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Code:Realize Otome Game Gets PS4 Console Variant
Idea Factory's Code:Realize game is not only getting a television anime, but also a PlayStation 4 model in Japan. Sony announced on Thursday that Code:Realize ~Bouquet of Rainbows~ (Code:Realize ~Saikō no Hanataba~), the PlayStation 4 port of the Code:Realize ~Guardian of Rebirth~ PS Vita game and the Code:Realize ~Shukufuku no Mirai~ fan disc, will get a limited-edition tie-in PlayStation 4 model...
your name. Cafe Bus Rolls Out in Tokyo in August
The Willer bus company operates only two open-top "restaurant buses" in Japan. The company, Cool Japan Travel, THE GUEST cafe & diner, and the Anime Tourism Association decided to partner and utilize those buses for a special "your name. Cafe Bus" experience. The cafe bus inspired by Makoto Shinkai's hit anime film will operate in Tokyo from August 3 to September 29. Willer's two restaurant buses ...
Boruto's Showtaro Morikubo Gears Up for Next DVD Challenge
Voice actor and singer Showtaro Morikubo has played a wide variety of roles. He currently stars as ninja Shikamaru Nara in Boruto: Naruto Next Generations and Atsumu Ozaki in Clean Freak! Aoyama kun, but neither role has prepared him for the real-life challenges in his DVD series. The Marukubo Marutarō DVD series stars Morikubo attempting other occupations. The first DVD put him on board a ship an...
Love Live! School Idol Festival Popularity Contest Elects Character With Hidden Face
"Perfect Dream Project" (PDP), the new project for KLab Games and Bushiroad's Love Live! School Idol Festival smartphone game revealed the July ranking of its nine new characters. Users chose their favorites in poll held from July 4-10. This month's winner is Rina Tennoji, perhaps surprisingly since the character's actual face is still a mystery. Or maybe her quirkiness is winning players over? Se...
Agumon to Appear in Digimon Universe: Appli Monsters Anime
Chika Sakamoto voices character in episode premiering August 12
― The Digimon Universe: Appli Monsters anime has shifted the focus from "Digimon" to "Appmon," new creatures each based on a different smartphone app. Now, the show's website has announced that the anime will finally feature a familiar face: Agumon. Chika Sakamoto, the voice of Agumon from Digimon Adventure, is returning to the role for ...
Hatsune Miku Goes Post-Apocalyptic for Magical Mirai Event
Japan's most iconic virtual idol has joined the world of Mad Max in the "Dune" music video for "Suna no Wakusei" (Planet of Sand) the theme song for the Magical Mirai 2017 event. Miku appears to be the idol of apocalypse, backed by a posse of skull-wearing supporters. Hachi wrote, composed, and arranged the song and Minakata Laboratory animated the music video. The company has previously worked wi...
Love Live! Sunshine!! Cast Teach Choreography for Upcoming Festival
Planning to enjoy the Love Live! Sunshine!! activities this summer? The series' real-life setting of Numazu is holding its 70th annual fireworks festival on the Kano river this weekend. A Love Live! Sunshine!! stage event will take place over two days, including a choreographed dance to Aqours' single "Sunshine Pikka Pika Ondo." Don't know the moves? The cast from the anime series are more than ha...
Monster Hunter Bridal Fair Brings Fandom Fantasy to Nuptials
Newly wed couples have shared their fandom, sometimes subtly with themed registration forms, bling, or going all out with an entire themed wedding ceremony. Couples planning their fandom-fueled ceremony can get a major leg up from Capcom. The company is providing Monster Hunter wedding previews at 23 venues across Japan dubbed "Monster Hunter x Bridal Fair". The bridal event gives prospective coup...
Manga Creator Reveals His Recommendation List for Live-Action Gintama Film
Shueisha released the Eiga Gintama Silver Memories Visual Book for the live-action Gintama film on July 14, the same day as the film opened in Japan. The book includes a message to fans with the original manga creator Hideaki Sorachi's "recommended points" for the film that he thinks people who see the film might like. The tongue-in-cheek list includes aspects of the film such as Shun Oguri's (who...
One Piece Reveals 'One Piece Day,' Kyoto Collaboration, Oda Comment on Live-Action TV Series
One Piece will also "hijack" covers of 28 Shueisha magazines
― The announcement of a live-action One Piece Hollywood television series wasn't the only news to come out of the press conference today at the Tokyo One Piece Tower amusement park. The Japan Anniversary Association announced that July 22 is now officially considered "One Piece Day." July 22, 2017 is the day that One Piece is officially cel...
Best Saber Cosplay Yet Uses Projection Mapping Tech
Saber (Artoria Pendragon) is a popular character to cosplay from the Fate franchise. Even cats are getting in on the costumed action. Gomi and his tech circle TechnoAlta revealed what may be the best Saber cosplay yet in a "Summoning the 'King of Knights'" video earlier this month. The video begins with the project's complete two-minute cosplay video then explains the multi-faceted approach Gomi a...
20 Years Later, Xenogears Gets New Figures Teased
Nearly 20 years after Square Enix (then Squaresoft) debuted its psychological mecha role-playing game Xenogears, the video game is getting all new series of figures. Square Enix announced at San Diego Comic Con that the game's original mechanical designer Junya Ishigaki is supervising the figure line as well as reworking the designs. The announcement tweet included the hashtags "Wander Arts," a r...
