About.com now hosts an exclusive interview with manga artist Junko Mizuno. Mizuno, who recently moved to San Francisco, discusses her newest English-language release, her future plans, and her upcoming art shows in Seattle and Southern California.
The Patrick Macias & Izumi Evers interview was published 18 months ago.
Source: Anime News Network
ICv2 has published its exclusive interview with Ikki magazine founder & editor-in-chief Hedeki Egami.
About.com published its own exclusive interview with Egami last week.
Massively successful Japanese rock band Glay has announced the first stops on its Glay U.S. Tour 2009 – The Great Vacation. The super group will play at The Fillmore in San Francisco, California, on September 9, followed by two shows in Hollywood at the House of Blues Sunset Strip on September 11 & 12. Tickets are available from Ticketmaster and Live Nation. More information can be found on the Glay official website and their official Myspace page.
Crunchyroll has begun streaming last year’s 13 episode live action RH Plus drama. The adaptation of Ayako Suwa’s boy-love manga revolves around four handsome vampire detectives who fight crimes that the police can’t or won’t handle.
Ain’t It Cool News reports that manga reviewer & expert Ed Chavez has confirmed that Vertical’s Guin Saga, MW, Ode to Kirihito and Summer of the Ubume have been pitched to Hollywood movie studios for possible adaptation into American films.
Article provided by Daniel Zelter
The movies section of Japanese portal site goo is now streaming the first teaser trailer for director Mamoru Oshii’s live action sci-fi action movie Assault Girls. The trailer is available for 56k, 500k, or 1MB bandwidths. Meisa Kuroki, Rinko Kikuchi, and Hinako Saeki play Gray, Lucifer, and Colonel – three female warriors that hunt giant sand whales in post-apocalyptic Earth. The film is Mamoru Oshii’s first live action feature since 2001′s Avalon, although it’s the third Assault Girls movie following short films in 2007 & 2008. The Assault Girls feature will open at Theatre Shinjuku and Ikebukuro Theatre Daiya on December 19.
Source: Nippon Cinema
Animate.tv is now streaming the first trailer for the upcoming Sex Pistols yaoi OVA series, based on Tarako Kotobuki’s manga. The trailer is work safe. The sci-fi influenced story revolves around romance between young men who have evolved from animals besides primates. The anime series’ first episode will hit Japanese DVD this winter, followed by a concluding episode next spring.
Source: Anime News Network
Coming as little surprise, this past weekend’s TBS Anime Festa 2009 publicity event announced that Konami’s new PSP visual novel game Okamikakushi (the title is a portmanteau of “okami” – wolf, and “kamikakushi” – being kidnapped by spirits) will be adapted into an anime TV series. Higurashi series writer Ryukishi07 provided the game’s original concept and served as director. Rozen Maiden creators Peach-Pit performed character design.
The original game features 10 stories set in 1983 revolving around 16 year old boy Kuzumi Hiroshi who has just moved into the mysterious rural mountain village Jougamachi.
Considering that this is a collaboration between two of Japan’s most popular contemporary creative teams, I’m only surprised that TBS waited until a few days after the game went to sale to announce the anime adaptation. I’d assumed all along that an anime would have been announced earlier this year when the game itself was first announced.
Source: Anime News Network
The sixth collected volume of Yoko Nihonbashi’s 2005 and ongoing girls volleyball manga series Shoujo Fight will be released on October 23 in a standard edition and a limited edition including an original anime DVD. Yoko Nihonbashi personally wrote the script for the anime episode that from Production I.G animated. The voice actors from the Shoujo Fight drama CD series reprise their roles in the anime.
Girls volleyball anime aren’t especially common, but Nippon Animation’s 1977 TV series Ashita e Attack! and Knack Productions’ 1984 TV series Attacker You! have served this story concept before.
Source: Anime News Network
The core staff and cast of Gainax’s Mahoromatic anime is reuniting for the Mahoromatic: Tadaima Okaeri (Mahoromatic: I’m Home ~ Welcome Back) two-part TV special. The staff exception is Urahata Tatsuhiko who is writing the scripts for the new specials but didn’t work on any of the prior Mahoromatic anime. The two episodes will air on October 17 and 24 before hitting DVD & BD on December 23.
Mahoromatic co-creator Bow Ditama has been well represented in recent anime with KISSxSIS and Fight Ippatsu! Jyuden-chan, but a Mahoromatic revival is certainly unexpected since the most recent Mahoromatic anime was released more than six years ago.
Source: Anime News Network
Production of the Hidamari Sketch x ☆☆☆ (“Hidamari Sketch x Hoshimittsu”) TV series was announced during this past weekend’s TBS Anime Festa 2009 publicity event. The third TV series based on Ume Aoki’s manga follows the 2007 Hidamari Sketch and 2008 Hidamari Sketch x 365 television series.
A two episode Hidamari Sketch x 365 special will first air on October 17 & 24.
Source: Anime News Network
The official website for Hatsune Miku’s popular song “Black☆Rock Shooter” (the song even has its own site!) has announced that anime studio Ordet is not only producing the previously announced “Pilot Edition” anime PV, but actually a full length anime. Black☆Rock Shooter concept creator huke and song composer ryo will collaborate with Ordet on the development of the anime. Yutaka Yamamoto (Kannagi, Lucky Star) will supervise the anime production with Shinobu Yoshioka (Lucky Star episode director) directing.
The Black☆Rock Shooter concept is a post-apocalyptic bishoujo action story, as seen in its original 3D CG anime music video. Virtual idol Hatsune Miku sings the song “Black☆Rock Shooter” but isn’t a character in the song’s music video or narrative concept. The “Pilot Edition” music video will hit DVD and Blu-ray on September 30. The full length anime will premiere next spring.
Source: Anime News Network
Adult Swim will broadcast the Bleach: Memories of Nobody motion picture at midnight on September 5.
Source: Anime News Network
4Kids Entertainment has announced that, due to an unspecified rights issue in Japan, original Japanese language Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters episodes are no longer available for authorized American distribution on any format. However, 4Kids will be releasing unedited, original language Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D’s and original language Yu-Gi-Oh! GX episodes on YouTube beginning this fall. Unedited, subtitled Sonic X episodes will debut on Hulu, “in the coming weeks.”
The Japanese “rights issue” does not affect 4Kids’ continued distribution of English dubbed Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters episodes.
Source: Anime News Network
Media Blasters CEO John Sirabella has confirmed that Kitty Media will release the infamous 2003 two episode erotic anime series Bondage Game ~ Shinsou no Reijou-tachi (Link for adults only) on a single $29.99 DVD on November 24th.
This is especially fascinating news for two reasons. Bondage Game is undeniably one of the very most extreme, grotesque, and horrifying “erotic” anime ever produced. It’s also a Pink Pineapple title, which is interesting because Japanese ero-anime distributor Pink Pineapple has refused to grant North American licenses for any of its anime titles over the past several years.
Article provided by Doc Watson
