http://www.discountanimedvd.com/ Discount Anime DVD.com -Japanese Anime DVD Manga Graphic Novel CD with deep discount price!! DiscountAnimeDVD.com DiscountAnimeDVD (mailto:info@discountanimedvd.com) The official Japanese homepage for the Strait Jacket OVA series has announced a June 28th premier of a limited Japanese theatrical release of a “Strait Jacket International Version” movie. The movie version will seemingly combine the OVA series’ first three episodes into a single 75 minute long feature - apparently the way the animation will be released outside of Japan. Strait Jacket has been licenesed for American home video release by Manga Entertainment. Manga Entertainment currently distributes the Karas OVA series on American DVD in a similar “movie version” edit. http://www.discountanimedvd.com/news_read.asp?id=17990 2008-05-08 Articles DiscountAnimeDVD (mailto:info@discountanimedvd.com) Dark Horse Comics has announced plans to publish a complete “omnibus edition” of CLAMP’s 1997 sci-fi drama manga series Clover. Dark Horse will release the entire series as a single 512 page book featuring 32 color pages, retailing at $19.95, in January 2009. TOKYOPOP first released the Clover manga series domestically in 2001 in American style “flipped” left-to-right panel sequence. Dark Horse’s edition will retain the original Japanese right-to-left panel sequence. http://www.discountanimedvd.com/news_read.asp?id=17988 2008-05-08 Articles DiscountAnimeDVD (mailto:info@discountanimedvd.com) Toynami has announced plans to reproduce a line of 1/55 scale (roughly 9 1/2 inches tall in battroid mode) transformable Macross valkyrie toys based on the original Japanese toys produced by Macross creator Shoji Kawamori and the Takatoku toy company in 1982. Anniversary editions of the 1/55 scale Superdimensional Fortress Macross VF-1S and VF-1J valkyries will go on sale this summer. The Macross: Do You Remember Love movie version armored VF-1A Super Valkyrie will be released this fall. 1/55 veritech toys from the Robotech line will debut next year. Toynami plans to eventually release all known 1/55 valkyrie toys, including rare and exotic variants. Toynami’s release will mark the first time that these toys have been offered officially outside of Japan under both the Robotech and Macross brands. http://www.discountanimedvd.com/news_read.asp?id=17987 2008-05-08 Articles DiscountAnimeDVD (mailto:info@discountanimedvd.com) 05/06/2008 - JACKSONVILLE, FL = JaniCon announces Christopher Ayres and Select Start as new guests and a special performance by TEAM AVALANCHE. Well, it's been a little while since news about Jacksonville's Premiere Anime and Gaming Convention last hit the wires, and it's finally time to start spreading the word! This is the first of what will be many steady news releases on JaniCon 2008. Firstly, we here at JaniCon could not have been happier when we got the call that the kind and talented Chris Ayres would be joining us this year. Having provided the voices of countless characters from series such as Desert Punk, Full Metal Panic, Nerima Daikon Brothers, and Xenosaga: The Animation, just to name a few, Chris is a veteran of the anime industry and is more than happy to share his experience with our attendees. Next up, we are proud to announce that Select Start will be performing at JaniCon. For years, Select Start has been turning heads at countless events with their classic (and not-so-classic) renditions of video game scores, such as those from the Final Fantasy series. Truly an experience, this team of string masters will bring you back to the great moments of battling and adventuring. As a side note, we would like to announce that Team AVALANCHE will not, in any way, be performing in any non-existent multi-universe show based on a classic anime or video game at JaniCon 2008 on Saturday night. Any such rumor is to be regarded. much like the cake, as a lie. Stay tuned for more info! JaniCon is an annual convention located in Jacksonville, FL. JaniCon's main focuses are Japanese animation and video gaming. This year's event is being held at the Hyatt Regency Jacksonville from November 21 - 23, 2008. Hotel rooms at the Hyatt are $128 a night. All attendees who reserve a hotel room at the Hyatt are invited to special Thursday night events that are limited to hotel guess only. Pre-Registration is available online and at our offline location for $30. At-Door tickets are $15 for aday and $35 for the weekend. For more information please visit JaniCon's site at http://www.janicon.org or by calling the JaniCon office at (386) 473-7186. http://www.discountanimedvd.com/news_read.asp?id=17977 2008-05-07 Articles DiscountAnimeDVD (mailto:info@discountanimedvd.com) Look for episodes of Trinity Blood, Desert Punk, Witchblade, Afro Samurai, Samurai 7, Solty Rei, Speed Grapher