Source: FUNimation Entertainment press release Special Thanks to Scott Lonski FUNimation Entertainment announced today the fall 2012 Simulcast Schedule, synopsis are listed for each title below (all times listed are Central Standard Time): Shows may be available in HD and ad-free to FUNimation Elite Video Subscribers, to sign up log on to FUNimation.com/subscribe. The simulcasts are available through paid FUNimation app or with a subscription to FUNimation EVS. The free app will not allow access to the simulcasts unless a subscription to the EVS service is purchased. Shows Streaming on FUNimation.com, Roku, Hulu, iPhone, iPad and Android phones and tablets simulcasts premiering this fall include... CODE: BREAKER – Premiering Wednesday, Oct 10 @ 10am When Sakura meets Rei at school, she learns he’s no simple transfer student. He’s also a CODE: BREAKER, a government assassin with strange powers. Troubled by his deadly secret, Sakura sets out

Read more ...

Psychic War Between Seven Kings Launches on Leading U.S. Anime Streaming Site Same Day as Japanese Debut Source: VIZ Media, MediaLab press releases Official Site: k-project.jpn.com (Japan), vizanime.com/k (US) Special Thanks to Jane Lui and Erik Jansen VIZ Media takes fans to an alternative world of -- K -- in the North American debut of the new anime series on VIZAnime.com, the company’s own website for free anime, as well as on the free, ad-supported Hulu service and the Hulu Plus subscription service. K will be presented in Japanese with English subtitles, and debuts in North America the same day it launches in Japan. Episode 1 is now available, and new installments of the 13-episode series will debut every Thursday. K is set in a world where history has taken a slightly different course from the one we’re familiar with and follows the story of a young

Read more ...

Source: Society for the Promotion of Japanese Animation press release Official Site: anime-expo.org Anime Expo (AX), North America’s largest anime, manga and Japanese pop culture expo, celebrates its most successful event in its 21-year history with a record 49,400+ unique attendees and a turnstile attendance of over 130,000 during its four days at the Los Angeles Convention Center, June 29th – July 2nd, 2012. Anime screenings, the enormously popular AMV contest, karaoke rooms, Maid Cafe, and AX`s new central players` hall featuring table top, console and arcade gaming welcomed the near fifty thousand visitors to the convention while colorful cosplayers flitted across the convention center for photos, meet-ups, and to participate in Anime Expo`s annual masquerade competition. Anime Expo 2012 continued the convention`s tradition of bringing noteworthy Guests of Honor to

Read more ...

Catch Japan’s First Corporate Superheroes in Their Big Screen Debut at San Francisco’s NEW PEOPLE Cinema Source: VIZ Media, MediaLab press releases Official Site: tigerandbunny.net (Japan) Special Thanks to Jane Lui and Erik Jansen VIZ Media, LLC, the largest distributor and licensor of anime and manga in North America, brings the hero-inspired big screen action of the smash hit anime property -- TIGER & BUNNY -- home to the Bay Area as it announces a very special North American theatrical premiere event for TIGER & BUNNY – THE BEGINNING (??? ???????? -The Beginning-, Gekijoo-ban Taigaa Ando Banii -The Beginning, 2012) to be held at the NEW PEOPLE Cinema, located inside the dynamic Japanese pop culture entertainment venue in San Francisco’s Japantown at 1746 Post St. TIGER

Read more ...

Toei Animation Will Be Content Partner For New Console-Based 24-Hour Anime Channel Source: VIZ Media, MediaLab press releases Official Site: NeonAlley.com Special Thanks to Jane Lui and Erik Jansen VIZ Media, LLC, the largest publisher, distributor and licensor of manga and anime in North America, continues the digital anime convergence as it announces that Toei Animation, with FUNimation Entertainment acting as the agent, has licensed the celebrated pirate anime action/adventure series, ONE PIECE (?????, Wan Piisu), for broadcast on Neon Alley, the new 24-hour anime channel VIZ Media launching this Fall exclusively to the Playstation Network and the PS3 game console. Episodes to air on Neon Alley will be presented uncut and with dubbed English dialogue. Neon Alley, featuring the world’s best anime titles all dubbed and uncut in English and presented in HD (when available), is the first platform designed to be studio agnostic, with

Read more ...

