Official Website of Sacred Seven

The official site of animation, The Sacred Seven, which is coming on this July 3rd, has opened.

This animation series is a super solid battle action shows portrays battle with monsters called Ashi.

Source: Sacred Seven Official Website

Jump Combo Movies One Piece & Toriko 3D!

Special set of "Jump HEROES film" including 3D blu-ray movie set! Contains a special adventure of the number one manga/anime One Piece!

Plot: Luffy lost his hat and on the way of seeking it, Luffy and his clan get involved with pirates's conspiracy...

The second movie is from the popular manga Toriko created by Mitsutoshi Shimabukuro and published in Jump!

Plot: In a world where the taste and texture of food is extremely important, there exist individuals known as Gourmet Hunters who specialize in the acquisition of rare ingredients and animals. Toriko is one of these hunters and it is his dream to find the most precious foods in the world and create the ultimate dinner course. A great adventure and battle will start now...

Box includes data cards (2 sheets) and B2-size poster!

=>Toriko Kaimaku! Gourmet Adventure & ONE PIECE 3D Mugiwara Chase 3D BR Pack [Limited Release]

=>Toriko Kaimaku! Gourmet Adventure & ONE PIECE 3D Mugiwara Chase 3D DVD Pack

=>Torico gourmet survival [PSP]

Source: CDJapan Anime

Media Blasters Licenses Shinryaku! Ika Musume (Squid Girl) on DVD

CEO John Sirabella of the North American anime distributor Media Blasters confirmed with ANN that his company has acquired the license to the television anime series Shinryaku! Ika Musume (Squid Girl). The company will release the first six episodes of Squid Girl on DVD on September 27. The release will include English-dubbed and -subtitled tracks and have a suggested retail price (SRP) of US$24.99. The solicitations also describe the release as "loaded with extras."

The anime adapts Masahiro Anbe's comedy manga about a squid girl who vows to invade the beaches of mankind since humans have polluted the seas. However, her invasion is less than successful, and she ends up on dry land. The first season premiered last October, and the media-distribution website Crunchyroll streamed the anime outside Japan as it aired. The upcoming second season is called Shinryaku!? Ika Musume.

Source: Fandom Post [Via ANN]

Baka to Test 2 BD & DVD Volumes to Add Another Anime Extra

The six Blu-ray and DVD volumes for the Baka to Test to Shōkanjū Ni! television anime will include more bonus anime extras in addition to the previously announced anime adaptation of the Sore ga Bokura no Nichijō "spinout" manga. Each volume will have an "Shichōkaku-shitsu no Chūshin de Baka to Yobu" ("Call 'Baka' in the Middle of the Audiovisual Room") anime extra. Each volume will also have a live-action "Real F Class no Nichijō" (The Daily Life of the Real F Class) extra with the main cast (Hiro Shimono, Hitomi Harada, Kaori Mizuhashi, Tatsuhisa Suzuki, Emiri Katou, Kouki Miyata, Tomomi Isomura, and narrator Kumiko Inoue), as well as an audio commentary.

Baka to Test to Shōkanjū Ni! is the second television anime season based on Kenji Inoue's Baka to Test to Shōkanjū (Baka and Test - Summon the Beasts) comedy light novel series about students in the hapless F Class at a magical academy.

Source: Amazon Japan via Ota-Suke

Kyoukai Senjou no Horizon Promo Video Streamed

The official website for Manabu Ono and Sunrise's Kyōkai Senjō no Horizon (Horizon on the Middle of Nowhere) anime formally launched with a new 90-second promotional video streaming off the YouTube service on Saturday. Minoru Kawakami's original school fantasy light novel series is set in a distant future when Japan is divided into feudal territories and conquered by other countries. There is a floating city named Musashi that is composed of eight ships in the skies. A war that will determine the fate of the world will be fought by students on the Musashi. The anime will premiere in October.

Another New Gundam Project to Be Announced June 25

The Bandai Channel's website for live streams revealed on Monday that another new project in the Gundam franchise is launching. The official portal site Gundam.info and other venues will make the announcement on June 25. Bandai Channel just streamed the official announcement for the Kidō Senshi Gundam AGE (Mobile Suit Gundam AGE) anime series.