and Suzuka starting today. Zune Expands Beyond Music to Deliver Integrated All-in-One Entertainment Experience New software updates bring popular television shows to online store, enhancements to online music community and subscription service. REDMOND, Wash. — May 5, 2008 — Microsoft Corp. today announced that Zune, the company’s all-in-one digital entertainment brand, is adding new software features and content to the Zune online store, music community and Zune Pass monthly subscription service. Zune is expanding its video store to include downloads of popular television shows from COMEDY CENTRAL, FUNimation® Entertainment, MTV, NBC Universal, Nickelodeon, Starz Media (including Magna Entertainment), Turner Broadcasting, Ultimate Fighting Championship® (UFC) and VH1 that consumers can sync to their device and enjoy on the go. In addition, by further integrating the Zune music community into the core experience, the new software makes it easier for people to find and listen to the music they want, share it with friends, and take it with them wherever they go — whether they choose a Zune Pass or a la carte MP3 downloads. Zune Pass subscribers can now set up automatic, real-time feeds of the music their friends are listening to and add those songs to their collection or Zune device. Starting today, consumers can choose from more than 800 episodes of popular television series to download and watch on their computer or their Zune, including COMEDY CENTRAL’s “South Park,” FUNimation’s “Afro Samurai” and “Witchblade,” MTV’s “The Hills,” NBC’s “The Office,” “Heroes” and “30 Rock,” Nickelodeon’s “SpongeBob SquarePants,” SCI FI Channel’s “Battlestar Galactica” and “Eureka,” Starz’s “Ghost in the Shell” and “Street Fighter,” Turner Broadcasting’s “Metalocalypse” and “Robot Chicken,” UFC’s “The Ultimate Fighter®” and “Fight Night™,” and VH1’s “Rock of Love” with Bret Michaels. Each television show will be priced at 160 Microsoft Points per episode (approximately $1.99) at launch. With more than 3.5 million tracks, two-thirds of which are available in pure MP3 format, 800 television shows, 4,800 music videos and 3,500 audio and video podcasts, the Zune online store is a great place for consumers to find the entertainment content they want. In addition, the bright, full-color screen on every Zune portable media player delivers a high-quality video experience on the go. “Partnering with Zune will allow us to develop innovative content offerings for their customers, including flexible pricing and packaging options beginning this fall,” said JB Perrette, president of NBC Universal Digital Distribution. “NBC Universal is excited to offer our hit television shows to Zune customers.” A Better Way to Experience Music In a recent study commissioned by Zune, 54 percent of consumers surveyed said they were frustrated when trying to find new music, mostly because they said they didn’t have enough time, didn’t know where to look, or felt that they ended up wasting money on music they didn’t end up liking. At the same time, 89 percent said they would trust a friend or family member’s musical recommendation over a music critic’s. The growing Zune online music community enables consumers to explore, discover and share music. Members get a free, customizable Zune Card: a snapshot of their favorite tracks and the music they’re playing on their Zune. Previously this personal snapshot resided only on the Web, but with the latest software updates Zune Cards have become much more portable. Now consumers with the Zune Pass subscription have the ability to take what their friends are listening to from the Zune music community on the go via Zune Card personal playlists for easy exploration and access, when and where they want it. The Zune Pass subscription allows consumers to explore millions of tracks with no commitment other than the monthly fee similar to the price of one CD — $14.99 per month. “Consumers want more than the traditional transactional model of an online music store plus portable device,” said Chris Stephenson, general manager of Global Marketing for Zune at Microsoft. “Zune is putting the strong combination of an online music community together with subscription to deliver a new experience centered on music discovery that’s good for consumers, artists and the industry. This approach exposes consumers to music they might not have otherwise tried, keeps them coming back, and gives them purchasing options that suit their preferences.” New updates to the Zune online music community include the following: · Syncing Zune Cards to a device. Consumers simply drag and drop Zune Cards from friends to a Zune device and get updates on what friends are listening to every time they sync. If the song is available with Zune Pass, subscribers automatically have the full tracks on their