Magikano

Alternative Titles

Synonyms: 魔法美少女

Japanese: マジカノ

Information

Type: TV

Episodes: 13

Status: Finished Airing

Aired: Jan 1, 2006 to Apr 1, 2006

Producers: Lantis

Genres: Comedy, Fantasy, Magic, Romance, Shounen, Harem

Duration: 24 min. per episode

Rating: PG-13 - Teens 13 or older

^L represents licensing company

Synopsis

Ayumi Mamiya is a witch cursed to lose her powers and only one boy can break the spell. Haruo Yoshikawa thinks he is a normal boy but unknown to him his three sisters have magical powers and keep him protected and ignorant about the exsistence of magic. Now Ayumi must wake up Haruo's latent powers to save herself but his sisters will have none of that.

Magical Canan

Alternative Titles

English: Magical Kanan

Synonyms: Mahou Canan

Japanese: まじかるカナン

Information

Type: TV

Episodes: 13

Status: Finished Airing

Aired: Jan 1, 2005 to Mar 26, 2005

Producers: AIC A.S.T.A.

Genres: Drama, Fantasy, Magic, Supernatural

Duration: 24 min. per episode

Rating: PG-13 - Teens 13 or older

^L represents licensing company

Synopsis

Five dangerous "seeds" have been stolen from their vault in the world of Evergreen and taken to Earth. Natsuki, an agent of the Queen, has been sent to retrieve them. However, he cannot do this alone and enlists the aid of Chihaya, a middle school student, who is "the only one" who can help him. With his aid she transforms into Magical Warrior Carmine in order to save the humans possessed by the seeds. Questions abound though, such as why Chihaya's mother appears to know all about this secret activity, why Chihaya remembers her father who reportedly died before her birth, and why she dreams of Evergreen, which she has never seen.

Madlax

Alternative Titles

Japanese: マドラックス

Information

Type: TV

Episodes: 26

Status: Finished Airing

Aired: Apr 5, 2004 to Sep 27, 2004

Producers: Bee Train, ADV Films^L, Victor Entertainment

Genres: Mystery, Drama, Magic, Shounen, Supernatural, Military, Psychological

Duration: 24 min. per episode

Rating: R - 17+ (violence & profanity)

^L represents licensing company

Synopsis

In the country of Gazth-Sonika, civil war rages. There, a mercenary called Madlax plies her trade, with almost supernatural skill. In the seemingly peaceful country of Nafrece, Margaret Burton lives a tranquil life. As separate as their lives may seem, the two are connected by ties of mystery, and by a holy book that is also sought by the shadowy organisation, Anfan. As Margaret and Madlax follow the path of their destiny, they come ever closer to uncovering the truth - with no guarantee that it is a truth they can bear to learn.

Shin-chan's Shinei Streams Original Anime Shorts

posted on 2010-05-16 23:57 EDT

Nanchatte! political satire & Potakko Babies with contest-winning characters

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The Japanese anime studio Shinei Animation has announced on Monday that it has begun streaming original net anime titles for free as part of its Shinei Puchi Ani Gekijō (Shinei Petit Anime Theater) on its YouTube channel. Shinei is best known for producing the animation for the Doraemon and Crayon Shin-chan television anime series. The first two net anime series of shorts are Nanchatte and Potakko Babies (Potekko Beibiizu).
In Nanchatte! (pictured at top right), Tetsuo Yasumi (ATASHIn'CHI, Gokyoudai Monogatari, Zenmai Zamurai) directs a satire gag story about politics for adults. Potekko Babies (pictured at left) received recognition in Shinei's 1st in-house character contest, and that resulted the studio greenlighting an anime version. Animator Shinichi Kuniyasu (The Girl Who Leapt Through Time, Naruto the Movie: Guardians of the Crescent Moon Kingdom, Doraemon: Nobita no Kyoryu [2006]) directs this project about potato characters.
The Japanese video website GyaO! will also start streaming the net anime shorts in late May.

Funimation Adds Rosario + Vampire, Chaos;HEAd, Regios

posted on 2010-05-15 14:46 EDT

Also: Rideback, Heaven's Lost Property (Sora no Otoshimono), GUNxSWORD anime

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The North America anime distributor Funimation has announced at its Anime Central panel on Saturday that it has licensed the Rosario + Vampire, Rosario + Vampire Capu2, Chaos;HEAd, Chrome Shelled Regios, Rideback, Heaven's Lost Property (Sora no Otoshimono), and GUNxSWORD anime series. All of the new titles will ship in 2011 — except for GUNxSWORD and Regios, which will ship in late 2010.

