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May 05 – Site Update - Posted By Hisaishi
Anime News of the Week (4/28 - 5/4)
Cool Japan Reaches China
Seen as another step to bring Japanese companies overseas, the Cool Japan initiative, with help from Osaka’s H20 Retailing Corporation, has announced plans to open a mall in Ningbo, China. The location will sell various fashions and goods associated with the country, as well as host theaters and events such as concerts. Altogether, this plan has a 56 billion yen price tag. Link
Most Popular Manga Named
A recent study done by website Manga Zanken has compiled a list of the most popular titles of all time based on publication numbers. Here are their top five results:
1. Eiichiro Oda’s One Piece, 300 million printed
2. Takao Saito’s Golgo 13, 200 million printed
3. Osamu Tezuka’s Black Jack, 176 million printed
4. Akira Toriyama’s Dragon Ball, 157 million printed
5. Osamu Akimoto’s Kochikame, 155.3 million printed
The link provided displays the Top 20 list. Link
Radiation Depiction Criticized For Falsehood
Manga-ka Tetsu Kariya was in repair mode after his manga Oishinbo angered readers of the Fukushima prefecture. In the latest chapter, journalists entering the quarantine zone of Fukushima succumbed to immediate radiation poisoning, a symptom which is highly exaggerated. Link
X Gonna Give It To Ya
The website for legendary rock band X Japan has posted information about an October 11th concert at Madison Square Garden. Lead singer Yoshiki made the announcement at his latest concert in San Francisco. The band last united in 2007 as a tribute to the tenth anniversary of the passing of guitarist Hide. Link
Hetalia: The Beautiful World Dub Cast Revealed
FUNimation announced the cast for the fifth season of the comic satire Hetalia. While all previous voice actors make a welcome return, nine new ones appear, to be voiced by Chad Cline, Aaron Dismuke, Tyson Rinehart, and Austin Tindle, among others. Expect a July 22 release.
Amnesia Dub Cast Revealed
Sentai Filmworks has announced the English cast for 2013’s Amnesia. The dub stars Maggie Flecknoe, Shannon Emerick, Christopher Ayres, Blake Shepard, and newcomer Houston Hayes. Expect a release on June 3. Link
The Garden of Words Wins at Stuttgart Fest
The Stuttgart Fest of Animated Film concluded a five-day experience of over one thousand different films with an awards ceremony. The big winner was Makoto Shinkai’s The Garden of Words, which took home two awards. They were The Best Animated Film Award and the Satoshi Kon Award for Achievement in Animation. Link
Swimmers, Take Your Marks
More information has arrived regarding the second season of 2013’s summer smash Free! Footage captured from Akihabara’s UDX Vision screen centers around the return to competition and the revelation of a new character. The second season, titled Free! Eternal Summer premieres July 2014.
The Sky’s The Limit
A trailer for the upcoming Persona 4 The Golden Animation has surfaced. The sequel to 2011’s adaptation Persona 4 The Animation and based on the enhanced Vita port of Persona 4, the series follows main character Yu Narukami and his return to the rural town of Inaba. However, a mysterious woman named Marie is there to greet him. Most of the staff returns and Kana Hanazawa reprises her role as Marie from the video game series.
