AnimeNewsNetwork.com reported that Right Stuf International announced the license of so ra no wo to. They will also release a remastered version of Revolutionary Girl Utena, which will include the original dubbed track from Central Park Media release.
Archive for the ‘Anime’ Category
Right Stuf Announces So Ra No Wo To
Monday, July 5th, 2010Funimation Hits the Motherlode! (Darker Than Black 2, Index, Railgun, Sekirei 2 and more!@#)
Monday, July 5th, 2010I just dropped by AnimeNewsNetwork.com, and couldn’t help noticing their news piece on announced licenses by Funimation at the Anime Expo 2010.
I am jumping for joy right now, because: a) some of my fav shows (as mentioned in the title of this post) have been licensed, b) by Funimation, the company with the resources to do a GREAT job on these releases. Nope, I definitely don’t see Funimation cutting corners to save money on these babies!
Additionally, Funimation is reaching back in time, and re-releasing old Geneon titles such as the Tenchi series, Haibane Renmei, Serial Experiment Lain, Trigun.
Wow, a motherlode indeed!
Wanna Apply to Work for Gainax?
Sunday, May 2nd, 2010AnimeNewsNetwork.com posted a news piece noting that Gainax is hiring an assistant to work on drawing background objects like buildings and vehicles for a 1900 to 1930 Great Britain time period. Whoever ends up with the job will have to do a lot of research to figure out the architectural feel of buildings, and horses/carriages, etc., for that period.
All I can say is “Good Luck!”
Will Dubbed Anime Survive?
Sunday, May 2nd, 2010Last month, the CEO of anime dubbing company Bang Zoom wrote an editorial urging fans to support dubbed anime rather than watch fansubbed video. I tend to agree with him on this point. But the problem here is that there just may not be enough of a dubbed-anime-watching-fanbase to support his company. And you need to figure out a way to encourage the downloading generation of consumers to pay for content; that’s definitely a tall order.
Anime Review: Cross Game (aka “Going Full Circle”)
Wednesday, April 7th, 2010Having seen the final, 50th episode, of Cross Game, I have only one word to describe the ending, “Wow.” Yup, the show impressed me in how the plot turned out.
While the show Cross Game is about high school baseball, and trying to reach the Koushien tournament, it’s quite a bit more than that. It’s about life. It’s about coping with tragedy. It’s about moving forward.
The last episode untangles the relationships amongst friends, particularly Kou Kitamura and Aoba Tsukishima. And there is a big, secret memory between the two of them, that is finally revealed during the baseball game. Without giving anything away, all I will say is that it’s brilliant writing that really finalized things between Kou and Aoba. And as a fan of the show, I’m happy and satisfied with the ending.
Final Grade: A
Big Amazon Anime Sale!
Sunday, March 28th, 2010Just dropped by Amazon.com, and saw that they’re having a big sale on select anime titles, up to 50% off. Sale ends April 19. Here’s some great sales: Heroic Age BD at 30 bucks, Claymore BD at $37.50, Pumpkin Scissors SAVE edition at $15, Rin: Daughters of Mnemosyne at $33, Ghost in the Shell 2.0 BD at $15, Basilisk BD at $35.
The best part about this sale is that they qualify for free shipping if order is over $25. Woot! 
More Funimation Blu-Rays Coming Down the Pipeline
Sunday, February 28th, 2010AnimeNewsNetwork.com published a news piece noting that Funimation has listed release dates for blu rays for the anime shows Guyver, Rin, Black Cat, Desert Punk in June and July, just in time for the anime conventions during the summer.
Given that anime on BDs are a relatively new type of product, I think Funimation is trying to be aggressive in offering as much of its anime library on blu ray format as quickly as possible. I don’t know if this aggressive push would lead to diminished quality, such as disc errors, at some point, but it’s something to bear watching out for.
Nonetheless, I think giving consumers more choices on the format over which to watch anime, whether on dvd, blu rays, or streaming via internet, is the right way to go for Funimation. And I hope other anime R1 companies will step up to the plate and offer more products on BDs.
Re: Astro Toy Review of Golgo 13 Figma Deluxe Action Figure
Sunday, February 28th, 2010I admit to being mildly surprised when the previous reviewer left the Astro Toy column at AnimeNewsNetwork.com. And I was curious as to what the reviews from the new columnist would look like. But having read David Cabrera’s review of Golgo 13 Figma Deluxe Action Figure, I offer a hearty congratulations on a well written debut review.
Golgo 13 is a classic anime show about a mild aged hitman, and I think salaried workers see him as an escape from mundane, everyday reality in the office. I was initially happy to find out that a figma action figure would be released for Golgo 13, but my joy was snuffed out over the $55 price charged at a local retailer for this product.
Cabrera’s column covers all the details of the figma–its flexibility of joints with a jacket on, accessories, and playroom marketed by Max Factory as a “di:stage”. I am mildly surprised to read the reviewer’s comment that the motel room, which presumably was the reason to charge an extra 15 bucks over the normal $35 or so for a regular figma product, is made out of paper. So you, the consumer, is supposed to pay 15 bucks more for a basic di:stage and some paper reproductions.
As the reviewer notes, he’s not handy with paper craft, and neither am I. So to me, the $50 MSRP is a bit overpriced for this release. And this review has done its job of supporting my decision to skip buying the Golgo 13 figure.
I’m looking forward to next week’s column!
Fate/ Unlimited Codes Saber Lily ~Golden Caliburn 1/7 scale PVC Figure
Sunday, February 14th, 2010Checking out AAAAnime.com this morning, I couldn’t help but notice a special convention-only release figure of Fate/ Unlimited Codes Saber Lily ~ Golden Caliburn. This is a white version of the popular Distant Avalon Saber figure from Good Smile Company. She’s also wearing almost no armor.
I missed out on the previous Distant Avalon figure (I just don’t have room for her to place a pre-order last year). And I don’t think I’m hard core enough to hire someone to buy the $150 convention release for me (I’m not going to Anime Expo or San Diego Con). I’m sure that they’ll be sold out by the first day.
Toradora! License Announced
Sunday, February 14th, 2010In a bit of a shock of me, AnimeNewsNetwork.com posted a piece noting that NIS America, a game publisher in N.A. and a subsidiary of a Japanese company, is releasing anime for the English market. And they are releasing Toradora! as the first title, along with Pandora Hearts, Persona Trinity Soul, and Our Home’s Fox Deity. Toradora! is a favorite show of mine, for its quirky characters and relationships, but ultimately an entertaining anime show.
So while I’m happy to hear that Toradora is licensed, I have to hold my breath and see how NIS America decides to release the show—will it be a boxed set, or a 4 episodes per dvd release? We’ll have to wait and see.