Gundam AGE Promotional Video Streamed Outside Japan

On Monday, the English version of the Gundam.info portal site officially began streaming the promotional video for Mobile Suit Gundam AGE, the new anime series which will premiere in October. The same promotional video, which premiered during Monday's announcement for the anime, is also on the official Gundam AGE website, but that website's video is restricted to Japanese IP (Interenet Protocol) addresses.

Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Kira's 2nd Promo Video Posted

On Monday, the Saishin Anime Jōhō website began streaming the second promotional video for Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Kira, a new original video anime series that celebrates the Higurashi no Naku Koro ni horror franchise's 10th anniversary next year. (The video plays in Microsoft Internet Explorer, but may not play in other browsers.) The site is still streaming the first promotional video.

The four bimonthly Blu-ray Disc/DVD volumes will ship between July 21, 2011 and January 25, 2012. The first volume will adapt the Higurashi no Naku Koro Ni Kai software's Batsukoishi-hen storyline, while the remaining volumes will have all-new original stories: Ayakashisenshi-hen -Do-, Kichienshi-hen -Ai-, Yumeutsushi-hen -Raku-. Ryukishi07/07th Expansion created the original story, and Toshifumi Kawase is again supervising the scripts. Hideki Tachibana is directing at Studio DEEN.

07th Expansion's original Higurashi no Naku Koro ni visual novel software revolved around murders that coincide with an annual festival in a quiet rural village. The software inspired two television anime series, several video anime projects, two live-action films, and manga adaptations by several artists.

The game publisher MangaGamer licensed the rights to translate the original visual novel software for personal computers, and it has released them in English. Funimation took over North American distribution of the first Higurashi television anime series from Geneon Entertainment. Funimation released the first DVDs in 2008, but let the license expire due to poor sales. North America's Yen Press acquired the Higurashi manga for its Yen Plus anthology magazine and later for compiled book volumes.

Image © 2011 Ryukishi07/Hinamizawa Gosanke

Aniplex of America adds the Garden of Sinners to PlayStation Network

Aniplex of America has announced that the seven chapter movie Kara no Kyoukai (The Garden of Sinners) is now available for rent on PlayStation network's video-on-demand service in the US and Canada. The following seven chapters are available in Japanese with English subtitles for $2.99 each in standard definition widescreen:

• Chapter 1: Thanatos (Overlooking View)
• Chapter 2: …and nothing heart (Murder Speculation, Part A)
• Chapter 3: ever cry, never life (Remaining Sense of Pain)
• Chapter 4: garan-no-dou (The Hollow Shrine)
• Chapter 5: Paradox Paradigm
• Chapter 6: Fairy Tale (Oblivion Recording)
• Chapter 7: …not nothing heart (Murder Speculation, Part B)

The Garden of Sinners was only previously available in North America as an import boxset, which completely sold out.

Source: Aniplex USA | the Garden of sinners

Image © KINOKO NASU / Kodansha, Aniplex, Notes, ufotable

Anime Tourism of Hanasaku Iroha Revives the Model Spa

According to Hokkoku Newspaper, Yuwaku Hot Spring , the model town of Hanasaku Iroha, has been humming with business since the start of the anime. After the earthquake in March, nearly 1,500 guests have canceled the hotel reservations in Yuwaku but the rooms of all the nine hotels were fully booked by the anime fans just before the holidays in May. The bottles of Yuwaku Cider have been flying off the shelves because the cider was shown in the ED.

Iroha fans taking pictures of the sign of the model train station

Comparisons between the real sceneries in Yuwaku and the scenes in the anime

Entrance of the hotel area

Yuwaku - Anime

Main street

Yuwaku - Anime

Bridge Ohana walks on

Yuwaku - Anime

Bench Yuina sits with a Yuwaku Cider

Yuwaku - Anime

The rival hotel

Yuwaku - Anime

Yuwaku Spa Tourist Association said they expect the anime fans to visit the town repeatedly.

Source: Hokkoku Shinbun

FUNimation Acquires We Without Wings, Zebraman 2, City Under Seige

FUNimation has announced the licenses to Oretachi ni wa Tsubasa wa Nai or Oretsuba or Oretsuba (We Without Wings - Under the Innocent Sky), and the live action films Zebraman 2: Attack on Zebra City, and City Under Seige at their A-Kon 22 panel.

