Fandom - News

New Library War TV Spot Debuts

Kamui_Takahashi — Wed, 23 May 2012 09:26:00 CDT

Library War's theatrical film is hitting on June 16th in Japan and that means its about time to start bringing out the TV spots for it. The latest spot is getting shown on YouTube from Kadokawa as well and it shows off a bit about the film, highlights the music and energizes the fans that enjoyed the manga and the previous anime series.

NARUTO MANGA CHAPTER #587

emakimeister — Wed, 23 May 2012 08:09:00 CDT

Naruto manga chapter #587 "At 9..." is out.

CLICK HERE TO READ THE MANGA

Download the chapter here

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BLEACH MANGA CHAPTER #493

emakimeister — Wed, 23 May 2012 07:25:00 CDT

Bleach manga chapter #493 "Light of Happiness" is out.

CLICK HERE TO READ THE MANGA

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Adam WarRock Promotes New Akira Rap Song, EP

Kamui_Takahashi — Tue, 22 May 2012 09:16:00 CDT

The anime rap scene seems to have exploded recently with some very high quality works hitting the net as they cover some of the big shows out there. The latest to get released is the song "... Is About To Explode" that deals with Akira and comes from the new 7 track album called Neo-Tokyo from Adam WarRock.

Toonami Deadman Wonderland Dub Cast Revealed

Kamui_Takahashi — Tue, 22 May 2012 08:54:00 CDT

With the announcement that Deadman Wonderland was getting an airing on Toonami starting this weekend and the obvious angle of it going to have to be dubbed, FUNimation has jumped into the swirl of news by announcing who all is involved with the English language adaptation. The series is being directed by Joel McDonald and it has a pretty strong cast to it that you can see below that will bring it all together.

CAST
GANTA Greg Ayres
MAKINA Colleen Clinkenbeard
TAMAKI Eric Vale
SHIRO Monica Rial
MIMI Lindsay Seidel
YAMAKATSU Micah Solusod
KASUGA Mary Morgan
YOU Aaron Dismuke
CREW:

Line Producer – Colleen Clinkenbeard
ADR Director – Joel McDonald
ADR Engineer – Kevin Leasure
Head Writer – John Burgmeier
Script Writer – J. Michael Tatum

Plot Concept: Death is the main attraction in Deadman Wonderland, from the studio that brought you Samurai Champloo and Ergo Proxy.

Ganta is the only survivor after a mysterious man in red slaughters a classroom full of teenagers. He’s framed for the carnage, sentenced to die, and locked away in the most twisted prison ever built: Deadman Wonderland. And then it gets worse.

At Deadman Wonderland, convicts are forced into brutal deathmatches for the amusement of the masses, the cheers of the crowd drowning out the screams of the dismembered. Even when Ganta befriends Shiro, an unusual female inmate, his dark fate crushes all hope – until he discovers the strange ability to wield his spilled blood as a weapon. Ganta learns his new skill might be related to the murderous man in red and uncovers disturbing secrets that could expose those who stole his freedom. He’s determined to see justice served – but first he’ll have to fight for his life in a prison that holds a million ways to die.

Rock Lee & His Ninja Pals Episode #08 Review

Kamui_Takahashi — Tue, 22 May 2012 07:59:00 CDT

Nothing says fun like giving Tsunade a buzz cut.

What They Say:
Lee's team is pulling bodyguard duty for the Fifth Hokage Tsunade while she's off on a gambling binge, and Tenten can only seem to screw up in front of her heroine... Orochimaru summons Manda to swallow Tsunade, Naruto, and even Guy-sensei whole! Can Lee's team come up with a plan and rescue them.

The Review:
Content: (please note that content portions of a review may contain spoilers)
After an episode that was far too much fun as it brought in both Orochimaru and Kabuto for some play time and hilarious TSA style fun, the series this time around works over another of my favorite characters with Tsunade. She was the character that in the pre100 episode original series before it went into filler mode that made me want to watch it since she brought something different to the table. So getting an episode here that deals with her a good bit just makes for a lot of fun because she can be mocked and messed with in quite a few ways. Including an accident right from the get go that has her carving on Mount Hokage screwed up to the point where she has a reverse mohawk now.

