Anime Lovers: 2009

Thursday, December 31, 2009

Torajirou Kishi, Madhouse's Devil Comic Previewed

posted on 2009-12-31 15:50 EST

Dark Horse to release sci-fi western-style comic from Colorful creator in February

Comic Book Resources has posted a preview of Devil, the new work from manga creator Torajirou Kishi (Maka-Maka, Colorful). Devil is a collaboration between the North American publisher Dark Horse Comics and the Japanese animation studio MADHOUSE. It is a western-style, full-color comic created exclusively for publication in the United States.

Dark Horse first announced the project at Comic-Con International in July. In this science-fiction police drama set in Tokyo, an incurable disease called Devil's Possession is rapidly infecting the population, turning people into bloodsucking super-humans known as "Devils."

The first 24-page issue will be available on February 3, 2010, with the second issue slated to be on sale on March 17.

ADV Films released the anime version of one of Kishi's other works, Colorful, back in 2005. Media Blasters licensed Kishi's Maka-Maka yuri manga in 2008.

[Via Dark Horse Comics]

Embracing Love's Nitta, Greenwood's Nasu Start New Manga

posted on 2009-12-31 08:18 EST

Youka Nitta's Otodama, Yukie Nasu's Mahō Tsukai no Musume ni Araszu

Youka Nitta, the manga creator best known for Haru wo Daiteita (Embracing Love) and other boys-love stories, launched her new Otodama horror mystery manga in the February issue of Shinshokan's Wings magazine on Monday. In addition to the first manga chapter, the magazine issue already includes a mini audio drama of Otodama on CD.

Another popular creator, Yukie Nasu of Here is Greenwood fame, is launching a Mahō Tsukai no Musume sequel called Mahō Tsukai no Musume ni Araszu in the magazine's April issue on February 27. In the original fantasy comedy manga, a high school girl deals with having Japan's most powerful onmyōji (conjurer) as a stepfather, as well as her own ability to see apparitions. The original manga ended its irregularly published run in Wings magazine in October in the December issue.

Hajime Tojitsuki will also launch the Boku to Kanojo to Sempai no Hanashi manga series in the April issue, while Yuiji Aniya, a creator best known for boys-love stories, will make her Wings debut with a two-part manga called O-hi-sama no shita no Luna.

Nitta published the final book in her Haru wo Daiteita manga in November, and it debuted at #25 on Oricon's weekly comic ranking chart. Nitta had announced last year that she would quit her manga work in the wake of revelations that she traced photographs in her works. However, she has since resumed her career. Central Park Media's Be Beautiful boys-love imprint published earlier installments of Haru wo Daiteita under the name Embracing Love in North America. Another North American distributor, Media Blasters, released the two-part animated video adaptation of Haru wo Daiteita under its Kitty Media label in May, and licensed its loose continuation Fuyu no Semi.

Viz Media began publishing Nasu's Here is Greenwood manga in North America in 2004. Central Park Media released the six-episode video anime version in the 1990s, and Media Blasters released the series on DVD in 2004 after Central Park Media's license expired. There has since been a live-action television drama adaptation which aired in Japan last year.

Source: Comic Natalie

Wednesday, December 30, 2009

Quick Anime News from the source(animenation.net/blog)

Shiki Teaser Trailer Released

December 28th, 2009 by John

The official website for next year’s mystery/horror anime television series Shiki now hosts a hidden teaser trailer. The adaptation of Fuyumi Ono’s novel series tells the story of a rural mountain village that becomes a feeding ground for vampires.

Source: Moon Phase

Senko no Night Raid Teasers Released

December 28th, 2009 by John

The official homepage for next year’s Senko no Night Raid anime television series has launched with a streaming 15 second web teaser and 15 second TV commercial.

Looks promising, but Tatakau Shisho also looked promising and turned out to be terrible. So we’ll just have to hope for the best.

Source: Anime News Network

Angel Beats! Trailer Online

December 28th, 2009 by John

The latest trailer for April’s bishoujo battle action anime television series Angel Beats! is the first one to reveal footage from the actual animation. This heavily promoted original anime production is based on a story by Maeda Jun, scenario writer for PC games including Kanon, Air, and Clannad. The animation is a co-production between PC game developer VisualArt’s/Key and anime producer Aniplex. The animation is being produced by P.A. Works.

This literally looks exactly like what should be expected from a sad-girls-in-snow story animated by the studio that brought us Canaan.

