyo International Anime Fair trailer for Madhouse and director Rintaro’s upcoming full CG anime film Yona Yona Penguin is now available on YouTube.

The Group TAC anime production studio (Miami Guns, Gensomaden Saiyuki) has announced plans to develop an anime feature film adaptation of Kenji Miyazawa’s 1932 children’s novel The Life of Guskou Budori (Guskou Budori no Denki). The anime film will be written by Sadayuki Murai (Kino’s Journey, Millennium Actress) and directed by Gisaburo Sugii, who also directed the 1985 anime film Night on the Galactic Railroad, also based on a Miyazawa novel.

Life of Guskou Budori is a fantasy biography of a scientist studying the effects of volcanos on the earth’s atmosphere. Like the previous Kenji Miyazawa based anime Night on the Galactic Railroad and Kenji’s Spring, the anime version of Life of Guskou Budori will again portray human characters as anthropomorphic cats. The film is scheduled for Japanese release next spring.

Source: Anime News Network

Media Blasters CEO John Sirabella has revealed that the Cartoon Network has independently secured broadcast rights to Production IG’s 2007 fantasy anime television series Seirei no Moribito.

Source: Anime on DVD

In commemoration of the 15th annual Otakon convention this August, Japanese animation studio Madhouse will produce a 90 second long original opening animation short for the convention, staring the convention’s mascot characters Hiroko-chan & Hiroshi-kun. The opening animation will be directed by Haré+Guu director Tsutomu Mizushima.

Source: Anime News Network

Variety Magazine now hosts an interview with FUNimation CEO Gen Fukunaga in which Fukunaga reveals that FUNimation examines the popularity of unlicensed fansubs when considering which potential anime title acquisitions appeal to American fans.

The interview also reveals that Fukunaga expects web distribution of anime to become increasingly profitable; and also reveals the rarely released sales figures that Trinity Blood sold 18,000 copies on release while Dragon Ball Z season 1 sold 55,000 copies in its first five months of release.

Source: Anime News Network

Question:
Why is it that in Japan just about every anime character ever has their own figurine, while over here in the States it’s only like Barbie and Spongebob?

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The Japanese governmental Headquarters for the Abduction Issue’s anime short film “Megumi” is now available for free download in a variety of languages and formats. The documentary recounts the story of Megumi Yokota’s family’s 30 year long ongoing effort to have North Korea return their daughter who was kidnapped by North Korean operatives in 1977.

Source: Rakugakidou

The official Strait Jacket OVA series homepage now hosts a streaming trailer for the series’ third episode. Click “TVCM#4″ for the new trailer. Strait Jacket OVA 3 is scheduled for Japanese release on April 30th.

The TV Osaka network’s page for the upcoming Onegai My Melody Kirara anime television series now hosts a 30 second trailer. The series is scheduled to premier on April 6th.

The “Special” section of the official Blassreiter homepage now hosts a new 15 second TV commercial. The series is scheduled to premier on Japanese TV and online internationally on April 5th.

The official homepage for the upcoming ToLOVEru television series now hosts a new, second streaming trailer. The series is scheduled to premier on April 3rd.

The TBS network’s homepage for the Clannad television series now hosts a streaming teaser trailer for the just announced sequel series “Clannad After Story.”

The official homepage for the upcoming Chi’s Sweet Home television series now hosts a streaming trailer. The series is scheduled to premier on March 31st.

Source: Moon Phase

The official site for the upcoming Itazura na Kiss television series now hosts a 15 second trailer. The series is scheduled to premier on April 9th.

The official homepage for the upcoming Michiko to Hatchin action/adventure television series now hosts a 30 second long teaser trailer. The series is scheduled to debut later this year.

Source: Anime News Network

The Cartoon Network will “sneak preview” the Blue Dragon anime television series this weekend with broadcasts at 11:30 AM on Friday, March 28th, and 10:30 PM on Saturday, March 29th.

Source: ICv2

A new season of 26 English dubbed (and heavily “Americanized”) episodes of “Shin-chan” (Crayon Shin-chan) will premier on the Cartoon Network on Friday, April 4th at 12:30 and 3:30 a.m.

The first 13 episode DVD collection of Shin-chan episodes will retail at $39.98 beginning May 13th.

Source: ICv2

ICv2 reports that Nahoko Uehashi first Seirei no Moribito novel, the source for Production IG’s 2007 anime television series, will be released in English on June 1st by Arthur E. Levine/Scholastic Books in a hardcover edition titled “Morebito: Guardian of the Spirit”.

Question:
What anime would you call “serious” or “adult”? I do not mean hentai or anything of the sort. Most series, however intelligent they are, are intended for teenagers (so far as I can judge). What anime could you recommend, if there are such at all, that are aimed primarily at a more mature audience (20-30)?

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