What happens because of that is a lot of fun though as there's a group that's come to try and take her out from a rival village and that means Rock and his crew, along with Guy, have to guard her without her knowing about it. This is particularly important since she's off on a gambling spree and just rolling the dice as often as she can. There's some very weirdly amusing moments with the kinds of costumes that they wear and it's no surprise that they screw up early enough so that Tsunade knows the deal. The whole thing just goes naturally silly and Tsunade is often caught up in the way things unfold without being able to do much since she's been enjoying her gambling and drinking. To make matters worse, seeing her really get that haircut by accident just makes me laugh in a way I know I shouldn't.

The second half brings in more with Tsunade, including some very hilarious takes on how they can fix her carving on Mount Hokage that goes in so many great directions. But it also wants to go for something else as Orochimaru and Kabuto show up again after a great gambling run with a new plan to take down some of those in the village. The whole thing ends up as a Moby Dick kind of story as a couple of them get swallowed whole by Orochimaru's massive snake and that leaves Rock and the gang to try and free them with all sorts of awful ideas, like super hot curry that will cause it to spit up Tsunade and the others. Suffice to say things go in amusing directions and there's a lot to like with the efforts that are put in and the weirdness of it all, especially with Guygatron...

In Summary:
Rock Lee and His Ninja Pals delights another time around here which in a lot of ways still continues to surprise me. The show has a very good sense of humor about it and plays with the characters in a very fun and spot on way that's generally still kept rather respectful. What we get here is a good mix of material with Tsunade as a catalyst for things and gets caught up in a lot of it in a big way while also giving us another taste of Orochimaru as well. The show is keeping to its style pretty strongly here and what it does is deliver on the laughs and smiles. Rock's still the lead here but it's become such a good ensemble cast, as it should, that there's just a lot to like when you see the supporting characters pop up and add more to the whole flow and flavor of it all. Even if it does give us a bald Tsunade.

Grade: B+

Tantei Opera Milky Holmes Summer Special Announced

Kamui_Takahashi — Mon, 21 May 2012 00:12:00 CDT

Fans of the TV series Tantei Opera Milky Holmes will be delighted to hear that the cast and crew of the two season show are getting another shot at things as a new summer special will be airing this summer in Japan called Tantei Opera Milky Holmes Alternate ONE. Not much has been revealed about it since the news came out via the official series Holmes twitter account. While the TV series has ended, the shows characters have been getting around beyond that with a recently released vocal album as well.

The series aired its first season on Crunchyroll while the second was shown via the Nico Nico JP site for fans worldwide.

One piece Episode #548 Review

Kamui_Takahashi — Sun, 20 May 2012 09:39:00 CDT

The past is put behind us as the story focuses on the present and what Hordy is really up to.

What They Say:
As Hordy makes his terrifying announcement, his crew force the citizens of the Ryugu Kingdom to step on Queen Otohime’s picture to test their loyalty to her. With the captured Straw Hat crew's life in the balance, Luffy gears up to return to the Ryugu Palace to fight Hordy... but Jimbei stands in his way.

The Review:
Content: (please note that content portions of a review may contain spoilers)
One Piece has done some interesting things with this past flashback arc in how it connects to events that kicked off the series early on with the Fish-Man people and the longstanding impact of it all. Some of it felt like it could have been tightened up a bit to tell a more engaging story, one that didn't drag out quite as much, but the overall result is a good one as we have a much richer understanding of the One Piece world and how more of it connects with various subplots and events. And we also really understand more of what it is in the present that Hordy is doing that is such a difficult and cruel thing for so many of the residents to be put through, by stepping on the images of Otohime in order to shame them more.

Hordy's broadcast to the residents of the island is even more damning and hurtful for them as they see that Hordy has now chained up Neptune, a moment that really hits home that control has been lost and there is nothing but uncertainty at this point. Hordy's gloating a bit but it's also to reinforce his position of strength, proving that he has accomplished all of this and is now taking over the reins of power. But it's also something larger as he seeks to replicate the Great Pirate Era that began with the cutting off of Roger's head, something that turned into a lot of problems for Fish-Men all over as they became persecuted. So he wants to use this event to create the start of the Great Fish-Man Era and roll forth from here with some twisted and cruel new kingdom.

What's worse is that in his effort to cement his power, he comes up with a list of traitors to be dealt with and just the first few read off alone causes plenty of problems. Of course, the Straw Hats are among those that will be a target as well, especially since a few are already captured. Of course, while things do get serious from this point with a lot at stake, it doesn't stop from showing us some humor as well as Brooke recounts how it was the three of them got caught in the end, which has now lead to them about to be drowned as an example. And even as all of this goes on, there are other threads that are being tugged as well, including Robin's recent discovery and what it could possibly mean. In the end though, it's good to see the story back in the present and events getting ready to move forward again.

