The EUREKA 7: AO series is one of the new titles acquired by FUNimation Entertainment. © 2012 Bones/ Project Eureka AO • MBS

Source: FUNimation Entertainment press release Special Thanks to Scott Lonski

Poster for the monster-packed anime feature film KING OF THORN. © 2010 Yuji Iwahara, Enterbrain, Inc./ Ibara Committee

FUNimation Entertainment announced today at Anime Central it has acquired the home media rights to the feature film KING OF THORN and series EUREKA 7: AO (Astral Ocean). In addition, FUNimation has acquired the simulcasts rights for EUREKA 7: AO. Full episodes will begin on funimation.com during spring 2012. A brief synopsis for each series is listed below: EUREKA 7: AO (Astral Ocean) (???????AO, Eureka Sebun Ei Oo, 2012) The story is set on Okinawa`s isolated island of Iwado, which has seen a growing movement advocating a return to an autonomous government. Ao Fukai, a 13-year-old boy with a missing father, lives on the island with an old doctor named Toshio and is about to enter middle school. Ao`s mother was taken away a decade ago by unknown individuals. Naru Arata, Ao`s 13-year-old childhood friend and the story`s heroine, lives with her father, older sister, and grandmother. She has a "Yuta" power awakened within her due to an incident when she was young. A mysterious entity called "Secret" suddenly appears and launches an attack on the Scub Coral lifeform on the island. Ao launches a certain military FP called "Nirvash" aboard a Japanese military transport in his fervent desire to protect the island. KING OF THORN (?????, Ibara no Oo, 2010) Panic spreads worldwide as the Medousa Virus -- a fatal pandemic that solidifies the body to stone -- threatens to wipe out the human race. 160 infected individuals are selected to be cryogenically frozen while a cure is developed. Kasumi is one of those chosen for the experimental program. Forced to enter without her twin sister, Shizuku, her distress multiplies when she awakens to find the facility overrun with thick, thorny vines and ravenous monsters. As Kasumi and six others fight a losing battle to escape this labyrinthine nightmare, questions cloud her distorted mind. Where is her sister? Why did their only salvation mutate into a deathtrap? If they survive, how much longer do they have to live?

Survivors of a worldwide plague encounter strange creatures in KING OF THORN. © 2010 Yuji Iwahara, Enterbrain, Inc./ Ibara Committee

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