Kids of My Hero Academia Enjoy a BBQ for New Goods
The kids of My Hero Academia are spending their mid-summer barbecuing together by the river. At least, according to a new collaborative image created for the Ikebukuro P'Parco shop. The art will serve as the focal point for new collaborative goods that will go on sale on August 2. The characters' shirts in the image read "Plus Ultra," which is also one of the key terms for the new goods. While we ...
Relive 10 Years of Oresama Teacher Manga in Anniversary PV
Best-selling shōjo manga Oresama Teacher first launched in Hana to Yume magazine 10 years ago. Creator Izumi Tsubaki created the story of Mafuyu Kurosaki, a girl attempting to reform her delinquent ways now that she's entered high school. Publisher Hakusensha is commemorating the manga's 10th anniversary with a one-minute promotional video that gives a quick lowdown of the characters and their rel...
Turkish Transforming Robot Car Appears for Transformers Film's Japanese Release
Some fans were dubious about the Letrons project when the Turkish company Letvision unveiled prototypes last year. People question if it draws inspiration from Transformers without giving credit or receiving authorization. However, it appears that the transforming robot car has finally gotten some official recognition from the franchise. The official Letrons Facebook page posted photographs this w...
Daisuke Namikawa, Persona 4 the Golden Animation Offer VR Voice Actor Training
VR Theater announced the world's first voice actor training course utilizing virtual reality on Tuesday. The beginner's course will features voice actor Daisuke Namikawa and the Persona 4 the Golden Animation anime. The voice acting agency Stay Luck, which Namikawa founded, is partnering with VR Theater to provide the VR training course for voice actors. Namikawa acts as a navigator for the course...
Sword Art Online: Ordinal Scale Director Teases Blu-ray May Show Asuna's Nipples
To the delight of fanboys, Sword Art Online: Ordinal Scale director Tomohiko Ito and fellow staff members have teased that the Japanese Blu-ray Disc release of the film may reveal Asuna's nipples during the bath scene. The anime film's staff said during an interview that the Blu-ray Disc release of the film could have an upgraded bath scene with more detail. During the interview, Ito said that bot...
Monster Strike Game's Fullmetal Alchemist Campaign References Buddhist Item Ad
The Monster Strike smartphone game launched the Monster Strike Alchemy Campaign in collaboration with the Fullmetal Alchemist franchise on Friday. To kick off the collaboration, XFlag began streaming several television commercials that surprised some net commenters. Two of the commercials feature "Game Girl Yuka-chan," who explains in the videos that putting one's hands together brings happiness o...
The Idolm@ster SideM Live On St@ge App Streams 2 Pre-Registration Bonus MVs
Bandai Namco Entertainment's upcoming The Idolm@ster SideM Live On St@ge app has jumped to over 100,000 pre-registered users, prompting it to release the promised 30,000 pre-registration and 100,000 pre-registration bonus music videos at the same time. The first music video is the track "∞ Possibilities" sung by the in-game idol group SEM (voiced by Yoshiki Nakajima, Junya Enoki, and Kent Itō). Re...
Sanrio Reveals Fullmetal Alchemist Character Goods Collaboration
Sanrio announced on Wednesday that it is collaborating with Hiromu Arakawa's Fullmetal Alchemist manga to produce special character designs and merchandise. The announcement image features Ed and a cat that perhaps Al befriended. The collaboration also launched an official Twitter account on Wednesday. Sanrio's Fullmetal Alchemist designs will begin appearing on various goods, including apparel an...
Limited-Edition Kemono Friends Merch Sells Out in Okinawa
Although the Kemono Friends anime has not aired in Okinawa, the franchise's limited-edition goods have become surprisingly popular in the southernmost prefecture of Japan. Okinawa-themed merchandise with illustrations by Kemono Friends conceptual designer Mine Yoshizaki went on sale at five souvenir shops and supermarkets in Okinawa on July 1. The goods, which feature anthropomorphized girl versio...
Saga!!! on Ice Campaign Returns for Round 2 in Karatsu
Karatsu in Saga Prefecture is gearing up for another round of Yuri!!! on Ice events starting in December. The city serves as the inspiration for the fictional Hasetsu, the hometown of underdog figure skater Yūri Katsuki. A street festival to celebrate Karatsu Castle's acceptance as a UNESCO heritage site is one of the events planned. One of the castle's towers is currently under renovations but it...
Conan Stars in TV Ads for Magic Kaito Manga's 5th Volume
For the first time in about 10 years, Gosho Aoyama's Magic Kaito manga received a new book publication. The series' fifth compiled book volume shipped on Tuesday. To celebrate the occasion, the protagonist of Aoyama's Detective Conan (Case Closed) manga is appearing in television commercials to promote the release. In the commercials, a kigurumi version of Conan Edogawa reads the Magic Kaito manga...
Despite Shōnen Jump Controversy, the Magazine's Erotic Art History is Decades Old
Female nudity has been par for the course since the 1960s
― This year's 31st issue of Shueisha's Weekly Shonen Jump magazine became the center of a controversy and discussion online after shipping on July 3. Some people believe that the issue's illustrations of Tadahiro Miura's Yuragi-sō no Yūna-san (Yūna of Yuragi Manor) manga characters for a popularity poll are inappropriately sexual for a magazin...
Precure a la Mode Film Promises Sweet Treats for Moviegoers
The Eiga Kirakira ☆ Precure a la Mode: Paris to! Omoide no Mille-Feuille!! (Kirakira ☆ Precure a la Mode the Movie: With Paris! Mille-Feuille of Memories) anime film will make good on its namesake by offering excited moviegoers a trio of delicious donuts. The Mister Donut fast-food chain is making three confections that come in a themed box. One of the treats is a Pekorin donut that recreates the...
