Junji Ito's Horror Manga Has an Anime Adaptation in the Works

Renowned horror manga author Junji Ito (Gyo, Uzumaki, Tomie) has no shortage of excellent works to adapt into anime, but other than Gyo his stories have primarily served as inspiration for live-action projects. That's about to change according to Asahi Shimbun's Junji Ito's Haunted House site, which revealed that his manga is set to make the leap to anime. 

 

The picture on the site doesn't just focus on one of Ito's works, and includes imagery from Tomie and Slug Girl, among others. With that in mind, maybe it will be an anthology rather than a single work, which would be amazing. 

 

 

This news is nicely timed with Ito's 30th anniversary as a mangaka. His most recent work to arrive in English can be found in Viz Media's release of Dissolving Classroom and the hardcover Fragments of Horror, both of which come highly recommended. There's also a newer collection of Tomie, and you can pick up Junji Ito's Cat Diary: Yon & Mu from Kodansha Comics. 

 

As for the anime adaptation, more info will be revealed later. 

 

Source: Comic Natalie via Anime News Network

 

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Joseph Luster is the Games and Web editor at Otaku USA Magazine. You can read his webcomic, BIG DUMB FIGHTING IDIOTS, every week at subhumanzoids. Follow him on Twitter @Moldilox.

New "Dragon Ball Super" Visual and Promo Arrive Just in Time for Long-Awaited Tournament

We watched as each Universe's team members were meticulously selected week after week. We surveyed the 80 warriors that resulted from the selection process. Now the Universe Survival Arc's Tournament of Power is really, truly kicking off, and Dragon Ball Super has a new visual and promo to go along with the event. 

 

Here's Goku as he tries to summon a new level of power to take on his toughest opponents yet.

 

 

And here's a promo that runs through the members of Universe 7's team with a mix of classic DBZ and Super footage.

 

 

Who's ready for Episode 97 to hurry up and get here? 

 

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Joseph Luster is the Games and Web editor at Otaku USA Magazine. You can read his webcomic, BIG DUMB FIGHTING IDIOTS, every week at subhumanzoids. Follow him on Twitter @Moldilox.

"Megadimension Neptunia VIIR" Trailer Takes Us to the Virtual World

The 14th entry in the Neptunia series is coming to PlayStation 4 in Japan on August 24, so it's time for Compile Heart to unleash the first full promo for Megadimension Neptunia VIIR. This one has Neptune herself, voiced by Rie Tanaka (Maria in Hayate the Combat Butler, Mitsuru in Persona 3), narrating as the trailer sets up the story before introducing the cast of characters, VR elements, battle system, theme songs, and Memorial Edition contents. 

 

 

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Joseph Luster is the Games and Web editor at Otaku USA Magazine. You can read his webcomic, BIG DUMB FIGHTING IDIOTS, every week at subhumanzoids. Follow him on Twitter @Moldilox.

Fix More Fox-Spirits Tend the Hot Springs in "Konohana Kitan"

 

A new key visual (below) and additional cast announcements have been revealed for Konohana Kitan, an upcoming TV anime based on the supernatural seinen manga by Sakuya Amano about a group of fox-spirits tending to a hot springs resort at the boundary between the human world and the spirit world.

 

 

The new cast members announced include:

 

• Sawako Hata as Satsuki, a fox-spirit who trains Yuzu and acts as her senior. Satsuki has a strong sense of responsibility and a serious personality, and she dreams of becoming a shrine maiden one day.
• Ayaka Suwa as Natsume, a boyish fox-spirit who wears men's clothing and talks using masculine pronouns. Natsume is bright and cheerful, but also inconsiderate of others' feelings.
• Risa Kubota as Ren, a fox-spirit who outwardly strives to be beautiful and graceful. Internally, Ren is often filled with spiteful thoughts.
• Ai Kakuma as Sakura, a young, quiet, and extremely curious fox-spirit who is always wandering around. Sakura uses her fox-spirit magic to perform ordinary chores such as cleaning and housework.
• And Manami Numakura as Kiri, the head caretaker at the Konohana-tei hot springs inn. Kiri is a shrew character who enjoys smoking her pipe and drinking sake, but she also cares deeply about the other fox-spirits who work at the inn.

 

 

In Konohana Kitan, Yuzu is a fox-spirit who abandoned as a kit and was found and raised by a human nun. In order to broaden her knowledge, she works as a caretaker at Konohana-tei, a luxurious hot springs inn at the boundary between the human world and the spirit world, where she has many interesting encounters with visiting gods and spirits.

 

The original Konohana Kitan manga is serialized in Gentosha's Monthly Comic Birz seinen manga magazine. Further details about the production (such as the staff and the release date) have not yet been revealed.