Source: Moon Phase

3 Minute Katanagatari Trailer Released

December 29th, 2009 by John

The official website for next month’s Katanagatari television series now hosts a streaming 3 minute long trailer. The adaptation of author NisiOisin’s historical adventure novel series about two siblings searching for 12 lost swords will consist of 12 hour long anime episodes broadcast one per month. The first episode will air on January 25th. The second episode will quickly follow on February 8. The third episode will air on March 8.

Source: Anime News Network

Rekka Katakiri Halts Zetsubō CD Sales After Legal Warning

posted on 2009-12-30 10:10 EST

Singer got writers' OK, but Kodansha claims infringement on merchandise rights

The singer Rekka Katakiri announced on her "Closed/Underground" dōjin (self-publishing) label's website on Saturday that she is halting sales of one of her CDs after receiving a legal warning from the Japanese publisher Kodansha. According to Katakiri, Kodansha said that the Katakiri-shiki * Mōsō Rumba CD infringed on the publisher's merchandising rights for Sayonara Zetsubō Sensei items.

Kodansha publishes Kôji Kumeta's original Sayonara Zetsubō Sensei comedy manga and co-sponsored the various television and video anime adaptations. Katakiri had released the Katakiri-shiki * Mōsō Rumba CD "maxi-single" on October 11 with her own cover versions of the opening and ending theme songs from the Zoku Sayonara Zetsubō Sensei anime sequel series. She said that she had obtained consent from the song's writers and the Japanese Society for Rights of Authors, Composers and Publishers (JASRAC) before producing and distributing the CD. JASRAC is the society that manages copyrights for Japanese lyricists.

As a result of Kodansha's legal warning, Katakiri plans to modify the CD's printed material and sell the CD again with new packaging. She apologized to her fans and to everyone involved.

In addition to her self-published dōjin CDs, Katakiri has performed theme songs for Higurashi no Naku Koroni Gaiden Nekogoroshi-hen, Shin Koihime†Musō, When They Cry - Higurashi, and various videogames.

[Via Platy Carpa]

K-On! Anime's 2nd Season Officially Announced

posted on 2009-12-30 08:57 EST

Confirmed on anime's website after Wednesday's "Let's Go!" live concert

The second season of the K-ON! anime franchise was announced after the "Let's Go!" live concert in Yokohama on Wednesday. When the concert's two encores ended, the large onstage screen displayed footage from the first season of the television anime series. Then the screen displayed an announcement that the second season has been green-lit.

The anime's official website has also confirmed that production on the second season has been green-lit. The anime adapted kakifly's four-panel comedy manga about a budding high school band.

Sources: Seiyū News, Akiba Sōken

Nana Mizuki Live Diamond x Fever Tops BD Chart

posted on 2009-12-30 00:29 EST

Voice actress becomes 1st artist with 2 #1 Music BDs in a row in Japan

The Nana Mizuki Live Diamond x Fever concert Blu-ray Disc release sold 13,000 copies to top Oricon's weekly chart for all BDs sold in Japan during December 21-27. With this 3-disc set, voice actress Nana Mizuki also became the first artist to top Oricon's Music BD chart twice in a row. The 5-disc DVD version ranked #12 on Oricon's weekly DVD chart.

Her first BD release, Nana Mizuki Live Fighter -Blue x Red Side-, sold 12,000 copies in its first week last December. Last June, she also became the first voice actor or actress with a #1 album on Oricon's weekly album chart with the June release of her Ultimate Diamond CD. This Friday, Mizuki is scheduled to debut in Kōhaku Uta Gassen (Red and White Song Battle), the New Year's Eve singing contest that is Japan's most viewed music television program.

Source: animeanime.jp

Tuesday, December 29, 2009

Crunchyroll Lists Durarara, Chu-Bra Among Its Anime

posted on 2009-12-29 18:39 EST

Both TV anime series are premiering in Japan in 1st week of January

The media distribution website Crunchyroll is listing the Durarara!! and Chu-Bra!! anime series among its list of "All Anime Titles" on its website's main page. The website's links for both anime series are inactive. Both titles are premiering on Japanese television in the first week of January. Crunchyroll's listings do not necessarily indicate definite release plans or dates.

The Durarara!! anime adapts Ryohgo Narita's Durarara!! "high-tension suspense action" light novels of the same name. After launching his earlier Baccano! light novel series, Narita set the "warped adolescent fantasy romance" of Durarara!! in a rowdy version of Tokyo's Ikebukuro neighborhood in 2004. He has since written six Durarara!! novel volumes, and they have already inspired a manga series in Square Enix's G Fantasy magazine earlier this year. The television anime series will premiere in Japan on January 7.