Oretachi ni wa Tsubasa wa Nai or Oretsuba (We Without Wings - Under the Innocent Sky) was developed by Navel, the same company behind Shuffle, which was a hit for FUNimation. FUNimation will release the series on DVD and Blu-ray in 2012. FUNimation will also begin streaming the series on June 24th at noon CDT on http://beta.funimation.com/we-without-wings.

Source: FUNimation News

Image ©Navel ©Oretsuba Committee

In Japan, ∀Gundam, Yamato, Ouran High Go Blu-ray

FUNimation released the series on upscaled Blu-ray back in March 2010, but Japan will its Ouran High School Host Club BR release on August 24th. The 5 disc limited edition set will retail for ¥ 25,000 (around $ 311).

Despite Bandai Entertainment announcing a license, North America hasn't seen a release of ∀Gundam (or Turn A Gundam). So, if you're intrigued by a Gundam that not only features mecha marching onto a landscape of World War I tech, but also the work of franchise creator Yoshiyuki Tomino, in addition to Yoko Kanno music, as well as design design by futurist Syd Mead and Capcom's Akira Yasuda, you may be jealous when you find out that Japan is getting Blu-rays of compilation movies Earth Light and Moon Butterfly on July 22nd. A set with special Akira Yasuda designed sleeves will retail for ¥ 14,700 (around $ 182), while standard editions will sell for ¥ 6,300 (around $ 78) each.

Collection DX notes that Japan will be getting DVD and Blu-ray releases of the live action Space Battleship Yamato on June 24th. Standard Edition DVD and Blu-Ray will be running ¥ 2500 (around $ 31) and ¥ 4800 (around $ 59) and include a trailer, teaser, and TV spot for special features.

Collector Editions of the DVD and Blu-Ray will be running ¥ 8800 (around $ 109) and ¥ 9800 (around $ 121) and inlucde more special features and collector items.

Ga-rei Zero Added to Netflix Streaming

Netflix's streaming service has begun offering AIC Spirits & Asread's 12 episode anime series Ga-rei Zero. This prequel to Hajime Segawa's Ga-rei manga series has been released in a DVD/Blu-ray combo pack in North America by FUNimation.

Directed by Ei Aoki (Hourou Musuko: Wandering Son), the series follows Kagura Tsuchimiya, the daughter lineage of demon beast controllers, who'll eventually use her spirit dog Ga-Rei Byakuei in the service of the Japanese Ministry of Defense's anti-paranormal forces, and, unfortunately, against her adopted sister Yomi. (Beyond the demon battling brutality, the anime is often remarked upon for scenes of Kagura and adopted sister Yomi Lady and the Tramping sticks of Pocky.)

Source: Netflix

CLAMP Ending Kobato Manga Series

Manga author team CLAMP announced that the Kobato manga series will conclude in the August issue of Newtype magazine. According to Animate, Volume 6 of the Japanese collections will be released July 25th.

The series, launched in 2005, follows cheery Kobato, who, with the help of her spirit companion/dog plushie, aims to heal people's hearts and in doing so fill a bottle that will grant her a wish.

Kobato also ran in the English language Newtype USA, and following the closure of that magazine, and its publisher, the series was picked up by Yen Press. Its anime adaptation is coming to North America from Sentai Filmworks.

Source: CLAMP's Official Website

Naruto Fight Highlights and More... Some Sakuga For Your Saturday

Every month, the best bits of sakuga, full motion in anime, are put together into compilation videos. Some of you might have already seen one, but here's a second, annotated look at what's been eyed to be the cream of crop for May, 2011.

Also, here's a video compilation of the work of Gorou Sessha, who did work of Kannagi, Sengoku Basara, Precure and Toradora, but who perhaps made his biggest mark on Naruto Shippūden, particularly its Sasuke fights.

Type-Moon Gears Up for Summer With Carnival Phantasm

Type-Moon, the folks behind visual novel based series Tsukihime and Fate/stay night, have launched their site for TYPE-MOON10 Animation Anniversary OVA Carnival Phantasm.