Sakura Wars Joins Puyo Puyo Quest for Limited Time
The Sakura Wars franchise has its own little anniversary, including an exhibit looking back on 20 years of steampunk video game and anime battles. Since then, the franchise continues to get occasional merchandise and most recently, tie-in booster packs for the card game Crusade. The next game tie-in is with Sega's Puyo Puyo Quest mobile game starting on July 24. The characters Sakura and Erika are...
Watch Yuri!!! on Ice Character Designer Draw Phichit
Much of the of the Yuri!!! on Ice fandom centers around Victor and Yūri, followed by Yuri and Otabek, but fans also have a special place in their heart for Yūri's former skating club member and fountain of purity Phichit Chulanont. Series character designer Mitsurou Kubo showed the Thai skater some love earlier this month when she drew the character at Paris' Japan Expo. She then uploaded a video ...
Japanese Celebrities Star in Dragon Quest XI's Live-Action TV Ads
The official website for the Dragon Quest XI: Sugisarishi Toki o Motomete (Dragon Quest XI: In Search of Departed Time) role-playing game began streaming five television commercials on Monday that star Japanese celebrities. The live-action videos feature people "looking forward to [the game] too much." Voice actor Banjou Ginga, who narrated ads for the first-generation Dragon Quest in 1987, narrat...
Yuri!! on Ice TV Anime Gets 4DX Theater Screenings
Yuri on Ice fans will get the chance to fill the cool breeze off the ice rink in an upcoming 4DX theater showing. The entire 12-episode anime series will be shown in sensory-enhanced screenings in theaters throughout Japan starting on September 23. 4DX screenings include moving seats, water, scents, smoke, and more. なんと、「ユーリ!!! on ICE」のテレビシリーズ全12話の体感型アトラクション・シアター4DX上映が9月23日(土)より全国の劇場にて決定しました!!!劇場公...
Shimogamo Siblings Return to Board Real Train From The Eccentric Family
In a new case of life mimicking art, two young tanuki walked aboard an Eizan Electric Railway (Eiden) train in Kyoto on Thursday. Net commenters wondered if this was another case of The Eccentric Family's Shimogamo family members making an appearance in the real world. A real tanuki version of the anime's protagonist Yasaburō ended up stuck in a well at the actual Shimogamo Shrine last month. The ...
Dragon Quest Writer's Hometown Unveils Metal Slime Statue
The Dragon Quest franchise's 30th anniversary has brought all kinds of tie-in goods, from laptops to chewing gum. The city of Sumoto on Awaji Island in Hyōgo prefecture created something far more permanent to remember the video game series and its ubiquitous slime enemy. On Sunday, a metal statue of the slime, alongside the Sword and Shield of Erdrick, was erected in the Sumoto Civic Plaza Square ...
'iMarine Project's' 'Deep Blue Song' 9-Minute Mini-Anime Streamed
Sanyo Bussan's nine-minute "Deep Blue Song" mini-animation, part of the larger "iMarine Project," began streaming on Sunday. The anime stars Aya Uchida as iMarine, Maaya Uchida as Wendy, and Ayane Sakura as Ūny. The three characters sing the track "Deep Blue Town, Oide yo!" at approximately the four-minute mark. The episode ends on a cliffhanger with "to be continued." Two music videos set to the ...
Made in Abyss, ReLIFE, Momokuri Vie for Top Spot in Web Manga General Election
Pixiv and Nippon Shuppan Hanbai Inc. opened voting for its "Web Manga General Election." A total of 50 titles are available for voting until August 7 and the winner will be announced on September 9. The winners will be highlighted with displays in bookstores and on a large signboard in at the Shinjuku station. The 50 selected titles were chosen from 1,600 nominations. Several of the works are eith...
The Seven Deadly Sins Elaine & Ban Spin-Off Manga Gets Promo Video
The first volume of The Seven Deadly Sins: Seven Days ~Tōzoku to Seishōjo~ (Seven Deadly Sins: Seven Days ~The Thief and the Holy Girl) spin-off manga will be released on Friday and publisher Kodansha released a promotional video for the volume. Not only that, but voice actors Tatsuhisa Suzuki and Kotori Koiwai reprise their roles as the manga's star duo, Ban and Elaine. The ad has both a 15-secon...
Victor Coaches Rink-Side as New 1/8-Scale Figure
Retailers began accepting pre-orders on Thursday for the Yuri!!! on Ice Victor Nikiforov figure in Kotobukiya's ARTFX J series. A prototype of the figure debuted at the Mega Hobby Expo 2017 Spring event on May 27. The 1/8-scale figure is about 150 millimeters (about 6 inches) tall. This version of Victor wears the suit he appeared in in the anime when he made his coaching debut. He seems to be en...
Gintama Makes Fashion Statement With New Apparel Visuals
The official Gintama PR Twitter account unveiled three visuals on Tuesday for the franchise's new apparel items in collaboration with SwimmyDesignLab and HTML03. Although the images look like someone's 10-year-old brother might have drawn them, they are actually official collaboration art. The Gintoki image includes the text "sugar content" and "I love strawberry milk." The Katsura and Elizabeth ...
