SciFi Japan

    Anime - Animation

    Source: FUNimation Entertainment press release Official Movie Site: hagaren-movie.net (Japan), funimation.com/fullmetal-alchemist-the-sacred-star-of-milos (US) Special Thanks to Jackie Smith Following its July release in theaters in Japan, FULLMETAL ALCHEMIST: THE SACRED STAR OF MILOS (?????? ??????????????, Hagane no Renkinjutsushi: Mirosu no Sei-naru Hoshi, 2011) now comes to the U.S.! The feature-length animated film, the second of the FULLMETAL ALCHEMIST franchise, has begun its North American film festival run. The movie, from the animation studio BONES, follows a fugitive alchemist with mysterious abilities who leads the Elric brothers to a distant valley of slums inhabited by the Milos, a proud people struggling against bureaucratic exploitation. Ed and Al quickly find themselves in the middle of a rising rebellion, as the exiled Milos lash out against their oppressors. At the heart of the conflict

    Key art for HORIZON IN THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE. © 2011 Minoru Kawakami /ASCII Media Works /Horizon in the Middle of Nowhere Production Committee

    Anime - Animation

    Series to Debut on The Anime Network on October 4th Source: Sentai Filmworks press release Official Site: genesis-horizon.net (Japan) Special Thanks to David Williams Sentai Filmworks has acquired the upcoming anime mega-series HORIZON IN THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE (??????????, Kyookaisenjoo no Horaizon, 2011), based upon best-selling author Minoru Kawakami’s ongoing, eight-book franchise that has already sold over 750,000 copies in Japan. Directed by Manabu Ono (MY HIME, SAKI) the huge and epic story that combines everything from giant robots and aerial ships to witches and werewolves will employ a staff of four Character Designers - Tomoyuki Fujii, Shinya Nishizawa, Yukiko Aikei and Kanta Suzuki- to adapt the original concepts by Satoyasu (TENKY), while script supervision and adaptation falls into the capable hands of Tatsuhiko Urahata (NANA, MASTER KEATON, MONSTER, STRIKE WITCHES 2). ‘History’ is coming to an end. When humans came down from the sky they

    Sentai Filmworks has licensed North American rights to the new anime MAJIKOI ~ OH! SAMURAI GIRLS before the series has aired in Japan. © 2011 MinatoSoft/ Majikoi Production Commitee

    Anime - Animation

    Brand New Japanese Anime Gets US Release Source: Sentai Filmworks press release Official Site: anime-majikoi.com (Japan) Special Thanks to David Williams Sentai Filmworks fulfills the fantasies of fans of feudal fighting females with the company’s newest announcement, MAJIKOI ~ OH! SAMURAI GIRLS (??????????, Maji de Watashi ni Koi Shinasai!, 2011). Based on the mega-hit PC game from MinatoSoft, the 12 episode series focuses on a city where almost everyone has a Samurai obsession. Direction is by Keitaro Motonaga (GETBACKERS, YUMERIA) using character designs by Mayumi Watanabe (FANDORA, FAIRY TAIL, FREEZING) and story supervision by Katsuhiko Takayama (AND YET THE TOWN MOVES, e.f. A TALE OF MEMORIES). MAJIKOI ~ OH! SAMURAI GIRLS will debut in Japan on the AT-X network on October 1st. It’s one thing to honor your ancestors and keep old traditions alive, but there is such a thing as taking it

    Key art for B GATA H KEI - YAMADA`S FIRST TIME. © 2010 Yoko Sanri / Shueisha Inc. B-Gata H-Kei Project