 

Sources:

Ota-suke

MoCa

 

Paul Chapman is the host of The Greatest Movie EVER! Podcast and GME! Anime Fun Time.

NTT Docomo Research: Summer 2017 TV Anime Anticipation Ranking

Following the previous one by Kadokawa released two week ago, the largest Japanese mobile phone operator NTT Docomo has also revealed the result of its own popularity ranking for the new TV anime titles that will premiere in this summer 2017 season. The online voting was conducted with the users of the company's anime streaming service dAnime Store between June 23 and 30, the number of total votes was 30,688 (voting for multiple titles was allowed). Check the ranking for this summer's 53 titles below.

 

 

1. "NEW GAME!!" (July 11) - 1,922 votes

© Shotaro Tokunou, Houbunsha/NEW GAME!! Production Committee

 

 

2. "Fate/Apocrypha" (July 1) - 1,645

© Yuichiro Higashide, TYPE-MOON/FAPC

 

 

3. "Owarimonogatari: Mayoi Hell, Hitagi Rendezvous, Ougi Dark" (TBA) - 1,575

© Nisio Isin/Kodansha, Aniplex, Shaft

 

 

4. "Restaurant to Another World" (July 3) - 1,373

© Junpei Inuzuka, Shufunotomosha/"Isekai Shokudou" Production Committee

   

 

5. "Katsugeki Touken Ranbu" (July 1) - 1,143

© Nitroplus, DMM GAMES/"Katsugeki Touken Ranbu" Production Committee

 

 

6. "In Another World With My Smartphone" (July 11) - 1,083

7. "Youkai Apart no Yuuga na Nichijo" (July 3) - 1,040

8. "Mahojin Guru Guru - Magical Circle-" (July 11) - 973

9. "Hell Girl: Yoi no Togi"  (July 14) - 967

10. "Aho-Girl" (July 4) - 966

 

11. "Kakegurui" (July 1) - 940

12. "Youkoso Jitsuryoku Shijo Shugi no Kyoshitsu e" (July 12)- 906

13. "Saiyuki Reload Blast" (July 5) - 893

14. "Love and Lies" (July 3) - 888

15. "Vatican Miracle Examiner" (July 7) - 861

 

16. "Gamers!"  (July 13) -795

17. "Senki Zessho Symphogear AXZ"  (July 1) - 792

18. "Cleanliness Boy! Aoyama-kun"  (July 2) - 751

19. "Hajimete no Gal" (July 12) - 656

20. "DIVE!!" (July 6) - 640

 

21. "Tsurezure Children" (July 4) - 589

22. "Welcome to the Ballroom" (July 8) - 578

23. "Tenshi no 3P!" (July 10) - 553

24. "Skirt no naka wa kedamono deshita." (July 2) - 503 

25. "Hitorijime My Hero" (July 8) - 484

 

26. "Kniths & Magic" (July 2) - 456

27. "Battle Girl High School" (July 2) - 454

28. "NTR: Netsuzou Trap" (July 5) - 435

29. "Chronos Ruler" (July 7) - 428 

30. "Konbini Kareshi" (July 6) - 414

 

31. "Ikemen Sengoku: Toki wa Kekeruga Koi wa Hajimaranai" (July 12) - 404

32. "Teekyu 9th Season" (July 12) - 399

33. "Altair: A Record of Battles" (July 7) - 383

34. "Nora, Princess, and Stray Cat" (July 12) - 381

35. "Fox Spirit Matchmaker" (July 1) - 353

 

36. "18if" (July 7) - 346

37. "Made in Abyss" (July 7) - 335

38. "Nana Maru San Batsu" (July 4) - 324

39. "RWBY Volume 1-3: The Beginning" (July 7) - 307

40. "The Irresponsible Galaxy Tylor" (July 11) - 247

 

41. "A Centaur's Life" (July 9) - 229

42. "HinaLogi ~from Luck & Logic~" (July 1) - 214

43. "Primcess Principal" (July 9) - 166

44. "Yamishibai 5th Season" (July 2) - 151

45. "ROBOMATERS：THE ANIMATED SERIES" (TBA) - 121

 

46. "Action Heroine Cheer Fruit" (July 6) - 110

46. "THE REFLECTION" (July 22) - 110

48. "Clione no Akari" (July 12) - 109

49. "Musashino!" (TBA) - 87

50. "Kaito x Ansa" (July 12) - 79 

 

51. "Marvel Future Avengers" (July 22) - 55

52. "Live Animation: Heart x Algorhythm" (TBA) - 43 

53. "Pikotaro no Lullaby Lullaby" (TBA) - 32

  

 

---

 

Male Top 5:

 

