Mangahelpers News

Mangahelpers Weekly Featured Manga

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 06:56:16 +0000

Noramimi
By: Hara Kazuo
Genre: Comedy
Serialized In: IKKI
Publisher: Shogakukan
Publication Status: Complete, 8 Volumes
Discuss

In the Noramimi universe, most families own a 'mascot'. These strange and amusing creatures live at home and act as companions for younger children. Noramimi is one such mascot. Unfortunately for him, he is an ogre type and thus not popular with children, who prefer 'cuter' alternatives. Unwillingly, he decides to 'home stay' at "Hello Kids" - an agency that organizes matters between mascots and humans. But, like all mascots, his heartfelt wish is to one day be adopted by a family...

All Images Copyright © 2003 Hara Kazuo

Houshin Engi
By: Fujisaki Ryu
Genre: Action, Supernatural
Serialized In: Weekly Shounen Jump
Publisher: Shueisha
Publication Status: Complete, 23 Volumes

Once, there were two worlds that existed on this earth. In the sky where the deities lived was the Senninkai. On the ground where, of course, the people lived was Ningenkai. In the novel adaptation by Ryu Fujisaki, Houshin Engi follows Taikoubou on his mission to rid the Ningenkai of the evil immortals that have resided there. This colorful historically set manga keeps the reader on their feet and loving every minute of the in-depth characters and exciting adventures

Shounen Classic by the Mangaka of Shiki

A Girl by the Sea
By: Asano Inio
Genre: Slice of Life, Psychological
Serialized In: Manga Erotics F
Publisher: Ohta Books
Publication Status: Ongoing, 1 Volume
Discuss

Koume Sato and Kosuke Isobe are two teenagers living in a sleepy seaside town. After getting used and dumped by her crush, the emotionally damaged Koume decides to start a sexual relationship with Kosuke, without any emotions involved. However, they both soon discover that sex with no strings attached do lead to unexpected complications, not just for themselves but also the people surrounding them.

By the Mangaka of Solanin and Oyasumi Punpun. Contains Sex, Nudity, and Scenes of Graphic Emotional Cruelty. For Mature Readers Only.

Watashitachi no Shiawase na Jikan
By: Sahara Mizu
Based on the Novel By: Goong Ji-young
Genre: Drama, Psychological, Romance
Serialized In: Comic Bunch
Publisher: Coamix
Publication Status: Complete, 1 Volume

A pianist who attempted suicide 3 times, Juri, is taken to help her aunt at a prison where murderers who killed indiscriminately are sentenced to death. There, she meets a man named Yuu who took the lives of 3 people. A mother's antagonism--a brother's death... Together they embrace the violent rebellion in their hearts caused by the large, deep scars they carry. However, before long, they both embrace an earnest hope in their hearts. "I want to live"...

All Images Copyright © Sahara Mizu

Mangahelpers Manga Awards 2011 – THE RESULTS ARE IN!!

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 22:45:11 +0000

It's finally time to announce the results of the Mangahelpers Manga Awards 2011!
A big thanks to everyone who supported this event by nominating and voting for your favorite manga! All of you have voted and thus decided what is the best of the best in this vast world of manga!

We are happy to bring you the results of the Awards HERE! Don't forget to take a look at what the STARS have voted for HERE, the STAFF's voting result can be found in this thread!

On behalf of the entire MH staff, thank you for participating! :D

-destiny4ever, benelori, 3c, Uriel, phio-chan, Josef K., Darjaille, blai, HegemonKhan, M3J and naruto-niichan.

New Manga Shout Out: 1/30/12 - 2/5/12

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 08:03:47 +0000

Welcome to the next New Manga Shout Out. With the no-raws/scans rule on MH, you have to work a bit to find these mangas. This week features an immortal world, a high school mahjong genius, and a double for Oda Nobunaga. Remember, if you like any of the series, favorite them. Don't forget to also thank the various people who feed your manga addiction. ^_^ Translators and Scanlators, please check out these series and see if you can spread some more manga love~

We're still looking for people who know Japanese and want to help write summaries for our manga database and for the shout out. Please PM me if you want to help out. Now onto the series~

Betsu Ma (別マ)
By: NIKAIDOU Hikaru

Demographics: Shounen
Status: 1 Chapter (Ongoing)
Manga Details Page: Here
Translations: None
Scanlations: None

It has been 300 years since mysterious blue mists started flowing out of the earth. All living things have become immortal and injuries heal instantaneously and sickness doesn’t exist. The aging process has stopped and creatures have stayed the same age since they were exposed to the mist.

Paze Diamond is a state chimney worker that maintains the piping system that regulates the flow of the blue mist. He is known in the town as a clumsy and unlucky person. Paze is in search of happiness although he doesn’t know what that really means. About the same time he starts seeing blue birds that only he seems to be able to see, Margaret Howell literally falls out of the sky on him. The beautiful and happy Margaret immediately takes interest in Paze. Could this be the happiness Paze has been searching for?

Thanks go to vyc for the summary.

=======================================================

Gate - Jietai Kare no Chi nite, Kaku Tatakeri
(ゲート　自衛隊　彼の地にて、斯く戦えり。)
By: YANAI Takumi x SAO Satorui

Demographics: Seinen
Status: 7 Chapters (Ongoing)
Manga Details Page: Here
Translations: None
Scanlations: None

One day in the 21st century, a gate opened in the middle of the Ginza district of Tokyo. Out of the gate poured soldiers and strange creatures, and they soon made Ginza look like an image of hell. The gate apparently connected Japan to another world, a world with a militant empire and many supernatural creatures. The Japanese Self-Defense Force decided to send a small group, led by a soldier who's also an otaku, into the other world on a reconnaissance mission. They're meant to learn what they can about the empire (and its plans), the world, and the people.

They're hardly in the world yet, though, when they come across a village destroyed by a giant fire-breathing dragon. The only survivor is an unconscious elven girl they find hidden in a well. Now they feel like they must warn the nearby towns about the dragon, and do what they can to help. On the way, they'll meet more magical, female companions, and learn more about this dangerous new world.

Thanks go to tethysdust for the summary.

=======================================================

Good Job! (ぐっじょぶ！)
By: OTANI Jiro

Demographics: Shounen
Status: 8 Chapters (Ongoing)
Manga Details Page: Here
Translations: None
Scanlations: None

Although Baba Sho is only in high school, he has more responsibilities than any of his classmates. When his classmate and girlfriend, Sumire, gave birth to his baby, the school baseball team he was on stopped becoming a hobby and became the only way he might be able to provide for his family in the future. Without a contract from a professional baseball team, Sho has no idea how he can support his child. Sumire, on the other hand, has had to quit school using the lie that she was ill and hide her child even from her closest friends while living under the roof of her disapproving father. Sho, trying to impress the pro-league scouts, has made him reckless and a selfish player which has started to alienate his team, the same group of people he was great friends with just only a year ago.

Thanks go to vyc for the summary.

=======================================================

Kaina - Surugajou Gozen-Jiai (腕~駿河城御前試合~)
By: NANJOU Norio x MORI Hideki

Demographics: Seinen
Status: 1 Volume (Ongoing)
Manga Details Page: Here
Translations: None
Scanlations: None

This manga features violent stories of passion and swordsmanship, set in the Kan'ei era (1624-1643). It opens with a match between two damaged swordsmen. Irako is blind, and his opponent, Fujiki, is missing an arm. It has been decreed that their match will be fought with metal swords, instead of wooden, so one of these men will die. The story that led them to this final match, and gave them their handicaps, involves ambition, the selection of the heir for a dojo, and the passion of two women-- one the dojo master's daughter, and the other his lover.

Thanks go to tethysdust for the summary.

=======================================================

Menou no Ryuu (瑪瑙之竜)
By: NAGASAWA Shin

Demographics: Seinen
Status: 2 Volumes (Ongoing)
Manga Details Page: Here
Translations: None
Scanlations: None

This is the story of a group of four secret heroes. They catch criminals before the police, and leave them neatly restrained for arrest. One of these heroes is Zane, a lawyer by day and defender of justice by night. Another is Al, an attractive ladies' man. Another is Mana, a 33-year-old man who appears to be a child and who has robotic hands. Last but not least is Nisu, a cheerful girl who has the powerful ability to trap people inside of Polaroid pictures. The four of them carry on with their life together, defeat criminals, and do their best to keep their vigilante identities top secret!

Thanks go to tethysdust for the summary.

=======================================================

Nobunaga Kyousoukyoku (信長協奏曲)
By: ISHII Ayumi

Demographics: Shounen
Status: 5 Volumes (Ongoing)
Manga Details Page: Here
Translations: None
Scanlations: None

History classes have never interested Saburo. He never saw the point of learning something that happened in the past, let alone a few hundred years ago. But when he falls off a wall, he travels through a wormhole and ends up in 16th century ancient Japan. He meets a very young Oda Nobunaga, one of the most influential figures in Japanese history, who turns out to be identical in appearance as Saburo. The real Nobunaga, sick of the castle life and wanting to travel, orders Saburo to take his place. Without knowing how to get back to his time, Saburo tries to make sure history isn’t rewritten for the infamous Oda Nobunaga.

Thanks go to vyc for the summary.

=======================================================

Tohai (凍牌)
By: SHINASAKA Koji

Demographics: Seinen
Status: 12 Volumes (Ongoing)
Manga Details Page: Here
Translations: None
Scanlations: None

Not a lot of people know that one of the most talented and ruthless Mah Jong players in the city is a young high school boy. Kei is a teenager of few words, but his observation skills, unwavering will and experience in the game allows him to survive in a world full of powerful, rich and dangerous characters. Kei is currently hiding a girl named Amina who has entered the country illegally and protecting her from being deported. He spends his days sleeping through class and his nights playing high stakes Mah Jong, waiting for when a worthy opponent arrives.

Thanks go to vyc for the summary.

=======================================================

Tsumi to Batsu (罪と罰)
By: MAN F Gatarou

Demographics: Seinen
Status: 1 Volume (Ongoing)
Manga Details Page: Here
Translations: None
Scanlations: None

This is kind of a crude parody of the central murder in Dostoyevsky's "Crime and Punishment." A young Russian punk cheerfully considers axe-murdering an old woman who runs a pawn shop. He has a dream in which the old woman dismembers and attempts to rape him, which gives him some hesitation. There's also a mysterious naked woman named Mayo who has somehow also seen this dream, and who watches him unobserved while he reconsiders his murder.

Thanks go to tethysdust for the summary.

=======================================================

Note to all scanlators: If you recently started scanlating a new manga series (with about 5 or less chapters released) and would like your manga to be shouted out in the next New Manga Shout Out, then please PM me. Please include:

The name of the manga series
A summary of the series
Publishing Status (+ Number of Volumes/Chapters)

This is what tethysdust said this week:

Quote:

Menou no Ryuu was my favorite this week. It's an incredibly common premise, but the stories were cute and fun. I'm wondering if they're going to eventually address how terrifying Nisu's ability to trap people in polaroids could be. Gate starts off very slowly, but it seems like it might have a neat story to tell. It might end up just turning into a kind of magical harem manga, though. I put the 'mature' tag on there just for violence in this one (a lot of people seem to get chopped up in war).
Here's what vyc had to say:

Quote:

Tohai - Although I dont know Mah Jong, the plot line and suspense of each game has made this series interesting even for a non gambler like me.

Betsu Ma - new kind of sci-fi series that I thought was really interesting and caught my eye immediately. The plot is awesome but unpredictable and the characters are easily likable. The author has done a good job at making the reader immerse into the world extremely easy and keep you there.
My opinion:
I'd be interested in checking out another manga take on Crime and Punishment in Tsumi to Batsu by MAN F Gatarou, although I don't know if I'd be really interested in a parody of that story... The other Tsumi to Batsu story might be a better choice...

Translated items that need some love/scanlation:
myao - Circle Game: Chapter 1

If you haven't done so already, check out the scanlations of the mangas from previous shout outs which have been recently scanlated: supernatural action Amano Murakumono (MH link), sci-fi mystery Hoshi wo Tsugumono (MH link).

Video Game News Monthly Digest #6

Sun, 05 Feb 2012 20:52:43 +0000

New games are announced, more next-gen consoles rumors, and more are detailed in this month's article.

Higurashi's Creator Has New Project

Ryukishi07 has a new project

Ryukishi07, creator of Higurashi and Umineko no Naku Koro ni , has posted in his blog that he is currently working on a new project, which will be revealed some time this year. The project's logo is being developed at the moment.

He also added that new project will be set in a completely different world from his previous works, which will make the writing process much enjoyable to him.

Original Source, 1

Guilty Crown: Lost Christmas PC Game Being Developed

Nitroplus is producing an adventure game for the anime, Guilty Crown, which will be prequel. Guilty Crown: Lost Christmas is set ten years before the anime (Dec. 25, 2029). Tthe "Apocalypse Virus" first appeared on that day and it spread through the land; this event was known as "Lost Christmas". During this time, the game will reveal the events that lead up to the anime.

Jin Haganeya, a writer for the show, is in charge of the story while Chuuouhigashiguchi, who drew the end card illustration for the first episode, will illustrate the game's original artwork. Kanako Itou will sing the game's theme song.

The game will arrive in Japan on May 31st.

Original Source, 1

One Piece Musuo Will Have Original Story Lines and Partner Attacks

Besides the main story mode, One Piece Musuo will have another log mode. Each character will get his or her own story lines and some paths may lead to confrontation against a comrade. The game will also have "What if" scenarios that are not in the manga.

Another gameplay feature was also revealed. In the partner attack, you can summon another character to perform a combo attack. Likewise, it can be used as a counterattack. Another game feature is that you can freely explore areas as Luffy. Just like a platform game, there are gimmicks throughout the map (e.g. things to swing on).

The game will be out in Japan on March 1st.

Original Source, 1, 2, 3

The Five Hokages Are Playable in Naruto Fighting Game

Minato is one of the new participants

All five Hokages will be participating in Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm Generations as playable characters. However, Minato will be available as the fourth Hokage and as a young teacher from the Kakashi Gaiden arc. The Sand siblings, Gaara, Temari, and Kankuro, will also be joining the fight. Chiyo is also playable as well.

The game will have over 65 minutes worth of animation, which is produced by Studio Pierrot, for the Story Mode; some of which is made specifically for the game. Besides the Naruto's story arc, the game will focus on Sasuke’s story, Kakashi’s story, and Itachi’s story as well.

Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm Generations will be available in Japan on February 23rd and in N. America on March 13th.

Original Source, 1, 2

Fairy Tail: Zeref Awakens Will Be Out in March

Fairy Tail: Zeref Awakens will cover three manga arcs (Nirvana arc, Edolas arc, and the Tenrou Island arc) as well as including an original story line, which is written by Konami, for the game. There are 45 playable characters and some will be original characters; one of which appears at the 40 second mark of the above trailer.

The game will be available in Japan on March 22nd. First print copies will include a manga drawn by the manga-ka.

Original Source, 1, 2

Steins;Gate Heading to PS3

Heading to the PS3

Nitroplus and Mages (formerly 5pb) announced that they will be porting the game and its spin-off to the PS3. Steins;Gate Steins;Gate Hiyoku Renri no Darling will be out in Japan on May 24th. If you want to have both games, Mages will offer the Steins;Gate Double Pack as well.

Original Source, 1

Doraemon Movie Converted to 3DS Game

Now Heading to the 3DS

Furyu is making a Doraemon 3DS game based on the movie. Doraemon: Nobita and the Island of Miracles -- Animal Adventure will follow the movie's story line and will offer seven challenging mini games. Once you finish a mini game, you can access it for free pay in a challenge mode. Another gameplay feature is taking pictures of animals, which are added to a guidebook that provides information, using the gyro controls.

Original Source

Sony and Microsoft's Next Gen Consoles Rumored to Be Revealed at E3 2012

According to the website, MCV, Sony and Microsoft will be showing off their next-gen consoles in this year's E3. Sources told the site that the latter has informed their partners about the reveal while the former promised not to leave third parties behind. However, Sony has denied this rumor and stated that they still believe that the PS3 will last for ten years. Likewise Microsoft claimed that its console will not be out this year.

While there is not much details about Sony's PS4, there are a lot of rumors about Microsoft's. It might have a DVR function based on a patent that the company filed on Dec. 27th though this is uncertain. Other rumors are that it will now used Blu-ray discs instead DVDs, a smaller game controller, an anti-used game system, and an upgrade version of the Kinect, which will have an on-board processor to better track user's actions. The console will have an AMD 6000 series GPU akin to the Radeon HD 6670, with DirectX11, multidisplay output, 3D, and 1080p HD output. It apparently performs 20% better than Nintendo's Wii U and it's eight times more powerful than the current Xbox system. The Xbox 720 will supposedly arrive on Oct. 2013.

In spite of these claims, a developer stated that they are hypothetical since no game developers have received a developmental kit yet.

Original Source, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8

Vita's ATT Data Plans Has Two Options + Digital Games' Prices Revealed

AT&T's data plan prices

ATT has revealed the data plans for Sony's upcoming handheld. It would cost $15 for 250 MB or $25 for 2GB; there will be no contract.

Sony also detailed the prices of digital versions of games. It will cost $5 less than the physical copies.

Original Source, 1

Wii U Will Be Out At the End of the Year

It will be here this winter

According to Bloomberg Japan, Nintendo is going to release its next-gen console, Wii U, during the holiday season in Japan, N. America, Europe, and Australia.

Original Source

Nintendo Network Confirmed

Confirming rumors based on Theatrhythm: Final Fantasy and Dynasty Warriors VS's box arts, Nintendo revealed its new network platform, which will be available for 3DS and Wii U. The network is an inclusive network platform unlike its current Wi-fi connection, and it will be used for communication among users and download games. One element is already in use - the "Community" feature is in Mario Kart 7 in which players can gather into groups by sharing their community codes.

The network would also offer DLCs, which will be first used by Theatrhythm: Final Fantasy, and digital distribution of packaged games, which will be similar to Xbox Live and PSN. The infrastructure for digital games is already in place in the 3DS and will be in the Wii U. However, Nintendo has yet to determine when this service will be activated since the company has to consider the relationships between retailers and wholesales and looks at memory card capacity.

Nintendo also announced that the Wii U will have persona accounts, which will be compatible with the network. It would make things easier for multiple family members to use the system.

Original Source, 1, 2, 3

Nintendo Will Have Pink 3DS in N. America

Pink power!

Just in time for Valentine's Day - Nintendo is going to release a pink 3DS on Feb. 10th in N. America. To celebrate the holiday, Nintendo of America has suggested that gamers sent 3D love notes to their significant others using the Swapnotes feature.

Original Source

Club Nintendo Listed New Downloadable Games

The latest round of downloadable games has been announced for Club Nintendo members. Here is the list:

Art Academy: First Semester (150 coins)
Mario Party 2 (N64) (150 coins)

The first game can be downloaded from the 3DS while the latter can be accessed from WiiWare. The games will be available until Feb. 29th.

Original Source

Kid Icarus: Uprising's Single-Player Mode Detailed

Nintendo has provided information about the game's single-player mode. In the beginning of the game, Medusa and her Underworld Army have returned so Palutena sent Pit to stop them. With the goddess of light's help, he will battle them by land and by air.

The newest gameplay feature, the Fiend’s Cauldron, will allow players to adjust the game's intensity level, which ranged from 0.0 – 9.0. The more difficult the game is, the more likely chance for you to gain more Hearts, which can be used to buy new weaponry, and more powerful weapon drops from defeated enemies. The standard intensity is 2.0 and players can adjust it by 0.1. To increase the difficulty, players must bet by placing Heart into the Fiend's Cauldron. If you get defeated in one of the chapters, you will lose some of your Hearts and your intensity level decrease.

Pit can use nine kinds of weaponry to combat Medusa and her minions. Each weapon (e.g. bow, claws, etc.) have unique characteristics so players can decide which fits their fighting styles. Likewise he can access special vehicles such as the Exo Tank, which has a powerful drift ability that allows it to boost over jumps and a ramming horn.

The game will be compatible with the Circle Pad Pro, which will offer an alternate control scheme for left-handed players. When Kid Icarus: Uprising arrives on March 23rd, it will come with a stand, which holds the 3DS at an angle. If you preorder the game at certain stores, you will receive a bonus download code for 3D Classics: Kid Icarus, which is a remastered version of the classic.

Original Source

Kingdom Hearts 3D Introduced New World & Gameplay + LE 3DS

Another world has been announced for the Kingdom Hearts 3DS game. "Symphony of Sorcery" is based on the world of Fantasia.

Besides this announcement, another gameplay feature has been revealed. In Reality Shift, players will press the X and A buttons simultaneously to switch the combat to the touch screen. Each Reality Shift depends on the world you're currently in. For example, in the world of the Three Musketeers, the world will change into a comic book.

Kingdom Hearts LE 3DS

When the game comes out on March 29th in Japan, Square Enix will also offer a limited edition bundle. This bundle will include the game and a special 3DS.

Original Source, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6

Kingdom Hearts Celebrate 10th Anniversay with Box Set

To celebrate the 10th Anniversary of the series, Square Enix has relaunched the Kingdom Hearts portal website and announced that they will be releasing a box set. The "Kingdom Hearts 10th Anniversary Box" will include the following games: Kingdom Hearts 3D, Kingdom Hearts: 358/2 Days and Kingdom Hearts Re:Coded. It will also have a protective cover and a set of 12 cards, which feature covers from the previous games.

The box set, which cost ¥15,000 ($193), will be available in Japan on March 29th.

Original Source, 1, 2

Persona 4: The Golden Add More Gameplay Opportunities

Drive your moped in the TV world

In the Persona 4 remake, you can travel to a neighboring town and the beach after obtaining a moped license. That is not the only thing you can do with your moped; you can also use it for a special attack called "Bike Pursuit" when you enter the TV world. In last month's video game news digest, it was revealed that Yosuke and Chie will have new ultimate personas. Now Yukiko has one as well. Her new ultimate persona is Sumeoomikami.

Yukiko's new ultimate persona, Sumeoomikami

Persona 4: The Golden will also have a new OP, which will be animated by Madhouse.

Original Source, 1, 2, 3

NA and Europe Have Blazblue Continuum Shift Extend LE

N. American LE bundle

Aksys has announced that both N. America and Europe will have Blazblue: Continuum Shift Exend Limited Editions, but they will be different. For the N. America version, it will have the game, a 40-pg art book, a OST, and a 2012 calendar. On the other hand, the European LE will contain the game, twelve prints with unreleased concept art and sketches printed on Hahnemuehle Torchon art card, and a "Song Interlude" OST, which has new music from the game.

The game will include the original story from the first game, Calamity Trigger, with new and remastered cut scenes. To get the True Ending, you must complete the Continuum Shift arcs for all 24 characters. New scenarios have been added for Relius Clover and other DLC characters. Sector Seven, Academy, and the two comedy skits (Teach Me, Ms. Litchi! and Help Me, Prof. Kokone!) will be in the game as well.

Blazblue: Continuum Shift Exend will be available in N. America on Feb. 14th but a released date has not been announced in Europe.

Original Source, 1, 2

A New .hack Game Announced

He's coming for you

CyberConnect2 has revealed a new .hack game. This untitled game will be sequel to the movie, .hack//Sekai no Mukou Ni, and takes place in 2025. The game will have a slightly photo-realistic feel. In order to understand what is going on in the game, it is recommended that you should watch the movie first.

Original Source, 1

Capcom Announced Residence Evil 6

It looks like the rumor is true - Resident Evil 6, which takes place ten years after the incident in Raccoon City, is coming to the PS3 and Xbox 360. You will play as both Leon Kennedy and Chris Redfield, who will have separate stories since they will be in different cities. The former is meeting with the President of the United States, who plans to reveal the Raccoon City incident to the public when he suddenly transforms. While this is happening, Chris is in China, which is threatened by a bio-terrorist attack. These characters will have their own partners though they will team up together.

The game will be out on Nov. 20th in N. America and Europe.

Original Source, 1

Imageepoch and Namco Bandai Are Creating "World's First HD Animation RPG"

Namco is publishing Imageepoch's newest action RPG game, Tokitowa (translated to Time and Eternity), for the PS3. VOFAN (Bakemonogatari) is the game's character designer and Satelight is in charge of animation. The game will use hand-drawn 2D animation during the battle scenes and during exploration. Background and other areas will be in 3D. It will have a mix of fixed and moving cameras as well. The game's battle system will have an element of "time" but it will be used in an unexpected way.

The game is set in the newly developed Kamuza Kingdom, which is formed when the blue-haired prince called Knight King (your character), who has never been kissed, married a magic-wielding princess named Toki, who has a major secret. However, there is trouble brewing. The story will be a mixture of serious, sexy and comical according to the game developers.

Tokitowa will be out in Japan this winter.

Original Source, 1, 2, 3, 4

FlutterScape Contest Winner!!

Sat, 04 Feb 2012 10:38:31 +0000

The contest is officially over and we have our winner!

It is... Naomidee!!

Naomidee posted that she wanted Audio Technica STH-SQ505 WH Headphones and that's what she's going to get!

She has been contacted and should get her prize before valentines day. Congratulations!!

We'd like to thank our sponsors for this contest. Also, let us know in the comments what you thought about the contest. Would you like to see more? What did you think of the FlutterScape site? If you want anything from Japan, remember to just post it up. Heck, I might even be able to help get it for you ;).

That said, thanks again everyone for participating! Now for those of us who didn't win, we still gotta figure out what to do for valentines day...

Animanga in the News: 1/28 - 2/3

Sat, 04 Feb 2012 02:10:49 +0000

Hello there everyone~ It's time for the weekly animanga news again :D This week we have the confirmatory of the final arc of Bleach, the conclusion of Negima! in three more chapters (sad to see it go, really), halting of bakuman dvd releases, blue exorcist stage play and many more! To find out more, simply read on!

Tite Kubo's Bleach Manga to Enter Final Arc

Final arc of decade-long manga revealed in next Weekly Shonen Jump issue

The 10th issue of Weekly Shonen Jump published the layout sketch (pictured above) for the color opening page of the manga's final arc in the next issue.

This year's 10th issue of Shueisha's Weekly Shonen Jump magazine is announcing on Monday that Tite Kubo's Bleach manga is entering its final story arc. Kubo has been drawing the manga in the magazine since 2001, and Shueisha published the 53rd compiled book volume of the manga in December.

Thanks to its "Shonen Jump Digital Warp" program, Viz Media released the 53rd volume in electronic book form in North America last month. The Digital Warp program prepared the way for this week's launch of Viz's English-language digital anthology Shonen Jump Alpha, which is running chapters of Bleach and five other titles two weeks after their print debut in Japan's Weekly Shonen Jump. The print version of the 38th volume will be released by Viz next month.

original source, 1

1st Berserk Anime Film's Special Preview Streamed

Griffith's Takahiro Sakurai narrates "Guts vs. Band of the Hawk" video for Saturday opening

The Warner Brothers Movie Channel on the Yahoo! Japan website began streaming a 125-second special preview on Wednesday. Takahiro Sakurai, the voice of Griffith, narrates the "Guts vs. Band of the Hawk" preview.

Berserk Ōgon Jidai-Hen I: Haō no Tamago (Berserk Golden Age Arc I: Egg of the Supreme Ruler), the first film in the three-part retelling of the Golden Age arc of Kentaro Miura's manga, will open in Japan on Saturday

The trailer can be found here.

original source

Negima! Magister Negi Magi Manga to End in 3 More Chapters

Ken Akamatsu will take 2-week break before heading into finale

This year's 10th issue of Kodansha's Weekly Shōnen Magazine is announcing on Wednesday that Ken Akamatsu will end his Negima! Magister Negi Magi manga after three more chapters. However, he will first take a two-issue hiatus to prepare for the end, so the series will return in this year's 13th issue of the magazine on February 29. The finale will not come until this year's 15th issue in March, at the earliest.

Akamatsu launched the manga in Weekly Shōnen Magazine in 2003, and Kodansha is publishing the 37th compiled book volume this month. Del Rey Manga began publishing the manga in North America, but Kodansha USA took over publishing duties for this title and others in 2010. The manga inspired a television anime series, several video anime releases, a live-action series, a film, and a few manga spinoffs.

original source

ADV Court Documents Reveal Amounts Paid for 29 Anime Titles

Documents from 2008 lawsuit against ARM Corporation over alleged breach of contract

Animenewsnetwork has obtained several documents from the website of the Harris County District Clerk's Office regarding ADV Films, including a complete licensing agreement between ADV, ARM Corporation and Aniplex for the series 009-1, and other legal documents between ADV and ARM.

One of these documents shows the amounts ADV Films agreed to pay for 29anime properties and two live-action films. The amounts range from US$20,000 for Air: The Movie, to US$960,000 for Kurau: Phantom Memory. The full list is reproduced below.

Quote:

Breakdown by name of title under License Agreements:
Title Name, Effective Date, Amount

Guyver 2006/06/01 746,665
Comic Party 2006/06/10 30,336
Jinki:Extend 2006/06/10 91,000
Pani Poni Dash! 2006/06/30 138,666
Utawarerumono 2006/08/01 109,201
Moeyo Ken 2006/09/25 43,335
Coyote Ragtime Show 2006/09/25 224,000
UFO Ultramaiden Valkyrie 2006/09/25 21,335
Nerima Daikon Brothers 2006/10/25 124,800
Air Gear 2006/10/20 780,000
Sgt. Frog 2006/11/10 408,000
Le Chevalier D'Eon 2006/10/24 440,000
Ghost Train/Synesthesia 2006/10/24 58,668
Kurau: Phantom Memory 2006/12/04 960,000
009-1 2006/12/21 325,000
Shin Angyo Onshi 2007/07/26 130,000
Ah! My Goddess 2
(Ah! My Goddess: Flights of Fancy)2007/02/07 516,000
Innocent Venus 2007/04/12 120,000
Pumpkin Scissors 2007/03/31 780,000
Red Garden 2007/03/31 660,000
Welcome to the NHK 2007/03/31 240,000
Magikano 2007/03/31 65,000
Xenosaga 2007/04/12 120,000
Tokyo Majin 2007/05/01 780,000
Project Blue Earth SOS 2007/05/01 180,000
Yamato Nadeshiko Shichi Henge
(The Wallflower) 2007/06/11 500,000
Air TV Series 2007/06/27 145,000
Air: The Movie 2007/07/04 20,000
Moonlight Mile 2007/06/27 156,000
King of Bandit Jing in Seventh Heaven 2007/07/26 50,000

Total
8,963,006

The documents were posted as evidence for a previously unreported lawsuit filed on April 17, 2008 by A.D. Vision, Inc. against ARM Corporation, its parent companies Japan Contents Investment LPS and Sojitz Corporation, and several individuals. The suit accused ARM of breach of contract, breach of fiduciary duty, and other charges stemming from its 2006 arrangement to license titles on behalf of ADV Films. The lawsuit was eventually withdrawn and no ruling was made. The documents were not filed in relation to the currently pending lawsuit that Funimation filed in November against A.D. Vision, Inc., its owner and CEO John Ledford, Sentai Filmworks, and several other companies.

