AnimeNation Anime News Blog

During this past weekend’s New York Comic Con, Yen Press announced its acquisition of three new manga titles:

Spice and Wolf, by Keito Koume (based on the novels by Isuna Hasekura & Ju Ayakura)
Yotsuba &! volume 6, by Kiyohiko Azuma
Crescent Moon Story, by Hyouta Fujiyama

The Yen Press publication of Yotsuba to! volume 6 will match the design and format of the previous five volumes translated and distributed by AD Vision.

Yen Press will begin releasing the previously announced Spice & Wolf novels prior to the manga adaptation. The first novel will be available in December.

Source: Anime News Network

Kanta Kamei, animation director of the fourth Digimon movie, has been signed by Kadokawa Pictures to direct an anime feature film adaptation of Namco’s Xbox 360 RPG Tales of Vesperia. This will be the fifth title in Namco’s “Tales” RPG game franchise to get an anime adaptation.

Source: Anime News Network

In addition to the previously announced Eden of The East (Higashi no Eden) anime television series that will premiere in April, Production I.G reportedly is also developing an Eden of the East theatrical movie. While the film will be released after the conclusion of the TV series broadcast, it’s not been revealed how, or if, the movie will relate to the TV series.

Source: Anime News Network

Bessatsu Margaret magazine, which has serialized Karuho Shiina’s shoujo manga Kimi ni Todoke since 2005, has announced the development of an anime adaptation of the story about a blossoming love between a misunderstood high school girl and a popular boy. Viz Media will premiere its English translation of the award winning romantic comedy this July.

Still unconfirmed Japanese rumors of a live action television series adaptation of the manga series arose last month.

Source: Anime News Network

The Japanese Moon Phase Diary fan site reports the unconfirmed rumor that Imai Kami’s “bishoujo violence” action/comedy/sci-fi manga series Needless will be adapted into an anime television series directed by Masayuki Sakoi (Kamen no Maid Guy, Strawberry Panic!).

The 2004 and ongoing manga serial focuses on youngsters that have developed superhuman powers due to living in prohibited polluted areas of Japan following World War III.

If this is true, it certainly seems like a natural progression for director Sakoi to move from Kamen no Maid Guy to this.

Source: Anime News Network

Multimedia blog Studio 360 this week features a diverse look at contemporary Japanese art culture, including an introduction to Akihabara; interviews with working Japanese poets, novelists, architects, and designers; a look at the modern evolution of the traditional tea ceremony; the relationship between fiction and Japan’s “suicide forest,” and more.

Thanks, Jeff

Question:
Do you think the poor economy in the states will affect which anime titles will get licensed? I kinda see a trend in which only the super popular, or the Naruto-esque or Bleach-esque anime titles will get picked up for licenses, which is fine and dandy. But as a fan of niche anime with smaller fanbases, like Dennou Coil, Minami-ke, and more recently Kannagi to site some examples, I just don’t see any companies in the states risking the money to license smaller anime titles. I hope I’m wrong as North America has been deprived of some of the best anime series (or movies) the last couple of years.

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Not getting our weekly email list? Don’t want even more email coming to your already bloated inbox? (Believe me, I understand) Starting today, we’ll post it here in addition to sending it.

In this week’s fun-filled, frantic, fascinating, and yes, frugal edition….

• VALENTINE’S BANNER CONTEST
• SAVE 25% ON R20 Rockman & Rockman X Complete Works
• SAVE 10% ON PREBOOK FF FIGURES
• MORE PREOWNED MANGA @ $3.99
• SAVE 10% ON SHEET MUSIC

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The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children reports that 14-year-old Deborah Kalai Fourzan disappeared on Monday from her hometown of Tecumseh, Oklahoma, and may be traveling to California with 40-year-old Oklahoma resident James Reimer. According to Fourzan’s classmates, the pair planned to stop at several anime conventions on the way to California, including the Ikkicon anime convention scheduled for February 6 to 9 in Austin, Texas.

Fourzan is 5″2 and weighs 120 pounds. She has blue eyes, pierced ears, a birthmark on the back of her arm, and blond hair, but she may dye her hair black.

James “Jim” Reimer is 5″10 and weighs 280 pounds. He has brown hair, blue eyes, and a beard, but he may shave his beard off.

Authorities advise anyone who sees the two individuals not to approach them, but to contact the Austin Police Department at 1-405-598-9305. A felony warrant is on file for Reimer for soliciting sexual contact with a minor.

Oklahoma City’s KOCO television station provides more information.

Source: Anime News Network

The Fuji TV network and its affiliates will begin airing a new high definition re-master of the Dragon Ball Z television series on April 5. The HD re-master will include new versions of the series’ opening and ending theme songs, a re-edited opening animation sequence, and new dialogue recorded by the series’ original cast.

The new HD broadcast will commemorate the 20th anniversary of the original broadcast, which premiered on April 19, 1989. The HD re-broadcast will begin just weeks after the Japanese release of the live action Dragonball: Evolution motion picture.

Hopefully this re-master will at least be in its proper aspect ratio

Source: Anime News Network

Comic industry observer ICv2 reports that 2008 manga sales in America were down roughly 17% compared to 2007. The decline is blamed on the current U.S. economic recession; diminished mainstream promotional exposure for manga and anime; changes in the Borders bookstore chain’s purchasing procedure; and the success of author Stephenie Meyer’s series of “Twilight” novels that have siphoned off female manga readers. However, despite a 17% drop in sales, domestic manga releases only declined by 9% from 2007 to 2008.

A Japanese press conference revealing details about director Ryuhei Kitamura and producer Shunji Iwai’s anime project Baton has revealed that contrary to initial plans, the animation will consist of three 20 minute short films instead of the previously announced single 50 minute long film. The short movies will screen at Yokohama’s Theater Future from April 28th to September 27th to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the establishment of Yokohama city.

Aya Ueto and Hayato Ichihara will be rotoscoped to play animated characters Apollo and Michal in the futuristic sci-fi series. Ueto and Ichihara, along with Ren Osugi, Takashi Naito, Mura Mi, and Tatsuya Fujiwara, will provide the film’s spoken dialogue.

Source: J-Film Pow-Wow

Question:
Do you think over the past 20 years too much manga series have copy too much concept from the Dragon Ball and Sailor Moon series? Naruto and One Piece are an example. Do you think we need more new series to bring back life into the anime industry?

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Wherein the AN crew dives into the anime pool and comes up with these topics for the week:

• FUNi Confirms Fullmetal Alchemist Premium Collection Acquisition
• Cartoon Network Closes Toonami Jetstream
• Joost Adds Koi Koi Seven
• Queen’s Blade to be Distributed Through YouTube
• Spice & Wolf Second Season Episode Zero Scheduled
• Second Nogizaka Haruka no Himitsu TV Series in Development
• Second Chi’s Sweet Home TV in April
• Kuuki Ningyou Movie in Production

Catch the podcast page here!

Japanese publisher MediaWorks has officially announced the development of a second Nogizaka Haruka’s Secret television series. The primary staff and cast of last year’s first series will reprise their roles for the second series.

The adaptation of the light novel series by author Yusaku Igarashi details the daily life of a respected high school girl who hides the fact that she’s an obsessive anime otaku.

Source: Anime News Network