1. "NEW GAME!!"  - 1,455 votes

2. "Owarimonogatari: Mayoi Hell, Hitagi Rendezvous, Ougi Dark" - 1,110

3. "Fate/Apocrypha" - 1,083

4. "Restaurant to Another World" - 832

5. "In Another World With My Smartphone" - 774

 

 

Female Top 5:

1. "Katsugeki Touken Ranbu" - 855 votes

2. "Youkai Apart no Yuuga na Nichijo" - 634

3. "Saiyuki Reload Blast" - 626

4. "Vatican Miracle Examiner" - 549

5. "Fate/Apocrypha" - 482

 

 

---

  

Source: Docomo Anime Store press release

 

Aniplex+ Previews "Sword Art Online" Film Costume Asuna Figure

Aniplex's official online store Aniplex+ today starts accepting pre-orders for a 1/8 scale pre-painted PVC & ABS figure of Asuna wearing her original costume in the Sword Art Online The Movie: Ordinal Scale film released in February 2017. The 19,000 yen (about 170 US dollars) item is supervised by the anime's character designer/chief animation director Shingo Adachi, and is based on a newly-drawn illustration by him. Pre-orders for the new Aniplex+-limited item will be accepted till October 9, 2017, and its scheduled shipping date is April 2018. 

 

This Asuna figure's painted sample will be also displayed at the upcoming Anime Expo 2017 event to be held this weekend between July 1 and 4. 

 

 

 

 

Source: Aniplex press release

 

© Aniplex Inc.

©2016 REKI KAWAHARA/PUBLISHED BY KADOKAWA CORPORATION ASCII MEDIA WORKS/SAO MOVIE Project

    

Ayami Nakajo Rocks in "Anonymous Noise" Live-Action Film Teaser

The official website for the upcoming live-action film adaptation of Ryoko Fukuyama's Fukumenkei Noise/Anonymous Noise romance manga today posted a 30-second first teaser introducing its main cast, including 20-year-old fashion model/actress Ayami Nakajo as the protagonist Nino Arisugawa, and the ED theme song "Find You" performed by five-member masked rock band MAN WITH A MISSION. To play the main heroine who performs in a rock band, Nakajo has been taking voice training since last August.

 

 

MAN WITH A MISSION

 

  

47-year-old Koichiro Miki, who recently worked on the live-action film adaptation of Hiro Arikawa (Library

Wars)'s Shokubutsu Zukan/Evergreen Love novel, is attached to direct. The film is scheduled to be released

in Japan on November 25, 2017. 

 

あふれる想いを止められない！
#覆面系ノイズ』ビジュアル解禁

海辺の町を舞台にニノ(#中条あやみ)がグレコのギターをかき鳴らす‼️
ユズ(#志尊淳)、モモ(#小関裕太)とともに三角関係の恋の予感と、その行方が気になります…

／
そして、さらに・・・
＼ pic.twitter.com/ugggqUp5I5

— 映画『覆面系ノイズ』 (@fukumenkeimovie) June 30, 2017

 

Video message from Ayami Nakajo

中条さんからフォロワーのみなさんに、動画メッセージが到着しました

ニノを演じたことで、歌う事が大好きになった中条さん
『#覆面系ノイズ』劇中の曲はもちろん、「Find You」も大好きでお家で歌ったりしているんだとか… pic.twitter.com/7hq6GWyUud

— 映画『覆面系ノイズ』 (@fukumenkeimovie) June 30, 2017

 

Ayami Nakajo/Nino Arisugawa

 

Jun Shison/Kanade Yuzuriha

 

Yuta Koseki/Momo Sakaki

 

Erina Mano/Miou Suguri

 

Yuto Isomura/Ayumi Kurose

 

Yosuke Sugino/Yoshito Haruno

 

 

---

 

Fukumenkei Noise, Ryoko Fukuyama's third serialization work in Hakusensha's Hana to Yume, has

been running since 2013. Currently 13 tankobon volumes are available in Japan and the series has

printed over one million copies.

 

The story focuses on the protagonist girl Nino Arisugawa who loves singing. She is always wearing a mask

because she can't stop screaming when her feelings run high. She experienced two partings in her childhood,

one with Momo who was her first love, and another with Yuzu who was a song-writing boy. When she becomes

a high school student, the three finally meet again. 

 

 

Tankobon 1st and 13th volume covers

 

 

Source: "Fukumenkei Noise" live-action film official website, Twitter

 

© Ryoko Fukuyama/Hakusensha

 

"KiraKira PreCure" Reveals New Key Visual Including Cure Parfait!

As reported, the 6th PreCure girl, Cure Parfait, will join the story of the ongoing 14th PreCure TV series Kirakira PreCure a la Mode from its forthcoming 23rd episode to be aired on July 16. The character has already appeared as her human form Ciel Kiraboshi since its 19th episode aired on June 11. Toei Animation today posted a new key visual including her and comments from her voice actress 21-year-old popular anime voice actress Inori Minase.

