AnimeNation Anime News Blog

FUNimation has announced a partnership with Japanese television network Fuji TV to host online streaming for English subtitled anime series from the Noitamina timeslot. The first two titles to receive English subtitled streaming distribution will be this month’s House of the Five Leaves (Sarai-ya Goyou) and The Tatami Galaxy (Yojouhan Shinwa Taikei). The former will premiere online on April 15, an hour after its Japanese broadcast premiere. The later premiere on April 22, an hour after its broadcast premiere.

The “Noitamina” (“Animation” spelled backwards) timeslot is Fuji TV’s successful series of unusual and artistic anime series targeted at both hardcore otaku and non-anime fan viewers. Previous Noitamina titles have included, among others, Honey & Clover, Tokyo Magnitude 8.0, Nodame Cantabile, and Moyashimon.

Outstanding!

Bandai Entertainment has announced its acquisition of domestic distribution rights to the Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya motion picture. A subtitled print of the film will premiere at San Francisco’s Viz Cinema on May 21. Bang Zoom! Entertainment will produce an English language dub for future domestic DVD release. The feature opened in Japanese theaters this past February.

So after Crunchyroll recently getting the digital distribution rights to the TV series, it looks like Bandai still has its share of the franchise as well.

Source: Anime News Network

The TV Tokyo network has announced that the current Pocket Monster: Diamond & Pearl anime TV series will conclude this fall and be replaced by a new series. Diamond & Pearl, the third Pokemon anime television series following Pocket Monster (1997-2002) and Pocket Monster: Advanced Generation (2002-2006), has been airing new weekly episodes since September 2006.

Source: Anime News Network

This is just amazing in numerous respects. Acclaimed character designer & manga artist Yoshitoshi ABe demonstrates drawing on an Apple iPad.

Source: Japanator

Coming to DVD and Blu-Ray July 27th from Tokyo Shock!

The Hollywood Reporter reveals that an increasing percentage of Japanese teen moviegoers prefer Hollywood movies dubbed in Japanese instead of subtitled. Reportedly, Hollywood films targeted at older viewers, or likely to appeal primarily to older Japanese viewers, are typically still distributed theatrically in Japan in original English language with Japanese subtitles. But Japanese teen audiences reportedly are increasingly considering subtitled movies “too much trouble” to watch.

Article provided by Daniel Zelter

FUNimation has announced its acquisition of home entertainment, digital and merchandising rights to last year’s camp/horror/splatter/comedy movie Vampire Girl vs. Frankenstein Girl. The film was collaboratively directed by Naoyuki Tomomatsu (Stacy, Zombie Self-Defense Force) and Yoshihiro Nishimura (Tokyo Gore Police). The movie will hit DVD and Blu-ray this October.

This flick was honestly a little better than I expected it to be, although my expectations were pretty low. Also note, FUNi spelled director Yoshihiro Nishimura’s name wrong in the official publicity announcement, crediting him as “Yoshihiro Tomomatsu.”

A live action feature film adaptation of Rei Mikamoto’s 2004 Kyonyu Dragon (Big Tits Dragon) horror action manga will screen in the Cinemart Roppongi theater in Tokyo beginning May 15 before bouncing onto special edition DVD on August 4. Kyonyu Dragon: Onsen Zombies vs. Stripper 5 features porn star turned mainstream actress Sola Aoi playing Rena Jodo, one of three (initially five) strippers forced to defend themselves from rampaging zombies. Furthermore, the movie will screen in anaglyphic 3-D!

Kyonyu Dragon manga creator Rei Mikamoto may be better known to Americans as the creator of the Reiko the Zombie Shop (Zombie-ya Reiko) manga series published in English by Dark Horse.

I so want to see this right now!

Source: Anime News Network & Twitch

Question:
Anime News Network’s comments on the “Kissxsis” anime have been extremely negative. “For use only as a visual emetic.” “This is so deplorable that I wish we lived in a world where this filth had no reason to exist. The fact that it has enough of an audience to be produced and aired rather than sliming its way to DVD in OVA form (although I understand there are OVAs) gives new and upsetting insight to the low opinion the Japanese have of otaku.” “Who is this garbage for?! …Is this utterly tasteless, completely unsettling and, like, undeniably, absolutely stupefyingly creepy, skeevy garbage seriously what the hardcore otaku audience wants?” “Kissxsis is trash.”