JoJo's Bizarre Adventure, One Piece Jump Off the Pages onto Honda Fit
Earlier this week, the Honda Fit car seen in a recent Weekly Shonen Jump commercial went on display at an exhibition in Tokyo's Roppongi Hills complex, albeit with an itasha makeover. The stark white car was covered in scenes straight out Captain Tsubasa, JoJo's Bizarre Adventure, One Piece, Naruto, and Dragon Ball pages. IMG cimg0558.jpg IMG cimg0553.jpg IMG cimg0552.jpg IMG cimg0542.jpg The even...
Curry Restaurant's Gundam Campaign Offers Exclusive Figure With Spoon
The Curry House CoCo Ichibanya (CoCo Ichi) restaurant chain revealed the full details of its Mobile Suit Gundam collaboration on Friday. The chain's website had previously teased the collaboration with an image of Amuro Ray eating the restaurant's classic pork cutlet curry. An image of the collaboration's special RX-78-2 Gundam CoCo Ichi Extra Finish Ver. is appearing on promotional banners at res...
Sega's Project 575's Characters Azuki & Matcha Get Vocaloid Library
Sega's Project 575 virtual idols Azuki and Matcha are getting their own Vocaloid software. The stars of Sega's Utakumi 575 app and Go! Go! 575 television anime are now available through Yamaha Corporation's Vocaloid shop. The software remains faithful to Azuki (played by Yuka Ōtsubo) and Matcha's (played by Ayaka Ohashi) voices from the original game and anime. The Vocaloid 4 libraries are also co...
Gamers Store Manager Yoshiko of Love Live! Sunshine!! Gets 1/7-Scale Figure
Last year, Love Live Sunshine character Yoshiko won the honor of becoming the "image girl" of Numazu's new Gamers store when it opened in Numazu, Shizuoka. Numazu is the setting of Love Live Sunshine and the Gamers store is dedicated to selling all things otaku related. A tie-in image of Yoshiko wearing her work apron and holding the store chain's round mascot, albeit with a few Yoshiko-themed ch...
Tsuki ga Kirei Character Designer loundraw's Graduation Anime Stars Hiro Shimono, Sora Amamiya
The 22-year-old artist loundraw came into the spotlight this year after providing the original character designs for the Tsukigakirei television anime (seen below). That work apparently helped loundraw earn some big help on a special project. It appears that loundraw graduated from college this year. The artist revealed their graduation project on Twitter on Thursday. For the first time, loundraw ...
Celebrate 30 Years of Martial Arts Mischief with Ranma 1/2 Stamps
Rumiko Takahashi's Ranma 1/2 martial arts romantic comedy is celebrating 30 years of gender-bending hijinks. Japan's national post office is celebrating with a framed stamp set of the series' iconic characters that goes on sale on July 18. The stamp set costs 4,200 yen (US$ ) and includes 10 character stamps, a stamp sheet holder, 12 color illustration postcards, and an A5-size calendar. Rumiko T...
Live-Action Gintama Film's Elizabeth's Identity Finally Revealed
Masaki Okada was shown as his character Kotarō Katsura for the live-action Gintama film way back in January. Pictured alongside Kotarō is his pet Elizabeth, and while the duck-like creature is definitely in the film, there has been no official announcement of the person underneath the costume. The part-time job news service An even opened a listing for an Elizabeth cosplayer, offering about US$450...
Watch the Dragon Ball FighterZ Exhibition Tournaments At Evo 2017
Bandai Namco Entertainment and Arc System Works's Dragon Ball FighterZ 2D fighting game is at Evo 2017 and players will be duking it out this weekend in four exhibition tournaments. Players Justin Wong, fLoE, MarkMan, Arturo Sanchez, Daymendou, Flux, Sabin, SonicFox, Kusanagi, and others are participating. The game is the same build as was previously shown at E3 2017, and players can choose betwee...
Kagerou Project's JIN's Nirvana Manga Gets Music Video
The Nirvana manga by team ZOWLS, made up of writer JIN and artist Sayuki, is the subject of an new animated music video. Singer Lia performs the untitled track in the video. The video is made up of images from the manga and original images for the music video. It includes appearances from well-known characters like main character Hitose Yachiyo and Maru, and characters that haven't been revealed ...
Musical Duo ClariS Releases 1st Photo Compilation Book
The musical duo ClariS, which keeps the singers' identities secret, will release their first photo compilation book on September 1. The book, titled illusion ~Hikari ni Kurumarete~ (Illusion: Wrapped in Light), will cost 3,500 yen (US$31). The hardcover collection will have 96 A4-size full-color pages. The photographs will include some unreleased concert pictures. ClariS also revealed a visual for...
Blast-From-the-Past Gundam Wing Anime Illustrations Bewilder Fans
The August issue of Gakken's Animedia magazine, which shipped on Monday, features special Mobile Suit Gundam Wing illustrations. The special illustrations are the anime's first in seven years. The magazine's official Twitter account previewed a Heero and Duo image. The actual magazine also features illustrations of Quatre, Trowa, Wufei, and Relena with character introductions. In addition, the iss...
Rejected Pearl Diver Mascot Megu Aoshima Gets Anime Promo Videos
The city of Shima, Mie withdrew official backing of its mascot character Megu Aoshima two years ago due to a raging controversy over whether the moe character is a suitable representation of the area's famous female pearl divers (ama) who are typically much older. However, that did not stop the character's creators from continuing to sell products with her likeness, and they launched a crowdfundin...
Red Ranger Checks Out His Rice Paddy in Nagoya
Yuusuke Murata shared his support of the super sentai characters from Lionsgate's Power Rangers live-action film, but Nagoya went all out with a Red Ranger rice patty. The artwork was sponsored by the Chaya Shinden Rice Patty Art Executive Committee, a conservation-focused group that raises awareness about paddy fields through planting and harvesting rice. This is the group's seventh year of opera...