    Anime - Animation

    Source: FUNimation Entertainment Official Site: bgata-hkei.com (Japan), funimation.com/b-gata-h-kei-yamada-s-first-time (US) Special Thanks to Jackie Smith FUNimation Entertainment has begun streaming the first two episodes of the risque romantic comedy B GATA H KEI - YAMADA`S FIRST TIME (B?H?, Bii Gata Etchi Kei, 2010) at funimation.com. This series, from director Yusuke Yamamoto (SGT FROG, WELCOME TO THE NHK), is based on the manga series of the same name published by Shueisha. Both follow Yamada, a boy-crazy school girl with distracting daydreams about future bedmates – but before she can get this saucy sex life underway, she realizes she first needs to lose her virginity! She knows to whom she will bestow this prize: her classmate Kosuda. However, a successful seduction of Kosuda is more difficult than this lusty teen had counted on. These streaming episodes are the Japanese broadcast version. However, FUNimation’s product release in 2012 will contain

    Anime - Animation

    Source: Japan Society Official Site: filmsforhope.org Special Thanks to Shannon Jowett Films for Hope ** Curated by Justin Leach with Appearances by Enrico Casarosa and Dai Sato ** Sunday, September 11, 2011, 1:00-8:00 pm, at Japan Society 333 East 47th Street New York, NY 10017-2399 New York, NY – Conceived and developed in response to the disasters following the March 11 earthquake in Japan, Films for Hope is a showcase of thrilling, diverse short animated films from around the world celebrating the creativity of artists inspired by Japanese animation techniques and storytelling. Taking place Sunday, September 11, at Japan Society, Films for Hope commemorates the half year point after the earthquake, as well as the 10-year anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks on the U.S.

    ICE. © 2007 Project-ICE/Enet Frontier

    Anime - Animation

    Source: Sentai Filmworks press releases Special Thanks to David Williams Sentai Filmworks` recent run of new anime series acquisitions continues with the licensing of the popular ROZEN MAIDEN animated series and the all-female, future epic ICE. Directed by Makoto Kobayashi (DRAGON`S HEAVEN) and with character designs by Masaya Onishi (GHOST STORIES), ICE (???, 2007) is ultimately the creation of Renaissance man Yasushi Akimoto, whose varied and prolific career as writer, TV producer and professor includes the creation of the Japanese Idol super-groups AK48 and Onyanko Club. With that background, it’s no surprise that many members of the huge girl group AK48 ended up contributing their voices to the apocalyptic tale in which all humans bearing a Y chromosome have been wiped from the face of the Earth. Some strange virus, whether planned or accidental, has wiped out most of the population. The survivors? Beautiful women. Faced

    Anime - Animation

    Post-Apocalyptic Anime Debuts this Sunday Source: Sentai Filmworks, Anime Network press releases Official Site: no-6.jp (Japan) Special Thanks to David Williams and Christian Lopez Sentai Filmworks continues its recent string of anime series acquisitions with the futuristic thriller NO. 6. The broadcast and digital distributor Anime Network will add the 11 episode series to their Online Streaming Service starting this Sunday, August 7th. The entire series will be available to watch online for free (registration is required), with new episodes released online weekly on Sundays at 12:15 PM Central. Based on the manga written by Atsuko Asano and illustrated by Hinoki Kino, the post-apocalyptic mystery anime is the first series directed by storyboard and opening animation master Kenji Nagasaki (KIBA, MOBILE SUIT GUNDAM 00) with series script duties being handled by Seishi Minakami (HEAVEN`S

    Japanese poster art for HEAVEN’S LOST PROPERTY THE MOVIE: THE ANGELOID OF CLOCKWORK. The anime film will be released in North America in 2012.