Funimation has also announced the English dubbing casts for Eden of The East, Casshern Sins, and Shikabane Hime. The company is offering a "free ride" to Comic-Con International in San Diego this July to the most ardent Fullmetal Alchemist fan; fans can enter by posting their video pleas on YouTube and http://www.fullmetalalchemist.com/comiccon/.

Takayuki Inagaki (Desert Punk, Indian Summer) and Gonzo's 2008 Rosario + Vampire television series and its Rosario + Vampire Capu2 sequel adapt Akihisa Ikeda's supernatural school comedy manga of the same name. The story follows an ordinary high school boy who fails to get into any private academy except one — which happens to be populated by supernatural creatures (yōkai) disguised as humans. To survive, Tsukune Aono has to pretend that he is also a yōkai and blend in. Viz Media publishes the manga in North America.

Director Takaaki Ishiyama (Viewtiful Joe, Karura Mau) and the MADHOUSE anime studio adapted Nitroplus and 5pb.'s Chaos;HEAd computer visual novel for television in 2008. In this 12-episode psychological suspense series, a shut-in teenager named Takumi becomes embroiled in a series of mysterious deaths around the Tokyo neighborhood of Shibuya, all of which could lead to a larger calamity.

Chrome Shelled Regios began as a series of fantasy academy light novels from Shūsuke Amagi, before Itsuro Kawasaki (Sengoku Basara, Tsubasa: RESERVoir CHRoNiCLE The Movie) and ZEXCS brought it to television last year. The 24-episode series takes place in the future when humanity lives in isolated mobile cities called Regios to escape the pollution on the planet. Layfon Alseif enrolls into the Academy city of Zuellni and joins the 17th Military Arts Unit of Nina Antalk.

Atsushi Takahashi (Detroit Metal City anime) and MADHOUSE adapted the 12-episode Rideback television anime series from Tetsuro Kasahara's manga last year. Rideback tells the story of a student named Rin Ogata and her "iron horse" robot motorcycle in 2020, a tumultuous time of anti-government student protests. With her transforming motorcycle and her agility from years of ballet training, Rin joins the fight against the GGP regime that rules the world.

Suu Minazuki created the Heaven's Lost Property (Sora no Otoshimono) modern fantasy manga before director Hisashi Saito (Bamboo Blade) and AIC A.S.T.A. animated it for television last year. The 14-episode series centers around Tomoki Sakurai (Souichiro Hoshi), an ordinary middle school boy and avowed pacifist. A strange girl often appears in his dream to ask for his help — only he cannot remember her face when he wakes up. Then, his life gets more complicated when an unidentified mysterious animal (UMA) falls out of the skies. The "animal" turns out to be Ikaros (Saori Hayami), an angel. Crunchyroll simulcasted this anime in multiple countries worldwide as it aired in Japan.

Code Geass director Goro Taniguchi and AIC A.S.T.A. created the 26-episode GUNxSWORD television anime series in 2005. The anime follows a lone man, armed with a a shape-shifting sword and a powerful Mechanized Armor, who hunts the mysterious clawed man who had murdered his bride. Van is accompanied by Wendy, a girl who offers to be Van's new bride if he can help her find her brother. Geneon Entertainment had licensed GUNxSWORD before it ceased its distribution operations in North America.

The English dubbing cast for Eden of The East (with ADR director Mike McFarland) is as follows:

Akira Takizawa: Jason Liebrecht
Saki Morimi: Leah Clark
Juiz: Stephanie Young
Kuroha Diana Shiratori: Christine Auten
Daiju Mononobe: John Gremillion
Micchon: Stephanie Sheh
Haruo Kasuga: John Burgmeier
Sis: Lydia Mackay
Kazuomi Hirasawa: J. Michael Tatum
Satoshi Osugi: Michael Sinterniklaas
Panties: Newton Pittman

The English dubbing cast for Casshern Sins (with ADR director Jason Grundy) is as follows:

Braiking Boss: Paul Slavens
Casshern: Eric Vale
Luna: Trina Nishimura
Lyuze: Brina Palencia
Leda: Shelly Calene-Black
Ohji: Jerry Russell
Ringo: Monica Rial
Dio: Jerry Jewell
Dune: Jason Douglas

