AnimeNation Anime News Blog

Question:
What anime movies would you think would be suitable for grindhouse viewing?

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The official Gurren Lagann movie homepage now hosts a 26 second teaser trailer for the second and concluding Gurren Lagann movie. The streaming trailer is DRM encoded for compatibility with Windows Media Player only, but is not territory restricted. The film is scheduled for Japanese theatrical release on April 25th.

Source: Moon Phase

Anime News Network has confirmed that FUNimation laid off at least two employees, including chief operating officer, Brian Burke, yesterday. According to an official company statement, this week’s terminations conclude FUNimation’s process of corporate re-structuring in response to “the current economic climate.” FUNimation cut about 10% of its staff in July 2007.

According to FUNimation, the staff reductions will not impact the company’s continued anime acquisition and production.

You know the anime industry is facing tough times when even America’s most successful distributor is forced to make staff cuts.

Source: Anime News Network

Veteran anime voice actor Osamu Ichikawa passed away due to a heart attack in his Tokyo home on January 2. He was 72. Ichikawa played the title role of Jetter in the 1965 anime television series Mirai Kara Shonen Super Jetter before cementing his reputation for playing handsome villains including General Garuda in Combattler V and Prince Heinell in Voltes V. Contemporary American viewers may be most familiar with Ichikawa through his role as Golg Boddole Zer in the Macross television series and movie (the character known as “Dolza” in the American Robotech series).

Source: Anime News Network

Pop Japan Travel is now accepting reservations for participation in its Cosplay Across Japan Tour, scheduled for March 17 to 24. The guided tour will begin in Osaka, featuring attendance to the Nippon-Bashi Cosplay Matsuri, the world’s biggest cosplay festival, then move to Kyoto and the Kyoto International Manga Museum before moving to Tokyo for sightseeing and attendance to the Tokyo International Anime Fair.

Viz has launched a partnership with on-demand production retailer Zazzle to offer a line of original J-Pop, manga and anime-inspired apparel, stationery, and other items. The initial product offerings are the first phase of a projected product rollout that will concentrate on “shoujo-focused” fashion designs and items that will become available later this year. Most of Zazzle’s digitally printed products are produced within 24 hours of ordering.

The Centennial High School anime club, based in Ellicott City, Maryland, will host the CHS Otaku Fest on April 25, from 9:30 AM until 9:30 PM. The public event will include screenings, panels and workshops, merchandise dealers, a masquerade and cosplay, a video game room, and other events.

Colorado’s Boulder Weekly independent newspaper has published a profile of Katie Vedder, the founder of the Symphonic Anime Orchestra that exclusively plays music from anime and Japanese video games.

Article provided by Dylan Otto Krider

Reportedly Viz Media will release a 2 disc DVD set on March 24th containing the 2002 I”s and 2005 I”s Pure OVA series, both based on the I”s romance manga by Masakazu Katsura. Viz Media has already released the entire 15 volume manga series in English.

Source: Mania

Geneon Entertainment has scheduled a March 6 Japanese release of a Hayate no Gotoku OVA (Hayate the Combat Butler). The OVA will be released in regular and limited edition DVD and Blu-ray formats.

The first Hayate no Gotoku anime television series aired in 2007. A second TV series is in development now. In July 2008, Bandai Entertainment announced its acquisition of American distribution rights to the 2007 series.

Source: AV Watch

Ain’t it Cool News has published an early, positive review of Disney’s English dub of director Hayao Miyazaki’s latest film Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea. The official English language release is tentatively scheduled for this summer. Please note that the review contains some adult language.

Japanese anime production studio Gonzo has announced that its Chrno Crusade, Kaleido Star, Last Exile, and Peacemaker Kurogane anime television series are now available for free streaming and digital purchase through Crunchyroll.

Question:
what is your opinion of Soul Eater? Is that series over at 51 episodes?

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The official Japanese Examurai website now hosts a streaming 12 minute long prologue video for the sci-fi/fantasy anime inspired by real life Japanese pop group EXILE. The Examurai Sengoku anime production depicts the members of the EXILE group as futuristic samurai that are transported back in time to Japan’s sengoku (warring states) period. The anime character renditions of the EXILE members were designed by manga creator Hiroshi Takahashi (Crows, Worst).

The Examurai anime project premiered as a short video clip first released in 2007. The latest installment of the Examurai series will be a television serial broadcast during NTV’s EXILE Generation variety program, which will debut this Saturday.

Source: Anime News Network

Japanese multimedia site Biglobe now hosts a 4:43 streaming trailer for the Kodomo no Jikan Nigakki OVA series. (Here’s a direct link for viewers not registered on the Biglobe site.) The trailer begins with an introduction from voice actresses Eri Kitamura, Kei Shindou, and Mai Kadowaki. Animation footage from the upcoming OVA begins at 3:15 The first Kodomo no Jikan second term OVA will go on sale in Japan on February 20.

Source: Saishin Anime Jouhou