Scheduled to hit for this August's Comiket doujinishi event, the anime is directed by Angel Beats' Seiji Kishi from a script by his Astro Fighter Sunred collaborator Makoto Uezu (Is This is a Zombie?). Voice acting favorites will be revisting familiar roles, such as Ayako Kawasumi as Saber, Ryoka Yuzuki as Arcueid, Kana Ueda as Rin Tosaka, Kenji Nojima as Shiki Tono and so on through the Type-Moon pantheon.

Source: Type-Moon's Carnival Phantasm

New OVA of Kami nomi zo Shiru Sekai (The World God Only Knows) Announced

This year's 29th issue of Shogakukan's Weekly Shonen Sunday magazine is announcing on Wednesday that the 14th volume of Tamiki Wakaki's Kami no Mizo Shiru Sekai (The World God Only Knows) manga will bundle an original video anime (OVA) on September 16.

The romantic comedy manga centers on Keima Katsuragi, a high school boy who is known as the "Capturing God" for his success at romance simulation games. However, thanks to a contract with a devil, he now has to capture the hearts of real girls to catch the runaway spirits hidden in those hearts.

The manga already inspired two television anime seasons last year and this year, and the website Crunchyroll streamed both outside Japan as they aired. The limited edition of the 10th manga manga bundled a prologue anime last September.

Source: Manga News

Images © Tamiki Wakaki/Shogakukan, Kaminomi Project, TV Tokyo

Blu-ray & DVD Only Episode of Ikoku Meiro no Croisée

According to the official website, an unaired episode of Ikoku Meiro no Croisée will be included in the third volume of the Blu-ray & DVD. It will be released on November 25th. Each of the seven volumes of the Blu-ray & DVDs will carry a short SD anime "Yune & Alice". The TV series is twelve episodes long. The first episode will be aired on July 3rd.

Plot: During the second half of the 19th century, Europe became intrigued by the Japanese culture. A Japanese girl named Yune travels to France, where she started working in the lower parts of a town in Paris at a craft store called Enseignes du Roy. She and the store owner named Claude communicate with each other in order to get over their cultural differences. This is the story of Yune's stay in Paris...

Source: Ikokumeiro official website

Usagi Drop/Bunny Drop's 1st Promotional Video Streamed

The website for Kanta Kamei and Production I.G's anime adaptation of Yumi Unita's Usagi Drop (Bunny Drop) manga began streaming its first promotional video on Friday. The anime will premiere in Fuji TV's Noitamina block on Thursday, July 7 at 24:25 (effectively Friday, July 8 at 12:45 a.m.)

In the story, 30-year-old bachelor Daikichi (Hiroshi Tsuchida) discovers a little girl named Rin (Ayu Matsuura) in his grandfather's garden while at his grandfather's funeral. Rin is the 6-year-old illegitimate daughter of Daikichi's grandfather, and Daikichi decides to take her in when no one in the family accepts the responsibility.

The Bunny Drop manga began in 2006, and the eighth compiled book volume shipped last October. Yen Press published the third manga volume in North America in March, and the title was nominated for this year's Eisner Awards. A live-action film version will open in Japan on August 20 with director Sabu, lead actor Ken'ichi Matsuyama (Death Note, Detroit Metal City, Gantz), and lead actress Mana Ashida.

Source: Presepe News

Image © 2011 Yumi Unita/Shodensha/Anime Usagi Drop Production Commitee

Kyoto Animation Makes New TV Commercial

The animation studio Kyoto Animation announced earlier this week that it animated a 30-second "Ajisai-hen" (Hydrangea Ad) commercial. Shoko Ikeda (The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya, K-ON!!) was the storyboarder, character designer, director, and animation director for the commercial, and it stars 12-year-old actress Akari Kudou (Pénélope tête en l'air).

The commercial is about four sisters, and Ikeda noted that she created the commercial with the themes of "fun," "dreams" and "energetic" in mind. According to Ikeda, the protagonist in the commercial has the power to create anything she dreams.

The studio previously aired two other commercials last June and July. The "Ajisai-hen" commercial is now airing in Japan.

Source: Yaraon!