Zune while nonsubscribers have full album information and artwork. If consumers hear something they like, they can add it to their collection with one click. Next time the user syncs his or her Zune, he or she will be asked to confirm the purchase. · Enhanced friends search. Consumers now have the ability to add their name, location and bio to their Zune music community profile, making it easier than ever to find their friends. · Instant friends. The true power of the Zune online music community is unlocked when friends are added and consumers can follow the music they’re listening to. Now, when new Zune owners join the Zune online music community, they’ll find the top music editors from the Zune Marketplace team already added to their friends list, giving them a head start in finding new music. · Artist and album reviews. Inside the Zune music community, members have the ability to write and post their own reviews for artists and albums, providing another community-driven feature to support the exploration and discovery of music. The music community helps to find and recommend the best music. · Reputation badges. Now members of the Zune community can earn badges that are displayed on their Zune Card showing they’re passionate fans or active members. · Windows Live connections. Windows Live Messenger contacts will now be able to see what users are listening to via the Zune software. Clicking on the tracks displayed in the “Now Playing” feature will connect the Windows Live Messenger friend directly to that artist’s page on the Zune Social. A More Integrated Way to Manage and Enjoy Entertainment Responding directly to customer feedback, Zune has updated and added features and functionality to address better integration between the software, the online music community and the store. In addition, the updates include frequently requested features such as the ability to sync multiple Zune players at once. Specific feature updates include the following: · Auto playlists. Users can create an auto playlist that updates itself automatically as new music is added. · Browsing videos. Consumers can browse their video collection by genre and series, plus they can preview videos before they play them on full screen. · Editing album and track information. Users are able to edit track or album information (metadata) quickly via multi-select and drag-and-drop. The advanced metadata editing features make it easy to edit multiple tracks or survey albums and artist information. · Organizing collections. In addition to sorting by artist or album, consumers can now sort by genre. While browsing by genre they can further sort music by artist, album or release year. · Gapless playback. Consumers will now be able to listen to an album without the brief gap between tracks, both on their Zune and in the Zune software. This is a must-have for live-concert recordings and compilation albums. · Syncing groups. Zune software now syncs to multiple Zune players simultaneously. Users can prepare which content on their computer to sync even when their Zune isn’t connected. Consumers can create custom sync groups for music, pictures and videos. · Zune reminders. Experience is improved when a Zune player’s memory is nearing capacity, via an easy-to-use tool. More information on Zune and related images are available at http://www.zune.net/press. About Zune Zune is Microsoft’s music and entertainment brand that provides an integrated digital entertainment experience. The Zune platform includes a line of portable digital media players, the Zune Marketplace online store, and the Zune Social online music community, created to help people discover music. Zune is part of Microsoft’s Entertainment and Devices Division and supports the company’s software-based services vision to help drive innovation in the digital entertainment space. More information can be found online at http://www.zune.net/en-us/press. About Microsoft Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq “MSFT”) is the worldwide leader in software, services and solutions that help people and businesses realize their full potential. http://www.discountanimedvd.com/news_read.asp?id=17975 2008-05-06 Articles DiscountAnimeDVD (mailto:info@discountanimedvd.com) The Girl Who Leapt Through Time to begin limited theatrical releases in June and August with English dub and sub. May 2, 2008 (Cypress, CA) –Bandai Entertainment Inc. and Kadokawa Pictures USA announced The Girl Who Leapt Through Time will begin its limited theatrical run in the United States in June and August. The release will feature an English subtitled version (with original Japanese soundtrack) and an English dubbed version, playing at different theaters nationwide. June 13th through 19th the film will play theatrically the same week at both the ImaginAsian Center in