AnimeNation Anime News Blog

During an April 19th software developer conference held in Tokyo, Sunsoft producer Tomohiro Seki revealed plans for the development of an anime version of creator Leiji Matsumoto’s current manga series Out of Galaxy Koshika. The sci-fi adventure story is currently available in digital format on the Nintendo Wii’s Shopping Channel. The Wii’s digital distribution includes an optional overlaid English text translation despite being available only to consumers in Japan. Seki also announced plans to distribute the Koshika manga digitally to iPhone and iPod mobile devices; plans to franchise the manga serial with games, music, and other merchandise; and plans to expand the title’s worldwide distribution.

Seemingly combining characteristics of previous Matsumoto creations Space Cruiser Yamato and Space Pirate Captain Harlock, Out of Galaxy Koshika is the story of a young boy that joins the crew of a spaceship setting out on a journey across the galaxy to save the earth from imminent destruction.

Source: Anime News Network

The song “Falling Down” performed by English rock band Oasis is currently being used as the opening theme for Production I.G’s anime television series Higashi no Eden ~ Eden of the East. The CD single for “Falling Down” will be released in Japan on May 27th as a 1,575 yen standard edition disc and a 2,100 yen limited edition that includes a bonus DVD containing two versions of the song’s music video:
the “original” version and a new anime version created by Production I.G.

Production I.G has previously created original anime music videos for Mylene Farmer’s “Peut-être toi” and 244 ENDLI-x’s “Kurikaesu Haru.”

Source: Anime News Network

The three different Japanese Blu-ray releases of Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children Complete sold over 100,000 copies in Japan on April 16th, its first day of retail sales. By comparison, Japan’s top selling Blu-ray anime disc of 2008 was Macross Frontier volume 1, which sold 34,742 total copies. The extended version of the 2005 CG animated film includes 30 minutes of new footage and is available in Japan in a version bundled with a Playstation 3, a “Final Fantasy XIII Trial Version Set” that includes a playable demo of the Final Fantasy XIII game, and a standard edition. The “Complete” version of the film is a Blu-ray exclusive release.

Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children Complete will be released on American Blu-ray disc in June.

Source: Anime News Network

Actress Ali Larter is evidently obsessed with Lupin III.

Source: Lupin the Third.net Forums

Article provided by Daniel Zelter

Question:
Which anime do you think were cut short for production reasons? Everyone’s heard about what happened to Final Fantasy Unlimited but there are other series out there such as Najica, which feel like the ending was rushed and possibly not what the creators intended.

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Reportedly this week’s issue of Weekly Shonen Magazine will formally announce a July premiere for the Zan Sayonara Zetsubo Sensei anime television series, the third TV series and fourth overall anime adaptation of Koji Kumeta’s gag manga. The Sayonara Zetsubo Sensei television series aired in 2007, followed by the 2008 Zoku Sayonara Zetsubo Sensei television series and Goku Sayonara Zetsubo Sensei video series.

Source: Anime News Network

The Isshoni Training ~ Training with Hinako anime OVA from Primastea and anime production company Studio Hibari (Kashimashi, Venus Versus Virus) will go on sale in Japan on the 24th. The first ever “muscle training animation” stars 16-year-old Hinako, a human that transformed into an anime character when she was a second-year middle-school student. Scantily clad Hinako will lead viewers in fitness exercises including push-ups, sit-ups, and squats.

Source: Anime News Network

It’s new Night Shift Nurses footage, so adults only are invited to continue reading.

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Nico Nico Douga has announced plans to stream a web exclusive version of Kigurumikku V3 “episode 18″ for one week beginning May 7th. Kigurumikku V3 “episode 5: Okinawa e Tobe!!” (actually the first OVA) is presently available online with English subtitles from Crunchyroll.

Source: Moon Phase

Dengeki now hosts a variety of character images and screenshots, including new characters, from this summer’s upcoming Okami to Koshinryo II television series. The highly anticipated sequel to the 2008 anime adaptation of Isuna Hasekura’s fantasy novel series is scheduled to premiere in July.

Within an article about creator Kazuo Koike & Hideki Mori’s new Kozure Okami (Lone Wolf & Cub) sequel manga, “Soshite Kozure Okami: Shikaku no Ko,” the Sankei Newspaper reports that an anime adaptation of the classic 1970 manga series is “in the tentative planning stages” and “within sight.” The manga has been adapted into multiple live action television series, TV movies, and theatrical feature films.

As a big Kozure Okami fan, I have to say that this may be a title better left in manga and live action formats. I’ll be certainly thrilled to see an impressive anime adaptation, but the recent anime adaptation of Blade of the Immortal provides ample proof that samurai manga which don’t immediately lend themselves to anime should probably not be animated.

The Asahi Newspaper has announced the winners of the 13th annual Tezuka Osamu Cultural Prize for works published in 2008. Two titles share the grand prize for the first time in the award’s history. After being nominated for the past three years, Fumi Yoshinaga’s historical fantasy drama Ooku was awarded top honors beside Yoshihiro Tatsumi’s autobiographical drama A Drifting Life. Hikaru Nakamura’s Saint Young Men, a comedy about Buddha and Jesus sharing a cheap apartment in Tokyo, was recognized with the Short Work Prize. And Suehiro Maruo won the “New Artist Prize” for his Panorama Toukidan, despite Maruo being a published manga creator since 1982.

Drawn & Quarterly distributes an English translation of A Drifting Life. The Ooku: The Inner Chamber manga series will premiere in English from Viz Media in August.

Source: Anime News Network

Question:
What are your favorite anime school comedies?

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The Meja-Maji March music rhythm game for the Nintendo Wii will get a series of daily Meja-Maji Quiz anime shorts on the Fuji TV network from the 19th through the 23rd, leading up to the game’s Japanese retail release on the 23rd. The game was released in America last month under the title “Major Minor’s Majestic March.” The anime episodes will also be available on the game’s homepage.

Source: Anime News Network

Crunchyroll, in association with Kadokawa Pictures USA, now streams three of the five Tomie live action horror films and “Japanese Horror Anthology.” Tomie (1999), Tomie: Another Face (1999), and Tomie: Replay (2000) are based on Junji Ito’s award winning 1987 horror manga about a spiteful, immortal teen girl whose body can regenerate from any amount of injury or mutilation. All five Tomie movies, including Tomie: Rebirth (2000) and Tomie: Forbidden Fruit (2002), have been released on American DVD by BCI/Eclipse. The “Japanese Horror Anthology,” which consists of 7 short films, is Genius Entertainment’s 2005 DVD release “J-Horror Anthology: Legends” plus the additional short “Shadows of the Wraith.”

This is great news for fans of J-horror, albeit less stellar news for fans of good J-horror.