Included as exhibits in the suit are the complete "Strategic Alliance and Content Acquisition Facility Agreement" between ADV and ARM; a stock purchase agreement for shares in A.D. Vision, Inc.; a letter from ADV's corporate controller to ARM Corporation indicating the company's likelihood of defaulting on a bank loan; and several documents detailing payment arrangements between ARM and ADV.

ARM Corporation's answer and counterclaim claimed that ARM Corporation had spent a total amount of US$10,556,000 on content for ADV Films, which it alleged that ADV was responsible for repaying in full. ARM Corporation further claimed that ADV had only repaid US$1,592,994 as of July 31, 2007, had missed subsequent payment dates, and was therefore in default of their agreement. Included as exhibits in ARM's counterclaim are a complete and executed three-way home video and broadcast licensing contract between Aniplex Inc., ADV, and ARM for the property 009-1; and an agreement to reschedule payments to ARM Corporation. The payment rescheduling agreement included the 1-page breakdown of the value of each licensed property.

Further court documents show that in April 2008 ARM Corporation successfully acquired a court order to sequester all materials and elements for more than 30 properties. Most of these properties were later released by FUNimation Entertainment.

On November 4, 2011, FUNimation Entertainment filed a lawsuit against A.D. Vision, Inc., Ledford, Sentai Filmworks, and several other companies. The lawsuit claimed that ARM had transferred the right to enforce its contract with ADV, and therefore collect the outstanding debt, to Funimation. ADV's counterclaim alleges that no money is owed to Funimation. The first pre-trial meeting is scheduled for October 5, 2012.

original source, 1

Media Blasters Halts Releases of Bakuman., Ikki Tousen Great Guardians

February and March releases put on indefinite hold

Robert's Anime Corner Store reported in its weekly e-mail newsletter on Friday that Media Blasters has put two forthcoming releases on indefinite hold.

The two titles include Bakuman. (Second Draft) DVD Collection #2, and Ikki Tousen: Great Guardians Complete DVD Boxed Set (containing episodes 1-12). The Bakuman. release scheduled to have episodes 8-13 on two discs, and had an original release date of February 29. The Ikki Tousen box was originally slated to be released on March 31. No new release dates for the two series have been set.

Media Blasters laid off a majority of its staff, including its production department, in early January.

original source

One Piece's New World Film's Story Outlined

Featuring Luffy's "strongest enemy yet" named "Z"

Toei revealed the plot on Monday for the newest One Piece film, which will be set in the New World. The film will be featuring the Straw Hat pirate crew against their "strongest enemy yet," a man named "Z." Toei officials added that in the film the franchise's protagonist Monkey D. Luffy will encounter Z and he will be Luffy's strongest enemy. The movie will feature a "heroic battle" between Luffy and Z.

Toei also confirmed on Monday that the film, directed by Tatsuya Nagamine (One Piece: The Desert Princess and the Pirates: Adventure in Alabasta), will open in December. Eiichiro Oda himself will oversee the production for the film as its executive producer. Oda previously oversaw the production on the One Piece: Strong World film (pictured at right).

Oda's One Piece pirate manga entered the New World arc last fall, and the television anime adaptation followed suit this past October. There has not been a feature-length One Piece film since One Piece Film Strong World in 2009, although there was the half-hour "One Piece 3D: Mugiwara Chase" short last March. There was also a "One Piece 3D Gekisō! Trap Coaster" event short at select theme parks and theaters in December.

The film's original announcement said that the film would "surpass Strong World" and noted that the film will show the "first battle in the New World arc on the final seas!!"

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Pierrot's Naruto: Rock Lee Anime Slated for Bleach's Timeslot

Japanese publisher Shueisha is announcing that the weekly Naruto SD: Rock Lee no Seishun Full-Power Ninden anime will premiere on TV Tokyo on Tuesday, April 3 at 6:00 p.m. That timeslot is currently held by the Bleach anime. Shueisha is also noting that, like the main Naruto series, the Rock Lee spin-off anime will be animated by Pierrot.

The "SD" in the title stands for "Sugoi Doryoku," or "Super Determined."

Although the announcement did not state whether it will be replacing Bleach or sharing the timeslot.

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New Bokura ga Ita/We Were There's Film Trailer Streamed

2-part live-action film of Yuuki Obata's manga Bokura ga Ita to open in Japan in March, April

The official website for Takahiro Miki's two-part live-action film adaptation of Yuuki Obata's We Were There (Bokura ga Ita) romance manga began streaming a new 91-second trailer for the films on Tuesday.

The trailer features the movie's theme song performed by the male rock group Mr. Children. Mr. Children will perform the theme songs for both films.

Both We Were There films will star Toma Ikuta (Akihabara @ DEEP) and Yuriko Yoshitaka (Gantz). The story follows a girl named Nanami Takahashi (Yoshitaka) as she struggles with her decade-long relationship with Motoharu Yano (Ikuta), her high school's most popular boy with his own issues from the past. The two films will open on March 17 and April 21.

The 14 volumes of the manga have sold over 10 million copies in Japan since 2002. Viz Media published the 13th volume in North America in November, and the 14th volume is slated for release next May. Obata will end the manga in February. The manga already inspired a television anime series from Artland in 2006.

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Blue Exorcist Manga Inspires Stage Play in 2012

Anime film based on Kazue Katō's supernatural manga to also open this year

The March issue of Shueisha's Jump Square magazine is announcing on Friday that a stage play adaptation of Kazue Katō's Blue Exorcist (Ao no Exorcist) manga has been green-lit for this year.

The television anime adaptation of the supernatural manga ended last September, and an anime film will open this year. MBS producer Seiji Takeda reported on Monday that Atsushi Takahashi, an assistant director on Spirited Away and the director of Rideback, is directing the film.

Aniplex streamed the television series on Hulu, Anime News Network, Crunchyroll and Viz Anime in North America as it aired in Japan. Aniplex is also releasing the television series in four DVD sets in October, January, April, and July. Viz Media will release the sixth English-language volume of the manga next week.

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"Star Driver Film Plans in the Works" says Producer Takeda

Seiji Takeda: Spirited Away assistant director to helm Blue Exorcist film

Seiji Takeda, the chief producer for anime projects at the television station MBS, said at the "Anime Business Forum+ 2012" event at Tokyo's Digital Hollywood University on Monday that they are working on the plans for the film of tv animation series Star Driver.

Quote:

The story of Bones' original 25-episode television anime series is set on a verdant island called Southern Cross, where a boy named Takuto Tsunashi arrives one night by swimming ashore. He enrolls in the island's high school academy, which happens to conceal a secret — about 20 giant humanoid machines underground.

Takuya Igarashi (Soul Eater, Ouran High School Host Club) directed the series with screenwriter Yoji Enokido (Revolutionary Girl Utena, Aim for the Top 2! Gunbuster 2), character designer Yoshiyuki Ito (Fullmetal Alchemist, Soul Eater), and composer Satoru Kousaki (The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya, Bakemonogatari).

Bandai Entertainment released the television anime series in North America before it announced earlier this month it will stop offering new DVD, Blu-ray Disc, and manga releases.

Takeda also said that Atsushi Takahashi, an assistant director on Spirited Away and Magical Shopping Arcade Abenobashi, will direct the previously announced Blue Exorcist film. Reiko Yoshida (Bakuman., K-ON!!, The Cat Returns) is writing the screenplay.

original source,1, 2

K-ON! Film Earns 1.7 Billion Yen/US$20.8 Million

Film journalist Hiroo Otaka reported on Wednesday that the K-ON! film has earned 1.7 billion yen in ticket sales since its December 3 opening.

The Box Office Mojo website reported this week that the film earned the equivalent of US$20,790,997 as of January 29.

original source

Gokujyo Anime's 3rd Episode Will Not Air

Web apology cites episode's "stupidity" for why it will not air out of "self-restraint"

The official website for the Gokujyo—. ~Gokurakuin Joshi Kōryō Monogatari~ anime series announced that the third episode will not air as scheduled on Monday. The online apology cited the "stupidity" of the episode's content as the reason that the episode is not airing out of "self-restraint." The DMM.com website will still stream the third Gokujyo anime episode for free for a limited time, starting on February 6.

The similar apology cited "various circumstances" as the reason the first Gokujyo episode's airing was cancelled out of "self-restraint." Instead of the episode, the Chukyo TV station had aired a tongue-in-cheek "roundabout apology and explanation" from the station's "program censorship office" that compared the situation to a snake in the wild.

original source

Burst Angel's Ohata Discusses '2' with Gonzo Producer

GONZO business producer Tetsurō Machida reported on Thursday that he and Burst Angel director Koichi Ohata went to a Denny's restaurant in the evening to discuss "2." Machida has since deleted his Twitter post.

Ohata is not necessarily discussing a second Burst Angel anime project; a pachinko game machine of the Burst Angel: Infinity anime is rolling out this year.

original source

Hirakawa's Fighting Manga Clover Gets Live-Action Show

Tetsuhiro Hirakawa's story of 3 childhood friends in high school inspires Spring show

A live-action television series adaptation of Tetsuhiro Hirakawa's fighting manga Clover has been green-lit for this spring. This year's 10th issue of Akita Shoten's Weekly Shonen Champion magazine is announcing the television project on Thursday.

The story follows three boys — Hayato, Tomoki, and Kenji — who were close friends in elementary school. Hayato transfered to another school, and the three drifted apart. Five years later, however, Hayato returns, and the three reunite by chance.

Hirakawa launched the manga in Weekly Shonen Champion in 2007, and Akita Shoten is publishing the 25th compiled book next month. Hirakawa's manga is unrelated to two similarly named Clover shōjo manga series from CLAMP and Toriko Chiya.

original source

Princess Resurrection's Mitsunaga to Launch New Manga

New manga to run in Monthly Shonen Sirius alongside Princess Resurrection

Princess Resurrection manga creator Yasunori Mitsunaga will start a new series in Kodansha's Monthly Shonen Sirius magazine in the magazine's April issue on February 25. Details on the manga's title and plot will be revealed at a later date. The manga will run alongside Princess Resurrection, which is also being serialized in Monthly Shonen Sirius. Kodansha will publish the 17th compiled volume of Princess Resurrection on February 9.

Mitsunaga previously launched the Kan Tantei D&W mystery manga in Gahosha's Monthly Young King magazine in November. The manga features two characters, Jurō and Hisato. Jurō is a man with a sensitivity to the smell of blood while Hisato is the reclusive shut-in for certain reasons. The first story follows the murder case of a popular idol with the duo trying to find the real culprit.

Del Rey published the Princess Resurrection manga in North America. Sentai Filmworks re-released the television anime version of Princess Resurrection with an English dub on DVD on January 17. Originally released by ADV Films, Sentai Filmworks licensed the show in 2010 and released a Complete Collection with English subtitles only in August of that year.

original source

Sekiei Ayakashi Mangatan Web Manga Gets Web Anime

Edo-era artist draws the creatures he sees in Takanori Kawai's action story

The website for Shueisha's Weekly Young Jump magazine began streaming a web anime based on Takanori Kawai's Sekiei Ayakashi Mangatan supernatural action manga on Thursday. The story is set during the middle of Japan's historic Edo period. It centers around Sekiei Toriyama, an eccentric but brilliant artist who only draws supernatural creatures — because he actually draws the creatures he encounters in his life.

Kawai has been serializing the manga in Weekly Young Jump and later on the magazine's website since 2010, and Shueisha will publish the sixth compiled book volume on February 17. The second of three web anime episodes will debut on February 16, and the final episode will go online on March 1.

original source

Madoka Magica Writer Inspired by Stephen King, Hidamari Sketch, Nanoha, Cossette

Fate/Zero's Gen Urobuchi talks with Lone Wolf/Crying Freeman's Kazuo Koike

Author and screenwriter Gen Urobuchi (Puella Magi Madoka Magica, Fate/Zero) revealed on Sunday that the works of American author Stephen King and Japanese director Akiyuki Shinbo were great influences on his own writing. Urobuchi spoke with manga creator Kazuo Koike (Lone Wolf and Cub, Crying Freeman) about the craft of writing during the seventh installment of the live Koike Kazuo no Nico Nico Character Juku (Kazuo Koike's Nico Nico Character Cram School) net show.

Urobuchi answered a viewer's question about his influences by citing Shinbo's Hidamari Sketch, Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha, and Le Portrait de Petite Cossette anime's influence on Madoka Magica's writing. (Shinbo himself directed Madoka Magica.) Both Urobuchi and Koike praised King's works, and Koike specifically named King's Misery as an important work to him.

Urobuchi and Koike also discussed the major differences between their writing styles. Both Koike — a self-professed fan of Madoka Magica — and viewers asked Urobuchi some lingering questions about the Madoka Magica television anime's ending, and Urobuchi indicated that the upcoming movie trilogy will answer at least one of the questions.

original source

One Piece Manga: Make Your Own Wanted Poster

Online service promotes Eiichiro Oda's first One Piece art exhibit

The official website for Eiichiro Oda's One Piece art exhibit released a wanted poster maker on Friday. The "Wanted Maker" web service allows users to create a unique image with a personal photograph and nickname.

On Friday, the website also launched the "Today's Wanted" project that gives people who purchase an art exhibit ticket a chance to have their personalized wanted poster displayed at the show. The nation-wide edition of the Asahi Shimbun newspaper's March 20 issue will feature select fans' wanted posters as part of the "Minna no Wanted" (Everyone's Wanted) campaign.

The first One Piece art exhibit will run from March 20 to June 17 at the Mori Arts Center Gallery in Tokyo's Roppongi district. The show will include new art from One Piece manga creator Oda, artwork of the story's famous scenes, showings of a "special movie," and interactive art displays.

original source

Fukushima's Post-Quake Police Force Gets Ultraman Badges

Ultra Police Force's 350 officers came from all over Japan to protect prefecture

Fukushima, one of the prefectures hardest hit by last March's earthquake and tsunami, is honoring the police officers who have come from all over Japan to maintain law and order by giving them special Ultraman unit badges.

After the March 11 Great Eastern Japan Earthquake (Higashi Nihon Daishinsai) disaster, 350 officers from 22 prefectures have formed a special task unit, dispatched to Fukushima as reinforcements for the overworked local police. The officers earned the nickname "Ultra Police Force" since they answered a call of duty like the science-fiction hero Ultraman, the visitor who came from a distant star to defend Earth.

Eiji Tsuburaya, the late creator of Ultraman, happened to have been born in Fukushima. His Tsuburaya Productions created a symbol, in the motif of Ultraman and the live-action action franchise's Science Patrol, for the Ultra Police Force. The members of the special task unit will receive the Ultra Police Force armbands and badges in a special induction ceremony next Monday.

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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Zeltrax (news finder), Gintara (banner designer)

If you would like to help in finding and translating news of this nature, please contact any staff. ^^

Mangahelpers Weekly Featured Manga

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 20:05:26 +0000

GUNMM (Battle Angel Alita)
By: Kishiro Yukito
Genre: Cyberpunk
Serialized In: Business Jump
Publisher: Shueisha
Publication Status: Complete, 9 Volumes

Alita is a powerful cyborg with a soft heart and a mysterious past. Her second lease on life isn't easy: her heart is broken, she gains and loses friends to the cruel world of the Scrapyard far below the Utopian city of Tiphares, and she serves many masters in her quest to protect the innocent and create a new life for herself.

Also read the sequel: GUNNM: Last Order, currently serialized in Kodansha's Evening magazine.

All Images Copyright © 1990 Kishiro Yukito

Ghost in the Shell
By: Shirow Masamune
Genre: Cyberpunk
Serialized In: Young Magazine
Publisher: Kodansha
Publication Status: Complete, 1 Volume

In a near future, technology has firmly taken root into society at large. Cybernetic implants are nothing uncommon and robots roam as plentiful as humans, all connected through their "ghosts" to the electronic datastreams of the net. Major Kusanagi Motoko and the Public Security Section 9 find themselves in a constant battle with the newly created wave of technological terrorists and cyber-hackers. But things take a turn once Motoko gets involved in a certain case involving an extremely dangerous "ghost" hacker nicknamed the Puppeteer, as she dives deeper and deeper into the limitless reality of the net, to reach her own startling conclusions.

All Images Copyright © 1989 Shirow Masamune

SaiKano (Saishuu Heiki Kanojo)
By: Takahashi Shin
Genre: Sci-Fi, Tragedy
Serialized In: Big Comic Spirits
Publisher: Shogakukan
Publication Status: Complete, 7 Volumes

Shy Chise and nervous Shuji are high school seniors in a small town and have just started dating. But everything changes when Shuji discovers that Chise has been engineered by the Japanese Self Defense Force to transform into the Ultimate Weapon! Soon Chise is torn between realizing her potential as a devastating fighting force and her desire to share a bowl of ramen with her new boyfriend!

All Images Copyright © 2000 Takahashi Shin

AI Ren
By: Tanaka Yutaka
Genre: Sci-Fi, Tragedy
Serialized In: Young Animal
Publisher: Hakusensha
Publication Status: Complete, 5 Volumes

Ikuru is a boy who doesn't have long to live. Growing up questioning the purpose of his life and the reason for his impending death, he's constantly confused and lonely. After learning that he doesn't have much time left, he requests that a special "girl" called a AGH-RMS (Artificial Genes Human Regenerated for Mental Support) be given to him. These people are genetically made so that they help heal and ease the mental burdens of the terminally ill.

All Images Copyright © 1999 Tanaka Yutaka

New Manga Shout Out: 1/23/12 - 1/29/12

Mon, 30 Jan 2012 08:07:26 +0000

Welcome to the next New Manga Shout Out. With the no-raws/scans rule on MH, you have to work a bit to find these mangas. This week features Nobunaga's chef, rugby players and a teacher trying to help students in need. Remember, if you like any of the series, favorite them. Don't forget to also thank the various people who feed your manga addiction. ^_^ Translators and Scanlators, please check out these series and see if you can spread some more manga love~

We're still looking for people who know Japanese and want to help write summaries for our manga database. Please PM me if you want to help out. Now onto the series~

Chaos Rings (ケイオスリングス)
By: KITAJIMA Yukinori x PARK Jin-Joon

Demographics: Seinen
Status: 1 Chapter (Ongoing)
Manga Details Page: Here
Translations: None
Scanlations: None

This manga is based on the cell-phone rpg of the same name. Two children, Kiriru and Ignato, are born to a life of fighting. Their mother hopes that they will not end up having to fight alone. As a teenager, Kiriru does not like his assigned destiny, but he must fight monsters or many other people will die. Will he accept his fate, and will he ever find a partner?

Thanks go to tethysdust for the summary.

=======================================================

Eigyou no Makita desu. (営業の牧田です。)
By: KAWASUMI Hiroshi

Demographics: Seinen
Status: 3 Volumes (Complete)
Manga Details Page: Here
Translations: None
Scanlations: None

When Makita stopped for a minute and took a look at his life, he was already 28. Graduating from a great college and working hard in the sales department at Elvis Beer, a highly respected company, has brought him success but his life feels empty. Makita realizes he has been missing romance and, without it, he wasn’t truly living life. He actively starts looking at women from a new perspective but he doesn’t know what he really wants in a girlfriend.

Thanks go to vyc for the summary.

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Houdou Gang Absurd! (報道ギャングABSURD！)
By: YONEHARA Hideyuki

Demographics: Seinen
Status: 2 Volumes (Ongoing)
Manga Details Page: Here
Translations: None
Scanlations: None

Being jobless after the company had a massive layoff has not been easy for Matsugo Isamu. The most difficult thing was keeping the secret from his wife and two kids. His pride wouldn’t let him accept that he wasn’t able to provide for his own family, but when the time came when he could no longer keep it a secret, he reunites with Randake Shiro. They were old thrill seeking high school buddies, but where Isamu gave that up when he grew up, Isamu stayed an adrenaline junkie. Isamu works under the name Absurd and is known for filming impossible footage that no one else would dare to capture like driving 200mph to chase a phantom driver or secret yakuza transactions. With no other method of providing income to his family, Isamu is forced to be Absurd’s partner.

Thanks go to vyc for the summary.

=======================================================

Iroha Saka, Nobotte Sugu. (いろは坂上がってすぐ。)
By: Yuuto

Demographics: Seinen
Status: 2 Chapters (Ongoing)
Manga Details Page: Here
Translations: None
Scanlations: None

There is a little pawnshop on a hill that's run by a cheerful, energetic high school girl! Shizuku is no ordinary high school girl, though-- she can communicate with objects and help them to tell their stories to their owners. She doesn't seem to accept objects very often, but she regularly helps her customers gain insight into their own life through their belongings.

Thanks go to tethysdust for the summary.

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Naniwa Tomoare (なにわ友あれ)
By: MINAMI Katsuhisa

Demographics: Seinen
Status: 18 Volumes (Ongoing)
Manga Details Page: Here
Translations: None
Scanlations: None

For Tetsuya, being in a gang is his identity. Being an Osaka boy, he speaks his mind and oftentimes, it gets him into trouble. After dropping out of school without a job in sight, he spends his days screwing around and doing as he pleases. Several sequences of events leads Tetsuya deeper into the culture and the more he sinks in, the harder it will be to get out alive.

Thanks go to vyc for the summary.

=======================================================

Nobunaga no Chef (信長のシェフ)
By: KAJIKAWA Takurou

Demographics: Seinen
Status: 2 Volumes (Ongoing)
Manga Details Page: Here
Translations: None
Scanlations: None

Ken is a modern chef who finds himself tossed into the dangerous Sengoku period of Japan! His colleague is killed, and he is rescued by a woman (dressed as a man) named Natsu. Luckily, good food is appreciated all throughout history, and Ken soon gains quite a following! His success may end in sorrow, though, because his popularity causes the violent Oda Nobunaga to take an interest in him. Soon, Ken is forced to become the head chef of Nobunaga's household. Will Ken's fresh, delicious style of cooking be enough to keep him alive through this violent period of history?!

Thanks go to tethysdust for the summary.

=======================================================

Upset 15 (アップセット15)
By: OKU Hideki

Demographics: Shounen
Status: 5 Volumes (Complete)
Manga Details Page: Here
Translations: None
Scanlations: None

Four years ago, Takashi, Makoto and their close group of rugby friends, who called themselves the Invincible No Pain, made a pact: to get into the same high school and beat Sone Kogyo, the extremely dominant rugby school in the region. Even though Makoto had to move to New Zealand, the rest of the crew kept their promise and attended the same school to defeat Sone, who made nationals year after year. But the result ended up in disaster when they were crushed so badly that it broke their spirits and the members of the Invincible No Pain decided to never play rugby again. But when Makoto comes back from New Zealand as an inspirational and amazing rugby player, he convinces the team to stand up once again and keep their promise they made years ago.

Thanks go to vyc for the summary.

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Yomawari Sensei (夜回り先生)
By: MIZUTANI Osamu x TSUCHIDA Seiki

Demographics: Seinen
Status: 9 Volumes (Ongoing)
Manga Details Page: Here
Translations: None
Scanlations: None

Mizutani-sensei is a teacher who documents his struggles to help troubled teens, while walking the "night patrol" of Yokohama City. He deals with people who have troubled home lives, who have fallen into gangs or drug use, or who struggle with self-harm or desires for suicide. It is a challenging, and sometimes seemingly impossible task. The story opens with Masashi, a boy who had a very difficult life, and who later fell in with a gang and began abusing drugs. He was once a kind, hardworking, well-meaning kid, but is he now too far gone to save?

Thanks go to tethysdust for the summary.

=======================================================

The name of the manga series
A summary of the series
Publishing Status (+ Number of Volumes/Chapters)

This is what tethysdust said this week:

Quote:

Nobunaga no Chef is really weird! I guess being a great cook is one skill that's bound to be appreciated no matter what your era, though. Yomawari Sensei was interesting to read, but really sad. Iroha Saka Nobotte Sugu was cute, but the premise is very similar to other manga I've seen. Chaos Rings might be one to check out if you're into battle manga.
Here's what vyc had to say:

Quote:

Upset 15 - always love sports series and this one does it for me too. Rugby is a sport I know nothing of so reading this will be interesting as well as educational. Maybe the next Eyeshield 21?

Houdou Gang Absurd - I like this series because it exposes you to a lot of the urban legends of our time and the characters' adventure to find the truth.
My opinion:
Nobunaga no Chef sounds pretty different from all the Nobunaga manga since it features his chef. I'd be most interested in trying out Yomawari Sensei. It'd be interesting to see how a single teacher can make a difference in a child's life.

Translated items that need some love/scanlation:
myao - Circle Game: Chapter 1

If you haven't done so already, check out the scanlations of the mangas from previous shout outs which have been recently scanlated: sci-fi slice of life Dainana Joshikai Houkou (MH link), supernatural romance Shindere Shoujo to Kodoku na Shinigami (MH link), comedy Viking (MH link), sports drama 1/11 Juuichi Bun no Ichi (MH link), mecha comedy Radio Heads (MH link).

Animanga in the News: 1/21 - 1/27

Sat, 28 Jan 2012 03:13:08 +0000

Hi everyone! It's time for the weekly animanga news ^^. This week we have a look at japan comic sales, the end and start of various new series, japan voice actors singing disney songs! and many more~ To find out, read on!

Japan's Comic Sales Totaled 271.71 Billion Yen in 2011

Oricon: 503.61 million copies sold last year, which is 99.0% of 2010's total

The market research firm Oricon reported on Tuesday that Japan's comic (manga) sales totaled 271.71 billion yen (about US$3.533 billion) during the 2011 fiscal year. Around 503.61 million copies of comics sold in Japan last year which was 99.0 percent of the total from 2010.

Even though fewer copies were sold, the total revenue from comic sales did increase from the year before.
In 2010, the total revenue from comic sales was 270.67 billion (about US$3.519 billion) yen, also a small increase from 270.31 billion yen (about US$3.515 billion) in 2009.

Oricon reported that the total revenue from all book sales, including the comic/manga, bunko, and general book categories, was 1.112 trillion yen (about US$14.46 billion) in Japan in 2011. That number was 99.3 percent of the total from 2010. About 1.287 billion copies of all books sold in Japan last year, which was a one percent drop from 2010.

The research firm cited the Great Eastern Japan Earthquake disaster (Higashi Nihon Daishinsai) and the resulting production interruptions and material shortages as possible causes for the slight decrease in total book sales. It is expected for sales totals to increase as Japan continues to recover from the March 11 earthquakes and tsunami.

In 2011, the top-selling manga by series in Japan were One Piece (37,996,373 copies), Naruto (6,874,840 copies), and Blue Exorcist (5,223,712 copies). Oricon reported that top-selling manga by volume were One Piece #61 (3,382,588 copies), One Piece #62 (3,207,568 copies), and One Piece #63 (3,073,175 copies).

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Toonzaki: Traffic Up 20% Since Megaupload's Closure

4Kids' Toonzaki representative: Hulu views are also up over this time frame

On its Facebook page on Tuesday, 4Kids Entertainment's Toonzaki reported that traffic to the site has risen 20% in the days following the United States government's closure of the Megaupload file-sharing service.

A Toonzaki representative added in a follow-up comment,

Quote:

"I would suspect that many of the legitimate site have seen increases. Our Hulu views are also up over this time frame."

Toonzaki was launched by 4Kids in late 2010 as a portal for streaming anime content. The site includes videos sourced from Hulu.com, and features both content provided by 4Kids as well as other anime content providers such as FUNimation Entertainment and Toei Animation USA. In an interview with ANNCast in July 2010, 4Kids Senior Vice President of Digital Media Mark Kirk said that the site was geared towards teenagers, rather than the kids that 4Kids had previously focused its marketing towards.

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Australian Firm Still Plans Gosick, Nichijō Releases Without Bandai Ent.

Company: Bandai Ent., Beez Ent. news "has absolutely no affect" on its current, future releases

The Australian anime licensee company Madman Entertainment has revealed on its blog on Wednesday that it will still release the Gosick and Nichijō television anime series on DVD later this year. The company noted that although Bandai Entertainment and Beez Entertainment will stop offering new anime releases, that news has absolutely no affect on [its] current and future release slates.

Madman explained that the titles released by Bandai Entertainment and Beez was acquired from a different licensor. Madman added that any titles it licensed with Bandai Entertainment will not be affected, although it added that the DVD releases of Gosick and Nichijō will probably be subtitle-only releases.

Bandai Entertainment announced earlier this month that it will stop offering new DVD, Blu-ray Disc, and manga releases in February, and announced its upcoming releases of Gosick and Nichijō had been canceled. ANN then confirmed the next week that Beez Entertainment, the Namco Bandai Group company that has handled anime sales in France and several other European countries, is no longer releasing new anime.

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Funimation Suspends Dragon Ball Z Blu-ray Production

2nd BD release scheduled for March 27 canceled

Funimation announced on Thursday that it has suspended production on all future Blu-ray releases of the Dragon Ball Z television anime series, which includes the Level 2.1 disc that was originally scheduled to be released on March 27.