Los Angeles, which will feature the English subtitled version, and the ImaginAsian Theater in New York, which will feature the English dubbed version. On August 29th through September 4th the English subtitled version will play at Landmark Theatres’ Varsity Theatre in Seattle. Other theatrical dates will be announced soon. The Girl Who Leapt Through Time (also known as TokiKake) was directed by Mamoru Hosoda with original character designs by Yoshiyuki Sadamoto (Evangelion) and features animation from Studio Madhouse. A continuation of the novel The Little Girl Who Conquered Time by Tsutsui Yasutaka, the film centers on a high school girl, Makoto, who gains the power to go backward in time after a near-death accident at a train crossing. Since its release, the film has received great critical accolades and international awards including the “Best Animated Film” at the thirty-ninth Sitges International Film Festival, “Animation Grand Award” at the sixty-first Mainichi Film Awards, “Animation of the Year” at the thirtieth Japan Academy Prize, and received “Animation of the Year” at the Tokyo International Anime Fair. The ImaginAsian Center Los Angeles is located at 251 South Main Street Los Angeles, California 90012. To contact the theater please call 213-617-1033 or visit www.iacenterla.com The ImaginAsian Theater New York is located at 239 East 59th Street, New York, NY, 10022. To contact the theater please call 212-371-6682 or visit www.theimaginasian.com The Landmark Theaters Varsity in Seattle is located at 4329 University Way N.E. Seattle, WA 98105. To contact the theater please call (206) 781-5755 or visit http://www.landmarktheatres.com/market/Seattle/VarsityTheatre.htm For more information on THE GIRL WHO LEAP THROUGH TIME visit: http://timeleap.bandai-ent.com/ Or www.bandai-ent.com www.kadokawapicturesusa.com About Bandai Entertainment Inc. Bandai Entertainment Inc. is a subsidiary of Namco Bandai Holdings (USA) Inc. and the premier distributor of Japanese animation on DVD and programming for television broadcast in North America. Titles include The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya, Cowboy Bebop, Outlaw Star, Escaflowne, Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex, Gundam Seed Destiny, My Hime, and many more. About Kadokawa Pictures USA Kadokawa Pictures USA (KPUSA) the Los Angeles-based arm of the Japanese Kadokawa Group Holdings, Inc. (KGH, Inc) expands its brand of content in the growing international world of multimedia. KPUSA, remakes films and distributes its film libraries of live-action and anime from over 1700 film titles. KGH, Inc. includes Kadokawa Shoten Publishing, one of the largest publishers in Japan with over 60 year history, and Kadokawa Pictures, Japan's major production and distribution division. http://www.discountanimedvd.com/news_read.asp?id=17967 2008-05-05 Articles DiscountAnimeDVD (mailto:info@discountanimedvd.com) The ICv2 site is reporting that a new live action film being worked on in Berlin by director James McTeigue (V for Vendetta) bears a strong resemblance to the characters found in the OVA Ninja Scroll. As the article comments, the people producing this movie have talked about Ninja Scroll in the past and the film is one that would certainly translate easily into a live action model. http://www.discountanimedvd.com/news_read.asp?id=17960 2008-05-03 Articles DiscountAnimeDVD (mailto:info@discountanimedvd.com) Prizes Include a Sony PlayStation® 3, Sony PSP®, iPod®, Naruto Booster Packs and Much More! Anaheim, California (April 29, 2008) —Bandai Collectible Games will be running an official Naruto CCG Kage Tournament at this year’s Anime Expo® 2008 held from July 3-6, 2008 at the Los Angeles Convention Center in Los Angeles, CA. More information can be found on the website www.anime-expo.org <http://www.anime-expo.org> . The Kage is the leader of the Village and Naruto CCG Players are separated into different Villages based on where they live. Anime Expo® 2008 attendees will be able to witness and participate in the Leaf Village Kage CCG tournament with winners receiving amazing prizes including the PlayStation® 3 computer entertainment system and the PSP® (PlayStation ® Portable) systems, iPod®, booster packs, bragging rights as well as qualifications for the next ninja level tournament: Sannin (伝説の三忍, Densetsu no Sannin; "Legendary Three Ninja"). Best of all, the top finisher who lives in California, Washington, Oregon, Alaska, Hawaii or British Columbia will win free airfare to the Sannin tournament held at GenCon Indianapolis. Bandai Collectible Games will be running a Kage tournament on Saturday (July 5, 2008) with the finals on Sunday (July 6, 2008) at the Los Angeles Convention Center (LACC); Room 303AB. Prizes awarded will include: * 1st Place: Kage Pin, Sony PS3 and Sony