In Summary:
One Piece has had a pretty elaborated - and expected - round of setup here with what's going on. The series has long worked this method to good effect, though not all the flashbacks have worked for me with what they do. The one that just finished went a bit longer than I would have cared for, but it did a lot to tie various elements together in the series in a new way that makes going back a bit more engaging as well. Things are definitely back to building well in the present day storyline and there's a lot to like here as Hordy is moving to set the world on fire with his Great Fish-Man Era to replace the pirate era that started quite awhile ago and caused much pain for his species. Everything is in the mode of going forward again and that's quite welcome. It's not that the flashback was spinning its wheels as we got a lot of useful information and character expansions, but now it feels like we're going to get somewhere.

Grade: B

Cluster Edge Release Details Surface

Kamui_Takahashi — Fri, 18 May 2012 13:03:00 CDT

After announcing it on the convention circuit a few weeks back, Sentai Filmworks has brought out the formal announcement that they've acquired the rights to the Sunrise anime series Cluster Edge, both the twenty-five episode TV run and the 3 OVAs that followed up. It'll be released on sub-only DVD later in 2012. It will also get digital distribution through various partners.

Sentai Filmworks is pleased to announce their acquisition of Cluster Edge. This Sci-Fi spectacular, with animation production by SUNRISE, consists of 25 episodes, plus 3 OVA episodes and was directed by Masashi Ikeda (Mobile Suit Gundam Wing, Inuyasha), features character designs by Yoshihito Hishinuma (Inuyasha) and Wan Komatsuda, and music by Takayuki Negishi (Tokyo Majin, RIN – Daughters of Mnemosyne).

Cluster Edge Academy isn’t just any school; it’s THE school, where the offspring of the elite come together to prepare for their roles running a world where artificial soldiers and religious sects are major factors in the battle for total control. Which may be part of why new transfer student Agate Fluorite doesn’t quite seem to fit in. It’s not just that Agate’s enthusiastic attitude stands out among the somber, brooding balance of the student body. There’s something about him that demands notice, even from jaded honors students like Beryl Jasper, and from the moment of arrival he’s been at the center of a series of mysteries that not even Agate understands. Because Agate’s not just another student, he’s part of a something so momentous, and dangerous, that the world that built Cluster Edge may not survive its passing.

Cluster Edge will begin release through select digital outlets soon with a home video release on subtitled DVD to follow.

Hulu Adds Dubbed/Subbed Wings of Honneamise Film

Kamui_Takahashi — Fri, 18 May 2012 13:01:00 CDT

Originally released in the US by Manga Entertainment with a slew of problems and later on fixed in a lavish special edition from Bandai Visual, that also released it on HD DVD and Blu-ray, the Wings of Honneamise has now made its way to the digital realm with both the subbed and dubbed versions now available on Hulu. We've embedded both below and encourage you to check out this striking film that comes from Gainax back before they became the name they made for themselves in the 90's.

Plot Concept: When cadet Shiro Lhadatt signs up with the Royal Space Force, he encounters ridicule and apathy from manipulative leaders and a cynical public. But a chance encounter with a devout young woman spurs Shiro on towards his destiny: to become the first man in space.

Subtitled:

Dubbed:

First Girls und Panzer Getting Fall Anime Series

Kamui_Takahashi — Thu, 17 May 2012 10:01:00 CDT

The man behind Squid Girl is coming back with a new series this fall called Girls und Panzer, which will look familiar since it's a military school series with designs by the character designer for Strike Witches. And it's all coming from Bandai Visual.

Plot Concept: The story centers around high school girls who drive tanks that exist in real life, as they compete in teams.

Mai Fuchigami as Miho Nishizumi
Ai Kayano as Saori Takebe
Mami Ozaki as Hana Isuzu
Ikumi Nakagami as Yukari Akiyama
Yuka Iguchi as Mako Reizei

Sket Dance Episode 58 Review

Kamui_Takahashi — Thu, 17 May 2012 09:32:00 CDT

Beware a naked, invisible Bossun.