Funimation said that it had produced the Blu-ray editions of the series due to fan demand; however, the company explained that "due to technical challenges of restoring from the original film frame by frame, we are unable to continue these releases by way of this process." The company added it will re-evaluate its process of creating these Blu-rays and will be researching more efficient methods of restoration.

Funimation announced last July that it would release the series for the first time on Blu-ray. Funimation and the Dallas-based company ANDTRANSFER remastered the series from the original Japanese 16mm film reels at 1080p, keeping the original 4:3 aspect ratio. The first set, Dragon Ball Z Level 1.1, was released with the first 17 episodes on November 8.

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Black Rock Shooter TV Anime to Be Streamed Worldwide in 8 Subbed Languages

8-episode series to premiere on Fuji TV on February 2 & stream on February 3

The Nico Nico Douga video-streaming service's Nico Nico Channel will begin streaming the Black Rock Shooter television anime series worldwide with subtitles in eight languages on February 3. There will also be a Black Rock Shooter event at the Nicofarre event hall in Tokyo on that same day.

The anime will premiere in Fuji TV's Noitamina timeslot on February 2.

Shinobu Yoshioka (Black Rock Shooter OVA) is directing the series off of scripts by Mari Okada (AnoHana, Hourou Musuko) at Ordet/Sanzigen. Yusuke Yoshigaki (Panty & Stocking with Garterbelt, Gurren Lagann) is adapting huke's original character designs for animation, and he is also serving as chief animation director. Hiroyuki Imaishi (Gurren Lagann, Panty & Stocking with Garterbelt) is directing the CG battle sequences.

The franchise already inspired an original video anime by Yoshioka, figures, and games. The artist ringo launched the Black Rock-chan four-panel manga in the inaugural issue of Kadokawa Shoten's 4-Koma Nano Ace magazine in March, and Sanami Suzuki (Net Ghost PiPoPa) launched another Black Rock Shooter ~Innocent Soul~ manga in Kadokawa's Young Ace magazine in June.

Although the announcement's description is that of "worldwide" streams, the latest episodes will be available every Friday at 11:00 p.m. in the following countries:

English: United States, Canada
French: France, Belgium, Monaco, Switzerland, Andorra
Italian: Italy
German: Germany
Spanish: Spain, Mexico, Chile, Argentina
Korean: South Korea
Traditional Chinese: Taiwan
Simplified Chinese: Mainland China, Singapore
* The subtitled streams will not be accessible from within Japan.

The anime's official website already launched English and Chinese pages. Nico Nico Douga and its sibling services streamed another anime, Fate/Zero, worldwide with subtitles in eight languages last fall.

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T3 Networks Media Distributor Shuts Down

The media licensor and distributor T3 Networks Inc. announced this week that the company has ceased operations. The company announced back in September that it signed an agreement with the anime distributor Viz Media for television and film distribution. T3 Networks intended to market titles on Viz Media's behalf to television companies and other venues looking for programming content.

T3 Networks' farewell message stated "we lack the sales, personnel and additional resources essential to continue operations as a business." The distributor cited problems with licensing, copyright issues, and day-to-day operations. The company is thankful for its supporters but said "we do not have the financial and human capital resources to take on all of these challenges."

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NISA Licenses Daily Lives of High School Boys Anime

Yasunobu Yamauchi's comedy about students at boy's high school debuted on January 9

NIS America (NISA), the American subsidiary of the Nippon Ichi Software game company, announced on Tuesday that it will release the television anime adaptation of Yasunobu Yamauchi's Daily Lives of High School Boys (Danshi Kōkōsei no Nichijō) manga. More information about the release format, the release date and a planned edition with "fan-favorite sturdy premium packaging" will be announced on the company's website.

The gag comedy manga follows the humorous yet "realistic" everyday life of Tadakuni (voiced by Miyu Irino), Hidenori (Tomokazu Sugita), Yoshitake (Kenichi Suzumura), and other students at a boys' high school. Shinji Takamatsu (Gintama, School Rumble) is directing the anime at Sunrise, Ai Yoshimura (episode director on Gintama, Oreimo) is serving as assistant director, and Yoshinori Yumoto (Battle Spirits: Brave, Strait Jacket) is designing the characters and overseeing the animation.

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Dengeki Editor Hints at More Index, Railgun

The figure maker Good Smile Company posted the following notice from Kazuma Miki, editor of ASCII Media Works' Dengeki Bunko imprint, on its blog on Tuesday:

Quote:

This year, ASCII Media Works marks its 20th anniversary! So, to celebrated the 20th anniversary, Dengeki Bunko works will be adapted one after another into animation!
[…]

- And...as a celebration of the 20th year anniversary, a movie of Toaru Majutsu no Index has been green-lit!

Index will have more happening this year. Please look forward to it. We still cannot say anything about Railgun [To Aru Kagaku no Railgun]!

This part of the blog entry is not included in GSC's official English translation.

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Magic Tree House Novel Sells 20 Times Faster Due to Anime

Total copies sold of 1st novel almost doubled since October in Japan

Mary Pope Osborne's first Magic Tree House novel has been flying off store shelves 20 times faster in Japan this month, thanks to the January 7 release of the Magic Tree House anime film. The American novel series and the Japanese animated film revolve around Jack and Annie, two siblings who go on adventures throughout time with a mysterious tree house.

Even though Media Factory published the first novel, Dinosaurs Before Dark, a decade ago in 2002 in Japan, it ranked No. 3 on Kinokuniya Bookstores' bestseller list for children's books in the first week of the new year. In addition, the 31st and 25th volumes were in the top 10. (Worldwide, the entire novel series has sold about 100 million copies.)

Last month, Dinosaurs Before Dark was selling at about 10.4 times the rate it did one year earlier. So far this month, the novel has been selling 20 times the rate. Since the end of last October, the total number of copies sold has almost doubled. (The trailer for the Magic Tree House anime film began running at the end of October.)

As of January 15, the film has sold 234,000 tickets and earned 260 million yen (about US$3.34 million) in nine days. It ranked No. 3 at the Japanese box office in its first weekend, and then No. 4 in the second weekend.

Hiroshi Nishikiori (Azumanga Daioh, Toaru Majutsu no Index) directed the film off a screenplay written by Ichiro Okouchi (Code Geass, Azumanga Daioh, Negima). Yoshiaki Yanagida (Genshiken, Spirit of Wonder) designed the characters and supervised the animation process. Actress Keiko Kitagawa (live-action Sailor Moon, live-action Paradise Kiss) played Jack, while Mana Ashida (live-action Bunny Drop) played Annie. Miki Maya (Takarazuka Revue, live-action Absolute Boyfriend) voices Morgan, the enigmatic woman who owns the Magic Tree House.

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Manyū Hiken-chō Manga's Last Volume Published

Hideki Yamada's "ultimate bishōjo action" story inspired 12-episode anime last summer

Enterbrain will publish the seventh and final volume of Hideki Yamada's Manyū Hiken-chō "ultimate bishōjo action" manga on January 25. Yamada began serialization on the manga in Enterbrain's Tech Gian game magazine in 2005.

The historical story is set in a parallel Taihei Edo period and follows Chifusa, an amply proportioned sword fighter in the Manyū clan.

The manga inspired a 12-episode television anime series last summer. Director Hiraku Kaneko and animation director Jun Takagi reunited to work on the anime after working on Seikon no Qwaser.

The Toranoana retail store will offer the last volume with a special 16-page booklet, and the Mangaoh retail store will offer a specially-illustrated card with the volume.

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Santa Inoue's Tokyo Tribe 3 Manga Ends

Final chapter of sequel series to be published next month

Manga creator Santa Inoue confirmed on his Twitter account last Thursday that he will end his Tokyo Tribe 3 sequel manga in the March issue of the Ollie fashion magazine on February 14. Gentosha will publish the fifth and final volume in the series on February 28.

Inoue started the sequel manga series in 2008. Tokyo Tribe 3 takes place several years after Tokyo Tribes and revolves around the main character Minato.

Tokyopop published part of the Tokyo Tribes sequel manga in North America, while the live-action film adaptation of Inoue's The Neighbor No was released by Tokyo Shock. Thirteen manga on DVD. MADHOUSE adapted the Tokyo Tribes series into the 13-episode Tokyo Tribe 2 television anime series in 2006.

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New Crows Gangster Manga to Launch in Young Champion Mag

Dai Suzuki's spinoff series Kuzu!! to star the delinquent Tatsuo Kuzugami

This year's fourth issue of Akita Shoten's Young Champion magazine announced on Tuesday that a spinoff of Hiroshi Takahashi's Crows manga will launch in the next issue. Dai Suzuki (Drop) will create the new gangster manga titled Kuzu!!.

The new series will center on the original manga's character Tatsuo Kuzugami who is the son of a yakuza crime boss. In his solitary life, Tatsuo faces many challenges as the delinquency world's strongest man.

The original Crows manga ran for 26 volumes, and Digital Manga Publishing partially published its sequel manga Worst in English. Crows also inspired a two-episode anime OVA adaptation, the 1994 Koukou Butouden Crows. The video label MVM slated Takashi Miike's two live-action prequel films, Crow Zero and Crow Zero II for U.K. DVD releases in April and July.

Akita Shoten will release this year's fifth issue of Young Champion on Valentine's Day.

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Nightmare Inspector's Mashiba to Launch New Manga

Utau! Heian-kyō to follow Heian-period aristocrats who write poetry

The official website for Square Enix's Monthly G Fantasy magazine has announced that Shin Mashiba (Nightmare Inspector: Yumekui Kenbun, Torikago Gakkyū) will launch Utau! Heian-kyō in the March issue on February 18.

The manga series will take place in Heian-kyō (a former name for Kyoto) during Japan's Heian period (794-1185). Mashiba's fantasy story will center on famous Heian aristocrats as they compete with Japanese waka poems during the peaceful period.

Mashiba's Nightmare Inspector: Yumekui Kenbun debuted in 2002, and Square Enix published nine compiled volumes. Viz Media began publishing the series in North America in 2008. Mashiba's Torikago Gakkyū began serializing in G Fantasy in 2008, and Square Enix released the manga's seventh volume in Japan in September.

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Boys Be… Next Season Manga to End on February 20

Masahiro Itabashi, Hiroyuki Tamakoshi restarted their Boys Be… manga in 2009

The official website for Kodansha's Magazine Special has revealed that it will publish the last chapter in Masahiro Itabashi's and Hiroyuki Tamakoshi's Boys Be… Next Season manga in this year's third issue on February 20.

Itabashi and Tamakoshi restarted their popular Boys Be… comic anthology manga in 2009. The first installment of Boys Be… Next Season dealt with two people who, after graduating from different high schools, have a fateful meeting at a cultural festival. Kodansha released the manga's fifth volume last month.

Itabashi and Tamakoshi started another Boys Be… manga series called Boys Be… 2009 1-Gakki (Boys Be… 2009 Term I) on Kodansha's MiChao mobile comic website in April 2009. There have already been two previous follow-up manga series, Boys Be...2nd Season and Boys Be...L Co-op. Tokyopop published most of the Boys Be...2nd Season series, without the "2nd Season" appellation, in North America. Right Stuf first released the 2000 animated adaptation in 2006. There were also live-action television drama and stage musical adaptations in Japan.

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Time of Eve Creator's Patema Inverted Inspires Manga

Adaptation to launch in Square Enix mag; anime film to open this year

The official website for Time of Eve creator Yasuhiro Yoshiura's Sakasama no Patema (Patema Inverted) film announced on Wednesday that the anime will receive a manga adaptation.

The manga will appear in Square Enix's Monthly Big Gangan magazine, which launched on October 25. The Sakasama no Patema site also revealed that Yoshiura will appear at the Wonder Festival event in Chiba's Makuhari Messe convention center on February 12. Details about the manga and Yoshiura's appearance will appear on the film website's news page.

Yoshiura is writing and directing the Sakasama no Patema film, and the anime studio Purple Cow Studio Japan is producing the project for release in Japan this year. The story follows a girl named Patema who lives in an underground village. Patema loves to explore the abundant tunnels, but her village bans entry to her favorite place and labels it a "danger zone." Despite warnings, Patema strives to uncover the secrets of her underground world.

Yoshiura previously wrote, "This new animation is … a story about girl-meets-boy, and boy-meets-girl. It is an extremely righteous, but also extremely strange, story."

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Hasegawa's MAPS Sequel Manga to End Next Month

The Next Sheet of MAPS concludes in Flex Comix Blood after 5 years

Yuichi Hasegawa will end his The Next Sheet of MAPS sequel manga on the Flex Comix Blood website in February after five years. Flex Comix published the manga's first volume in January 2007, and its 14th compiled book shipped in October.

Hasegawa drew the original 17-volume MAPS series between 1985 and 1994. The manga inspired a 1987 OVA and an OVA remake in 1994. ADV Films released the 1994 remake in North America in 2005.

Hasegawa launched his Mobile Suit Crossbone Gundam: Ghost manga series in the January issue of Kadokawa Shoten's Gundam Ace magazine in November. The first Mobile Suit Crossbone Gundam ran from 1994 to 1997. Hasegawa then drew the sequels Mobile Suit Crossbone Gundam: Skull Heart from 2002 to 2004 and Mobile Suit Crossbone Gundam: Kōtetsu no Nananin (Mobile Suit Crossbone Gundam: Steel Seven) from 2006 to 2007. The creator's other manga include the Yuusha Raideen Yuusha spinoff God Bird and the Dancougar - Super Beast Machine God spinoff Chōjū Kishin Dancougar Burn.

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Ouran's Hatori Draws 'Detarame Mōsōryoku Opera' 1-Shot

The March issue of Hakusensha's LaLa magazine published Ouran High School Host Club manga creator Bisco Hatori's "Detarame Mōsōryoku Opera" one-shot manga on Tuesday. The story centers on a Hifumi, a student who barely failed an entrance exam. One day, "harmonious people" suddenly appear out of her apartment closet and ask for help in saving their parallel universe.

Hatori's Ouran High School Host Club manga launched in LaLa in August of 2003, and Viz Media launched its North American release in July of 2005. The manga ended in Japan last September, and Viz published the 17th of 18 compiled book volumes in December. The live-action television series premiered in July. A live-action film adaption will premiere in theaters throughout Japan on March 17, and a mobile phone drama spinoff is also planned.

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AnimeFest to Host Animatrix Co-Director Koji Morimoto in Dallas

Studio 4°C co-founder, Φphy art director to appear at Aug. 31 - Sept. 3 convention

Planners of Dallas' AnimeFest announced on Monday that this year's convention will host The Animatrix co-director Koji Morimoto. The event will take place at the Sheraton Dallas Hotel from August 31 to September 3.

Morimoto has worked as an anime director, filmmaker, visual creator, and art director. He was involved with television anime series, films, and original video projects including Akira, Magnetic Rose, Extra, Ai Monogatari, Macross Plus, and Tekkonkinkreet. He directed the Beyond segment in The Animatrix.

As a founding member, Morimoto worked at the Studio 4°C from 1989 to 2011. He now helms the new Φphy creative team as Executive Art Director. The studio produces anime but also creates other works.

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10 Japanese Voice Actors Cover Disney Songs on CD

Go on a Disney Date with Hiroshi Kamiya, Kenichi Suzumura, Kouichi Yamadera, others

10 Japanese seiyus will sing covers of songs from Disney animated films in a CD which will ship on February 22. In addition to the 10 songs, Disney Date: Koe no Ōji-sama (Disney Date: The Princes of Voice) includes a booklet with photos of the voice actors going on various dates.

The Deluxe Edition on the album bundles an exclusive "Disney Date Story" CD that runs over 30 minutes long. However, the Regular Edition has its own exclusive: the bonus "Mickey Mouse March" track as sung by all 10 voice actors. The Disney Date: Koe no Ōji-sama CD is billed as the male edition, which strongly suggests that a companion CD with Japanese voice actresses is in the works.

The Disney Date: Koe no Ōji-sama CD's official website is streaming 45-second samples of all 10 main songs:

1 "You Can Fly!" Peter Pan Hiroshi Kamiya
2 "A Whole New World" Aladdin Kenichi Suzumura
3 "Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo" Cinderella Jun Fukuyama
4 "When You Wish Upon a Star" Pinocchio Takahiro Sakurai
5 "One Jump Ahead" Aladdin Tomokazu Sugita
6 "Can You Feel the Love Tonight" The Lion King Hikaru Midorikawa
7 "Once Upon a Dream" Sleeping Beauty Toshiyuki Morikawa
8 "Go the Distance" Hercules Tomokazu Seki
9 "Under the Sea" The Little Mermaid Miyu Irino
10 "Circle of Life" The Lion King Kouichi Yamadera

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Cyzo Blog: Jun Matsumoto to Star in Live-Action Jojo's Bizarre Adventure

The Cyzo Woman blog reported on Wednesday that actor Jun Matsumoto (Hana Yori Dango [2005], Gokusen, Boku wa Imōto ni Koi o Suru, Kimi wa Pet) will star in a live-action film adaptation of the JoJo's Bizarre Adventure manga. The blog quotes an unnamed weekly magazine reporter without further corroboration.

Bungeishunju's Weekly Bunshun magazine reported last August that live-action and anime film adaptations were in the works by separate film companies for this summer or later, but no other source has corroborated Weekly Bunshun's report. Weekly Bunshun also reported that a "super-popular idol" is being cast for the live-action version. Shueisha, the publisher of the manga, downplayed the report, "We don't know where that story came from, but nothing has been decided at this time."

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Optimus Prime Made Into Life-Size Snow Sculpture Bust

16-meter Transformers character to appear at 53rd annual Asahikawa Winter Festival

The Japanese toy maker Takara Tomy revealed this week that a life-size snow sculpture of The Transformers franchise character Optimus Prime will appear at this year's Asahikawa Winter Festival.

Artists are sculpting the giant robot from a 16-meter (about 53-foot) snow mound. Construction crews began piling snow on January 6, started work on the character's head on January 10, and raised trusses to continue sculpting Optimus last Thursday.

The 53rd annual Asahikawa Winter Festival will take place in Asahikawa, Hokkaido Prefecture from February 8 to 12.

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1st Gundam Designer Okawara Shows His Take on Turn A Gundam

Kunio Okawara reinterpreted mobile suit designed by Syd Mead (Blade Runner, Aliens)

Kunio Okawara, the mechanical designer of many Gundam projects including the very first television anime series, posted his interpretation of the title mobile suit from the Turn A Gundam anime this weekend. Turn A Gundam was one of the projects in 1999 that celebrated the 20th anniversary of the first Gundam television series.

Syd Mead, the famed conceptual artist who worked on Blade Runner, Aliens, and Space Battleship Yamato 2520, drew inspiration from Okawara's original Gundam for his Turn A Gundam design. Okawara, in turn, reinterpreted Turn A Gundam himself. Okawara notes that Mead, a former Ford car designer who has worked on both real-life engineering projects and Hollywood films, visited his home in Japan. Mead's Turn A Gundam design is below:

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Zeltrax (news finder), Gintara (banner designer)

If you would like to help in finding and translating news of this nature, please contact any staff. ^^

Monthly New Anime Shout Out: February

Fri, 27 Jan 2012 12:00:02 +0000

Hello everyone~ It's time again for the monthly new anime shout out! I hope you guys have been enjoying this year so far and please look forward to the great animes to come!~ Remember, if there is something that is interesting to you, check out the manga and add them to your favorites.
Well for now, let's take a look at what February has to offer.

Berserk Golden Age Arc I: Egg of the Supreme Ruler
ベルセルク黄金時代篇Ⅰ 覇王の卵

Type: Movie
Release date: Feb 4, 2012
Genres: Action, Adventure, Demons, Fantasy, Supernatural, Military, Seinen
Producers: Studio 4°C
Official website: Here.

Berserk Golden Age Arc I: Egg of the Supreme Ruler,
is the first of three films being released in the Berserk: Saga Project. It is being directed by Kubooka Toshiyuki.
The main theme of the film is being composed by Susumu Hirasawa, while the soundtrack is being composed by Shiro Sagisu. The first three films shall cover the Golden Age arc, and more films will be released in the future covering later arcs.

Synopsis by: Bw

Check out this anime's manga and add it into your favorites for updates in the Announcements box!

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Dragon Age: Dawn of the Seeker
ドラゴンエイジブラッドメイジの聖戦

Type: Movie
Release date: Feb 11, 2012
Genres: Action, Fantasy
Producers: FUNimation EntertainmentL, Oxybot
Official website: Here.

Following Cassandra Pentaghast, a Nevarran royal who embarks on a journey to unearth a conspiracy within the Chantry. In a time of darkness and barbarism, the Chantry has arisen - a religious order seeking to bring stability to a world corrupted by sinister magic. Led by the Divine, the Chantry's Templar warriors ruthlessly restrain the Mages and their magical cabals. But when the Templars fail, the most elite order of the Chantry takes charge - the Seekers!

Synopsis by: AniDb

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Black★Rock Shooter
ブラック★ロックシューター

Type: TV
Release date: Feb 3, 2012
Genres: Action, Drama, School, Slice of Life
Producers: Aniplex, Ordet, SANZIGEN, Ultra Super Pictures
Official website: Here.

In spring, two girls meet: Mato and Yomi. They each sense something in the other that they lack in themselves, and are drawn to each other in spite of their contrasting personalities. Though initially hesitant, they form a strong connection. However, they both have secrets - and in an empty world, two girls fight: Black Rock Shooter and Dead Master. A strange being, Black Gold Saw, watches their mysterious battle with amusement. This is the story of two girls, in two worlds, entangled by the threads of fate.

Synopsis by: MAL

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Smile Precure!
スマイルプリキュア

Type: TV
Release date: Feb 5, 2012
Genres: Magic
Producers: Toei Animation
Official website: Here.

Once upon a time, there was a kingdom of fairy tales called "Märchenland", where many fairy tale characters live together in joy. Suddenly, the evil emperor Pierrot made an invasion on Märchenland, sealing its Queen in the process. In order to revive the Queen, the symbol of happiness called Cure Decor, something like the queen's scattered light is required. To collect that, a fairy named Candy searches for the Pretty Cures on Earth. There, Candy meets a girl, who decides to collect the Cure Decor. Now, will the world be changed ?

Synopsis by: MAL

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Negima! Anime Final – Akamatsu Ken’s Cut
魔法先生ネギま! ANIME FINAL

Type: Movie
Release date: Feb 7, 2012
Genres: Adventure, Magic, Supernatural
Producers: Shaft, Studio Pastoral
Official website: Here.

Maho Sensei Negima creator Ken Akamatsu revealed that an extended cut of the Maho Sensei Negima: Anime Final motion picture will be released with limited edition copies of the 37th collected volume of the Negima manga on February 17. The “Negima Movie: Supervisor Ken Akamatsu’s Cut” will run 84 minutes, almost double the length of the theatrical cut released last August. In addition to new scenes, it will also feature rewritten dialogue that makes the characters seem a bit smarter.

The feature film, produced by Shaft, presents an alternate ending to the Negima story, different from the manga story ending. The movie was released as a double-feature with the Hayate no Gotoku movie. Animation studio Shaft has developed a reputation for just barely finishing its anime productions by initial release date and finishing productions for later home video release.

Synopsis by: AN

Check out this anime's manga and add it into your favorites for updates in the Announcements box!

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Yuri Seijin Naoko-san (2012)
百合星人ナオコサン

Type:OVA
Release date: Feb 15, 2012 to ?
Genres: Comedy
Producers: ufotable
Official website: Here.

One day, an alien dressed as a maid, Naoka, suddenly appears. Naoka starts living with Misuzu, but she is actually on a mission of world domination.

Synopsis by: MAL

Check out this anime's manga and add it into your favorites for updates in the Announcements box!

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Minori Scramble!
みのりスクランブル!

Type: OVA
Episodes: 1
Release date: Feb 15, 2012
Genres: Comedy
Producers: ufotable
Official website: Here.

Tamaki is an elementary school girl. Her father Dr. Yagiyama loves penguins and his excessive lectures about penguins makes Tamaki hate them. In order to get rid of her hatred of penguins, he engineers the penguin-roid "Minori". Tamaki and Minori run about the neighborhood to solve troubles caused by her father.

Synopsis by: MAL

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Gyo
ギョ

Type: OVA
Release date: Feb 15, 2012
Genres: Horror
Producers: ufotable
Official website: Here.

Something in Okinawa reeks, and it isn't long before Tadashi and his girlfriend Kaori realize that the smell is coming from dead fish, which are walking out of the sea. The fish are fused to metal legs and are infected with a disease contractable by humans that was invented as a weapon by the Japanese government. After Kaori is infected, Tadashi goes to find a solution to this putrid takeover, if there even is an answer to be found.

Synopsis by: MAL

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Hellsing IX (OVA)

Type: OVA
Release date: Feb 15, 2012
Genres: Action, Horror, Vampire, Supernatural, Military, Seinen
Producers:Graphinica/Kelmadick
Official website: Here.

Hellsing, a secret organization of the British government, has long been battling supernatural threats to keep the people safe from creatures of the night. The current leader, Integra Wingates Hellsing controls her own personal army to eliminate the undead beings, but even her highly trained soldiers pale in comparison to her most trusted vampire exterminator, a man by the name of Alucard, who is actually a powerful vampire himself. Along with Integra's mysterious butler and Alucard's new vampire minion, Seras Victoria, The Hellsing Organization must face not only regular ghouls and vampires, but a rivaling secret organization from the Vatican, and Millennium, an enigmatic group of madmen spawned by a certain war over 50 years ago...

A bloody battle between monsters is about to begin, the dead are dancing, and all hell is singing...

Synopsis by: MAL

Check out this anime's manga and add it into your favorites for updates in the Announcements box!

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To Heart 2: Dungeon Travelers
ToHeart2ダンジョントラベラーズ

Type: OVA
Release date: Feb 22, 2012
Genres:Adventure, Fantasy, Seinen
Official website: Here

According to Amazon Japan, a two-volume OVA series "ToHeart 2 Dungeon Travelers" was announced. "ToHeart 2 Dungeon Travelers" is an RPG game on PlayStaion Portable released in 2011.

Synopsis by: MAL

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Fairy Tail OVA 3
フェアリーテイル OVA

Type: OVA
Release date: Feb 17, 2012
Genres: Action, Adventure, Comedy, Fantasy, Magic, Shounen
Producers: Satelight, A-1 Pictures
Official website: Here.

An all-new original story storyboarded by Hiro Mashima, the author of Fairy Tail. Will be released on 17 February 2012. Titled "Memory Days".

Check out this anime's manga and add it into your favorites for updates in the Announcements box!

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Scryed Alteration II: Quan
スクライドオルタレイション前編 Q U A N

Type: Movie
Release date: Mar 10, 2012
Genres: Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi, Shounen, Super Power
Producers: Sunrise
Official website: here.

Second part of the Scryed Alteration recap.

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Ikoku Meiro no Croisée: Yune & Alice (SP)
異国迷路のクロワーゼ「湯音＆アリス」

Type: Special
Release date: Feb 22, 2012
Genres: Historical, Slice of Life, Seinen
Producers: Satelight
Official website: Here.

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Win a $100 Gift Certificate Just in Time For Valentines!

Thu, 26 Jan 2012 10:12:30 +0000

Ah~ that time of year is upon us again~. Where slice of life manga focus on guys getting harlem like treatment from all the highly ranked, smexy looking girls. Well, fortunately for most of you out there - Valentines day is generally a time for mutual giving but instead of you fretting for something to get your special someone, MangaHelpers has teamed up with FlutterScape to help you out.

FlutterScape is a new service that allows items in Japan to be easily shipped to your front door. So if there's been a gift you've been dying to give someone that you're sure they'd love, or if you just want to spoil yourself then head over to the contest page and see what there is to be offered!

If you can't find anything on the site that impresses you then find a picture, share it using their share function and I'm sure if it's possible to get then they will!

Some good places to look online for things you might want are:

http://www.amazon.co.jp/ (use the "in english" button on the top right to ease your navigation)
http://www.facebook.com/tokyootakumode for the interesting items they like to post up
http://www.jbox.com/home

Or any other site that is known for selling things related to Japan.

Now, of course if you can't find anything that looks perfect for valentines day, simply wrap it in a red bow and call it a day :D.

In the end, just remembering that special someone is enough to get you on their good side ;).

Naruto-Bleach-One Piece Awards - Cast Your Votes!

Thu, 26 Jan 2012 09:28:46 +0000

The voting period started!!!

We started last year with the MH Manga and Anime Awards. This year we decided to expand and to localize this event to some of the forums that we have on the site.

The first step was obviously the inclusion of the Big 3 forums, but of course we won't stop here.

As we announced some days earlier, we were working on the Big 3 event, and now the planning stage is over, so the game is on!!

Go to your favourite sections, check out the nominations and cast your votes. There are lots of fun categories, and discussions are welcome in each thread. Of course the suggestions shouldn't be missing at such an event, so go ahead and post!
For the click-lazy people, there are links in this announcement!

Naruto Awards
Bleach Awards
One Piece Awards

Enjoy!!!

\o/

Mangahelpers Weekly Featured Manga

Wed, 25 Jan 2012 18:41:26 +0000

Hideout
By: Kakizaki Masasumi
Genre: Horror, Suspense
Serialized In: Big Comic Spirits
Publisher: Shogakukan
Publication Status: Complete, 1 Volume
Discuss

It is a very dark night. Under a heavy rain, a determined man sets out to track his terrified victim. The decision of Kirishima Seiichi is clear: Tonight, he will kill his wife.

A year ago, he was a happy man - a successful writer, a contented husband, and a father of a young boy... at that time, everything seemed going well for him. But such happiness had to end. The day his editor put an end to their collaboration, darkness seeped into his life faster than a bullet. A terrifying descent into hell commences, page by page of what it seems to be his last novel...

By the Artist of Rainbow: Nisha Rokubou no Shichinin

Hachimitsu no Hana
By: Kiuchi Tatsuya
Genre: Romance, Comedy, Historical
Serialized In: Hana to Yume
Publisher: Hakusensha
Publication Status: Hiatus, 3 Volumes

The time is set in the Meiji era during the Industrialization of Japan. The main character Chitose works as a maid in Kuze, one of the most prestigious households of the time. One day, Lan, a nephew of the master came back from England to be his stepson. Eventually Lan and Chitose’s feelings begin to develop. What will happen with the secret affair between the honey-haired Lan and the maid Chitose?

