Reportedly creator Haruki’s popular 2005 erotic manga Kisei Jui Suzune (Parasite Doctor Suzune) will be adapted into a live-action film. Rei Yoshii, who played Orihime Inoue in the Bleach Rock Musical, will star as Suzune, a doctor who treats patients infected by parasites that incite uncontrollable sexual urges. Ryu Kaneda (Video Girl Ai movie, Boogiepop and Others) will direct.
Source: Anime News Network
California based animation studio Cybergraphix has announced the development of an original supernatural adventure cartoon series titled “Moksha.” The production will be developed in collaboration with Automaton Productions and Japan’s Studio A.P.P.P. (Risky Safety, Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure). Comic book creative legend Stan Lee, Maulik Pancholy (Phineas & Ferb), and Lauren Tom (Futurama) will voice the series’ primary characters.
Amidst an explosion that nearly takes his life, Daniel Zoran (Maulik Pancholy) is miraculously saved by his enigmatic Grandfather (Stan Lee), but at a great cost. Daniel awakens to find himself with a mysterious tattoo branded upon his chest, his grandfather in an etherial state of being, and he now must rely on his grandfather’s fiery steward, Claire (Lauren Tom), to guide him with his new and emerging supernatural abilities. While keeping the Monstrous Fiends of Chaos at bay and coming to terms with her own personal demons, Claire will be pushed to the breaking point, while good-natured Daniel struggles to keep up during the action-packed and surreal adventures.
Source: Toonzone
To refresh your memory or introduce you to an interesting opening animation sequence, I submit the first opening of the 1998 Chosoku Spinner TV series. The opening theme is “SOMEDAY LET’S GO TOGETHER” performed by rub-down.
Sorry about the poor video quality, but you’ll get the idea.
Question:
Has there been a gradual trend toward anime with familial themes? I’ve been seeing many shows lately that prominently feature parents/guardians or highlight the struggle to define & maintain an (often unconventional) family. Usagi Drop is an overt example, but other series like Mawaru Penguindrum (esp. later episodes), Ikoku Meiro no Croisee, OreImo and Hanasaku Iroha seem to revolve around family issues as well. One could look a little further back to shows like Toradora and Clannad.
My stereotype of anime has always involved eerily non-existent parents — teenagers living alone for whatever convenient reason to exclude guardians from their idyllic anime worlds. I remember being shocked by Jubei-chan’s inclusion of a believable and compelling parental protagonist in a (1999) magical girl anime. Is anime with a greater family focus coming into prominence, or has it been around all along?
FUNimation has formally announced its acquisition of the 2010 Densetsu no Yusha no Densetsu (Legend of the Legendary Heroes) television series. The 24 episode series will be released in a bilingual DVD/BD combo package next spring. FUNimation simulcast the series last year as it aired.
I’m not surprised in the least that this show finally got licensed, but I do wish it was better than it is.
Source: Anime News Network
Sentai Filmworks has announced its acquisition of distribution rights to the Rozen Maiden anime franchise that was previously distributed domestically by Geneon then Funimation. Sentai’s license specifically includes the Rozen Maiden & Rozen Maiden Träumend television series previously released on American DVD and the two-episode Rozen Maiden: Ouvertüre series not previously released in America. The franchise will be released through “multiple digital outlets” and a complete series DVD collection. And the Rozen Maiden: Ouvertüre series will also be released separately on bilingual DVD for the benefit of consumers that already own the two television series.
Variety reports that Snakes on a Plane & Shark Night 3D director David R. Ellis has been contracted to direct a live-action Kite movie for Distant Horizon. An American adaptation of Yasuomi Umetsu’s 1998 OVA series was initially announced in 2003 when Rob Cohen (XXX, The Fast and the Furious) was set to direct. The production resurfaced in 2006 with Jorge and Javier Aguilera attached as directors.
Variety describes the American picture as, “a character-driven actioner centered on a young woman living in a failed state, post-financial collapse, where the corrupt security force profits on the trafficking of young women. When her father, a cop, is slain by someone dirty inside the force, she vows to track the murderer down with the help of her father’s ex-partner — never realizing he is, in fact, the man who had her father killed.”
Filming is tentatively scheduled for January 2012.
Source: Anime News Network
The homepage for the K-On! motion picture has added a full theatrical trailer. The Houkago Tea Time visits London movie will hit theaters on December 3.
Source: Anime News Network
According to Bessatsu Shonen Magazine, an anime TV series based on Mitsuru Hattori’s ongoing “zombie moé adolescent romantic comedy” manga series Sankarea is now in development. The romantic comedy revolves around a high school boy whose dream is to kiss a zombie girl, and a teen girl who wishes to escape her life by becoming a zombie.
Source: Anime News Network
An experimental anime series titled Ad Lib Anime Kenkyusho (Ad Lib Anime Laboratory) will premiere on the BS Fuji satellite TV network on October 15. For each episode, voice actresses Emiri Katou and Kaori Fukuhara, who played Kagami & Tsukasa Hiiragi, respectively, in Lucky Star, will join a different weekly guest voice actor and ad lib dialogue which animators will then animate footage around. Takahiro Sakurai (Shun Ukiya in Gatekeepers, Fakir in Princess Tutu) will guest star in the first week’s episode.
Source: Anime News Network
To refresh your memory or introduce you to an interesting opening animation sequence, I submit the opening of the 1999 Medarot TV series. The opening theme is “Chie to Yuuki da! Medarot” sung by Takeuchi Junko.
The Japanese Mangaoh bookseller reports that an anime TV series adaptation of Meme Higashiya’s four-panel manga Recorder to Randoseru (Recorder and Backpack) will premiere on January 5. The 2007 manga revolves around two siblings, a brother in elementary school who looks like a 5’9″ adult and his 4’5″ sister who’s in high school.
Sounds a bit reminiscent of Yugo Ishikawa’s 1998 comedy manga Yoiko, although I doubt Recorder to Randoseru is as risqué as Yoiko.
Source: Anime News Network
The homepage for the upcoming Noitamina series Un-Go has released its first trailer. The detective mystery series is inspired by the writing of classic Japanese novelist Ango Sakaguchi (1906-1955). BONES is animating with Seiji Mizushima (Fullmetal Alchemist, Gundam 00) directing, Shou Aikawa (Fullmetal Alchemist) providing the screenplay, and Yun Kouga (Gundam 00) contributing to the character designs. The show will premiere on October 13.
Source: Anime News Network
Publisher Hobby Japan has released a (lightly censored) trailer for the upcoming two Queen’s Blade Rebellion OVAs. The first episode featuring Alleyne and previously not animated character Annerotte will be released with the first Queen’s Blade Premium Visual Book on October 29. The second OVA starring Ymir and previously un-animated character Siggy will be released with the second Queen’s Blade Premium Visual Book on January 28.
Source: Anime News Network
A full theatrical trailer for studio Brains Base’s upcoming Hotarubi no Mori e motion picture has appeared. The film is an adaptation of Yuki Midorikawa’s bittersweet romantic manga story about a girl and a yokai that can never touch. Takahiro Omori, director of the anime adaptation of Midorikawa’s Natsume Yujin-Cho manga series, is directing the picture that will open theatrically on the 17th.
Source: Anime News Network
