Anime Magazine: September 2014

Tuesday, September 30, 2014

VIDEO: "Strike Witches Operation Victory Arrow vol.2" Preview

Strike Witches: Operation Victory Arrow continues on January 10, 2015 with the limited theatrical debut of volume 2 Aege Kai no Megami (Goddess in the Aegean Sea). Lead cast for this entry in the bridge story between campaigns Francesca Lucchini (Chiwa Saito), Charlotte E. Yeager (Ami Koshimizu), Hanna-Justina Marseille (Shizuka Ito) and Raisa Pöttgen (Aiko Kusumi).

The first part of the trilogy OVA series, Strike Witches: Operation Victory Arrow Vol.1 Saint-Trond no Raimei (The Thunder of Saint-Trond) will gets its Blu-ray/DVD release on December 12, 2014. The episode is just released in selected Japanese theaters today on September 20.

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Scott Green is editor and reporter for anime and manga at geek entertainment site Ain't It Cool News. Follow him on Twitter at @aicnanime.

Life-Size Pikachu Plush Goes on Sale in November

Pretty soon Pokémon fans will be able to get a Pikachu of their very own, or at least one step closer with a life-size plush from Beams. The Japanese clothing chain is getting ready to unleash Pikachu in November, with the stuffed critter standing 40cm tall and clocking in at 6 kilograms (13.22 pounds).

This Pikachu is based on the first-gen design, so it's the classic, chubbier version many know and love. Pre-orders are now up in Japan, priced at ¥18,360 ($168) and complete with a special tote bag for lugging the little fatty around.

Source: Kai-You via Kotaku

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Joseph Luster is the Games and Web editor at Otaku USA Magazine. He also likes to draw comics. His blog can be found at subhumanzoids. Follow him on Twitter @Moldilox.

VIDEO: "Fate/stay night: Unlimited Blade Works" Hour-Long Episodes 0 and 1 Specials Ad

One-upping anime studio ufotable's Fate/zero adaptation, their adaptation of Type-Moon's Fate/stay night modern fantasy visual novel will be kicking off with two hour-long specials. Episode 0, "Prologue," will air October 4th, followed by Episode 1, "Day of Winter, Night of Destiny," on the 11th.

Episode zero is being shown at today's preview screening in ufotable's home town of Tokushima. Episode one is being shown at the other Japanese and international locations.

Check out the associated ad

Last visual and stills

via AnimeAnime

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Scott Green is editor and reporter for anime and manga at geek entertainment site Ain't It Cool News. Follow him on Twitter at @aicnanime.

Crunchyroll Manga Announces New Licenses

Crunchyroll Manga has announced two titles joining the digital service. The full catalog of Kippo by Hiroshi Tanaka is on the site today, 9/28 at 5pm PST with simul-pubs coming soon after. The full catalog of Hoshi no Samidare: The Lucifer and Biscuit Hammer by Satoshi Mizukami is up on Crunchyroll now.

Kippo

An irreplaceable "spot..." and the greatest friends in the world!
Just when it seems like peaceful everyday life will continue forever,
disaster strikes, and that's when these men move to protect what
matters most to them! A compilation of stories about the legendary
boys of Hiroshima!

Territories: Worldwide excluding Japan, South Korea, Labanon, Belgium, Luxembourg, Poland, Switzerland, Algeria, and Morocco.

Hoshi no Samidare: The Lucifer and Biscuit Hammer

Asamiya Yuuhi was an ordinary college student... until the day a lizard showed up and asked him to help save the world. The next thing he knows, he's been given a ring and special powers, plus an enemy stalking him. However, he's saved in the nick of time by the girl next door, Samidare, who's planning... WHAT kinds of things?! This is an unconventional story that mixes ordinary life with the bizarre and supernatural!

Territories: Worldwide excluding Japan, South Korea, Labanon, Belgium, Luxembourg, Poland, Switzerland, Algeria, and Morocco.

μ's Featured in Insanely Cute Minicchu "Love Live!" Trading Figures

The cute girls of Love Live! just got even cuter thanks to a second set of idols based on the adorable illustrations of Kengou Yakumo (IDOLM@STER Cinderella Girl were previously featured). The new chibi Minicchu series of figures from Phat! Company features all nine members of μ's including Honoka Kousaka, Umi Sonoda, Kotori Minami, Eli Ayase, Nico Yazawa, Nozomi Tojo, Maki Nishikino, Rin Hoshizora and Hanayo Koizumi all dressed up in their stage outfits from μ's 5th single 'Wonderful Rush'.

Good Smile Company will be distributing them in March with the blind box packages going for 700yen each.

Speaking of Love Live!, Hanayo Koizumi and Nico Yazawa are joining Azone's Pure Neemo Character 1/6th scale doll series in January and February respectively at 12,960 yen each

Complete Doll
Scale: 1/6
Size: Approx. 27cm Tall
Body: Pure Neemo Flection Body M / L Bust Shoulder Articulated ver.
Head: Hair Implanted Soft Vinyl Head

[Set Contents]
-Main doll
-Costume (4th single costume set)
-Shoes
-Hand parts x5 types

Body sculptor: Sawada Kobo
Head sculptor: Chizuru (Tsuru no Yakata)

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Scott Green is editor and reporter for anime and manga at geek entertainment site Ain't It Cool News. Follow him on Twitter at @aicnananiime.

Yamishibai: Japanese Ghost Stories 2 - Episode 13 - Bringer Drums

This is the story of a particular married couple that moved to a village in the countryside...