Author: Daisuke Ishizuka Official Site: gundam.jp (Japan), gundamofficial.com (US) The anime TV series MOBILE SUIT GUNDAM (????????, Kidoo Senshi Gundamu) started in 1979 and various GUNDAM shows and movies have been produced up to the present. The latest TV series -- MOBILE SUIT GUNDAM AGE (????????AGE, Kidoo Senshi Gundamu AGE) -- is now on the air in Japan and the seven episode OAV (original animation video) MOBILE SUIT GUNDAM UC (UNICORN) (????????UC(?????), Kidoo Senshi Gundamu Yunikoo) also continues on DVD. To celebrate the franchise`s 30th anniversary in 2009, a full scale statue of the first Gundam was raised at Odaiba, the man-made island in Tokyo Bay. It was very popular event. But the Gundam was taken down at the end of that summer and moved to Shizuoka the next year.

Read more ...

SPACE BATTLESHIP YAMATO RESURRECTION, TENCHI MUYO! WAR ON GEMINAR, LUPIN III, SANKAREA, AKIRA and More Source: FUNimation Entertainment press release Special Thanks to Scott Lonski FUNimation Entertainment announced yesterday at Otakon that it has acquired the streaming, broadcast, home entertainment, video on demand and pay-per-view and DTO/DTR rights to the complete anime OAV series, TENCHI MUYO! WAR ON GEMINAR (?????????, Isekai no Seikishi Monogatari, 2009). This spin-off series takes place roughly 15 years after the events in TENCHI MUYO! GXP. From AIC SPIRITS -- the animation studio that brought you GA-REI ZERO and TOKKO -- and Koji Yoshikawa -- the director of BAKI THE GRAPPLER -- FUNimation is pleased to announce the acquisition of streaming, home entertainment, theatrical and merchandise rights to the complete TENCHI MUYO! franchise. Kenshi -- half-brother of intergalactic hero Tenchi Masaki -- has been summoned to the mysterious world of Geminar, and

Read more ...

Opens September 29th in Japan; Now Playing Festival Circuit in North America Source: Toei Co., Ltd. Official Site: asura-movie.com (Japan) Additional Material: New York Asian Film Festival and Japan Cuts SPOILER WARNING: This article contains plot details and images from an upcoming movie. At the foot of a wrecked shrine, a beast is born in fire and destruction. Plunged into an age of war, chaos and starvation, and taught to eat human flesh by the madwoman who gave birth to him, he is called "Asura," for the warlike Buddhist spirit, or "anti-god." Toei`s anime feature ASURA (????, Ashura) will begin its Japanese theatrical run on September 29th. The film has already made its North American premiere; screening at the New York Asian Film Festival/Japan Cuts in July, with the Canadian premiere at the Fantasia International Film Festival on August 1st. Based on

Read more ...

Adventure Film also in Competition for the Satoshi Kon Award for Achievement in Animation Source: VIZ Media, MediaLab press releases Official Site: berserkfilm.com (Japan) Special Thanks to Jane Lui and Erik Jansen VIZ Media is proud to announce the Canadian premiere of the kinetic new anime action feature film, BERSERK: THE GOLDEN AGE ARC I – THE EGG OF THE KING (????? ?????? ????, Berserk Oogon Jidai-Hen I: Haoo no Tamago, 2012), as part of the 16th annual Fantasia International Film Festival. Taking place in Montreal from July 14th to August 9th, the Fantasia International Film Festival is recognized as the largest and most influential event of its kind in North America and is a leader on the genre film scene and one of the

Read more ...

Acclaimed Titles FULLMETAL ALCHEMIST, GHOST HUNT, D.GRAY-MAN, JUY OH SEI and TRINITY BLOOD Headed to Network Source: FUNimation Entertainment press release Special Thanks to Michelle Lee ShortsHD is adding a catalog of high quality anime titles to it’s channel lineup. The world’s only TV network dedicated to short movies has acquired a library of high quality anime short movies from FUNimation Entertainment, the leading anime company in the U.S. and the include such popular anime series and fan favorites as FULLMETAL ALCHEMIST, D.GRAY-MAN, JUY OH SEI, GHOST HUNT, AQUARION, SANDS OF DESTRUCTION, KENICHI, and TRINITY BLOOD. “We are pleased to be offering an assortment of high quality Anime films from FUNimation on ShortsHD ,” said Carter Pilcher, Chief Executive of ShortsHD. “Anime and animation lovers nationwide are in for a real treat with this launch.” The announcement comes on the heels of ShortsHD teaming up with

Read more ...

