The fourth commercial for ufotable’s Fate/stay night (2014) has released for series protagonists Saber and also previews the anime’s Opening theme Ideal White from Mashiro Ayane. The series will be adapting the Unlimited Blade Works route. The series will be directed by Takahiro Miura (storyboard for Fate/Zero, first directing role) and will first launch this October during the Fall/Autumn 2014 anime season followed by the second cour which will air next April, during the Spring 2015 anime season.
Fate/Stay Night (2014) – Commercial 4:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UzoRddWX9oo
Fate/Stay Night (2014) – Commercial 3:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J1euJhZyewQ
Fate/Stay Night (2014) – Commercial 2:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=taFUXv-cmA8
Fate/Stay Night (2014) – Commercial 1:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oa4E7HCYFHc
Here is the latest visual for the anime:
Fate/stay night (2014) synopsis from Haruhichan:
New anime adaptation of Fate/stay night, following the Unlimited Blade Works route.
Georgia is the name of a popular brand of coffee drinks which are sold in Japan. They recently announced that they are teaming up with Yudetamago’s classic anime and manga series Kinnikuman for a special collabration known as “Kinnikuman Hataraku! Super Figure Collection”.
There will be a total of six different Georgia Coffee cans which will have a different Kinnikuman character head attached to the top. The characters included are Kinnikuman, Uozuman, Robinmask, Buffaloman, Ramenman, and Terriman.
Inside each cap are little figurines and again there are a total of six to collect.
Each figure has it’s own pose to do little tasks for you, just to make your daily life easier.
Uozuman helps with cables
Buffaloman acts as a phone stand
Kinnikuman holds your business card
Ramenman sits on your ramen lid
Robinmask holds cables
Terryman keeps your key safe
These are definitely a great little item to collect, especially if you’re a fan of coffee and the Kinnikuman series.
We’re back again and this time with NewType‘s September 2014 issue. This issue contains 6 great posters along with previews, character profiles, articles, manga, and other great content which I will be covering in this post.
Info on where to purchase this issue of the magazine will be at the bottom of this post.
Cover and Back
Akuma no Riddle
Fate/kaleid liner Prisma Illya 2wei!
Free!: Eternal Summer
Bakumatsu Rock
Persona 4 The Golden Animation
Random articles, previews and manga pictures from the magazine:
If you are currently learning or plan to learn Japanese, I highly recommend you to try a copy of this magazine to study with. It is not only packed with posters, it’s also packed with previews, character profiles, articles, manga, and other great content which is great for studying and practicing with.
Quite a few posters in this issue of NewType. I’m loving the Akuma no Riddle and Persona 4 The Golden Animation poster the most!
Sadly the issue I covered in this post is sold out, but you can subscribe to JList‘s NewType subscription service for $12~$15/month here. All sales made through JList help us continue to bring unique content to the site as well as supporting us!
If you want us to review a different type of magazine each month, let us know. Also what poster did you like the most from this issue? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!
We’re back again and this time with Megami‘s October 2014 issue from JList. This issue contains a total of 18 great posters along with previews, character profiles, articles, manga, and other great content which I will be covering in this post. Most of the anime posters are anime series that have recently ended during the spring 2014 anime season or brand new anime series which recently started airing during the summer 2014 anime season.
Info on where to purchase this issue of the magazine will be at the bottom of this post.
Cover and Back
Akame ga Kill!
Cross Ange
Ano Natsu de Matteru
Fate/kaleid liner Prisma Illya 2wei!
Yama no Susume 2nd Season
Majimoji Rurumo
Grisaia no Kajitsu
Hanayamata
Madan no Ou to Vanadis
Rokujouma no Shinryakusha!?
BREETSCHLAG
Seirei Tsukai no Blade Dance
Dog Days + Mahou Shoujo Lyrical Nanoha ViVid
Glasslip
Futsuu no Joshikousei ga [Locodol] Yatte Mita.