 

キラキラ☆プリキュアアラモード：天才パティシエ・シエルがキュアパルフェに変身！　水瀬いのりは「ドキドキ」 https://t.co/V4c5URvE4U pic.twitter.com/zmXp0suZTi

— MANTANWEB (まんたんウェブ) (@mantanweb) June 29, 2017

 

Minase is best known as Chino in Is the Order a Rabbit?, Hestia in Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in

a Dungeon?, and Rem in Re:Zero − Starting Life in Another World, and this is her first voice appearance

in the PreCure series. "PreCure is the series that has fulfilled girls' dreams with various themes each year.

I am a kind of person who doesn't have much emotional ups and downs, but as I watched it in real time

during my childhood, I did a fist pump, saying 'Hooray!' when I leaned that I got the role," she speaks

her mind when she got the role.

 

She explains her character's charm, "Though Cure Parfait/Ciel Kiraboshi is the same age (14-year-old)

with Ichika Usami, she is very stoic and never makes a compromise with the things that she wants to be,

that's the part I feel her charm," and her most memorable series is "HeartCatch Precure!! (2010-2011),

because I respected Nana Mizuki (Tsubomi Hanasaki/Cure Blossom) and she was the reason why I decided

to work in this business. I often bought the figures and snacks of PreCure."

 

"I'm so excited because I'm joining in the middle of the story. Ciel-chan sometimes uses French words,

so I would be happy if she becomes the reason to learn about the language for the 'little friend' viewers.

Please support Cure Parfait and Ciel Kiraboshi from now!"

 

【キラキラ☆プリキュアアラモード】7/16(日)放送23話より6人目のプリキュア・キュアパルフェ登場変身するのは天才パティシエのキラ星シエル声を演じる水瀬いのりさんからメッセージ到着！https://t.co/VHVZOAXXWQ #precure #プリアラ #水瀬いのり pic.twitter.com/F1ikgZyMZJ

— 東映アニメーション公式 (@toeianime_info) June 29, 2017

 

  

  

   

Source: "Kirakira☆PreCure a la Mode" official website, Toei Animation official Twitter, Mantan Web

 

(C)ABC, Toei Animation

 

Oscar Academy Invites Takashi Miike To Join

Takashi Miike, the prolific filmmaker of infamously transgressive Ichi the Killer and Audition, plus adaptations of Jojo's Bizarre Adventure, Blade of the Immortal, TerraFormars, and Ace Attorney, has been invited to the The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences of Oscar award selection fame. Actor Rinko Kikuchi (Pacific Rim, Sky Crawlers) and Hiroyuki Sanada (Life, Twilight Samurai) also got the nod. 

 

Maybe diminishing the honor a bit is the size of the class of invitees. It was 774 (including 30 multi-category overlaps), the largest number ever and up from last year's 683. This will bring the size of the academy up to around 8,500.

The additions will bring more diversity to the award selection organization. 

Reporting on it, Deadline notes

The invitees come from 57 countries, the organization says in unveiling its list, with the list comprising 39% female and 30% people of color (poc), both numbers increasing overall totals in those categories which has been a focus of AMPAS over the past couple of years. AMPAS now boasts overall female membership to 28%  and poc  to 13%, both marking incremental increases year to year on the Academy’s stated journey to doubling those areas by 2020.

 

In the anime realm, Hayao Miyazaki was invited in 2006 (he rejected it), then again in 2014 (when only 271 were getting invites). Ghibli co-founder, producer and former president Toshio Suzuki also got a 2014 invitation.

 

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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. 

Summer Anime "Tsuredure Children" And "Love & Lies" Featured In English Subtitled Previews

As the summer anime season rapidly approaches, the Pacific region has yielded a pair of English subtitled promos for series about to debut. From Animax Asia comes one for Love & Lies, aka Koi to Uso, which will be in America on Anime Strike via Sentai Filmworks. And, from ANIPLUS Asia comes Tsuredure Children, Studio Gokumi's adaptation of Toshiya Wakabayashi's 4-koma web manga. 

 

The anime debut on July 3rd and 4th respectively.

 

 

 

via WTK

 

 

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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.

Nintendo Classics Get Smart with "Smart Boy" Converter

 

UK gaming company PQube is teaming up with LA's Hyperkin to bring some retro action to your smartphones. Dust off your Gameboy cartridges, because the Smart Boy is here to help you revisit them.

