Source: Shochiku Co., Ltd. Author: Tim Eldred, Cosmo DNA Official Site: yamato2199.net With the all-new anime feature SPACE BATTLESHIP YAMATO 2199: THE STAR-VOYAGING ARK (???????2199 ?????, Uchuu Senkan Yamato 2199 Hoshi Meguru Hakobune) opening in theaters on December 6th, a commemorative television special celebrating the film’s release will be broadcast on 11 stations across Japan. Entitled THEATRICAL CELEBRATION!! SPACE BATTLESHIP YAMATO 2199: THE STAR-VOYAGING ARK LAUNCH SP (??????!!????????2199 ????????SP, Gekijoo Kookai Kinen!! “Uchuu Senkan Yamato 2199 Hoshi Meguru Hakobune” Hasshin SP), the program is hosted by voice actresses Aya Uchida (Yuria Misaki) and Eriko Nakamura (Mikage Kiryu). The special will contain segments such as "Yamato History in Two Minutes" and feature comments from staff members including musicians Akira Miyagawa and Taro Hakase. "I really enjoyed the special compilation movie SPACE BATTLESHIP

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The Gang is Back in Ikebukuro this January and They’re Ready to Make Trouble! Source: Aniplex of America press release Official Site: durarara.com (Japan), durararausa.com (US) Special Thanks to EJ Rivera This winter, fans of the DURARARA!! animated series are in for a real treat. Aniplex of America, Inc. has announced on their Aniplex Live Show that they have acquired DURARARA!! X 2 (?????!!×2, 2015) and is set to simulcast starting in January 2015. Five years after this sensational series originally aired, the colorful members are back on the streets of Ikebukuro for their highly-anticipated sequel. Fans will enjoy this extended tale through 3 separate installments. The first installment will begin its simulcast schedule this January and will be available for fans to stream on Hulu and Crunchyroll. The start date and time of the streaming schedule will be announced at a later date. Aniplex of

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Venerable Fantasy Action Anime Series Reaches Grand Finale Beginning this Weekend!! Source: VIZ Media, MediaLab press releases Official Site: yasya-kanketsu (Japan), adultswim.com/inuyasha-the-final-act (US) Special Thanks to Jane Lui and Erik Jansen VIZ Media, LLC, the largest distributor and licensor of manga and anime in North America, is proud to announce the domestic broadcast premiere of INUYASHA: THE FINAL ACT (??? ???, InuYasha Kanketsu-hen, 2009-2010), the finale to the long-running animated adventure saga, set to be broadcast on Adult Swim’s Toonami. The first episode of the final story arc of the famed action/adventure/fantasy anime series will premiere at 2:00am EST on Sunday, November 16th with future episodes to air each subsequent Sunday. Check local listings for channel availability and specific regional broadcast times. Adult Swim’s Toonami is the Turner Broadcasting System, Inc.’s network for offering

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Source: FUNimation Entertainment press release Official Site: funimation.com/subscribe Special Thanks to Tim Baxter FUNimation has announced the start of a new initiative -- the FUNimation Broadcast Dub. Fans will soon be able to watch the English dubbed episodes of select shows that are currently broadcasting in Japan. FUNimation has experience with broadcast dubs, having had previous success dubbing the hit series SPACE DANDY for U.S. broadcast on Adult Swim. FUNimation Broadcast Dubs will be available exclusively for FUNimation subscribers commercial-free and streaming in 1080 HD. Currently, new episodes are simulcast with Japanese audio and English subtitles shortly after the original broadcast in Japan. Once the series has finished simulcasting, final materials are received from Japan and work begins on the English dubbed home video release. However, with this new initiative, select series will be dubbed into English using the broadcast/simulcast materials from Japan just weeks after

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Author: Tim Eldred, Cosmo DNA Source: Shochiku Co., Ltd. Official Site: yamato2199.net Following a round of stage greetings during the opening weekend of SPACE BATTLESHIP YAMATO 2199: A VOYAGE TO REMEMBER (???????2199 ?????, Uchuu Senkan Yamato 2199 Tsuioku no Kokai), members of the film`s cast and crew returned to Shochiku Multiplex Theaters’ Marunouchi Piccadilly 2 for a big hit gratitude stage greeting on Saturday, October 18th. Captain Okita`s voice actor Takayuki Sugo and Starsha Iscandar`s voice actor Kikuko Inoue were joined on stage by Nana Mizuki, who composed the end title song "Blue". The event was MC’d by animator Osamu Kobayashi (PARADISE KISS). Taking the stage, Takayuki Sugo asked, "How was Yamato`s fight? There was a typhoon [last week] on Saturday and Sunday, but the weather was perfect today, so thank

