AnimeNation Anime News Blog

Reportedly the third collected volume of Masahiro Itosugi’s risqué incest themed romantic drama manga Aki Sora will be released in a limited edition that includes a 25 minute original anime adaptation. Japanese fan site Moon Phase Diary reports (NSFW) that Takeo Takahashi (Spice and Wolf) directs, with Kazuya Kuroda (Vandread, Kaibutsu Oujo) providing character designs and Jukki Hanada (Rozen Maiden, K-ON!) composing the screenplay.

Aki Sora is the story of high school boy Sora, who is seduced into a secret sexual relationship with his slightly older sister Aki. American manga readers may be familiar with creator Masahiro Itosugi’s erotic manga A Wish of My Sister, published domestically by Icarus Publishing.

Hmm. This could be interesting and respectable if it’s handled tastefully. The manga seems to be more graphic but also more serious than the similarly themed KISSxSIS.

Source: Anime News Network

Bandai Visual’s music label Lantis has launched a website to announce its development of the original anime series Goulart Knights. Lantis has produced anime adaptations of manga, including Haibane Renmei, Hatsukoi Limited, and Angel Sanctuary, but Goulart Knights will be the company’s first original anime. The website credits manga artist Takumi Miyajima (Neppu Kairiku Bushilord: The Rising) with developing the concept of a team of four bishonen with the ability to use “Chalice,” the source of humanity, to defend the earth from mysterious creatures known as “Archons.”

A one-shot Goulart Knights manga story appears in the current August issue of Animedia Magazine. A free original Goulart Kishidan: Homunculus Soudou (Goulart Knights: Homunculus Strife drama CD will be distributed at Comic Market 76 next month. A launch date for the anime hasn’t been determined yet.

Source: Anime News Network

Japanese anime producer Aniplex has launched a website for a new title called Sora no Woto (Sound of the Sky). The Japanese Moon Phase Diary fan site credits the key visual to artist Meru Kishida, character designer for the PS3 role-playing game Rorona no Atelier ~Aarando no Renkinjutsushi~. The site offers no clarification about what type of media Sora no Woto will be developed in, nor what the title is about.

Source: Anime News Network

The “Latest News” section of Urban Vision’s website updated on the 10th with the statement:

Hello everyone! It’s been a while since we’ve updated the site, but we’re working on that now! In September we’ll be launching some cool stuff, and announcing some new things! Meanwhile, we’ve still got programs playing at a convention near you!

Article provided by Daniel Zelter

Japan’s Bandai Visual will release the first of three Gundam OO Special Edition OVAs on October 27. The three 90 minute episodes will summarize the first season of the Mobile Suit Gundam OO television series, featuring a small amount of new, exclusive footage and partially re-recorded dialogue.

Development is still underway for a Gundam OO feature film to debut theatrically in Japan next year.

Source: Anime News Network

Sharp eyed viewers have noticed that the Gonzo anime production studio name has been removed from the opening credits of this week’s 15th episode of the Saki TV series. During the episode’s ending credits, Gonzo’s 5th studio is credited with production assistance while Picture Magic (Moeyoken TV, Penguin Musume) is credited with animation production. Gonzo announced its development of the Saki anime last year. The show premiered as a Gonzo production this past April.

The Gonzo anime production company did announce last November that ongoing financial troubles would force the studio to reduce its animation output and lower the amount of anime produced in-house.

Source: Anime News Network

Anime voice actress and otaku celebrity Shoko “Shokotan” Nakagawa has announced on her blog that her original Sukashi Kashipanman hero character has been optioned for some sort of American live action project. Seriously.

Nakagawa created her hero character in 2007 with an illustration combining her interest in sand dollars (sukashikashipan) and sweet buns (kashi pan) into a single costumed hero. The character quickly gained novelty celebrity and appeared in a ten episode mobile phone anime series (released on Japanese DVD last summer as “Sukashi Kashipanman the Movie”), a Nintendo DS game, a manga by Arima Honda, and even an official sweet bun sold in Lawson convenience stores.