PSP, 1 Booster Box, 1 Game Mat, Qualification for the Sannin tournament * 2nd Place: 80GB Ipod, 1 Booster Box, 1 Game Mat, Qualification for the Sannin tournament * 3rd - 4th Place: Sony PSP, 1 Booster Box, 1 Game Mat, Qualification for the Sannin tournament * 5th - 8th Place: 1 Booster Box, 1 Game Mat, Qualification for the Sannin tournament * 9th - 16th Place: 12 Booster Packs * 17th - 32nd Place: 6 Booster Packs * 33rd - 64th Place: 3 Booster Packs Registration opens at 10:00 AM on Saturday and the tournament begins at 11:00 AM in Room 303AB (LACC). The Top 8 Finals begin at 10:00 AM on Sunday in Room 303AB (LACC). Attendees that have pre-registered can also update their information and add on orders for main event tickets via the Anime Expo® 2008 Online Registration Area at www.anime-expo.org. Free shuttle services for all hotel attendees will be provided. Regular non-hotel attendees will have access to utilize the free shuttle services during designated hours as well. All schedules and routes will be posted in the lobby of each shuttle hotel. Frequency of service is pending local traffic, road conditions and can change without notice. Also, no shuttle service provided to the Holiday Inn City Center and the Figueroa Hotel (both are within walking distance of the Los Angeles Convention Center). Attendees, Press and Industry Members are also encouraged to view the video coverage site of the 2007 convention at www.AXBackstage.org. This year’s Red & Black Sponsors are FUNimation and ImaginAsian Television. Gold Sponsor is Digital Manga Publishing. Silver Sponsor is Gaia Online. Patron Sponsors are Central Park Media and COPIC Markers. About Anime Expo® Located in Los Angeles, California - Anime Expo®, the nation’s largest anime/manga convention, serves to foster trade, commerce and the interests of the general public and animation/ comics industry. This event serves as a key meeting place for the general public to express their interest and explore various aspects of anime/manga, as well as for members of the industry to conduct business. AX 2008 will be held July 3 – July 6, 2008 at the Los Angeles Convention Center in Southern California. More information can be found at its website (www.anime-expo.org). About Society for the Promotion of Japanese Animation The Society for the Promotion of Japanese Animation (SPJA) is a non-profit organization with a mission to popularize and educate the American public about anime and manga, as well as provide a forum to facilitate communication between professionals and fans. This organization is more popularly known by its entertainment property – Anime Expo®. More information can be found at its website (www.spja.org). http://www.discountanimedvd.com/news_read.asp?id=17945 2008-05-02 Articles DiscountAnimeDVD (mailto:info@discountanimedvd.com) Cain Vol. 3 from Yaoi Press arriving on July 28, 2008 Description: The final chapter in the gothic Cain trilogy. What is the fate of the anti-hero Cain? Things can only get more complicated when Lucifer, the king of Hell himself, makes his move. Also in the book: a risque side- story that yaoi lovers won’t want to miss! Each copy is individually shrink-wrapped By the same artists as Winter Demon Artists are Guests of Honor at Anime Expo and Yaoi Jamboree in 2008 Cain Volume 3 (of 3) Street: 7/28/08 EAN: 9781933664323 ISBN: 1-933664-32-3 SRP: USA $12.95, CAN $14.50, UK £8.50 Genre: Yaoi Romance, Pages: 144 Writer and Artist: Le Peruggine Mature Readers, Not for Children http://www.discountanimedvd.com/news_read.asp?id=17943 2008-05-02 Articles DiscountAnimeDVD (mailto:info@discountanimedvd.com) At a general shareholders' meeting on April 25, the animation production company SunriseKenji Uchida as the fifth president in the company's history. Takayuki Yoshii, who has served as president for the last 14 years, will become chairman and CEO. Uchida has been a producer or planner in dozens of Sunrise works, including Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam, Mobile Suit Gundam ZZ, Mobile Suit Gundam: Char's Counterattack, Mobile Suit Gundam 0080: War in the Pocket, the two Turn A GundamMobile Suit Zeta Gundam: A New Translation movie trilogy. He also supervised the English adaptation for the first Mobile Suit GundamMobile Suit Zeta Gundam, Mobile Suit Gundam: Char's Counterattack, and Mobile Suit Gundam F91 for Sunrise. movies, and the series, promoted managing director Outside Gundam, he planned both Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion television series, Planetes, Overman King Gainer, and Banner of the Stars II. He also produced Freedom and supervised the English adaptations of The Big O and Overman King Gainer. He started on 1980's Muteki Robot Trider G7, one of the first projects of what was then Nippon Sunrise. http://www.discountanimedvd.com/news_read.asp?id=17940 