Girls und Panzer
Ikkitousen
Rail Wars!
Girls und Panzer game mat + game pieces:
Random articles, previews and manga pictures from the magazine:
If you are currently learning or plan to learn Japanese, I highly recommend you to try a copy of this magazine to study with. It is not only packed with posters, it’s also packed with previews, character profiles, articles, manga, and other great content which is great for studying and practicing with.
My favorite posters from this months issue would have to be Hanayamata (My heart is melting), Rail Wars! (Deep plot, trains and who can say no?) and Glasslip (I wonder what they’re looking at?).
You can purchase the issue I covered in this post here or you can subscribe to JList‘s Megami subscription service for $12~$30/month here. All sales made through JList help us continue to bring unique content to the site as well as supporting us!
If you want us to review a different type of magazine each month, let us know. Also if you had the chance to win a poster or two from above, what would it be and why? I’m curious to know what posters anime fans would want on their wall. Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!
We’re back again and this time with NyanType‘s October 2014 issue from JList. This issue contains a total of 18 great posters along with previews, character profiles, articles, manga, and other great content which I will be covering in this post. Most of the anime posters are anime series that are airing during the summer 2014 anime season and upcoming new fall / autumn 2014 anime. Some are older series which are getting new content soon (OVAs etc).
Info on where to purchase this issue of the magazine will be at the bottom of this post.
Cover and Back
Kantai Collection: Kan Colle
Akame ga Kill!
Amagi Brilliant Park
Cross Ange
Futsuu no Joshikousei ga [Locodol] Yatte Mita.
IS: Infinite Stratos
Chain Chronicle
Shirogane no Ishi: Argevollen
Rail Wars!
Ikkitousen
Seirei Tsukai no Blade Dance
Nozo x Kimi
Majimoji Rurumo
Fate/kaleid liner Prisma Illya 2wei!
Free!: Eternal Summer
Strike Witches
Grisaia no Kajitsu
Kantai Collection: Kan Colle
Random articles, previews and manga pictures from the magazine:
If you are currently learning or plan to learn Japanese, I highly recommend you to try a copy of this magazine to study with. It is not only packed with posters, it’s also packed with previews, character profiles, articles, manga, and other great content which is great for studying and practicing with.
My personal favorite posters from this issue would have to be Amagi Brilliant Park (My heart…), Rail Wars! (I think you all know why), Chain Chronicle (So cute) and the Nozo x Kimi (Ugh… thigh highs).
You can purchase the issue I covered in this post here or you can subscribe to JList‘s NyanType subscription service for $12~$30/month here. All sales made through JList help us continue to bring unique content to the site as well as supporting us!
If you want us to review a different type of magazine each month, let us know. Also if you had the chance to win a poster or two from above, what would it be and why? I’m curious to know what posters anime fans would want on their wall. Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!
Hanayo Koizumi from the Love Live! School Idol Project series loves rice and Japan has taken advantage of her addiction and is using it to advertise their brand new product which was recently unveiled. A Bic Camera store in Nagoya station is showing off their new product which involves the one and only rice-loving school idol Hanayo Koizumi and the device which cooks her favorite food.
Priced at 30,000 yen, this cute pink rice cooker would certainly make the perfect gift to any rice lover. It even features Hanayo Koizumi on top of the lid and under it.
It’s empty now because μ’s member Hanayo Koizumi has gotten to it first. The store is also advertising the Love Live! School Idol Project 2nd Season blu-ray release, Love Live! School Idol Paradise vol.1 Printemps unit, Love Live! School Idol Paradise vol.2 BiBi unit, Love Live! School Idol Paradise vol.3 Lily White unit video games for the PSVita and other merchandise.
We’re only a month away towards the end of our hot season! Are you enjoying it as much as I am? Keep in mind that Barakamonand Sengoku Basara -Judge End-will NOT be making an appearance in Week 8 of Anime Trending‘s rankings due to a schedule delay held last week.