    Anime - Animation

    Source: FUNimation Entertainment Official Site: kadokawa-anime.jp/soraoto (Japan), funimation.com/heavens-lost-property (US) Special Thanks to Jackie Smith FUNimation Entertainment recently announced that it has acquired the home entertainment, broadcast, digital and merchandise rights to the follow-up movie to the romantic comedy anime series HEAVEN’S LOST PROPERTY (????????, Sora no Otoshimono, 2009) and HEAVEN’S LOST PROPERTY: FORTE (???????? f ?????), Sora no Otoshimono: Forte, 2010) from Kadokawa. The animated film HEAVEN’S LOST PROPERTY THE MOVIE: THE ANGELOID OF CLOCKWORK (??? ???????? ??????????????????, Gekijoban Sora no Otoshimino: Tokei-jikake no Enjeroido, 2011) premiered June 25th in Japanese theaters and is directed by Tetsuya Yanagisawa. Based on the manga series of the same name by Suu Minazuki, the 13 episode HEAVEN’S LOST PROPERTY anime tells the story of Tomoki Sakurai, a girl-crazy young man whose quiet life gets turned upside down when beautiful, winged woman named Ikaros falls from the sky— and starts

    HEAVEN’S MEMO PAD is one of three new anime series premiering in America in late July. © 2011 Ascii Media Works / Hikaru Sugii, Heaven`s Memo Pad Production Committee

    Anime - Animation

    CROISÉE IN A FOREIGN LABYRINTH, HEAVEN’S MEMO PAD, and RO-KYU-BU FAST BREAK! Launch This Month Source: Sentai Filmworks, Anime Network press releases Special Thanks to David Williams and Christian Lopez Sentai Filmworks has launched a full court press on the anime marketplace with the the acquisition of the slice-of-life period series CROISÉE IN A FOREIGN LABYRINTH ~ THE ANIMATION, the psychological detective mystery HEAVEN’S MEMO PAD, and the sports comedy RO-KYU-BU FAST BREAK! Broadcast and Digital Distributor Anime Network will begin simulcasting the three new series on their Online Streaming Service this month. The 12 episode CROISÉE IN A FOREIGN LABYRINTH ~ THE ANIMATION (??????????, Ikoku Meiro no Croisée, 2011), based on the popular manga by Hinata Takeda, is a unique East meets West drama set in 19th century France. Script supervision for the historical drama is being handled by the legendary Junichi

    Logo for the 2011 J-POP SUMMIT FESTIVAL. Photo courtesy of NEW PEOPLE, Inc. © 2011 NEW PEOPLE, Inc.

    Anime - Animation

    Pop Culture Celebration Features Japanese Fashion Designers, Film & Anime Premieres, and the “Vocaloid” Phenomenon Source: MediaLab press release Official Site: J-pop.com Special Thanks to Erik Jansen NEW PEOPLE, San Francisco’s dynamic entertainment destination showcasing the latest examples of Japanese popular culture, has announced the expansion of its annual J-Pop Summit Festival. The 2011 J-Pop Summit Festival will take place August 27th- 28th across the city’s Japantown. The weekend-long celebration brings back many popular attractions that have made the J-Pop Summit Festival a must-attend event for fashion, film, anime and music fans as well as hipsters, pop culture enthusiasts, Bay Area residents, and as tourists visiting the city. A dedicated web site is now available at J-pop.com and will feature regular updates. “The expansion of the J-Pop Summit Festival is a result of the overwhelming support from our partners and sponsors and strong attendance by a

    25th Anniversary logo for VIZ Media. Photo courtesy of and © 2011 VIZ Media.

    Anime - Animation

    VIZ Media Celebrates 25th Anniversary With a Full Slate of Activities, Panels, and Special Giveaways at Comic-Con Source: VIZ Media, MediaLab press releases Special Thanks to Jane Lui and Erik Jansen VIZ Media, LLC, the largest distributor and licensor of anime and manga in North America, gears up for the 2011 Comic-Con International with a packed agenda of exciting events, product giveaways, panel discussions, interactive activities, and convention exclusives. Comic-Con is the nation’s largest comic book, science fiction and pop culture event, and takes place July 20-24 at the San Diego Convention Center, CA. VIZ Media will be located in Booth 2813. Complete details on Comic-Con are available at comic-con.org. VIZ Media’s Booth (#2813) will be a hub of continual activity on the main show floor. The VIZ MANGA APP is the latest technological innovation for digital manga comics for the Apple iPad, iPhone and iPod

