Anime News!!

Hakaba Kitaro Anime Announced

Toei has announced plans to adapt Shigeru Mizuki's original version of GeGeGe no Kitaro, Hakaba Kitaro, as an anime TV series.
Source: Anime News Network

Aria Third TV Series Announced

According to the October issue of Comic Blade magazine a third Aria TV series is currently in production. No broadcast date has been determined.
Source: Anime News Network

New Anime Series Official Websites Open

New sites have just launched for the TV shows Kodomo no Jikan, Shion no Oh and Mokke.
Source: Moonphase


New Evangelion Movie Trailer Available

A second trailer for the upcoming "Shin Gekijoban Evangelion: Jou ~ Evangelion:1.0 You Are (Not) Alone" motion picture has appeared online. The trailer from official Japanese sources is limited to Japanese IP addresses only. A low quality version has appeared on Youtube. A higher quality DivX version is available from Stage6. The first of the four new Evangelion movies is scheduled to open theatrically in Japan on September 1st.
Source: Twitch

Fictional Game Within Genshiken World Gets Own Manga

Ramen Tenshi Pretty Menma (Ramen Angel Pretty Menma), the fictional game played by the otaku characters within the Genshiken manga world, will itself be adapted as manga. Media Factory's Monthly Comic Alive magazine will start serializing Norio Shiroi's manga adaption of Shimoku Kio's fiction-within-fiction creation in its November issue (on sale September 27). The official website for Pretty Menma made the announcement on August 27, two weeks after the website opened. The second series of the Genshiken anime will premiere on October 12 in Japan.

Source: Moon Phase

Sketchbook ~full color'S~ Trailer Online

The official homepage for the Sketchbook ~full color'S~ anime television series now hosts a streaming trailer. The show is scheduled to premier on October 1st.

Source: Ultimatum

Aquarion, Miyori no Mori, Sketchbook Videos Posted

The official website for the theatrical version of Aquarion is hosting the television commercials and trailer in its "Movie" section. The combining-robot project opens on September 22 in Japan. Sketchbook ~full color'S~, the anime adaptation of the Sketchbook school manga, has posted a promotional video online. It starts airing on Monday nights (Tuesday mornings) on October 1. Finally, the television movie Miyori no Mori has additional footage posted online before its August 25 premiere.

Source: Moonphase

Gunslinger Girl's Second Season Officially Announced

The October issue (on sale August 21) of Monthly Comic Dengeki Daioh officially announced that a second season of the Gunslinger Girl anime series will be produced. The Japanese magazine runs Yu Aida's original manga that inspired the anime. The production company Marvelous Entertainment had revealed that a sequel was in the works in its 2006-2007 financial report on May 30, but the company then edited the report to remove the Gunslinger Girl reference in early June.

Source: Ultimatum

Manga Duo naked ape's switch Heads to Stage, OVA

The September issue (on sale August 18) of Square Enix's Monthly G Fantasy manga magazine announced that the Switch detective manga by the artist duo naked ape will be adapted for the theatrical stage and OVA formats. The October issue will continue with more announcements. The grittily stylized manga focuses on two young governmental investigators of drug trafficking in Japan. Viz Media announced at Comic-Con International 2007 that it will start releasing the manga version next March.

Source: Ultimatum

550,000 Attend Japan's Comic Market Summer 2007

Mainchi Newspaper's Mantan website reports that Comic Market, the largest manga-related convention, hosted 550,000 attendees during its 72nd run this past August 19–21. About 200,000 attendees came on Sunday to the doujinshi markerplace, adding to the daily totals of 180,000 on Saturday and 170,000 on Friday.

Source: http://www.animenewsnetwork.com

Anime News August 20th, 2008

New Aquarion Movie Trailers Online

The "Movie" section of the Aquarion motion picture homepage now hosts a new streaming trailer and two TV spots. The movie is scheduled to open in Japanese theaters on September 22nd.

Source: Moon Phase

Kafka Inaka Isha Trailer Online

Shochiku Films now hosts a streaming Flash trailer for Academy Award nominated animator Koji Yamamura's latest short film "Kafka Inaka Isha" (Franz Kafka's A Country Doctor).

Source: Anime News Network

Switch OVA Announced

Details on New Macross Anime Revealed

At this past weekend's Macross 25th Anniversary Live: Minmay meets Fire Bomber concert held in Tokyo, Macross co-creator Shoji Kawamori announced that the new Macross anime TV series will tentatively be titled "Macross F" ("Macross Frontier"), and series female lead Ranka Lee will be played by 18 year-old debut voice actress and singer Megumi Nakajima.Macross F will be directed by Yasuhito Kikuchi (Aquarion), with character designs provided by Mikan Ehime (Gravion Zwei) and Yuichi Takahashi (Aquarion). Yoko Kanno will compose the musical score for the new series.

Source: Anime News Network & Moon Phase

Keitai Shoujo Drama Announced

The Keitai Shoujo homepage has announced that the cel phone game and anime series Keitai Shoujo ("Cel Phone Girl") will debut as a live action television drama on October 23rd.

Source: Ultimatum

Live Action Hana Yori Dango Movie Announced

Japanese television network TBS has announced development of "Hana Yori Dango Final," a live action feature film conclusion to the live action TV drama adaptation of Youko Kamio's popular manga. The cast from the two successful television series will reprise their roles in the movie, which is due out in Japanese theaters next summer.

Source: Sankei Sports

Live Action Fuma no Kojiro Website Opened

The official homepage for the upcoming live action Fuma no Kojiro television series adaptation of Masami Kurumada's manga is now online.