What They Say:
It’s Mad Scientist Week as another faux-cola potion turns Bossun invisible and then later, Bossun puts on an artificially intelligent “power suit” created by Switch… But the suit soon develops a will of its own…

The Review:
After spending the previous episode working through some absolutely adorable moments between Bossun and Himeko that dealt with them texting each other unknowingly with passion, Sket Dance wants to “switch” things up again this week by going for the wacky science angle. Which isn’t bad since they have a mad scientist on hand to play with and that can lead to awkward situations which, while forced and over the top, allows the show to go completely silly for awhile. I do like when they play things mostly straight and real world, but being able to tweak things out in another direction once in awhile is definitely fun. And this episode is no exception as it does a double does of silly science that lets the group have some real fun.

The opening half of the episode has Bossun getting his hands on some invisibility soda that works fantastically well, though of course it has the caveat of only making the drinker themselves become invisible and not their clothes or anything else they carry. Bossun completely gets into it, strips down after it works and proceeds to stalk Himeko and scare the crap out of her. While he does get to scare her for a bit, the real scare comes after that as the portion starts to wear off and going from the top to bottom, he starts to turn visible again. And with no clothes, it just freaks out Himeko and they come up with hysterical costume choices to try and cover things up with. It makes zero sense when you get down to it but it’s the kind of panicked response you’d expect.

The second half goes in a completely different direction as it follows up the subplot that’s tying the two stories together about picking up something heavy. Switch gets a sumo style flesh colored power suit that Bossun gets to put on that allows him to pick up a ton of things. But it’s not a suit that operates normally, or looks normal at that, and makes for some good fun as events unfold. There’s some really wacky stuff that goes on here as Bossun gets a feel for the suit and understands how to work it better since there is a synergy kind of quirk to it. When he gets to show off its skills in a variety of ways, it is pretty fun to watch, but disturbing as well just because of the look of the suit and the way Bossun simply just connects with it so well.

In Summary:
Of the two stories, the invisibility story has more fun to it just because it covers a few different areas of humor and deals with the naked/invisibility angle which is always fun. Pairing him with Himeko for it after getting Chuu’s drink works well since he has fun with her but the bigger scares are yet to come. The power suit story is less amusing overall since it comes across as a little more unfocused, but there’s some good laughs to be had here as Bossun adapts to the suit and discovers just what kind of abilities it has. Of course, there’s a danger to a suit that understands its wearer like this which turns things a little darker along the way, but you know things will resolve in a humorous way which does deflate it a bit.

Grade: B

NARUTO SHIPPUDEN ANIME #263

tezukameister — Thu, 17 May 2012 08:15:00 CDT

Naruto Shippuden anime episode #263 "Sai and Shin" is out.

CLICK HERE TO WATCH THE EPISODE

Leave your comments here...

Naruto: Shippuden Episode #263 Review

Kamui_Takahashi — Thu, 17 May 2012 06:26:00 CDT

The war is underway but there's more to it than just straight out action for now.

What They Say:
The Allied Shinobi Forces’ commando unit engages with the Akatsuki in the first wave of battle.

The Review:
Content: (please note that content portions of a review may contain spoilers)
While the main forces for the war were just starting to move out at the end of the previous episode, there are those already out there on the front lines that are engaging the Akatsuki. It's been interesting to watch so far sinc ethere are so many connections that some of these characters have from past battles that come to the surface which throws off the plans just a little bit, or at least ramps up the emotional side of it. With the number of times some of the characters have gone up against each other since the Akatsuki were formally introduced, it's no surprise that there are grudges and issues that come up that certainly spans quite a lot of time.

And because of this, what we'll likely get at various stages of this war are episodes like thi sone that does a heavy dose of back story expansion. As we see the fight getting ready to shift into the next gear between the two sides that are meeting, we get a look back in time to Shin and Sai when Shin was doing things to help out Sai and make sure that he was on the right path. With the two having spent so much time together in the Foundation, they bonded very well with each other and became closer than they might have thought possible. But that closeness is something that Danzo doesn't like to see in his members and he set the two on the path to kill each other in a match where only one could survive. It goes with the obvious angle of one willing to do it and the other not, which is where the rift really became something more between them.

This does help in the end because it makes their encounter later in life in the present more powerful, but it's the kind of piece that does slow down the story overall when you wanted something to really just get into the action and intensity. That said, what we do get something suitably emotional here that helps to bring some closure to part of Sai's life and it's very well done. This dominates the episode, but there are other aspects as well as the puppet masters are working their jutsu against each other, though it's more psychological because of what's gone on with the changes that have been made to become less human. It has a decent and thankfully short flashback to when Sasori went up against Sakura and Granny way back in this series, newly animated, which helps to bring all of this full circle as well. They make it clear that this is going to be a big part of this arc as events go on and as the bodies fall, but it's hard to complain about it because it does bring more closure.

