Source: Sentai Filmworks press releases Special Thanks to David Williams
Sentai Filmworks today announced its acquisition of two anime series... the outrageous new comedy MM! (?????!, 2010) and the romantic omnibus AMAGAMI SS (????SS, 2010). MM! (pronounced Emu! Emu!) takes a decidedly different bent when it comes to looking at people of a decidedly different bent. Based on the twelve novel series of the same name by the late Akinari Mitsuno, and subsequent manga adaptation illustrated by Issei Hyoujyu with character designs by QP: Flapper, the new series features direction by Tsuyoshi Nagasawa (storyboards for TO LOVE-RU), and follows the adventures of a character who discovers that, while he, himself, might be a masochist, there are other people he knows with equally life affecting fixations. There are twisted tales and twisted tales, but few are as twisted as poor Taro Sado’s, who’s just realized that he likes being made miserable. Of course, knowing that only makes him more miserable, which in turn… well, you get the idea. Desperate to break the circle, Sado volunteers for a special club where he hopes he can work through his issues, only to discover that the other members have equally complex issues to deal with. The hyper-aggressive club president Isurugi, for example, not only has a violent fear of cats, but also believes herself to be a god! Then there’s Yuno, who’s terrified of men; the Nurse, who forces other people to perform cosplay; and Hayama, who’s not only Sado’s best friend and a compulsive cross-dresser, but also the girl that Sado is infatuated with. (We did say it was complex.) If you think you’ve seen everything that can happen in an anime, strap in for a spin on the newest rollercoaster ride in town with MM! If you’re looking for something just a little unusual (we’d say off the “beaten” path, but that’s not exactly correct for Sado) be on the lookout for MM! Available subtitled in English via both DVD and digital retailers this September.
AMAGAMI SS is based on Enterbrain’s (KIMIKISS) hit dating simulation game for the PS2, and produced by Enterbrain themselves in cooperation with animation by the legendary AIC (AH! MY GODDESS, ANGEL BEATS!, BUBBLEGUM CRISIS, TENCHI MUYO). The 26 episode series, which includes two bonus episodes, was directed and co-written by Yoshimasa Hiraike and takes a truly unique spin in its adaptation from the original material. Daring to go where few anime based on role-playing games games have dared, AMAGAMI SS eschews the traditional practice of focusing on a handful of characters and instead presents multiple storylines that follow the paths of each of the potential romantic relationships in the original games as a series of separate, alternate stories rather than a single hybrid story. When his date stood him up on Christmas Eve two years ago, Junichi Tachibana felt a little piece inside him shrivel up and die. Now he distrusts the very idea of love, which is a shame because Karma is about to hit him back in a major way. You see, there are several girls who would all make wonderful partners for Junichi if he would only open his eyes. Are you ready for a half-dozen or more romances, all at the same time? Neither is Junichi, so through the miracle of animation, you’re about to see how each of those individual romances would have played out if someone had done just the right thing at the right time, as the guy without a date’s luck goes from bad to multi-verse in AMAGAMI SS! Look for AMAGAMI SS subtitled on DVD this autumn, available at traditional and digital retailers everywhere.
About Sentai Filmworks
Sentai Filmworks is one of the fastest-growing anime companies in North America, including hit series like HIGH SCHOOL OF THE DEAD, GUIN SAGA, NEEDLESS, CANAAN and ANGEL BEATS. Sentai Filmworks programs can be found on home video distributed by Ingram Entertainment, Baker & Taylor, Section23 Films, The Right Stuff and other good and fine distributors. Digital product offerings may be found at iTunes, Hulu, Netflix, Amazon, Zune Marketplace, Anime Network, Playstation Network and YouTube.