AnimeNation Anime News Blog

Sentai Filmworks has revealed domestic DVD release plans for the Samurai Harem (Asu no Yoichi!), Eyeshield 21, and Hell Girl: Two Mirrors (Jigoku Shoujo Futakomori) anime series.

The complete 12 episode “Samurai Harem” action comedy series, originally broadcast in Japan last year, will hit American DVD in a complete collection on May 11.

The first DVD collection of the 145 episode Eyeshield 21 football comedy will street on May 18th. The series was previously released in America online via the Toonami Jetstream website. The show is currently available to American viewers online via Crunchyroll.

The first DVD collection of the second Hell Girl television series will hit stores on May 25. FUNimation presently distributes the series’ first 26 episode season. Sentai has obviously acquired distribution rights to the series’ second 26 episode season. American distribution of the series’ third season has not been announced.

Source: Anime News Network

An official website has launched to confirm that anime production studio AIC, specifically AIC PLUS+, will develop a TV series adaptation of Okina Kamino’s romantic comedy Asobi ni Ikuyo! light novel series. An anime adaptation was first rumored in March 2009. The 13 volume novel series about a high school boy living with an alien cat-girl premiered in October 2003 and has spun off 4 drama CDs and a Playstation 2 game.

Source: Moon Phase

The official homepage for the upcoming AngelBeats! anime television series has added a new 3 minute long “making of the show” trailer. The supernatural school gunplay action series is scheduled to premiere in April.

Source: Moon Phase

Barnum Laboratory, the anime production studio behind last year’s two Hoshi ni Negai Wo short CG anime films, has launched its latest anime series, SOS TV Walpurgis Night Fever. The “zero” episode of the sci-fi comedy series about two young girls trying to evacuate their war-torn planet is now streaming on the Shu 2 Comic Gekkin mobile phone website operated by Bandai subsidiary company Emotion. Additional 150 second long episodes will premiere on March 1st and 15th.

THe Shu 2 Comic Gekkin website will primarily deliver new digital manga series, including Nyan Gokubusho Nobunyaga, Masana Pressures, Blood Soul, and CANAAN Sufeel, to digital phones.

Source: Anime News Network

The official Gundam franchise homepage has announced a June 25 release for a double disc DVD set documenting the Gundam 00 Festival 2009-2010 “A trailer for the trailblazer” publicity event held in Tokyo on December 31, 2009. The 150 minute DVD release will include music videos, a trailer for the upcoming Gundam OO motion picture, event video, “making of” footage, the complete “Mobile Suit Gundam OO: Anastasia” short anime film exclusively screened at the event, and more.

Source: Anime News Network

A copy of Detective Comics issue 27, the 1939 first published appearance of Batman, sold Wednesday at auction in Dallas, Texas for a record setting $1,075,500 (including buyer’s fees). The sale narrowly surpasses the record for most paid for a single comic set last week when a copy of Action Comics issue 1, the first appearance of Superman, sold for one million dollars. The Detective Comics issue is one of only two known copies graded in 8.0 CGC condition. No copies in better condition are known to exist.

Some folks have clearly got more money to spend on their hobbies than me.

Source: ICv2

Question:
Why is black cat so similar to Cowboy Bebop? It’s bounty hunters with pasts. Train & Spike are both ex-members of a gang. Sven & Jet are both ex-police officers who lost body parts in the line of duty. Rinslet & Faye are both attractive women who sometimes use their looks to get what they want. Eve & Ed are both children with special abilities. Saya & Julia are both dead love interests for the leads. Creed & Vicious are both villains who worked for a gang then overthrew the leader or tried to. Granted, there are differences in the story, but I was wondering are the same writers on both shows or what?

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Check out the fully animated opening sequence for PajamasSoft’s Prism Magical: Prism Generations adult PC game. Note: the video contains mild nudity. The animation is produced by Studio G-1 Neo with an all-star creative staff including:

Masami Obari (Gravion, Prism Ark): director & storyboards
Risa Ebata (Macross F charater design): animation director
Yousuke Kabashima (SoreKake Girl charater design): art
Kenichi Hamazaki (eX-Driver character design): art
Suzuki Fujio (009-1 character design): art
Yukihito Okago (Macross F key animator): art
Mayumi Ueda (Prism Ark animator): art
Saitou Maki (Bakemonogatari color design): color design

The game is scheduled for Japanese release on May 28.