Source: http://www.animenation.com/

Yoko Kanno, Heroine's Voice Announced for New Macross

18-year-old newcomer Megumi Nakajima stars in tentatively titled Macross Frontier

At the Macross 25th Anniversary Live: Minmay meets Fire Bomber concert in Tokyo Saturday night, co-creator Shoji Kawamori (Escaflowne, Aquarion) and voice actor Sho Hayami (Max of the first Macross series) announced that Yoko Kanno (Cowboy Bebop, Escaflowne, Macross Plus) will co-compose the music for the new Macross television series and that the heroine Ranka Lee will be played by Megumi Nakajima, an 18-year-old newcomer selected by a nationwide singing and acting audition in Japan.
Kawamori and Hayami also introduced a pilot film of the new Macross work, now tentatively titled Macross Frontier. The story in production takes place in "20XX A.D." on a galactic colonization fleet named Macross Frontier. Since music for the new Macross series is still being composed, Nakajima sang Kanno's "Voices" from Macross Plus in the concert. Mari Iijima (Lynn Minmay), Yoshiki Fukuyama (Macross 7's Basara's singing voice), Chie Kajiura (Macros 7's Mylene's singing voice), and Nobutoshi Hayashi (Basara's speaking voice) performed first solo and then together for the final songs. More details will be posted in the upcoming event report.

Source: Anime News Network

Ayakashi Anime Announced

Japanese PC game publisher Cross-Net has formally announced that the 2005 adults-only superhuman battle action visual novel game Ayakashi will be adapted into an anime television series. Please note that the Cross-Net Ayakashi site contains imagery suitable for adult viewers only. Cross-Net hosts a downloadable version of the fully animated opening animation for the 2005 Ayakashi PC game.

The official Ayakashi anime homepage features a downloadable trailer for the upcoming show.

Source: Rakuga Kidou & Moon Phase

Koyuki Joins Cast of Upcoming Blood Movie

Japanese actress Koyuki, known for her roles in the live-action TV drama series Ikebukuro West Gate Park and Kimi wa Pet, as well as in The Last Samurai (alongside Tom Cruise), is joining the cast of the upcoming live-action Blood: The Last Vampire feature film. She will play a new character who was not in the original anime the movie is based on, and will at one point fight the hero of the story, Saya. Blood: The Last Vampire is being produced in Hong Kong, entirely in English, with Chris Nahon as the director. The role of Saya is played by Korean actress Ji-hyun Jun (credited as Gianna Jun), and the film will open internationally next year.

Source: Tokyograph

Third Kiddy Grade Movie's Trailer Posted Online

The official Japanese Kiddy Grade website has posted the trailer (100K or 500K bandwidth) for Kiddy Grady -Truth Dawn-, the last in the three-part movie compilation of the science fiction television series. The movie will screen in a one-theater, late-night engagement in Tokyo September 1-14.

Source: Moon Phase

Higurashi no Naku Koroni Live-Action Film in 2008 (Updated)

Higurashi no Naku Koroni, the psychological suspense franchise that started with a self-published dōjin game, will be adapted as a live-action movie for 2008. The franchise has already spawned drama CDs, manga, anime, and novels. Ataru Oikawa (Tomie movies) will direct this film which will initially screen at two theaters in Tokyo. Source: animeanime.jp Update: Gōki Maeda will play the protagonist Keiichi, while Rin Asuka will play Mion.

Source: Anime News Network

Yen Press Acquires New Titles

Yen Press, which has yet to release any books in America, has revealed three new acquisitions to ICv2.Kazuto Okada's mature audience sex-comedy SundomeShiori Teshirogi & Yukako Kabei's supernatural fantasy series KieliUshio Mizuta's shojo fantasy/drama Kaze no HanaSundome will debut in America early next year. Kieli and Kaze no Hana will debut in April.

Source: http://www.animenation.com

New Satoshi Kon Interview Online

BusinessWeek Magazine now hosts an exclusive commentary from anime director Satoshi Kon in which Kon explains his approach to his profession.

Source: Anime News Network

TBS Anime Festa Announces New Anime

According to a post on the Japanese Moon Phase message board, three new anime announcements were revealed at the recent TBS Anime Festa promotional event.The cast and staff of the xxxHOLiC television series will reunite to produce a second series. Production IG has confirmed the announcement.An Ah! Megamisama: Tatakau Tsubasa (Ah! My Goddess: Fighting Wings) television special will air this winter to commemorate the 20th anniversary of Kousuke Fujishima's original manga.An hour long Hidamari Sketch special will air on October 18th.

Source: Anime News Network

Live Action Higurashi Movie Announced

The Nikkan Sports newspaper has revealed that Ataru Oikawa, director of three of the live action "Tomie" horror movies, will helm a live action film adaptation of 07th Expansion's horror mystery PC game series Higurashi no Naku Koro Ni. The movie will hit Japanese theaters next year.

Source: Canned Dogs

New Ghost Hound Trailer Released

The official Shinrei Gari/Ghost Hound website now hosts a downloadable second trailer in high and low resolutions. The new TV series is scheduled to premier on October 18th.

Source: Moon Phase

Scene From Clannad Movie Online

The official homepage for the upcoming Clannad movie now hosts a streaming scene from the film.

Source: Moon Phase

New Gonzo Anime Online

A two minute long promotional anime video animated by Gonzo for Bandai's new "Duelpod" digital game device is now available for online viewing at the Duelpod homepage.

Source: Moon Phase

Rolling Stones Japan Evangelion Cover

Really Awesome Rolling Stones Cover from Japan featuring Evangelion!!!