AnimeNation Anime News Blog

BONES, the anime production studio behind the Fuji TV network’s “Noitamina” anime series Jyu-Oh-Sei, has announced plans to produce a new short anime series for the Noitamina programming block. Tokyo Magnitude 8.0 will premiere in July after Higashi no Eden ends its broadcast. Masaki Tachibana, who has previously directed episodes of Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex, Seirei no Moribito, and Noir, will helm the production. The anime production will be a “realistic” depiction of what would happen to a single high school girl if a major earthquake was to strike modern Tokyo.
Click the “PV” button on the series’ official website to watch an impressive 60 second teaser trailer.

Similar anime, such as the 1997 movie Chikyuu ga Ugoita Hi, have depicted the effects of major earthquakes on Japan.

Source: Anime News Network & Moon Phase Diary

At the ongoing Tokyo Anime Fair, Toei has formally revealed the development of an anime motion picture titled “Niji-Iro Hotaru ~Eien no Natsu Yasumi~ (Rainbow-Colored Fireflies: The Eternal Summer Vacation~), an adaptation of Masayuki Kawaguchi’s popular 2007 novel.

Toei also revealed the development of an anime project tentatively titled “Toei Robot Girls.” The promotional image for the anime depicts the vintage robots from Chojin Sentai Baratack, Magnerobo Ga-Keen, and Daikuu Maryuu Gaiking anthropomorphized into cute girls.

Source: Anime News Network article one, article two, & Moon Phase Diary

An official website has opened to announce that Fuji TV’s third “Noise” anime series, following Michiko to Hana and Ristorante Paradiso, will be Aoi Hana (Blue Flower), based on the yuri manga by Takako Shimura. Honey & Clover and Nodame Cantible director Kenichi Kasai will helm the production at J.C. Staff. Click the “Play” button in the middle of the homepage to watch a short, streaming Flash teaser trailer.

The 2004 Aoi Hana manga is the story of two childhood girl friends that are separated for ten years and renew their bond when they meet again as high school freshmen.

Source: Anime News Network

Word from the presently ongoing Tokyo Anime Fair is that a new “Ukkari Pénélope” television anime series will air on the NHK Educational channel this summer. The adaptation of Ann Gutman and Georg Hallensleben’s French picture books will be Nippon Animation’s third anime installment of the franchise following the 2006 Pénélope tête en l’air television series and the 2007 “Christmas Party” television special.

Source: Anime News Network

Yesterday during the first day of the Tokyo Anime Fair, Lucent Pictures Entertainment formally announced its development of an anime project titled “Squad,” a cyberpunk action anime created in collaboration with manga artist Masamune Shirow.
Source: Anime News Network

The Tokyo MX TV network has announced an April 4th premiere of an animated adaptation of late fashion designer Yves Saint-Laurent’s 1956 picture book La vilaine Lulu. The Tokyo MX announcement doesn’t clarify if whether the “Otenba Lulu” animation is Japanese produced or imported foreign animation.

Source: Anime News Network

Korean production company Chorokupemi Media has announced plans to develop an animated version of its 2008 live action television drama Iljimae for broadcast in Japan. Chorokupemi Media has not clarified whether the animation will be produced in Japan, Korea, or elsewhere.

Source: Anime News Network

An unconfirmed and uncited anonymous claim on Japan’s 2channel message board reports than an anime adaptation of Motoi Fuyukawa’s Toaru Kagaku no Railgun (A Certain Scientific Railgun) manga has been confirmed for production. The “Railgun” manga is a spin-off from Kazuma Kamachi’s Toaru Majutsu no Index (A Certain Magic Index) light novel series. An anime television series adaptation of Toaru Majutsu no Index has been airing in Japan since last October.

Toaru Kagaku no Railgun stars Toaru Majutsu no Index supporting character Mikoto Misaka.

Source: Anime News Network

Japanese anime producer Aniplex has opened an official website for Atsuya Uki’s 2006 independent anime pilot project Cencoroll. Hopefully this means that this promising trailer will finally get expanded into a full length production.

Source: Moon Phase Diary

The official homepage for the upcoming Element Hunters television anime has launched with Japanese and English language mirrors. And the official website for Madhouse’s upcoming TV series adaptation of CLAMP’s Kobato manga is now online.

Source: Moon Phase Diary

An English language mirror of the official homepage for the upcoming Shangri-la anime television series is now open.

Source: Moon Phase

The official Japanese website for the upcoming Dogs OVA series, based on the manga by Shirow Miwa, now hosts a streaming trailer. Visit the site’s “MOVIE” section to watch the trailer. The first Dogs OVA will be released on May 19th, bundled with limited edition copies of the fourth volume of the Dogs: Bullets & Carnage manga. The second and concluding OVA volume will follow on July 17th.

Source: Anime News Network

The ongoing Katekyo Hitman Reborn television series will begin serialization on Crunchyroll March 21st with episode 125. Weekly episodes of “REBORN!” will be available to Crunchyroll subscribers within an hour of Japanese broadcast, and available for free to all viewers a week later.

Crunchyroll has announced a deal with Japan’s Comix Wave Films to distribte the Peeping Life rotoscoped anime comedy series online beginning later this spring. Creator/director Ryoichi Mori’s “manzai” sketch comedy features popular comic duos ad-libbing around sticky situations not too uncommon in Japanese society.

Japanese production company Anon Pictures has announced plans to develop a TV anime adaptation of Digital Hollywood University student Yukiko Yagi’s comedy concept Inuwari-san. Inuwari-san is a dog (inu) police officer (omawari) who loves law, order, and tea. Anon Pictures has previously assisted in the production of full CG anime television series including Silk Road Boy Yuto and Scarecrowman.

A five minute long promotional Inuwari-san pilot film will be screened at the Anon Pictures booth at this week’s Tokyo Anime Fair.

Source: Anime News Network