Likewise, the Chu-Bra!! anime adapts of Yumi Nakata's manga of the same name. The publisher Futabasha describes the manga as "middle school girls x underwear = slightly H girls comedy." The story centers on Nayu, a middle school girl who shocks her schoolmates by wearing black lace panties. She likes this kind of underwear, and she tries to "spread the word on the merits of [these kinds of] underwear" via an underwear club with her schoolmates, who are worried about their bodies' development and which underwear to choose. The television anime series will premiere on Japan's AT-X satellite/cable channel on January 4.

[Via AnimeOnDVD Forum]

Lupin III Part II Airs with Subs in Southern California

posted on 2009-12-29 15:37 EST

1st English-subbed airing of 2nd Lupin III TV series

UTBHollywood, United Television Broadcasting's free digital television station that broadcasts in Southern California on channel 18.2, has been running both the first Lupin III anime series and the Lupin III: Part II sequel. It will run the 12th English-subtitled episode of the second series, "The Sleight Before Christmas," on Tuesday night at 10:00 p.m. The station's schedule lists up to the 23rd episode of the second series. That episode, "Auntie Ballistic," will run on January 15.

The station's website notes that the second series has 155 episodes. UTBHollywood has not yet responded to ANN's inquiry last week on whether the episodes after episode 23 will air. The Cartoon Network's Adult Swim programming block only ran episodes 1-2 and 4-27 in the United States, and only with English dubbing.

UTB 18.2 aired a broader slate of anime titles when it officially launched earlier this year. Besides Lupin III: Part II, the station is still airing Fantastic Children, and it recently ran the Eureka Seven and I can speak Japanese anime programs.

Thanks to Winston for the news tip

Zettai Muteki Raijin-Oh's Dubbed/Subbed DVD Offered

posted on 2009-12-29 17:53 EST

New U.S. firm Anime Midstream offers 1st volume of robot anime online

The new American distributor Anime Midstream has announced on Tuesday that it is offering the first DVD volume of the Zettai Muteki Raijin-Oh robot anime series on its website. The DVD will contain the first five episodes with English and Japanese soundtracks, as well as English subtitles.

Sunrise created the 51-episode series as the first anime in the popular Eldran franchise from the Tomy toy company. The anime aired in Japan from April 3, 1991 to March 25, 1992. In the story, a group of fifth-grade children defend Earth with a giant robot named Raijin-Oh against the evil Jaku Empire.

WAaI! boys in skirts Magazine to Launch in Japan

posted on 2009-12-29 11:22 EST

Ichijinsha to feature "male maidens" who "can't possibly be girls"

Not-So-Daily Link of the Day: The Japanese publisher Ichijinsha has announced on Tuesday that it is planning to launch a new magazine called WAaI! boys in skirts about "male maidens" this coming spring. According to the publisher's website, the magazine's "cuties can't possibly be girls!"

According to its official blog, the new magazine was announced at the first day of the Comic Market dōjinshi convention in Tokyo. Ichijinsha's commercial booth at the convention is offering two telephone cards with images from the upcoming publication.

Source: Temple Knights

Elemental Gelade, Sore Jaa Yoshida-kun! Manga Ending

posted on 2009-12-29 04:32 EST

Umi Monogatari manga to also end in Monthly Comic Blade mag

Manga creator Mayumi Azuma ended her Elemental Gelade (Erementar Gerad) fantasy series in the February issue of Mag Garden's Monthly Comic Blade magazine on Monday. Azuma had been drawing the manga in the magazine since 2002, and the 18th compiled book volume will ship with a drama CD next March. Azuma is still continuing her Erementar Gerad: Flag of Bluesky spinoff manga in Monthly Comic Blade Avarus magazine.

Tokyopop published the first 10 volumes of the main Elemental Gelade manga in North America, and it has rescheduled the 11th volume for next February. Geneon licensed and released the television anime adaptation of the manga in North America, and Funimation re-issued the anime in a DVD box set last year.

The February issue of Monthly Comic Blade has also confirmed that Natsuki Yoshimura's Sore Jaa Yoshida-kun! manga and Akira Katsuragi's Umi Monogatari ~Anata ga Ite Kureta Koto~ manga are ending in the next issue on January 30. ADV Manga published part of Sore Jaa Yoshida-kun! under the Mystical Prince Yoshida-kun! name. The Umi Monogatari manga is based on the same pachinko (Japanese upright pinball game) line that inspired the television anime of the same name.

Evil Sasori Picture

Cool Deidara Picture

Ai Yori Aoshi Manga Wallpaper

Ai Yori Aoshi Manga Image

Ai Yori Aoshi Manga Poster