Sword Art Online: Ordinal Scale Director Teases Blu-ray May Show Asuna's Nipples
To the delight of fanboys, Sword Art Online: Ordinal Scale director Tomohiko Ito and fellow staff members have teased that the Japanese Blu-ray Disc release of the film may reveal Asuna's nipples during the bath scene. The anime film's staff said during an interview that the Blu-ray Disc release of the film could have an upgraded bath scene with more detail. During the interview, Ito said that bot...
Take a Look Inside an Eva Cockpit at Shinjuku's VR Arcade
The world of Evangelion is closer to reality in the new "Evangelion VR: The Tamashii no Za" (Evangelion VR: The Throne of Souls) virtual reality experience opening at Bandai Namco's VR Zone Shinjuku on July 14. In the video, the player pilots Unit-01 alongside two other Eva units in a battle against an invading Zeruel. The project will be the first VR Eva-piloting experience. The cockpit machines ...
Kobe Zoo Holds Kemono Friends Dōjin Event
Meanwhile, Nasu Animal Kingdom plans stamp rally
― Kemono Friends dōjinshi already attracts huge crowds and tie-in events at zoos in Japan saw a giant uptick in attendance. It was only a matter of time until both were combined into some kind of Kemono Friends dōjin super zoo event! The Kemono Friends exclusive dōjin event "Kōbe Chihō" will take place on August 27 at Oji Zoo Hall in the Kobe Oji Zoo. ...
Mega Maker Puts Mega Man Levels in Players Hands
Nintendo's Super Mario Maker for the Wii U and 3DS consoles is very popular with fans and creators alike. Polygon's "Devs Make Mario" video series even had Mega Man's Keiji Inafune create his own level. Players have also ditched Mario assets to create Mega Man within Super Mario Marker Fan developer WreckingPrograms is creating a similar game in reverse, meaning if it doesn't fall victim to a DMCA...
Crowdfunding Planned to Build Giant Mazinger Z Out of Balloons
Toei Animation's Mazinger Z film is slated for next year but the company is planning a much larger-scale campaign to promote the film, and I mean that figuratively and literally. The film's official Tumblr announced on Tuesday that a crowdfunding website is scheduled to launch on July 15. The site will gather funds to create a large-scale Mazinger Z robot that will appear at promotional events and...
Yuragi-sō no Yūna-san Stirs Controversy Over 'Sexual Depictions' in Shonen Jump
This year's 31st issue of Shueisha's Weekly Shonen Jump magazine caused controversy after shipping on July 3. The issue published the latest chapter of Tadahiro Miura's Yuragi-sō no Yūna-san (Yūna of Yuragi Manor) manga, and the series is featured on the issue's cover. The issue also published the results of a character popularity poll for the series. Some people are questioning the appropriatenes...
Animator Teases KanColle Fan Anime Music Video
The dōjin circles Chūbō no Kōbō and Kinema106 are working together on a fan-animated music video starring the KanColle character Akitsushima, a Seaplane Tender ship. Dōjin member "Chūbō chau yo" shared a 12-second clip of the music video on Twitter and it's already been shared over 10,000 times. 動画の一部もちょいと出してみます。ひたすら好きに二式大艇を動かしてみました。 pic.twitter.com/3JYGJnSqtr— 厨房ちゃうよ (@tyuuboutyauyo) July 10, 201...
Watch Spriggan's Minagawa Draw His Latest Manga Kaiō Dante Part 2
Spriggan and Project ARMS artist Ryoji Minagawa launched his latest manga Kaiō Dante ("Dante" Ocean King) in Shogakukan's Monthly Shonen Sunday magazine in December 2015. In a new video, Minagawa draws the protagonists of all three works together in one image. The story follows a boy living in the middle of the 18th century during the height of sea exploration. To celebrate the release of the mang...
Kaworu Summer Fair Means More Angelic Goodies
While Shinji is gone fishing, Kaworu is throwing his own summer festival. The Evangelion Store Tokyo-01 will hold the "Summer! Nagisa! Kaworu Fair" from July 15 to August 31 and sell new goods based on the character from Evangelion Rebuild films. The store will offer clear files, towels, keychains, hoodies, coin cases, and pouches. Customers that spend at least 2,000 yen (US$17.50) will get one o...
It will be 'Breakfast at Tiffany' Some Day Manga Creator Draws Twin Peaks Cast
David Lynch's surreal murder-mystery series Twin Peaks left fans hanging for two decades about the identity of Laura Palmer's killer. The series returned to American television courtesy of Showtime in May and will broadcast exclusively on Japan's WOWOW network on July 22 under the title Twin Peaks: The Return. Manga artist Hirochi Maki is a huge fan of the original series and she drew profile imag...
The Mummy Film Gets 4-Episode Manga Spinoff
Ganma! artists draw spinoffs this month before movie's Japan opening on July 28
― Comic Smart's free manga website Ganma! revealed on Sunday that it is publishing four one-shot manga "episodes" collectively titled The Mummy - Dark Stories as a tie-in to The Mummy film starring Tom Cruise. The stories will be connected to the film's world, and will be set in London as it is suddenly engulfed by a sand...
