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Feb 25 – Site Update - Posted By Hisaishi
Anime News of the Week (2/18 - 2/24)
Tokyo Anime Awards Announces Winners
Forget the Oscars, The Tokyo International Anime Fair recently celebrated the most pioneering anime and anime people of the year:
- Animation of the Year: Mamoru Hosoda and Studio Chizu’s Wolf Children
- Producer: Kenji Yokoyama
- Creator: Tetsuya Chiba
- Screenwriter: Keisuke Fujikawa
- Director: Noboru Ishiguro (posthumous)
- Animator: Yoshiyuki Hane
- Director of Photography: Katsuji Misawa (posthumous)
- Sound Director: Shigeharu Shiba
- Composer: Shunsuke Kikuchi
- Voice Actor: Tooru Oohira
Seiyu Awards Announces Winners
The 7th Annual Seiyu Awards celebrates the Japanese voice acting industry. This year's winners include:
- Special Merit Award: Takeshi Aono
- Actor Merit Award: Shinsuke Chikaishi
- Actress Merit Award: Masako Nozawa
- Synergy Awards: Tastunoko Production, Tooru Oohira, Katsuji Mori, Mari Okamoto, Noriko Ohara
- Kei Toriyama Award: Yuji Mitsuya
- Kazue Takahashi Award: Megumi Ogata
- Kid/Family Award: Mayumi Tanaka
Bangladeshi TV Bans Anime Icon
Bangladeshi authorities banned the iconic anime Doraemon from TV for being dubbed in Hindi, the main language of neighboring India. Local newspapers called for the ban for fear that the show would trick children into not speaking the country’s native language of Bengali. Link
27 Arrested in Association with File-Sharing Crimes
An operation carried out by the Japanese National Police Agency was successful in arresting 27 file-sharers charged with uploading copyrighted anime and manga without permission. Link
Baltimore Convention Goes Vegas
In commemoration of their 20th anniversary, the organizers of Otakon have announced a new convention that will be held in Las Vegas. Planned for January 3-5, 2014, Otakon Vegas plans to be a "smaller and more intimate setting." Link
CoMix Wave Films Releases New Shinkai Film Trailer
Makoto Shinkai, director of 5 Centimeters per Second, returns with a new film, The Garden of Words. The movie is about a student named Takao who skips school one day and retreats to a Japanese garden, where he meets and befriends an older woman.
Convenience Store Chain Sells Miku Merch
Hatsune Miku is all the rage in a new advertisement by Japanese food chain FamilyMart. A new line of products inspired by the virtual diva includes sweet bean buns, bento boxes, and the Po Pi Po Juice. In addition, those who purchase 500 yen or more in products will be entered to win one of 39 limited edition varsity sweaters, emblazoned with a “Senbonzakura” graphic.
Miku at the Sapporo Snow Festival, Part 2
Last week, we told you about the Sapporo Snow Festival and the “Snow Miku” sculpture. This week, part two of the festival report shows several event sites devoted to the Vocaloid franchise. Included are a gallery of works by graphic artist Chiho-ten, a playground, and a graffiti wall for event goers to send messages. Chiho-ten was also interviewed and asked about her Vocaloid fascination and her latest work, “Melancholic," based on a Rin Kagamine song.
RIP Chieko Honda
Voice actress Chieko Honda has died at the age of 49 from multiple forms of cancer. Her talent agency, Aoni Production, said that she had been undergoing treatment for her condition at her passing. Honda is credited in over 140 productions, and became well known for her roles of Elpeo Ple from Mobile Suit Gundam ZZ, Marie Mjolnir from Soul Eater, and Miya from Here is Greenwood. Link
RIP Touyou Ikeda
Producer Touyou Ikeda suddenly passed away from natural causes in his 30s. This report comes from long-time friend and voice actress Junko Iwao. Known in the industry as “Ike-P”, he was the producer on titles such as Kaleido Star and Romeo x Juliet, and later founded Encourage Films, the studio behind Ontama! Link
Anime Releases
- Kamisama Dolls - Complete Collection Part 1 DVD/Blu-Ray (English)
- Tiger and Bunny Set 1 DVD/Blu-Ray (English)
- Tegami Bachi: Letter Bee - Season One Collection 2 (Japanese)
Manga Releases
- Air Gear Volume 27
- Battle Angle Alita: Last Order Volume 17
- Kitchen Princess Omnibus Volume 3
- Lizzie Newton: Victorian Mysteries Volume 2
- Love Hina Omnibus Volume 5
- Trigun Maximum Omnibus Volume 2