In Summary:
With the war essentially underway, the first couple of fights that go on certainly don't play out like you'd expect, especially when it comes to how Shin deals with his fight against Sai. That's more dealing with the past that one would expect so quickly as you'd figure we'd have a lot of action for a bit first, but what it does is to show that there are definite emotional issues to be had here with the way so many of these characters have long and deep connections with each other. There's a lot to like with this episode across the board, but it's one where once again it feels like we're not getting what we were expecting or really wanting. We get good stories out of it, but with all the buildup towards the war, well, we want that war.

Grade: B

NARUTO MANGA CHAPTER #586

emakimeister — Wed, 16 May 2012 09:03:00 CDT

Naruto manga chapter #586 "Izanami Is Released!" is out.

CLICK HERE TO READ THE MANGA

Leave your comments here...

BLEACH MANGA CHAPTER #492

emakimeister — Wed, 16 May 2012 08:59:00 CDT

Bleach manga chapter #492 "Balancer's Justice" is out.

CLICK HERE TO READ THE MANGA

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FUNimation Sets More One Piece Releases & August Anime Schedule

Kamui_Takahashi — Tue, 15 May 2012 17:09:00 CDT

The August slate of anime DVD and Blu-ray releases from FUNimation has come through and there's a whole heck of a lot to like here in general. Most important for many though? NEW ONE PIECE! Season 4 kicks off, though we don't have a run time yet, but new episodes on DVD, dubbed, are on the way!

On the SAVE side, we get re-releases like Disgaea and Kaleido Star. Their Classics line gets an interesting mix of titles too with Trinity Blood, Texhnolyze and Ergo Proxy, bringing at least two older Geneon titles back to the surface and ones that certainly are welcome to see again. Also coming from the Geneon days but getting different treatment is Shakugan no Shana‘s first season as it’s getting a DVD/BD combo release. And on the new side of titles there’s also Freezing, Is This A Zombie? and Shangri-La, which is getting both parts released at once.

Time to start figuring out your August shopping schedule! What will you pick up from this list? You can find extended discussion on these announcements here.

Disgaea: Complete Collection (S.A.V.E. Edition) – 300 minutes – $19.98 – 8/7/12
Ergo Proxy: Complete Collection (Classic Line) – 575 minutes – $39.98 – 8/28/12 (Was 7/3/12)
Freezing: Complete Collection (Blu-ray / DVD Combo LE) – 300 minutes – $69.98 – 8/28/12
Is This A Zombie?: Complete Collection (LE) – 325 minutes – $64.98 – 8/7/12
Kaleido Star: Season 1 Collection (S.A.V.E. Edition) – 650 minutes – $29.98 – 8/28/12
Oblivion Island: Haruka & the Magic Mirror (DVD) – ??? minutes – $19.98 – 8/14/12
Oblivion Island: Haruka & the Magic Mirror (Blu-ray / DVD Combo) – ??? minutes – $24.98 – 8/14/12
One Piece: Collection 7 – 625 minutes – $34.98 – 8/14/12
One Piece: Season 4 Collection, Part 1 – ??? minutes – $39.98 – 8/7/12
Shakugan no Shana: Season 1 Collection (Blu-ray / DVD Combo) – 625 minutes – $59.98 – 8/21/12
Shangri-La, Part 1 (LE) – 300 minutes – $64.98 – 8/21/12
Shangri-La, Part 2 – 300 minutes – $59.98 – 8/21/12
Texhnolyze: Complete Collection (Classic Line) – 550 minutes – $49.98 – 8/28/12
Trinity Blood: Complete Collection (DVD) (Classic Line) – $39.98 – 600 minutes – 8/14/12

Sentai Announces Large August Anime Release Schedule

Kamui_Takahashi — Tue, 15 May 2012 13:57:00 CDT

The folks at Sentai Filmworks have kicked up things a bit with their August release schedule as the details have come to light today. There are a few DVD only releases here, but a lot of what they have is getting both DVD and Blu-ray, albeit it separate, releases. There's a lot of good stuff in here as well as some titles from Aesir, bringing an old ADV Films title back, as well as a new Switchblade Pictures title, all of which is distributed by Section 23.