 

The Smart Boy was adapted to fit current gen Android phones (such as the Samsung 8), and supports GBA-based apps downloaded by Google Play. Best of all, it can actually run GameBoy and GBA cartridges! The unit also includes a battery that can be charged through the phone itself, allowing for 5 hours of gameplay.

 

 

The development kit created late in 2016 advertised compatibility with both Android and iOS devices, but at present it seems only Android is supported. Sorry, Mac users -- but hopefully your day will come!

 

The Smart Boy is currently available for preorder in Europe for £59.99, with units expected to ship this September.

Source: PQube

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Kara Dennison is responsible for multiple webcomics, blogs and runs interviews for (Re)Generation Who and PotterVerse, and is half the creative team behind the OEL light novel series Owl's Flower. She blogs at karadennison.com and tweets @RubyCosmos.

Author Discusses Lack Of "The Devil Is A Part-Timer" Anime Season 2

This month, The Devil Is A Part-Timer! was back, after a fashion. Cast from the 2013 anime, including Ryōta Ōsaka as Sadao Maou / Satan Jacob and Yōko Hikasa as Emi Yusa / Emilia Justina, reunited for a new audio drama, "Maou, Suteneko wo Hirou" ("The Devil Adopts a Stray Cat"). This was an occasion for series original light novel author Satoshi Wagahara to be reminded about the interest in a second season.

 

Wagahara says that there is certainly an acknowledgement of fans' interest in the series, with help from numbers of online video views on platforms like Niconico. Hence the drama CD.  But, anime is a business, and a complex one at that. A lot of factors go into the decision to produce it. 

 

Ultimately, Wagahara explains:

"There is no way I can promise a second season. This is decided in meetings of the higher-ups, and they may never decide to produce that sequel. However, I promise that will put all my efforts into making this work as good as possible for my readers."

 

だからねー、皆さん思うでしょ。何で未だにアニメ２期来ないの？って。ツイッターでも、サイン会でも、プライベートな友人からも２期来ないんですかっていっつもいっつも聞かれます。その都度返事はいつも「分かりません」むしろ俺が聞きたいくらいなんです。　#maousama

— 和ヶ原聡司@はたらく魔王さま！17 (@wagahara211) June 24, 2017

常々言ってますが各メディアで展開される全ての「はたらく魔王さま！」作品群の一番のファンは私です。これは029さん相手でも譲れません。そんな私が折につけ二期ニキ二期二期やろうやるときやるならやらねばと現場で言っていないはずがないじゃないですか　#maousama

— 和ヶ原聡司@はたらく魔王さま！17 (@wagahara211) June 24, 2017

ただ悲しいお報せなんですが原作者がアニメ化したいって言ったって出来るワケないんです。原作者をいくら突いてもアニメは出て来ません。アニメもビジネスなんです。ただですね、今回のように新しい感動が生まれることもまた、往々にしてあるのです。　#maousama

— 和ヶ原聡司@はたらく魔王さま！17 (@wagahara211) June 24, 2017

今回のドラマＣＤが生まれた直接的な原因がニコ生のＰＶ数であるように、ユーザーの皆さんの意思こそがアニメが生まれる最大の原動力なのです。魔王さまに限らず、楽しいアニメが世に生まれる原因はただ一つ。読者、視聴者の皆さんの見たいという思いです　#maousama

— 和ヶ原聡司@はたらく魔王さま！17 (@wagahara211) June 24, 2017

現状アニメ２期はお約束できません。声ある真奥達が集まるのはこれが最後である可能性すらあります。それでも和ヶ原は原作者として小説に限らず読者の皆さんの需要に最大限お答えできる作品作りをこれからも心がけて参ります。　#maousama

— 和ヶ原聡司@はたらく魔王さま！17 (@wagahara211) June 24, 2017

回り道もあります。最近新作を多く出していて、魔王さま本編の進行速度が遅いのは確かです。ただ、それらも、はたらく魔王さま！を含めた全ての和ヶ原の作品作りに欠かせないものであるとご理解を賜れれば幸いです。　#maousama

— 和ヶ原聡司@はたらく魔王さま！17 (@wagahara211) June 24, 2017

はたらく魔王さま！ドラマCD魔王捨て猫を拾う、の製作に関わった全ての人、聞いてくださった全ての人に最大限の感謝を！本当にありがとうございました！それではまたね！ #maousama pic.twitter.com/M4lejaWvPx

— 和ヶ原聡司@はたらく魔王さま！17 (@wagahara211) June 24, 2017

 

Latest volume

 

Drama CD

 

The original The Devil is a Part-Timer! light novels are published by ASCII Media Works under their Dengeki Bunko imprint, and an English language version of the series is also published by Yen Press. The 2013 TV anime adaptation is directed by Naoto Hosoda and features animation by White Fox.