    Anime - Animation

    Anime Film Begins US Run on July 7th Source: Eleven Arts Entertainment press release Official Movie Site: funimation.com/trigun (US), trigun-movie.com (Japan) Special Thanks to Shun Ohara The US theatrical run of the anime film TRIGUN: BADLANDS RUMBLE (????? The Movie ?????, 2010) continues with several new theaters and screening dates announced by distributors Eleven Arts and FUNimation Entertainment. The following screenings will be in addition to those listed in the previously announced schedule. Set on a remote planet in the near future, TRIGUN is a popular sci-fi action anime series created by Yasuhiro Naito. It portrays the life and actions of a wanted man named Vash, an extreme pacifist by nature with the unique nickname the “Human Typhoon”. The movie TRIGUN: BADLANDS RUMBLE debuted on April 24th 2010 in Japan, and

    Anime - Animation

    3-Day Anime, Music, and Manga Event in Anaheim this 4th of July Weekend Source: BAM! Marketing, Publicity & Promotions press releases Official Site: am2con.org Special Thanks to Chase Wang AM² kicks off its 3-day, 24 hour event July 1st at the Anaheim Convention Center in sunny Anaheim, California. Current Guest of Honors include Masao Maruyama, Sunao Katabuchi, Akihiko Yamashita, Miho Shimogasa, Scandal, Sadie, Kanon Wakeshima, kanon x kanon, heidi., Gashicon, IBI and MINT. AM² activities include Exhibit Hall, AMV`s, Arcade, Summer Festival, World Cosplay Summit, Behind the Voice Actors Studio, Rum Party Pirates, Masquerade, Cosplay Chess, Dances, Fashion Shows, Table Top, Console Gaming, AniMaid Café, AniMaid Café Host Club, Workshops, Panels, Concerts and more! Entrance to the event is free, but attendees the anticipated huge lines at autographs,

    Anime - Animation

    New Guests, Musical Performers, and Events Added for Anime and Manga Festival Source: Society for the Promotion of Japanese Animation press releases Official Site: anime-expo.org Anime Expo, North America’s largest anime and manga celebration, has announced some new guests when it returns to the Los Angeles Convention Center from July 1 - 4, 2011. Tetsuro Araki, Masayoshi Tanaka and Kentaro Hashimoto of Madhouse Studios will attend as Guests of Honor. The trio will be present for a special July 2nd screening of the acclaimed zombie apocalypse series HIGHSCHOOL OF THE DEAD and will host a creator’s panel. Video game producer and developer Sohei Niikawa amd voice actress and singer Miyuki Sawashiro are also Guests of Honor while Takanori Aki, President of Good Smile Company, will be an industry guest. Additional Guests of Honor include the production team behind

    Anime - Animation

    Source: Eleven Arts Entertainment press release Official Movie Site: funimation.com/trigun (US), trigun-movie.com (Japan) Special Thanks to Shun Ohara Eleven Arts and FUNimation Entertainment will launch a fun WANTED campaign on Facebook in advance of the US release of TRIGUN: BADLANDS RUMBLE (????? The Movie ?????, 2010) opening from July 8th. Fans can visit the TRIGUN: BADLANDS RUMBLE Official Facebook Page today at noon to have their Facebook profile picture put in a TRIGUN "WANTED" frame. Read the announcement below for details... About Eleven Arts, Inc. Based in Los Angeles, Eleven Arts, Inc. is a motion picture production and distribution company that brings Japanese and Asian movies to worldwide audiences as well as bringing movies from all over the world into Asia. About FUNimation Entertainment FUNimation Entertainment, a wholly-owned subsidiary

    The complete anime series HIGH SCHOOL OF THE DEAD will be available On Demand from Comcast in July. © 2010 Daisuke Sato/ Shouji Sato. © 2010 Fujimishobo