Coming August 2012

Title: THE WORLD GOD ONLY KNOWS SEASON 2
Published by: Sentai Filmworks
Distributed by: Section23 Films
Run Time: 300 min.
Street Date: 8/7/2012
Format: DVD
Language: English & Japanese with English Subtitles
SRP: $59.98

SYNOPSIS: Every otaku’s favorite dating sims champion is back! And Keima still has his adorable lost soul-hunting, demon cutie with him! Together, they continue their pursuit of finding escaped lost souls who are hiding within beautiful, young school girls. But how to release these trapped spirits? Why they have to get the girls to fall in love of course! And this time when lost souls turn up in everyone from the school’s sexy bully to the school’s hottest new student teacher, Keima finds even his romantic powers are going to have to be working over time. And when a giant loose soul turns the entire school into a group of love-starved zombies, Keima and Elsie have to recruit a new demon to help! It’s two times the adventure, two times the excitement, and two times the romance in The World God Only Knows Season Two!

Title: THE WORLD GOD ONLY KNOWS SEASON 2 BLU-RAY
Published by: Sentai Filmworks
Distributed by: Section23 Films
Run Time: 300 min.
Street Date: 8/7/2012
Format: BD
Language: English & Japanese with English Subtitles
SRP: $69.98

SYNOPSIS: Every otaku’s favorite dating sims champion is back! And Keima still has his adorable lost soul-hunting, demon cutie with him! Together, they continue their pursuit of finding escaped lost souls who are hiding within beautiful, young school girls. But how to release these trapped spirits? Why they have to get the girls to fall in love of course! And this time when lost souls turn up in everyone from the school’s sexy bully to the school’s hottest new student teacher, Keima finds even his romantic powers are going to have to be working over time. And when a giant loose soul turns the entire school into a group of love-starved zombies, Keima and Elsie have to recruit a new demon to help! It’s two times the adventure, two times the excitement, and two times the romance in The World God Only Knows Season Two!

Title: PARASITE DOLLS COMPLETE COLLECTION
Published by: AEsir Holdings
Distributed by: Section23 Films
Run Time: 95 min.
Street Date: 8/7/2012
Format: DVD
Language: English & Japanese with English Subtitles
SRP: $19.98

SYNOPSIS: In a near future world where the dividing line between the people and the plastic is becoming increasingly blurred, it’s the job of the Branch to keep the streets of Genom City safe from the dangers of a technology that no one yet knows the limits of. If it even has any. Between the evolving sentience of an entirely new manufactured species, the chaos that inevitably ensues when backyard cyber-hackers attempt to do their own field mods and the willingness of powerful hi-tech corporations to cut a few corners, the men and women of the Branch have already got their work cut out for them. And that’s before they factor in the danger of internal corruption, given that one of their own members boasts a metal endoskeleton. Join the ultimate robo-cops as they patrol the dark side of the day after tomorrow in PARASITE DOLLS!

Title THIS BOY CAN FIGHT ALIENS
Published by: Sentai Filmworks
Distributed by: Section23 Films
Run Time: 28 min.
Street Date: 8/14/2012
Format: DVD
Language: English & Japanese with English Subtitles
SRP: $14.98

SYNOPSIS: When aliens suddenly invade the world, Earth seems to be fighting a losing battle until Arikawa, one of the defense command staff, accidentally discovers a young man lying on a hill. Tests soon prove the impossible: this one teenager, Kakashi, has the power to defeat the attackers! Unfortunately, Kakashi has also lost his memory, and with it the knowledge of how to actually use his power. Moving Kakashi in with himself and his own commander, Shiro, Arikawa accidentally starts a strange triangle of emotions and relationships. A triangle that threatens the fate of the planet as Kakashi begins to question his own motivations! From up and coming director Soubi Yamamoto, and CoMix Wave, who spearheaded Japan’s new wave of independent anime production with the works of Makoto Shinkai, comes a film that turns The War of The Worlds inside out: THIS BOY CAN FIGHT ALIENS!