The English dubbing cast for Shikabane Hime (with ADR directors R. Bruce Elliot, Terri Doty and J. Michael Tatum) is as follows:

Keisei Tagami: J. Michael Tatum
Makina Hoshimura: Luci Christian
Ouri Kagami: Aaron Dismuke
Rika Aragami: Cynthia Cranz
Saki Amase: Monica Rial
Takamasa Sōgi: Joel McDonald
Itsuki Yamagami: Cherami Leigh

Beyblade: Metal Fusion Premieres in Canada on Saturday

posted on 2010-05-15 10:03 EDT

Debut of English version; America's Cartoon Network to follow suit on June 26

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The Beyblade: Metal Fusion anime series will premiere in North America on Canada's YTV channel on Saturday at 12:00 p.m. EDT. The Canadian television production company Corus Entertainment describes the plot as the following:

Following the Let it Rip phenomena that took over the TV screens and playgrounds in 2002, Beyblade makes its much anticipated return with a brand new generation of characters who take on the battle between good and evil. Competing for dominance with their spinning Beyblade tops, the perilous organization of the Dark Nebula is vying for world domination. The only person standing in their way is teenager Gingka, who struggles to find his strength to honour Beyblade and save the world.

Beyblade: Metal Fusion debuted in Japan last April as Metal Fight Beyblade, the first new Beyblade anime series in four years. Takara-Tomy launched the original game franchise in 1999, and sponsored three previous anime series with Hasbro, d-rights, and Nelvana: Bakuten Shoot Beyblade, Bakuten Shoot Beyblade 2002 (Beyblade V-Force), and Bakuten Shoot Beyblade G-Revolution.
Beyblade: Metal Fusion will premiere on America's Cartoon Network on June 26.

Live-Action Gantz Films to Be Screened in Singapore

posted on 2010-05-13 21:00 EDT

Inquiries come in from 13 other global regions; 500,000-yen suits made for stars

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The Sports Hochi newspaper reports on Friday that the decision has already been made to screen the live-action film versions of Hiroya Oku's Gantz manga in Singapore — despite the fact that the two films have not been previewed or even completed. Over 45 companies from 13 countries and regions have also made inquiries about acquiring the distribution rights.
The newspaper attributes the worldwide interest in the films to the original science-fiction action manga's popularity in America, France, and other Western countries. The films' two stars, Kazunari Ninomiya (Tekkonkinkreet, Letters from Iwo Jima) of the Arashi musical group and award-winning actor Ken'ichi Matsuyama (Death Note, Detroit Metal City, NANA, The Legend of Kamui), have also found some success overseas. Shinsuke Sato (The Princess Blade, Suna-dokei, Oblivion Island: Haruka and the Magic Mirror) is directing the films. The first film will open in Japan in the beginning of 2011, and the second film will open in the spring.
The production company NTV is showing 4 minutes of the films' promotional footage at this week's Film Market in Cannes, France. (The city is also hosting the Cannes Film Festival competition at the same time.)
In addition to Ninomiya and Matsuyama, Takayuki Yamada (Train Man, Crows Zero, H2: Kimi to Ita Hibi) is also starring in the films as "the mysterious man Shigeta." The two main stars each have 10 of the 500,000-yen (about US$5,400) rubber "Gantz Suits," which they wear when fighting in the films' story.
The story follows a young Tokyo college student who is reanimated after a deadly subway accident. Kei Kurono (Ninomiya) and his friend Masaru Kato (Matsuyama) go on violent, seemingly endless missions at the behest of an unseen host.
Dark Horse Comics will publish the 10th volume of the original manga in North America next month. ADV Films released Gonzo's television anime adaptation of the manga.
Sources: Sports Hochi, NTV News 24

Summer Wars to be Screened in London in May

posted on 2010-05-13 23:57 EDT

Also showing: Dante's Inferno, King of Thorn, pre-war animation shorts

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The Barbican performing arts center in London will be hosting a May 25 double billing of Summer Wars, the award-winning film from Mamoru Hosoda (The Girl Who Leapt Through Time), and the Japanese/Korean animated spinoff video based on Electronics Arts' Dante's Inferno game.
Summer Wars follows a modern-day family on a midsummer adventure in the real and virtual worlds. The film opened in Japan on August 1, 2009.
Dante's Inferno: An Animated Epic is a six-part anthology that the Japanese studio Production I.G animated with other partners for Manga Entertainment's parent company Starz Media and Visceral Games.
In addition, on June 15, the Barbican will screen the anime film adaptation of Yuji Iwahara's King of Thorn science-fiction action manga. The Art of Osamu Tezuka: God of Manga author Helen McCarthy will be in attendance to introduce all three films.
On May 26, the Barbican will be screening five pre-WWII animated shorts and guest speaker Jasper Sharp will discuss these short films in context with the origins of anime.