All Images Copyright © 2005 Kiuchi Tatsuya

Alive: The Final Evolution
Written By: Kawashima Tadashi
Art By: Adachi Toka
Genre: Action, Tragedy
Serialized In: Monthly Shounen Magazine
Publisher: Kodansha
Publication Status: Complete, 21 Volumes
Discuss

A strange virus is making its way around the globe, causing its victims to commit suicide. In less than a week, it's become a lethal pandemic. Now a group of Tokyo teens who have survived the outbreak are wondering why they are still alive.

All Images Copyright © 2003 Kawashima Tadashi and Adachi Toka

Boys on the Run
By: Hanazawa Kengo
Genre: Comedy, Romance, Slice of Life
Serialized In: Big Comic Spirits
Publisher: Shogakukan
Publication Status: Complete, 10 Volumes
Discuss

Tanishi is a 27-year-old man stuck in a company that sells vending machine prizes, until the day he meets an old acquaintance who is now a boxer. Inspired to try boxing himself, Tanishi joins a gym that happens to have a female trainer named Hana.

All Images Copyright © 2005 Hanazawa Kengo

New Manga Shout Out: 1/16/12 - 1/22/12

Mon, 23 Jan 2012 11:37:14 +0000

Welcome to the next New Manga Shout Out. With the no-raws/scans rule on MH, you have to work a bit to find these mangas. This week features the manga industry in the 1980s, a 31 year old host, and an exorcist. Remember, if you like any of the series, favorite them. Don't forget to also thank the various people who feed your manga addiction. ^_^ Translators and Scanlators, please check out these series and see if you can spread some more manga love~

We're still looking for people who know Japanese and want to help write summaries for our manga database and for the shout out. Please PM me if you want to help out. Now onto the series~

Angel Fake Nisemono Tenshi (エンジェルフェイク偽物天使)
By: MOMOSE Takeaki

Demographics: Seinen
Status: 1 Volume (Ongoing)
Manga Details Page: Here
Translations: None
Scanlations: None

The Tsukiboshi family has been known throughout the generations for their forward thinking inventions. The youngest inventor of the family is Rikuma, a technology genius who has created countless innovations in his young lifespan. Rikuma receives a gift from his grandfather: the will of Kyunosuke, his ancestor who was the first and best inventor of the Tsukiboshi family. With his two sisters Misato and Miku, Rikuma travels to the so called mansion left in the will. Inside the mansion that literally appears out of thin air, they find a female android prototype named Setsuna. When Rikuma accidentally activates Setsuna, he is unwillingly sent on an adventure to protect the planet from invasion and destruction.

Thanks go to vyc for the summary.

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Aoi Honoo (アオイホノオ)
By: SHIMAMOTO Kazuhiko

Demographics: Shounen
Status: 7 Volumes (Ongoing)
Manga Details Page: Here
Translations: None
Scanlations: None

This is a story set in the 1980s, when the anime and manga industries were on the edge of great future developments. 18-year-old Honoo Moyuru is a student at a fictionalized version of the Osaka University of the Arts, where he bumps into various other students who will become great in these industries (such as the animator Hideaki Anno, of Evangelion). Honoo is determined to make it big as a manga writer, and his friend, a cute girl named Tonko, is supporting him all the way. He plans for his future career as he attends a school overflowing with creative genius! But does he have the skill to make his burning ambition a reality?

Thanks go to tethysdust for the summary.

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Bouken Erekitetou (冒険エレキテ島)
By: TSURUTA Kenji

Demographics: Seinen
Status: 1 Volume (Ongoing)
Manga Details Page: Here
Translations: None
Scanlations: None

After her grandfather's death, Mikura chose to continue their island express courier service. With her seaplane and her adventurous cat, Endeavor, she lives life as she chooses. Soon, Mikura becomes very interested in a mysterious island that seems to move around, according to local legend. After some extensive effort to determine the island's whereabouts, she manages to get a brief glimpse of it from the sky. Now that she knows it's real, she's determined to find the island again, no matter what it takes!

Thanks go to tethysdust for the summary.

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Deban desu yo? Kondou-san! (出番ですよ？近藤さん)
By: SOGABE Toshinori

Demographics: Seinen
Status: 2 Volumes (Complete)
Manga Details Page: Here
Translations: None
Scanlations: None

Everything was supposed to change for Kondo Isami in high school. She was known for her impulsive and masculine personality in middle school due to her life being centered around kendo. As the national champion for two years in a row, she was the best, but, as a consequence of that lifestyle, she was no longer attractive to the boys. Vowing to become more girly and refined when she starts attending Seishinkan High School, fate seems to fight against her will until she joins the idol club at school.

Thanks go to vyc for the summary.

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Giragira (ギラギラ)
By: TAKI Naotaka x TSUCHIDA Seiki

Demographics: Seinen
Status: 7 Volumes (Complete)
Manga Details Page: Here
Translations: None
Scanlations: None

Ten years ago, Nanase Kouhei was the top host of the Roppongi district of Tokyo. He gave that life up, though, to become a husband, father, and company man. Now, he has a beautiful wife, Momoko, and a little daughter, Orie, who will be going to school in a few years. They also just bought an apartment and have a large long-term loan to pay off for it.

Then one unfortunate day, Kouhei is laid off from his job. Now he faces the terrifying prospect of caring for his family, when he has no guarantee of finding a decent new job. It's enough to make Kouhei quietly turn back to his previously successful career as a Roppongi district host, and he returns to his old club "Rink." But can a 31-year-old man really make a comeback in such a young man's industry?

Thanks go to tethysdust for the summary.

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Juujika no Majutsushi (十字架の魔術師)
By: KEI Okazaki

Demographics: Seinen
Status: 6 Volumea (Complete)
Manga Details Page: Here
Translations: None
Scanlations: None

Amano Haruhiko is a highly skilled exorcist and was a member of the Russian exorcist group, "Icon." Now he lives in Hokkaido and is in charge of a small and not particularly successful church. With him is Sister Amelia, who is constantly chiding him about his unseemly attraction to money. However, he still does his work as an exorcist, whenever he is asked. The story begins with a request from a Catholic girl's school headmistress, who is concerned about a monster plaguing her school.

Thanks go to tethysdust for the summary.

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Kyouran no Qeenaatha (境爛のクインナータ)
By: AKIZUKI Wataru

Demographics: Seinen
Status: 2 Chapters + Opening Act (Ongoing)
Manga Details Page: Here
Translations: None
Scanlations: None

Oumi Sara just moved to the small town of Anamori where her older sister Chisato works as a teacher at Karita Academy. Sara senses her sister might be hiding something from her and what she learns is that Chisato is part of a team called Qeenaatha, who fight against evil supernatural beings that threaten the town. But when Chisato is taken out of commission, Sara becomes the new member of Qeenaatha. She thought making new friends was going to be the worst of her problems, not becoming a costumed heroine.

Thanks go to vyc for the summary.

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Soshite Fune wa Yuku (そして船は行く)
By: Zac'n'Pop

Demographics: Seinen
Status: 1 Volume (Complete)
Manga Details Page: Here
Translations: None
Scanlations: None

In the vast ocean, two female pirates, Mary Lead and Ann Pony, might seem like helpless prey to other pirates. But this pair is known as the pirate crushers because these two beauties can take out and destroy fully manned pirate ships. Mary, the excellent swordswoman, and Ann, the amazing markswoman, are traveling the ocean in search of one man: a man with a certain tattoo on the palm of his hand.

Thanks go to vyc for the summary.

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Zerozaki Soushiki no Ningen Shiken (零崎双識の人間試験)
By: NisiOisiN x SHIOMIYA Iruka

Demographics: Seinen
Status: 1 Volume (Ongoing)
Manga Details Page: Here
Translations: None
Scanlations: Chapter 0

Iori is a high school girl who doesn't know what she wants to do with her future, and tends to run away from things. One day, she is attacked by strange dead-eyed people on her way to school, only to be saved by an equally mysterious long-haired man. Later that day, her friend at school, Jion, seems to fall under the same murderous influence. To her surprise, she finds herself capable of defending herself from his violent attack. Afterward, the long-haired man she met in the morning, Zerozaki Soushiki, arrives once more, this time to invite her to become his little sister. What has Iori become involved with, and will she be able to survive this change to her life?

Thanks go to tethysdust for the summary.

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The name of the manga series
A summary of the series
Publishing Status (+ Number of Volumes/Chapters)

This is what tethysdust said this week:

Quote:

Bouken Erekitetou has some nice art, particularly on the scenery. The story thus far seems really simple, though. Giragira was a pretty interesting story--it's usually girls who are put in that predicament in manga. I liked Juujika no Majutsushi, it's starting out fairly episodic, but with very interesting cases that aren't simply 'monsters'.
Here's what vyc had to say:

Quote:

Deban Desu yo Kondou San - First thing I noticed was the incredibly clean artwork. I liked the plot even though the main character is a girl attempting to be girly. Even guys can read it and enjoy it. Nice balance of sexy/comedy and romance

Soshite Fune wa Yuku - Everybody thinks of one piece when you say pirate manga but this series is just as interesting imo. Must more comedy is integrated into this even in the most serious and tense scenes. I liked it personally.
My opinion:
Deban desu yo? Kondou-san! sounds like it might be a cute read~ Giragira sounds like an interesting concept since I've never really heard of older men as hosts. Zerozaki Soushiki no Ningen Shiken might interest people since it's from the author NisiOisiN, the author of Bakemonogatari and Medaka Box.

Translated items that need some love/scanlation:
myao - Circle Game: Chapter 1

If you haven't done so already, check out the scanlations of the mangas from previous shout outs which have been recently scanlated: slice of life adventure Gaku (MH link).

Animanga in the News: 1/14 - 1/21

Sat, 21 Jan 2012 00:16:22 +0000

Hello everyone, it's this time of the week for the animanga news. Yep, we're going to find out what's going on in the world of anime and manga! This week, we have quite a number of legal cases, the divorce of one of japan's most famous female artist, Eyeshield 21's new work, film awards and much more~ To find out more, as usual, just read on!

Eyeshield 21 Artist Murata Reveals Magical Girl Work

Yuusuke Murata to work with web manga creator on new series

Manga artist Yuusuke Murata (Eyeshield 21) posted on his Twitter account on Saturday that he is planning a new manga series with web manga creator ONE (Onepunchman). The new series will be a magical girl series, and it will involve magical hydraulic cylinder weapons. Murata added that more information about when and where the manga will be serialized will be revealed later.

Murata launched the Donten Prism Solar Car manga with Moonlight Mile creator Yasuo Ohtagaki in 2010 after ending his Eyeshield 21 sports manga with Riichirou Inagaki in 2009.

Viz Media published the 37th and last Eyeshield 21 manga volume in North America in October 2011. Sentai Filmworks began releasing the the series in 2010 after Crunchyroll streamed it in several countries outside Japan.

original source

Guard Arrested for Stealing All 64 One Piece Manga Books

Tatsuya Sawaguchi, a 26-year-old guard from the central Japanese city of Fujieda, was arrested on Tuesday for allegedly shoplifting all 64 volumes of the One Piece pirate manga. According to the authorities, Sawaguchi carried the manga, in a big bag hanging from his shoulder, from a bookstore in a shopping center in nearby Shimada City on December 23 at around 7:45 p.m. The entire series is worth about 26,000 yen (about US$340). Sawaguchi reportedly said under deposition that he intended to resell the books.

On the morning of December 24, the bookstore staff noticed the empty section where the 64 manga volumes had been, and confirmed the image of a man stealing the books on the surveillance camera.

original source

Megaupload Site Shut Down Partly Due to Fruits Basket Anime

TV show cited among 103 alleged copyright violations in indictment for arrests

The U.S. Department of Justice shut down the Hong Kong-based file-sharing service Megaupload on Thursday during an ongoing investigation into the company's alleged copyright infringement. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and U.S. Justice Department announced on Thursday that seven individuals and two corporations have been charged in the United States with violating piracy laws and committing other crimes.

According to an indictment filed by a grand jury in the U.S. District Court of Alexandria, Virginia on January 5, the defendants were accused of two substantive counts of criminal copyright infringement and conspiracies to commit money laundering, racketeering, and copyright infringement. The indictment listed 103 alleged, overt criminal acts, including a 2010 incident involving a user who watched the television anime series Fruits Basket via a linking site.

The U.S. Justice Department claims that Megaupload Limited, Vestor Limited, and seven individuals gained more than US$175 million in illegal proceeds and cost copyright holders more than US$500 million in lost revenue. The FBI's press release labels Megavideo and its related sites and services as an "international organized criminal enterprise" responsible for large-scale worldwide piracy of various copyrighted works. As one of the largest criminal copyright cases brought by the United States, officials executed more than 20 search warrants in nine countries, confiscated about US$50 million in assets, and seized 18 domain names associated with the alleged "Mega conspiracy" on Thursday.

Founded in 2005, Megaupload allowed users to reproduce and distribute movies, music, television programs, electronic books, and software, according to the grand jury's indictment. The legal document also alleges that Megaupload supported the use of third-party linking websites to promote infringing content and used a business model designed to encourage illegal uploading. The U.S. Justice Department said that the company failed to delete accounts of users known to distribute copyrighted material and misrepresented that infringing copies of works were removed.

The individual defendants are citizens of Germany, Slovakia, Finland, Estonia, and the Netherlands. New Zealand authorities arrested four of the defendants, including the Megaupload founder Kim Dotcom and director Mathias Ortmann, in Auckland on Thursday. The accused individuals each face a maximum sentence of 65 years in prison for the combined charges. According to BBC News, Megaupload posted a message saying that "the vast majority of Mega's internet traffic is legitimate" and that the allegations were "grotesquely overblown" before the site was shut down on Thursday.

Last February, police in Japan's northern Akita Prefecture arrested an 18-year-old male student for allegedly using Megaupload to illegally distribute 260 manga titles.

On Wednesday, various websites participated in an Internet "blackout" to protest the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) and Protect Intellectual Property Act (PIPA) bills that were proposed in the U.S. Congress.

original source, 1

Tezuka's Barbara Manga Reaches Goal for English Printing

US$6,500 pledged in 2 days to Digital Manga to publish Osamu Tezuka's story

The North American publisher Digital Manga reached its goal of raising US$6,500 in pledges for an English-language printing of Osamu Tezuka's Barbara manga on Sunday. Digital Manga had just starting accepting pledges on Friday. Digital Manga gave the following description of the story:

Digital Manga said that it will release the manga in large paperback format (5 7/8" x 8 1/4") if it receives US$6,500 in pledges by February 12. Contributors will receive various rewards, depending on the level of their pledges.

Digital Manga also used Kickstarter to raise funds to reprint Tezuka's Swallowing the Earth manga in the same paperback format last year.

original source

Tiger & Bunny Producer Considers Live-Action, Musical

Producer: target audience included working people who stopped watching anime

In an interview posted on the ASCII.jp website on Monday, producer Masayuki Ozaki reported that he considered live-action and musical adaptations of the Tiger & Bunny anime series. As a producer, Ozaki contemplated expanding the franchise through these and other means to recoup the investment that the anime studio Sunrise and its partners had made.

Ozaki emphasized that the staff did not expect to rely solely on revenue from in-anime product placement and advertising — a signature part of Tiger & Bunny — to recoup costs. However, he hopes that this system would be one of the alternatives to help recoup costs, since the home video market has been shrinking.

In response to the interviewer's note that Tiger & Bunny is an anime supported by an unusually large female fanbase, Ozaki confirmed that the staff thought that the anime would bring in male fans at first. He noted that single males in their 30s make up an overwhelming share of the home video buyers recently, although he cited Gundam and Gintama as exceptions.

However, Ozaki wanted more people than just core anime fans to watch the series. Specifically, he anticipated an audience among people who used to watch anime in the past, but have begun working and may even have kids. He emphasized that this intended target audience includes all working people who have not watched anime recently, regardless of marriage status, size of family, age, or gender.

The staff did not consciously make the anime for female fans specifically, so Ozaki said it was a pleasant surprise that there were more female fans that the staff had anticipated. He added that the female fanbase included everyone from core anime fans to many housewives who did not watch anime before.

The Tiger & Bunny anime staff announced in November that production on two films (pictured right) has been green-lit, with the first film planned for next year.

In 2010, producer Yoshitaka Kawaguchi revealed in a Newtype magazine interview that he and director Goro Taniguchi would be interested in a stage or musical version of another original Sunrise anime, Code Geass. Within the past two months, Sunrise announced both the Code Geass - Hangyaku no Lelouch - Sōran Eve stage play and the Code Geass - Hangyaku no Lelouch -Majin ni Sasageru Prelude stage musical.

original source, 1

School Rumble Anime Leads to Fine for Taiwanese TV Station

Station fined US$20,000+ for airing content "deemed inappropriate for children"

The Taipei Times news source reported on Thursday that the Taiwanese television channel Momo Kids TV was fined NT$600,000 (about US$20,033) on Wednesday for airing an episode of School Rumble that was "deemed inappropriate for children."

According to the Taiwanese news source Now News, a mother had filed a complaint against the December 26 airing of the show, accusing that the television station had "not rated the program properly and 'tainted' my 5-year-old daughter!" Taipei Times noted that dozens of parents complained to the National Communications Commission (NCC) about the show, saying that the episode depicted "high school students watching a pornographic movie together" along with "a scene of jiggling breasts" and a scene showing "actors moaning in pornographic movies."

An independent review team of 18 experts tasked by the NCC unanimously agreed that Momo Kids TV had violated a rule that stated that domestic and foreign satellite broadcasting businesses cannot air content that would "impair the physical or mental health of children or juveniles."

Jin Kobayashi's School Rumble manga was adapted into two 26-episode television anime series and two OVAs in Japan between 2004-2008.

original source

TV Tokyo Warns China's Youku Site to Take Down Anime Videos

TV Tokyo sent a legal request to China's Youku website last month, warning the site again to take down unauthorized copies of Naruto, Bleach, Gintama, and other anime programs whose copyrights are held by TV Tokyo.

original source, 1

Man Arrested for Uploading Kaizoku Sentai Gokaiger via Share Program

On January 11, police in Aichi Prefecture arrested a 26-year-old male company worker from the prefecture's Toyohashi City on suspicion of using the Share file-sharing software to upload the live-action special effects show Kaizoku Sentai Gokaiger online without the permission of Toei, the copyright holder. According to the Association of Copyright for Computer Software (ACCS), the suspect uploaded the series' 26th episode around September 16, 2011.

According to the police investigation, the suspect also uploaded obscene animation and drawings. The man said under deposition that he had been uploading anime for about four years because he wanted to make these titles available to people for free.

Kaizoku Sentai Gokaiger is Toei's 35th Super Sentai (Power Rangers) television series, and began airing in Japan on February 13, 2011.

original source, 1

Golgo 13's Saito Discusses How He Creates His Manga

75-year-old artist writes with 10-person staff, plans action series' ending

The Sankei Shimbun newspaper posted an exclusive feature article based on an interview with the Golgo 13 manga creator Takao Saito on Monday. The 75-year-old manga artist discussed how he and his team write the action manga.

According to the article, Saito works with a dedicated team of about ten writers to create the impression of a spy novel in the manga. The creator delegates and strictly checks all their work before each chapter is published.

Saito revealed that serialization of Golgo 13 was supposed to end ten times, and he is planning the last part of the manga. However, he also stated that only the manga's readers and publishers will decide when the story will conclude.

The manga launched in November 1968 in the January 1969 issue of Shogakukan's Big Comic magazine, and it is the longest-running manga still being serialized. It centers around the unrivaled assassin-for-hire Duke Togo and his exploits around the world. Golgo 13 has sold over 200 million copies, and the series' 163rd volume shipped in Japan on December 5. The manga inspired two live-action films (one starring Ken Takakura in 1973 and another starring Sonny Chiba in 1977), an anime film, a video anime project, and a television anime series. The production company Davis Film also announced in September that it acquired new film adaptation rights from Japan's LEED Publishing Co., Ltd.

Viz Media published selected chapters from the four-decade-long run of the original Golgo 13 manga in North America. Sentai Filmworks and Section23 Film released the television anime series.

original source

NisiOisin Anime Project's 10th Work to Be New Story

This year's second issue of Switch magazine published a full-page interview with author NisiOisin and director Akiyuki Shinbo on Friday. Towards the end of the interview, NisiOisin exclaimed that the ongoing "NisiOisin Anime Project" initiative will have 10 works. He noted that four works in the project — the last being the Kizumonogatari film — have already been green-lit. Shinbo noted with a laugh that this is an exclusive scoop and concluded the interview by saying that the commemorative 10th project will be a new, original script by NisiOisin, as opposed to an adaptation of an existing novel.

The first three "NisiOisin Anime Project" works are the Bakemonogatari series, the Katanagatari series, and the ongoing Nisemonogatari series. Shinbo expressed his desire to animate all of NisiOisin's "Monogatari" novels.

original source

Chibi Maruko-chan's 1,000th Episode to Air in February

Manga creator Momoko Sakura scripts 1-hour special about Maruko's birth

The family television anime series Chibi Maruko-chan will air its 1,000th episode on February 12, and the original manga creator Momoko Sakura is celebrating the occasion by scripting the 1,000th anime episode herself. (The manga celebrated its 25th anniversary last year.) "Watashi no Umareta Hi" (The Day I Was Born) will be a one-hour special about the birth of the title schoolgirl.

Kadokawa Magazines' The Television Web site posted two images from the upcoming episode.

Anime episode counts differ, depending on how the numbers are tallied; another Kadokawa publication, Newtype, will list the February 12 episode as No. 845 since it is part of the second Chibi Maruko-chan anime series that premiered in 1995. The first series ran from 1990 to 1992.

Sazae-san is still the longest animated television series in the world; it will run its 2,144th episode on February 5. (Each episode is split into three segments, so the segment count is about three times as long.) The 276th episode of the current Doraemon series will run on February 3, although the overall number of Doraemon episodes is over 1,500 now. The 760th episode of Crayon Shin-chan will air on February 3. Added together, there are over 700 Pokémon episodes. Detective Conan's 644th will run on February 4, and One Piece's 534th will air on the following day. The 468th and 469th episodes of Naruto/Naruto Shippuden will then run on February 9.

original source

15 Titles Nominated for 5th Manga Taisho Awards

Drifters, Flowers of Evil, Silver Spoon, I am a Hero, more

The executive committee for the fifth Manga Taisho awards has announced this year's 15 nominated works on Monday. (The official English name of the awards is the "Cartoon Grand Prize.") The nominating committee is composed mainly of bookstore staffers who are in charge of their respective stores' manga. Any manga title that was released in 2011 and has eight volumes or less is eligible. The volume cap is intentionally added so that the prize winners would be relatively new works that have not already earned their popularity through sheer longevity.

The second round of voting will determine the winner of Manga Taisho 2012, which will be announced at an awards ceremony held on March 23. Last year, Chika Umino's March comes in like a lion won the award. Shinichi Ishizuka's Gaku - Minna no Yama, Yuki Suetsugu's Chihayafuru, and Mari Yamazaki's Thermae Romae won the first three Manga Taisho in 2008, 2009, and 2010, respectively. Two of this year's nominees, Kengo Hanazawa's I am a Hero and Kouta Hirano's Drifters, were also nominated last year, and I am a Hero was nominated the year before.

Manga Taisho 2011 Nominees

I am a Hero
Kengo Hanazawa

Flowers of Evil
Shūzō Oshimi

Silver Spoon
Hiromu Arakawa

Gurazeni
Yūji Moritaka, Keiji Adachi

Getenrou
Masakazu Ishiguro

Shigatsu wa Kimi no Uso
Naoshi Arakawa

Shōwa Genroku Rakugo Shinjū
Haruko Kumota

Giga Tokyo Toy Box
Ume

Takasugi-san-chi no O-Bentou
Nozomi Yanahara

Tonari no Seki-kun
Takuma Morishige

Drifters
Kouta Hirano

25-ji no Bakansu (1 a.m. Vacation)
Haruko Ichikawa

Nobunaga Concerto
Ayumi Ishii

Hibi Rock
Katsumasa Enokiya

Hōzuki no Reitetsu
Natsumi Eguchi

original source

Hotarubi no Mori e, 663114 Win at 66th Mainichi Film Awards

Moteki's Mirai Moriyama, Mainichi Kaa-san's Kyōko Koizumi win best actor, actress awards

The 66th Annual Mainichi Film Awards were announced on Tuesday, and the anime film Hotarubi no Mori e, the animated short "663114," and the manga-based live-action films Moteki and Mainichi Kaa-san were among the winners.

Hotarubi no Mori e won the Animation Film Award. The film adapts Yuki Midorikawa's (Natsume Yūjin-Chō) supernatural romance manga. Anime studio Brains Base animated the film, with director Takahiro Omori and music by Makoto Yoshimori. The film stars Ayane Sakura (Dream Eater Merry) as Hotaru and Kouki Uchiyama (Infinite Stratos, C, Soul Eater) as Gin. The film opened in Japan on September 17.

Isamu Hirabayashi's "663114" anime short won the Noburou Oofuji Award, which honors animated works that offer new forms of creative expression. The 7-minute short responds to Japan's March 11 Great Eastern Japan Earthquake (Higashi Nihon Daishinsai) disaster. The anime film screened at the 68th Venice Film Festival in September and at the 2011 Vancouver International Film Festival in October. The short will also screen at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival this month. That film festival described the short as follows: "I am a 66-year-old cicada. There was a big earthquake. There was a big tsunami. There also was a big accident."

Mirai Moriyama won the Best Actor Award for his portrayal of Yukiyo in the live-action film adaptation of Mitsurou Kubo's Moteki romantic comedy manga. The film opened in Japan on September 23.

Kyōko Koizumi won the Best Actress Award for her portrayal of the title character in the live-action film adaptation of Rieko Saibara's Mainichi Kaa-san family comedy manga. The film previously won the Best Film for Asian New Talent Award at the 14th Annual Shanghai International Film Festival in June.

Shōta Sometani won the Sponichi Grand Prix Rookie of the Year Award for his performance as Mii-kun in the live-action film adaptation of Hitoma Iruma's Uso-tsuki Mii-kun to Kowareta Maa-chan light novel series. Shiori Kutsuna (Mei-chan no Shitsuji, Beck, Gota Keshi: Jidan Kōshōnin Shirai Torajirō) shared the award with Sometani for her performance in My Back Page.

Michiyo Ookusu, who played Shiranui in the 1973 Lone Wolf and Cub: Baby Cart in the Land of Demons live-action film, won the Kinuyo Tanaka Award. Hiromi Nagasaku (Angel, Mahō Tsukai ni Taisetsu na Koto) won the Best Supporting Actress Award for her performance in Youkame no Semi (Rebirth). Denden (Red Shadow: Akakage, Uzumaki) won the Best Supporting Actor Award for his performance in Tsumetai Nettaigyo. Hirokazu Kanakatsu (Boku to Kanojo no XXX) and Hikaru Hayashi (Vampire) won the Art Award and Music Award respectively for their work on Postcard (Ichimai no Hagaki).

The awards ceremony will be held on February 13 in Kawasaki in Kanagawa Prefecture.

original source, 1

Ame & Yuki Film by Summer Wars' Hosoda Slated for July 21

Ōkami Kodomo no Ame to Yuki, the latest film from Mamoru Hosada (Summer Wars, The Girl Who Leapt Through Time), is slated to open in theaters throughout Japan on July 21. A preview clip for the film will also debut in Japanese theaters on Saturday.

The story covers 13 years and begins with a 19-year-old college student named Hana who encounters and falls in "fairy tale-like" love with a "wolf man." After marrying the wolf man, Hana gives birth and raises two wolf children — an older sister named Yuki ("snow") who was born on a snowy day, and a younger brother named Ame ("rain") who was born on a rainy day. When the wolf man suddenly dies, Hana decides to move to a rural town far removed from the city.

original source

Japan Academy Prize Nods Confirmed for K-ON, Poppy Hill, Others

The Japan Academy Prizes' official website confirmed the nominees for the 35th annual awards on Monday. The website had revealed the nominees one day early on a "test" page; the test page has since been taken off public access.

The nominees in the Animation of the Year category are:

K-ON!
From Up On Poppy Hill
Buddha: The Great Departure (Tezuka Osamu no Buddha -Akai Sabaku yo! Utsukushiku-)
Tōfu Kozō
Detective Conan: Quarter of Silence

MPD-Psycho's Ohtsuka to Speak at Concordia University
Manga writer to lecture on manga & anime's roots in World War II

Concordia University announced on Wednesday that the manga writer Eiji Ohtsuka (MPD-Psycho, The Kurosagi Corpse Delivery Service) will present the keynote speech at this year's President's Conference Series event titled "Experiencing the Media Mix: Anime, Manga, Video Games." The conference will take place at the university from February 4 to 6 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.

Ohtsuka will present "The Unholy Alliance of Disney and Eisenstein: The Wartime Origins of Manga, Animation and Otaku Culture" at 5:00 p.m. on February 4. Concordia University describes the speech as follows: "Otsuka will discuss the roots of anime and manga forged during Japan's Pacific War as an amalgamation of Eisenstein's style of montage and Disney's character aesthetic." Ohtsuka will speak in Japanese, but his presentation will receive simultaneous translations into English and French. Admission to conference events is free, but guests must use an online form to reserve seats for Ohtsuka's keynote lecture.

The three-day international conference will also include a symposium with topics focusing on Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind, the Vocaloid idol Hatsune Miku, and video games. The Mount Royal Game Society will partner with Concordia's Technoculture research institute to host the "'Mixcade' Games Arcade." A group of 20 graduate students from Japan, the United States, and Canada will also attend a closed master class with Ohtsuka and other speakers on February 6.

original source

Ginga e Kickoff!! Soccer Anime to Restart NHK-G's Anime Block

Boy tries to revive his soccer team after encounter with female pro player

NHK General, the main television channel of Japan's public broadcaster, will relaunch its animation programming block this spring with the soccer anime Ginga e Kickoff!! (Kickoff to the Galaxy!!). The story follows a boy who was in a soccer team, but it was disbanded due to not enough players. However, after the boy meets a female professional soccer player, he aims to bring his soccer team back.