Bigger Star Platinum Figure Means Bigger Poses This December
While fans are waiting to see Jotarō's live-action version this summer they can pose this new, bigger Star Platinum to recreate some of the iconic moments from JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Diamond is Unbreakable. Medicos Entertainment's Chōzō Kadō BIG line is planning to release its super-posable figure of Star Platinum—the Stand used by Jotarō in Part 3 and Part 4—in late December. Star Platinum co...
Fairy Tail Staff Celebrates Manga's End While Creator Continues Work
Fairy Tail creator Hiro Mashima tweeted a picture on Saturday of a commemorative glass trophy that the manga's staff gave him after finishing their work on the series. Mashima added that he is grateful and has the "best staff." Although the manga's staff has no more work for the series, Mashima himself noted in a follow-up post that his own work is far from done. Kodansha's Weekly Shōnen Magazine ...
Pikachu's Choco-Bananas for New McFlurry Flavor
Visitors who want to cool off with Pikachu before he takes over Yokohama next month can head to McDonald's locations in Japan for a Pikachu McFlurry. The chocolate-banana flavored ice cream is served in a Pikachu cup starting on July 14. The treat will be available for a limited time, approximately the beginning of August although popularity could affect how long the campaign lasts. The Pikachu cu...
Failing Idol Finds Success When Paired with Talking Mattress in New Manga
The world of a successful idol has a myriad of pitfalls from romantic relationship restrictions, paparazzi rumors, to outright crazed fans. In the manga Umō 100% ~Uchi no Aishō ga "Neshin" Sugite Nemui. (100% Feathers ~My Partner is Too "Sleepy"), Senko has barely managed to get her foot in the door. She's longed to be an idol from a young age, and even studied them until she managed to launch a s...
Voice Actors Ayumi Tsuji, Michiru Sato Marry
Ayumi Tsuji (Saki - The Nationals' Hatsumi Usuzumi, Red Garden's Rose Sheedy) announced on Twitter on Friday that she has entered the family register with fellow voice actor Michiru Sato (Play Ball's Igarashi, Vie Durant's You). Tsuji said in the announcement that her grandmother recently passed away due to a traffic accident. Along with her family, agency, and friends, Sato supported her during t...
One-Punch Man's Murata Draws Dragon Ball's Vegeta, Nappa
It is no secret that One-Punch Man manga artist Yuusuke Murata is a fan of Akira Toriyama's Dragon Ball series. Murata has recently posted illustrations of various Dragon Ball characters on Twitter. His latest drawing shows Vegeta and Nappa apparently ready for a brawl. ベジータとナッパ pic.twitter.com/l9J7RIBHOW— 村田雄介 (@NEBU_KURO) July 7, 2017 Murata also drew the teenage heroes from Lionsgate's live-act...
Watch Linked Horizon's Attack on Titan Concert Performances
Theme song titans Linked Horizon opened their largest tour ever at the Ichihara City Civic Center's Great Hall on July 8. The band is promoting their new album Shingeki no Kiseki (Titan's Miracle) which includes the group's opening theme song for the second season of Attack on Titan. The album shipped in Japan on May 17 and rose to #2 on Oricon's weekly chart during its first week of release. In a...
JoJo's Bizarre Adventure Exhibit Gets Manhole Covers in Real S City
The "Araki Hirohiko Genga-ten JoJo-ten in S-shi Moriō-chō 2017" (Hirohiko Araki Key Frame Exhibit JoJo Exhibit in Morioh, S City) art exhibit announced on Monday that it will get manhole covers in Sendai, Miyagi from August 4 to September 10. The project will put nine different manhole covers in nine locations around the city of Sendai. The fictional town of Morioh is the setting of JoJo's Bizarre...
Patlabor, Kill la Kill, Sword Art Online Character Designers Contribute to Wonder Woman Art Project
The first part of the "Wonder Woman Creators Collaboration" project to mark the Japanese release of the American film Wonder Woman debuted on Friday. Three anime character designers contributed illustrations of the film's protagonist Diana for the collaboration. Here are their illustrations: Akemi Takada (Patlabor the Mobile Police, Magical Angel Creamy Mami, Urusei Yatsura) Sushio (Kill la Kill) ...
Conservative Comic Strip Mallard Fillmore Asks the Tough Anime Questions
The conservative newspaper comic strip Mallard Fillmore has its own anime reference in the July 8 strip. Bruce Tinsley's nationally published comic starring news anchor and duck Mallard Fillmore appeared alongside Tinsley's representation of an anime character to point out the stereotypical art style's small, or sometimes completely absent, noses. Tinsley's comic has appeared in newspapers nationw...
Love Live! Sunshine!! Prize Lottery Offers Character Pillows
Banpresto's Ichiban Kuji unveiled its third Love Live! Sunshine!! line of prize lottery goods on Friday. The idols will enjoy the limelight on pillows, acrylic boards, and rubber straps. Here are the prizes: A-I Prizes:45-centimeter (about 18-inch) cushions J Prize:Acrylic boards (nine varieties) K Prize:Swimsuit version rubber straps (nine varieties) L Prize:School uniform version rubber straps ...
Attack on Titan Invades the Tokyo Skytree with Lifelike Recreations
“Just shut up and put all your faith in the Skytree!” Eren Jaegar yells, as hoarse and angered as he always is. It's an almost word-for-word rendition of his iconic scene in episode 14 of the first season, where he calls out the military police for their cowardice and challenges them to place their trust in him. But instead of himself, Eren urges the crowd to put their bets on the Tokyo Skytree. T...