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Audience Riveted by "Double Planets" at Stage Event Source: Shochiku Co., Ltd. Official Site: yamato2199.net Translation and Additional Material: Tim Eldred and Neil Nadelman, Cosmo DNA The SPACE BATTLESHIP YAMATO (???????, Uchuu Senkan Yamato) anime series premiered on Yomiuri TV in October 1974. It sparked a boom all over Japan, and YAMATO is now regarded as the foundation of the country’s animation culture. This year, the franchise celebrates its 40th anniversary with two feature films based on the recent SPACE BATTLESHIP YAMATO 2199 series. The new SPACE BATTLESHIP YAMATO 2199: THE STAR-VOYAGING ARK (???????2199 ?????, Uchuu Senkan Yamato 2199 Hoshi Meguru Hakobune) will be released by distributor Shochiku Co. on December 6th. It is preceded by the special compilation movie, SPACE BATTLESHIP YAMATO 2199: A VOYAGE TO REMEMBER (???????2199 ?????, Uchuu Senkan Yamato

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Source: Aniplex of America press release Official Site: AniplexUSA.com/contest Special Thanks to EJ Rivera This fall, Anime fans will have an opportunity to win the trip of a lifetime. Aniplex of America has announced at their industry panel at New York Comic Con that they are hosting a special “Win a Trip to Anime Japan Sweepstakes.” Participants will have the opportunity to win a 5 day/4 night trip to Tokyo, Japan including airfare and hotel. The winner will also receive a pair of admission tickets to Anime Japan 2015, one of the biggest anime events in Tokyo. Anime Japan features both entertainment and business events. Located at Tokyo Big Sight, this year’s Anime Japan had over 110,000 visitors over the span of three days. Anime Japan 2015 is scheduled to happen on March 20-22.

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Source: Saban Brands, Rogers & Cowan press release Official Site: sabanshorts.com Special Thanks to Jackie Crystal Saban Brands’ first-ever “Show Us Your Shorts” contest has officially opened! Saban Brands is calling for original animated shorts and accepting submissions now through October 24th only at sabanshorts.com. Upon submission, all shorts will be judged by a Saban Brands executive committee. The top 10 selects will be displayed for public vote for two weeks. Once the top 10 are chosen, the public can also begin campaigning for their favorite short via social media using #sabanshorts. The winner will receive $5,000 and a development deal with Saban Brands! Official contest flier... About Saban Brands Formed in 2010 as a subsidiary of Saban Capital Group, Saban Brands

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The Award-winning Story’s Anime Adaptation to Begin Streaming this October Source: AniplexUSA press release Official Site: kimiuso.jp (Japan), YourlieinApril.com (US) Special Thanks to EJ Rivera Aniplex of America, Inc. recently announced at their industry panel at Nan Desu Kan (Denver, CO.) that they have acquired YOUR LIE IN APRIL (??????, Shigatsu wa Kimi no Uso, 2014), one of this Fall season’s most highly anticipated anime series. This romantic drama series will begin its simulcast schedule this October and will be available for fans to stream on the free, ad-supported Hulu and Hulu Plus subscription service and Crunchyroll. The start date and time of the streaming schedule will be announced at a later date. Aniplex of America has also launched their official English homepage YourlieinApril.com where fans can enjoy details on this upcoming series, including detailed character descriptions and an English subtitled trailer. YOUR LIE IN APRIL

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Fans to Witness the Beginning of the 5th Holy Grail War on the Big Screen! Source: AniplexUSA press release Official Site: fate-sn.com (Japan), FateStayNightUSA.com (US) Special Thanks to EJ Rivera Fans of the animation production company ufotable and the Fate/ franchise are definitely in for a treat! Aniplex of America, Inc. recently announced that they will be hosting an exclusive U.S. premiere event for the critically-acclaimed anime series, Fate/stay night (????/??????, Feito/sutei naito, 2014). The event will be at the Downtown Independent Theater in Los Angeles on September 28th in partnership with ELEVEN ARTS. Fans will be able to purchase tickets for this premiere event starting today at fatestaynight.bpt.me. Aniplex of America, Inc. had also confirmed Fate/stay night will begin its streaming schedule through Hulu and Crunchyroll from October. The specific date, time, and platforms will be announced at