Mokei Senshi Gunpla Builders Beginning G Anime Announced

posted on 2010-05-12 23:15 EDT

3-part anime to mark the 30th anniversary of Gundam plastic model kits

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The Japanese conglomerate Bandai has announced at the 49th Shizuoka Hobby Show this week that it is producing Mokei Senshi Gunpla Builders Beginning G, an anime to mark the 30th anniversary of the Gundam plastic model kit ("Gunpla"). The three parts (parts A, B, and C) of the anime will be presented starting this summer. Part A will be screened at the Gundam Super Expo event, and NHK's BS11 Digital channel will run the anime as television specials this summer.
Also starting this summer, the project's official website, model stores, and other venues will unveil a promotional video. Yoshihiro Iwamoto (Rockman X, Galaxy Force, Gundam Extreme) will launch a manga series, tentatively titled Mokei Senshi Gunpla Builders, in the August issue of Kadokawa Shoten's Monthly Kerokero Ace magazine on June 26. Bandai will run mobile-suit-coloring contests in five different magazines at the same time, and more details will be available on the official website and on the Gundam.info website.
The main character of the story is Haru Irei, a boy who becomes a "Gunpla Builder" after a fateful encounter with the Beginning Gundam plastic model. (In real life, Bandai is producing a Beginning Gundam model kit in 1/144 scale, but has not set a release date or price.) Rina Noyama is an always cheerful girl who, like her friend Haru, is a big fan of Gunpla. Haru's pal Kenta Sakazaki is a boy who loves Gunpla and gives advice to Haru about building them.
The Gundam anime studio Sunrise is planning and producing the project with director Kou Matsuo (Kure-nai, Mobile Suit Gundam Battlefield Record: Avant-Title, Red Garden, Rozen Maiden). Yousuke Kuroda (Hellsing, Hayate the Combat Butler, Infinite Ryvius , Mobile Suit Gundam 00) is scripting the project, and Kaichiro Terada, an animation director on Ergo Proxy and RahXephon, is designing the characters. An all-star lineup of mechanical designers — Kunio Okawara (1st Gundam, Votoms), Atsushi Shigeta (Turn A Gundam), Kanetake Ebikawa (Kiddy Grade, Mobile Suit Gundam 00), and Junichi Akutsu/Bee-Craft (Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion, Mobile Suit Gundam Seed) — is also contributing.
The Gundam robot anime franchise will celebrate the 30th anniversary of its first plastic model kit this July. As of March, Bandai has sold 400 million Gundam plastic model kits — all made in Japan. (Japan has a population of about 127 million.)
Source: Gigazine

New D.C. ~Da Capo~ OVA to Ship with D.C. I & II P.S.P.

posted on 2010-05-10 11:47 EDT

PSP port of PlayStation 2 games to bundle anime on Blu-ray, DVD

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The official website of the adult game studio CIRCUS has announced on Monday that CIRCUS will ship its D.C. I & II P.S.P. game in a Platnum Pack with a new D.C. ~Da Capo~ original video anime (OVA) on October 28. The D.C. I & II P.S.P. release takes the edited Sony PlayStation 2 versions of the D.C. ~Da Capo~ and D.C. II: Da Capo II romance story games, and ports them to the Sony PlayStation Portable (PSP) console with all 27 heroines. CIRCUS is supervising the entire bonus OVA project, which will come on a Blu-ray Disc and on a DVD. The Platinum Pack is limited to 5,000 sets, and it is only available directly from the CIRCUS retail site.
In addition to the new OVA, the Platinum Pack will also bundle other video extras on the special contents DVD, a D.C. "Kosobayui" (D.C. "Ticklish") CD, a Visual Chronicle art booklet, "bathing-together" posters (which are apparently waterproof) of all 27 heroines, a personalized "official CIRCUS D.C. fan certificate," and a special deluxe box.
CIRCUS had announced during its 10th Anniversary Premium Concert and Announcement event last November that it was porting its D.C. series to the PSP. It had also announced that it had an "all-new D.C. anime in the works." An magical girl anime spinoff based on the Sakura Yoshino character from the first D.C. ~Da Capo~ game has since been green-lit. CIRCUS has not specified if the D.C. I & II P.S.P. Platinum Pack will contain the Sakura Yoshino anime or a different one.
Thanks to Cloud668 for the news tip.