Level 5 to Help Create Gundam AGE Anime This Fall

The July issue of Shogakukan's Corocoro Comic magazine is announcing next Wednesday that the game developer Level 5 (Inazuma Eleven, Danbōru Senki) is working on all aspects of the new Gundam AGE anime for release this fall. In particular, Level 5 President Akihiro Hino is in charge of the story. There will also be a Gundam AGE manga running in the magazine.

Scan of Corocoro

Scan2

Scan3

The new series will have three generations of "father, child, and descendant" as the lead characters. The main characters pilot the Gundam unit to fight against an unknown attacking enemy (UE) and save Earth in a "One Hundred Year War" — an apparent homage to the One Year War of the first Gundam series.

The first main character is Furitto Asuno, who developed the Gundam AGE-1 mobile suit (humanoid mobile weapon) equipped with the AGE System (a self-adapting computer). The second main character is Asemu Asuno, Furitto's child. The third main character is Kio Asuno, Furitto's descendant who inherits the Gundam. The Gundam AGE-1 can be augmented as the Gundam AGE-1 Titus for more power, or as the Gundam AGE-1 Sparrow for more speed.

Other characters include Emily, Furitto's friend since he was 7. Guruudekku is a Commander in the Earth Federation Forces and the captain of the battleship Diva. Mireesu is a Lieutenant (junior grade) in the Federation Forces aboard the Diva.

Tied into the anime will be "four ultimate projects" in the works: manga, hobby (model kits and figures), games, and cards.

Source: 0taku.com

Image © 2011 Sunrise

20 One Piece Volumes Publicly Posted on Tokyo Co-op's Site

The first 20 volumes of Eiichiro Oda's One Piece manga were posted without restrictions or authorization onto the website of the cooperative association Co-Op Land Tokyo. The unauthorized uploading was allegedly done by the company entrusted with maintaining the website. The 20 volumes were available on the site for about nine months since last September.

Word of the volumes' availability spread on the online forum 2channel (2ch) around 10:00 p.m. on Monday in Japan (9:00 a.m. EDT). As a result, the home page was overwhelmed by 70,000 hits at around noon the next day, effectively denying service to the website as it became unreachable.

According to an investigation by Co-Op Land Tokyo, the president of the company maintaining the home page had accidentally uploaded unauthorized electronic copies of the manga last November. As a result, the manga files were available for reading without restrictions. There was no link to the manga files on the actual home page of Co-Op Land Tokyo, but the files could be accessed by net searches.

Upon being notified, the 53-year-old president of the company maintaining the website deleted the files. According to the president, he had received the unauthorized manga scans a number of years ago from a friend or an acquaintance. He said that he only looked at the manga once and mixed the manga files with regular data files being uploaded onto the server. The president said that he was unaware that files were unauthorized and that he did not remember how he came to have them. He added that he is himself a Sunset on Third Street (San-chōme no Yūhi - Yūyake no Uta) manga fan, and does not know One Piece well. Nevertheless he asked for forgiveness from the publisher and author.

Co-Op Land Tokyo, which has been doing business with the website maintainer for seven to eight years, are looking into apologizing or another form of response, given the possibility of copyright infringement. Shueisha, the publisher of the manga, said it was still looking into the matter.

Source: Sports Hochi

Final Season of Shakugan no Shana Due This Autumn

According to the July issue of ASCII Media Works' Dengeki Bunko Magazine, Shakugan no Shana III will start this autumn. It will be the final season of Shana anime series. More information will be available in future issues of Dengeki Bunko Magazine.

Source: Scan of Dengeki Bunko Magazine

Nothing Says Love (Plus) Like a Throat Lozenge

With the new Love Plus coming out for Nintendo DS, Konami has lent out the dating sim's Nene Anegasaki out to Halls for cross marketing campaign with their throat lozenges. Nene branded pink grapefruit Halls are now available in Japanese convenience stores for 100 yen. If you're curious for more, Gigazine has posted an unboxing.

Blue Exorcist Anime Gets PSP Game This Fall

The official website of the Blue Exorcist anime announced on Saturday that Bandai Namco Games will sell a Blue Exorcist videogame for the Sony PSP console in Japan this fall. The site promises to offer more information on the "exorcist x kizuna (bonds) adventure" game.