2008-05-01 Articles DiscountAnimeDVD (mailto:info@discountanimedvd.com) Shogakukan Group to run DreamTribes website for manga with YouTube Like viewing concept. Shogakukan Group to administer a website that has a YouTube like viewing concept called Dream Tribes. The site will open in June and will feature manga, illustrations, anime, music and novels, etc, although the site is currently concentrating on manga contents for the time being. Registration for the site has not started, but a placeholder pageon its official website is up with an announcement that the site is recruiting for authors and authors can upload their work for free. Users are not allowed to register other than to view the work of the authors. Another announcement on the site is a recruiting plan called “Major Debut Project”. Manga artist usually debut their work through means of contest on manga magazine, or presenting their portfolio to publishers. Dream Tribes’ “Major Debut Project” will bring in a completely new system for authors to present their work. No details specified on how this would work. http://www.discountanimedvd.com/news_read.asp?id=17934 2008-05-01 Articles DiscountAnimeDVD (mailto:info@discountanimedvd.com) The June issue (released on April 30) of Gakken's Megami Magazine has revealed that the previously announced third Higurashi no Naku Koroni anime season is tentatively titled Higurashi no Naku Koroni Rei and planned as an original video anime series. Higurashi no Naku Koroni Rei was the name of a 2006 software fan disc that included two story chapters based on the original murder mystery visual novels, but it is not necessarily the basis for the third anime project's plot. The producers are still determining the final release schedule, but plan to preview some footage this year. The two previous anime seasons were broadcasted on Japanese television. Geneon Entertainment released part of the first season in North America in 2007 before it ceased in-house production and distribution of anime. The first live-action film adaptation opens on May 10, and a film sequel is already in the works. http://www.discountanimedvd.com/news_read.asp?id=17928 2008-04-30 Articles DiscountAnimeDVD (mailto:info@discountanimedvd.com) Anime South is pleased to announce the official dates for Anime South IV. The 4th Anime South convention will again be held at the beautiful Hilton Sandestin Beach Golf Resort & Spa in Destin, Florida, from January 2nd through January 4th, 2009. This year, the convention moves Main Events to the huge Emerald Coast Ballroom. One of these events is the already much talked about Murder Mystery Ball. It is an interactive murder mystery that involves professional actors, audience participation, and a mix of some favorite and not-so-favorite anime characters. Guests of Honor Richard Epcar and Ellyn Stern return to talk about the new projects with which they are involved. Also, the Japanese rock cover band, J*scape, will be making its northwest Florida debut at Anime South IV. CRC Data Tech is back, with even more computer games and tournaments than last year, along with the region's largest Super Smash Brothers Brawl and Rock Band tournaments. Cosplay will be bigger than ever, and there will also be a more diverse Dealers Room. Membership registration is now open for those who desire to take advantage of the early bird discounts. These will be the lowest advertised prices for Anime South IV memberships. Prices go up on May 23rd. Obtaining a Bronze, Silver, or Gold membership guarantees entry into all the Level 2 Access events, such as the Murder Mystery Ball, Maid Cafe, and Tea Party: https://www.animesouth.com/registration.htm Hotel reservations can be now be made by calling 850-267-9500. Convention code AMS should be used to obtain the same $99 rate as in 2007 for double occupancy. Please note that members can also check-in or check-out anywhere between December 31st and January 6th and receive the same rate, depending on occupancy - the earlier reservations are made, the greater chance there is of date flexibility. Please call the hotel directly for flexible dates. Each of the 600 guest suites has a private balcony with a spectacular view of Florida's Emerald Coast. The minimum check-in age of 25 has been waived to 18 for our convention members. We thank the Hilton Sandestin for continuing to give Anime South members the lowest possible rate publicly available. http://www.animesouth.com/hotel.htm http://www.discountanimedvd.com/news_read.asp?id=17924 2008-04-30 Articles DiscountAnimeDVD (mailto:info@discountanimedvd.com) The official website of the Higurashi no Naku Koro ni anime has announced that the sequel to the live-action Higurashi film is already in the works — even though the first live-action film will not open until May 10. Like