Sui Ishida Draws Tokyo Ghoul Theme Band People in the Box
Tokyo Ghoul manga artist Sui Ishida drew three-piece band People in the Box to celebrate the group's 10th anniversary. Vocalist and guitarist Hirofumi Hatano, bassist Kenta Fukui, and drummer Daigo Yamaguchi joined up in 2008, although Hatano and Yamaguchi technically began working together as a duo in 2005. The trio released their 10 anniversary album "Things Discovered" in January. The band's re...
Galaxy Express 999, Captain Harlock Accessories Take Cosplay Out of This World
K. Uno's character jewelry and accessory brand U-Treasure announced at an unveiling event at its pop-up shop in Tokyo on Thursday that it will release two more accessories inspired by Leiji Matsumoto's works. U-Treasure unveiled a Maetel Necklace and Harlock Skull Belt alongside its previously released Galaxy Express 999 jewelry. The new jewelry will celebrate Matsumoto's 80th birthday, which wil...
Cinnamoroll Takes the Crown in 32nd Sanrio Character Popularity Contest
As proof that you can't keep a good dog down, Sanrio character Cinnamoroll was voted the top mascot in this year's Sanrio Character Popularity contest. Previous two-time champ Pom Pom Purin came in second, followed by My Melody in third. A total of 4.3 million votes were cast to elect the victor. Fans' top 10 favorite Sanrio characters are: Cinnamoroll Pom Pom Purin My Melody Hello Kitty Gudetama ...
Motorcycle Girls Rev Their Engines in New Manga — Literally
While manga like Bakuon!! focuses on girls enjoying the thrill of a motorcycle ride, Hideyoshi Suzuki's Bike Gijinka Kinsho (Bike Personification Germ Book) has more in common with DLE's Henkei Shōjo project. The motorcycle personification manga focuses on actual motorcycles anthropomorphized as girls. The four-panel gag comedy series' first installment stars a GSX400S Katana. The proud motorcycle...
Aho-Girl Meets with Alligators in New Zoo Collab
Aho-Girl's Yoshiko might be the dumbest kid on the block but her love of bananas has landed her a genius collaboration. The summer anime series is joining up with the Atagawa Banana & Alligator Garden (officially translated as Atagawa Tropical & Alligator Garden) zoo, the Izukyū Corporation railroad, and the Atagawa Onsen Tourist Association. Like Yoshiko, the zoo's mascot is an alligator with a l...
Voice of Hellsing's Alucard Plays Teenage Girl in Idol-Raising Game
Square Enix is producing a "youth dramatic idol game" titled Aozora Under Girls (Blue Sky Under Girls) for release for iOS and Android devices this year. The idol-raising game's staff introduced the Valkyrie unit and its voice actors on Thursday. The roles are (seen from left to right in image above): Rumi Ookubo (Yuruyuri's Chinatsu Yoshikawa, Mushibugyō's Hibachi) as Kyōka Kazahaya Yuka Iguchi (...
Yuri!!! on Ice Guys Meet Liquid Water for Summer Department Store Campaign
Yuri!!! on Ice's figure skaters look like they have been getting to know a much warmer, less solid form of water for a collaboration with the Tokyu Hands department store. Yūri, Victor, Yuri, Otabek, Phichit, and J.J. jumped out of the pool and onto a promotional poster for the campaign. The collaboration will offer merchandise and "mini character goods" featuring special illustrations of the char...
Find Your New European Culinary Passion in Europe Tabi Gohan Manga
A sub-genre of manga, referred to as "gourmet manga" that focuses on cooking and eating delicious food, maintains a steady influx of new varieties of reading material. Whether the reader wants to devour traditional Japanese fair or fast food, there's a manga for that. Ryōko Naga's Europe Tabi Gohan (Everyday European Meals) doubles as a food diary and travel book showcasing the cuisine of Europe. ...
Pre-Register at Shogakukan's Manga App Site to Win Exclusive Signed Goods
Publisher Shogakukan is preparing some spectacular giveaway goods for lucky visitors who pre-register for its "Sunday Web Every" manga application. Lottery prizes range from a baseball signed by Touch creator Mitsuru Adachi to RIN-NE chapter one draft artwork by Rumiko Takahashi. Kazuhiko Shimamoto, Silver Spoon's Hiromu Arakawa, Detective Conan's Gosho Aoyama, and Black Lagoon creator Rei Hiroe a...
Disney's Cars 3 Live-Action Mini-Series Reimagines Race Cars as Runners
The lack of humans in the world of Pixar's Cars films is perplexing to some fans. Much of the world, including its vehicles, seems to be made for humans, and yet they are mysteriously absent. Disney's Japan branch came up with a partial solution: transform the cars into human track-and-field athletes. Apart from the choice to morph already anthropomorphized cars into humans, the films' scenario pe...
CoroCoro's 40th Anniversary Celebrates New Generation of Pokémon, Doraemon, and More
If you've ever been a kid in Japan, you've probably heard of CoroCoro Comic, the biggest manga magazine aimed at elementary schoolboys. It currently serializes the manga versions of Pokémon, Beyblade, and Yo-Kai Watch, among other popular children's franchises, and each issue is often packaged with toys, games, and other exclusives. For example, the original Pokémon Blue version was initially avai...
Yuri!!! on Ice Heads to Hot Springs for Summer Collaboration
Oedo Onsen Monogatari revealed the details of its collaboration with Yuri!!! on Ice on Wednesday. The hot springs theme park will offer an array of themed food, merchandise, and games at its Odaiba, Tokyo location. The collaboration unveiled special illustrations of Yūri, Victor, Yuri, Otabek, and friends in yukata. The "mini character illustrations" for the campaign will also feature super-deform...
