Sorry folks. We just learned that the link to submit “Ask John” e-mail was broken. It’s fixed now. I suppose that explains why I’ve received so few new messages lately. I thought you just didn’t like me anymore.
Acclaimed independent animator “Nosferatu” has released a teaser trailer for his latest animated adventure starring his original character “Non-chan.” The 30 minute long action OVA The Messenger from the Sea (Umi kara no Shisha) will go on sale at next month’s Comic Market 78 convention in Tokyo.
If you’re not familiar with Nosferatu’s animation, you’ve got to check out the absolutely mind-blowing stuff he does with animated GIFs. Take this for example:
Source: Anime News Network
This week’s new issue of Weekly Shonen Magazine will formally announce that limited edition version of an unspecified forthcoming collected volume of Oh! great’s action manga series Air Gear will include an original OAD. The anime episode will adapt the “Ikki vs. Ringo” competition from manga volume 16. Rather than Toei, which animated the 2006 TV series, Satelight will animate the OAD with Shinji Ishihira (Fairy Tail, Tokyo Majin Gakuen) directing and Osamu Horiuchi (Burst Angel, Ga-Rei: Zero) providing character design. The OAD will also feature an entirely new voice cast different from the 2006 TV series.
Update July 14, 2010: The OAD will be bundled with limited edition copies of Air Gear volume 30, scheduled for release on November 17.
Source: Anime News Network
Japanese publisher Shueisha has evidently announced the development of a TV anime adaptation of Kaya Kizaki’s fantasy comedy light novel series Dragon Crisis! The novel series premiered in 2007 and presently has 11 volumes. The series is the story of Ryuji, a teen boy who rescues a girl from black-market dealers. The “girl” turns out to be a dragon who becomes devoted to Ryuji, living with him and following him everywhere.
Source: Anime News Network
Magikano and Miami Guns creator Takeaki Momose has announced that his current supernatural romantic comedy manga series Kami Sen will get a drama CD this winter that will include a bonus DVD. The exact content of the DVD is still tentative, but Momose says that his “characters will move!”
Source: Anime News Network
Animator Satoshi Kubo (Eureka Seven, Fullmetal Alchemist, Guin Saga) has revealed publicly that he refused the opportunity to work on a new Super Robot Wars anime project because “Obari-san” was involved in the production. This revelation suggests some opposition to possibly animator/director Masami Obari (Dancougar, Gravion, Dangaioh), and seemingly confirms that a new Super Robot Wars anime adaptation is in development.
Bandai’s Banpresto subsidiary has been regularly producing Super Robot Wars video games since 1991. Super Robot Wars was adapted into anime in the 1999 Maso Kishin Cybuster television series, 2005 Super Robot Wars Original Generation OVA series, and 2006 Super Robot Wars Original Generation: Divine Wars television series.
Source: Anime News Network
To refresh your memory or introduce you to an interesting opening animation sequence, I submit to you the fun opening of the 1999 Ojamajo Doremi television series. The theme song is “Ojamajo Carnival!!” sung by MAHO-DO.
Crunchyroll has announced plans to simulcast this month’s new 13 episode sci-fi romantic comedy TV series “Asobi ni Ikuyo: Bombshells from the Sky.” The series premieres in Japan on Sunday. Crunchyroll’s streaming distribution will begin next week.
Tokyopop has signed an agreement with Internet media distribution site Hulu that will see Hulu hosting streaming distribution of Tokyopop content including “Spring & Chaos” (Kenji no Haru), Shoji Kawamori’s 1996 OVA biography of author Kenji Miyazawa. Hulu will also stream Tokyopop’s live action reality series America’s Greatest Otaku, the short Van Von Hunter promotional movie, and a selection of Tokyopop’s Manga Motion Comics.
Spring & Chaos, released on American DVD in 2001 and long out of print, is streaming now.
Source: ICv2
Japanese publisher Kodansha has released a trailer for the upcoming Kaibutsu Oujo ~ Princess Resurrection OAD. Unlike the 2007 television series that was animated by Madhouse, the 2010 OAD is animated by Tatsunoko. It appears to be a faithful adaptation of the first chapter of Yasunori Mitsunaga’s manga. The 25 minute OAD will be bundled with limited edition copies of the 13th collected volume of Mitsunaga’s manga that go on sale December 9th.
Source: Moon Phase Diary
Variety Magazine reports that Starz LLC is seeking to sell its Starz Media subsidiary that includes Manga Entertainment, Anchor Bay Entertainment, and Dante’s Inferno movie producer Film Roman. Starz LLC intends to sell Starz Media as a collection of companies, but barring that will pursue selling the subsidiary companies of Starz Media separately.
Manga Entertainment was founded in the UK as a subsidiary of Island Records in 1991. The company’s US branch launched in 1994 as a subsidiary of Palm Pictures. IDT Entertainment acquired America’s Manga Entertainment in May 2004. IDT Entertainment merged with Starz Entertainment in August 2006.
The fourth DVD/BD volume of Senko no Night Raid will include a previously unreleased episode titled “Ahenkutsu no Akuma” (Devil of the Opium Den). The disc will also contain broadcast episode 6, the original episode 7 that was streamed online but not broadcast on television, and the broadcast episode 7, a series’ recap episode. The fourth Senko no Night Raid home video volume will be released in Japan on September 22.
And nobody really cared since this show was so awfully uninteresting.
Source: Anime News Network
Nippon Animation has announced that a second Karl to Fushigi na Tou (Karl & the Mysterious Tower) television series will premiere in October. The first series aired last year.
Source: Anime News Network
Twitch has published a spoiler free, positive review of Sunrise’s feature film King of Thorn, based on Yuji Iwahara’s sci-fi survival horror manga.
Note that the Japanese side of the official site features a different, more revealing trailer than the English language side. The movie opened in Japan on May 1st. It will have its US premiere on July 11th as part of New York City’s Japan Cuts film festival.
X Japan has formally announced plans for its first North American concert tour, to start October 1st. Plans call for stops in more than ten cities including Los Angeles, New York, Seattle, San Francisco, Boston, and Vancouver. Coinciding with their tour, the group will release its first new album in 14 years. The album will debut simultaneously in Japan and the US, and will feature past hits including “Jade,” “ART OF LIFE,” and English versions of “Tears” and “Rusty Nail.”
Source: Tokyograph