the anime adaptation, the films adapt 07th Expansion's Higurashi no Naku Koro ni mystery visual novels about murders that coincide with an annual festival in a quiet rural village. Ataru Oikawa (Tomie) directed the first film, and Kenji Kawai (live-action Death Note, Ghost in the Shell) composed the music. The trailer and other videos for the first film are available on its official website. http://www.discountanimedvd.com/news_read.asp?id=17869 2008-04-28 Articles DiscountAnimeDVD (mailto:info@discountanimedvd.com) San Francisco, CA, March 24, 2008 – VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), one of the entertainment industry’s most innovative and comprehensive publishing, animation and licensing companies, has announced that it has secured the license from TV Tokyo Corporation, Shueisha Inc. and Dentsu Inc. for BLEACH THE MOVIE: MEMORIES OF NOBODY in the Americas, Europe and Oceania. The feature film, which will be aimed primarily at teens and older teens, will have a limited theatrical release in major cities throughout North America this summer with the DVD release to follow winter 2008. Subsequent details will be released in coming weeks. BLEACH THE MOVIE: MEMORIES OF NOBODY is inspired by the successful animated television series BLEACH airing on Adult Swim, which is based on the best-selling manga series (rated ‘T’ for Teens) by Tite Kubo, also published in North America by VIZ Media. “We are extremely excited to announce the domestic license for BLEACH THE MOVIE: MEMORIES OF NOBODY,” says Liza Coppola, Sr. Vice President, VIZ Media. “BLEACH has emerged as one of the most popular animated, manga and video game properties in North America and the release of this film will no doubt captivate millions of avid fans. Filled with riveting animation and spectacular battle scenes featuring all the major characters, BLEACH THE MOVIE is ideally suited for a theatrical presentation and we look forward to making it a summer filled with epic action as this film makes its way to theatres in major markets throughout North America.” BLEACH is a tremendously successful multimedia property internationally. The manga has been licensed to more than a dozen countries, and has sold over 50 million copies in Japan alone. In North America the manga has been a sales hit and the popular animated series (both rated ‘T’ for Teens) is viewed weekly by millions in the United States and Canada. This success has further spawned an array of related video games, apparel, action figures, trading cards and other merchandise. For more information on BLEACH and BLEACH THE MOVIE: MEMORIES OF NOBODY please visit the official BLEACH website at bleach.viz.com or www.viz.com. JUNE 11-12,2008 BUY TICKETS AT FATHOMEVENTS.COM Visit www.shonenjump.com to learn how you can buy advance tickets before they go on sale to the general public! http://www.discountanimedvd.com/news_read.asp?id=17864 2008-04-28 Articles DiscountAnimeDVD (mailto:info@discountanimedvd.com) The official Japanese website for the anime adaptation of Hiroaki Samura's Blade of the Immortal manga has formally opened with a promotional video. The video first ran during last month's Tokyo International Anime Fair 2008. The video highlights the staff that will be working with the production studio Bee Train, including director Koichi Mashimo (.hack, Noir) and character designer Yoshimitsu Yamashita (Murder Princess, Samurai Champloo animation director). Tomokazu Seki (Escaflowne's Van, Gungrave's Beyond the Grave) will voice the main character Manji — a rōnin swordsman condemned to immortality unless he kills a thousand evil men for all the good men he killed. The anime will premiere on Japan's AT-X premium anime television channel on July 13. Dark Horse Comics publishes the original manga in North America. http://www.discountanimedvd.com/news_read.asp?id=17853 2008-04-24 Articles DiscountAnimeDVD (mailto:info@discountanimedvd.com) The May 9 issue (released on April 25) of Weekly Famitsu magazine has announced that Sega is launching a World Destruction role-playing game for the Nintendo DS console, and the game developer is planning to start manga and anime spinoffs in July. The game staff features several staffers of the acclaimed Xenogears title, including scenario writer Masato Kato (Chono Trigger, Final Fantasy VII), character designer Kunihiko Tanaka (Xenosaga Episode I, Key the Metal Idol, Ruin Explorers manga), and sound supervisor Yasunori Mitsuda (Chrono Trigger, Chrono Cross, Mario Party, Xenosaga). The game centers on a youth named Kirie Irunisu who secretly possesses the power to destroy the world. He is forced to join a party that aims not to save the world, but to eradicate it and start anew. Production I.G will produce the anime version with director Shunsuke Tada (The Prince of Tennis: The National