The anime is an adaptation of the 2006 soccer novel Ginga no World Cup (Galactic World Cup) by Hiroto Kawabata. The anime will premiere on Saturday, April 7 at 9:30 a.m., and all 18 professional soccer teams in Japan's top-tier J1 League are collaborating on a special segment. The segment will have boys and girls playing against actual J-Leaguers.

It has been six years since NHK General aired the Korean animated series Jang Geum's Dream in 2006. NHK General once ran such anime programs as Nadia - The Secret of Blue Water. NHK General's sibling channel E-Tele (NHK Educational) has also run animated programs such as Bakuman.

The educational program Kagai Jugyō: Yōkoso Senpai (Extracurricular Class: Welcome, Senpai) currently runs in NHK General's 9:30 a.m. timeslot in Saturday, but it will become a monthly program on Saturdays.

original source

Kawaii Kon to Host Voice Actress/Singer Yuu Asakawa

Voice of Love Hina's Motoko, Azumanga Daioh's Sakaki, Megurine Luka to attend March con

Kawaii Kon announced on Tuesday that it will host voice actress and singer Yuu Asakawa at the March 16-18 event in Honolulu.

Asakawa has voiced roles in more than 70 anime titles, including Love Hina (Motoko), Azumanga Daioh (Sakaki), Bubblegum Crisis 2040 (Priss), and Amagami SS (Hibiki), and she also lent her voice to the Vocaloid 2 virtual singer character Megurine Luka. Asakawa sang theme songs for Bubblegum Crisis 2040, the Love Hina X'mas Special - Silent Eve, and Majikoi - Oh! Samurai Girls!, and voiced roles in the Final Fantasy XIII and Dirge of Cerberus: Final Fantasy VII video games. Arakawa previously attended Anime Expo in 2010.

Kawaii Kon will also host voice actors Ryo Horikawa (Dragon Ball Z's Vegeta) and Kenichi Miya (Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's Dragan), and Final Fantasy/Vampire Hunter D artist Yoshitaka Amano. Other confirmed guests include voice actor Johnny Yong Bosch and his rock band EyeShine, voice actress Lisa Ortiz, and voice actors Vic Mignogna and Chris Sabat.

original source

Singer Ayumi Hamasaki Files for Divorce

Inuyasha singer married Austrian actor Manuel Schwarz on New Year's Day last year

Singer Ayumi Hamasaki announced on her official fan club site "Team Ayu" on Tuesday that she is getting divorced from Manuel Schwarz, an Austrian actor. She is filing for the divorce in America on Monday (which would be Tuesday in Japan). The two had gotten married in a Las Vegas chapel on New Year's Day last year.

Hamasaki performed theme songs for Inuyasha, Connected, and SHINOBI - Heart Under Blade, and she voice-acted as Yuri Sakazaki in Art of Fighting (Battle Spirits Ryuko no Ken).

original source

Jormungand Creator's New Manga Slated for April

The February issue of Shogakukan's Monthly Sunday GX magazine is announcing on Thursday that Jormungand manga creator Keitarō Takahashi's new manga will begin serializing in the magazine's May issue on April 19.

Takahashi ended Jormungand in the same issue, and the series' eleventh and final volume will also ship in Japan on April 19. This manga about a female arms dealer and her accomplices launched in Sunday GX in 2006, and the studio WHITE FOX (Steins;Gate) is animating the manga for television. Viz Media began releasing Jormungand in North America in 2009, and the company's English edition of the eighth compiled book shipped on January 10.

original source

Ōoku: The Inner Chambers Manga Gets Live-Action TV Drama, 2nd Film

TV drama adaptation of Fumi Yoshinaga's manga to start in October; film to open in December

Fumi Yoshinaga's Ōoku: The Inner Chambers manga will receive a live action television drama adaptation and a new film adaptation in October and December, respectively.

The television drama, titled Ōoku: Arikoto・Iemitsu Hen, will premiere in October. The drama will cover volumes 2-4 of the manga. Masato Sakai (Honey and Clover's Shuuji, Buddha: The Great Departure, Aoi Bungaku Series) will play Arikoto, the monk turned Ōoku member, and Mikako Tabe (Kimi ni Todoke's Sawako) will play the female shogun Iemitsu Tokugawa.

The movie, titled Ōoku: Emonnosuke・Tsunayoshi Hen will open on December 22, immediately after the TV drama ends. The movie will cover volumes 4-6 of the manga. Masato Sakai will play the Ōoku member Emonnosuke, and Miho Kanno (Tomie's title character) will play the female shogun Tsunayoshi Tokugawa. Additional cast members for the drama and film will be announced in July.

Fuminori Kaneko, a director best known for the live-action Kisarazu Cat's Eye and Ikebukuro West Gate Park television series, will return to direct both the drama and the second film, and Minako Kamiyama is handling the scripts.

The manga already received a live-action film adaptation in October 2010. That film covered the first volume of Yoshinaga's manga.

The historical science fiction story takes place in an alternate-history version of medieval Japan, in which a bizarre disease has dwindled the male population. This has led to a matriarchal society where women outnumber men by 4 to 1. The shogun and de facto ruler of Japan keeps her own harem of men, or Ōoku.

The previous flim starred Arashi J-pop group member Kazunari Ninomiya (Tekkonkinkreet, Letters from Iwo Jima), and singer/actress Kou Shibasaki (Battle Royale, Dororo, Sekai no Chūshin de, Ai wo Sakebu) played Shogun Yoshimune herself.

Viz Media released the sixth volume of the manga in North America in July 2011. The manga won the 2009 James Tiptree, Jr. Award, and it also won the Tezuka Osamu Cultural Prize in 2009.

original source

Viz Media Licenses Yu-Gi-Oh! Zexal Manga

Manga version of latest Yu-Gi-Oh! series launched in Shueisha's V Jump magazine in 2010

Viz Media confirmed with ANN on Wednesday it will release Kazuki Takahashi, Shin Yoshida, and Naohito Miyoshi's Yu-Gi-Oh! Zexal manga in North America. The online retailers Amazon and Simon & Schuster each list a June 5 release date for the series' first volume.

Shueisha revealed the Yu-Gi-Oh! Zexal anime and manga project in December 2010. The anime premiered in Japan in April 2011 and CW4Kids Toonzai began airing the series in North America in October.

The near-future story revolves around Yūma Tukumo, a 13-year-old rookie duelist, and Astral, the mysterious lifeform from a parallel world who suddenly appears before Yūma.

Shueisha released the first manga volume in Japan last June, and it will release the second volume on February 3. The manga is currently running in Shueisha's V Jump magazine.

Viz Media also published the Yu-Gi-Oh!, Yu-Gi-Oh! GX, Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's, and Yu-Gi-Oh! R manga in North America.

original source

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Zeltrax (news finder), Gintara (banner designer)

If you would like to help in finding and translating news of this nature, please contact any staff. ^^

Mangahelpers Weekly Featured Manga

Thu, 19 Jan 2012 20:08:50 +0000

Peony Pavilion
By: Xia Da
Genre: Historical, Drama, Romance
Publisher: Hunan Children's Publishing House
Publication Status: Complete, 1 Volume

A collection of full color short stories based on famous Chinese folktales.

All Images Copyright © 2008 Xia Da

Kamisama no Iutoori
Written By: Kaneshiro Muneyuki
Art By: Fujimura Akeji
Genre: Horror
Serialized In: Bessatsu Shounen Magazine
Publisher: Kodansha
Publication Status: Ongoing, 2 Volumes
Discuss

Takahata Shun's day at high school begins just as normal and boring as ever, but it doesn't end that way. After his teacher's head explodes, he and his classmates find themselves forced to play children's games, such as Daruma ga Koronda (a game like Red Light/Green Light), with deadly stakes. With no idea who is behind this mysterious deadly game session, and no way of knowing when it will finally end, the only thing Shun and other students can do is keep trying to win...

All Images Copyright © 2011 Kaneshiro Muneyuki and Fujimura Akeji

RRR
By: Watanabe Jun
Genre: Sports, Comedy
Serialized In: Young Magazine
Publisher: Kodansha
Publication Status: Complete, 10 Volumes
Discuss

Rikitaro is a musician whose dream is to become a rock star just like Jimi Hendrix or Jim Morrison, but at the age of 27 that dream is fading away rapidly. Ooishi is a 3 time world boxing champion who recently retired and is now in the entertainment world, shooting a boxing reality show. These two unlikeliest of people cross paths one day, but both of them think nothing of it until weeks later. Rikitaro is given one last shot by a record label to sign a deal but before that, they need him to get into better shape so that he is easier to sell. He stumbles upon a boxing gym which also happens to be the same gym Ooishi is filming his show. As fate’s wheels start to turn, neither man realizes that they will work together to train the best boxer ever, even better than Ooishi himself.

All Images Copyright © 2007 Watanabe Jun

The Ravages of Time
By: Chen Mou
Genre: Historical, Action
Serialized In: New Youth
Publisher: Tong Li
Publication Status: Ongoing, 44 Volumes
Discuss

Nearly 2000 years ago, the prosperous Han dynasty of China collapsed. Heroes rose and fell, and three nations emerged--Wei, Shu, and Wu. Historians refer to this period as the Three Kingdoms period. The romance of the three kingdoms is an intriguing tale of heroic deeds, of alliance forged and broken, of loyalty and betrayal...

Based on The Romance of the Three Kingdoms

New Manga Shout Out: 1/9/12 - 1/15/12

Mon, 16 Jan 2012 12:06:05 +0000

Welcome to the next New Manga Shout Out. With the no-raws/scans rule on MH, you have to work a bit to find these mangas. This week features a cross dressing boy, the heir to the demon lord throne, and samurai vengeance. Remember, if you like any of the series, favorite them. Don't forget to also thank the various people who feed your manga addiction. ^_^ Translators and Scanlators, please check out these series and see if you can spread some more manga love~

We're still looking for people who know Japanese and want to help write summaries for our manga database and for the shout out. Please PM me if you want to help out. Now onto the series~

Fake! (フェイク！)
By: TANABE Yellow

Demographics: Shounen
Status: 1 Volume (Complete)
Manga Details Page: Here
Translations: None
Scanlations: Birthday One-shot

A Collection of 5 Short Stories:

1) Lost Princess: A brash, mysterious adventurer arrives in a certain town and hears that a really pretty lady's younger sister has been kidnapped by a monster. Soon enough, he's off to rescue the girl, and hopefully impress her pretty older sister!

2) Yomikiriban Kekkaishi: A teenage boy has a supernatural heritage. He specializes in dealing with demons, but he balances his duties with more ordinary interests. When his neighbor, Hana, goes missing, it will be up to him to find her!

3) Fake: A boy has a supernatural left hand that can paint a fake of anything. That goes for paintings and even actual objects. However, the fakes dissolve not long after they are created. He loves painting, but, because of his power, he has to paint using only his right hand. He can use his ability both to help others, and for personally justifiable art crime...

4) Birthday: When Hiroshi was little, he used to say that heroes were cool. On his 15th birthday, his overenthusiastic parents got an extraordinary present for him. It's an item that will turn him into a hero, though in a way he has never wanted!

5) Yami no Naka: Two adventurers come to a village full of creepily enthusiastic townspeople, who encourage them to go and vanquish a monster. But do the townspeople really want them to kill a monster, or are they just setting them up as a sacrifice?

Thanks go to tethysdust for the summary.

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Fetix! (ふぇちっくす！)
By: IKUYA Daikokudou

Demographics: Shounen
Status: 2 Chapters (Ongoing)
Manga Details Page: Here
Translations: None
Scanlations: None

Hashinomoto Maaya has wanted to marry her little brother Rintarou since she was a little girl. Rintarou seemed to feel the same way, claiming that he wanted to be together with his sister when they were all grown up. Now, after going to separate elementary and middle schools, Rintarou is about to enter Maaya's high school! Maaya is filled with excitement for her school life together with her precious brother. But when she finally sees him, she realizes the true meaning of Rin-chan's words all those years ago. He didn't want to marry his sister, he wanted to be just like her. So now, he is beginning his high school life dressed as a girl...!

Thanks go to tethysdust for the summary.

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Jishou Maou to Chuuni Cluster (自称魔王と中二クラスタ)
By: MATSUDA Shima

Demographics: Shounen
Status: 1 Chapter (Ongoing)
Manga Details Page: Here
Translations: None
Scanlations: None

When Kamishiro Kei was still very young, he went missing for 6 months and has no memory of what happened during that time. Now as a high school student, Kei believes that he is from the underworld and the heir to the demon lord throne. His childhood friends, twin sisters Noibara Yuzuki and Akezuki, are used to his delusional view of the world. They even play along in his fantasy as the servant of the soon to be king of the underworld.

Thanks go to vyc for the summary.

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Keishichou Bijinkyoku (警視庁美人局)
By: YAMAGUCHI Masakazu

Demographics: Seinen
Status: 4 Volumes (Complete)
Manga Details Page: Here
Translations: None
Scanlations: None

Stationed in the country side, Sawajiri Ai, a new recruit to the police force, didn’t think she would ever see any kind of action. So it comes as a shock to her when she is transferred to headquarters into a division she has never even heard about: the 82nd division. Also known as the Beauty Division, the female officers all are gorgeous woman with extraordinary talent and skills. They use their God given body to infiltrate and crush criminal organizations and wanted men. Ai has her work cut out for her since all the members are motivated as well as extremely “persuasive.”

Thanks go to vyc for the summary.

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Kizuato (痕)
By: LEAF x TSUKIYOSHI Hiroki

Demographics: Seinen
Status: 1 Volume (Ongoing)
Manga Details Page: Here
Translations: None
Scanlations: None

Kashiwagi Koichi recently moved into his cousin’s house after the father that he barely talked to in recent years passes away. His cousins are four female siblings ranging in age from adult to a young child: Chizuru, Azusa, Kaede and Hatsune. After their parents died years ago, Koichi’s father and the girls’ uncle became their guardian. Koichi fits perfectly in the household although Kaede seems to act reserved around him. He soon starts having vivid dreams of himself as a homicidal monster. He tries to brush it off, but it gets worse every time and he starts to hear a haunting voice along with the dream. But what scares Koichi the most is that the dreams he is having might be reality!

Thanks go to vyc for the summary.

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Rinne no Lagrange - Akatsuki no Memoria (輪廻のラグランジェ～暁月のメモリア～)
By: Production I.G x SUGA Shotaro x YOSHIOKA Kimitake

Demographics: Seinen
Status: 1 Volume (Ongoing)
Manga Details Page: Here
Translations: None
Scanlations: None

This manga is related to the anime, "Rinne no Lagrange", although it has a different storyline.

On the planet of De Metorio, Izo is a student in the royal pilot training facility, together with his few classmates, Kirius, Arei, and Sanu. One day, they get a new student teacher who happens to be De Metorio royalty, Princess Yurikano. She runs things a lot differently than Izo and the others are used to, but there's more to this princess than meets the eye. Will Yurikano be able to get Izo and the others to accept her training, and will she be able to survive the enemies that are gathering against her?

Thanks go to tethysdust for the summary.

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Satomi Kei Jidaigeki Kessakusen (臥薪嘗胆)
By: SATOMI Kei

Demographics: Seinen
Status: 2 Volumes (Complete)
Manga Details Page: Here
Translations: None
Scanlations: None

A collection of historical-period short stories, mostly dealing with samurai and traditional vengeance.

1) Ikiru: A samurai with a tragic past and no future meets a woman who is attempting to kill herself. Together, they try to build a new life.. but is his past dangerous enough to steal any happiness they may find?

2) Sukedachi: A samurai comes across a young woman who asks him to help her take vengeance for the death of her husband. He agrees, against his better judgement. He knows that if she learns a certain fact about him, things could go very badly...

3) Kaiun: Kazuma is a guy who seems to have no luck. However, he thinks things are finally going well when he finds himself with a lovely woman named Aya. Unfortunately, the incredibly cruel big shot in town decides to forcibly take Aya from him. Kazuma hatches a plan to avenge Aya, and hopes that this time, luck is with him...

4) Kaeriuchi: Life is tough for a tough-looking guy with a reputation as a murderer. People whisper about him, and inns turn him away. Nothing will get better for him until he settles a matter of vengeance...

5) Katakiuchi Jigoku Tabi: A woman and her son go on a journey for vengeance, only to find that their quarry has died before their arrival! How can their desire for vengeance be satisfied?

6) Goyoujou: A man leaves his very pregnant wife to deliver a message. It seems to be an important message, as multiple people attempt to kill him or trick him into giving it up. What could he be carrying that is so important?

7) Onshuu: Times are changing, and the government has outlawed the traditionally accepted forms of seeking vengeance. Now people are expected to live their own lives, and not dedicate them to avenging their dead loved ones. But what will happen to people whose lives are already bound to a search for vengeance that has suddenly become illegal?

Thanks go to tethysdust for the summary.

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Shindere Shoujo to Kodoku na Shinigami ( シンデレ少女と孤独な死神)
By: SHINKIBA Yuki x KATO Yoshie

Demographics: Shounen
Status: 4 Chapters (Ongoing)
Manga Details Page: Here
Translations: None
Scanlations: None

The small island of Habane has a population so small that Wakanae Akira has had the same classmates since first grade. So when a transfer student from the mainland comes to school, Akira and the rest of the class are excited. But the new kid in class, Nishigami Matsushiro, tells everyone he has no intention of making friends and tells everyone to stay away. Apparently, anyone who gets close to him dies and was named Death by his classmates in his previous school.

Akira doesn’t like Matsushiro’s attitude but gets paired with him for class representative. By just spending a little time with him she learns that he isn’t really a bad person. However, his curse becomes reality once again and Akira dies. She is allowed to return to the living world under one condition: she is bound to the island. Akira gives up her freedom to try to cure Matsushiro of his horrible curse.

Thanks go to vyc for the summary.

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Shinsengumi Hitou Wolf x Wolves (新撰組秘闘ウルフ×ウルブズ)
By: MORITA Shigeru

Demographics: Shounen
Status: 1 Volume (Ongoing)
Manga Details Page: Here
Translations: None
Scanlations: None

The fearsome and infamous Shinsengumi maintained order in old Japan. Formed with the strongest swordsmen of the country, they crack down on criminal organizations that threaten the well being of the people. Some of the famous members include Okita and Hijikata who serve as captains under the leadership of Kondo Isami. However, in this universe, the leader of the Shinsengumi is just a little child who has responsibilities like attending school, an early bedtime, and finishing his vegetables. But don’t mistake his age with his strength; the ridiculously strong captains acknowledge Kondo as their leader because of his unique ability that makes him unbeatable: the power to see the future.

Thanks go to vyc for the summary.

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Trace (Amematsu)
By: Nasty Cat x Amematsu

Demographics: Seinen
Status: 1 Volume (Ongoing)
Manga Details Page: Here
Translations: None
Scanlations: None

One day, monsters, known as "Troubles," appeared and began indiscriminately attacking people. Sometimes they took the form of humans, and sometimes they simply looked like horrific monsters. However, at the same time, human beings known as "Traces" also began to appear. Despite being human, they had superhuman powers. Though they often fight the Troubles, many humans see them as just another threat.

Kamiyama Yu was born as a Trace, and he so terrified his parents with his power that they sent him away. Growing up alone and apathetic, Yu began hunting Troubles to train himself. One day, he was outmatched and nearly killed, and he ended up being taken in by a human girl, Akane, and her father. Yu didn't tell them he was a Trace, and let them believe instead that he was an ordinary human orphan. Now, for the first time, he has the opportunity to live with people who care for him, people who see him as a human and not a monster. Will he be able to protect his new family, and keep them from finding out what he is?

Thanks go to tethysdust for the summary.

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Viking (売王)
By: KAJI Kengo x TSUCHIYAMA Shigeru

Demographics: Seinen
Status: 2 Volumes (Complete)
Manga Details: Here
Translations: None
Scanlations: None

Oumi Shigemori, also known as Hanjo, is from a long line of merchants. He knows the tricks of the trade when it comes to business and making profits. But Hanjo understands that profits have to be long term and taking short cuts in business decisions eventually leads to a collapse. Making sure the buyer, the seller, and the community all benefit from the transaction is Hanjo’s philosophy. He travels around the country, helping both small and big businesses turn their finances from a mole to a mountain.

Thanks go to vyc for the summary.

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The name of the manga series
A summary of the series
Publishing Status (+ Number of Volumes/Chapters)

This is what tethysdust said this week:

Quote:

I think Trace was probably my favorite this week. I think there's a lot they could do with that story. Jidaigeki Kessakusen might also be fun if you're really into stories about ritual vengeance.
Here's what vyc had to say:

Quote:

Kizuato - The mystery/horror/adult series. It really draws the reader in and makes you wanting more. The more you find, out the more questions you have. The little jabs of comedy mixed in with graphic scenes makes this a great series.

Shindere Shoujo to Kodoku na Shinigami - I really liked the concept of the story. The characters are really great especially the two main characters. I only read the first few chapters but it got me wanting to read more of what happens and how the characters change as they spend more time together.
My opinion:
Kizuato is the only manga that seemed to pique my interest. I'm curious how his dreams play into reality~

Translated items that need some love/scanlation:
myao - Circle Game: Chapter 1

If you haven't done so already, check out the scanlations of the mangas from previous shout outs which have been recently scanlated: supernatural sci-fi comedy MELTY BLOOD X (MH link), fantasy romance Parabellum (MH link), action sci-fi adventure Front Mission - Dog Life & Dog Style (MH link), sci-fi school life adventure Star Children (MH link).

Mangahelpers Manga Awards 2011 – The Final Phase

Sun, 15 Jan 2012 01:01:31 +0000

The Tie-Breaker phase has ended and we are finally getting to the last stage, the voting process to decide which manga is the best in it's specific category. The 5 official nominees for all categories are ready and now it's up to you to decide and vote for your absolute favourite!
Feel free to comment about which series is (in your opinion) the best in it's specific category, discussions are more than welcome as long as they stay friendly.

And now have fun voting! Let's see which manga get the glory of being called „The Best“.

The Manga Awards Section can be found [HERE]

Animanga in the News: 1/7 - 1/13

Sat, 14 Jan 2012 01:54:03 +0000

Hello everyone! It's time for another week of animanga in the news :D
This week, we have quite a number of articles about code geass and its upcoming movies, an article about funimation lawsuit, naruto games sales, news about the new yamato and much more~ To find out more, read on!

Code Geass: Bōkoku no Akito to Screen in Theaters This Summer

Miyu Irino, Maaya Sakamoto to lead cast; stage musical, social game announced

The anime studio Sunrise is announcing on Thursday that the Code Geass Gaiden: Bōkoku no Akito project will screen in 10 theaters throughout Japan in early summer. Miyu Irino will play Akito, while Maaya Sakamoto will play Reira Marukaru.

Sunrise also announced a stage musical with an all-male cast, in addition to the previously announced non-musical stage play (Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion: Sōran Eve). A social game is launching on Japan's mobile game platform Mobage this spring. According to revamped official portal site, a pachinko slot machine is in the works.

A 90-second promotional video for the Code Geass: Akito the Exiled anime project was presented at Thursday's Code Geass New Project Announcement event and later streamed by Bandai Namco Live TV online.

A Code Geass: Sōbō no Ozu series will also run in Hobby Japan magazine and Kadokawa Shoten's Newtype Ace magazine.

Maaya Sakamoto Sings Code Geass: Akito the Exiled Theme

Escaflowne composer Yoko Kanno, lyricist Yuho Iwasato reunite for new song

Voice actress Maaya Sakamoto will not only play the heroine in the Code Geass: Akito the Exiled anime project, but she will also perform its theme song. Acclaimed composer Yoko Kanno and lyricist Yuho Iwasato — the same team that created Sakamoto's debut song "Yakusoku wa Iranai" as The Vision of Escaflowne anime's opening theme — are reuniting for Sakamoto's new song.

Sakamoto will play Reira Marukaru, a former noblewoman of Britannia and the Waivan unit commander. Code Geass: Akito the Exiled (Code Geass: Bōkoku no Akito) is the finalized title for the project tentatively known as Code Geass Gaiden: Bōkoku no Akito.

original source, 1, 2, 3

Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion Gets Film Project

Separate from Code Geass: Akito the Exiled anime

Yoshitaka Kawaguchi, the producer of the Code Geass anime franchise, announced on Thursday that a film adaptation of the original Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion anime is being planned. Kawaguchi specifically said that the film adaptation is for the Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion story and not the separate Code Geass: Akito the Exiled.

Kawaguchi and fellow Code Geass producer Atsushi Yukawa described the film project as a "dream" project. On the screen at the event were the words "Project Launch."

original source

Code Geass: Nunnally in Wonderland Video Anime Revealed

Alice in Wonderland-themed story by designer Takahiro Kimura

The official website for the Code Geass franchise revealed on Thursday that a Nunnally in Wonderland original video anime (OVA) will be released on Blu-ray Disc and DVD this year. Each edition will include a 40-page picture book that recounts the same story as the anime.

Takahiro Kimura, the character designer for the first Code Geass anime, will be the animation director and contribute new designs for this project. In the all-new story, Lelouch makes the ultimate use of his Geass power for his little sister Nunnally, who loves Alice in Wonderland.

Makoto Baba, an episode director on the two television anime series, is directing this new project. Episode scriptwriter Yuuichi Nomura, character designer/animation director Takahiro Kimura, and musical composer Kotaro Nakagawa are also returning from the television series. Bandai Namco Live TV streamed a promotional video.

original source

Togashi: Hunter x Hunter Has Longest Run Without Break

In the authors' comment section for this year's seventh issue of Shueisha's Weekly Shonen Jump magazine next Monday, manga creator Yoshihiro Togashi notes that he is "apparently" setting a new personal record for the longest run without a break on his Hunter X Hunter series. According to the unofficial "Hunter X Hunter Hiatus List," Togashi is running the 21st installment in a row in the next Weekly Shonen Jump issue. He had started the run in August in 2011's combined 35th/36th issue.

Until now, Hunter X Hunter's longest stretch without a break was 20 installments. Togashi drew that run in 2010 from the combined 5th/6th issue (January 4) to the 26th issue (May 31).

original source

Funimation Sues A.D. Vision, Sentai, Others for US$8 Million

Seeks to have ADV's 2009 sale of assets declared void

On November 4, 2011, FUNimation Entertainment filed a lawsuit in the district court of Harris County, Texas against John Ledford, as well as companies A.D. Vision, AEsir Holdings, Sxion 23 (A.K.A. Section23 Films), Valkyrie Media Partners, Seraphim Studios, Sentai Filmworks, Sentai Holdings, and Unio Mystica Holdings (A.K.A. Switchblade Pictures) for breach of contract and other claims. Ledford is the CEO and co-founder of A.D. Vision. In the lawsuit, Funimation claims that the defendants owe Funimation "an amount to be proven at trial but currently estimated" to be approximately US$8 million plus interest, costs, and attorneys' fees.

Funimation's lawsuit alleges that it became a creditor of A.D. Vision (ADV) in regard to a debt ADV owed ARM Corporation, which was a third party licensing entity jointly owned by Sojitz Corporation and several other companies. The lawsuit notes that ADV had purchased anime licenses from ARM after May 2006, and in January 2008 ARM "declared ADV to be in default of the parties' agreements." ADV lost the rights to more than 30 anime properties, and in July 2008, Funimation and ARM announced that they had reached a distribution agreement for those properties.

In the lawsuit, Funimation claims that ARM also gave Funimation the right to enforce ARM's agreement with ADV, specifically in regard to the debt that ADV owed ARM — making Funimation a creditor. The suit alleges that ADV never paid this debt, and instead sold its assets for below market price to several companies owned by former ADV executives and shut down.

The suit goes on to claim that ADV's transfer of assets "was made with the intent to defer, hinder or defraud the creditors of ADV," including Funimation, and that the new companies "succeeded ADV's contractual liability" in regard to the outstanding debt.

Funimation is also requesting that the court declare ADV's transfer of assets "as null, voided and without effect," restoring those assets to the parent company. Funimation is also requesting a jury trial.

On December 23, Sentai Filmworks, Seraphim Studios, Sentai Holdings, Valkyrie Media Partners, Unio Mysteica Holdings, AEsir Holdings, and Section23 Films filed a counterclaim disputing these charges. The companies claim, among other things, that they do not have a contract with Funimation and are not liable to the company. They claim that the companies did not exist when Funimation acquired the rights from ARM to enforce ADV's contract with ARM. In addition, the companies claim that Funimation's lawsuit was filed after the two-year statute of limitations, and that Funimation was not involved with the original contract and cannot claim any direct damages.

The companies are asking that the court declare that Funimation's contract "is not a valid agreement binding on the Defendants," that the companies owe "no duties or performance of any obligations" to Funimation, and that Funimation pay for the companies' attorney's fees, costs, and expenses.

The first pre-trial meeting is currently scheduled for October 5, 2012.

Section23 Films provided ANN with the following statement:

Quote:

Funimation's lawsuit is completely without merit or basis and we look forward to proving it when we have our day in court.

When asked to comment, Funimation told ANN that its official statement is addressed in the lawsuit.

original source

10 Million Naruto Games Shipped

Bandai Namco Games announced on Thursday that it has shipped 10 million Naruto video games worldwide since the game series debuted in 2003. The company has shipped 1.9 million games in Japan and Asia, 4.3 million games in North America, and 3.8 million games in Europe.

Between the first game, Naruto: Konoha Ninpōchō, which was released in 2003 for the WonderSwan Color, and the most recent game, Naruto Shippūden: Ultimate Ninja Impact (Naruto Shippūden: Narutimate Impact), which was released in Japan and North America in October 2011 for the PlayStation Portable, 15 Naruto game titles have been released.

original source

CyberConnect2 CEO to Run Paris Marathon as Naruto

Celebrating 10 million Narutos sold. Hiroshi Matsuyama to run 26-mile marathon with Namco Bandai staff.

