AnimeNation Anime News Blog

An official Idolm@ster anime website from production company Aniplex has launched to announce the development of an adaptation of the tremendously successful Xbox 360 simulation game franchise. The website counts down the the January 29th release of the March issue of Megami Magazine, which will contain the first images and details about the new anime production.

Sunrise produced a 2007 anime television series titled IDOLM@STER: XENOGLOSSIA which used characters from the game in a sci-fi mecha action setting but otherwise had little in common with the original idol singer management simulation game.

Quite surprising that it’s taken so long for IMas to finally get a proper anime adaptation (not including the “Live For You” OVA).

Source: Anime News Network

A live-action short film based on Shigeto Yamagara’s online Flash anime series Kimi to Boku (You & I) is now in production for a May premiere. The autobiographical anime that launched in 2001 is the story of Yamagara’s transitional friendship with a tabby cat. The Flash anime has earned over 4.8 million page views and has received an English translation.

The 45 minute film adaptation will star Aoi Nakamura (Beck, Q.E.D.). Voice actress/singer Maaya Sakamoto will provide the voice of Gin-ou-go the cat and sing the film’s theme song, “Tegami” (“Letter”). Takashi Kubota (Bad Boys) directs.

Source: Anime News Network

Director Kiyoshi Sasabe (Town of Evening Calm, Country of Cherry Blossoms) has begun shooting a live action film adaptation of Tenten Hosokawa’s autobiographical essay manga Tsure ga Utsu ni Narimashite, a humorous love story about a female manga artist whose husband is clinically depressed. Aoi Miyazaki (NANA, Solanin) and Masato Sakai (Honey and Clover) will star in the film. The pair previously played a married couple in 2008′s Atsuhime television drama. The Tsure ga Utsu ni Narimashite was originally published in 2006 and was adapted into a 2009 NHK television drama starring Norika Fujiwara and Taizo Harada.

Source: Anime News Network

To refresh your memory or introduce you to an interesting opening animation sequence, I offer the opening of the Mahou Tsukai Tai! OVA series from 1996. The opening theme is “Senobi wo Shite Follow You” sung by the Mahou Tsukai Tai (Michiru Oshima, Hiroko Konishi, Junko Iwao, and Mayumi Iizuka).

The folks at Aniplex USA kindly sent me a DVD sample of their upcoming domestic Durarara!! DVD release. I was eager to critique it until my anticipation waned slightly upon discovering that that sample disc included only the English dub. Rather than be a snob, I sampled the screener in the company of some friends that are more partial to dubbed anime than I am.

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Crunchyroll has announced additional new anime titles that it will simulcast this season:

Kore wa Zombie Desu ka? and Level E will premiere on Monday the 10th.

Hourou Musuko (Wandering Son) will premiere on January 13.

The homepage for next April’s Ore-tachi ni Tsubasa wa Nai (OreTsuba) television series has added a streaming trailer. The harem/”coming-of-age drama” is an adaptation of NAVEL’s visual novel game Ore-tachi ni Tsubasa wa Nai ~ under the innocent sky. Shinji Ushiro (Shukufuku no Campenella, Omamori Himari) is directing at studio Nomad (Kampfer, Chocotto Sister).

Absolutely nothing about this looks original or (honestly speaking) very interesting, but the production values appear to be good, and the costume design is nice.

Source: Anime News Network

The homepage for next April’s Hoshizora e Kakaru Hashi (HoshiKaka) television series has begun streaming its first trailer. The adaptation of an adult visual novel game from developer feng, the romantic comedy is directed by Takenori Mihara (Shin Koihime Musou: Otome Tairan episode director) at studio Dogakobo (11eyes, Koihime Musou, Myself;Yourself).

And I thought the OreTsuba trailer was bland…

Source: Anime News Network

The homepage for studio A-1 Pictures’ upcoming Noitamina series Ano Hi Mita Hana no Namae o Boku-tachi wa Mada Shiranai (AnoHana) has added a new trailer that provides a first look at actual animation from the upcoming program. The series will premiere in April.

The homepage for the April Noitamina series [C] has added an intriguing streaming teaser trailer. The latest anime from Noitamina series veteran director Kenji Nakamura (Ayakashi, Mononoke, Kuchu Buranko) is being produced by Tatsunoko.

Source: Anime News Network

The Fuji Television network has announced that it’s Noitamina late-night programming block will debut No. 6 and Usagi Drop television series this July. Production I.G will animate the adaptation of Yumi Unita’s dramatic manga Usagi Drop, the story of a 30-year-old bachelor who adopts his grandfather’s 6 year-old illegitimate daughter. BONES will animate No. 6, an adaptation of Atsuko Asano’s ongoing sci-fi novel series about a priviledged, insulated 12 year-old elite boy who learns that the world is bigger and harsher than he realized.

Source: Anime News Network

Japanese telelvision network has revealed the surprise announcement that The Answer Studio’s new anime television series Otona Joshi no Anime Time (Anime Time For Adult Women) will premiere this Friday. The series’ first episode will adapt Naoki Prize-winning author Kei Yuikawa’s short story “Kawamo o Suberu Kaze” (A Wind Skimming the River’s Surface).

Source: Anime News Network

With the short notice typical of Japan’s anime industry, Flash animator Rareko has just announced that a second season of his one-man animated television series Chi-Sui Maru will premiere on the 15th. The first season of short comedy skits about a salaryman pestered by an unusually intelligent mosquito aired on the NTV network last year.

Source: Anime News Network

Japanese publisher Kodansha has announced that the 19th collected volume of CLAMP’s ongoing XXXHOLiC manga series will include a third XXXHOLiC Rou OAD. The 19th compiled manga volume will go on sale in Japan in March. The March issue of Bessatsu Shonen Magazine will include the final chapter of the XXXHOLiC manga story.

Source: Anime News Network

To refresh your memory or introduce you to an interesting opening animation sequence, I offer the opening of the 1984 Attacker You! TV series. The opening theme is “Seishun no Prelude” sung by Harumi Kamo.

Question:
Golgo TV & the new Cobra have been licensed for DVD & online respectively. But Angel Heart, the alternative reality sequel to City Hunter has not, despite it being arguably the best City Hunter story of all. It has Ryo & Falcon & Saeko plus a new very lethal girl assassin. And Kaori too! Why do you think Angel Heart has not been licensed for the US yet, & do you think it is likely to be?

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