Today we’ll be taking a look at the August issue of the Oyatsu Box which is a monthly $25 subscription service for Japanese snacks by Oyatsu Cafe. They are operating out of Chiba, Japan and are always including merchandise from different anime / video game series in each box. They have been in the Japanese food business for years and are entering the 7th month of subscriptions with Oyatsu Box and are quickly approaching 1500 customers!
Now lets take a look at what’s inside the August issue of the Oyatsu Box:
Hi-Chew Premium – Grape
Hi-Chew is a is a fruit-flavored chewy Japanese candy and is known for having a variety of flavors. The flavor I tried were the premium grape flavor which is made from selected ingredients for an utterly fantastic grape flavor. They have a thick outer coating with a soft and chewy center. The grape flavor is very powerful and gets more vivid as you chew. I’m a big fan of grape flavored candies, I would recommend to give these a try if you see them.
Umaibo Premium – Mentaiko & Camembert Cheese
I always love having the chance to try different umaibo flavors. So far I have tried the teriyaki hamburger flavor and tonkatsu (pork) flavor. Today I had the chance to try the Umaibo Camembert Cheese (Blue) and Umaibo Japanese Mentaiko (Red) premium edition. If your taste palate isn’t that refined, I would not recommend to try these.
As soon as I opened the Umaibo Camembert Cheese (Blue) you can instantly pick up the overwhelming smell of a good cheese. The taste is very similar to the taste of Brie cheese but it is much stronger and somewhat creamy. Just like every other Umaibo, it has the consistency similar to Cheetos since it is a corn based snack.
The Japanese Umaibo Mentaiko (Red) is based on a Japanese dish made of pollock roe, or eggs, pickled in various ingredients which makes it spicy. The fishy smell is very overwhelming but it tastes better than it smells. You get a light taste of pollock roe and cod. I prefer the Umaibo Camembert Cheese (Blue) personally.
Koikeya Scon – Japanese BBQ
When you think of barbecue salted snacks you expect super spicy tomato or ketchup flavored potato chips, right? Well not in Japan! In Japan, it tends to mean the snack is meant to resemble barbecued meat. These BBQ corn twists (like Cheetos but lighter in texture) have a light scent as you open the packet. They have an intense BBQ meaty taste which make you crave them more. They’re quite salty and work together well with a beer.
Rilakkuma Honey Butter Pretzels
The packaging is covered in Rilakkuma and it’s so cute you may not want to open them. These are honey butter pretzels which have a light butter and honey taste that is not overwhelming while being absolutely crunchy.
Dragonball Z Gummy Candy & Collectable Card
I was pretty excited to see this in the box, Dragonball Z was a big part of my childhood. I was even more ecstatic to pull a SSJ3 Goku card (I instantly put it in a card sleeve!). The gummy candy I got was Goku’s kanji (悟), pronounced go and meaning “awaken”, it was the kanji that Goku adopted after his training in preparation for the upcoming battles on Planet Namek. I haven’t ate the candy as of yet but I’m assuming it just tastes like any other generic gummy candy. The card that came with this is exclusive to Japan only. I would definitely buy more of these to collect all of the cards.
Koala no March – Strawberry
These cute little crispy shaped koala cookies are known as Koala no March. They have over 200 different flavors which have a delicious sweet filling and each cookie has different koala designs. The outer shell is crispy and very soft on the inside, the strawberry flavor is very intense and tasty. When it comes to Japanese snacks, these are one of the most well known and it’s for a good reason; they’re one of the best.
Sushi Shop Style Miso Soup
Miso soup is a traditional Japanese soup consisting of a stock called “dashi” into which softened miso paste is mixed. Many ingredients are added depending on regional and seasonal recipes, and personal preference. This bag contains 3 pouches of instant miso soup, crafted in the style of the Yamato Sushi Restaurant which is located in the world-famous Tsukiji Fish Market in Tokyo.