Bandai Namco Games announced on Thursday that the CyberConnect2 CEO Hiroshi Matsuyama will run in the Paris International Marathon while cosplaying as Naruto on April 15.

Matsuyama will participate in the event to celebrate the the worldwide shipment of 10 million Naruto video games. Bandai Namco Games staff will join Matsuyama in the 42.195-kilometer (about 26.219-mile) race.

CyberConnect2 has developed the Naruto: Ultimate Ninja fighting game series, including Naruto Shippūden: Ultimate Ninja Impact (Naruto Shippūden: Narutimate Impact), which shipped in Japan and North America in October 2011.

original source, 1

Prefecture's Youth Council Discusses 'Harmful' Books & Homosexuality
Member: If there are more depictions where women lead, it will encourage homosexual tendencies

On December 23, the southwestern Japanese prefecture of Miyazaki posted the meeting notes for the prefecture's Youth Healthy Development Council, the group that designates the "publications harmful to youths." Similar to other prefectures, Miyazaki passed a law in 1977 and amended it several times to allow it to restrict the sale of "harmful publications" from people under the age of 18.

The council held its second meeting of 2011 on October 14. In that meeting, the members discussed selected books that were reportedly placed in a major bookstore, outside of its adults-only section. According to the government staff member who spoke about the books, boys-love comics, ladies' comics (manga aimed at women), and similar material are generally mixed in with "regular comics" on the same shelves. One of the council members gave the following comments:

Quote:

These books contain a little shadow of violence and brutality in them, most of which are to stimulate the sexual feelings and tend to depict women taking the lead over men. We are concerned that if youths read such material, they may have a biased notion that women desire [these feelings].
Also, if there are more depictions where women lead, it will encourage the tendency toward homosexuality and make it difficult psychologically to have a sexual intercourse normally.

Although it cannot be generalized, it is said that men tend to lean toward the homosexuality by thinking that they cannot take the lead.

We see such a tendency in today's books which are placed among the regular books within sight of youths. I think that it is very dangerous.

A second council member said that this tendency is a reflection of the times and added that he or she does not understand it. The second council member continued that in the past, homosexuality was discussed in special surroundings, but are now discussed publicly.

Although the 12 of the 13 council members who were present were identified by name, comments made in the meeting were deliberately not attributed to specific members.

original source

Eureka Seven Ao Sci-Fi TV Sequel's Story Outlined

Staff listed, new piece of art unveiled in February's Newtype magazine

The February issue of Kadokawa Shoten's Newtype magazine is presenting the story outline, staff list, and a new piece of art for Eureka Seven Ao, the sequel to Bones' 2005-2006 Eureka Seven television anime series, on Tuesday.

The story is set on Okinawa's isolated island of Iwado, which has seen a growing movement advocating a return to an autonomous government. Ao Fukai, a 13-year-old boy with a missing father, lives on the island with an old doctor named Toshio and is about to enter middle school. Ao's mother was taken away a decade ago by unknown individuals. Naru Arata, Ao's 13-year-old childhood friend and the story's heroine, lives with her father, older sister, and grandmother. She has a "Yuta" power awakened within her due to an incident when she was young.

A mysterious entity called "Secret" suddenly appears and launches an attack on the Scub Coral lifeform on the island. In his fervent desire to protect the island, Ao launches a certain military FP called "Nirvash" aboard a Japanese military transport.

The anime sequels features the return of the original anime's director, several mechanical designers, art director, color stylist, visual effects director, and director of photography. The first anime's character designer Kenichi Yoshida and main mechanical designer Shoji Kawamori are also credited for "key character designs" and "Nirvash designs," respectively.

Director: Tomoki Kyoda
Key Character Design: Kenichi Yoshida
Character Design: Hiroyuki Oda
Nirvash Design: Shoji Kawamori
Mechanical Design: Kanetake Ebikawa, Kimitoshi Yamane, Takayuki Yanase
Design Development: Shigeto Koyama
Design Works: Shiho Takeuchi
Art: Kazuo Nagai
Color Design: Nobuko Mizuta
SF Setting: Mitsuyasu Sakai
VFX Director: Yasushi Muraki
Director of Photography: Shunya Kimura
Animation Production: BONES

The new television series will premiere in April, and the story is being adapted in manga form in Kadokaw Shoten's Monthly Shōnen Ace and Newtype Ace magazines.

original source

Manga Creators Draw Real-Life Samurai for Quake Charity
Jun Ishikawa, Takashi Yanase, Kiminori Wakasugi, Mine Yoshizaki, 50 artists contribute

More than 50 Japanese manga creators and illustrators will contribute to the "My Ryōma Illustration Exhibit in Edo" art exhibition in Tokyo's Murashita Culture Center. The artists will create likenesses of the real-life samurai Sakamoto Ryōma for the charity exhibit, which will run from January 27 to February 12.

Previous "My Ryōma Illustration Exhibit" art shows appeared in various locations throughout western Japan in 2010 and 2011, including an exhibition at the Kyoto International Manga Museum. The events' planners will host this event with new art to support the victims of the Great Eastern Japan Earthquake (Higashi Nihon Daishinsai) disaster. The new exhibit will include various displays and special talks as well as 150 manga volumes featuring Ryōma and the Bakumatsu (Late Tokugawa Shogunate, 1853 - 1868) period.

Contributing artists will include Jun Ishikawa (Naruto Shippūden, Bleach), Takashi Yanase (Soreike! Anpanman), Mine Yoshizaki (Sgt. Frog, ArcadeGamer FUBUKI), Tatsuya Egawa (Golden Boy, Magical Taruruuto-kun), Hisashi Eguchi (Paranoia Agent, Spriggan), Kendi Oiwa (Midas Eater, Tsukumo Happy Soul), Mitsurou Kubo (3.3.7 Byooshi, Moteki), Rieko Saibara (Mainichi Kāsan, Onnanoko Monogatari), Kotobuki Shiriagari (Jacaranda), Kiminori Wakasugi (Detroit Metal City), Mayu Shinjo (The Diamond of the Heart, Ai Ore), Yūsaku Hanakuma (Tokyo Zombie, Cyborg Salaryman Mecha Afro-kun), Akiko Higashimura (Kuragehime, Himawari - Kenichi Legend), Mineo Maya (Patalliro!, Patalliro Saiyuki!), and Daiju Yanauchi (Gang King).

Admission to the exhibit will be free. However, tickets to the opening ceremony (produced by Kenzo Saeki), tickets to live demonstrations and other events, and promotional items will be available for a fee.

original source

Bem/Yusei Kamen Anime Writer Akira Adachi Passes Away

1960s, 1970s television anime series scriptwriter was 75

The Nikkan Sports newspaper reported on Wednesday that the anime scriptwriter Akira Adachi (Yokai Ningen Bem, Yusei Kamen) passed away from pneumonia in a Chiba hospital at 3:12 p.m. on Friday. He was 75.

Adachi wrote scripts for television anime including the 1960s series Prince Planet and the 1970 series Bakuhatsu Goro. He was also involved with the puppet troupe "Gekidan Pikkari-za."

Funeral services for the writer from Shimane Prefecture's Matsue City will take place in Chiba's Hanamigawa Ward on Wednesday morning. Adachi left behind his wife Misako.

original source, 1

Yamato 2199 Composer Is Original Yamato Composer's Son

Akira Miyagawa follows after Hiroshi Miyagawa to compose anime remake project

The Space Battleship Yamato 2199 Production Committee announced on Thursday that Akira Miyagawa (Shin Mazinger Shōgeki! Z-Hen, Emily of New Moon) will compose the Space Battleship Yamato 2199 television and film anime project. His father Hiroshi Miyagawa composed music for the original 1974 Space Battleship Yamato anime series and its related film and television sequels.

The younger Miyagawa is re-scoring his father's work as well as composing new music. He is recording the music with a full orchestra during a one-month period. The Space Battleship Yamato 2199 Production Committee posted an interview with the composer on the anime's official website.

The Space Battleship Yamato 2199 film will open on April 7 in 10 theaters throughout Japan. The 50-minute movie will be the first two episodes of the new television series, combined into one theatrical preview screening.

Yamato 2199's basic story is the same as the first Yamato anime set in 2199, but Yutaka Izubuchi (RahXephon), the 52-year-old animator who worked on mechanical designs and science-fiction concepts on some of the earlier projects in the franchise, is serving as chief director. Yoshinobu Nishizaki, the late producer of the franchise, is credited with the original story. Nobuteru Yuki (Escaflowne, Record of Lodoss War) is designing the characters, and the anime studios XEBEC and AIC are producing the anime. Mechanical designer Makoto Kobayashi (Giant Robo, Last Exile, Space Battleship Yamato Resurrection) revealed at Anime Expo in July that he is working on a Yamato remake for this year.

Shoji Nishizaki and Leiji Matsumoto's Yamato space opera anime franchise began with the first Space Battleship Yamato television series in 1974. The titular spaceship Yamato is built from the remains of the World War II battleship of the same name to protect Earth from extraterrestrial threats. Over the next 35 years, the television anime spawned two television sequels, two video projects, and six films including 2009's Space Battleship Yamato Resurrection. The anime was dubbed and partly rewritten in English as Star Blazers. A live-action film remake of the original Space Battleship Yamato anime opened in Japan in December 2010.

original source

Votoms' Takahashi to Oversee Leiji Matsumoto's Ozuma

Escaflowne's Yuki contributes to designs; story outline revealed

The Japanee television channel WOWOW opened a teaser site to confirm that it will premiere Ozuma, the first major new anime from creator Leiji Matsumoto (Space Pirate Captain Harlock, Space Battleship Yamato, Galaxy Express 999) in five years, on March 16. It also listed the anime's staff:

Creator/Chief Setting Writer/Design: Leiji Matsumoto
Chief Director: Ryousuke Takahashi (Armored Trooper Votoms, Aoki Ryūsei SPT Layzner, episode in The Cockpit)
Director: Takahiro Ikezoe (Slap Up Party -Arad Senki-)
Scriptwriter: Junki Takegami (Naruto Shippūden, Hayate the Combat Butler)
Design Collaboration: Nobuteru Yuki (Record of Lodoss War, Escaflowne, Space Battleship Yamato 2199)
Mechanical Design: Hideyuki Matsumoto (Toward the Terra)
Production: Ozuma Production Committee

According to the Nikkan Sports newspaper, the story is set on Earth in the future when an anomaly on the sun devastates Earth's atmosphere and damages the ecosystem. The deterioration of DNA has reduced the birth rate drastically, which forces the government to make clones named "IC" (Ideal Children), as well as a new government body for IC.

Sam Coin, one of the so-called "Sand Pirates" who trades in the desert, is looking for the unidentified gigantic object, "Ozuma," which did his brother harm. One day, Sam rescued a beautiful girl, Maya, who was being chased by a sand destroyer ship owned by IC's army "Shishiasu." He took her with him to the Sand Pirates' ship, Barudanosu, sitting on the Port of Oaaze. However, the Barudanosu is under seige by the sand destroyer ship and its overwhelming military might.

The theme of the story is "to fight the limited timespan of life." Matsumoto said, "Because there is a limit to our lifespan, we wish to accomplish something before losing energy. This desire to not fade away but to continue forever, plays a role in passing a legacy to the next generation."

Even though this is Matsumoto's first major new anime in five years, his previous creations have inspired spinoff projects over the past decade.

original source, 1

Nikkan Sports: Leiji Matsumoto Makes Ozuma TV Anime

6-part Spring sci-fi story set on future Earth swallowed in sea of sand

The Nikkan Sports newspaper is reporting on Thursday that "an illusive unreleased scenario" by 73-year-old manga and anime creator Leiji Matsumoto (Space Pirate Captain Harlock, Space Battleship Yamato, Galaxy Express 999) has been "unearthed," and will finally be made into a television anime project three decades later. The title of the project is Ozuma, and it is set on a future Earth that has gone to ruins in a sea of sand.

The six-episode project will premiere on March 16 and run every Friday at midnight as the 20th anniversary project of the WOWOW television channel.

Matsumoto had created the plot in the 1980s, but it has not been animated until now. When he received a fervent pitch to finally adapt the project into anime to mark WOWOW's 20th anniversary, he gave his seal of approval.

Matsumoto commented that people all over the world contributed to the relief efforts during the Great Eastern Japan Earthquake (Higashi Nihon Daishinsai) disaster, and added that it is the responsibility of humanity to join forces and help each other.

Matsumoto revealed last month that he is planning a Cosmo Super Dreadnought Mahoroba film for 2013. Matsumoto had also revealed plans for a new Zero Desigze anime and a live-action Galaxy Express 999 project earlier last year, but neither has been released yet.

The 1974-1975 space opera classic Space Battleship Yamato is being remade as this year's Space Battleship Yamato 2199 television series with special theater screenings by a new staff and cast. Toei Animation produced a 2010 computer-animated pilot for a proposed remake of the Space Pirate Captain Harlock anime, and it had initially planned for a full remake this year before listing a new tentative date of 2013.

original source

Poyopoyo's Rū Tatuki Launches New Manga

Ai Matsumoto's Kodomo no Mikata comedy manga also begins in mag

The February issue of Futabasha's Monthly Manga Town magazine launched the Boku no Okusan (My Wife) manga by Rū Tatuki (Poyopoyo Kansatsu Nikki) on Friday.

The Boku no Okusan four-panel manga follows the married lives of five male aristocrats in medieval France. The comedy story centers on the unhappy men's interactions with their apparently strange wives.

Ai Matsumoto's Kodomo no Mikata (A Child's Friend) also began serialzing in the same issue. The manga follows a father-daughter pair who operates a toy store. The odd father wholeheartedly acts like a hero while his level-headed daughter grounds him in the comedy story.

original source

Crimson Hero's Takanashi Plans Kujaku no Kyōshitsu Manga

The Devil Does Exist's Mitsuba Takanashi to launch series about school for kids of the elite

The February issue of Shueisha's Bessatsu Margaret magazine announced on Friday that Crimson Hero manga creator Mitsuba Takanashi will launch her Kujaku no Kyōshitsu (Classroom of Peacocks) series in the next issue on February 13. The story is set in an elite school attended by the children of celebrities in all sorts of fields. The unruly kids cause havoc throughout the campus.

Takanashi ended her Crimson Hero manga in 2008, and Viz Media published the manga as one of the four launch titles in Shojo Beat magazine in 2005 in North America. DC Comics' shuttered CMX Manga imprint also published Takanashi's The Devil Does Exist series.

original source

Manga Artist est em to Launch Ippo Serie

New series from Age Called Blue/Red Blinds the Foolish creator revolves around shoemaker

The seventh issue of Shueisha's Jump Kai magazine is announcing on Tuesday that manga creator est em (Age Called Blue, Red Blinds the Foolish, Seduce Me After the Show) is launching a new series called Ippo. The manga, which will run every other month, follows a maker of individually crafted shoes after he returns home from a trip to Florence, Italy. One day, a surprise visitor comes to his studio.

Jump Kai's official Twitter account previously noted that est em will contribute to the January 27 issue of the Super Jump spinoff magazine Girls Jump, which features an all-female creator lineup.

Deux Press published Red Blinds the Foolish and Seduce Me After the Show in North America, while Netcomics published Age Called Blue. The creator launched the Golondrina manga in Shogakukan's Monthly Ikki magazine in June. The manga's story is set in Spain and revolves around a matador.

original source

Arina Tanemura to Release 8 Manga Volumes in 5 Weeks

Manga creator Arina Tanemura is releasing eight volumes between now and February 17:

January 13:
Sakura Hime: The Legend of Princess Sakura volume 9
Arina no Tane essay manga (pictured right)

January 18:
Full Moon O Sagashite bunko (smaller paperback) reissue volumes 1 & 2

February 15:
Sakura Hime: The Legend of Princess Sakura volume 10
Fudanjuku Monogatari

February 17:
Full Moon O Sagashite bunko reissue volumes 3 & 4

To celebrate the release of these books, an "Arinacchi 555 Fair" campaign will give away five personalized autographed sketches, 50 Tosho cards, and 400 exclusive clear file folders via a random drawing among people who buy the books.

original source

GTO Spinoff Confirmed, Black Sweep Sisters Switches Homes

An advertisement confirmed that Inohead Gargoyle, Tohru Fujisawa's manga that will launch in this year's seventh issue of Kodansha's Young Magazine on January 16, is a Great Teacher Onizuka spinoff manga. The story will center on the character Toshiyuki Saejima, a corrupt police officer and Onizuka's friend, who appeared in the GTO: The Early Years prequel manga.

Fujisawa revealed in December that he would create a new series for serialization in Young Magazine, and the magazine then announced the title last month. The "Inohead" in the title is an apparent wordplay on the Tokyo locale Inokashira.

The Black Sweep Sisters manga by Fujisawa and artist Takashi Sano (Iketeru Futari) will also move to Ichijinsha's Monthly Comics REX magazine on January 27. The manga premiered in ASCII Media Works' online magazine Dengeki Comic Japan in August. Black Sweep Sisters is a "thrilling dark action" story that centers around two dissimilar ("one large-breasted, the other small-breasted") sisters who are exorcists for rising evil spirits.

original source, 1

Kenji Nakamura's Latest Slated for April on Noitamina

Kōji Yamamoto, producer of Fuji TV's late-night Noitamina programming block, confirmed on Thursday that director Kenji Nakamura's next project will air in the block with Sakamichi no Apollon in April. More will be revealed in less than 22 days on February 2.

A teaser website opened last week, and the tsuritama.com domain's name server belongs to Sony Music Entertainment. The site shows an excerpt of a script in which a person named Haru suddenly appears before the speaker and says, "Let's save Earth together!" Nakamura's previous credits include Ayakashi - Samurai Horror Tales, Mononoke, and Kūchū Buranko.

original source

Symphogear Art Director Thomas Romain Posts Designs

Thomas Romain, art director of the original television anime Senki Zesshō Symphogear, posted seven production design images from the series on the Catsuka website Saturday. The music-themed anime premiered in Japan on Friday night.

The anime follows a female vocal duo named Zweiwing and two ordinary schoolgirls who fight to save humanity against a threat known as "Noise." Composer Noriyasu Agematsu of the music group Elements Garden and game producer Akifumi Kaneko (Wild Arms) created this project. Romain (Oban Star-Racers, Basquash!) is also in charge of future visuals for Senki Zesshō Symphogear.

original source

Koyuki, Kenichi Matsuyama Have Healthy 1st Child

Boy born to Last Samurai actress, Death Note actor who met while filming Legend of Kamui

Actress Koyuki announced on Sunday that she gave birth to a boy — her first child with actor Kenichi Matsuyama — on Thursday. Both the mother and the child are doing well. Her agency faxed the announcement to the press, and Matsuyama's agency sent out another message to express his joy over their growing family. Matsuyama was present at the delivery room to witness the birth.

The two had met while co-starring in Yōichi Sai's 2008 live-action film adaptation of Sanpei Shirato's Kamui Gaiden (The Legend of Kamui) manga. They began seeing each other, and then they married on April 1 of last year. They announced Koyuki's pregnancy on September 3.

Matsuyama starred in such films as Death Note, Gantz, Detroit Metal City, Usagi Drop, and NANA. Koyuki appeared in Always: Sunset on Third Street, Ikebukuro West Gate Park, Kimi wa Pet, The Last Samurai, and the live-action adaptation of Blood: The Last Vampire.

original source

One Piece Manga's Laboon, Bepo Turned Into Room Lamps

Lights inspired by whale, bear in Eiichiro Oda's pirate manga to ship in April

Plex, a Namco Bandai Group company that designs and makes character goods, will sell room lamps in the shape of the characters Laboon and Bepo from Eiichiro Oda's One Piece pirate manga in early April. The Lapoon light will feature the scars that the whale inflicted upon itself by ramming into the Red Line continent at Twin Cape, while the Bepo light will be shaped like the bear in Trafalgar Law's pirate crew.

Inside both lamps is a 10-watt light bulb.

original source

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Zeltrax (news finder), riki (news finder), Gintara (banner designer)

If you would like to help in finding and translating news of this nature, please contact any staff. ^^

Mangahelpers Weekly Featured Manga

Wed, 11 Jan 2012 20:43:20 +0000

Hotel
By: Boichi
Genre: Drama, Action, Psychological
Serialized In: Morning, Mandala
Publisher: Kodansha
Publication Status: Complete, 1 Volume
Discuss

One Shot Collection:

Hotel: It is the year 2272 A.D. A computer continues to live on in order to complete a mission in a world where all life, including Mankind, has gone extinct. This is a record of those 27 million years of its heroic struggle.
Present: Hanako suffers from a terrible disease. After awakening from a deep slumber, Hanako has only three days to live. During those three days, her husband, Takao, must endure a heart-breaking experience, knowing that the person Hanako really loves isn't him.
It Was All for the Tuna: Tuna have become extinct and Jun Shiozaki will do everything possible and imaginable to bring them back.
Stephanos: Set in modern-day Japan, our main character Noriko finds out that she is pregnant with her lover Matsumura’s baby. He, however, is an important doctor with a family and everything already. Noriko wants to have the baby, but Matsumura says that it’s actually a rapidly growing cancer and that they have to remove it immediately. It might also be neither of these things…
Diadem: A "Diadem" is a word for 'crown' that has its root in Greek. "Stephanos", which appeared in "Mandala" 01, was also a 'crown'. It seems that we could consider this the second work in a continuing series of shorts that should perhaps be called a "Crown series".

By the Mangaka of Sun Ken Rock

6000
By: Koike Nokuto
Genre: Horror
Serialized In: Comic Birz
Publisher: Gentosha
Publication Status: Ongoing, 2 Volumes
Discuss

After a tragic accident at a large facility 6000 meters below water killed its workers, the facility was abandoned for three years. After the Japanese company owning it is taken over by a Chinese company, the facility will be opened again. Kadokura Kengo and his colleague Danzaki are sent along with the team reopening the underwater facility. However, right away, an 'accident' grievously injures Danzaki. Kengo is left alone with colleagues he doesn't trust in an eerie underwater environment that may have more to it than meets the eye...

All Images Copyright © 2010 Koike Nokuto

Kuragehime
By: Higashimura Akiko
Genre: Comedy, Slice of Life, Gender Bender
Serialized In: Kiss
Publisher: Kodansha
Publication Status: Ongoing, 8 Volumes
Discuss

Kuragehime follows Tsukimi Kurashita, an 18-year-old who moved from Kagoshima to Tokyo to become an illustrator. Tsukimi is a jellyfish otaku who comes to live in a shared bath and toilet, women-only apartment, Amamizukan. Other tenants include fujoshi, NEETs and others who consider fashion their natural enemy, calling themselves "Amars". One day, Tsukimi meets a fashionable and beautiful girl, Kuranosuke Koibuchi, who saves a jellyfish that is about to die at a pet shop. She later discovers that Kuranosuke is merely cross-dressing in order to evade inheritance of his father's occupation as a politician.

2010 Kodansha Award Winner for Best Shoujo

Go Go! Pudding Empire
By: Kubota Makoto
Genre: Gag
Serialized In: Young Gangan
Publisher: Square/Enix
Publication Status: Complete, 6 Volumes
Discuss

The pudding empire's home planet only has a lifespan left of one year. Thus, they aim to invade Earth and make it their own... but first they've got to wipe out those annoying humans who are currently inhabiting the planet. Planning an invasion turns out to be much easier said than done, especially when your human-killing monsters start having problems with morale, sickness, family issues, and so forth...

All Images Copyright © 1997 Kubota Makoto

Mangahelpers Manga Awards 2011 - Help Us Break the Ties!

Tue, 10 Jan 2012 11:09:26 +0000

The nomination stage has ended for the Manga Awards, but like many of you may already know only the top 5 titles in the respective categories with the most nominations can proceed to the voting stage as 'official nominees'. As such we have ties in many of the categories for e.g. the 4th and 5th places. Help us break the ties and decide which titles proceed to the voting round and become official nominees!

The Manga Awards Section can be found [HERE].

New Manga Shout Out: 1/2/12 - 1/8/12

Mon, 09 Jan 2012 10:33:22 +0000

Welcome to the next New Manga Shout Out. With the no-raws/scans rule on MH, you have to work a bit to find these mangas. This week features a man who prostrates himself, antisocial diseases causing supernatural deaths, and cockroaches being sent to Mars and evolving. Remember, if you like any of the series, favorite them. Don't forget to also thank the various people who feed your manga addiction. ^_^ Translators and Scanlators, please check out these series and see if you can spread some more manga love~

We're still looking for people who know Japanese and want to help write summaries for our manga database and for the shout out. Please PM me if you want to help out. Now onto the series~

Dimension W (ディメンションW)
By: IWAHARA Yuji

Demographics: Seinen
Status: 3 Chapters (Ongoing)
Manga Details Page: Here
Translations: None
Scanlations: None

In the future, Nikola Tesla's dream of a 'World System' of electricity is realized. Cords and batteries are a thing of the past, and now people can directly draw energy using devices known as 'coils.' Some people, however, modify these coils for destructive purposes. Mabuchi Kyoma, a man who lives in ruins and has a passion for 'vintage' gas-powered cars, has good reason to know what damage these coils can do. He takes on assignments from a large woman known as Marie, recovering illegal coils in exchange for cash and gasoline.

One day, he goes out on one of his usual missions, to retrieve illegal coils from two criminal brothers, Jony and Every Won. When he gets to their gang's hideout, however, there is another stranger there: a mysterious, cloaked captive that appears to be a young lady. Who is she and will this meeting change Kyoma's life?

Thanks go to tethysdust for the summary.

=======================================================

Dogesen (どげせん)
By: ITAGAKI Keisuke x Rin

Demographics: Seinen
Status: 3 Volumes (Ongoing)
Manga Details Page: Here
Translations: None
Scanlations: None

One man and one act can change the world. That man is Seto Hajime, and the act is prostrating himself on the ground. This simple act can change so many important things. It can save a girl from the yakuza or convince a stubborn chef to change his time-honored menu. Seto will also use his ability to affect change in his work as a high school teacher. After encountering Seto and his overwhelming humility, the world will never be the same!

Thanks go to tethysdust for the summary.

=======================================================

Drc2 (ディー・アール・シー・シー)
By: ITOU Shin x FUUGETSU Makoto

Demographics: Shounen
Status: 2 Chapters (Ongoing)
Manga Details Page: Here
Translations: None
Scanlations: None

More and more people are being affected with anti social problems and there are some with severe symptoms. A small percentage of these people who have issues interacting with their peers in a positive fashion and have strong grudges against them develop a disease called Anti Societal Delusionary Materialization Syndrome. The patients develop supernatural and superhuman abilities that cause major harm or death to those around them. Only a handful of people know of this phenomenon and even fewer people have the ability to stop the illness that turns dangerous fantasies into horrific realities.

Thanks go to vyc for the summary.

=======================================================

Hanamote Katare (花もて語れ)
By: KATAYAMA Yukiwo

Demographics: Seinen
Status: 3 Volumes (Ongoing)
Manga Details Page: Here
Translations: None
Scanlations: None

Sakura Hana is a quiet orphan, who spends much of her time watching cloud-shapes and making up stories for them. She's too shy and troubled to talk audibly to her classmates, but she ends up as the narrator for her school's play. Although her teacher tells her she doesn't have to do it, Hana is determined to. With some help from an unexpected source, Hana discovers a love for reading aloud and struggles to find her courage.

Even when Hana's 22 and has moved to be a company employee in Tokyo, she still has to contend with her natural shyness and her tentative, quiet voice. One day, she discovers a group that practices the art of reading aloud, of telling stories through voice instead of written word. Will Hana be able to follow the passion she discovered in her youth, or does her small voice render her unfit for for this kind of storytelling?

Thanks go to tethysdust for the summary.

=======================================================

Ikinari Neko Kick (いきなり☆ねこキック)
By: MUTSUKI Tsutomu

Demographics: Seinen
Status: 1 Volume (Ongoing)
Manga Details Page: Here
Translations: None
Scanlations: None

Masaru is an animal loving and kindhearted teenager who lives with his adopted family who also happens to be a long time family friend. His new older sister, Yu, has also been a friend since they were barely old enough to talk. Masaru picks up a stray kitten and hides her in his room for the night, but when he wakes up, he is shocked to find it transformed into the form of a human girl. It still acts as a cute kitten but her body is now a little girl. His family falls for her incredible cuteness and decides to keep her, naming her Charo.

Thanks go to vyc for the summary.

=======================================================

Nounai Poison Berry (脳内ポイズンベリー)
By: MIZUSHIRO Setona

Demographics: Josei
Status: 1 Volume (Ongoing)
Manga Details Page: Here
Translations: None
Scanlations: None

This is the story of 29-year-old Sakurai Ichiko, a girl who is still looking for love. She has a group of people in her head, all there to decide her choice of words and actions. The usual members are the old man Kishi, the young girl Hatoko, the sensible woman Ikeda, the enthusiastic boy Ishibashi, and the serious man Yoshida. One day, at a social drinking gathering, Ichiko meets a cute 23-year-old man named Saotome. A month later, she happens to see him again at a train station. Will he remember her? Is this her second chance to get his attention? Will Ichiko's mental helpers be able to analyze this social situation and guide her into winning his heart, or will they decide she shouldn't even try?

Thanks go to tethysdust for the summary.

=======================================================

Sanada Juuyuushi (真田十勇士)
By: SHIBATA Renzaburou x MOTOMIYA Hiroshi

Demographics: Seinen
Status: 8 Volumes (Complete)
Manga Details Page: Here
Translations: None
Scanlations: None

11 years have passed since the clash at Sekigahara and the power of the country is divided up between the Tokugawa family and Toyotomi family. Sanada Yukimura, a lord under the Tokugawa family, is one of the few people that senses a war will start in the next few years and that the Tokugawa side will lose. Unwilling to keep siding with the losing side, Yukimura decides that the time to prepare for the upcoming war is now and tasks his most trusted agent, Sarutobi Sasuke, with an important mission. Sasuke must assemble 10 of the strongest warriors of the country to create an elite team against the war with Tokugawa that will decide the fate of the country.