The first DVD/Blu-ray Disc volume (pictured below) and original soundtrack for the anime will ship on June 22. The limited complete pressing of the Blu-ray/DVD volume will include a box to store the first five volumes. Kazue Katō, the creator of the original manga, illustrated the box. The volume will also include an original drama CD, an illustrated postcard, two exclusive tarot cards, and a mail-away form for an event that is limited only to Blu-ray/DVD buyers. Subsequent volumes will ship every month thereafter.

The soundtrack will feature 18 songs from composer Hiroyuki Sawano (Iryū, Mobile Suit Gundam UC, Sengoku Basara), and the limited first edition will also include an exclusive tarot card.

Aniplex of America has been streaming the anime on Hulu, ANN, Crunchyroll, and Viz Anime since it premiered in Japan in April. (Viz also publishes the manga.) The story focuses on Rin Okumura, a boy raised by a famous exorcist named Father Fujimoto. After an argument between the two, Rin discovers he is the son of Satan. Rin decides to fight his fate by joining the True Cross Academy to become an exorcist and defeat demons.

Source: Comic Natalie

Image © 2011 NGBI

Production I.G's New Original Anime Guilty Crown Announced

According to Newtype magazine, an original anime "Guilty Crown" (clown?) was announced to be aired from this October. Unconfirmed: This anime will be aired in Noitamina programming block.

Staff
Director: Araki Tetsuro
Series Composition: Yoshino Hiroyuki (main), Okochi Ichiro (assistant)
Original Character Design: redjuice (supercell)
Music: ryo (supercell)
Production Studio: Production I.G the Sixth Section ("Kimi ni Todoke", "Sengoku Basara")

Synopsis:
The story takes place in Tokyo in 2039. After the outbreak of an unidentified virus "Lost Christmas" in 2029, Japan has been controlled by a multi-nation organization GHQ. Ohma Shu is a 17 year old boy, who has a psychic power in his right hand. He can use the power "Ability of King" to extract tools or weapons from his friends. He has been avoiding making troubles for others but his life has changed when he met a girl Yuzuriha Inori, one of the members of a resistance guerrilla "Undertaker".

Source: Scan of Newtype

Kore wa Zombie Desu ka? 2nd Anime Season Announced

The July issue of Fujimi Shobo's Monthly Dragon Age magazine is announcing on Thursday that a second anime season of Kore wa Zombie Desu ka? has been green-lit. The first anime season based on Shinichi Kimura's original light novel series aired in Japan from January to March.

In the story, a normal high school boy named Ayumu Aikawa gets killed during a spate of mysterious serial killings. However, Ayumu is resurrected as a zombie by a necromancer girl named "Yū" (Eucliwood Hellscythe), who Ayumu had just met before dying. Ayumu then accidentally deprives the magical girl Haruna of her powers, so she demands that Ayumu take her place in fighting her enemy Megalo.

Crunchyroll streamed the first season outside Japan as it aired.

The July issue of Dragon Age also revealed that the previously announced anime adaptation of Hiromitsu Takeda's Maken-Ki! manga will be a television anime.

Source: Fujimi Shobo

Announcement of New Gundam Series Due on June 13th

The official Japanese portal site for the Gundam robot franchise confirmed on Monday that a new work in the franchise will be revealed via a live event on June 13 at 1:30 p.m. in Japan (12:30 a.m. EDT). The Bandai Channel website will stream the announcement event, but the service is normally limited to Japanese IP (Internet Protocol) addresses.

An English Twitter account of Bluefin, Bandai's distributor in the United States, had retweeted a message last month that said, "A new Gundam series will be announced during the Tokyo Toy Show....about 3 weeks." However, the message has since been deleted. This year, the International Tokyo Toy Show will run from June 16 to 19.

Update (June 8th, 2011): Director Seiji Mizushima (Mobile Suit Gundam 00, Mobile Suit Gundam 00 The Movie: A wakening of the Trailblazer, Fullmetal Alchemist, Fullmetal Alchemist: Conqueror of Shamballa) emphasized that he has nothing to do with the new Gundam project, but added that there are many people involved from the Gundam 00 staff.

Source: Tadashi Sudo & Gundam.info

OVA of IS: Infinite Stratos Announced

According to the official twitter, an OVA of IS: Infinite Stratos was announced to be released on Blu-ray Disc and DVD on November 25th. The title is "IS encore 'Koi ni Kogareru Sextet". The announcement was first made at the "IS One-Off Festival" event on Sunday.