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Press Notes and High-Res Images from Toei Source: Toei Co., Ltd. Official Site: precure-movie.com (Japan) The 10th anniversary! The Pretty Cures give an outstanding performance in the kingdom of dolls! Happiness from heart and mind becomes one with the movie screen! HappinessCharge!! Toei`s latest Precure anime series, HAPPINESSCHARGE PRETTY CURE! (??????????????, Hapinesuchaaji PuriKyua!, 2014), will come to Japanese cinemas next month in HAPPINESS CHARGE PRECURE! THE MOVIE: THE BALLERINA OF THE LAND OF DOLLS (??????????????????????????, Eiga Hapinesuchaaji PuriKyua! Ningyoo no Kuni no Bareriina). The new movie celebrates the 10th anniversary of the overwhelmingly popular franchise. While performing a puppet show at a nursery, the HappinessCharge Pretty Cures are surprised when one of the dolls starts talking. "Save our kingdom!" Tsumugi, the ballerina doll, pleads. The Pretty Cures accompany Tsumugi to the land of dolls, a girls` paradise of cute stuffed animals, talking dolls,

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[vimeo width="690" height="388"]http://vimeo.com/102067455[/vimeo] One Week Run at IFC Center Source: GKIDS Inc. press release Official Site: patema.jp (Japan), gkidsfilms.com/patema (US) U.S. THEATRICAL PREMIERE! Don`t miss the gravity-bending, sci-fi anime film PATEMA INVERTED (????????, Sakasama no Patema, 2013), playing one week only at the IFC Center starting this Friday, August 29th. Showing in both English subtitled and English langauge versions, this new feature from TIME OF EVE director Yasuhiro Yoshiura is a perspective-twisting sci-fi adventure about two kids separated by opposite gravities. Patema lives in an underground world of tunnels, the long-abandoned ruins of a giant industrial complex. Though she is a princess, she is held back by the rules imposed by the elders of her clan. One day when she is exploring in a forbidden zone, she tumbles headlong into a

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Feature Film to Screen in More Than 35 Canadian Cities Source: VIZ Media, MediaLab press releases Official Movie Site: naruto-movie.com (Japan), elevenarts.net/naruto-roadtoninja (US) Special Thanks to Jane Lui and Erik Jansen VIZ Media, LLC, the largest distributor and licensor of manga and anime in North America, in partnership with Los Angeles-based film distribution company ELEVEN ARTS, will hold special Canadian theatrical screenings of ROAD TO NINJA – NARUTO THE MOVIE (??? NARUTO -???- ???????????, Gekijooban Naruto: Roodo tu Ninja, 2012) on Sunday September 7th and Thursday September 11th. These are in addition to the U.S. theatrical screenings starting August 29, 2014. The film will be shown with English dubbing. The sixth feature film in the massively popular NARURTO SHIPPUDEN series will debut in over 35 cities

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Source: Shochiku Co., Ltd. Official Site: yamato2199.net, nihonsankei.jp Translation: Tim Eldred, Cosmo DNA Introduction Space Battleship Yamato 2199 Production Committee and the Japan Sankei Tourist Association are collaborating on a special project. The Japan Sankei ("the three views") were first introduced when Neo-Confucian scholar Shunsai Hayashi performed a pilgrimage of the nation in the Edo era and considered these three outstanding landscapes the "vestige of Japan." What these three most scenic spots in Japan have in common are the azure sea and the deep green pines. Regarded as the hometown of all Japanese, they have long been beloved as famous places to visit at least once in a lifetime. Since it was established in December 1974, the Japan Sankei Tourist Association has been committed to the promotion and protection of these landscapes, the

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August 14-16 at Rihga Royal Hotel Author: Tim Eldred, Cosmo DNA Source: Shochiku Co., Ltd. Official Site: yamato2199.net Official Event Site: rihga.co.jp/osaka/event/summer An annual gathering is held at Rihga Royal Hotel, the "home hotel of Osaka," which bundles together several separate events under a single title, the Summer Festival. This year, one of those events will be SPACE BATTLESHIP YAMATO 2199 World. Based on the publicity announcements, it will revisit and build upon some of the summer events that took place elsewhere in 2013. Summer Festival 2014 will be held August 14-16, and the following attractions are on the agenda for visitors to YAMATO 2199 World: ? Voice actress Aya Uchida (Yuria Misaki) will be on hand for a talk show August 14, and science advisor

