AnimeNation Anime News Blog

Independent animator Hillary Yeo has released a full trailer for the nearly complete animated short film Godaizer. Anime fans should definitely appreciate this.

Source: Twitch

To refresh your memory or introduce you to an interesting opening animation sequence, I offer the opening of the 1996 Saber Marionette J TV series. The opening theme is “Successful Mission” sung by Megumi Hayashibara.

Question:
I noticed in several dozen anime over the years ranging from a minor character in Kimagure Orange Road to primary characters like Misaki Nakahara in Welcome to the N.H.K. have a vaguely described physical affliction. The stories usually just refer to it as a weak constitution. Its inclusion usually defines the character as they are almost always weak, frail, catered to, and most are headed to an early grave. Is this something that really affects Japanese people? Are there really enough children born with a weak constitution for this to be as fairly common as it is in anime? Or is this just another trend in character style that get used a lot over the years?

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Passing along this press release to everyone. We’re happy this is playing in our area, is it playing in yours? If so, this would be a great way to see it!

CINEMA ASIA RELEASING, ELEVEN ARTS and FUNimation Entertainment are proud to announce the release schedule of the second of the EVANGELION film series in the U.S. EVANGELION 2.0: YOU CAN (NOT) ADVANCE opens on January 21, 2010 while there are a few exceptions. Some theaters will also show the first chapter, EVANGELION 1.0: YOU ARE (NOT) ALONE, prior to the release of the second feature.

Release Schedule after the break:

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Anime production studio P.A. Works has released a full two-minute trailer for its 10th anniversary production Hanasaku Iroha. The trailer is the first to include animation footage from the new anime.

Source: Moon Phase

THINK Corporation has announced its development of the “world’s first anime aimed at seniors” (and families). Showa Monogatari (Showa-Era Story) will consist of a preview TV special, a 100 minute long feature film, and a 13 episode television series revolving around the dramatic story of a Tokyo family in 1964 (Showa 39), the year Tokyo hosted the Summer Olympics. Tadahiro Murakami (Symphony in August) will direct the film. Furusato Japan character designer Hiroshi Kugimiya will direct the television series. A preview special will air later this month. The movie will open theatrically on January 29, and the TV series will premiere next April.

Interesting. There are good directors behind this, along with screenwriters familiar with writing solid anime drama.

Source: Anime News Network

Studio A-1 Pictures, producer Aniplex, and broadcaster Fuji TV have revealed a new anime “project” nicknamed “Anohana Project.” The nickname has been revealed to be an abbreviation for “Ano hi Mita Hana no Namae wo Boku-tachi wa Mada Shiranai” (We still do not know the name of the flower we saw that day). Further information about this new original anime will be revealed during a commercial broadcast in the early morning hours of December 31, during the broadcast of the final episode of the Shiki Noitamina series.

Source: Anime News Network

Kodansha has announced that the 14th collected volume of Yasunori Mitsunaga’s Kaibutsu Oujo ~ Princess Resurrection manga series will be released in Japan on March 9 in a limited edition that includes a bonus OAD. The original bonus anime will adapt the “Tokkyuu Oujo” (Express Princess), “Chou Tokkyuu Oujo” (Super Express Princess), and “Kessen Oujo” (Decisive Battle Princess) chapters from the manga’s 9th collected book. The series’ first OAD was released earlier this week with limited edition copies of the series’ 13th compiled book.

Source: Anime News Network

Reportedly, at a February 20 encore screening of the Yu-Gi-Oh! Chou-Yugo! Jiku wo Koeta Kizuna (Yu-Gi-Oh! 3D: Bonds Beyond Time) movie, Toei Animation will formally announce that it is developing a new Yu-Gi-Oh anime series.

Source: Anime News Network

“Dr. Irabu Ichiro” will air on the TV Asahi network on Sundays at 11:00pm starting on January 30. The live action television series is based on author Hideo Okuda’s award-winning novel Kuchu Buranko, which got a live action TV special adaptation in 2005 and a hybrid anime & live action (mostly anime) television series last year.

Source: Tokyograph

To refresh your memory or introduce you to an interesting opening animation sequence, I offer the opening of the 1999 Jibaku-kun TV series. The opening theme is “Dare mo Shiranai Chizu de” sung by Yumi Matsuzawa.

While this may not be the finest opening ever, I rather like this one.

Question:
I know people say “Book A or Comic B would make a great anime!” all the time but I just finished Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card and it would make a fantastic anime (it’s a fantastic book. If you haven’t read it, I highly recommend it. You can read it in a night.) Strange that it was written in the 80s since it could very well be the template for just about every “boy fights aliens to save the world” anime ever made.

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Sentai Filmworks has announced its acquisition of the second and third seasons of the Koihime Musou television series, Shin Koihime Musou and Shin Koihime Musou: Otome Tairan, and the 2008 harem comedy television series Akane Iro ni Somaru Saka (“AkaSaka”).

The subtitled Shin Koihime Musou DVD collection will contain all 12 episodes plus the OVA and retail at $49.98 beginning March 1, 2011.

The Akane Iro ni Somaru Saka complete collection will contain all 12 episodes plus the OVA and retail at $49.98 beginning March 8, 2011.

Shin Koihime Musou: Otome Tairan will be released in May 2011.

I’m just gonna keep my mouth shut on this one.

Source: Anime News Network

Crunchyroll has announced its acquisition of streaming rights to the 2007 Mushi-uta and 2009 Kiddy Girl-and anime television series. Mushi-uta is a dark sci-fi action adaptation of Kyohei Iwai’s light novel series. Kiddy Girl-and is a sequel to the 2002 Kiddy Grade television series.

I’m still not sayin’ nothin’.

Sunrise has revealed its development of an original anime TV series titled “Phi Brain: Kami no Puzzle.” The 25 episode show will follow school boy Kaito and his friends and partners who challenge and solve the dangerous puzzles created by the mysterious antagonistic organization POG. Junichi Sato (Kaleido Star, Princess Tutu, Tamayura) will direct the show for a fall 2011 premiere. The show will be co-produced by the NHK television network for broadcast on the NHK Educational channel, similar to other “educational” anime produced or co-produced by NHK including Element Hunters and Marie & Gali.

Source: Anime News Network