Title: THIS BOY CAN FIGHT ALIENS BLU-RAY
Published by: Sentai Filmworks
Distributed by: Section23 Films
Run Time: 28 min.
Street Date: 8/14/2012
Format: BD
Language: English & Japanese with English Subtitles
SRP: $24.98

SYNOPSIS: When aliens suddenly invade the world, Earth seems to be fighting a losing battle until Arikawa, one of the defense command staff, accidentally discovers a young man lying on a hill. Tests soon prove the impossible: this one teenager, Kakashi, has the power to defeat the attackers! Unfortunately, Kakashi has also lost his memory, and with it the knowledge of how to actually use his power. Moving Kakashi in with himself and his own commander, Shiro, Arikawa accidentally starts a strange triangle of emotions and relationships. A triangle that threatens the fate of the planet as Kakashi begins to question his own motivations! From up and coming director Soubi Yamamoto, and CoMix Wave, who spearheaded Japan’s new wave of independent anime production with the works of Makoto Shinkai, comes a film that turns The War of The Worlds inside out: THIS BOY CAN FIGHT ALIENS!

Title: SULTRY ASSASSIN: NINJA BRAINWASH
Published by: Switchblade Pictures
Distributed by: Section23 Films
Run Time: 73 min.
Street Date: 8/14/2012
Format: DVD
Language: Japanese with English Subtitles
SRP: $19.98

SYNOPSIS: When Yui Kusunoki, an undercover geisha secretly in the employ of the Inner Secret Guard, disappears while en route to deliver an oral message concerning rogue Koga Ninja penetrations in southern Hikone, there’s just one sword-mistress who can go down after her: the notorious but very easy on the eyes Rin Saejima a.k.a. the Sultry Assassin! But knowing that her identity may have already been compromised as a result of the Koga’s Erotic Brainwashing technique, Rin devises a cunning plan of her own: one that involves bringing her “associate” Yasuburo back into her fold posing as her husband! Get ready for sword-handling of every kind and lots of derring-do getting done in the most unexpected places (and locations) as the team behind the sizzling escapades of THE APHRODISIAC KILL reunite for a double-sworded, sordid ero-ninja epic that scholars of Japanese history would very much prefer that you don’t bring up in class: SULTRY ASSASSIN: NINJA BRAINWASH!

Title: NO. 6
Published by: Sentai Filmworks
Distributed by: Section23 Films
Run Time: 275 min.
Street Date: 8/21/2012
Format: DVD
Language: English & Japanese with English Subtitles
SRP: $59.98

SYNOPSIS: In a near future world after the last great war, most of mankind now lives in a handful of city states. There, for the privileged elite, life should be perfect. But for young Shion, the only thing perfect has been the nightmare his life has become since letting a strange boy called Rat spend the night in his apartment. Banished to the outskirts of the city and stripped of all privileges for helping the mysterious stranger who has since disappeared, Shion now finds himself in even worse danger as his inquiry into a new series of mysterious deaths results in his being arrested on suspicion of murder! But even as Shion is being sent to the city’s Correctional Institute, the long missing Rat reappears to rescue him! Now, on the run, the two young men have only one chance at survival: uncover the mysterious secrets that lie at the sinister heart of No. 6!

Title: NO. 6 BLU-RAY
Published by: Sentai Filmworks
Distributed by: Section23 Films
Run Time: 275 min.
Street Date: 8/21/2012
Format: BD
Language: English & Japanese with English Subtitles
SRP: $69.98

SYNOPSIS: In a near future world after the last great war, most of mankind now lives in a handful of city states. There, for the privileged elite, life should be perfect. But for young Shion, the only thing perfect has been the nightmare his life has become since letting a strange boy called Rat spend the night in his apartment. Banished to the outskirts of the city and stripped of all privileges for helping the mysterious stranger who has since disappeared, Shion now finds himself in even worse danger as his inquiry into a new series of mysterious deaths results in his being arrested on suspicion of murder! But even as Shion is being sent to the city’s Correctional Institute, the long missing Rat reappears to rescue him! Now, on the run, the two young men have only one chance at survival: uncover the mysterious secrets that lie at the sinister heart of No. 6!

Title: K-ON! SEASON 2 COLLECTION 2
Published by: Sentai Filmworks
Distributed by: Section23 Films
Run Time: 350 min.
Street Date: 8/28/2012
Format: DVD
Language: English & Japanese with English Subtitles
SRP: $59.98

SYNOPSIS: Sometimes music and words come together so perfectly that the combination is far more powerful than either would be alone. In much the same way, the five members of the Sakuragaoka Girl’s High School’s Light Music Club have become far more than just a group of girls with similar interests. More, even, than just a group of friends. Through the medium of music they’ve found a common course in life, and whatever the future may bring, they know they can get through it if they stand together. Which makes the coming end of the school year and the graduation of the four older members something that’s dreaded as much as it’s looked forward to. But in the meantime there’s so much going on, it’s as life has decided to throw everything it can at them. Going to music festivals won’t be hard to swing, but running a marathon? That will be a stretch! Yearbook photos? The horror! And a school play with Mio and Ritsu cast as Romeo and Juliet? Ooo, VERY awkward. And then, of course, there’s one big final performance for the band! The tempo is rising and emotions run wild as the final encore approaches in K-ON! Season 2 Collection 2!!