 

An English subtitled version of The Devil is a Part-Timer! TV anime is now available in Crunchyroll's catalog, while an English dubbed version is distributed online by Funimation. Crunchyroll and Funimation describe the story as follows:

 

"Foiled by a hero when he’s inches away from conquering the world, the devil finds himself in modern-day Tokyo. With no real-world skills to speak of, the devil is forced to make ends meet flipping burgers at a fast food joint! To stall any further plans of world domination, the hero tracks the devil’s trail and takes on the lowly tasks of a telemarketer."

 

via Yaraon

 

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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.

Get Hooked on "Hina Logic", the Summer Season's Early Arrival!

The spring anime season is drawing to a close, summer is just around the corner, and it seems like we're waiting forever for some of this year's big summer shows! Fortunately, one new series beat the rest of the pack, giving us a sample of what the summer anime season has to offer. Ready to get hooked on Hina Logic? Here's our look at the first episode!

 

Hina Logic - from Luck & Logic

As the title suggests, this new show is from the world of Bushiroad's Luck & Logic multimedia franchise. A quick rundown: the human world of Septpia was once at war with the Foreigners of Tetraheaven. To combat the Foreigners, special operatives called "Logicalists" made pacts with Foreigners from other worlds and entered a trance with them -- granting them magical powers.

 

At the time of Hina Logic, it seems that there isn't much use for Logicalists, even though they are still being trained. A world at peace doesn't have much need for high-end soldiers. Nonetheless, they are still being trained. And the latest to join the school is Liones, a chipper, airheaded princess who stowed away to become a Logicalist.

 

Despite not having made a contract with a Foreigner and genuinely not seeming to know anything about anything, she's in the highest-level class. She also seems to already know Nina, a fellow student, and to have decided that they're going to be the best of friends. How in the world did a runaway princess who doesn't even seem to understand how to Logic get into the top-tier class?

 

The Hook

So apparently she does know how to trance with a Foreigner. And she pretty much wrecks the school gardens.

 

Liones may be charmingly lacking in knowledge, but she's absolutely not lacking in power. Whatever Foreigner she tranced with can do a lot of collateral damage. Almost as much as Nina.

 

And speaking of Nina... she's not there as a student. It seems there's something else entirely going on with her -- odd, in a time when allegedly there's peace and nothing to worry about.

 

Who Is It For

In case you haven't guessed from the visual and the description, Hina Logic is sorta-kinda a magical girl show. So if you're itching for some high-end violence in floofy skirts, we've got your summer fix. Existing Luck & Logic fans will also want to tap in, as this explores a time in the universe beyond the original plot.

 

Hina Logic - from Luck & Logic airs Saturdays at 9 pm PDT.

 

So, since we're on the brink of a new season... which Crunchyroll shows are you looking forward to, and would like to see covered in the Hook? We'll give every new feature we can a look!

 

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Kara Dennison is responsible for multiple webcomics, blogs and runs interviews for (Re)Generation Who and PotterVerse, and is half the creative team behind the OEL light novel series Owl's Flower. She blogs at karadennison.com and tweets @RubyCosmos.

Wagner and Dvořák Join the Musical Shenanigans in "ClassicaLoid"

 

Two more classical composers are joining the mad, musical antics of ClassicaLoid, an ongoing TV anime which returns to Japanese airwaves in October of 2018 and which re-imagines the giants of music history in some unique and unconventional ways.

 

 

German composer Richard Wagner appears as a young man and will be voiced by Yoshitsugu Matsuoka. Czech composer Antonín Dvořák appears as a pygmy hippopotamus. His voice actor has not been announced yet. Wagner's Musik will be produced by KO1 TSUTAYA, while Dvořák's Musik will be produced by Chisato, the lead guitarist of the visual kei rock band PENICILLIN.

 

 

The 1st season of ClassicaLoid is directed by Yoichi Fujita, while the 2nd season is directed by Kei Umabiki. Both seasons feature animation by Sunrise. The 1st season of ClassicaLoid is currently available via streaming on Crunchyroll, who describe the series as follows:

 

 

Kanae and Sosuke are two high-school students living in the suburbs in Japan where music flourishes. One day, they encounter Beethoven and Mozart, two suspicious men who call themselves ClassicaLoids. The “Musik” they play have mysterious powers, such as causing meteor showers and summoning giant robots. Kanae and Sosuke’s daily lives suddenly turn chaotic! Adding to the commotion are the appearances of other ClassicaLoids such as Bach, Chopin, Liszt, and Schubert. What is the big secret behind their powers? And are they a threat to humankind, or could they be saviors?

 

Source: Anime! Anime!

 

Paul Chapman is the host of The Greatest Movie EVER! Podcast and GME! Anime Fun Time.