Source: Anime News Network

Question:
What would you say are the best examples of the commonly used – and some would say overused – love triangles in anime?

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Kadokawa has released a 3:23 trailer for AIC ASTA’s upcoming “heartful comedy” anime television series Sora to Otoshimono. The adaptation of Suu Minazuki’s manga tells the story of a high school boy who literally has an angel fall into his life.

Source: Moon Phase

The official homepage for the upcoming Tatakau Shisho ~ The Book of Bantorra anime television series has added a streaming Flash trailer to its “gallery” section. The adaptation of Ishio Yamagata’s light novel series is scheduled to premiere on October 2.

Source: Moon Phase

A Japanese retailer solicitation for new Tamagotchi toys has revealed that a new anime television series, titled “Tamagotchi!”, will premiere in October. Bandai’s Tamagotchi digital pet franchise made its first anime appearance in a 1997 television series. A second TV series premiered in 2007. Tamagotchi anime movies have screened in 2007 and 2008.

Source: Anime News Network

Toei Animation has announced the development of a new 30 minute 3D anime film based on writer Hiroyuki Agawa and illustrator Fumihiko Okabe’s 1959 children’s picture book Kikansha Yaemon (Locomotive Yaemon). Toei used the story as the basis of its 1974 anime film Kikansha Yaemon: D51 no Daiboken.

The Asahi Newspaper reports that the new Kikansha Yaemon will be Japan’s first 3D anime film to get a theatrical wide release. Previous 3D anime films have had limited release or event exclusive screenings. The movie will open in roughly 50 theaters nationwide on October 3rd as part of the “Tobidasu! 3D Toei Anime Matsuri,” Toei’s first “Anime Festival” movie collection in seven years. The 3D Kikansha Yaemon movie will be screened along with Ge Ge Ge no Kitaro: Kitaro no Yurei Densha (1999, 14 minutes), Digimon Adventure 3D: Digimon Grand Prix (2000, 7 minutes), and Digimon Savers 3D Digital World Kiki Ippatsu! (2006, 7 minutes).

Source: Anime News Network

Crunchyroll is now streaming the first 3 episodes of the current Japanese TV anime series Charger Girl Ju-den Chan (Fight Ippatsu! Jyuden-chan!!). However, the episodes available from Crunchyroll are not the same as the episodes broadcast on Japanese satellite/cable network AT-X (presently the only Japanese network broadcasting the series). Select scenes of nudity have been censored. However, omorashi scenes (urination fetish) remain intact.

Crunchyroll has acknowledged the alterations:

“In preparing the title for a broader audience, avex entertainment, Inc. and Crunchyroll have worked closely together to make slight alterations to the original Japanese version of the show, which will later be used for its Japanese rebroadcast on UHF stations.” “Due to the nature of the original AT-X version, Crunchyroll chose to air the censored version of Charger Girl Ju-den Chan to ensure the protection of our younger audiences and allow all audiences to watch and enjoy Charger Girl Ju-den Chan.”

If the show clearly was never intended for younger viewers and “all audiences,” I personally denounce imposing censorship on it to make it child friendly. I don’t like it when Japanese TV networks do it, and I don’t like it when an American distributor does it.

Source: Anime News Network

Animator Cindy H. Yamauchi informs us that anime director/assistant director Takuji Endo passed away on July 8th due to a sudden illness. Endo was the supervising director of the 1992 yaoi OVA Zetsuai 1989. He also served as an animation or assistant director for productions including Patlabor WXIII, Highlander: The Search for Vengeance, and Texhnolyze. Endo was directing episodes of the current Stitch! anime series when he passed away.

Source: Anime News Network

Question:
If Hollywood ♥ anime and manga so much, why does it have to change the cultural setting, ethnic background of the characters, and/or the approach to the source material in the live-action films? If people buy the original versions of these stories they’re indicating that they’re not afraid to see that kind of perspective in a live-action adaptation. Wouldn’t it make sense to hire people who “get it” and people who actually look and act like the characters instead of just trying to reach the widest possible audience and appealing to no one?

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