AnimeNation Anime News Blog

The official website for the upcoming Precure All Stars Deluxe: Minna Tomodachi Kiseki-no Zen’in Daishugo! motion picture has revealed that the film will include the heroines of the Fresh Precure television series that premiered earlier this month. Thus, the All Stars movie will include the heroines from all six Pretty Cure television series. The movie is scheduled for Japanese theatrical release on March 20th.

The official site now hosts 30 and 90 second trailers, but they are limited to access by viewers in Japan only. Alternately, the trailers are available unofficially on YouTube.

I’m not expecting Love, Miki, and Buki to have a very big role in the film, though, as they’re not in the 90 second trailer at all, and Love Momozono has only a cameo appearance in the 30 second TV commercial.

Source: Anime News Network

The official Japanese website for the Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li film has announced that Japanese theatrical screenings will be followed by a short new Street Fighter anime feature produced by Studio 4°C. The supplemental anime film will feature the fighting schoolgirl character Sakura Kasugano. The double bill premieres in Japanese theaters on the 28th.

Studio 4°C recently produced the anime footage included in console versions of the Street Fighter IV game, and the 65 minute long Street Fighter IV: Arutanaru Kizuna OVA included in limited edition copies of the Street Fighter IV game for the Xbox 360 and PS3.

Source: The Street Fighter Blog

The official Kara no Kyoukai movie series homepage has announced that a “Kara no Kyoukai Remix -Gate of seventh heaven-” motion picture will open in limited Japanese theatrical release on March 14th. The movie will be a condensed “remix” of the series first six films.

The seventh Kara no Kyoukai movie is also scheduled for Japanese theatrical release some time this spring.

Source: Canned Dogs

The official Japanese website for the upcoming St. Seiya Lost Canvas Meiou Shinwa anime series now describes the 13 episode anime as an OVA series with a June release, rather than describing the show as a television series with a scheduled June broadcast premiere.

Source: Moon Phase

Studio Ghibli’s Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea won two awards from the Japan Academy Prize (Japan’s equivalent of the American Academy Award) this past Friday. The film took the award for best animated film, and composer Joe Hisaishi won the award for best score.

Ponyo won out over other nominated animated films Doraemon: Green Giant Legend, The Sky Crawlers, Detective Conan: Full Score of Fear, and One Piece: Episode of Chopper.

On a related note, actor Ken’ichi Matsuyama won the best actor award for his leading role in the Detroit Metal City motion picture, based on the manga by Kiminori Wakasugi.

Source: Anime News Network

Toei Animation has unveiled the striking new logo for the upcoming Dragon Ball Kai television series. The updated version of Dragon Ball Z will premier on April 5th.

The official Japanese Evangelion homepage reports that the long awaited Evangelion: 2.0 You Can [Not] Advance motion picture is now scheduled for a theatrical opening on June 27. Furthermore, the official site has also announced the release of a third version of the first film in the Rebuild of Evangelion tetralogy. Evangelion: 1.0 You Are [Not] Alone version 1.11 will include new cuts and a new digital mastering when it hits DVD & Blu-ray disc on May 27. The film, which opened theatrically in 2007, has already been re-released once in a revised “1.01 version.”

Source: Anime News Network

According to an unconfirmed, anonymous report on Japan’s 2channel message board, next week’s issue of Weekly Shonen Jump magazine will reveal that the remastered, revised broadcast of the 1989 Dragon Ball Z television series this April will be titled “Dragon Ball Kai” (possibly meaning “Dragon Ball Updated”).

The creation of a new title for the re-release certainly suggests that the alterations made to the show will be extensive enough to warrant a new title.

Source: Anime News Network

The first pressing of Bandai’s Akira Blu-ray disc has sold out at the manufacturer level in advance of next week’s retail street date. The second pressing, available March 10th, will not include the first pressing slipcase or booklet.

Source: ICv2

ICv2 reports a confirmation that the Best Buy retail chain plans a drastic reduction of in-store anime retail sales. Over 460 nationwide Best Buy stores with historically low anime sales will run 50% off close-out sales from March 1 to 21. Following the inventory reduction, those stores will maintain a selection of only around 20 different anime DVDs.

Over 500 Best Buy stores will continue to carry over 100 anime DVD products, and roughly the 200 nationwide stores with the strongest anime sales will continue to carry a selection similar to what they offer now.

Best Buy carries the largest assortment of anime titles among nationwide mass merchants, and is America’s largest seller of anime titles apart the select titles offered by Walmart. This inventory reduction is expected to sustain or even increase anime sales revenue for the Best Buy company, but may have a devastating impact on America’s anime distribution companies. Having more than 500 of America’s most prolific anime wholesale purchasers suddenly cut their purchasing drastically will undoubtedly impact America’s anime DVD manufacturers.

Question:
What do you feel is the best and worst from Gonzo?

(more…)

The mailing list just went out, but since we want to shamelessly push it to everyone possible, here it is!
Welcome to another weekly update! While we’re waiting for our part of the anime-industry government bailout (we’re sure it’s coming soon…) we’ll keep you updated on the latest news and deals here at AN.

NEW IMPORT MAGAZINES

The import magazine shelves restocked with a vengeance yesterday. New and recent backissues from Newtype, Hobby Japan, Asuka, Megami, Comic Tenma, Comic Megastore H and more are piled up waiting to ship out to happy homes. Lately we’ve been selling out of many import mags, so be sure to grab yours while we have them. Also, we will no longer be carrying import hentai magazines, so you’ll want to grab them while we still have them.

(more…)

FUNimation has announced its acquisition of distribution rights to the Seto no Hanayome and El Cazador anime television series.

(more…)

GDH (Gonzo Digimation Holdings), the parent company of the Gonzo anime production studio and Gonzo Rosso Online computer game development company, has announced plans to condense operations with the Gonzo anime studio. Beginning April 1 GDH will transition from its Shinjuku, Tokyo office into Gonzo’s Nerima, Tokyo office and adopt the formal company name “Gonzo.” The move is described as a cost-cutting measure designed to eliminate redundancy and streamline efficiency.

Anime producer Shouji Murahama founded the Gonzo anime studio in 1992. Gonzo merged with the Digimation anime production studio in 2000, adopting the new name “Gonzo Digimation Holdings.”

Source: Anime News Network

ICv2 has published a lengthy interview with Tokyopop CEO Stuart Levy.