For those who have been anxious to know, apparently the upcoming Shakugan no Shana OVA series will be four episodes. The first episode will hit Japanese DVD and Blu-ray on October 23.
Source: Moon Phase Diary
I may be a little late in learning about fan modifications to the PC version of Street Fighter IV, but I’m probably not alone. And seeing Ghandi versus Majin Buu is amusing regardless. The Japanese Hachimaki blog hosts a variety of example screenshots and YouTube videos.
Question:
What are your thoughts on Haruhi’s Endless Eight arc? As of now there has been five episodes released with four being nearly identical. Is it just bad story telling to continually show the same time loops repeatedly with no story progression between each episode or is the series going somewhere with this? Is the studio just being lazy and trying to milk out extra pointless episodes? Do you think DVDs will sell well for episodes which are nearly the same? I know personally I am already having second thoughts on buying season two if it comes out over here.
During this past weekend’s Otakon convention, FUNimation announced its acquisition of distribution rights to Madhouse’s 2008 Casshern Sins TV anime series and Production I.G’s 2009 TV anime Higashi no Eden ~Eden of the East~.
FUNimation also announced plans for an American release of the definitive Japanese Dragon Ball Z “Dragon Box” DVD sets. And FUNimation announced its acquisition of the acclaimed 2008 Korean live-action comedy/drama film Daytime Drinking.
Summer Wars Virtual World Clip via Affenheimtheater
Japanese chain retailer Tatsuya has been handing out promotional DVDs for Madhouse’s upcoming feature film Summer Wars. The DVD contains the film’s first 9 minutes and a 2:20 “music video” trailer. The trailer has been ripped and uploaded to Nico Nico Douga, from where it got mirrored to French fan site Manganimation. The film opens on August 1st.
The homepage for the Fresh Precure! Omocha no Kuni wa Himitsu ga Ippai!? (Fresh Precure: Big Secret of the Toy Country) movie is now offers a streaming trailer. The movie will premiere in Japan on October 31.
Pretty Cure movie 3 occurred in the clock world. Movie 4 was set in the mirror world. Movie 5 occurred in the dessert world. So, naturally, movie 6 is set in the world of toys.
Source: Anime News Network
The website for the Professor Layton and the Eternal Diva anime movie has added a 1:45 second trailer and 30 second teaser trailers 3 & 4. The anime movie adaptation of Level5′s mystery game franchise will open on December 19.
Source: Anime News Network
The official homepage for next year’s 30th Doraemon movie, Doraemon: Nobita no Ningyo Daikaisen (Doraemon: Nobita’s Great Merman Sea Battle), now hosts a lengthy Flash teaser trailer. On the site’s main page, click the green button beneath the movie logo to watch the trailer. The movie will open theatrically next March.
Source: Anime News Network
Japanese metal band metal band Seikima-II (pronounced “Seikimatsu”) has collaborated with anime director Kobun Shizuno (Hokuto no Ken New Century Legend: Kenshiro Chapter) on the creation of a 96 second anime video for the band’s song “El Dorado.” The short is officially hosted on Seikima-II’s MySpace page.
Seikima-II formed in 1982 and officially disbanded on December 31, 1999 at 23:59:59 because the group’s name means “End of the Century.” However, the group’s latest album will be released in September. Anime fans may be familiar with Seikima-II because the group’s song “Kokuu no Meikyuu” was used as the opening theme for the 1996 Maze: Mega Burst Space OVA series.
SEIKIMA-Ⅱ「EL DORADOã€ShortMovieï¼Directed by Kobun Shizuno
Source: Anime News Network
Japanator reports that Sony’s anime production subsidiary Aniplex confirmed, during this past weekend’s Otakon convention, that Sony is now working on a North American DVD & Blu-ray release for the Xam’d: Lost Memories anime series. And the long awaited second half of the Blood+ TV series will hit domestic DVD in October, coinciding with the DVD release of the Blood: The Last Vampire live action movie.
Anime News Network now hosts an exclusive interview with Yen Press co-founder Kurt Hassler that covers Hassler’s professional background, Yen Press’ performance and business strategy, trends in the domestic and international market, and developing original creations and new artists.
Twitch now hosts a review of Production I.G’s new anime film Musashi: The Dream Of The Last Samurai (Musashi: Souken ni Haseru Yume), an anime documentary on the martial philosophy of 17th century samurai Miyamoto Musashi. The movie was conceptually created by, and written by Mamoru Oshii, and directed by Mizuho Nishikubo.
The DC Anime Club, in collaboration with the Japan Information and Culture Center, Embassy of Japan, will host a free, public screening of the Lupin III: Castle of Cagliostro motion picture on July 31st at 6:30pm at the Japanese Information and Culture Center in Washington, DC. Seating is limited, and reservations are required.
During this past weekend’s Otakon convention, veteran anime producer Noboru Ishiguro made the announcement that a live action version of the Space Battleship Yamato manga & anime franchise is presently in development. The adaptation will star SMAP’s Takuya Kimura. Ishiguro has been involved with the Yamato franchise since directing episodes of the original 1974 TV anime.
Original Yamato concept creator Yoshinobu Nishizaki is presently directing the Space Battleship Yamato: Rebirth Chapter (Uchuu Senkan Yamato: Fukkatsu-hen) anime movie, which is tentatively scheduled for Japanese theatrical release this December.
Source: Anime News Network
The cover of the latest issue of Big Comic Original magazine announces that Yaro Abe’s acclaimed manga series “Shinya Shokudo” will get a live action TV drama adaptation this fall. The ongoing manga premiered in 2007 and was nominated for the Manga Taisho award earlier this year.
Shinya Shokudo is a story about an unusual restaurant only open late at night. The restaurant has no set menu. Instead, the chef tells customers, “If I can do it, I’ll make it.”
Source: Tokyograph
