AnimeNation Anime News Blog

Namco Bandai Holdings has announced plans to restructure its subsidiary companies, including the Bandai Visual company. Bandai Visual’s three content division production departments and its business strategy division’s advertising department will be redivided into six new departments: Gundam, high-end, characters, anime, film, and music. The “high-end” department will be tasked with projects targeted to hardcore collectors and consumers of Bandai Visual products. The formation of the “Gundam” department marks the first time Bandai has established a separate office concentrating just on its flagship property. Gundam merchandise continue to generate nearly as much sales revenue as Bandai’s next three most successful franchises combined.

Source: Anime News Network

Question:
The series is pretty popular and well known, and over the years SNK has revised and retconned it enough for a cohesive story. Each character has been animated before, and I believe there is enough material for a fairly long series. I enjoyed the Fatal Fury Anime, and if they make the same effort, I don’t see why not.

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According to the Japanese Neko to Negima! to Seiyu-san fan site, Kodansha producer Yoichi Ishimoto publicly announced the development of a new four episode Negima anime OVA series at yesterday’s Zenbu Misechaa YO Negi Party Zenin Shuugo!! promotional event. The adaptation of the manga series’ “Magic World” storyline will again be directed by Negima!? director Akiyuki Shinbo and animated by Shaft. The new episodes will be released, like the previous “Ala Alba” OVA series, as bonus discs with four limited edition volumes of Ken Akamatsu’s Negima manga beginning this summer.

Also confirming rumors from last year, Ishimoto confirmed the possibility of a Negima anime theatrical movie if sales of the new OVA series are good.

Source: Anime News Network

Japanese publisher Shogakukan has formally announced that a “Penguin’s Troubles” (Penguin no Mondai) theatrical anime film will premiere this fall. An anime TV series adaptation of Yuji Nagai’s bizarre gag comedy manga series has been airing since last April.

Source: Anime News Network

Question:
Does every single manga become anime? With so many gag, 4komas and even web comics becoming anime lately, I wonder if the popularity of those contributed to this. Of course not all manga are anime material. For example, the Pocket Monsters Special is a great manga but there’s no anime of it. Then there’s Saint Seiya Lost Canvas manga that will soon become anime. I wonder if popularity is the issue or there is a marketing drive behind this.

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You might notice the very pink, very valentiney new banner gracing the site today. Toorima on the AN forums is the winner our recent Valentine Banner Contest!

To see the rest of the banners submitted, check out the banner thread. (hint: go to the back, it’s huge )

Thanks Toorima! We’ll be running another contest very soon, so stay tuned!

The official website for the upcoming paired Tsubasa Shunraiki & XXXHOLiC Shunmuki OVAs now offer streaming trailers. Click the text link underneath the screenshots to access the Tsubasa Shunraiki and XXXHOLiC Shunmuki trailers.

The XXXHOLiC Shunmuki OVA will be released with limited edition copies of XXXHOLiC manga volume 14 on February 17. The Tsubasa Shunraiki OVA will be released with limited edition copies of Tsubasa manga volume 26 on March 17.

Source: Moon Phase

The official Japanese Fullmetal Alchemist anime homepage now hosts a 16 second long streaming TV advertisement for the second Fullmetal Alchemist TV series. The new series is scheduled to premiere on April 5.

Source: Moon Phase

Japanese record company Starchild has launched its official web page for the upcoming Asura Cryin television series. The show is scheduled to premiere in April.

The official site for the Higashi no Eden ~ Eden of the East television series has updated, revealing screenshots and story details. The late night “Noitamina” series is scheduled to premier in April.

Source: Moon Phase

Anime News Network now hosts an exclusive interview with Takashi Miike, director of the new live action Yatterman motion picture, based on Tatsunoko’s 1977 anime television series.

Question:
I was catching up on episodes of Naruto Shippuden (legally, I’m happy to add) and it came to my mind that Orochimaru, one of the main foes in Naruto- is a mad scientist! One of the reasons Orochimaru is so hated is because of the genetic experiments he performed before he became completely evil and went off on his own. Now, Orochimaru is not the first nor the last mad scientist to show up in anime. What mad scientists are there to find in anime of the past and present?

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During this past weekend’s New York Comic Con, Bandai Entertainment announced its acquisition of translation rights to Kozo Omori’s Mobile Suit Gundam OO manga series, Koichi Tokita’s Mobile Suit Gundam 00F spin-off manga series, and Noboru Tooru’s Gundam OO novelization.

Contrary to previous reports that the domestic release of the Hayate the Combat Butler television series would possibly include 2 different English language audio tracks, Bandai now reports that the series will probably be distributed subtitled only.

Bandai has launched a YouTube Channel to offer select English dubbed anime. The page currently offers episodes of Code Geass. Other titles, including Gundam OO, are planned for the future. (Bandai’s YouTube Channel page only allows visitors from within the United States, ironically prohibiting even viewers located in Japan.)

Source: Anime News Network

During this past weekend’s New York Comic Con, Del Rey announced its acqusition of three manga titles:

Night Head Genesis, by You Higuri (based on the TV drama)
Four-Eyed Prince (Megane Ouji), by Wataru Mizukami
Only One Wish (Wish ~Tatta Hitotsu no Negai Goto~), a single volume story by Mia Ikumi

Source: Anime News Network

During this past weekend’s New York Comic Con, Vertical, Inc. revealed its establishment of an investment “alliance” with an undisclosed Japanese publisher which will give Vertical increased financial stability and access to titles owned by the Japanese investor.

Vertical announced plans for a September publication of Summer of Ubuore (Ubume no Natsu), the 1994 first novel from acclaimed Japanese author Natsuhiko Kyogoku, whose Kosetsu Hyaku Monogatari and Mouryo no Hako novels have been previously adapted into anime television series. Ubume no Natsu and Mouryo no Hako have also been adapted into live action feature films.

Source: Anime News Network

During this past weekend’s New York Comic Con, Viz Media confirmed plans for a domestic release of the 2004 suspense thriller anime television series Monster, based on the manga by Naoki Urasawa, also published by Viz. Viz Pictures confirmed a domestic DVD release, and possible limited theatrical release, for the live action Death Note spin-off film L: change the WorLd.

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