"Culdcept Revolt" Trailer Shares the Secrets of Successful 'Cepting

Following up on an earlier trailer that explored the basic gameplay of Culdcept Revolt, NIS America is back to take the strategies up a notch. The latest video is all about playing to win, breaking down the creature, item, and spell cards that go into making a successful book. 

 

 

Culdcept Revolt also has a new release date. Originally slated for August, the card-battling action will now hit 3DS in North America and Europe on October 3 and 6, respectively. NISA cited the need to "accommodate the manufacturing and production of the game." 

 

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Joseph Luster is the Games and Web editor at Otaku USA Magazine. You can read his webcomic, BIG DUMB FIGHTING IDIOTS, every week at subhumanzoids. Follow him on Twitter @Moldilox.

Netflix's Full "Death Note" Trailer Cackles Away with Willem Dafoe

Earlier this week we got a tiny peek at the Netflix Death Note movie's version of the apple-loving Shinigami, Ryuk. A full trailer is here to show off around two minutes of footage, and Willem Dafoe's cackling portrayal of Green Goblin Ryuk may just steal the show. Check out the preview below for a good idea of what to expect when the Adam Wingard-directed adaptation hits Netflix. 

 

 

How good this ends up being will ultimately come down to how they portray Light, so it should at the very least be interesting to see how it turns out when it debuts this August. Here's the video's description: 

 

Intoxicated by the power of a supernatural notebook, a young man begins killing those he deems unworthy of life. Based on the famous Japanese manga. Death Note streams on Netflix August 25.

 

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Joseph Luster is the Games and Web editor at Otaku USA Magazine. You can read his webcomic, BIG DUMB FIGHTING IDIOTS, every week at subhumanzoids. Follow him on Twitter @Moldilox.

Crunchyroll Adds Episode 13 of "Interviews with Monster Girls" Anime

Hark! Episode 13 of Interviews with Monster Girls, based on the hit manga by Petos is now available for viewing here on Crunchyroll!

 

As with the rest of the series, Episode 13 is available for members worldwide except Asia.

 

 

Synopsis

 

Succubi, dullahans, snow women and vampires... We're a little different from humans and called "demi-humans." Lately, we've been called "demis." This is a stimulating and heartful school demi-human comedy featuring those very unique "demis" and a high school teacher named Takahashi Tetsuo, who's highly interested in learning more about their daily lives and habits.

Nine Adventurers Join the Cast of "Record of Grancrest War"

 

A new key visual (above), a new trailer (below), and a nine new cast members have all been revealed for Record of Grancrest War (known as Grancrest Senki in Japan), an upcoming TV anime adaptation based on the series of fantasy light novels written by Ryo Mizuno (Record of Lodoss War) and illustrated by Miyū.

 

Grancrest Senki (Record of Grancrest War) PV by pKjd

 

The new cast members announced for Record of Grancrest War include:

 

• Yuichi Nakamura as Irvine.
• Reina Ueda as Aishela.
• Satoshi Hino as Lassic David.
• Yoshitsugu Matsuoka as Moreno Dortous.
• Natsumi Takamori as Priscilla.
• Ai Kayano as Marrine Kreische.
• Takahiro Sakurai as Villar Constance.
• Wataru Hatano as Mirza Cooches.
• And Yūichi Iguchi as Alexis Deux.

 

 

The original Record of Grancrest War novels are published by Fujimi Shobo (a division of Kadokawa) under their Fujimi Fantasia Bunko imprint. The story of the series follows Theo, a knight, and Shiruka, a magician, as they seek the emperor's holy seal (the titular "Grancrest") in an effort to bring peace to their war-torn land.

 

 

The Record of Grancrest War TV anime is directed by Mamoru Hatakeyama (aka Shinichi Omata) and features animation by A-1 Pictures. Record of Grancrest War will begin its Japanese broadcast in January of 2018.

 

Source: MoCa

 

Paul Chapman is the host of The Greatest Movie EVER! Podcast and GME! Anime Fun Time.

The Heart of The Matter, how the anime of Spring told unique stories through tone!

In the midst of dramatic season finales signalling the end of the Spring season, I find myself looking back with surprise at the diversity of the anime we enjoyed over the past few months. Some of the endings delivered on expectations while others came as a complete surprise, but the way we arrived at many of them took some interesting turns. Heading into Spring, major sequels like Attack on Titan and My Hero Academia and a number of fantasy titles like Granblue Fantasy dominated our attention, promising 12 weeks of consistent action and adventure, but among them were a number of anime which played with our emotions and our expectations using strategic shifts in tone. Let's take a moment to enjoy the lull before Summer premieres and appreciate some of the twists and turns of the journey we just completed.

