AnimeNation Anime News Blog

Last Friday, the NTV television network aired Another Gantz, a re-cut version of last year’s Gantz live-action motion picture that excises some scenes and includes new ones. Another Gantz is scheduled for Japanese DVD on May 13th, billed as a “director’s cut” of the film.

The second, concluding live-action Gantz movie, Gantz: Perfect Answer, opened theatrically in Japan on Saturday, earning nearly 552 million yen, just short of the first movie’s 590 million opening.

Source: Tokyograph

A live-action film adaptation of Noritsuke Masaharu’s gag manga “Afro Tanaka” is reportedly now nearly done filming. The odd slice-of-life comedy about a young man with a large afro premiered in 2002. A short anime based on the franchise’s current fourth series, “Sasurai Afro Tanaka,” premiered last May. The live-action film is scheduled for a 2012 release.

Source: Tokyograph

Saturday I opened the front door of my house to discover that someone had left two mid-1990′s Hobby Japan magazines and a 1997 Otakara Figure Daizukan magazine on my doorstep. I’m certain that there are worse things I could find waiting at my door, and I’m certainly pleased to have anime related goods donated to my collection, but I’m also quite surprised and a bit confused by this unanticipated windfall. Presumably the magazines were left by someone I know. But in that case I’m curious why the contributor didn’t knock on my door to say hello, or leave a note. The alternative explanation is that someone I don’t know happens to know where I live and know that I collect anime merchandise.

To refresh your memory or introduce you to an interesting opening animation sequence, I submit the very cute opening sequence of the 1997 Yume no Crayon Oukoku TV series. The opening theme is “N Paka March,” sung by Yuka Tokumitsu.

Question:
Now that the last two episodes of Madoka have aired, what are your initial impressions of the ending and the series as a whole? Do you think the delay hurt or helped anticipation for the finale? Also, do you think the show is as big a game-changer as many fans make it out to be?

(more…)

Sentai Filmworks has announced its acquisiton of the Hidamari Sketch × Hoshimittsu television seriesm, the third TV series based on Ume Aoki’s Hidamari Sketch manga. Sentai currently distributes the series’ prior two seasons. The subtitled Hidamari Sketch Hoshimittsu Complete Collection will include all 12 regular series episodes plus the two “Tokubetsuhen” supplemental episodes and retail at $49.98 starting July 19.

Manga creator Kitsune Tennouji has announced the planned development of an anime based on his (?) ongoing 4-koma manga series Upotte!! The school comedy manga that launched in 2009 revolves around female students at a military school – girls who are actually anthropomorphized assault rifles.

Source: Moon Phase

Japanese publisher Kadokawa Shoten has formally announced the development of a fall 2011 TV anime adaptation of Sakae Esuno’s sci-fi adventure manga Mirai Nikki (Future Diary). Naoto Hosoda (Koe de Oshigoto!, Mirai Nikki OAD) will direct at the asread (Kiddy Girl-and, Minami-ke Okawari) anime studio. Asread and director Hosoda produced an 8-minute long Mirai Nikki pilot OAD that was released in Japan last December. The voice cast from the OAD will reprise their roles in the TV series.

Source: Anime News Network

TMS Entertainment has released the first trailer for its Manyu Hikencho TV anime adaptation of Hideki Yamada’s fan-service historical action manga. Seikon no Qwaser director Hiraku Kaneko and animation director Jun Takagi are re-teaming to produce this summer TV series.

The homepage for this summer’s Kamisama Dolls television series now offers a downloadable “Girls Side” trailer. The adaptation of Hajime Yamamura’s manga revolves around Utao, a young girl from a rural Japanese village in which residents partner with robotic beings that they refer to as gods, who comes to Tokyo.

Source: Anime News Network

The official website for this summer’s Kaito Tenshi Twin Angel (Thief Angel Twin Angel) television series has launched with a streaming teaser. J.C. Staff is animating the Kaito Tenshi Twin Angel: Kyun Kyun Tokimeki Paradise!! television series with Yoshiaki Iwasaki (Love Hina, Hayate the Combat Butler) directing. The TV series will premiere in July.

The Twin Angel franchise launched in 2007 as a pachislo arcade game that spun off a 2007 manga adaptation and a 2008 OVA series animated by Nomad (Hime-sama Goyojin, Kampfer).

Source: Anime News Network

The popular Japanese video streaming website Nico Nico Douga (Smile Video) has launched a beta version English language mirror at NicoNico.com. The website launched on December 12, 2006, and is now one of Japan’s most visisted websites. Users that have a log-in for the original Japanese site may use the same log-in for the English site, create a new log-in, or log-in via Facebook account.

Source: Anime News Network

Manga creator Masahiro Itosugi has revealed word that the first and third volumes of her just concluded manga series Aki Sora will cease getting reprinted after July. Itosugi stated that the decision to cease publication of select volumes of her manga was not made by her, and the reason behind decision the lies in the fact that the manga series depicts incest, not because the manga is sexually graphic. Itosugi also stated that she expects digital distribution to be unlikely.

Speculation suggests that the manga series is threatened by Tokyo’s recently ammended Youth Healthy Development Ordinance which prohibits the mass market distribution of anime and manga deemed “harmful” to minors. When asked if the Aki Sora manga could continue publication with an adults-only label, Itosugi admitted that the possiblity exists, but clarified that the Aki Sora manga series does not meet the current criteria for classification as “adults only” manga, nor did she create the manga with the intention of it being for adults only. Itsogi emphasized that the Aki Sora manga would have been completely different had she created it with the intention of it being an adults-only work.

The Tokyo Youth Healthy Development Ordinance does not prohibit the public distribution of potentially “harmful” manga outside of Tokyo, but considering that Tokyo is Japan’s largest manga market, publishing and distributing manga in areas outside of Tokyo isn’t economically viable.

Source: Anime News Network

To refresh your memory or introduce you to an interesting opening animation sequence, I submit the second opening sequence of 1983′s Aku Dai-Sakusen Srungle TV series. The opening theme is “Fighting On,” sung by Motohiro Hase.

Question:
What happened to the movie “King of Thorn” getting a U.S. release on DVD? I’ve read that it was shown in select theaters throughout the U.S. in 2010 and that plans were made to release it on DVD long ago. I haven’t seen anything on the official site about a release in the U.S. on DVD lately. Wikipedia mentioned that it received a worldwide release back in November 2010. What would the hold up be, as it’s a very good anime movie that most U.S. fans would probably enjoy?

(more…)