You don’t have to generalize and vilify the Japanese anime industry and its audience to express a personal dislike for a certain anime’s subject matter. It takes a certain kind of “anime fan” to choose to do that; to essentially argue the prosecution’s case against Chris Handley for his sick perverted interest in cartoon trash. I don’t see how the ANN comments above help our hobby much, no matter how bad any particular anime might be.

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Canada’s YTV network will premiere the feature length first episode of the English dubbed “Beyblade: Metal Fusion” anime television series on May 15. The original Japanese series, Metal Fight Beyblade, premiered in Japan in April 2009. Its second season, Metal Fight Beyblade ~Baku~ premiered on Japanese television earlier this month. The original Japanese anime series is a co-production between Japan’s d-rights licensing agency and Canadian animation producer Nelvana Enterprises.

Source: Anime News Network

A live action TV series adaptation of Kahoru Fukaya’s dramatic manga series Hagane no Onna ~ She’s a Steely Woman! will premiere in Japan on May 21st. Actress Michiko Kichise (Nodame Cantabile, Bloody Monday) will play her first TV leading role as Ineko “Hagane” Haga, a “steel” teacher struggling to manage a notoriously difficult class of fourth graders and their demanding parents. Fukaya’s original manga has been serialized in Shueisha’s You Magazine for women since 2007.

Source: Anime News Network

Peter Buettner, a 30-year-old PhD candidate at the University of Zurich, has told Japan’s Kyodo News that he’s discovered convincing evidence that Swiss author Johanna Spyri’s beloved 1880 novel Heidi’s Years of Wandering and Learning may actually be “inspired” by a little known German novel by Hermann Adam von Kamp published 50 years earlier, in 1830. von Kamp’s Adelheid, a Girl From the Alps has similarities, “too strong to be pure coincidence,” asserts Buettner. However, Buettner, along with the Swiss media, recognize, “It is nothing unusual for people to copy stories. A lot of authors did this, just think of Shakespeare, Goethe and so on.”

Heidi of the Alps was adapted into a 52 episode anime television series in 1974. Isao Takahata directed the series. Hayao Miyazaki provided layout and animated most of the show’s opening animation. The series remains very popular and beloved in Japan.

Source: Breitbart

Acclaimed painter & character designer Yoshitaka Amano has established a film production studio named Studio Deva Loka in order to produce an original 3D action/fantasy film titled “Zan.” The studio name “Deva Loka” comes from a phrase meaning, “the place where gods assemble.” The studio plans to produce other works in addition to “Zan.” Amano created the story for Zan and drew its conceptual art. Amano will also make his directing debut helming the film. The movie is set in the late 1800s and stars a samurai transported to another dimension where he partners with a steel beast named Panther to battle evil. Amano has already displayed a life-sized (?) statue of Panther at last year’s Opéra de Paris and last month’s Tokyo International Anime Fair.

Yoshitaka Amano is best known for providing illustrations for franchises including Vampire Hunter D, Final Fantasy. He created character designs for anime series including Gatchaman, Time Bokan, and Casshan. His Yasai no Yousei – N.Y. Salad concept was adapted into an anime television series in 2007.

While the story concept doesn’t sound very unique, I’m very curious about what the film will look like.

Source: Anime News Network

Reportedly the June issue of Gush Magazine will formally announce an anime OVA adaptation of Hinako Takanaga’s yaoi manga series Koisuru Bo-kun, known to English speakers as “The Tyrant Falls in Love.” The manga is licensed for future English language release by Digital Manga Publishing.

Source: Anime News Network

Warner Bros. has unveiled four Masami Kurumada illustrated promotional images for the new Clash of the Titans motion picture. French director Louis Leterrier has stated publicly that the Greek inspired armor worn by characters in Kurumada’s St. Seiya manga/anime franchise was an inspiration for the armor worn by characters in the 2010 Clash of the Titans movie. Kurumada was asked to create new promotional artwork for the Japanese theatrical release of the Clash of the Titans movie. The artwork will be used in train & subway station posters, along with promotional flyers and handbills.

Source: Anime News Network