I’ve written previously about the classical technique employed by WorldEnd, providing us with a glimpse of the tragic ending to put us on uncertain footing as we follow Willem and Chtholly’s story. The happy moments they share with the children of the "warehouse" and small victories earned by the couple early in the series, along with our natural inclination to root for the shows charming cast, encourage a sense of optimism despite the events of the premiere looming over our heads. This perfectly places us in Willem’s headspace as we draw from the opening scenes in the same way Willem interprets the world based on on the events of his own tragic past while allowing ourselves to be drawn into a false sense of security by the cheery atmosphere.

The advancing plot at first teases us with Chtholly's visions to drawn upon our present doubts before pulling back the veil to finally introduce us to the impossibility of their situation which culminates in WorldEnd’s gorgeous climactic episode where we catch up to the introduction. The happiness we’ve shared with the cast over the season causes us to hope against our better judgement for a some sort of miracle right up until the final moments. In the end, we’re forced to confront the same challenge as Chtholly, to accept the happiness we experienced with the series along with the bitterness of its unfortunate conclusion. The framing allows us to appreciate the perspectives of both leads, hoping against their better judgement for lasting happiness in a tragic world.

 

Alice & Zoroku did just the opposite by employing the simple device of defining mood through visuals, prominently using color to alternate between warmth of the slice of life sequences with Sana in the comfort of Zoroku's home and paler palettes accompanying the troubled characters possessing dreams of alice. As with WorldEnd, we're presented with early scenes featuring darkened environments and washed out colors to drive home the threatening nature of Sana's origins. As she settles into her new life, we can experience a visceral appreciation for Sana's escape from the clinical hues of the facility into the floral rainbow of Zoroku’s shop and grow comfortable along with her in his mundane day to day with these supporting visuals.

 

 

When perceived threats to Sana's lifestyle reveal themselves, we can appreciate the danger they post because they vibrancy of the world fades in their presence. This technique distinguishes between the minor dramas of the series, such as Sana chasing after the twins, and actual threats to her livelihood because the former lack the telltale signs of Sana’s existence as an experiment creeping into the visual space. This also drove home Hatori’s troubles in the last arc of the series as scenes in the emotionally barren environs of her troubled home were darkened and eerily still. Even as her mother cheerily brought her snacks, the environment made it crystal clear that something was wrong. As Sana's sense of security in her new life felt threatened by the unknown danger posed by Hatori, her unease bled into Wonderland itself, causing the colorful sky to split into monochrome crags.

The most ambitious writing among these examples undoubtedly belongs to KADO: The Right Answer. The early events of the series lead us to believe the series would pursue a hard sci-fi narrative speculating about the potential struggles of advancing humanity laterally in spite of national interests. We spend over half a season sitting in on negotiations and tense political drama as Shindo’s group navigates global politics to distribute zaShunina’s gifts. The greatest threat to our own prosperity appears to be ourselves, as greed and distrust between nations put put Japan itself under military threat.

The twist is such a dramatic shift it essentially transforms the genre of Kado. Although it undermines certain assumptions set by the early episodes, the first half of the series was integral in providing time to reveal the scope of zaShunina’s power and fully develop the friendship between Shindo and zaShunina built upon their shared understanding, making the betrayal all the more surprising given the antagonist force of the series appeared to have already been determined. Whether you’re comfortable with such a tremendous shift or can appreciate the appeal of the genre before and after the reveal is a personal question, but it’s undeniable that Toei is bravely attempting to pioneer new territory, both with the Kado’s breathtaking 3DCG animation and a story beginning with a tremendous departure from modern anime trends.

 

 

Consistent tone is its own strength, My Hero Academia's wouldn't be the blockbuster shonen that it is without its relentlessly optimistic spirit, but this season showed us a number of ways our expectations and experience of a story can be manipulated with some creative writing and visual cues. Regardless of their success, each of these anime stood out for attempting something unique, or at least uncommon, to make them memorable. One of the best things about anime is that nothing feels truly off limits and these series showcase that ethos. Discovering small gems by experiencing them first-hand makes looking forward to a whole new season of shows that much more appealing.

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Peter Fobian is an Associate Features Editor for Crunchyroll and author of Monthly Mangaka Spotlight. You can follow him on Twitter @PeterFobian.

Anime To Adapt Gamer-Girl Comedy "Chio-chan no Tsuugakuro"

An early look at the cover for the August issue of Comic Flapper, due out in Japan on July 5th, has revealed plans for an anime adaptation of Tadataka Kawasaki's 2014, six-volume ongoing Chio-chan no Tsuugakuro (Chio-chan's Way to School). The series follows its titular lead as she stays up too late playing games like Assassin's Creed, then gets into trouble trying to emulate the action on her way to school the next day.

 

 

via 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.