AnimeNation Anime News Blog

Digital Manga’s Juné label will release the first English translated volume of Fusanosuke Inariya’s boy love manga series Maiden Rose (Hyakujitsu no Bara) on March 24, 2010. The fantasy military themed romance manga details the relationship between Commander Taki Reizen and his soldier Klaus “Mad Dog” von Wolfstadt. The manga was initially acquired for domestic release by DramaQueen in 2007, but was never published.

The OVA adaptation of Maiden Rose was released in Japan last May.

Source: Anime Vice

Nagoya TV’s official homepage for Sunrise Studio’s upcoming Battle Spirits: Shounen Gekiha Dan TV series is now streaming a 3:16 “digest movie” preview. The series will premiere on September 13.

The official website for the upcoming Nyankoi! TV anime has added a streaming trailer. The romantic comedy revolves around Junpei Kosaka, a high schooler allergic to cats who finds himself cursed to turn into a cat unless he fulfills 100 wishes from cats. AIC’s anime adaptation will premiere on October 1st.

Source: Anime News Network

The top page of the official site for the Darker Than Black: Ryusei no Gemini TV anime has begun streaming a new trailer. The new series is scheduled to premiere in October.

Source: Moon Phase

A trailer for the Abashiri Family live action movie has been officially added to YouTube. The film is a loose adaptation of Go Nagai’s 1969 action/comedy manga. Abashiri Ikka The Movie will hit Japanese theaters on November 21. Note that the trailer (below) includes brief scenes of comic exaggerated violence.

The official website for the film adaptation of Hiroshi Muto’s action/drama manga series Kyokara Hitman has added a streaming trailer. The movie about an ordinary salaryman forced into part-time work as a contract killer will hit Japanese theaters on September 26.

GP Museum Soft has revealed its live action film adaptation of Takashi Sano’s risqué romantic comedy manga Iketeru Futari. The movie will get a limited theatrical release at the Cinemart Roppongi theater in Tokyo on October 2-4 to promote its DVD release this winter. The manga about a troubled love affair between two students has been ongoing since 1997. J.C. Staff adapted the series into an anime TV series in 1999. The film’s official website hosts a non-worksafe trailer in its “Movie” section.

Source: Anime News Network Article one, Article two

Japanese publishers Shogakukan and Shueisha have acquired ownership of French anime translation & distribution firm Kaze and German translator/distributor Anime-Virtual. Both companies will be merged into Shogakukan and Shueisha’s existing subsidiary distributor Viz Media Europe, which is based in Paris. Viz Media Europe president John Easum will continue to oversee the company. Kaze president Cedric Littardi and former president of Anime Virtual Nicolas Weber-Krebs will become managing directors under Viz Media Europe.

The Nikkei newspaper reports that the combined French & German speaking anime market generates 2.3 billion yen ($24 million USD) annually.

Source: Anime News Network & ICv2

The Walt Disney Co. has advanced a proposal to acquire Marvel Entertainment Inc. for $4 billion in cash and stock. Marvel has agreed to the deal, but the acquisition will first need approval by Marvel shareholders and review for compliance with federal anti-trust regulations. Disney has had recent success appeal to a female audience with brands including “Hannah Montana” and the Jonas Brothers, and sees the acquisition of Marvel characters including X-Men, Iron Man, and Hulk as a means to reach a young male audience.

Presuming the deal occurs, movie production & distribution deals already signed by Marvel will remain in effect. Disney’s Pixar subsidiary is “pretty excited” about the possibility of producing films featuring Marvel characters.

Source: AP Newswire & ComingSoon

Article provided by Daniel Zelter

The official homepage for AQ Interactive’s Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Jan PSP game has added a streaming anime trailer. The mahjong game features the characters of 07th Expansion’s popular Higurashi no Naku Koro ni mystery/horror game franchise. It’s scheduled for Japanese release on November 12.

Source: Rakugakidou

Digital Manga Publishing has announced plans sell copies of its 560 page Little Butterfly Omnibus manga volume at this year’s Yaoi-con, far in advance of the book’s February 15, 2010 street date. The Little Butterfly Omnibus will re-issue all three out of print volumes of Hinako Takanaga yaoi manga in a single $29.95 book.

Furthermore, in honor of artist Makoto Tateno’s attendance at this year’s Yaoi-con, Digital Manga will sell copies of Makoto Tateno’s Yellow Omnibus volume 1 and Yellow 2: Episode 1 manga at Yaoi-con, more than two weeks ahead of their official release date.

Yaoi-Con takes place over the Halloween weekend, October 30-November 1, in beautiful San Mateo, California.

Lately I just can’t seem to get enough of the Masami Okui & May’n song “Miracle Upper WL.” It’s the opening theme for the web anime series Ontama and, in my opinion, the best anime theme song Masami Okui has performed since the late 90s.

Actor James Marsters has apparently revealed publicly that the actual production budget for 20th Century Fox’s Dragonball Evolution motion picture was $30 million. Speculation about the film’s production values have ranged from $120 million to $45 million. Despite its poor domestic reception, the movie has been solidly successful, earning roughly double its production costs from combined global box office and US DVD revenue.

Source: Saiyan Island

Article provided by Daniel Zelter

Question:
Does being a hentai fan mean that they don’t believe in human rights? Also, would the hentai ban have women who make BDSM yoai/straight hentai also be punished due to some women not liking a certain fetish of other women?

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The advertising obi on new copies of the seventh volume of author Shotaro Mizuki & illustrator Soichi Ito’s romantic fantasy adventure light novel series Ichiban Ushiro no Daimaoh (The Number One Behind the Devil King) has announced that an anime adaptation is in development. The 2008 and ongoing novel series revolves around teen boy Akuto Sai, an aspiring magic cleric whose aptitude test reveals his most likely future occupation to be “devil king.” The story is then set largely in Sai’s school, where he’s resented by fellow students, desired by a girl with mysterious powers, and guarded by a beautiful female android.

Source: Anime News Network

The Tsuito Akatsuka Fujio-Ten ~Gag de Kake Nukeru 72-Nen~ (A Fujio Akatsuka Memorial Exhibition: 72 Years of Advancing Through Gags) memorial exhibition for the late manga artist Fujio Akatsuka opened at the Matsuya department store in Tokyo’s Ginza district on the 26 and will remain open until September 7. Akatsuka, the creator of beloved manga/anime franchises including Tensai Bakabon, Himitsu no Akko-chan, 21 Emon, Moretsu Ataro, and Osomatsu-kun, passed away on August 2, 2008. The memorial exhibition is notable for featuring an original Flash anime short film by popular animator Frogman (Eagle Talon). Frogman wrote, directed, and provided all of the voices for the short “Tonari no Tensai Vakabon” anime film. The exhibition also features homage sketches and artworks from over 250 famous artists including Akira Toriyama, Takashi Yanase (Anpanman), Momoko Sakura (Chibi Maruko-chan), Fujiko Fujio A (Doraemon), Rumiko Takahashi, and Kagami Yoshimizu (Lucky Star).

Source: Anime News Network