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SAILOR MOON DAY, Meet & Greet Autograph Session, and Special Retail Items at East Coast Pop Culture Fan Events Source: VIZ Media, MediaLab press release Special Thanks to Jane Lui and Erik Jansen VIZ Media, LLC, the largest distributor and licensor of anime and manga in North America, has announced an array of special activities and exclusive retail items to be offered as part of the company’s presence at the 2014 OTAKON convention. OTAKON is one of the largest pop culture conventions on the East Coast and takes place August 8-10, 2014 at the Baltimore Convention Center in Baltimore, MD. VIZ Media will be located on the main show floor in Booth IND-017. VIZ Media will celebrate the return of SAILOR MOON to North America with a variety of

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Source: AniplexUSA press release Official Site: gurren-lagann.net (Japan), AniplexUSA.com/gurrenlagann (US) Special Thanks to E.J. Rivera Aniplex of America, Inc. has announced that the legendary TV anime series GURREN LAGANN (??????????, Tengen Toppa Guren Ragan, 2007) will debut on Adult Swim’s TOONAMI Saturday line-up this August. The first episode will premiere on August 16th at 2:00am EST. From the SAME team that brought us KILL la KILL, GURREN LAGANN comes from the genius minds of Director Hiroyuki Imaishi and Script Writer/Series Composition Kazuki Nakashima. In response to its global popularity, the series was also adapted into two full-length films, GURREN LAGANN THE MOVIE -CHILDHOOD`S END- (??? ?????????? ???, Gekijooban Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann Gurren-Hen, 2008) and GURREN LAGANN THE MOVIE -THE LIGHTS IN THE SKY ARE STARS- (??? ?????????? ???, Gekijooban Tengen Toppa Guren Lagann Lagann-Hen, 2009). Aniplex of America re-released the GURREN LAGANN TV Series on

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Starts Wednesday, July 23rd Source: New York International Children`s Film Festival press release Official Website: momo-letter.jp (Japan), gkids.tv/momo (US) ENGLISH LANGUAGE WORLD PREMIERE! Seven years in the making, A LETTER TO MOMO (??????, Momo e no Tegami, 2012) is an enchanting and sumptuously animated story from director Hiroyuki Okiura and Japanese powerhouse studio Production I.G. The NYICFF Grand Prize winner opens Wednesday, July 23rd for a one week run at the IFC Center (323 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10014). The last time Momo saw her father, they had a fight. Now all she has left to remember him by is an incomplete letter: a blank piece of paper with the words "Dear Momo." After moving with her mother to the remote Japanese island of Shio, she discovers three yokai living in her attic.

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Lone Mercenary Guts Comes to NEW PEOPLE Cinema In S.F.’s Historic Japantown Source: MediaLab press release Official Site: jffsf.org Special Thanks to Erik Jansen VIZ Media, LLC, the largest distributor and licensor of anime and manga in North America, delivers a special theatrical treat for attendees of the 2014 Japan Film Festival of San Francisco as it announces a screening of the visceral anime action feature BERSERK: THE GOLDEN AGE ARC III - THE ADVENT (????? ?????? ??, Berserk Oogon Jidai-Hen III: Koorin, 2013) on Wednesday, July 23th at 7:00pm with an encore presentation on Sunday, July 27nd at 7:00pm. The film will be presented with the original Japanese dialogue and English subtitles. The 2014 Japan Film Festival of San Francisco is presented

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The World`s Most Popular Ninja Returns In His Newest Action-Packed Feature Film Adventure Source: Eleven Arts Entertainment, VIZ Media, MediaLab Official Movie Site: naruto-movie.com (Japan), elevenarts.net/naruto-roadtoninja (US) Special Thanks to Erika T. Wright, Jane Lui and Erik Jansen VIZ Media, LLC, the largest distributor and licensor of manga and anime in North America, partners with Los Angeles-based film distribution company ELEVEN ARTS to invite anime fans across the U.S. to attend a special English dubbed theatrical premiere of ROAD TO NINJA - NARUTO THE MOVIE (??? NARUTO -???- ???????????, Gekijooban Naruto: Roodo tu Ninja, 2012) in a host of major cites starting on Friday, August 29th. The new film, which is the sixth in the massively popular NARURTO SHIPPUDEN feature film series, will premiere in more than 45 cities throughout the U.S.

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