    Anime - Animation

    Source: Anime Network press release Official Site: geneonuniversal.jp/hotd (Japan) Special Thanks to Christian Lopez Anime Network and Comcast will team up this Summer to bring fans one of the hottest anime in recent memory, HIGH SCHOOL OF THE DEAD! The world is turned on it`s head when the dead begin to rise, and for a group of high school students survival is their only option! All 12 episodes of this sizzling hot series will be available to rent on Xfinity Top Picks this July. From July 1st through July 31st, HIGH SCHOOL OF THE DEAD will be available to rent in the Top Picks category for only $0.99 per episode. Also included is the free behind-the-scenes special "Dead and Loving It", exclusive only to Comcast customers. Just hit the ONDEMAND button on your remote and select the Top Picks menu to find all 12 episodes and free

    Atomsk, the most powerful space pirate in the universe, emerges in the GAINAX anime series FLCL. © 1999 Gainax/KGI

    Anime - Animation

    Author: Elliot Gay Official Site: funimation.com/flcl (US), gainax.co.jp/flcl (Japan) High school was a strange time in my life. We were only a few years into the new millennium and like all teenagers I was struggling to figure out who I was. One look at my journal entries from that period of time tells you all you need to know about the kind of person Elliot Gay used to be. Through my years as a freshman and sophomore, I was one of the kids who had to have the latest Michael Jordan sneakers, wore chains around his neck and spoke less than correct English. Underneath all of that though, I was a film and anime lover who wanted to be a writer. Yet for some reason I refused to hold my head up and be honest with myself or the people around me about

    Anime - Animation

    Authors: Chris Taylor and Daisy Evans Official Site: fanime.com Fanime is one of the largest anime conventions in North America. Held in San Jose, CA during Memorial Day weekend, Fanime is a very fan centered convention and features many fan-run panels and events, as well as some notable guests of honor. The Japanese band FLOW was particularly popular. We heard people talking about their concert all weekend. The dealer’s hall and artist alley were both quite sizable and offered a large assortment of wares. Fanime included many panels for all types of fans. Panels topics ranged from cosplay to manga and music to instructional sessions and the increasingly popular steampunk genre. There was even a dojo, where convention goers could attend workshops on various martial arts topics ranging from basic self defense

    Wolfwood wields his giant cross in TRIGUN: BADLANDS RUMBLE, playing in theaters across the United States starting next month. Photo courtesy of Eleven Arts. © 2010 Yasuhiro Naito/ Trigun the Movie Production Committee

    Anime - Animation

    Author: Elliot Gay Official Movie Site: funimation.com/trigun (US), trigun-movie.com (Japan) Special Thanks to Eleven Arts Entertainment Let me get this out of the way first: I am a huge TRIGUN fan. Back in college, I powered through all 14 volumes of the original manga series, and then went on to watch the complete TV anime. I could not help but find myself disappointed with the fact that the anime begins to move away from the original material early on in the story. Character motivations and often even the characters themselves are changed. Important plot details were lost along with personality quirks and entire story arcs. I would find out later that original manga creator Yasuhiro Nightow had only penned a few volumes of the series before the anime was green lit. With that knowledge, it is difficult to be too critical of the

    Anime - Animation

    Source: BAM! Marketing, Publicity & Promotions press release Official Site: am2con.org Special Thanks to Chase Wang From AM² representative Chase Wang... I am writing to see if you would be willing to help us spread the word of AM² being held July 1-3, 2011 at the Anaheim Convention Center. Over this past weekend, individuals hacked into our website and put up a very incorrect and false statement claiming that our event was "Cancelled" and that all our guests were going over to a different event. THIS IS COMPLETELY FALSE. I am extremely disappointed that there are individuals out there that are so willing to stoop to such levels to disrupt and harm our event after all the work and planning that has been done to bring as much fun to

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