Viz Confirms Streams of Cross Game Baseball Anime in May

posted on 2010-05-10 13:56 EDT

50-episode adaptation of manga from Touch/H2's Mitsuru Adachi

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The North American anime distributor Viz Media has confirmed with ANN that it will be streaming the Cross Game baseball anime on its VizAnime.com website later this month. Viz had revealed its plans via an ad at the bottom of the Shojo Beat email newsletter that announced the streams of another anime, Vampire Knight, on Friday. Viz will announce more details about the streaming of Cross Game later this week.
Viz had already confirmed in March that it will release Mitsuru Adachi's original Cross Game manga starting this October. Director Osamu Sekita and the Synergy SP anime studio adapted the story into 50 episodes that aired in Japan from April of 2009 to March of 2010. (The manga itself ended in February.)
The story revolves around Koh Kitamura, a grade-school boy whose family runs the Kitamura Sports store. He gets to know the four daughters of the family who runs the nearby Tsukishima Batting Center, thanks to the store's business and his own batting practice at the center. Aside from playful bantering between Koh and the Tsukishima daughters, all is peaceful in their lives until a tragedy strikes their world. Four years later, Koh continues his baseball training, despite not playing a single game since the tragedy. The manga follows Koh's gradual full return to the sport he loves, and his coming-of-age surrounded by the Tsukishima daughters and others.
Adachi is best known for his sports manga, particular his baseball titles Touch and H2. Like Cross Game, these earlier titles were adapted into anime as well.
Thanks to kel aka gandy for the news tip.

Kodomo no Jikan Anime's Return Announced (Updated)

posted on 2010-05-10 06:49 EDT

New original anime DVD to ship with 9th manga volume in January 2011

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The wraparound jacket band on the eighth volume of Kaworu Watashiya's Kodomo no Jikan comedy manga is announcing this month that the anime adaptation of the manga will be returning. No further details have been provided yet.
The manga was already adapted into a television series in 2007, and an "unairable" episode was bundled with the fourth volume of the manga. A second series, Kodomo no Jikan Nigakki, shipped on DVD last year.
Source: Akiba Blog via Moon Phase
Update: The Earl.Box website reports that the ninth volume of the manga will ship in Japan with a new original anime DVD in January 2011.

Tono to Issho Samurai Comedy Manga Gets TV Anime Also

posted on 2010-05-05 22:30 EDT

Ohba-Kai's 4-panel manga already made into video anime with Gackt

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The Mainichi Shimbun paper reports on Thursday that a television anime adaptation of Ohba-Kai's Tono to Issho 4-panel gag manga will premiere in Japan in July. The manga follows the humorous exploits of generals during Japan's tumultuous sengoku (Era of the Warring States) period. It has been running in Media Factory's Monthly Comic Flapper magazine since 2006, and the fourth compiled book volume shipped last November. A video anime adaptation had already shipped in March.
Update: The four manga volumes have sold 500,000 copies.
Singer/actor Gackt made a special guest appearance as the legendary warlord Uesugi Kenshin in the video anime version. Not concidentally, Gackt played the same historical figure in the live-action drama Fūrinkazan and 2007's Kōhaku Uta Gassen ("Red and White Song Battle") competition. Director Mankyū said that he personally asked for Gackt because he "can't imagine anyone else as Uesugi Kenshin but Gackt!" The story of how the video anime staff signed Gackt up was recounted in a bonus anime short called "Gackt mo Issho" — with Gackt playing himself in the dubbing.