Miso soup tends to taste salty with a slight soybean flavor. It’s hard to pinpoint on the taste due to the fact it has no particular taste to it. I will use the other 2 pouches to marinate chicken or fish and then grill it.
Japanese Drink Candy Mix
The packet represents a Japanese drink machine. Which is quite awesome because each candy represents a different drink. The different drinks included in this packet are: Dakara, C C Lemon, Natchan, Aserora, and Dekavita. When you see a drink machine in Japan (whether you’ve visited Japan or seen them in an anime/J-Drama) you want to try them all, with this packet of candy you get to chance to do so!
There are 5 drinks and 5 individually wrapped candies for each flavor, totaling to 25 candies in the bag.
Dakara
This has the refreshing taste of white grapefruit. It only has a small hint of sweetness and is quite sour.
C.C. Lemon
Has a fizzy texture, which is really nice and a hint of lemon tart flavor. The candy is quite hard so I wouldn’t recommend trying to chew it. The flavor is very consistent with the actual drink.
Natchan! Orange
Who thought a drink packaging could be so cute? Not only is it cute, it’s really tasty. It has a smooth flavor just like a cold glass of concentrated orange juice. Magically, it has the same texture as the drink. The candy is smooth in texture and the taste is sweet and orangey.
Dekavita
This comes in a brown bottle in Japan, just like Supermalt and looks deadly. It’s very fizzy, sour and has no real sweetness at all. It reminds me of a really sour lemon candy. The texture is rough just like the taste. If you like sour candies, this one is for you.
Aserora
The taste of this reminds me of expensive cough medicine which tastes like honey and lemon. It’s really sweet and tastes so good. It tastes like pure honey with a hint of lemon. I would definitely recommend these out of them all. It’s a shame only 5 of these came in the pack…
Well that wraps up the August Japanese Snack Subscription from Oyatsu Box. What candy from this post would you like to try? If you’ve tried Japanese snacks/candy before, which ones? Let us know in the comments below.
The first visual of The Disappearance of Nagato Yuki-Chan anime has released on the cover of the October issue of Kadokawa Shoten’s Young Ace magazine, previewing the artstyle of the upcoming anime.
The anime itself has been revealed to be airing next year:
The anime adaptation of the spin-off manga was made late last year. Anime store Docomo was revealed to be streaming the upcoming series, as well as the two other spin-off shows in the Haruhi franchise, The Melancholy of Haruhi-chan Suzumiya and Nyoron Churuya-san.
The Disappearance of Nagato Yuki-chan is a spin-off manga in The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya franchise, where it stars the eponymous character Yuki Nagato. The series takes place in the alternate universe established in The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya. The series is written and drawn by Puyo, which started in February 2010. To date, the series has a total of 5 volumes with the 6th volume releasing on December 26th this year.
There is very little information regarding the anime announcement of The Disappearance of Nagato Yuki-chan, including whether or no Kyoto Animation will produce it. Two other spin-off manga were also produced into anime: The Melancholy of Haruhi-chan Suzumiya and Nyoron Churuya-san.
The Disappearance of Nagato Yuki-chan synopsis from Haruhichan:
Yuki Nagato, the shy president of the literature club, has never been very sure of herself around other people. But around Kyon, the only boy in the tiny, three-person club, Yuki finds herself faltering even more than usual. For Kyon, and for her precious club, Yuki must find her confidence and let her true personality shine! Enjoy taking a fresh look at your favorite characters in this brand-new story set in the world of The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya!
The anime adaptation of The Disappearance of Nagato Yuki-Chan will be airing next year. Further information about the upcoming anime, including its anime studio, will be announced soon.
At the end of last nights television broadcast of Evangelion: 3.33 You Can (Not) Redo, the title and logo of the next film in the Rebuild of Evangelion series was revealed. The fourth and final film will be titled Evangelion 3.0 + 1.0 and will be releasing in Japan in 2015.
