AIC, the studio behind Strike Witches 2 and the 2009 fantasy robot anime OVA series Isekai no Seikishi Monogatari, has revealed its development of a new, original robot anime series titled “Justeen.”
Source: Anime News Network
Kei Aoyama, the 32 year-old creator of manga including SWWEEET and Yoiko no Mokushiroku, was found dead, hung from his neck, in the bathroom of his Tokyo apartment on October 9. Police are investigating Aoyama’s death as a possible suicide.
Source: Anime News Network
Question:
In the 1990′s DBZ was the most popular anime overall in Japan. In the 2000′s it was One Piece. What animes were the most popular and decade-defining in Japan in the 1970′s, 1960′s and 1950′s? And which one do you think is gearing up to be the “it” show of the 2010′s?
Sentai Filmworks has formally revealed its acquisition of distribution rights to the Akikan!, Kami Nomi zo Shiru Sekai, and Soredemo Machi wa Mawatteiru television series and the Towa no Quon motion picture series.
FUNimation has formally announced its acquisition of this season’s Guilty Crown television series and the .hack//Quantum OVA series.
Production I.G’s sci-fi/action series Guilty Crown is a political thriller about a supernaturally powered teen who joins the underground resistance that opposes the multinational orgnization that has taken over control of post-apocalyptic Japan. The show will premiere on Japanese television on the 13th. FUNimation will simulcast weekly episodes the same day they air in Japan with a home video release to follow next year.
The three-episode .hack//Quantum premiered earlier this year. FUNimation is streaming the series with English subtitles now.
.hack//Quantum is the best of the .Hack anime, and Guilty Crown looks very promising. Nice pick-ups.
Source: Anime News Network
Higashi no Eden & Seirei no Moribito director Kenji Kamiyama has announced plans to write & direct a feature length 009 Re:Cyborg film based on the late Shotaro Ishinomori’s classic Cyborg 009 manga. The Cyborg 009 manga was adapted into 1966, 1967, and 1980 feature films and 1968, 1979, and 2001 anime television series. Last year Director Mamoru Oshii produced the five-minute long CG film “009 the Reopening” as a publicity piece for Panasonic. Kamiyama has produced a short Cyborg 009 Pepsi Nex ad, and has now produced a Re:Cyborg pilot film.
Source: Anime News Network
Reportedly this weekend’s Dengeki Bunko Autumn Festival 2011 publicity event will officially include the announcement of anime adaptations of two light novel series by Reki Kawahara: Sword Art Online & Accel World.
The award winning 2009 and ongoing Accel World light novel series is set in 2046 when a bullied high school boy suddenly becomes a chivalrous digital knight with the help from a mysterious piece of software.
The 2009 Sword Art Online novel series revolves around a genius programmer trapped in an online virtual reality game called “Sword Art Online” in which clearing the game is the only way to escape but “game over” results in death.
Source: Anime News Network
Seemingly long overdue, the homepage for the Toaru Majutsu no Index anime franchise has formally announced the development of an “Index” motion picture. Author Kazuma Kamachi’s sci-fi/fantasy adventure light novel series has spawned two hit TV series adaptations and a successful spin-off TV series and OVA.
This franchise has really been too successful not to get a feature film.
Source: Anime News Network
Last Sunday’s Dog Days Special Promotion – Flonya Festival 2011 publicity event for the Dog Days fantasy adventure anime series formally revealed that the popular series will be getting a second TV series. Seven Arcs’ original fantasy anime created by Lyrical Nanoha creator Masaki Tsuzuki is the story of a human boy summoned to an alternate world where cat-people and dog-people engage in ritual warfare as a means of entertainment & commerce.
Yipee! This fun & highly enjoyable series really doesn’t get enough respect among English speaking otaku.
Source: Anime News Network
Anime studio XEBEC is developing a second Haiyore! Nyaruko-san anime television series. Author Manta Aisora’s light novel dialogue-centric absurdist moé adaptation of H.P. Lovecraft’s “Cthulhu mythos” premiered in 2009 and was adapted into a Flash anime OVA and television series by studio DLE in 2009 & 2010.
Ironically, while I’m very pleased to hear that Nyaruko-san is getting more anime, I think the show works best when its animation is most primitive and limited. Very simplistic animation just hightens the ridiculousness.
Source: Anime News Network
Three animated film productions applied for financial assistance from the Japanese government’s Agency for Cultural Affairs’ 2011 Support Program for International Co-Production. Two of the films, Tezuka Pro’s Gusukobudori no Denki and Production I.G’s Blood-C were selected to recieve financial support. Each film will recieve 50 million yen (about $650,000 USD). Coincidentally, Tezuka Productions just announced last week that it still needed 50 million yen to have enough money to complete production of the “Legend of Budori Gusuko” film project started in 2008 by the now defunct Group TAC anime studio.
Among eleven total film production projects that applied for governmental support, three live-action films were also selected to receive funding.
Source: Anime News Network
To refresh your memory or introduce you to an interesting opening animation sequence, I submit the opening of the 1972 Umi no Triton television series. The opening theme is “Go! Go! Triton” performed by Hide Yuuki.