Strike Witches Staffer Prints Japanese/English Dōjinshi

posted on 2010-05-05 14:15 EDT

Panzer fräulein ALTESEISEN's Takeshi Nogami draws The Witches of the Sphinx

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Takaaki Suzuki, the historical advisor on the Strike Witches anime series, has co-created a dōjinshi titled The Witches of the Sphinx which is being published in both Japanese and English worldwide on May 6. The story centers around the Witches of Africa campaign of the war storyline first described in Noboru Yamaguchi's original light novels. Takeshi Nogami (Panzer fräulein ALTESEISEN, Sailor-fuku to Jūsensha) drew the "Three Generals and a Fuso Witch" manga in the first 90-page volume of the project, and Suzuki wrote a short story called "Before the Storm." The online store Manga Pal will ship the dōjinshi overseas.
Dan Kanemitsu translated the dōjinshi before Nogami's dōjinshi circle Firstspear debuted it at the Comic 1 convention in Tokyo last Thursday. The next volume is slated for August's Comic Market 78 convention in Tokyo. Nogami made news last month when he responded to CNN's April 2 article regarding the controversy over the Japanese erotic game Rapelay. Both Kanemitsu and Nogami are involved in the campaign against the Tokyo Metropolitan Government's proposed restrictions on sexually provocative depictions of "nonexistent youths." The Witches of the Sphinx itself is not sexually explicit.
The dōjinshi portal site Circle.ms launched its emes service for creating bilingual dōjinshi apps on Apple's iPad and iPhone mobile devices last week, and it offered a demo iPhone/iPad/iPod touch/Kindle e-book version of The Witches of the Sphinx exclusively to Comic 1 attendees. Other creators who have self-published their works overseas include Yoshitoshi ABe (Serial Experiments Lain, Haibane Renmei) and Range Murata (Blue Submarine No. 6, Last Exile, Shangri-La).
Source: Tsurupeta

Funimation Adds Tsubasa: Tokyo Revelations, Shunraiki (Updated)

posted on 2010-05-04 17:20 EDT

2 original anime DVD series shipped with CLAMP's Tsubasa manga in 2007-09

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The North American anime distributor Funimation has confirmed with ANN on Tuesday that it has licensed the Tsubasa Tokyo Revelations and Tsubasa: Thunder Spring Chronicles (Tsubasa: Shunraiki) original video anime series. Vic Mignogna (Fay D. Flourite), alongside fellow voice actor Chris Sabat (Kurogane), had actually made the announcement at the Anime Milwaukee convention in Wisconsin in March.
Kodansha released the Tsubasa Tokyo Revelations video series on three DVDs that were bundled with volumes 21, 22, and 23 of CLAMP's original Tsubasa, RESERVoir CHRoNiCLE manga in Japan. Although this 2007-2008 anime series was not the first anime to be bundled on DVD with manga, it popularized the term "original animation DVD" (OAD) to describe these kinds of tie-ins.
The success of Tsubasa Tokyo Revelations spurred a new two-volume video series called Tsubasa: Shunraiki last year. The Tsubasa: Shunraiki DVDs shipped with volumes 26 and 27 of the Tsubasa manga in Japan.
The 2003-2009 Tsubasa manga tells a parallel-world fantasy adventure with alternate versions of characters from many of CLAMP's other creations. The manga is known in particular for its crossovers with another recent CLAMP manga, xxxHOLiC. (The Tsubasa manga ended last October, but the xxxHOLiC manga is still running.)
Tsubasa has already been adapted into Tsubasa RESERVoir CHRoNiCLE The Movie: Princess of the Birdcage Kingdom and the Tsubasa, RESERVoir CHRoNiCLE television series. Del Rey will ship the last two Tsubasa manga volumes (#27 and #28) in North America in July and November, and Funimation already released the Tsubasa anime movie and television series.

Thanks to Aura Ichadora for the news tip.

Anne of Green Gables Compilation Film to Open in July

posted on 2010-05-03 13:03 EDT

Isao Takahata directed TV anime of classic children's novel before founding Ghibli

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Anne of Green Gables: Road to Green Gables (Akage no Anne: Green Gables e no Michi), a compilation film of Nippon Animation and Isao Takahata's classic Anne of Green Gables (Akage no Anne) television anime series, will open in Japan on July 17. The official website is streaming a trailer. (In the linked page, select the "予告" button in the lefthand menu for the large version of trailer, or go to the trailer page for the small version.)
The story follows the Canadian orphan girl Anne (Eiko Yamada) as she is adopted by Matthew and Marilla Cuthbert — even though the Cuthberts had "ordered a boy." Nevertheless, the three become a family as Anne grows up from 11 to 17 years old on the countryside of Prince Edward Island.
Takahata (Grave of the Fireflies, Only Yesterday, Pom Poko) directed the animated television version of Lucy Maud Montgomery's Anne of Green Gables novel in 1979, a few years before he and Hayao Miyazaki would found Studio Ghibli. In fact, Miyazaki (Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind, Spirited Away, Ponyo) worked on the layout and designs for the first 15 episodes, and future Ghibli director Yoshifumi Kondô (Whisper of the Heart) designed the characters and oversaw the animation production of the series.
Takahata had personally supervised a compilation of six episodes from the television series in 1989. However, the resulting compilation film did not receive an official release at the time. The Mitaka no Mori Ghibli Museum Library label is releasing the film as part of its collection of international animation classics. Last year, Nippon Animation produced the Before Green Gables prequel television series.
Source: Saishin Anime Jōhō