The film was originally announced in November 2012 with the title Shin Evangerion Gekijoban:|| with an expected release of 2013.The film’s Japanese titles are named after the Jo-Ha-Kyu classical movements, also known as the Introduction-Exposition-Climax, of traditional Japanese gagaku music and have a separate English international title. The anime’s official website also updated with the new logo, though the final film’s page still retains the original Japanese title.
The Rebuild of Evangelion series is a reboot film series of the original 1995 Neon Genesis Evangelion anime series. Hideaki Anno, the original director of Neon Genesis Evangelion, returns as the writer and general and chief director of the films. The films are produced by Studio Khara instead of Studio Gainax, who produced the original series, and directed by Mahiro Maeda (Gankutsuou) and Kazuya Tsurumaki (FLCL). The first film in the series is Evangelion: 1.0 You Are (Not) Alone and released in 2007, the second film titled Evangelion: 2.0 You Can (Not) Advance released in 2009, and the third film, Evangelion: 3.0 You Can (Not) Redo, released in 2012.
Evangelion 3.0 + 1.0 will be releasing next year. No information about the film has been released so far. More information will release in the upcoming months.
Japanese developer and publisher Sega has released a new promo video for the Playstation 3 and Playstation Vita port of arcade fighting game Dengeki Bunko Fighting Climax. Dengeki Bunko Fighting Climax is a classical arcade style fighter that uses a partner assist system. You will be able to use and pair up characters from light novels published under ACII Media Works Dengeki Bunko Imprint. The game is being developed by French Bread and Ecole Software and is being published by Sega and Dengeki Bunko as a 20 year anniversary celebration of the light novel imprint.
Latest Dengeki Bunko Fighting Climax Promo Video:
Dengeki Bunko Fighting Climax Trailer 1:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gqhhbz7tLCw
Dengeki Bunko Fighting Climax Gameplay:
Dengeki Bunko Fighting Climax is an upcoming 2D fighting game, a crossover game that includes characters from many of ASCII Media Works’ Dengeki Bunko published novels. The game is a project collaboration between Dengeki and Sega to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Dengeki Bunko. The game features characters from over 10 different light novel series, from Sword Art Online to Golden Time. While all the series in the game already have an anime adaptation, the game will feature the light novel designs. The game is a typical 2D fighting game, with light medium and heavy attacks, a support and a special attack. Sega has also revealed that Akira from the Virtua Fighter series will appear as a boss in the game. The game is currently being worked on by the developers of the Valkyria Chronicles series.
The official website of the Durarara!! anime has released the first key visual. The past character key visuals for the anime’s second season can be seen here. Titled Durarara!!x2, the anime will be airing from January 2015 during the winter 2015 anime season.
Durarara!!x2 Promotional video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BlWUpodiGv0
The staff was announced earlier for the second season and is as follows:
Original: Narita Ryohgo “Durarara!!“
Original Illustration: Suzuhito Yasuda
Director: Takahiro Omori
Series Composition: Noboru Takagi
Character Design: Takahiro Kishida
Music: Makoto Yoshimori
Animation Production: Shunatsu
This new anime is part of the 10th anniversary celebration of the Durarara!! series, which began as a light novel series in 2004 published by ASCII Media Works’ Dengeki Bunko. The original light novels ended in January this year, but the creator of the series Ryohgo Narita, has stated that he will be begin a new series of light novels titled Durarara!! SH, set two years after the original’s conclusion. The first issue will release on April 10th. The light novels received an anime adaptation in 2010 from animation studio Brains Base. In addition, two manga adaptations were also released and a few visual novels. To date the light novels has a total of 13 volumes. and are illustrated by Suzuhito Yasuda.
The new Durarara!! season will continue on from the original and will air this Winter anime season.
Amazon have listed the blu-ray limited deluxe edition of the first volume for the Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon: Crystal anime series which has revealed the first blu-ray volume cover along with the goodies that come with it. The release date for the first volume is expected to be released on October 15.
