AnimeNation Anime News Blog

Digital Manga’s eManga online store, which launched its experimental beta phase operation last month, is now open for business. The eManga digital rental service offers streaming commercial translated manga. Customers can obtain unlimited access to any title by re-renting the manga at a discounted price.

Users can also access free samples of all the titles. And for a limited time, L’Etoile Solitaire by Yuno Ogami is being offered for free in its entirety.

San Francisco, California based Crunchyroll has announced a partnership with Tokyo based DIRECTIONS, Inc. to offer animator Yasuhiro Yoshiura’s new dramatic sci-fi anime series Time of Eve (“Eve no Jikan”) online in English and French. The first two (of six planned) 15 minute long episodes will debut on Crunchyroll simultaneously in North America and Europe on October 2nd (October 3rd in Europe) in advertising-supported streaming and DRM-free download-to-own options.

Crunchyroll has also announced plans for a live online “Question & Answer” session with Time of Eve director Yoshiura this November.

While the official premier for the first two episodes is scheduled for October 2nd, Crunchyroll already offers the first episode now. (Meanwhile, Crunchyroll continues to also host unauthorized, pirated anime episodes.)

The official homepage for the Dake Sayonara Zetsubou-sensei OAD series now hosts a Flash trailer. The trailer plays when the website initially loads. To re-play the trailer (with different background music), click the “PV” button in the lower right corner of the website’s primary page. The first episode of the two episode series will go on sale October 17th packaged in the limited edition release of Sayonara Zetsubou-sensei manga volume 15.

Source: Moon Phase

The official homepage for the Kannagi ~ Crazy Shrine Maidens anime television series now hosts a streaming 15 second long TV commercial. The ad contains no animation footage, but instead consists of time-lapse footage of an artist drawing series co-star Nagi. The Kannagi TV series is scheduled to premier on October 4th.

Source: Moon Phase Diary

Obviously, this is suitable for adults only.

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The official Japanese Tales of Symphonia anime series homepage has formally announced development of a “Tales of Symphonia: Tethe’alla Chapter” OVA series sequel to the four episode video series from 2007, which was based on Namco’s popular “Tales of Symphonia” RPG.

Source: Anime News Network

The official Japanese homepage for the Koihime Musou anime franchise, which is based on an adult PC game developed by BaseSon, has announced development of a Koihime Musou OVA. The OVA will reportedly be very different from the 12 episode anime television series that aired its final episode this week.

Source: Anime News Network

Anime studio Sunrise has announced development of its “Sora wo Kakeru Shoujo” project. The title “Sora wo Kakeru Shoujo” translates roughly as “Universe Girl” but seems obviously intended to parody “Toki wo Kakeru Shoujo,” The Girl Who Leapt Through Time. The official website will fully open on October 10th, revealing specific details about the project. Japanese fan site Moon Phase tentatively reports that the Sore wo Kakeru Shoujo project will include an anime television series.

Source: Moon Phase

Multimedia website Joost now offers legally authorized English translated anime episodes from titles including Naruto, Death Note, Blue Dragon, Zatch Bell!, MAR, Astro Boy, Cosmo Warrior Zero, Gun Frontier and Ikkitousen, Saiyuki, and Izumo (which is not available on official American packaged media).

Access to video on the Joost website requires registration and may require proprietary software installation.

Source: Anime News Network

Concordia University Assistant Professor Matthew Penney has published an English translation of celebrated manga artist Shigeru Mizuki’s partially autobiographical 1991 anti-war educational short manga story “War and Japan.” The manga translation is prefaced by a thorough historical introduction.

Source: Icarus Publishing (link suitable for adult visitors only)

ICv2 now hosts a lengthy exclusive interview with Viz Media Vice President of Sales and Product Marketing Gonzalo Ferreyra.

The fourth section of the interview includes the first public announcement of Viz Media’s plans for the 2009 launch of a publishing imprint titled “Haikusoru” which will concentrate on English language translations of Japanese science fiction novels.

It’s also interesting to see Mr. Ferreyra comment on unlicensed manga scanlations, “I’d like to believe that to a certain degree it’s actually a positive trend for us… Don’t get me wrong. I’m not sure that it’s positive for sales; I’m just saying that I can’t tell you that it’s hurting us.”

The official homepage for the Vampire Knight anime television series now hosts a new trailer for the series’ upcoming second season, Vampire Knight Guilty. The trailer highlights Kanon Wakeshima’s ending theme song for the new series, “Suna no Oshiro.”

The right-hand trailer is the new release. The left-hand trailer featuring ON/OFF’s opening theme “Rinne -Rondo-” was released last week.

Vampire Knight Guilty premiers October 6th.

Source: Moon Phase

Reportedly the new issue of Monthly LaLa magazine includes a confirmation that a second season of the current Natsume Yujinchou anime television series will premier next January.

This is especially good news since Natsume Yujinchou has been undoubtedly one of the very best anime series to premier this year.

Source: Anime News Network

Multimedia streaming site Hulu.com, which has been offering free, legal online episodes of Speed Racer and the 2003 Astro Boy anime series, has now created an online channel devoted to free and legally authorized streams of anime titles from FUNimation, Viz Media, and UK based GONG Anime. Freshly added anime include 20 English-subtitled episodes of Naruto, all 37 English-subtitled episodes of Death Note, and 12 English-dubbed episodes of Mushi-Shi.

Hulu plans to add episodes from series including Bleach, Basilisk, Black Blood Brothers, Kiddy Grade, MoonPhase, Peach Girl, and School Rumble to its service in the future.

Source: Anime News Network

The official website for the Hello Project pop singing groups has announced that Ai Takahashi, one of the current members of the Morning Musume pop group, will co-star in a live action television series based on Motohiro Katou’s mystery manga series Q.E.D. Shomei Shuryo. Takahashi will play high school girl Kana Mizuhara, who partners with a 15 year old genius boy to solve murders and other mysteries. The 10-episode series will premiere on Japan’s NHK public broadcasting system on January 8 at 8:00 p.m.

Source: Anime News Network