AnimeNation Anime News Blog

The obi advertising wrapper on new copies of Toshihiko Tsukiji’s light novel series Kampfer (alternately “Kenpufaa”) reveal that the series will get an anime adaptation. Author Toshihiko Tsukiji is also the creator of Maburaho and the concept behind the “Sea Story” pachinko games. Maburaho got an anime adaptation in 2003. An anime adaptation of “Sea Story” was just announced earlier this month. The Kampfer novel series, which has serialized ten volumes since its 2006 debut, is an action/adventure story about a high school boy that wakes up one day as a girl and has been “chosen to participate in Kampfer battles with other girls.”

Source: Anime News Network & Moon Phase Diary

An official website has launched announcing an anime television series adaptation of Ricotta’s adult PC game Princess Lover! Animation studio GoHands, which has previously worked on anime including Tetsuwan Birdy Decode and White Album, will produce the anime under the supervision of director Hiromitsu Kanazawa (Victorian Romance Emma).

The original Princess Lover! game is the story of an orphaned high school boy who is unwittingly enrolled in an elite school to prepare him for his role as an heir to vast Japanese wealth and political power.

Source: Anime News Network

Japanese collectible toy manufacturer Yamato Toys has announced a multimedia franchise titled “Enka Odo Dai Shogun.” The project will include illustrations, figures, novels, manga, drama CDs, and original animation from Studio Anima. As obvious from the promotional illustrations, “Dai Shogun” widely recognized character illustrator Shunya Yamashita is a co-creator behind the project.

Studio Anima has previously been involved in animation creation for console video games including Metal Gear Solid 4, Valkyria Chronicles, and Ninja Blade.

Source: Anime News Network

Japan’s Lucent Pictures Entertainment has announced plans to partner with acclaimed anime production house Studio 4°C to form a new, separate animation production company named Lucent 4°C (LFC). LFC hopes to announce its first production by the end of this year, and expects to eventually sustain 2-3 productions annually.

Lucent Pictures was established in 2007 to acquire video and film adaptation rights for comics and other materials, develop original stories, finance & promote projects, establish production committees, and research advanced video techniques. Studio 4°C is best known for producing anime including Tekkon Kinkreet, Mind Game, Genius Party, The Animatrix, and Memories.

Source: Anime News Network

Pokemon Going HD

The official Pocket Monster: Diamond & Pearl homepage has announced an April “renewal” that will include changes to the weekly Pokemon Sunday television program, a new ending theme song for the ongoing Diamond & Pearl series, and the move to broadcast in high definition.

Source: Moon Phase Diary

Question:
What makes Strike Witches so popular in Japan?

(more…)

Sorry folks. I’ll be back as soon as I can.

The official Japanese homepage for the Denpa teki na Kanojo OVA has announced that a second episode is now in production. The first OVA is scheduled for release on May 1st as a bonus DVD packaged with limited edition copies of Kurenai manga volume 3. A preview version of the entire first OVA was released online to Japanese viewers early last month.

Source: Anime News Network

The “Miracle Train Project” has unveiled its plans to create a multimedia franchise based on anthropomorphizations of Tokyo train stations located along the Chuo line. The Miracle Train ~Chuo-sen e Yokoso~ (Miracle Train: Welcome to the Chuo Line) project includes an online 4-koma manga (similar to Hetalia Axis Powers’ anthropomorphization of countries), and serialized novel that will premiere on the 16th. The character designs of the five train stations personified as young men were created by Tomohisa Kai (Sentimental Graffiti, Marginal Prince).

In 2006 the East Japan Railway Company’s Fastech train, with its distinctive color scheme and “cat-ear” air brakes, was anthropomorphized into a cat girl figure by toy company Yuuyu.

Source: Anime News Network

Manga Action magazine has announced that Mamora Goda’s award winning manga drama Mori no Asagao will be adapted into a live action feature film by director Jiro Shono (Beautiful Life). The 2004 and ongoing story about a friendship that develops between a rookie prison guard and a death row inmate won the manga grand prize of the 11th Japan Media Arts Festival Awards in 2007.

Source: Anime News Network

Question:
Are Moetan and Strike Witches unlicensable due to their “loli” content? Any chance that they could get a R1 DVD release?

(more…)

During last weekend’s Wondercon convention in San Francisco, Bandai Entertainment formally announced its acquisition of distribution rights to the Lucky Star OVA.

The acquisition was expected, but still comes following a less successful than anticipated domestic release of the Lucky Star television series, marked by the cancellation of the planned release of the TV series volume 6 limited edition.

Source: Anime News Network

The official homepage for the Mobile Suit Gundam MS Igloo 2 OVA series now hosts a lengthy streaming trailer for the series upcoming third episode. The trailer is available in two versions, each with slight differences. The third MS Igloo 2 OVA is scheduled for Japanese release on April 24th.

Source: Moon Phase

Japanese anime new site Anime! Anime! reports that Toei Animation has confirmed that next month’s Dragon Ball Kai television series will be a remastered, edited version of the 1989 Dragon Ball Z television series that more closely adheres to the content and pacing of creator Akira Toriyama’s original Dragon Ball manga. As such, many of the fights will progress quicker, and entire anime original story arcs such as the Garlic Jr. saga will be excised.

The Dragon Ball Kai television series will premiere on April 5.

Source: Anime News Network

The Moon Phase diary reports unconfirmed claims that Takeshi Ikeda’s “yuri” manga series Sasamekikoto and Okina Kamino’s Asobi ni Ikuyo! light novel series have both been confirmed for anime adaptations.

Sasamekikoto is the story of tomboy high school girl Sumika Murasame, who loves her female best friend Ushio Kazama. Ushio, however, is only attracted to cute, effeminate girls.

Asobi ni Ikuyo! is a comical story about a high school boy that invites an alien cat-girl to live with him.