Marvelous Entertainment has opened an official website to formally announce the Sora no Manimani television anime, based on the manga by Mami Kashiwabara.
The official Shin Mazinger Z website has launched, formally confirming development of the Shin Mazinger Shogeki! Z-Hen television anime.
Source: Moon Phase Diary
The Japanese Anican Staff Blog reports on the voice acting recording of the freshly announced children’s anime television series Cookin’ Idol Ai! Mai! Main! (pronounced “Cookin’ Idol I! My! Mine!”). Similar to last year’s Moegaku 5 television series that combined educational live action and anime segments, the ten minute long Cookin’ Idol episodes will consist of an anime segment in which young girl Main teaches cooking and a live action segment in which Main’s voice actress, Haruka Fukuhara, attempts to cook the same dish featured in the anime segment.
The series will premiere on the NHK Educational network on March 30. Anime production studio NAS will produce the animation with Hiroshi Watanabe (Slayers, Orphen) directing and veteran character designer Atsuko Nakajima serving as animation director.
Source: Anime News Network
Musician Masatsugu Shinozaki has revealed the development of an anime television series adaptation of the award winning historical manga Soten Koro. The story of Chinese warlord Cao Cao, authored by King Gonta and Li Hagin, appeared in Kodansha’s Morning magazine from 1994 to 2005 and won the Kodansha Manga Prize in 1998.
Reportedly Madhouse will produce the late night anime with Toyoo Ashida (Vampire Hunter D, Hokuto no Ken) serving as executive director and Tsuneo Tominaga (Initial D: Fourth Stage, Trouble Chocolate) directing.
Source: Anime News Network
Confirming speculation from last month, a Japanese television commercial from Marvelous Entertainment has confirmed the development of a new Koihime Musou anime based on the “Shin Koihime Muso: Otome Ryoran Sangokushi Engi” adult computer game. An anime television series and follow-up OVA based on the “Koihime Muso: Doki Otome Darake no Sangokushi Engi” game were produced last year.
Source: Moon Phase Diary & Canned Dogs
The official Japanese Fullmetal Alchemist homepage now hosts “Promotion Video #02” (actually the third released teaser trailer for the upcoming second series. The new series is scheduled to premiere on April 5.
Source: Anime News Network
Reportedly the April issue of Monthly Gundam Ace magazine, which goes on sale later this week, will formally announce the development of a 30th anniversary Gundam anime. The as yet un-named new work will be set in Universal Calendar year 0081 – in-between the events of the original Gundam television series and its Zeta Gundam sequel – and feature the previously unseen Gundam RX-78-7 mobile suit. The focal mobile suit in the original 1979 television series was the Gundam RX-78-2.
Source: Anime News Network
Viz Media CEO Hidemi Fukuhara has confirmed that the publisher laid off an unspecified number of employees last Friday. Fukuhara stated, “Viz Media is in the process of refining its focus and is restructuring to adjust to changing industry and financial market realities. VIZ feels confident that with these changes, the company will be more streamlined to face the current economic climate.”
Source: Anime News Network
Japanese publisher Kodansha has revealed its 2008 fiscal results. Declines in advertising revenue and manga sales led to a 7.686 billion yen (US $81.2 million) drop from 2007 earnings – the publisher’s largest single year loss ever.
2008 magazine sales fell to 93.7% of 2007 levels. Book publishing revenue was only 92.1% of 2007 earnings. And advertising revenue fell to 89.8% of 2007′s income.
Source: Anime News Network
This is just cool! “It’s the first Nendoroid to have an interior design! – just as it appeared in the anime, the hair can open to reveal a small opening for Imo-chan to stick her helmeted head out.”
Question:
So what’s up with anime characters and licking? Whether it’s in eager anticipation of something or licking the blood off their face or weapon, characters seem to love to do it. Why is it so prevalent?
FUNimation has formally announced its acquisition of home entertainment, broadcast, internet and merchandise rights to the 2008 six episode Mnemosyne television series. The official announcement reports that the series is 12 episodes, which is presumably incorrect. The “hard-boiled science-fiction action” show will be distributed in America later this year under the localized title “RIN ~Daughters of Mnemosyne~.”
Source: Anime News Network
Animator Kunio Kato’s anime short film Le Maison en Petits Cubes (“House of Small Cubes”) became the second Japanese animation work to win a major Academy Award last night when it took the Oscar for best animated short film. Studio Ghibli’s Spirited Away won the Oscar for best animated film in 2003.
The 12 minute long film is currently in limited American theatrical release as part of Magnolia Pictures’ The Oscar Nominated Short Films 2009.
Reportedly Studio Comet (Peach Girl, Steel Angel Kurumi) is now at work on a TV anime adaptation of Mami Kashiwabara’s romantic school comedy manga series Sora no Manimani. Shinji Takamatsu (Gintama, School Rumble) will direct. Hajime Watanabe (Hime-chan’s Ribbon, Kodomo no Omocha) will provide animation character designs and serve as animation director. The TV series is reportedly due to premiere in July.
The 2005 and ongoing Sora no Manimani manga tells the story of a freshman high school boy that moves back to his hometown, where he hesitantly reacquaints himself with a female childhood friend who inducts him into the school’s astronomy club.
Source: Anime News Network
Reportedly director Yasuhiro Imagawa (Giant Robo, G-Gundam) will helm the production of Shin Mazinger Shogeki! Z-Hen, a television anime remake of the 1972 Mazinger Z television series. The new 26 episode series, tentatively scheduled to debut later this year, will be animated by BEEMEDIA and Code.
Source: Anime News Network