Thanks go to vyc for the summary.

=======================================================

Shindou Gekijou GET WILD (新藤☆劇場 GET WILD)
By: NIITOU Daisuke

Demographics: Shounen
Status: 2 Chapters (Ongoing)
Manga Details Page: Here
Translations: None
Scanlations: None

This is a wild school life comedy that jumps between the circumstances of various characters. One of these is Magaribuchi, a kid who punched his friend on a whim once... and the punching didn't stop until he was the boss delinquent of the school. His tough-guy persona is severely threatened by his first encounter with 'Moe' art. Another is the 27-year-old single teacher, Akemi. Years ago, she was a magic girl, fighting to defend her elementary school from monsters. Now, she tries to do the best she can with what she has left. There's also the three soldiers of 'earthly pleasures' whose 'power' is bound up in their particular vice (lust and sloth, for instance). These and many more characters, like the cyborg teacher, go through the crazy adventure that is their everyday school life.

Thanks go to tethysdust for the summary.

=======================================================

Shutsudou!! Mini Skirts Policen (出動！！ミニスカポリス)
By: OKADA Masanao

Demographics: Shounen
Status: 6 Volumes (Complete)
Manga Details Page: Here
Translations: None
Scanlations: None

The mini skirt police are the special forces of the city’s police squad. They specialize in all kinds of traffic crimes ranging from parking tickets to high speed chases. The team consists of three gorgeous women, Sakurada Kyoko, Jyumonji Rina and Ayasaka Aoi. They patrol the streets in their skin tight short skirt uniforms but they seem to cause more destruction to the city than the criminals they are trying to stop!

Thanks go to vyc for the summary.

=======================================================

Suna no Eikan (砂の栄冠)
By: MITA Norifusa

Demographics: Seinen
Status: 6 Volumes (Ongoing)
Manga Details Page: Here
Translations: None
Scanlations: None

Nanase’s high school baseball team missed going to the nationals by one heartbreaking game during his 2nd year in school. Now as a 3rd year and team captain, he sees that the team is nothing compared to last year. The all star starters from last year have graduated and Nanase is left with unskilled and, more importantly, unmotivated players that have no shot at making the nationals. That is when Mr. Toku, an old man in the neighborhood who has watched every practice and every game the school has ever played for the past few decades, secretly entrusts Nanase with $100,000. Mr. Toku wants Nanase to use the money however he wants to ensure the team makes it to the nationals. But that large of an untraceable fund is too big of a responsibility for a high school teenager and even a goodhearted kid like Nanase might fall into its temptation.

Thanks go to vyc for the summary.

=======================================================

Terra Formars (テラフォーマーズ)
By: TACHIBANA Kenichi

Demographics: Seinen
Status: 1 Chapter (Ongoing)
Manga Details: Here
Translations: None
Scanlations: None

With the space program attempting to travel to Mars, 21st century scientists were tasked with warming up the planet so that humans could survive on its surface. They came up with an efficient and cost effective plan of sending cockroaches and mold to the surface so that the mold would absorb the sunlight and the insect corpses would serve as a food source for the mold.

It is now the year 2577 and the first manned ship to Mars has landed on the planet and the six crew members are ready for their mission. But what they find are giant mutated humanoid cockroaches with incredible physical strength. The crew members are easily wiped out, but not before sending a transmission back to Earth. Now, humanity will send elite warriors to exterminate the mutated bugs and claim back Mars.

Thanks go to vyc for the summary.

=======================================================

The name of the manga series
A summary of the series
Publishing Status (+ Number of Volumes/Chapters)

This is what tethysdust said this week:

Quote:

I only read one chapter of Dimension W, so I think it could either be a cool SF story or just another battle manga. It really depends on where they go from here, but the first chapter was pretty interesting. Nounai Poison Berry was a neat approach to romance... having a council of people over-analyzing every step of the way. Dogesen was a really bizarre idea, but I guess it promotes (in an extreme way) that sometimes the best way to achieve something is not to care about losing face. Get Wild was pretty funny, in a ridiculous way. Hanamote Katare seemed like a really sweet story, about a very shy, good-natured girl.
Here's what vyc had to say:

Quote:

Terraformars - Read the first chapter now. It's frecking amazing. How the mood of the story changes 180 degrees is simply amazing. From heartwarming to just pure fear. I am really looking forward to reading more of this series.

Sanada Juyuushi - Action series with ninjas? Yes please. It will be super interesting to see who Sarutobi fights against and recruits into the team.
My opinion:
Suna no Eikan sort of sounds interesting. Don't know how a kid would deal with being offered $100k, but I'd be willing to check it out~ LOL at Terra Formars. I knew cockroaches were up to no good + they can survive anything... Sounds like a good start/concept. Since everyone dies in chapter 1, I wonder what will happen to the next batch of people sent to Mars...

Translated items that need some love/scanlation:
myao - Circle Game: Chapter 1

If you haven't done so already, check out the scanlations of the mangas from previous shout outs which have been recently scanlated: adventure comedy Maoyuu Maou Yuusha (MH link), mystery Un-Go - Ingaron (MH link), school life action Drop (MH link), mature ecchi comedy Shounen yo Taishi o Dake (MH link).

Video Game News Monthly Digest #5

Sun, 08 Jan 2012 00:00:04 +0000

Last month, we learned more news about a golden One Piece PS3 system, Vita's PSN account policy, upcoming video game movies/anime, and more.

Five Anime Creators Work on JRPG

Creators Gen Urobuchi (Puella Magi Madoka Magica), Kinoko Nasu (Fate/stay night), Izuki Kōgyoku (Garden Lost), Simadoriru, and Ryohgo Narita (Durarara!!) are collaborating together to create a JRPG titled Red Dragon, which will be a collaborative "role-playing fiction" story. Each of them will create a character who will participate in a tabletop role-playing game session, which is being created by Makoto Sanda (Rental Magica).

Sanda also designed Red Dragon world with Kiyomune Miwa (Rental Magica) and the author Ukyō Kodachi (Macross Frontier novels). Final Fantasy XII composer Hitoshi Sakimoto is in charge of the music while Katsushi Ota is the game producer.

Original Source

Toriko Sequel Is Coming to PSP

Namco Bandai is going to make a second Toriko game for the PSP. d Toriko Gourmet Survival 2 is a beast bashing game, which will include over 100 missions for Toriko to complete and more boss monsters. However, he will not be alone - the other members of the Four Heavenly Kings will join him as well.

The game will be out in Japan next summer.

Original Source, 1, 2

One Piece Game Inspires PlayStation 3 Gold Edition

Luffy in white on gold PlayStation 3 with red chest scar, plus 10 custom themes

Namco Bandai Games and Sony Computer Entertainment will sell a specially designed PlayStation 3 console and the game One Piece Kaizoku Musou in a package on March 1, 2011.

The PlayStation 3 One Piece Kaizoku Musou Gold Edition features a special gold color with Luffy drawn in white, except for his chest scar in red. The first release of the game will feature product codes to download nine custom themes inspired by the Straw Hat Gang, but this set will also include an additional custom theme for 10 all together.

The set will cost 38,170 yen (about US $489).

So far Luffy, Sanji, and Zoro are the only confirmed playable characters in the game. Luffy will have his Gear Second technique, which will boost blood flow to his limbs so he can perform stronger and faster attacks. Three locales are also revealed: Baratie, Impel Down, and Marineford. The game will have two stages: Adventure which will have action elements and Musou which will have gameplay similar to Dynasty Warriors. It will also have boss battles.

Original source, 1, 2

Gundam Unicorn PS3 Game Has Collector's Edition

Mobile Suit Gundam Unicorn Special Version

Namco Bandai announced that the PS3 game will have a Collector's Edition. The Special Version will contain an extra Blu-ray disc and a novel. The Blu-ray, "Gundam UC Collector's Disc", has a digest of the first three episodes, staff & cast's interviews, and a digest of the live premiere of the 4th episode, "Film & Live". The novel, Gundam UC: Sengo no Sensou (War After War), focused on the events that happened before and after the episode, "War After War", which will be released for the game as a download content. The story is written by Harutoshi Fukui (Gundam UC author) and the cover is illustrated by Hajime Katoki.

The game will have two types of control: Normal and Assist. In Normal mode, you can select sub weapons manually while in Assist mode, the game will automatically choose the weapons for you depending on the enemy distance. You can also customize your mecha and pilot. For the pilot, you can improve on his aiming, basic control, step control, dash control and fuel control. You can update your mecha's armor, defense, lock, fuel and efficiency.

Mobile Suit Gundam Unicorn's release date is March 8th.

Original Source, 1

Ao no Exorcist PSP Game Release in April

Namco Bandai has announced that the Ao no Exorcist game will be out on April 26th in Japan. The first print copies of the PSP game, which is described to be a visual novel with RPG concepts, will have a special card inside.

The limited edition, Blue Flame Box, will also include an original drama DVD, Kuro papercraft, special clear plate, and a booklet.

Original Source

Fairy Tail PSP Game Will Have Original Characters

Two original characters are in this pic

Manga-ka Hiro Mashima will draw original characters for the PSP game, Fairy Tail: Zeref Awakens. Happy and Charla, the two Exceeds, will also join the cast. Customization will be available in the game so players can change the characters' costumes.

The game will be out next year.

Original Source

Heroes Phantasia's Battle System Explained + New Characters Introduced

Heroes Phantasia has a battle system called "Direct Action Shift system" which allows you to change your party members in the middle of a battle. During battle, each button will control a different character. A character's attack draw energy from a common pull of action points and he or she will be in a Overcharge state, which powers the character up, if you press specific buttons at certain time. To perform a special attack, you need to press the L button.

The game will also include the rivals from the ten anime series, which include November 11 (Darker than Black), First Lieutenant Garuru (Sergeant Keroro), and the Tokonatsu sisters (s-Cry-ed).

Original Source, 1

Nintendo's Miyamoto Wants to Train Younger Generation

Miyamoto is NOT retiring

Nintendo's senior managing director, Shigeru Miyamoto, is clarifying his statement after rumor of his retirement spread throughout the internet. What he meant was that he is planning to reduce his involvement in game development so he can focus on training young developers at the company. He will still oversee major titles as well though it will probably be more like a supervisory role.

Original Source, 1, 2

3DS Circle Pad Pro Supposedly to Have Long Battery Life

It supposed to last for a long time

According to its instructional booklet, the 3DS's add-on, which runs on a single AA battery, will supposedly last for 480 hours. The Circle Pad Pro, which will work for games such as Resident Evil: Revelations and Metal Gear Solid 3D: Snaker Eater, is already out in Japan and will be sold exclusively at Gamestop when it comes out in North America.

Original Source, 1

Club Nintendo Members Can Use Coins to Buy Virtual Console Games

Club Nintendo members can now use Nintendo Coins, which is obtained by registering Nintendo products and answering surveys, to buy their Virtual Console games. The games will cost around 100-150 coins. The Wii games that have been released so far are Super Mario Kart (100 coins), Fluidity (150 coins); 3DS games are3D Classics: Xevious (100 coins) and Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Minis March Again! (150 coins). These games will be available through Jan. 10th and future downloadable games will be based on fans' feedback.

Original Source, 1

Kid Icarus: Uprising's NA Release Date Revealed & Multiplayer Mode Detailed

Kid Icarus: Uprising will have two different multiplayer modes: battle royale and Descent of the Angels. In battle royale, players will compete against each other in an all-out brawl while in the latter, team of three light angels will battle against a team of three dark angels. You can use items on the battlefield and equip a variety of weapons.

The game will be out in North America on March 23rd.

Original Source, 1

Nintendo Acknowledged Skyward Sword Bug and Offered Fix

Zelda Data Restoration Channel

Nintendo admitted that its game, Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword, has a bug, which occurred after a specific sequence of events and halted players' progress in the game. The company has offered a guide for players to avoid this bug on its website. For those who encountered the bug, Nintendo has two options for you. For those who do not have an internet connection, you can mail in your SD card or Wii system to them. Otherwise, you can download the channel, "Zelda Data Restoration Channel", from the Wii section in Wii Shopping Channel. After you get the channel, access it, and follow its instruction.

Original Source, 1

Playstation Award Winners Announced

On Dec. 5th, Sony held its annual PlayStation Awards ceremony, which honored top-selling games from the prior year (November 1, 2010 and October 31, 2011). Games that sold 500,00-999,999 copies received the "Gold Prize" while those that sold 1,000,000-1,999,999 copies got the "Platinum Prize". Lastly any games that sold 2,000,00 and more will be honored with the "Double Platinum Prize". Here are the winners for this year's ceremony:

Monster Hunter Portable 3rd (Capcom, PSP): Quadruple Platinum Prize
Final Fantasy Type-0 (Square Enix, PSP): Gold Prize
Winning Eleven 2011 (Konami, PS3): Gold Prize
Gran Turismo 5 (Sony, PS3): Gold Prize
Dynasty Warriors 7 (Tecmo Koei, PS3): Gold Prize
Monster Hunter Portable 3rd HD Version (Capcom, PS3): Gold Prize
Tales of Xillia (Namco Bandai, PS3): Gold Prize

There are also monetary awards for the winners' development staff as well. The Gold Prize winners will get 500,000 yens while the Monster Hunter team will receive four million yen. The Users Choice Award was given to the top ten games voted by the public at the Sony's Playstation Award website and the winners were

Monster Hunter Portable 3rd (Capcom, PSP)
Legend of Heroes: Ao no Kiseki (Falcom, PSP)
Call of Duty Black Ops (Square Enix, PS3)
Gran Turismo 5 (Sony, PS3)
Catherine (Index, PS3)
Dynasty Warriors 6 (Tecmo Koei, PS3)
Atelier Meruru (Gust, PS3)
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (Square Enix, PS3)
Tales of Xillia (Namco Bandai, PS3)
Dark Souls (From Sofwtare, PS3)

These downloaded games from the Playstation Store were honored with the PlayStation Store Special Award:

Dissidia Duodecim Prologus Final Fantasy (Square Enix, PSP)
Crazy Taxi (Sega, PS3)
Elemental Monster Online Card Game (PS3)
Hatsune Miku Project Diva Dreamy Theater 2nd (Sega, PS3)
Street Fighter III 3rd Strike Online Edition: Fight for the Future (Capcom, PS3)

Original Source

Vita Will Only Have One PSN Account Per Memory Card

This memory card will only hold one PSN account

At a Vita hands-on event, Sony revealed that its upcoming handheld will only allow one PSN account per memory card. If you wish to have multiple accounts in one memory card, you will need to do a factory reset. If you run out of memory, you can spread your PSN account across multiple memory cards.

Original Source, 1

Vita Game and Accessories Prices Revealed

Uncharted: Golden Abyss will cost $50

Sony Entertainment of America has released information on the prices of Vita games. The games will cost around $9.99 to $49.99. Besides retail games, Super Stardust Delta, Hustle Kings, and Escape Plan will be PSN launch title for the handheld.

The prices and release dates of Vita's accessories were posted as well. These items will be released on Feb. 15th:

4 GB Memory Card - $19.99
8 GB Memory Card - $29.99
16 GB Memory Card - $59.99
32 GB Memory Card - $99.99
Starter Kit with Memory Card - $39.99
In-Ear Headset - $19.99
Carrying Case - $19.99
Travel Pouch - $19.99
Protective Film (2 pack) - $9.99
Card Case - $5.99
Cradle - $19.99
AC Adaptor - $14.99
USB Cable -$14.99

The portable charger ($49.99) and car adapter ($14.99) will be available some time in spring.

Original Source

Sony Announced Playstation Game Music Service

Sony Computer Entertainment Japan has set up a music program, Playstation Game Music Service, which allows users of select mobile streaming services access to play music or other audio files from any Playstation games. A previous version of this program only had first-party game music, but this newest one will include third-party games as well.

No word on whether this music service will be available outside of Japan.

Original Source

Tales of Graces f's NA Release Date Announced

Namco Bandai is planning to release the game in North America on March 13th. Unlike previous Tales games, they will use the English version ("White Wishes") of BoA's song, "Mamoritai ~White wishes~".

The game will out in Europe in the summer.

Original Source, 1

Ni no Kuni Might Become a Series

More games to come?

In an interview with 4Gamer.net, Level 5 CEO Akihiro Hino discussed the possibility of developing Studio Ghibli tie-up game, Ni no Kuni, into a series. Future developments would include expanding the current world in the games and releasing additional package game releases. However, he added to not expect to hear more information for awhile since they are still finalizing some details.

Original Source

Fate/stay night Réalta Nua Is Getting PC Port

The battle for the Holy Grail continues on the PC

Type-moon has announced that the PS2 game Fate/stay night Réalta Nua, an all-age version of Fate/stay night, will be coming to the PC. The game, which has more CGs, voice actors from the anime, and other features, will not have new routes but it will be different from the original PS2 game.

The "Fate" episode, which feature Shirou and Saber, already came out on Dec. 23rd. The "Unlimited Blade Works", which tells the story of Archer, will be available in January while Heaven's Feel, which focuses on Sakura and Shirou, will be out in February.

Original Source, 1

Kingdom Hearts 3D's Gameplay and World Info Detailed

In Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance, Sora and Riku can summon their Dream Eater companions by raising up their Link Gauge. There are also three systems as well. The Free Flow Action system allows them to perform a variety of location-based actions by pressing the Y button while the Drop system is activated when the Dream gauge reaches zero. When it does, the character will fall asleep and you can switch your character and stage. In Reality Shift system, as you attack the enemies, their target icon can change. Press the X and A buttons or slide down the touch pad to use Reality Shift move. One move is called "Wonder Comic" in which a character from the Three Musketeers appears.

New Disney worlds have been included as well. The characters can explore the lands of Tron: Legacy, Hunchback of Notre Dame, Pinocchi, and Three Musketeers. In the last world, Mickey, Goofy and Donald appears as the title trio; Captain Pete and Minnie Mouse will be in the world as well. The World Ends with You's Raimu Bito will make a cameo in the game too.

The game will be out in Japan in March.

Original Source, 1, 2, 3

Persona 4: The Golden Gets New Event and Costumes

In the latest Famitsu magazine, Atlus revealed new details on the Vita remake. First, they have included new events which include a ski trip, a visit to the beach, and a stay at an inn. For the ski event, the MC and his friends will stay at a ski lodge and it will also have animated scenes. When you enter into the TV world, the team will wear winter clothes. It will also have animated scenes. Speaking of clothes, you can now change the characters' costumes, which include a maid outfit for Yukiko. Two of the characters, Yosuke and Chie, will also have new evolved personas. The former will now have Takehaya Susano-o while the latter with Haraedo no Okami.

The game will have five difficulty settings: Safety, Easy, Normal, Hard, and Risky. One will allow players to retry a battle if they got a game over. During battle, you can order two teammates to do a simultaneous attack on an enemy. If you have difficulty defeating an enemy, Atlus has added two communication modes called "Minna no Koe" ("Everyone's Voice") and "Rescue Request". For the first feature, you can watch another player to see his or her actions on a given day. On the other hand, the latter will call other people for help.

The game will be out in Japan next spring.

Original Source, 1, 2, 3

Shining Hearts RPG Gets TV Anime by Production I.G

Anime to air next spring with returning cast members from Sega fantasy game

The Bushiroad Strategic Presentation 2011 event announced on Wednesday that a television anime adaptation of Sega's Shining Hearts fantasy role-playing game has been green-lit for next spring. Production I.G will animate the project.

The anime will include voice cast members from the PSP game, although three sisters will be voiced by different actresses, instead of by one actress (Kanae Itō) as in the game:

Hiroshi Kamiya as Rick
Kanae Itō as Amil
Mai Aizawa as Neris
Shiori Mikami as Airy

Original Source, 1

Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Film's 2nd Teaser & Trailer Posted

The official website for the live-action Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney (Gyakuten Saiban) film began streaming the film's second teaser trailer and second full trailer on Friday. Both of the new trailers feature the theme song "2012 Spark" by Porno Graffitti.

Takashi Miike's film adaptation of CAPCOM's videogame franchise takes place in a parallel Japan, where a large increase in harsh crimes has led to a new court system. Under this new system, the defense attorney and public prosecutor have three days to battle cases out in open court to determine guilt or innocence of the accused, placing priority on speed instead of thorough investigation.

Hiroki Narimiya (Gokusen's Noda, NANA's Nobu, Akihabara @ DEEP's Page) stars as Phoenix Wright (Ryuichi Naruhodo). The film also has Takumi Saitō (RoboGeisha, Princess Princess D) as prosecutor Miles Edgeworth (Reiji Mitsurugi) and Mirei Kiritani (Arakawa Under the Bridge's Nino) as Maya Fey (Mayoi Ayasato). The game characters Maiko Ayasato/Misty Fey (Kimiko Yo), Chihiro Ayasato/Mia Fey (Rei Dan), Saiban-chō/The Judge (Akira Emoto), Keisuke Itonokogiri/Dick Gumshoe (Shunsuke Daito), Gō Karuma/Manfred von Karma (Ryo Ishibashi), Masashi Yahari/Larry Butz (Akiyoshi Nakao), Natsumi Ōsawagi/Lotta Hart (Mitsuki Tanimura), and Sayuri (Polly) the "Parrot" will be in the movie as well.

The film will open in Japan on February 11.

Original source, 1, 2

.hack//Sekai no Mukuou ni Movie Out On Jan. 21

A new trailer for .hack//The Movie has been posted online. The movie takes place in 2024 in a world connected by networks. 14 years old Arishiro Sora was invited to play an online game called "The World". After an accident happened in the game, the real world starts to deform.

Original Source, 1, 2

Mangahelpers Monthly Anime Recommendations! - January Edition

Sat, 07 Jan 2012 18:34:42 +0000

Hello everyone, welcome to the next Monthly Anime Recommendations!
Here the different staff members will provide you with detailed information regarding Anime/Movies which we think of as worth watching and highly enjoyable.
Our Reviews will feature the Story, Characters, Animation, Music and a concluding Rating.
Now without further ado let's get started. We hope you will enjoy reading it!

Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann
(Heaven-Piercing Gurren Lagann)

“My drill...is...the drill that's gonna pierce the heavens!”

Demographic: shounen
Genre: action, comedy, mecha, sci-fi
Episodes: 27
Airing: 2007
Director: Hiroyuki Imaishi
Music: Taku Iwasaki
Studio: Gainax

Hey, it's Darjaille here, and I'll be reviewing anime series Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann (TTGL). I'm here to present it to those who are late with watching it (as I was), or just have this odd feeling that this series is not worth watching. The word that describes TTGL the best is 'epic'. Not only because it's a masterpiece, but because of the proportions and power the series is gradually gaining till the very climax.
Anyway, I hope many of you will enjoy watching TTGL~

Synopsis | Story

"Listen up, Simon. Never forget. Just believe in yourself. Not in the Simon that I believe in; not in the Kamina that you believe in, either. Believe in the Simon who believes in you."

The world isn't exactly bright. Kamina dreams of a world where he can see the sky and starts, and this dream is passed onto Simon, a young boy who looks up to Kamina. That's only a dream though... because they're living in a village deep under the surface. No one really remembers what fearsome things keeps them underground... until a strange, moving statue falls from above, followed by a young (and daring) girl – Yoko - wielding a rifle. Both are dangerous, the statue - gunman - for them and the girl for the gunman. The fight seems lost (thanks to someone being oh-so-wise~) until Simon jumps into a similar, small gunman opened by a spiral key-thing (both found by Simon while drilling – his favorite thing to do and kinda the only thing he can do in the village) and with this, he starts to ride his own gunman. Trying, mainly, not die they fight the big gunman...
...and find themselves on the surface. The sky is like they thought, and even more, beautiful.
But. The dangers are even greater than they imagined, and the world is new for them.

The story really is gradating and expanding, with every episode the gang is bigger, the power is greater and the desire to change things is stronger. Because nothing is impossible, and this is the main motive behind the series.
It's filled with energy, optimism, self-confidence, believes, comedy, emotions... a big package of emotions. There are flashy times, there are times when all seems dark and one have to accept what happens, what has happened and what will come, worse or better.
And I believe this sounds pretty childish to some. It's something in-between, it is presenting us the idea of trying until the very end and believing in yourself and others in somewhat/roughly idealistic (or absurd XD) story, but that's beautiful about it. And yet, characters develop and change (and die, yes) and things and events happen to them, not always brilliant. You'll know when you watch.

Animation | Art

"Go beyond the impossible, and kick reason to the curb!

Through the whole series, animation holds the bar high. Awesome colors is one thing which I adore. The colors really fit the whole image of the story, vibrant colors, dark colors, lightning and shadows are handled very well too. They exactly capture the mood and feeling of a scene. Another great point is character design for which TTGL (the character designer) received an award ("Best Character Design" at Tokyo Anime Awards 2008). Even MH was conquered by 'GAR Glasses' :gar The animation is dynamic and lively and again, I can just say that the whole style fits the idea and the mood of the story. Especially the fights and battles are the-awesome. Only a few early episodes are average. Then, the quality is above heavens.

Characters | Cast

“JUST WHO THE HELL DO YOU THINK WE ARE?!”

The cast of TTGL.
The amazing cast of TTGL.
I have to say I absolutely enjoy the way the series expands. We start with a duo of protagonists of which one, Kamina, is the star. He drives the story forward, he teaches Simon how to do things. His way of doing things sometimes is interesting... but I'm so, so absolutely sure you'll really love him. He's the 'star on fire'. Simon's personality and character develop as he's slowly (or not so much, maybe quickly) becoming a man. He takes after Kamina and becomes the leader figure and 'grows up', learning about the world. I'd say it's one of the best parts of the whole anime. More and more support characters appear, and every one of them is interesting in some way – and you probably won't see it in the start, but remember that the series has 27 episodes and the characters don't just 'disappear' forever. Also, 'support' characters develop as well and in the end, you'll love them as much as the main characters (or, close enough). You'll be surprised as you discover how the characters really are, because the first sight of them won't tell you that.

Sound | Music

Do The Impossible | See The Invisible
Touch The Untouchable | Break The Unbreakable
Row! Row! Fight the Power!

The voice acting is really somethingl. All the voice actors breath the life into the characters. I'd say their sound captures the personality of the characters perfectly. The character who is loud and self-confident has that voice, and the one that is naïve and innocent and clueless in some things is just... just like that. I can just say that they really did great job on this.
Opening song is beautiful (first opening part features first verse and chorus, the second opening the second verse and chorus) and there are three ending themes. Backround music is really good, especially in battle scenes. Metal, rock, hip-hop, they describe the scene well and help the adrenaline rush XD
Beautiful song – Libera Me From Hell. Just don't spoil yourself by reading comments under the song.

Ending Words | Summary

"Fire! FIRE! FIRE!!!"

This anime re-defines the word 'EPIC' and 'MANLY'. I've heard that it was 'revolutionary'. Just give it a shot and you'll see. I'll believe in you, who believes in.. :D
Some random notes:
Sometimes, you have to throw the reason out of a window. Or better, kick it to the curb.
There's mecha, there's mecha and then there's TTGL.
Believe speeches ARE confusing.
Even if you come across an event that will leave you breathless and in denial, try to believe in what you see.
The timeskip doesn't make anything worse.
And...
E.P.I.C. is the word.
Enjoy.

Score: 10/10

Blood+

The Information

Anime Title: Blood+ (“Blood Plus”)
Wiki Link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blood%2B
MAL Link: http://myanimelist.net/anime/150/Blood+
Demographic: Shounen
Genre: Sci-Fi, Drama, and Action
Directors: Junishi Fujisaku and Yuu Kou
Music: Hans Zimmer
Producer: Katsugi Morishita
Episodes: 50
Aired: Oct. 8, 2005 to Sep. 23, 2006
Studio: Production I.G.
Rating: R or 17+ (Violence, Nudity, and Profanity)

The Story/Plot

Hey, it’s HK here, and I’m reviewing an oldie, but a goodie, Blood+ (“Blood Plus”) anime series. If you liked Saya: the Last Vampire (the old anime movie, and/or the “new” redone one in the movie theatres a few years ago now) and or Blood C, then this is a must watch, as it’s really the foundation and main, most epic, storyline. It is though for the most part, a “stand alone”. But, this is good, as it gives you a full plot and story, the history of Saya, compared to the listed other Saya Sagas above. It might start off typical, slow, and/or boring, but please give it patience and watch all 50 episodes, as you won’t be disappointed, as this is one of the best anime series of all time! Saya's Story!

Girls, don't be turned off, as the action-battles scenes aren't too frequent-common, the majority of this 50 anime series is drama, with character interaction and relationships. Hagi is to die for girls, your long legs will wobble, your eye lashes will flutter, your heart races and pounds, your body melting. Haji is a perfect male, he's your "dream guy", except he's not yours, and never will be, as he's the perfect male, unyielding in his fidelity-faithfulness to the female he loves. And Saya, will have everyone falling in love with, guys and girls, alike.

Blood+ starts off intense, brutal, and quite violent, as you’re thrown into the Vietnam War, being introduced to a terrifying Red-Eyed “Samara” (From The Ring movies) like girl with her katana, killing these bat-like monsters, and humans too, alike, and she’s even seen plunging her sword through a mother’s back, out her chest, into the baby that she’s trying to shield in her arms, and out of the poor baby’s back. This Red Eyed girl is seen un-phased by even bullets, superhuman inhumanly, as the human soldiers shoot her. But, this was just a flashback, it’s now 2005 AD.

Saya Otonashi is an ordinary school girl, except for her amazing athletic abilities, as she does the high jump at school, except her bottom is big, and knocks over the bar with it as she goes over it. She’s the daughter of George Miyagusuku with her older brother Kai Miyagusuku, and younger brother Riku Miyagusuku. Saya’s best friend is Kaori Kinjou.

However, some mysterious men in a black car are seen spying upon her while she’s at school .... She lives in Okinawa, near the U.S. base there, but she can’t remember anything further back then a year ago, and so, she has to go to a clinic for her memory and blood transfusions.