Thriller Restaurant Live-Action/Anime Teaser Streamed

posted on 2010-05-02 21:12 EDT

Abnormal Physiology Seminar anime promo now streaming on YouTube

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The official website for the hybrid live-action/anime film version of the Kaidan Restaurant (Thriller Restaurant) horror storybook series began streaming a 46-second teaser trailer on Thursday. In the stories, the owner of the titular restaurant recounts macabre tales of horror to several local children interested in paranormal phenomena. Ayano Kudō, the winner of 2009's Zen-Nihon Kokumin-teki Bishōjo Contest, plays a new character — 14-year-old detective Haru Amano — in this film version. Masayuki Ochiai is directing the project after helming the Shutter and Parasite Eve films.
The popular storybooks have already inspired a horror anthology anime series that has been airing since October. Unlike the television version, the film will have about 10 minutes of animated prologue and about 80 minutes of live-action sequences (which will use computer graphics for the ghosts). The film will open in Japan on August 21.
The previously revealed promotional video for Xebec and Ryouki Kamitsubo's original anime DVD adaptation of TAGRO's Abnormal Physiology Seminar (Hen Zemi) manga is now streaming on the YouTube website. (The video is also streaming on Kodansha's Morning Manga website). In the story, Nanako Matsutaka (Kana Hanazawa) has been assigned to an Abnormal Physiology Seminar full of odd college students, even though she herself is an ordinary person with no abnormalities in particular. The DVD will ship in the limited edition of the fourth manga volume on July 23.

Source: Nippon Cinema, Rakugakidou

Hen Zemi, Space Show, Beyblade Promo Videos Streamed

posted on 2010-05-01 09:48 EDT

Abnormal Physiology Seminar in July, Welcome to THE SPACE SHOW in June

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The Japanese publisher Kodansha began streaming a one-minute promotional video for the original anime DVD adaptation of TAGRO's Abnormal Physiology Seminar (Hen Zemi) manga on Friday. (In the linked page, select the pink "PV公開" button on the upper left.) In the story, Nanako Matsutaka has been assigned to an Abnormal Physiology Seminar full of odd college students, even though she herself is an ordinary person with no abnormalities in particular. The DVD will ship in the limited edition of the fourth manga volume on July 23.
The official website of the Welcome to THE SPACE SHOW anime film began streaming a full Japanese-language trailer on Saturday. (In the linked page, select the "予告編" icon in the bottom left.) The same website is still streaming the English-narrated and -subtitled promotional video for the film's screening at the Berlin International Film Festival, as well as a teaser trailer and an advance trailer. The film will open in Japan on June 26.
This science-fiction film by the R.O.D. Read or Die anime franchise's core team of director Koji Masunari, writer Hideyuki Kurata, and character designer Masashi Ishihama follows a group of children who experience a space-spanning adventure. The story will begin in the countryside during the summer vacation of fifth grader Natsuki Oyama. Natsuki just moved here in June, and she and four of her schoolmates are about to embark on an adventure together that will take them beyond the fields they call home.
The official English-language website for the Beyblade anime franchise has relaunched with a one-minute promotional video for the new Beyblade: Metal Fusion anime, the 45-second opening animation footage, and a 100-second promotional video for the spinning top game. Beyblade: Metal Fusion will premiere on Canada's YTV channel on May 15, followed by a June 26 premiere on America's Cartoon Network.
Thanks to Primus for the news tip.
Source: Moon Phase