Akame ga Kill! - Episode 13 - Kill the Nuisances

VIDEO: "Nodame Cantabile" Character Helps Introduce New "Your Lie in April" Anime Preview

One of alt-anime programming block Noitamina's earlier series was 2007's adaptation of Tomoko Ninomiya's conservatory student dramady Nodame Cantible. Now, with Noitamina returning to the subject of music students for this fall's introduction of Shigatsu wa Kimi no Uso/Your Lie in April, Megumi Nodaup has shown up in her mongoose kigurumi guise to launch a preview screening and trailer for the new anime.

Naoshi Arakawa's award winning 2011 Monthly Shounen Magazine manga follows a piano prodigy who gives up playing after his mother's death, only to be drawn back into music by a free spirited girl playing the violin.

Announced at this week's United Cinemas Toyosu preview screening, the manga will be wrapping up in spring 2015,with the anime running up to that season for a two cour broadcast schedule.

Shigatsu wa Kimi no Uso PV3 by pKjd

Cast includes:

Kosei Arima: Natsuki Hanae

Kaori Miyazono: Risa Taneda

Tsubaki Sawabe: Ayane Sakura

Ryota Watari: Ryota Ohsaka

Takeshi Aiza: Yuki Kaji

Emi Igawa: Hayami Saori

Kyohei Ishiguro directs with Takao Yoshioka (Watamote, Elfen Lied, Highschool DxD) on composition, Yukiko Aikei (Accel World, Horizon in the Middle of Nowhere) on character design/animation direction and Masaru Yokoyama on music, performed by Goose House.

via MOCAand pKjd

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Scott Green is editor and reporter for anime and manga at geek entertainment site Ain't It Cool News. Follow him on Twitter at @aicnanime.

"Attack on Titan" Spoof Accompanies Latest "The Seven Deadly Sins" Anime Trailer

In a bit of Kodansha fellowship, Attack on Titan is helping to launch the new adaptation of The Seven Deadly Sins with a special spoof collaboration visual, featured on titanic promo art, such as a 7.4 meter tall billboard at Shinjuku station. At that height, The Seven Deadly Sin's giant, Diane is almost life-size.

The Seven Deadly Sins Trailer by pKjd

via Natalieand pKjd

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Scott Green is editor and reporter for anime and manga at geek entertainment site Ain't It Cool News. Follow him on Twitter at @aicnananiime.

"Shonen Hollywood" TV Anime 2nd Season Set for January 2015

Right after the broadcast of the last 13th episode of the boys idol-themed TV anime Shonen Hollywood -Holly Stage for 49- last night on Tokyo MX, its official Twitter account announced the TV anime's second season titled Shonen Hollywood -Holly Stage for 50- is already in the works for January 2015.

The TV anime is based on Ikuyo Hashiguchi's boys idol novel Shonen Hollywood and animated by Zexcs (Diabolik Lovers, The Flowers of Evil). The novel was originally posted on a web-novel site Everystar and a book version titled Shonen Hollywood -Red, Green, Pink- was published in July 2012.

The TV anime told the original story set 15 years after the 2012 novel. It centers on a new five-member group Shonen Hollywood performing in a theater named "Hollywood Tokyo" placed in Harajuku, Tokyo.

It was premiered in Japan on July 5 and ran for 13 episodes. The first Blu-ray/DVD volume of the first season

is scheduled to be released in Japan on October 8.

The anime character designer/general animation director Kei Tsuchiya tweets,

"OK! I'll do my best for the Shonen Hollywood 2nd season (((o(*ﾟ▽ﾟ*)o))) "

よし！少ハリ2期頑張ります(((o(*ﾟ▽ﾟ*)o))) pic.twitter.com/3U8ONZmb3o

— 土屋圭 (@tsuchiyawn) September 27, 2014

Visual for the Blu-ray/DVD 1st volume

The PV for the 1st season

via: "Shonen Hollywood" official Twitter

VIDEO: Voice Actress Unit StylipS Latest Song "Melancholic Sunshine"

Lantis has posted a short version promotional video for "Melancholic Sunshine," the leading track from voice actress idol unit StylipS's upcoming album "THE SUPERNOVA STRIKES." It will be their first album by the current four members after the member change in April 2013. "Melancholic Sunshine" is written/composed/arranged by R・O・N (STEREO DIVE FOUNDATION), who recently worked on "Daisy" (Beyond the Boundary ED) and "AXIS" (Nobunaga the Fool ED).

The unit was originally formed by Arisa Noto, Maho Matsunaga, Kaori Ishihara, and Yui Ogura in December 2012. After Ishihara and Ogura left the unit mainly due to schedule conflicts (the two have also worked for their own unit YuiKaori since 2009), Moe Toyota and Miku Ito joined in April 2013.

Their 16-song new album is scheduled to be released in three editions on November 26. The type-A

of its first press limited edition comes with a Blu-ray disc containing their live performance

(approximately 100 minutes) filmed at Harajuku Astro Hall in Tokyo June 15, 2014. A four-minute digest

video of the live is also now online.

StylipS' current members are:

Arisa Noto (Mihari Otosuna in The Comic Artist and Assistants)

Maho Matsunaga (Erena Todou in Love Live!)

Moe Toyota (Fumi Kujo in Jinsei)

Miku Ito (Nanako Usami in Locodol)

"Melancholic Sunshine" short PV