Her older brother Kai is a “bad boy”, who Kaori and all the other girls at school too, have a crush on him. Kai was the star baseball pitcher, but he then just quit and started to get into lots of fights. But, he cares greatly for Saya and his younger brother Riku too. However, like Saya as you might have noticed by her different last name, both Kai and Riku are also adopted like Saya is, by their foster father George Miyagusuku.

Kai takes Saya to the clinic on his motorcycle going along the beautifully serene coast with it’s sparkling blue water. But, on her way home, on foot, she encounters a mysterious and super handsome man who is playing the cello. As she listens, she starts to remember something of her past, of a girl in a pink dress, running down a stone hallway towards a locked door with a key in her hand, which she unlocks and opens. Saya suddenly yells, Stop!, and trips over into some plants, embarrassing herself in front of the handsome man. She hurries on home, quickly, her face burning crimson red.

Saya returns home finding Riku and George playing catch. Riku misses and Saya catches the ball to Riku’s amazement, and then throws the ball back to George just as impressively, even though she doesn’t play-like baseball.

There’s been reports of murders in the area... and upon getting home, our forgetful Saya has left her track shoes at school, and she needs them for the track meet tomorrow. On her way out, that mysterious man who was in the car spying on Saya at school, walks in, to talk with George, as they seem to be friends, along with Saya knowing him too. His name is David, and George tells Riku to go upstairs to watch tv, as he and David talk.

Saya hurries back to school, but it’s already night time, and climbs over the school fence, sneaking onto the school grounds to get her shoes. Where she runs into that handsome man with the cello... the serial killer... he walks towards her, taking out a dagger... “Finally we meet”, Saya runs away in terror, and bumps into a teacher. He goes to check for the serial killer, near the tree where Saya saw him, when suddenly he’s yanked up into the tree he’s under, and comes crashing down, dead. A bat-like monster crawls down the tree, and Saya runs from it screaming in fear, as it chases after her!

It turns out that Kaori saw Saya’s shoes left at school, and she just arrives at George’s restaurant and house, to give Saya her shoes... George calls Kai (who’s beating up some people) to go get Saya. Also, David’s talk with George was about taking Saya away, back to the Organization, that David belongs to, and asking if George had noticed any changes in Saya too. Also, there was like a military reconneiscence vehicle looking for escaped “Mice”, with a guy in a white suit, named Van Argiano, ordering around the military guy.

Saya is chased inside the school building by the bat-like monster when she runs into that serial killer with the dagger, the handsome man who played the cello. Our Saya is trapped between the serial killer and the bat-like monster. What will befall our Saya, as her past catches up with her?

Prepare yourself for an epic tale, across the entire world and even time itself, as Saya’s story is just beginning, as she stands trapped between the serial killer and the bat-like monster at school.

Two Species, Two Bloods, Two Queens, Two Sisters, Two Experiments, Two Scientists, Two Families, Two Sides, but only one world. What will be the fate of the world? Who will rule the world? Saya’s Destiny.

The Characters

Lewis, Julia, David, Hagi, Saya, Kai, Mao, and Okamura

Haji, Indulge Girls! (Spoilers): Haji Hawtness!

Saya Otonashi

Diva, (Spoilers: and her "Playfulness")

The Art/Animation

It’s very beautiful and gorgeous. Simply amazing and breath-taking! The battle-actions scenes are excellent, and the characters (the males and the females) are super stunning and super sexy too.

Simply watch for yourself and see !!!

Hypnotically Irrestistable!

Trailers (Spoilers) by Fans

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5vWeAXa7V08
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-raXA4fFdXc&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tZ7QozM9EGo&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xxFEsN5A44c
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-oqTY7dAldw

The Sound/Music

Soundtrack 1

Soundtrack 2

Soundtrack 3

Soundtrack 4

Diva's Song

The Overall Rating, My Scoring:

Story/Plot: 10
Art/Graphics: 10
Action/Battles: 10
Relationships: 10
Characters: 10
Sound/Music: 10

__________________________________________

Do you have an anime in mind that should be reviewed? Feel free to send me (naruto-niichan) a PM with the name and a basic description why you think it's worth watching.
If you want a specific staff member to make a Review you can send me a PM too, we will take your wishes into consideration :)

You can find more Animes/Movies in the Otaku Theater Section

Animanga in the News: 1/1 - 1/6

Sat, 07 Jan 2012 01:10:39 +0000

Hello everyone! It's this time of the week again for the Animanga news. This week we have announcements of new light novels, the unfortunate passing away of Hisao Maki, news of Akira's flim and also about the company, Bandai.
To find out more, read on!~

Bandai Entertainment to Stop Releasing New DVDs, BDs, Manga

Namco Bandai Group company has handled anime in several European countries

Bandai Entertainment, the subsidiary of Namco Bandai Holdings (USA) that handles anime and manga in North America, will stop offering new DVD, Blu-ray Disc, and manga releases next month. It will continue to distribute in its existing catalog lineup, but it will no longer produce and distribute new releases as of this February.

Instead, Bandai Entertainment will focus on licensing rights to other companies, particularly in digital distribution, broadcast, and merchandising. The company will be restructured as a result, and most of its contractors and three of its five fulltime staff members will be laid off. ANN will publish an interview with Bandai Entertainment President and CEO Ken Iyadomi on Tuesday.

The following releases have been cancelled:

Anime DVD/Blu-ray Disc

Gosick
Nichijō
Turn A Gundam

Manga

Code Geass: Renya (Code Geass: Shikkoku no Renya)
Gurren Lagann volume 7
Kannagi volumes 4-6
Lucky Star Boo Boo Kagaboo (spinoff by Eretto)
Mobile Suit Gundam 00I
Tales of the Abyss: Jade's Secret Memories volumes 1 and 2

Releases in Bandai Entertainment's current catalog will still be available after February, and Bandai Entertainment plans to produce new stock on these existing releases, if needed, until their respective licenses expire.

Bandai Entertainment closed its own online store in December, but other retailers can still order and carry Bandai Entertainment's current releases as before.

Bandai Entertainment had announced in July that it acquired Keiichi Arawi's original Nichijō manga along with its television anime adaptation, but both releases are now cancelled.

Bandai Entertainment President and CEO Ken Iyadomi provides more details on his company's restructuring in an interview with ANN today.

original source, 1

Ken Iyadomi on Bandai Entertainment's Downsizing

Ken Iyadomi is no stranger to the American anime business. Having been at Bandai Entertainment since its inception in 1996, and VHS anime publishers LA Hero and Manga Entertainment before that, he's seen a lot of changes in the business.

Unfortunately, his latest announcement is one he'd rather not be making. On January 3rd, the publisher is announcing that it will cease to release new DVD and Blu-ray releases in North America, effectively ending its 13-year run in the market. The majority of the division's contractors and three of their five full-time staff members will be laid off, and all releases scheduled after the first week of February have been cancelled.

In a decision made last October, but only now becoming public knowledge, Bandai Entertainment's corporate parent at Namco Bandai Holdings made the decision to exit the American home video business. Iyadomi says he wasn't privy to the fine details.
"The decision was made in Japan by the contents SBU (Strategic Business Unit)."
That business unit originally included the video games division, but recently was merged with all of the company's audio visual businesses, including Sunrise, Bandai Visual and Bandai Channel.

But the broader reasons are quite clear from the outside. The physical anime business in North America has shrunk substantially over the last five years, and shows no sign of returning to its former glory. "A couple of times we were hit with huge returns, and the financial result was pretty bad," Iyadomi admits. Still, he believes the division might have been able to keep going for a few more years, had the SBU allowed it.

"The pricing range for our products kept dropping in Western countries, and people tended only to buy sets with very reasonable prices, which we understand is what fans want, but it lead us to a different strategy than what Japanese licensors wanted," he remarked.

"So we always had a problem [with licensors wanting something different than what consumers wanted]."

For now, nothing is going out of print. Iyadomi is careful to point out that, while new releases will cease and three of Bandai Entertainment's five employees will be let go (as well as most remaining contractors), the company currently plans to keep its existing catalog in print and available until their respective licenses expire. (No new re-releases or re-packagings will occur, however.) Retailers can continue to order those discs the way they always have, and when stock is depleted, new product will continue to be manufactured.

The timing of the near-shutdown coincides with the final releases of Star Driver, Tales of the Abyss, The Girl Who Leapt Through Space and Mobile Suit Gundam (the new release of 0079 with Japanese audio), which means that they will all be released in their entirety. However, all releases after February 2012 have been cancelled. Three series that were announced last year, including Turn A Gundam, My Ordinary Life (Nichijō) and Gosick, will not be released and their rights will revert back to their licensors.

The third volume of Gundam UC's DVD re-release, which would have comprised episodes five and six has been cancelled; the fifth episode is not scheduled for release in Japan until May. However, this news does not affect the availability of imported Japanese Blu-rays of the series through amazon.jp, which have included English audio and subtitles produced by Sunrise directly. Also unaffected by the announcement is the Ghost in the Shell franchise: the Stand Alone Complex series is distributed entirely by Starz Entertainment's Anchor Bay line (bearing the "Manga Video" brand), while the feature film Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence was a short-term sublicense from Paramount Pictures (current owner of the Dreamworks back catalog), and has already expired.

The manga division, unfortunately, will not be so lucky.
Kannagi, Gurren Lagann, Code Geass: Renya of Darkness, Mobile Suit Gundam OOI, Lucky Star Boo Boo Kabagoo and Tales of the Abyss: Jade in My Memories will all see their releases cut short. Their fate had not yet been determined at press time.

"All we can confirm for sure is that those series are not going to be finished by us,"
Iyadomi says.

As a corporate entity, Bandai Entertainment will stick around, albeit in a very different form. The company will continue to sublicense its shows to internet and TV broadcasters, as well as for merchandising.

"The function of Bandai Entertainment will change towards helping group companies as opposed to making profit ourselves. We will continue handling licensing and sub-licensing for digital, tv and merchandise for group company properties,"

says Iyadomi, adding that this new role might even involve shows that Bandai Entertainment never had access to. "Whatever group companies want us to handle, we will help them. Our purpose going forward will be like it was in 1996-1998, before we started doing physical distribution."

But at this point, little is set in stone. Only one thing is clear: the role of a distributor for anime in North America is changing, and some well-equipped licensors can now cut them out of the process entirely, if they choose. Japanese publishers can now create Blu-rays with English subtitles, ready to import to English speakers worldwide. While those won't sell as many copies as American-produced discs, the higher price point and lack of middleman can still result in a decent amount of revenue with little additional cost. Bandai Visual Japan recently discovered this for themselves with their release of Gundam Unicorn. "They found the results pretty good, and that's how I think they would like to move forwards," Iyadomi says.

And so, for Bandai Entertainment, its days as a publisher are drawing to a close. Facing a massive restructuring, Iyadomi remains grateful to the fanbase.

"I would like to say thank you to all the fans that have supported us. Although we no longer have new releases coming up, we will still have the catalog, so we appreciate your continued support."

Bandai Entertainment's Most Successful Anime (in no order)
Cowboy Bebop (absolutely #1)
Escaflowne
Outlaw Star
The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya
Mobile Suit Gundam Wing

Bandai Entertainment's Most Successful Manga (in no order)
Lucky Star
Eureka Seven
Code Geass
Mobile Suit Gundam

original source

France's Beez Entertainment Stops Releasing New Anime

Namco Bandai Group company has handled anime in several European countries

Although no official announcement has been made yet, ANN has confirmed part of Total Manga's Thursday report on Beez Entertainment, the Namco Bandai Group company that has handled anime sales in France and several other European countries. Specifically, ANN has confirmed that Beez is no longer releasing new anime. Details of how Beez's licenses and currently scheduled releases will be handled in the future has not been officially announced at this time.

Bandai Entertainment, Beez's counterpart in North America, announced earlier this week that it will stop offering new DVD, Blu-ray Disc, and manga releases next month.

original source

Hollywood Reporter: Live-Action Akira Film's Production Shut Down

Site: Vancouver offices to close, some staff "told to stop working"

The Hollywood Reporter trade magazine's Heat Vision blog is reporting on Thursday that the live-action film adaptation of Katsuhiro Otomo's Akira manga is being shut down because of "casting and budgetary issues." According to the website, the film's production offices in Vancouver will be closed, and "below-the-line" staff (those who work on film's physical production) have been "told to stop working."

The site reports that, according to insiders, if the project's issues cannot be resolved, it "could end up being shelved entirely." Producers Jennifer Kiloran Davisson and Andrew Lazar, along with director Jaume Collet-Serra, will work on revising the film's script for the next two weeks. According to the site, Collet-Serra was working on a US$90 million budget for the film, but now needs to cut the budget down to between US$60-US$70 million to keep it going.

Warner Bros. officially green-lit the film for production in October. The Variety entertainment trade magazine project had described the film as a "potential tentpole project," and it was slated to begin production in late February or early March. (A "tentpole" franchise is a property which will, in theory, support a studio financially for much of a particular movie season.)

Variety had reported in July that Warner hired director Collett-Serra (Unknown, Orphan, House of Wax) to direct the film, which was "being reenvisioned as a $90 million" blockbuster project. In May, previous director Albert Hughes left the project due to "creative differences" on the film.

The development team with producer Lazar (Jonah Hex, Space Cowboys, Get Smart) hired a writer named Albert Torres last year, after screenwriters Gary Whitta, Mark Fergus, and Hawk Ostby were previously attached to the project. When the project was originally announced in 2008, it was intended to be the directorial debut for Ireland's Ruairi Robinson. Actor Leonardo DiCaprio (Titanic, The Aviator) is producing through his Appian Way production company.

Akira 'Down, Not Out' But New Writer to Polish Script

Deadline site: Warner studio's option deals on 2 Tetsuo candidates ended today

The entertainment trade magazine Variety and the film news website Deadline.com reported that the end is not near for the live-action Akira film, even though pre-production is being shut down for now.

Warner Bros. wants the current script draft, which was written by David James Kelly, to be reworked. Deadline.com added the studio will quickly hire "a high-end writer to do a polish" on the script before deciding whether to resume the project or not. Variety named Jonah Nolan (The Dark Knight, The Dark Knight Rises) and Michael Green (Green Lantern) as possible candidates, but emphasized that no rewriting job has actually been offered yet. Studio sources did tell Variety that the script and cast are the issues, not the US$90-million budget.

According to Deadline, the Warner Bros. studio had option deals with two acting candidates for the central role of Tetsuo, Dane DeHaan (Chronicle, True Blood, far left) and Michael Pitt (Boardwalk Empire,. left) However, both of their options deals ended today, so the actors are no longer legally bound to keep their schedules open for Akira. (Production would have started on March 5 before the shutdown.)

Warner Bros. officially green-lit the film for production in October with director Jaume Collet-Serra (Unknown, Orphan, House of Wax). When the project was originally announced in 2008, it was intended to be the directorial debut for Ireland's Ruairi Robinson. Actor Leonardo DiCaprio (Titanic, The Aviator) is producing through his Appian Way production company.

original source, 1

French Man Gets 1-Year Suspended Sentence for 'Manga Pornography'
25-year-old collected manga of child characters, shared them online

A 25-year-old engineer in Puy-en-Velay, France was sentenced on Tuesday to one year in prison, as well as court-ordered therapy, by a three-judge tribunal for possession and distribution of images of child pornography. According to the court, he had collected "pornographic" Japanese manga featuring sexually abused female characters, six to eight years old, on his computer and shared the manga on the Internet.

The authorities had interrogated him about an Internet forum post in which he wrote, "We're recruiting female members, 12 years old or younger." The man asserted that the post was a joke, and his lawyer added that the defendant is a social recluse.

One of the judges asked the suspect, "When you see a girl six to eight years old being raped, don't you think there's something wrong?" He responded, "If you had read my psychiatric report, I don't imagine myself in the place of the rapist, but rather in the girl's." The judge replied back, "You're very intelligent. The doctor only reported what you told him. Me, I don't believe a word of what you are saying."

The convicted man has been barred from any activity that has regular contact with minors and will be registered on the national sexual offenders' list.

The sentence is a suspended term, so the man will not have to serve time in prison unless he is convicted of another offense (related or unrelated).

original source, 1, 2

Rock Lee TV Anime Directed by Naruto Films' Murata

Masahiko Murata, the director of several Naruto Shippūden movies, will be directing the Naruto comedy spinoff anime starring Rock Lee.

The super-deformed anime will adapt Kenji Taira's gag comedy manga Rock Lee no Seishun Full-Power Ninden, which launched in first seasonal issue of Saikyō Jump last month.

original source

Android Phones Turned Into Manga Schoolgirls with iPhone

Designs from Noriyuki Kayama's Android School of Flowers manga posted

ASCII Media Works' Weekly ASCII computer magazine is running Noriyuki Kayama's Hana no Android Gakuen (Android School of Flowers), an irregularly serialized manga that turns various Android phones into schoolgirls. Weekly ASCII posted Kayama's character designs on Saturday.

The designs can be viewed in full resolution on Weekly ASCII's website. Weekly ASCII also posted the first three manga installments, the fourth manga installment, and an Android phone wallpaper with characters from Hana no Android Gakuen and Kayama's other Weekly ASCII manga (Denpa na Yatsura).

original source

Gen Urobuchi Confirms He Is Writing Fate/Zero Drama CD

Author and screenwriter Gen Urobuchi (Puella Magi Madoka Magica, Phantom - The Animation, Blassreiter) confirmed on Monday that he is personally writing the script for the bonus Fate/Zero drama CD. The CD will tell the beginning of Kiritsugu and Irisviel's romance which is not in the Fate/Zero anime. The drama CD will be included as a special bonus in the Blu-ray Disc box for the first anime season.

Urobuchi clarified that he is not just "supervising" the drama CD's script, as he was credited in the promotional material for the Blu-ray Disc box. Previously, Urobuchi had to clarify that he is not writing the scripts for the Fate/Zero anime itself.

The Blu-Ray Disc box for the first anime season will ship on March 7 with both English and Japanese subtitles. The box will also contain a new bonus extra written by Type-Moon's Kinoko Nasu and the first original soundtrack CD volume.

original source

Beelzebub 1-Shot Spinoff Published in Saikyō Jump

The February issue of Shueisha's Saikyō Jump magazine published a one-shot Beelzebub spinoff manga on Wednesday. In addition to the seven-page one-shot by Beelzebub's original creator Ryūhei Tamura, the issue also included color posters, the new series Beast Saga by Manabu Honjyō, "One Piece 3D2Y Promise Mittens," a Toriko special bonus set (with a calendar, a finger-battle sheet for thumb-wrestling, and stickers), and Battle Spirits: Heroes deck divider tabs.

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Rinko Ueda to End Stepping on Roses Manga in Japan

February finale for Tail of the Moon creator's romance manga which Viz publishes

This year's combined 3rd/4th issue of Shueisha's Margaret magazine is revealing this week that Rinko Ueda is running the second-to-last installment of her Stepping on Roses (Hadashi de Bara o Fume). The manga's finale should then follow in this year's sixth issue of Margaret, which will ship on February 20.

The story follows Sumi Kitamura, a girl who struggles to make ends meet, even as her irresponsible brother keeps bringing more orphans into their home. Then a rich young man named Soichiro Ashida offers to take care of Sumi and her extended family — if she marries him.

Ueda launched the manga in Margaret in 2007, and Shueisha published the eighth compiled book volume last October. Viz Media began publishing Stepping on Roses in North America in 2010 after releasing another manga by Ueda, Tail of the Moon. Viz's seventh Stepping on Roses book volume in English is slated for this March.

original source

Waru Manga/Joe vs. Joe Anime Creator Hisao Maki Passes Away

Brother of Tiger Mask/Ashita no Joe's Kajiwara also produced, acted in fighting films

Author and manga/anime creator Hisao Maki passed away in a Kanagawa hospital on Monday, January 2. He was 71. According to a person close to Maki, the author was on his way to a harbor in Kanagawa Prefecture on Monday afternoon to enjoy his hobby of yachting. However, his health took a turn for the worse, and he was rushed to the hospital where he passed away. The cause of death has not been made public.

Maki was born under the name Matsuchi Takamori in Tokyo in 1940. Maki wrote several prose and manga stories such as the hard-boiled action manga WARU. WARU and its sequels inspired a dozen live-action adaptations, including two films directed by Takashi Miike with Maki himself in the cast. He was also the younger brother of the late manga creator Ikki Kajiwara (Tiger Mask, Kyojin no Hoshi, Ashita no Joe), and he co-created the story of the Ashita no Joe video anime series Joe vs. Joe (Futari no Joe).

Maki produced several films, including this year's live-action film based on his brother's wrestling hero manga Tiger Mask with Eiji Wentz (Gegege no Kitarō, Brave Story) in the title role. Maki himself acted in several live-action works; he produced, wrote, or acted in several works by Miike. He was also an accomplished karate fighter and instructor.

Maki served as the president of Maki Production and ran his own martial arts training facility, Maki Dōjō.

original source, 1

Kyoto Looks Into Petition for Promoting Film, Anime, Manga
"Special content zone" would encourage local production of entertainment

The Kyoto Shimbun paper reported on Wednesday that Kyoto Prefecture, Kyoto City, and the Kyoto Chamber of Commerce and Industry are considering a petition to make Kyoto into a "special content zone" to promote local production of films, anime, and manga. As such a zone, the area may receive special economic or other laws that replace nationwide laws to aid the development of local content industries and encourage foreign involvement.

Some of the Kyoto officials' proposed changes would ease restrictions on the use of explosives in outdoor locations such as roads and simplify the process for foreigners involved with film, anime, and manga to recieve visas. The number of young creators in Kyoto is increasing, according to the Kyoto Shimbun, and officials hope to support their efforts.

The Kyoto area is already home to film studios, the Kyoto International Manga Museum, the Japanese headquarters of the Nintendo video game company, and various anime production studios. Kyoto representatives believe that promoting local production of films, anime, and manga could also bolster the area's established tourism, film costume, and other industries.

Officials are drafting the petition for the special, and they plan to hold a conference on the initiative in February before presenting the petition to the Cabinet of Japan in March.

original source

S -Saigo no Keikan- Manga Gets Live-Action Show This Fall

Ohtaka's Magi manga also has "huge project" in the works

The editor-in-chief of Shogakukan's Big Comic magazine revealed on the publisher's Comic Emon! Online website that the S -Saigo no Keikan- police action manga will receive a live-action television series adaptation this fall. Yōichi Komori (Mash GO!!) has been serializing the manga about a special police assault unit in the magazine with Yutaka Tōdō's illustrations since 2009. Shogakukan will ship the manga's sixth compiled book on January 30.

Masaki Nawada, the editor-in-chief of Shogagkukan's Weekly Shonen Sunday magazine, also announced on the same website that Shinobu Ohtaka's Magi fantasy adventure manga has a "huge project" in development. The publisher will provide further details in the future. Ohtaka (Sumomomo, Momomo - The Strongest Bride on Earth) began serializing the manga that re-imagines tales from the classic story One Thousand and One Nights in 2009. Shogakukan will publish the series' eleventh volume on January 18.

original source, 1

Jormungand's Takahashi to Launch New Manga Series

Renai Distortion's Inugami, Seigi Keikan Monju's Miyashita also start series in Sunday GX

Tokie Komuro, the editor-in-chief of Shogakukan's Monthly Sunday GX magazine, revealed on the publisher's Comic Emon! Online website that Jormungand manga creator Keitarō Takahashi will launch a new series in Sunday GX this spring. Renai Distortion manga creator Sukune Inugami and Seigi Keikan Monju manga creator Hiroki Miyashita will also launch new series in the same magazine this spring.

Takahashi will end Jormungand in the February issue of Sunday GX on January 19. Takahashi launched this manga about a female arms dealer and her accomplices in Sunday GX in 2006, and the studio WHITE FOX (Steins;Gate) is animating the manga for television. Viz Media began releasing Jormungand in North America in 2009, and the company's English edition of the eighth compiled book will ship on January 10.

Inugami's "new series" in Sunday GX will be the return of Renai Distortion itself in the April issue on March 19. Renai Distortion previously ran in Shonengahosha's magazines such as Young King Ours from 1998 to 2006.

original source, 1

Young Magazine Launches 6 New Manga in 7 Weeks

Manga from TV show with AKB48's Mayuyu, Kogyoaika Volleyboys' Murata, others

Kodansha's Young Magazine is launching six new manga series between last week and February 6. In this year's combined 4th/5th issue which actually shipped on December 26, Kogyoaika Volleyboys creator Hiroyuki Murata started Dr. Saotome. The title character of this human drama is an overbearing doctor with the looks of a yakuza gnag member, and he works at a hospital full of other unconventional staffers. Murata's Kogyoaika Volleyboys high school comedy inspired a sequel manga, a video anime project, and several live-action projects. Katsumi Tatsuzawa (Furondo) will then launch Poncho, a manga about a mysterious boy playing high school baseball, in the next issue on January 7.

This year's seventh issue will have two new series: the previously revealed GTO spinoff manga Inohead Gargoyle by GTO creator Tohru Fujisawa, and a manga inspired by a January live-action show starring AKB48 idol group member Mayu Watanabe ("Mayuyu"). The title and other details of the latter manga have not been announced, but AKB48 creator Yasushi Akimoto created and planned this manga that Akihiro Nakamura is drawing. Watanabe inspired other manga in the past.

Daisuke Watanabe is launching a suspense action manga called Hanjū (Demibeast) in the ninth issue on January 30. Finally, Shōhei Sasaki will start the second "season" of Kakumei Senshi Inudō Sadao (Revolutionary Warrior Sadao Inudō) in the 10th issue on February 6.

original source

Hōzuki-san Chi no Aneki's Igarashi to Launch New Manga

Coming-of-age omnibus series to debut in Young Ace's March issue

Hōzuki-san Chi no Aneki's creator Ran Igarashi will debut a new manga in the March issue of Kadokawa Shoten's Young Ace magazine on February 4. The as-yet-unnamed manga will be an omnibus series of coming-of-age teen stories.

Kadokawa Shoten's advertising revealed in November that Igarashi's Hōzuki-san Chi no Aneki comedy romance manga is being adapted into an anime. Igarashi serialized the manga in Young Ace from 2009 to 2011, and a spinoff version now runs in 4-Koma Ace magazine. The fourth compiled volume shipped on December 13.

original source

Kôji Kumeta, Yasu's Joshiraku Comedy Manga Gets Anime

Female performers' dressing-room chatter by Sayonara, Zetsubō-sensei creator, Toradora! artist

The February issue of Kodansha's Bessatsu Shōnen Magazine is announcing on Saturday that an anime adaptation of Kôji Kumeta and Yasu's Joshiraku manga has been green-lit. The story follows the behind-the-scenes dressing-room conversations of a group of female (joshi) Japanese verbal show (rakugo) performers.

Kumeta is best known for the Sayonara, Zetsubō-sensei and Katteni Kaizō manga/anime stories, while Yasu illustrated the Toradora! light novels. They launched the Joshiraku manga in the inaugural issue of Bessatsu Shōnen Magazine in 2009, and the third compiled book volume shipped last October. The January issue of Bessatsu Shōnen Magazine had revealed last month that an important Joshiraku announcement would be on the cover of the next issue.

original source, 1

Shoji Gatoh Plans New Comedy Novel, 'Anticipated' Works

Full Metal Panic! novelist plans Amagi Brilliant Park set in "disappointing" amusement park

Novelist/screenwriter Shoji Gatoh outlined his plans for the coming year, including a brand-new comedy novel and some "anticipated" projects. Fujimi Shobo plans to release the comedy novel, tentatively titled Amagi Brilliant Park. It will be a "slapstick drama set in a disappointing amusement park in the Tokyo suburbs." Gatoh thinks that the formal announcement of the novel will come this summer.

Gatoh then added that among the projects he cannot talk about yet for 2013 or later, there are some works that he feels are "anticipated…."

Gatoh mentioned earlier that three of his four projects this year (besides Amagi Brilliant Park) are an additional volume or more of the Full Metal Panic! Another spinoff, series script editing on the Hyoka anime, and an additional volume or more of his Copcraft series.

original source

Kodomo no Jikan, Hitohira Manga Get Novels

Kaworu Watashiya's Kodomo no Jikan manga and Izumi Kirihara's Hitohira manga will both receive novelizations that ship on the same day, January 12. Rika Nakase is writing the Kodomo no Jikan novel, while another anime scripwriter named Fumihiko Shimo is writing the Hitohira novel. Both novels have original stories created under the supervision of the creators; the Hitohira novel is set during Mugi Asai's first year at Kumataka Arts Academy.

The 11th volume of the Kodomo no Jikan manga is also shipping on January 12.

original source

Momoiro Clover Z Idols Inspire Wrestling Manga Series

Momo Pro Z to launch in Monthly Shōnen Rival magazine next month

The five-member idol group Momoiro Clover Z will inspire a manga series that will launch in the March issue of Kodansha's Monthly Shōnen Rival magazine on February 3. In Momo Pro Z, the members of Momoiro Clover Z transform into professional wrestlers, and the gag manga shorts follow their behind-the-scenes stories in the ready room.

The March issue will not only have the first Momo Pro Z manga chapter with a color page, but Momoiro Clover Z will appear on the cover and on an exclusive poster.

Momoiro Clover Z appeared at a Mōretsu Pirates event last month to announce that the members are contributing the anime's opening and ending theme songs.

original source

Mononoke/Kūchū Buranko's Nakamura Plans New Noitamina Work

Teaser site opens for latest project from C & Ayakashi director Kenji Nakamura

A teaser website opened at midnight on Saturday to announce a new project collaboration between director Kenji Nakamura (Ayakashi - Samurai Horror Tales, Mononoke, Kūchū Buranko, C) and Fuji TV's late-night programing block Noitamina. More will be revealed in less than 28 days on February 2.

The news source Anime! Anime! reports that the project will be an all-new original anime.

he tsuritama.com domain's name server belongs to Sony Music Entertainment. The site shows an excerpt of a script in which a person named Haru suddenly appears before the speaker and says, "Let's save Earth together!"

original source

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