Bottom of the Ninth
As of July, the current longest running shonen in any monthly magazine will end. Kei Sadayasu’s baseball manga Nanto Magaroku premiered in 1981 and ran for 391 chapters. The story followed the life of baseball ace Kai Magaroku, beginning with his school career and continuing with his major league years and eventual international acclaim. Link
You Can (Not) Go On
Kadokawa Shoten announced the final chapter in Yoshiyuki Sadamoto’s final volume in the Neon Genesis Evangelion manga series. Beginning in 1994, four years before the anime premiered, the manga tells an alternate storyline that uses the original story but extends beyond the Human Instrumentality Project. Link
The Art of Love
good! Afternoon magazine has announced the end of Motoi Yoshida’s manga The Day Before Summer. Launched in 2008, it followed Tetsuo Aoki and Akira Aizawa, two newly minted lovers who cross paths in the world of high art. Yoshida is most well known for Koi Kaze, which ran in the years 2002-04. Link
Untangled At Last
Online magazine reader Champion Tap! ran the last issue of Kendi Oiwa’s manga Tsurami Entangle. The story follows Tsurami, a net blogger and a NEET whose dream of voice acting allows her to face the world. Oiwa previously explored NEET culture as the artist for Tatsuhiko Takimoto’s quintessential masterpiece Welcome to the N.H.K. Link
What’s Left is Remains
The final issue of Masaomi Kanzanki’s Kamen no Ninja Akakage Remains was released on April 25. An adaptation of Mitsuteru Yokoyama’s 1976 title, the story told of the ninja Akakage’s feud with Genyousai Kouga. The original spawned two films and two series. Link
Straight Back to Manga
Anime studio ufotable announced at the Machi Asobi convention last Saturday that the series Manabi Straight will receive a new manga. The series began in 2005, and was adapted into an anime by ufotable in 2007. ufotable created the original manga with a group of their artists under the penname Tartan Check. Link
Player Used Sketch
Nintendo released an introduction trailer for Pokémon Art Academy, an art simulation game. Players can use their stylus to draw 100 different Pokémon in a variety of mediums and tools. Additionally, the camera can be used for reference and the share option allows players to compare art between friends. The game hits shelves June 19.
Look Good When You’re Time Traveling
In honor of the English release of the video game Steins;Gate, retailer Tokyo Otaku Mode and nitroplus have announced a fanart contest. Winners will receive a cash prize and have their artwork featured on official merchandise. Those interested should follow the link to the official contest page. Link
Nintendo Nixes Hardware Announcement
According to an interview with gaming magazine CVG, Nintendo has chosen to forego any announcements regarding new hardware at E3 2014. Instead, they will use a digital interface to showcase games and any further news within the company. The topic of hardware was speculated by way of a leaked project, codename “Fusion”. Link
Kadokawa Grabs The Soul
The Kadokawa Group announced on Monday they had acquired 80% stock in game developer From Software. From Software was previously owned by shareholder Trans Comos. From is the developer behind some of gaming’s iconic franchise, including Dark Souls, Tenchu, and Armored Core. Link
RIP Kouji Yada
Voice actor Kouji Yada passed away on Thursday from chronic kidney failure. He was 81. Yada’s foray into shonen anime began in 1965 with Uchu Ace. His first major role came in 1990 when he voiced Dr. Gero in Dragon Ball Z. Other roles included Zeff from One Piece, Sniper from Ginga Nagareboshi Gin, Talan from Star Blazers, and Libra Dohko from Saint Seiya. Link
Anime Releases
- Jin-Roh: The Wolf Brigade - Film Re-Release DVD (English)
- Shangri-La - Complete Series [S.A.V.E. Edition] DVD (English)
- Unico Double Feature - Film DVD (English)
- Amazing Nuts! - Film DVD (Japanese)
- Arakawa Under the Bridge x Bridge - Part 1 DVD/Blu-Ray (Japanese)
- Cuticle Detective Inaba - The Complete Collection DVD/Blu-Ray (Japanese)
- Mazinger Z - TV Series Vol. 1 DVD (Japanese)
Manga Releases
- Attack on Titan Volume 13
- Cardfight Vanguard!! Volume 1
- Cardfight Vanguard!! [Special Edition] Volume 1
- Sankarea: Undying Love Volume 6
- Say I Love You. Volume 1
- Vinland Saga Volume 2
- xxxHolic Rei Volume 1
Video Game Releases
- BloodRayne Betrayal (PC) (USA/EU/AUS)
- Child of Light (PS3/PS4/360/ONE/WWIU/PC) (USA/EU/AUS)
- Daylight (PS4/PC) (USA/EU/AUS)
- Dying Light (PS4/PC) (USA/EU/AUS)
- Jet Car Stunts (PC) (USA/EU/AUS)
- Jojo's Bizarre Adventure All Star Battle (PS3) (USA)
- Monochroma (PC) (USA/EU/AUS)
- Octodad: Dadliest Catch (PS4) (USA/EU/AUS)
- Pier Solar HD (WIIU) (USA/EU/AUS)
- Steins;Gate (PC) (USA/EU/AUS)
- The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (PS3/PS4/360/ONE/WWIU/PC/3DS) (USA/EU/AUS)