The Blu-ray/DVD release of the first volume will cover episode the first two episodes of the series. The bonuses which come with this volume are as follows: A music box which plays the opening theme “MOON PRIDE” by Momoiro Clover Z, a special illustration, some booklets and two Sailor Moon Crystal charms, commentary audio (planned), creditless opening and ending themes.
Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon: Crystal is a new Sailor Moon anime for the 20th anniversary of Sailor Moon produced by Toei Animation.
Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon: Crystal synopsis from Haruhichan:
New Sailor Moon anime commemorating the 20th anniversary of Sailor Moon.
Usagi Tsukino is a second-year middle school girl who is a little clumsy and a crybaby, but she is full of energy. One day, she meets Luna, a black cat with a crescent moon on her forehead, and she transforms into Sailor Moon, a sailor-uniformed pretty guardian of love and justice! As a chosen guardian of justice, Usagi seems to have a mission to find the Illusionary Silver Crystal with the other guardians and to protect the princess.
Meanwhile, the queen of the Dark Kingdom, Queen Beryl, also sends minions to the town where Usagi lives to obtain the Illusionary Silver Crystal, which has immense power. This causes strange events to unfold…
Can Sailor Moon really find the Illusionary Silver Crystal with the other Sailor guardians, and protect the princess…?!
On the 20 August we reported that the Hunter x Hunter manga will go on hiatus until September 8. This was later delayed due to more back pains that Yoshihiro Togashi was suffering so the hiatus was delayed with another hiatus which we reported on 29 August. It was stated that he is still suffering from lower back pain and there is no exact return date given. I’m sad to announce that another hiatus has been announced. Let the Hiatus x Hiatus begin again.
The magazine has stated that the reasons for more delays are due to his medical condition. Lets hope Yoshihiro Togashi will recover soon.
The manga went on a brief hiatus in July, and Yoshihiro Togashi resumed his manga in June after a hiatus of more than two years. The Hunter x Hunter 2011 anime series will also be ending this year on September 24.
Hunter x Hunter is a manga series by Yoshihiro Togashi. The series started in 1998 and is published in Shueisha’s weekly Shonen Jump Magazine. To date the series has a total of 32 volumes. Yoshihiro Togashi placed the manga on hiatus in March 2012 after setting the record for longest run without breaks, without any news of when the manga will return. The series received an anime adaptation in 1999 from Nippon Animation that ended in 2001, followed by a series of OVAs. A new animated series relaunched in 2011 from Madhouse, retelling the series from the start. Madhouse also produced two animated films, which released in 2013. There has also been two musicals based on the series, and a slew of video games have been released from Konami and Bandai Namco.
Hunter x Hunter 2011 synopsis from Haruhichan:
Remake of the 1999 TV series of Hunter x Hunter based on the manga by Togashi Yoshihiro.
A Hunter is one who travels the world doing all sorts of dangerous tasks. From capturing criminals to searching deep within uncharted lands for any lost treasures. Gon is a young boy whose father disappeared long ago, being a Hunter. He believes if he could also follow his father’s path, he could one day reunite with him.
After becoming 12, Gon leaves his home and takes on the task of entering the Hunter exam, notorious for its low success rate and high probability of death to become an official Hunter. He befriends the revenge-driven Kurapica, the doctor-to-be Leorio and the rebellious ex-assassin Killua in the exam, with their friendship prevailing throughout the many trials and threats they come upon taking on the dangerous career of a Hunter.
We all know Japan is obsessed with Kentucky Fried Chicken, I’m sure you’ve heard of the “Kurisumasu ni wa kentakkii!” (Kentucky for Christmas!) marketing campaign in 1974. Not only do they have wacky campaigns to have an excuse to have KFC for Christmas dinner, but they even have a promotion that is currently running where you can win some unique prizes.
They are giving away these prizes to the people who follow them on twitter. Sadly only one of each of the prizes below will be given out.
