AnimeNation Anime News Blog

The first full trailer for director Takashi (Returner) Yamazaki’s live action Space Battleship Yamato movie has launched. The movie hits Japanese theaters December 1.

Source: Wildgrounds

Tokumei Joshi Ana Namino Yoko: LOVE IS OVER, a new live action film adaptation of Kimio Yanagisawa’s best selling manga series Tokumei Joshi Ana Namino Yoko (Mission Female Announcer Namino Yoko) will hit Japanese theaters in limited release on August 7. The original manga and its movie adaptations revolve around a woman who works as a conservative TV announcer by day and sexy agent “undertaking special missions for the company president by night.” A live action film adaptation staring Nori Horikoshi premiered in 2009. The unaffiliated 2010 movie stars Maki Tamaru. The new movie’s official website features a streaming 2 minute trailer.

Source: Tokyograph

To refresh your memory or introduce you to an interesting opening animation sequence, I submit to you the opening of the 1986 TV series Doteraman. The opening theme is “Seigi no Shija Dase Doteraman” performed by Koorogi ’73.

Question:
Anime set in ancient Japan, the European middle ages, or fantasy worlds based on either (or a combination of the two) are pretty common, but what about other ancient societies? Are there any anime set in ancient Rome, Mesopotamia, India, or MesoAmerica? What about anime focused on Native Americans? Or just fantasy settings inspired by these eras? I for one would love to see an anime or manga rendition of any of these ancient civilizations.

(more…)

The homepage for the upcoming Mazinkaizer SKL OVA series has added a 15 second streaming teaser trailer.

Looks pretty sweet!

Sentai Filmworks has announced September releases for the Xam’d: Lost Memories and Hell Girl: Three Vessels television series.

The first 13 episodes of the 26 episode Xam’d series will hit bilingual DVD and BD on September 21. The DVD release will retail at $59.98. The BD version will retail at $69.98.

The first 13 episodes of the 26 episode third Hell Girl television series will be released on September 28 in a subtitled DVD collection retailing at $49.98.

Almost exactly one year ago, during the Otakon convention in July 2009, Sony’s Aniplex subsidiary announced that Sony would distribute the Xam’d television series on domestic DVD. Evidently that plan has changed.

The Otakon anime convention has announced that this year’s convention opening animation was animated by acclaimed Japanese studio Production I.G (Ghost in the Shell, Blood: The Last Vampire). The 2009 & 2008 Otakon opening animation shorts were animated by Japan’s Madhouse studio. This year’s short was directed by Nekomataya, animation director for Wolf’s Rain. The opening theme song, “Shackles of Night,” was composed by Hiroki Kikuta (Secret of Mana, Koudelka) and sung by Shihori, half of the pop duo Shihori and Asuka.

To refresh your memory or introduce you to an interesting opening animation sequence, I submit to you the influential first opening of 1997′s Shoujo Kakumei Utena TV series. The opening theme is Masami Okui’s marvelous “-rinbu- revolution.”

Isn’t that shot of Utena thrusting with her rapier one of the single best shots in all of anime?

Question:
So it’s recently been announced that Funimation is teaming up with Bioware to help produce a Dragon Age anime film. I’m a little worried though because the entirety of Dragon Age easily goes over 150 hours of gameplay, yet they seem to want to tell the story in the course of a single movie. I think an OVA series would make more sense – rather then betting the “free holder” farm (heh) on one big movie, they could slowly develop and expand it as an anime series bit by bit seeing what they do right and wrong. So if they make a mistake they can correct it and improve on it, rather than having one large expensive production be a mistake.

Record of Lodoss War remains, in my opinion, the single greatest OVA series of all time and the best fantasy anime of all time as well. It seems like it’d make sense for the producers of the Dragon Age anime to try to see what made Record of Lodoss War OVA work. In your opinion, John, what would be the best path to making an excellent and successful Dragon Age anime? A movie, TV show, OVA series? And what shows would you recommend the creators of the Dragon Age anime look to for guidance?

(more…)

The homepage for next month’s Strike Witches 2 television series has added three streaming trailers. The show will premiere on July 7.

Source: Anime News Network

The homepage for the Sora no Woto television series has begun streaming the 8 minute long “A part” of its Japanese home video exclusive episode 7.5. The episode hit Japanese home video yesterday.

Source: Anime News Network

The key visual for the recently announced Kaibutsu Oujo ~ Princess Resurrection OAD has leaked, and it certainly looks different, and in a certain respect, more promising, than the 2007 television series.

Source: Kyo Moyarareyaku Blog

Twitch has secured an early, positive review of director Koji Masunari’s new theatrical feature Welcome to the Space Show. The movie hits Japanese theaters on the 26th.

To refresh your memory or introduce you to an interesting opening animation sequence, I submit to you the opening of 1983′s Super Dimension Century Orguss TV series. The opening theme is “Hyouryuu Sky Hurricane,” performed Casey Rankin.

Toei Animation has announced its joint development of a new Ikkyu-san anime movie in collaboration with Chinese conglomerate Shanghai Media Group (SMG). The movie will be based on Toei’s 1975 historical comedy (not to be confused with the 1978 baseball anime with the same name) loosely based on the childhood of 15th century Japanese Buddhist monk Ikkyu Soujun. The original Ikkyu-san anime had 296 TV episodes and a 1978 Ikkyu-san to Yancha-hime (Ikkyu-san and the Mischievous Princess) motion picture.

Toei will handle pre-production work on the new film, providing story concept, storyboards, character design, background art, and color design guidelines. The majority of the animation will be done by Chinese artists. SMG is presently also developing the anime film Tibet Inu Monogatari (Tibetan Dog Story) in collaboration with Japanese studio Madhouse.

Ikkyu-san 1975 TV series opening:

Source: Anime News Network