Anime News

Tuesday March 11th, 2008

Crystal Blaze Trailer Online
The official Japanese homepage for the upcoming Crystal Blaze action anime television series now links to a streaming trailer. The series is scheduled to premier next month.

New Tower of Druaga Trailer Online
The official Japanese homepage for Gonzo's upcoming Tower of Druaga: The Aegis of Uruk anime television series now hosts a new, second promotional video. Click the "PV2" button to watch the new trailer. The fantasy anime series will premier on Japanese TV and Gyao website (for Japanese viewers only) on April 4th.

New Amuri Trailer Released
The official website for the long in development CG anime OVA series Hoshi no Umi no Amuri ~ Amuri in Star Ocean now hosts a streaming trailer in high and low resolution. Promotional footage from the bishoujo sci-fi adventure created by Yoshitomo Yonetani, the director of Gaogaiger & Betterman, first appeared online in September 2007. The first Amuri in Star Ocean OVA is scheduled for Japanese release on May 23.Amuri in Star Ocean is not related to Square Enix's series of Star Ocean RPGs in any way. The similarity of the titles is entirely coincidental.

Gotham Knight Website Opened
The official homepage for the upcoming American/Japanese Batman: Gotham Knight animated anthology film is now open. Japanese directors Shojiro Nishimi, Futoshi Higashide, Hiroshi Morioka, Yasuhiro Aoki and Toshiyuki Kubooka from anime studios 4°C, Production I.G., and Madhouse all contribute to the production. The Batman: Gotham Knight movie will be released on July 8th.

DrMaster Acquires New Titles
DrMaster has formally announced its acquisition of translation rights to Rei Kusakabe's supernatural manga series Nephylym and Haruka Shouji's Feng Shui Academy manga, based on Midori Natsu's Fuu Sui Gakuen novels. The first volume of Nephylym will be released in September. Feng Shui Academy will debut next year.

Viz Reveals New Acquisitions
Viz Media has scheduled the domestic release of three manga titles not previously announced.Akihisa Ikeda's Rosario + Vampire supernatural romantic comedy will debut on May 13th and retail at $9.99.Youzaburou Kanari's action/adventure manga series Gimmick! will debut on June 10th and retail at $9.99.Kazuo Umezu's classic horror manga series Cat Eyed Boy will debut on June 17th in a $24.99 volume.

Moyoco Anno Halts Work
Best selling manga artist Moyoco Anno, the creator of titles including Flowers and Bees, Happy Mania, Sugar Sugar Rune, and Hataraki Man, has announced that she'll be taking an extended break from active work as an artist due to concerns about her health. Anno states that she still wants to draw manga and hopes her readers will follow her work if or when she returns.


Wednesday March 12th, 2008

TOKYOPOP Acquires Castlevania Manga
TOKYOPOP has revealed plans to publish an English translation of Kou Sasakura's two volume "Castlevania: Curse of Darkness" manga series adaptation of Konami's popular video game franchise. The first volume will be released in September.

Crunchyroll Secures 4 Million Dollar Investment by Illegally Distributing Anime
Websites including Dealipedia and the Private Equity Hub have reported that Venture capital firm Venrock has invested $4.05 million into the San-Francisco based Crunchyroll, Inc. video streaming website. The management of the Crunchyroll site uploads and provides a large amount of subtitled anime and Asian live action programing without authorization from the legal copyright owners of the programing or the consent of the translators responsible for subtitling the programing. Crunchyroll's video programing is accessible free in low quality. The site charges membership fees for access to high quality video streams.Crunchyroll reportedly does host a small amount of Asian video programing with official authorization from copyright owners and reportedly "intends to work directly with 'a select number of Japanese firms' to acquire content legally."


Thursday March 13th, 2008

Real Drive Trailer Online
The official Japanese homepage for the upcoming RD Senno Chosashitsu anime television series, commonly known as "Real Drive," now hosts a streaming trailer. The futuristic mystery series is a co-creation from Production IG and manga artist Masamune Shirow. The series premieres in Japan on April 8.

TOKYOPOP Acquires Phantom Dream, Offers Fruits Basket Free Online
TOKYOPOP has acquired the domestic translation rights to Fruits Basket creator Natsuki Takaya's first published manga series "Phantom Dream" ("Geneimuso").To promote next week's official domestic release of Fruits Basket manga volume 19, the TOKYOPOP website will release the entire book online for free tomorrow evening. The catch is that the book will be available online for only 19 minutes beginning at 19:19 ET (7:19 PM Eastern Time).

Live Action Adaptation of Cat Street Announced
Bessatsu Margaret Magazine has formally announced the development of a live action television series adaptation of Yoko Kamio's 2005 dramatic school life manga series Cat Street. The television series will air on the NHK television network this summer."The story revolves around Keito Aoyama, a 16-year-old former child actress who stopped acting after a traumatic incident. She has closed herself off from the rest of the world for years — until she enters a school for 'stray cats,' or outsiders like herself."


Friday March 14th, 2008

Monochrome Factor Teaser Trailer Online
The official Japanese homepage for the upcoming Monochrome Factor anime television series, based on Kaili Sorano's supernatural action manga series, now hosts a short streaming teaser trailer. The anime series is scheduled to premier on April 7th.

Fist of the North Star 25th Anniversary Projects Announced
To commemorate this year's 25th anniversary of the beloved Hokuto no Ken (Fist of the North Star) franchise, three new projects have been announced.An official website has opened to announce the Hokuto no Ken: Raoh Gaiden ~ Ten no Haoh (Fist of the North Star: Raoh Side Story ~ King of Heaven) anime television series. The new anime will debut this fall, along with the "Kenshiro Densetsu" motion picture - the final film of the "New Saviour Legend" anime series that began in 2006. The "Ten no Haoh" anime will be based on Youkow Osada's 2006 manga series spin-off from Buronson and Tetsuo Hara's original Hokuto no Ken manga. Ten no Haoh details the early life of popular Fist of the North Star antagonist Raoh.Satoshi Fumihara and the other creators behind The World of GOLDEN EGGS anime series will collaborate on the production of DD Hokuto no Ken, a super deformed "gag anime" parody of Hokuto no Ken.The Muscle Musical performance art group inspired by Hokuto no Ken will also collaborate on a project to commemorate the Hokuto no Ken franchise's anniversary.

Bus Gamer Teaser Trailer Online
Animate.tv now hosts a short streaming trailer for the new Bus Gamer anime television series based on Kazuya Minekura's manga. The trailer, available for narrowband and broadband connections, does not contain any footage from the anime TV series, which is scheduled to premier on the 14th.


TOKYOPOP Acquires Goth
TOKYOPOP has acquired distribution rights to Otsu-ichi's mystery novel Goth and its one-volume manga adaptation created by Kendi Ohishi. Fox Atomic has hired video game writer J.T. Petty to adapt and direct an American live action film adaptation of the Goth novel about two "goth" teens that partner to solve six murders in their hometown.The Goth manga adaptation will hit shelves in September with an 18+ age rating and a $10.99 retail price. The original novel will retail at $12.99 beginning in October.


Posted By: Nightroad