Source: Rakugakidou

The advertising obi on new copies of the fourth volume of of Akira Suzuki’s Hyakka Ryoran Samurai Girls novel series reveals that the series will get an anime television series adaptation. The Hyakka Ryoran Samurai Girls multimedia franchise is a contemporary high school action/drama set in an alternate world in which Japan’s Tokugawa shogunate continues to rule and Japan remains a secluded, isolationist nation. The franchise, co-developed and sponsored by Hobby Japan Magazine, includes Suzuki’s novel series, an ongoing manga by Chiruo Kazahana, and collectible figures from Alter.

Source: Anime News Network

Publisher Radical Comics has halted the publication and distribution of its current comic book series Incarnate following accusations that the book’s art copies imagery from Tito Kubo’s manga series Bleach. Radical’s statement says, “Radical is taking swift action… to maintain the integrity and protect the intellectual property of artists throughout the world.” The Incarnate action comedy comic is written and drawn by Nick Simmons, famously known as the son of Kiss lead singer Gene Simmons.

In response to the controversy, Viz Media, which publishes the Bleach manga in America, has stated, “We are currently investigating this issue.” Bleach creator Tite Kubo himself has expressed surprise to learn that Nick Simmons is an accomplished comic artist, but has not expressed any stand on the plagiarism accusations. Nick Simmons has made not publicly commented on the matter.

I have a great deal of respect for Tite Kubo’s patience regarding this matter. I empathize with Simmons’ interest in Bleach; however, there must be a deliniation between homage or unconscious influence and conscious copying.

Source: Anime News Network

French based online anime distributor Gong has released five new four-minute-long clips from Picograph studio’s sci-fi racing action film Tailenders. The clips are subtitled in English, although the subtitles are obscured by the Gong overlay. The short movie about a human/racecar hybrid participating in the universe’s most dangerous automobile race is being produced in collaboration with Anime Innovation Tokyo, the sponsorship committee that has previously helped developed independent anime productions including Atsuya Uki’s Cencoroll.

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Reportedly the character Sakura Yoshino from the D.C. ~Da Capo~ adult PC game franchise will star in her own anime. The nine-year-old will star as “Mahou Shoujo Sakura” (Magical Girl Sakura), a magic-using third-grade “super-girl.”

The D.C. game franchise from Circus has already spawned four television anime series and an OVA series.

Source: Anime News Network

Although the official Hetalia ~Axis Powers~ homepage hasn’t yet included mention of an upcoming “Fan Disc” DVD, several Japanese retailers, including Neowing, Liondo, Guru Guru Okoku, and Vanda, report that a 30 minute long Hetalia Fan Disc will be released in Japan on May 25. The DVD will feature a new, unbroadcast episode tentatively titled “Ore-Sama Nikki” (My Diary), a teaser trailer for this summer’s Ginmaku Hetalia ~ Axis Powers: Paint it, White (Shiroku Nure!) motion picture, music videos, and more.

Source: Anime News Network

The Examiner has published a review of the most recent two Space Battleship Yamato soundtrack CDs: Yamato Symphony 2009 and Space Battleship Yamato: Rebirth.

Article provided by Mark Morton

Colleen Clinkenbeard, American voice actress known for her work in Fullmetal Alchemist, One Piece, Baccano!, and Dragon Ball Kai, will bring her talents to Phoenix Comicon in 2010. Clinkenbeard has provided the English language voices in over sixty Japanese anime productions. Some of her most notable roles include Riza Hawkeye and Rosé Thomas in Fullmetal Alchemist and the movie Fullmetal Alchemist: The Conqueror of Shambala, Riza Hawkeye in Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood, Monkey D. Luffy in One Piece, Nice Holystone in Baccano!, and Gohan in Dragon Ball Kai. She has also brought to life Yuuko Ichihara in xxxHolic and Tsubasa: RESERVoir CHRoNiCLE, Eclair Tonnerre in Ouran High School Host Club, Miranda Lotto in D.Gray-man, and Izumi Ishiguro in BECK: Mongolain Chop Squad, amongst others. Not limited to anime, she has worked on video game titles, as well, including Ghostbusters: The Video Game. The Phoenix Comicon will be held at the Phoenix Convention Center and Hyatt Regency in Phoenix, Arizona on May 27-30.