Japanese publisher Media Works has announced the development of a live action film adaptation of Tsumugu Hashimoto’s light novel series Hanbun no Tsuki ga Noboru Sora (Looking Up at the Half-Moon). The romantic drama about a young man and girl both spending time in the same hospital was previously adapted into a manga series, anime TV series, and live action TV series in 2006.
Source: Anime News Network
Question:
There has been a growing debate about whether the anime/manga series Ah! My Goddess is considered harem and exactly how a series is determined to be harem. One member of my forum is basing his idea that harem cannot be associated with Ah! My Goddess because there isn’t multiple women vying for the main character’s love and affection. I’d like to know what you consider the A!MG series as (seinen, harem, etc.) and exactly what harem is defined as. I guess I’m just looking for a hard and true definition on what harem is and if there are more than one type.
Viz Media has opened its Rumic World website with plans to begin online serialization of creator Rumiko Takahashi’s (Inuyasha, Urusei Yatsura, Maison Ikkoku) upcoming manga series Kyokai no Rinne (Boundary of Rin-ne). The first chapter of the new manga story about a schoolgirl with the ability to see ghosts will appear online in English on April 22, the same day it goes on sale in Japan within Weekly Shonen Sunday magazine. The English translation will be released under the abbreviated title “Rin-ne.” New chapters will continue to debut simultaneously each week in Japan and online for North American readers.
Source: Viz Media
The official Japanese homepage for the Hetalia Axis Powers anime series has announced that the current 26 episode series will be followed this fall by a second 26 episode series. The adaptation of Hidekazu Himaruya’s gag manga was originally planned for internet & TV broadcast, but is now broadcast only online and via cel-phones. The second series will have similar distribution.
Source: Anime News Network
Question:
I am worried about how Dragonball: Evolution might set back anime live action movies or even anime in America, that producers might start dropping or not even picking up future anime IPs. Do you think this movie will have a negative effects on anime in the US movie markets?
Crunchyroll now streams the first four episodes of the 2005 Glass Mask (Glass no Kamen) television series. According to the Crunchyroll site, the episodes were added last month, but a formal announcement was made yesterday.
The 51 episode series is the third anime adaptation of Suzue Miuchi’s 1976 shoujo manga following a 1984 TV series and 1998 OVA series.
Source: Anime News Network
The homepage for the upcoming St. Seiya: The Lost Canvas OVA series now hosts a streaming video of the series’ opening animation sequence in the website’s “SPECIAL” section. The first episode of the six episode series is scheduled for release on DVD and Blu-ray on June 24th.
Source: Moon Phase
The official site for AIC’s Isekai no Seikishi Monogatari fantasy OVA series now hosts a streaming trailer for the show’s second episode. Note that the trailer contains brief shots of mild nudity. The first episode began airing on Japanese pay-per-view broadcast last month. The first episode will be released on rental DVD on the 22nd and retail DVD and Blu-ray next month. The second episode will be available on pay-per-view from April 17 to 23.
The first episode was marginally better than I expected it to be. Judging from this trailer, I’m not sure I’ll be able to say the same about the second episode.
Source: Moon Phase
The Tetra Film Studio, a short film production company organized and run by film students and amateur film makers, is now casting for a live action film based on the popular 2008 song “Sakura no Ame” (Rain of Cherry Blossom). The song, composed by three-man pop group absorb was originally released in February 2008 in a version performed by digital songstress Hatsune Miku and later released on commercial CD. “Sakura no Ame” has also now been formally released in a version performed by absorb. The song has become a popular graduation anthem, with over 80 Japanese schools planning to use it during this spring’s graduation ceremonies.
The Sakura no Ame short film will depict the troubles encountered by six high school boys that never quite fit in during their high school years when they decide to make an effort to become “cool” and get their dream girls as their high school graduation approaches.
Source: Canned Dogs
Question:
Have you seen the Lucky Star dub? It’s very interesting since the translated script retained many Japanese honorifics (i.e. Kona-chan), obviously in English. The way r’s were pronounced was also fascinating, as Kuroi-sensei would often be referred to in a Japanese pronunciation, but would also be called to in an English pronunciation (“Kerr-oy”). Was this some kind of marketing strategy pandering to a growing lingophile audience? What does this say about the American anime community?
The official homepage for the Munto anime franchise now hosts a streaming 15 second trailer and 30 second trailer for the Tenjo-nin to Akuto-nin Saigo no Tatakai ~ Last War of Heavenloids and Akutoloids motion picture. The movie concludes the 2009 Sora wo Miageru Shoujo no Hitomi ni Utsuru Sekai television series using footage from the TV series combined with new animation. The film is scheduled to screen in two theaters in Tokyo and Kyoto from April 18 to May 1.
Source: Anime News Network
Joost.com and Hulu.com will begin streaming the first five episodes of the Naruto television series, uncut and dubbed in English, on April 15. A new episode will premiere online every Wednesday. Each episode will stream on Joost (for US & Canadian viewers) and Hulu (for US viewers only) for approximately 5 weeks.
Uncut English dubbed Naruto episodes have been available on American DVD since December 2007.
Source: Viz Media
The May issue of Monthly Dragon Age magazine has formally announced the development of a Baka to Test to Shokanju (The Idiot, the Test, and Summoned Creatures) anime based on Kenji Inoue’s series of comical romantic fantasy novels. The light novel series, which debuted in 2007 and presently has five volumes, is set in a school that strictly stratifies students, and the comforts of their classrooms, by test scores. The lowest ranked class rallies to use experimental fantasy summoned monsters to battle the higher ranked classes for school supremacy.
The Moon Phase Diary fan site reports that director Shin Oonuma (Natsu no Arashi!, Pani Poni Dash!) will helm the production at studio SILVER LINK (Tayutama -Kiss on my Deity-) for a January 2010 broadcast premiere.
Source: Anime News Network
Japanese publisher Kodansha has formally announced the development of a new Today in Class 5-2 (Kyo no Go no Ni) OVA. The majority of the XEBEC animation studio staff that produced last year’s television series, and the main cast of the TV series will return to work on the new production. The new OVA will be released as a premium packaged with a limited edition release of Coharu Sakuraba’s original manga.
Source: Anime News Network