Tournament, Tsubasa Tokyo Revelations). Masahiro Yokotani (Reideen) will supervise and co-write the scripts, and Keita Matsumoto (Blood+, XXXHOLiC key animation) will adapt the Tanaka's character designs. Yoshihiro Ike (Blood: The Last Vampire, Karas, Flag) will compose the music. Maaya Sakamoto (Escaflowne, Tsubasa) will voice the main heroine Morute Āshera, and Mamoru Miyano (Death Note, Gundam 00) and Yu Kobayashi (Negima!, School Rumble) will play her party members Kirie and Ri A, respectively. (Morute will play a bigger role in the anime version.) Hiroyuki Yoshino (Blood+, Gundam 00) and Daisuke Ono (Air, Shina Dark) round out the cast as Agan Mādoru and Naja Gurefu, respectively. The voice for the mascot character Toppi Topuran has yet to be announced. http://www.discountanimedvd.com/news_read.asp?id=17849 2008-04-24 Articles DiscountAnimeDVD (mailto:info@discountanimedvd.com) The promotional sleeve wrapper on the sixth volume (on sale on April 26) of Hajime Segawa's The Enchained Spiritual Beast Ga-Rei manga series has announced that an anime has been greenlit. The Ga-Rei -Zero- anime will adapt this "afterschool underground spirit-hunting action" story about a boy named Kensuke Nimura who can see spirits. He helps a girl named Kagura — who happens to control a spiritual beast named Byakuei — in her hunt for supernatural creatures. Kagura is actually a member of the Supernatural Disaster Prevention Office, a classified government agency in the Ministry of the Environment, and she presses Kagura to join the agency. Kadokawa Shoten, the publisher of the Monthly Shonen Ace magazine that serializes the manga, has posted a free online sample of the manga. http://www.discountanimedvd.com/news_read.asp?id=17848 2008-04-24 Articles DiscountAnimeDVD (mailto:info@discountanimedvd.com) The official website of the live-action film adaptation of Naoki Urasawa's 20th Century Boys suspense manga posted a short teaser trailer. The teaser displays the "Book of Prophecy" that plays a crucial role in the story and lists the director Yukihiko Tsutsumi (Trick, Ikebukuro West Gate Park). It also lists the main cast: Toshiaki Karasawa (Casshern's Brayking Boss) as Kenji, Etsushi Toyokawa (Hula Girls) as Otcho, and Takako Tokiwa (Brave Story) as Yukiji. The teaser features "20th Century Boy," the song by the English rock band T.Rex that inspired the motif of Urasawa's original award-winning manga. (Urasawa also created Monster, Yawara, and Master Keaton.) The first film in the trilogy opens in Japan on August 30. http://www.discountanimedvd.com/news_read.asp?id=17845 2008-04-23 Articles DiscountAnimeDVD (mailto:info@discountanimedvd.com) Let’s see if it’s possible to easily get all of this straight, shall we? The brief overview includes the acquisition of Gurren Lagann, Gundam OO, and Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence, along with a variety of new DVD release strategies. Both seasons of Code Geass: Lelouche of the Rebellion will be released on domestic DVD. The first series will hit DVD in three different release formats: Single DVD volumes retailing at $24.98 each. Season One Part One Collection with episodes 1-9 on two DVDs for $39.99 or $79.99 in a limited edition that also includes two soundtrack CDs and the first manga volume, available beginning August 5th Season One Part Two Collection with episodes 10-17 on two DVDs for $39.99 or $59.98 in a limited edition that also includes a soundtrack CD and second manga volume, to be released in October Season One Part Three Collection with episodes 18-25 on two DVDs for $39.99 or as a limited edition that also includes two soundtrack CDs and the third manga volume, to be released in January 2009 Ayakashi Ayashi, to be titled “Ghost Slayers Ayashi” for its American release, will hit domestic DVD on September 2nd in three different flavors: Single DVD volumes retailing at $24.98 each Part One Collection with episodes 1-10 on two DVDs for $39.98 or $64.98 in a limited edition that includes a collector’s box, 16 page booklet, and the first manga Gurren Lagann will initially be released on American DVD in subtitled-only “bare-bones” double-disc DVD sets retailing at $29.98 each in July, August and September. A conventional bilingual version featuring a freshly produced English dub will debut in early 2009. Bandai Entertainment will be re-releasing Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence on bilingual DVD and Blu-ray. The new American dub will be consistent with the English dubs of previous Ghost in the Shell anime. Gundam OO will be coming to America, but previous Gundam series including Gundam X and Turn A Gundam are presently not licensed for American release. http://www.discountanimedvd.com/news_read.asp?id=17843 2008-04-22 Articles DiscountAnimeDVD (mailto:info@discountanimedvd.com)