AnimeNation Anime News Blog

4Kids has acquired worldwide franchise rights to creator Ann Gutman & Georg Hallensleben’s Pénélope picture book franchise, which includes distribution rights to Nippon Animation’s anime adaptation. Nippon Animation and the NHK television network produced the Ukkari Pénélope anime television series in 2006, then a Pénélope’s Christmas Party TV special in 2007 and a second Ukkari Pénélope television series in 2009. 4Kids has not yet confirmed any plans for an American release of the anime.

The 2006 series’ first episode is available for free, officially sanctioned online viewing here.

Source: Anime News Network

The The July issue of Comic Gum magazine that just hit Japanese news stands includes an announcement of an anime adaptation of Azure Konno’s comedy manga series Koe de Oshigoto! The manga stars high school girl Kanna Aoyagi who takes a job as a voice actress for erotic computer games. The format of the anime adaptation – TV series, OVA, OAD, ONA, or movie – has not been revealed yet.

In a separate development, the fourth collected volume of the Koe de Oshigoto! manga will go on sale in July in a limited edition that includes a bonus picture drama DVD. The bonus short will consist of still images with spoken dialogue and a soundtrack provided by “akiba-pop” musical group MOSAIC.WAV.

Source: Anime News Network

DLE, the Flash animation studio best known for the “Eagle Talon” anime franchise, will produce a Flash anime TV series tie-in to Capcom’s upcoming Monster Hunter PSP game “MonHun Nikki Pokapoka Airu-mura.” The game – a simulation game starring the Monster Hunter franchise’s “Airu” feline race – will premiere on August 26. The anime series will air on Japanese television and stream on the game’s official website before hitting DVD.

Source: Anime News Network

Yasuhiro Aoki, director of the “In Darkness Dwells” segment of Batman: Gotham Knight and the “Kung-fu love” segment of Amazing Nuts!, has directed the animators of Studio 4°C in the production of a 150 second hand-drawn 3D anime adaptation of Masamune Shirow’s Orion fantasy manga. The short will premiere in Tokyo on June 11 at a screening during the Short Shorts Film Festival.

Hopefully this will be better than 4°C’s disappointing most recently released work, the Street Fighter IV anime.

Source: Anime News Network

Seemingly confirming the equivocal preview trailer included on the end of the first OAD, Japanese publisher Kodansha has announced that Yondemasuyo, Azazel-san (You’re Being Summoned, Azazel-san) will be getting a second anime episode. Director Tsutomu Mizushima (Haré, XXXHOLiC) and Production I.G will reteam on a second adaptation of Yasuhisa Kubo’s supernatural gag comedy. The 25 minute long second OAD will be released on September 22 with limited edition copies of the fifth volume of the manga. The fourth manga volume was released last February in a limited edition that included the series’ first anime episode.

The first OAD was hilarious, so this is great news!

Source: Anime News Network

To refresh your memory or introduce you to an interesting opening animation sequence, I submit to you the opening animation from the 1995 Romeo’s Blue Skies television series. Granted, the visual component isn’t exceptional, but the theme song “Sora e…” performed by Hiroko Kasahara is magnificent.

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An unconfirmed Japanese sales solicitation reveals that the sixth collected volume of Arawi Keiichi’s bizarre gag manga Nichijou (“Everyday Life”) will be released next January in a limited edition that includes an original anime DVD. Keiichi’s ongoing school comedy manga about the crazy daily lives of kooky students premiered in 2007.

Source: Moon Phase Diary

The homepage of the Baka to Test to Shokanjuu television anime franchise has formally announced that a second series will air next year.

Source: Moon Phase

To refresh your memory or introduce you to an interesting opening animation sequence, I submit to you the opening animation sequence from the 1988 Moeru! Oniisan television series. The theme song is “Dreamy Dreamer” performed by Yuko Ishikawa.

Just for reference, I’m concentrating on highlighting unusual and interesting opening animation sequences from unlicensed, no-longer-licensed, or somewhat forgotten series. I’m also only spotlighting opening sequences from shows that I’ve watched.

Question:
In Fullmetal Alchemist, do you think Ed binding Al’s body to a piece of armor, was that anime’s sort of way of having a semi robot in the anime?

(more…)

Sentai Filmworks has announced its acquisition of the sola, Shigofumi, and Tytania anime television series. The complete 15 episode sola series will be released on August 3 in a single DVD collection retailing at $49.98. The 13 episode Shigofumi television series from 2008 will be released on August 17 in a complete DVD collection retailing at $49.98. The first half of the 2008 space opera Tytania will be released in a 13 episode DVD collection retailing at $49.98 on August 24.

Bandai Entertainment released a $44.98 complete DVD collection of sola less than a year ago, on September 29, 2009. In 2008, now defunct domestic distributor Bandai Visual announced plans to release Shigofumi on American DVD. The series was never released domestically.

Crunchyroll has announced plans to begin streaming distribution of the current soccer anime television series Giant Killing. The series’ 8th episode will premiere on Crunchyroll this Sunday one hour after its Japanese television broadcast. New weekly episodes will be accessible to Crunchyroll subscribers immediately, and available for free to viewers located in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Ireland, Netherlands, Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Finland, Iceland, Australia, and New Zealand one week later. Earlier episodes will be filled in after this Sunday.

The advertising obi found on copies of the first collected volume of Takashi Mikaze’s manga adaptation of the 2008 adult PC game Yosuga no Sora: In solitude, where we are least alone reveals that the game will be getting an anime adaptation. The original game stars an orphaned teen boy and his tsundere twin sister who return to their grandfather’s rural village where the boy develops romantic relationships with his sister, a reacquainted childhood girl friend, and other girls in the neighborhood.

Source: Anime News Network

Mirai Moriyama (20th Century Boys, Rookies) will star in a live-action television series adaptation of Mitsuro Kubo’s romantic comedy manga Moteki. Moriyama will play Yukiyo Fujimoto, an aimless young man who gets a once-in-a-lifetime chance at “moteki” (romantic bliss) when four different women (played by Maho Nonami, Hikari Mitsushima, Rio Matsumoto, and Rinko Kikuchi) suddenly become interested in him. Hitoshi Ohne (Yukemuri Sniper) will direct the 12 episode series that will premiere on July 16.

Source: Anime News Network

The homepage for the current Angel Beats! anime television series is now streaming the full length music video for Girls Dead Monster’s insert song “Little Braver.” The song is performed by the real life girl band that serves as the model for the girl band featured in the Angel Beats! anime.

These Girls Dead Monster tunes have been pretty good, so far.

Source: Moon Phase