One-Punch Man's Yuusuke Murata Draws Hollywood's Power Rangers
Yuusuke Murata created a special gift for Power Rangers moviegoers in Japan. The One-Punch Man manga artist drew the super sentai characters from Lionsgate's live-action film and the artwork will be distributed on postcards for viewers when the film opens on July 15. A total of 300,000 postcards will be handed out on a first-come, first-served basis. Murata has shown his dedication to American sup...
Pokémon Heroes - Latias & Latios Tops Fan Poll of Favorite Franchise Film
The 2002 Pokemon Heroes - Latias & Latios anime film ranked #1 in the "Oshi Pokémon Eiga Number One wa Kimi ni Kimeta!" fan poll to choose people's favorite Pokémon film. The poll celebrates the release of the upcoming Pokémon the Movie: I Choose You! film that marks the 20th anniversary of the franchise's movies. In the poll, fans voted for any of the previous 19 Pokémon anime films from 1998's P...
The irregular at magic high school Voice Actors Satomi Satou, Takuma Terashima Marry
Voice actress Satomi Satou announced on her blog on Thursday that she has married fellow voice actor Takuma Terashima. Both are attached to the voice acting agency Axl One. Satou thanked her supporters and said she is still the same person and will continue voice acting. Satou noted that she has a lot of ways that she can sympathize with and respect Terashima in both their work and private lives. ...
Honda Collaboration Offers Test Drive Through Shonen Jump's Manga World
Honda is collaborating with Shueisha's Weekly Shonen Jump magazine to promote its New Fit car and celebrate the magazine's 50th anniversary. Honda began streaming a promotional video for the collaboration on Monday. The collaboration's official website features the text "Don't stay." in English and "Keep Running." in Japanese. The collaboration seeks to highlight the joint goal of the car company ...
Henkei Shōjo's 3rd Transforming Girl is a Lingerie Battle Bot
DLE's increasingly unique transforming Henkei Shōjo anime shorts continue to top its predecessor and episode three's Itsuki is no exception. Thus far the episodes introduced Rin (a jetplane) and Haru (a sports car), but Itsuki takes the fanservice angle. The bashful school girl is in a dimly lit room with, presumably, her boyfriend who focuses on her with a video camera. Moments later, Itsuki loo...
Kira Yamato Tops Poll of Gundam Protagonists With Best Personality
Due to differences in life experience, the average person may find it hard to relate to the fierce fighters and child soldiers who star in Gundam anime. Nevertheless, these characters can evoke powerful emotions in viewers through their roles in such an iconic franchise. The Goo Ranking website decided to rank Gundam anime protagonists in terms of their basic characteristics and fans' reactions to...
Interview: Sally Forth Creative Team Talk Anime, Kaiju in Latest Arc
Francesco Marciuliano and Jim Keefe rundown their favorite anime series, the best kaiju films, and putting pop into newspaper serials
― Last month, the long-running newspaper comic serial Sally Forth caught anime fans' attention when Cowboy Bebop character Spike Spiegel appeared in character Hilary Forth's anxiety dream. The appearance wasn't a one-off occasion for artists Francesco Marciuliano and J...
Arby's Paper Art Came to Anime Expo, Gave Away Bandai Namco Prizes
Everyone's favorite pop-culture-savvy fast food chain (or at least its marketing team) headed to this year's Anime Expo. The restaurant held the Arby's Art Drop Promotion at the convention from July 1-4 and gave away special prizes. Are you at @AnimeExpo? So are we! Follow #ArbysArtDrop during the con to hunt for our art and score some prizes. #AX2017 pic.twitter.com/TMIblOiRrc— Arby's (@Arbys) J...
Kemono Friends Designer Draws Horse Girls for JRA Collaboration
Although Uma Musume Pretty Derby and A Centaur's Life are likely candidates, the Japan Racing Association's (JRA) latest anime-related collaboration is with Kemono Friends. The collaboration opened a special "Uma no Friends" (Horse Friends) website on Friday. Kemono Friends conceptual designer Mine Yoshizaki provided a set of characters for the collaboration that combines human girls with Thorough...
Nagoya Anime Project Asks Locals for Character, Mechanical Designs
Chukyo TV's Nagoya Anime Project streaming program opened applications for the "Nagoeight Challenge" for its related "Nagoya Anime Project the8th Secret Service" project on June 25. Former or current residents of the central Tōkai region of Japan can send in character or mechanical designs for "Nagoeight Challenge." The slogan of Nagoya Anime Project the8th Secret Service is "Let's create anime fr...
Super Mario Odyssey Director Confirms Mario is Human Despite 'Different' Appearance
Vice Canada conducted an interview with the Super Mario Odyssey game's director Kenta Motokura during E3 in June. Motokura discussed Mario's humanity, world travel, and nostalgia in the interview. Reporter Simon Coutu asked Motokura, "For the first time Mario evolves in a world where there are humans, and we see that Mario is really different from other people in New Donk City for example, is Mari...
Become Pikachu, Meowth, Ash With App's Pokémon Film Stamps
After partnering with JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Diamond Is Unbreakable and Attack on Titan last month, video communication app SNOW is celebrating the Pokémon the Movie: I Choose You! film's release with new stamps. In addition to being able to appear with Ash's Pikachu from the film (pictured above), the app's users can themselves transform into Pikachu or Meowth. A second stamp set will debut on...
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