More details will be announced on the official website, but the organizers were already taking pre-orders for the release immediately after the festival ended. The Twitter account also announced that the IS One-Off Festival itself will be released on Blu-ray and DVD on October 26. (Pre-orders at the event site for both the IS One-Off Festival and IS Encore releases would include an event art poster with reproduced signatures of Yukana, Yōko Hikasa, Asami Shimoda, Kana Hanazawa, and Marina Inoue.)

Source: IS official twitter & Moe Ota-News Sokuhō

Blood Lad Anime Confirmed

The July issue of Kadokawa's Young Ace magazine confirmed on Saturday that an anime adaptation of Yūki Kodama's Blood Lad vampire manga has been green-lit. The Kadokawa Sneaker Bunko imprint's official website for the next Haruhi Suzumiya novel had displayed the cover of the July issue in May, thus revealing the anime news two and a half weeks early.

The black comedy follows a vampire named Staz who has his figurative heart stolen by Fuyumi, a human high school girl who suddenly appears in his world. Unfortunately, she is just as suddenly killed, and thus she beco

mes a ghost. Staz tries to bring Fuyumi back to life.

Source: Comic Natalie

Anime Voice Wake-up Call

Have you ever wished that you are woken up by your favorite anime character? JIHOU-CHAN is exactly the service for you. IDEA JAPAN has started JIHOU-CHAN, a wake-up call service for cell-phone by popular anime voice actress/actor for the first time in Japan on May 25. Jihou means "time signal" in Japanese.

You can receive time signal voices and various messages (wake-up call, birthday, encouraging words, love confession and such). The basic charge is 100 points/yen (roughly US$1.24) for one message.

You can also choose the type of character from:

・School Idol

・Sport girl

・Tsundere older lady

・Dojikko little sister

・Cool class president

・Maid

・Childhood friend

・Cheerful older sister ...and more.

The three anime voice actresses available now are:

(you can hear their sample voices in the linked profile pages)

Yui Horie

Naru Narusegawa (Love Hina)

Tohru Honda(Fruits Basket)

Ayu Tsukimiya (Kanon)

Satomi Satoh

Ritsu Tainaka (K-On!)

Wendy Marvell (FAIRY TAIL)

Kanae Itoh

Amu Hinamori (Shugo Chara!)

Elucia de Lut Ima "Elsie" (The World God Only Knows)

Ruiko Saten (Toaru Kagaku no Railgun)

Source: Netolabo

© IDEA JAPAN

© Crypton Future Media

Volume 8 of Saki Manga Solicited, Band to Include Two Huge Announcements

After a wait of a year and two months, volume 8 of the "girls mahjong story" Saki manga is solicited for release on June 25th, 2011. Volume 7 had previously been released in April of 2010.

Now, as mentioned on Crunchyroll's twitter, an image was posted from a bbs to various blogs, presumably from Young Gangan 12 which comes out this Friday, stating that there will be two huge announcements on the band of volume 8. What are they? OVA? TV Season 2? Movie? Drama? Game? BD Box? Here are some things to think about.

It's obviously season 2! Not so fast. While possible, season 2 would be starved of material, especially for anything more than 12 episodes. The first series covered approximately 6.5 volumes in approximately 22 episodes. Including volume 8, there are approximately 3 additional volumes worth of material published since. The math is not too favorable. However, a movie or OVA might be possible.

A live action drama? A basically typical, or in other words lacking any source, 2ch rumor states that 3 Young Gangan properties are being turned into dramas. The first and already announced one is Arakawa Under the Bridge. The second is "A work with a lot of girls." That would describe Saki... and many other things. Though, with a live action Saki, how would they handle things like Nodoka and the super short skirts with an apparent lack of clothing under it. (Oh, and for those who want to know, the third is listed as "Unknown.")

Maybe a game? Another PSP game? An adult mahjong game?

Speculate amongst yourselves in the comment below.

Release info via Ota-suke. Band info and analysis ideas via Yaraon.

Image ©Ritsu Kobayashi/Square Enix, Kiyosumi High School Mahjong Club

Taken from: Crunchyroll