Source: FUNimation Entertainment press release Special Thanks to Michelle Lee FUNimation Entertainment announced this weekend at Anime Expo they have acquired acquired the broadcast, home entertainment, streaming and mobile rights to the complete anime series, BLOOD-C (???? ??, 2011), as well as the movie BLOOD-C: THE LAST DARK (???BLOOD-C The Last Dark [??????? ???? ?? ? ??? ???], 2012). Production I.G and CLAMP co-produced the project directed by Tsutomu Mizushima, best known for directing BIG WINDUP! and SQUID GIRL. In BLOOD-C, Saya Kisaragi is a clumsy girl with a secret. She attends school, goes to the café with her friends and is always in a rush during the day. At night she becomes a hunter, protecting her town from monsters. As she battles these monsters she finds herself faced with uncertainty regarding her identity and purpose. In order to protect her friends Saya must become stronger

Read more ...

Source: Society for the Promotion of Japanese Animation press release Official Site: anime-expo.org Special Thanks to Jim Yeager and Roberta Silverman Anime Expo 2012 (AX) -- North America’s largest anime, manga and Japanese pop culture celebration -- will present the highly-anticipated premiere of TOTAL ECLIPSE (???? ???????? ??????????, Muv-Luv Alternative: Total Eclipse, 2012) on July 1 -- the same day the anime debuts on TV in Japan. Kouki Yoshimune, the anime’s executive producer will appear in a special panel discussion in conjunction with the screening. In addition vocalists featured on the show, Minami Kuribayashi and ayami, will perform in live concert at Anime Expo when it returns to the Los Angeles Convention Center from June 29 – July 2, 2012. "The stars were truly in alignment to allow Anime Expo to give our attendees the

Read more ...

New Channel Launching This Fall Source: VIZ Media, MediaLab press releases Official Site: NeonAlley.com Special Thanks to Jane Lui and Erik Jansen VIZ Media, the largest publisher, distributor and licensor of manga, graphic novels and anime in North America, unveiled plans for Neon Alley, a 24-hour anime channel featuring the world’s best titles set to debut on game consoles this fall. The service will be available in the United States and Canada. Neon Alley’s schedule will include a mix of action, adventure, science fiction, supernatural, fantasy, and horror anime, all uncut and dubbed in English, and presented in HD (when available). Programming will include blockbuster anime titles like NARUTO SHIPPUDEN, INUYASHA: THE FINAL ACT, and DEATH NOTE, and will allow fans to discover new titles such as TIGER & BUNNY, BERSERK: THE GOLDEN AGE ARC, ZETMAN, and NURA: RISE OF THE YOKAI CLAN, along with original

Read more ...

VIZ Media Welcomes Studio 4ºC Founder Eiko Tanaka and Plans an All-Day BERSERK Celebration Source: VIZ Media, MediaLab press releases Official Site: berserkfilm.com (Japan) Special Thanks to Jane Lui and Erik Jansen VIZ Media, LLC, the largest distributor and licensor of anime and manga in North America, invites fans attending 2012 Comic-Con International to join an exciting all-day celebration of all things BERSERK on Friday, July 13th as the company announces a special slate of activities to preview the forthcoming release of the BERSERK: THE GOLDEN AGE ARC (????? ?????) trilogy of anime feature films this fall. An appearance by the Founder/CEO of Studio 4ºC, which produced the new films, is scheduled in addition to an informative panel discussion. In addition there will be a very special, advance, on-site screening

Read more ...

Source: FUNimation Entertainment press release Official Site: gainax.co, newtype.kadocomic (Japan), funimation.com/panty-stocking-with-garterbelt (US) Special Thanks to Michelle Lee FUNimation Entertainment announced today that it will be hosting special panels, events, and exclusives for the hit show PANTY & STOCKING WITH GARTERBELT (???????????with???????, Panti ando Sutokkingu wizu Gaataaberuto, 2010) at Anime Expo 2012. These events will offer fans the chance to see premiere PANTY & STOCKING episodes, interact with the English voice cast, and have photo opportunities with PANTY & STOCKING cosplayers provided by ACParadise at the FUNimation booth. In the Anime Expo Exhibit Hall, fans will have access to a variety of free and/or limited Panty and Stocking merchandise. By participating in the FUNimation PANTY & STOCKING booth event, fans will receive a metal ‘Heaven Coin.’ Fans can also pick-up free PANTY & STOCKING premium posters and

Read more ...