Title: K-ON! SEASON 2 COLLECTION 2 BLU-RAY
Published by: Sentai Filmworks
Distributed by: Section23 Films
Run Time: 350 min.
Street Date: 8/28/2012
Format: BD
Language: English & Japanese with English Subtitles
SRP: $69.98

SYNOPSIS: Sometimes music and words come together so perfectly that the combination is far more powerful than either would be alone. In much the same way, the five members of the Sakuragaoka Girl’s High School’s Light Music Club have become far more than just a group of girls with similar interests. More, even, than just a group of friends. Through the medium of music they’ve found a common course in life, and whatever the future may bring, they know they can get through it if they stand together. Which makes the coming end of the school year and the graduation of the four older members something that’s dreaded as much as it’s looked forward to. But in the meantime there’s so much going on, it’s as life has decided to throw everything it can at them. Going to music festivals won’t be hard to swing, but running a marathon? That will be a stretch! Yearbook photos? The horror! And a school play with Mio and Ritsu cast as Romeo and Juliet? Ooo, VERY awkward. And then, of course, there’s one big final performance for the band! The tempo is rising and emotions run wild as the final encore approaches in K-ON! Season 2 Collection 2!!

Title: KOIHIME ULTIMATE COLLECTION
Published by: Sentai Filmworks
Distributed by: Section23 Films
Run Time: 975 min.
Street Date: 8/28/2012
Format: DVD
Language: Japanese with English Subtitles
SRP: $89.98

SYNOPSIS: You’ve heard of Mulan, you may have heard of Wu Zetian, but even before those legendary lady warriors, the soil of Ancient China had proved fertile ground for the cultivation of an elite force of ferociously female fighters! The saga begins as a girl named Aisha takes on the name Kan’u and sets forth on a journey that inspires others to shatter the shackles of their own tradition and take up the way of the sword. And once you and the girls have accomplished one heroic quest, how do you top it except by taking up another? And then another! (Some epochs it just seems like a woman’s work is never done!) All three epic adventures in the spectacular Koihime Muso series, including the OVAs, are collected together at last as the ancient epic Romance of the Three Kingdoms takes on an unexpected new look and some very feminine curves in KOIHIME MUSO – THE ULTIMATE COLLECTION!

Seitokai Yakuindomo OVA Gets Promo Video

Kamui_Takahashi — Tue, 15 May 2012 00:13:00 CDT

After a good showing of the anime series in the summer of 2010 and one OVA after that, a second OVA is due for Seitokai Yakuindomo and the promotional video has surfaced for it. The property is based off of the manga of the same name by Tozen Ujiie which began back in 2007 and has five compiled volumes so far. It's a standard shonen series but one that doesn't churn out huge chapters on a regular basis. The anime series and OVAs are being produced by GoHands.

Plot Concept: Tsuda Takatoshi is about to begin his first year in Ousai Academy. His decision to enter Ousai was based upon it being close to his home and he paid no heed to the fact he'd be among the first boys to enter the recently gender-integrated school.

On his first trip to school, Takatoshi is surrounded by girls; the train has nothing but girls, the walk to school has nothing but girls and once he finally arrives he is approached by a group of girls and summarily appointed vice-president of the student council and, as expected, he is the only boy there.

Now Takatoshi finds himself surrounded by crazy girls who do nothing but horrify him with their candid conversations about feminine hygiene products and, what's worse, assume he's the worst kind of man, the kind who doesn't clean himself and watches porn all day long.

009 RE:Cyborg Gets International Trailer

Kamui_Takahashi — Mon, 14 May 2012 16:32:00 CDT

The plethora of Cyborg 009 material out there continues to grow, but the latest one is the 2012 movie due out from Production IG with 009 RE:Cyborg. With Kenji Kamiyama behind it, and being fully vested with product placement, the studio has opted for an extended edition trailer aimed at the international market where he's fully aware he has a lot of fans. The new film isn't due out for awhile, hitting Japan on October 27th, but it's already getting quite a lot of buzz as you can see why below.