Ore no Imouto ga Konnani Kawaii Wake ga Nai Gets Anime (Updated)

posted on 2010-04-30 13:26 EDT

Tsukasa Fushimi's light novels about high school boy, secret Otaku sister

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An anime adaptation of Tsukasa Fushimi's Ore no Imouto ga Konnani Kawaii Wake ga Nai comedy light novel series has been green-lit. The story follows the daily life of an ordinary high school boy named Kyōsuke Kōsaka. Kyōsuke's younger sister Kirino is a pretty fashion model — but also a secret Otaku of adult games. Kyōsuke is the only person to whom Kirino reveals her hidden obsession and other issues.
Fushimi has been writing the light novel volumes since 2008, and Hiro Kanzaki illustrates them. The first five volumes have sold 920,000 copies, and the sixth volume is shipping on May 10. Sakura Ikeda has been drawing a manga adaptation in ASCII Media Works' Dengeki G's magazine since 2009, and the first manga volume shipped last October.
Atsuhiro Iwakami (Kara no Kyoukai - the Garden of sinners, Kannagi, Cencoroll) is producing the anime at Aniplex with publicity producer Yūma Takahashi. The back of the wraparound jacket band on the sixth light novel volume will announce the director, scriptwriter, and animation production studio of the anime.
Sources: Mainchi Shimbun, Akiba Blog

Steam Detectives - Review

Steam Detectives

Synopsis

Steam City. It's a dank, dingy industrial metropolis, city of a thousand stories and a thousand criminals. A prodigy child anmed Narutaki, armed with his faithful nurse sidekick Ling-Ling and her megamaton Goriki, work tirelessly as private detectives, determined to bring the relentless criminal element of Steam City to justice!

Review

Anime fans tend to be split down the middle when it comes to the detective genre. The list of series that follow a boy genius as he solves crimes with his spunky friends is endless; Detective Conan and Kindaichi Case Files are just two of the myriad examples found in the Japanese market. Basically, either you like that sort of thing, or you don't. If you found yourself on the edge of your seat watching Jessica Fletcher solve the mystery of the missing hip replacement on Murder She Wrote, or seeing Matlock put those blasted kids who kept stealing his newspaper behind bars, then chances are, you'll find something to like in Steam Detectives. Everyone else might want to find something a little less episodic. This type of series follows a very basic and familiar formula. Kia Asamiya, while famous for his character designs, has never really been known for his outstanding storylines, and Steam Detectives suffers from a complete lack of creativity. Narutaki, his large-chested nurse and their big clunky robot fight crime, solve the mystery and uncover the mastermind behind it all in nearly every episode. Generally you can solve the mystery before they do, and aside from a few clumsy attempts to add human interest to the stories by involving children or old people, it's a mostly routine affair. It doesn't help that Narutaki is mostly charisma-free and his sidekicks aren't all that interesting either. It's really hard to care about the proceedings at all, especially since we know Narutaki will save the day and solve the crime. There's very little risk in Steam City, despite the fact that it's crawling with cartoonish supervillains. That's not to say that the show is devoid of charm. The character designs are surprisingly pleasant. Kia Asamiya is something of an acquired taste, depending on how big you like your chins and how small you like your mouths. Here, he goes a little more shounen, and the result is an eye-catching and simple design that translates well in to animation. If their clothing didn't have so many gigantic yellow buttons, the show would really be something aesthetically special. The animation is very nicely handled, as well, coming across as being a little bit dated but still fluid and lovingly rendered. There are several moments where the mouth movements don't even try to match the words (even in Japanese they're just opening and closing their mouths at a steady pace with no variation), and a couple of awkward action scenes, but mostly the animation doesn't disappoint. The backgrounds are also detailed and convey the atmosphere of the show quite well. Visually, the show outpaces its unfortunately mediocre storylines. The music is your average collection of cheap anime background music, pounded out on a low-end synthesizer and accompanied by several forgettable and generic J-pop tunes. The dub is serviceable, but it's hard to imagine the English version being outstanding when the source material they're working with is as lame as it is. Narutaki sounds a little old for his apparent age, Ling-Ling has the voice you'd expect her to have, and the villains are all overacting just enough to be slightly grating. One or two of the voices are clearly Australian (or New Zealand… it's so hard to tell, sometimes.), so that adds a unique touch to an otherwise by-the-numbers dub. Watch it in either English or Japanese, you'll be getting the same result. Basically, if you dig the whole Detective genre and started a letter-writing campaign when Diagnosis Murder was cancelled, run to the store and buy Steam Detectives right now. There's plenty in here to keep any serious mystery junkie happy for a long time. Unfortunately, in these first five episodes, the stories have no meat, even less character development and a whole lot of repetitive, formulaic plot development. People looking for a solid, deep action series would do well to look elsewhere for their fix.