Special Guest Appearances, Booth Activities, Product Giveaways and Much More at Nation’s Biggest Anime Convention Source: VIZ Media, MediaLab press releases Special Thanks to Jane Lui and Erik Jansen VIZ Media, LLC, the largest publisher, distributor and licensor of manga and anime in North America, celebrates its return to Anime Expo 2012 with an array of fun booth attractions, product giveaways, special guest appearances, and exciting panel discussions scheduled to take place throughout the unique 4-day Southern California event. Anime Expo is the nation’s largest anime convention and will take place at the Los Angeles Convention Center in Los Angeles, CA from June 29th to July 2nd. VIZ Media will be located in Booth 1401. Information on Anime Expo is available at anime-expo.org. VIZ Media will welcome TIGER &

Read more ...

Animated Series Created with Studio 4°C to be Screened Source: Toyota Motor Sales & Marketing Corporation Official Site: toytoyota.com/pes Special Thanks to Takao Minai and Hiroshi Inagawa Toyota Motor Corporation (TMC) will screen PES: PEACE ECO SMILE, an animated work produced in collaboration with Studio 4°C, a leading Japanese animation studio, at the Anime Expo 2012 to be held at the Los Angeles Convention Center in Los Angeles, California, United States. The expo is scheduled to run from June 29 and through July 2. With the theme “our love of humanity and energy that we create moves us emotionally”, the animation series is a heart warming comedic love story that takes place in Kichiyoii, one of the most desirable cities in Japan. The story involves an alien traveler, Pes, who falls

Read more ...

Producer Masayuki Ozaki Joins English Voice Actors for Panel Discussion on the Hit Anime Series Source: VIZ Media, MediaLab press releases Official Site: tigerandbunny.net (Japan) Special Thanks to Jane Lui and Erik Jansen VIZ Media, LLC, the largest publisher, distributor and licensor of manga and anime in North America, marks its highly anticipated return to Anime Expo® 2012 with the announcement that it will welcome special show personal appearances by the Japanese Producer along with several top American voice actors from the hit anime action series, TIGER & BUNNY (????????, Taigaa & Banii, 2011). Anime Expo is the nation’s largest anime convention and will take place at the Los Angeles Convention Center in Los Angeles, CA from June 29th to July 2nd. VIZ Media will be located in Booth 1401. Information on Anime Expo is

Read more ...

Source: Madman Entertainment press release Special Thanks to Ben Pollock Madman Entertainment proudly presents REEL ANIME 2012 -- showcasing four of the freshest anime feature films this side of Japan, screening at selected cinemas around the country during September, 2012. Following the sold-out success of the 2008 and 2010 REEL ANIME showcases -- which featured EVANGELION: 2.0 YOU CAN [NOT] ADVANCE, THE GIRL WHO LEAPT THROUGH TIME and SUMMER WARS, the hand-picked suite of cutting-edge films selected for the 2012 showcase are some of the most highly-anticipated amongst fans, and will have something to offer everyone. The REEL ANIME 2012 program will showcase FROM UP ON POPPY HILL, the latest masterpiece from the Academy Award-winning Studio Ghibli; WOLF CHILDREN, from Mamoru Hosoda, critically-acclaimed director of SUMMER WARS; BERSERK – THE EGG OF THE KING,

Read more ...

Source: Sentai Filmworks press release Official Site: geneonuniversal.jp/hakuoki (Japan) Special Thanks to David Williams Sentai Filmworks is pleased to announce their acquisition of HAKUOKI (??? ???????, Hakuoki Shinsengumi Kitan, 2010). Directed by Osamu Yamasaki (YOTODEN, TOWARD THE TERRA), this stunning series features character designs by Atsuko Nakajima (TRINITY BLOOD, GET BACKERS) and music by Kow Otani (ANOTHER, MOBILE SUIT GUNDAM WING, GMK). Disguised as a man, Chizuru Yukimura has come to Kyoto searching for her missing father, a doctor who developed a magical elixir that increases the drinker’s speed, strength and healing abilities. Instead of her father, however, she stumbles across a battle between the Shinsengumi and the Furies, evil vampire-like creatures of their own making. As things turn out, the Shinsengumi are also searching for her father. And when they discover who she is, they decide to take her into their custody for safe-keeping. But

Read more ...