If that keyboard wasn’t enough, just look at the chicken drumstick shaped mouse and USB stick:
Finally 47 lucky people will be able to wear a pair of finger-licking good mini drumstick earrings:
Aoki Ume who is known as the character designer for the Mahou Shoujo Madoka Magica series and the original creator of the Hidamari Sketch series has tweeted a sketch of Ryuuko Matoi from the Kill la Kill series.
Amazon have listed the fourth volume for the Hunter x Hunter 2011 anime series which has revealed the fourth blu-ray volume cover along with the goodies that come with it. The release date for the fourth volume is expected to be released on September 24.
The Blu-ray/DVD release of the fourth volume will cover episode 121 to 136 of the Chimera Ant arc which is the sixth story arc of the series. The bonuses which come with this volume are as follows: A tissue case, a pack of 5 postcards, a lottery ticket for further extras, cast interview talk show video, creditless opening and ending.
Hunter x Hunter 2011 Chimera Ant arc visual:
Hunter x Hunter is a manga series by Yoshihiro Togashi. The series started in 1998 and is published in Shueisha’s weekly Shonen Jump Magazine. To date the series has a total of 32 volumes. Yoshihiro Togashi placed the manga on hiatus on in March 2012 after setting the record for longest run without breaks, without any news of when the manga will return. The series received an anime adaptation in 1999 from Nippon Animation that ended in 2001, followed by a series of OVAs. A new animated series relaunched in 2011 from Madhouse began airing on Nippon Television from October 2011 to September 2014, retelling the series from the start. Madhouse also produced two animated films, which released in 2013. There has also been two musicals based on the series, and a slew of video games have been released from Konami and Bandai Namco.
Hunter x Hunter has been a huge financial success and has become one of Shueisha’s best-selling manga series, with it having sold over 65.8 million copies in Japan alone as of February 2013
Hunter x Hunter 2011 synopsis from Haruhichan:
A new adaptation of the manga series by Togashi Yoshihiro.
A Hunter is one who travels the world doing all sorts of dangerous tasks. From capturing criminals to searching deep within uncharted lands for any lost treasures. Gon is a young boy whose father disappeared long ago, being a Hunter. He believes if he could also follow his father’s path, he could one day reunite with him.
After becoming 12, Gon leaves his home and takes on the task of entering the Hunter exam, notorious for its low success rate and high probability of death to become an official Hunter. He befriends the revenge-driven Kurapika, the doctor-to-be Leorio and the rebellious ex-assassin Killua in the exam, with their friendship prevailing throughout the many trials and threats they come upon taking on the dangerous career of a Hunter.
In the Japanese sports newspaper Sports Hochi, an article on A-1 Picture’s Summer 2014 anime Aldnoah.Zero has revealed that the anime is a split cour series, each with 12 episodes. The second cour of Aldnoah.Zero will be skipping the Fall 2014 anime season and will instead air from January in the Winter 2015 anime season.
The article itself is an interview between the publication and two of the production staff on the anime; director Ei Aoki and producer Atsuhiro Iwakami, where they discuss the production on the anime and that it will be a split cour series.
Aldnoah Zero is a brand new original series created by Gen Urobuchi, the writer of the Fate/Zero light novels and anime, and Mahou Shoujo Madoka★Magica. The anime is directed by Ei Aoki who directed the Fate/Zero anime – teaming up with Urobuchi once again. The series is written by the “Olympus Knights”, a group of writers from Nitro+ (known for their science adventure visual novels) that is helmed by Urobuchi. Katsuhiko Takayama (Mirai Nikki) is the series composer, managing the flow and story of the series.
The character concepts are done by Masako Matsumoto (Naruto Shippuden) and the final character designs from Takako Shimura (Aoi Hana). The series features mechs designed by I-IV and Kenji Teraoka (Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex), and the music is composed by Hiroyuki Sawano (Attack on Titan). The series is produced by A-1 Pictures (Sword Art Online, Fairy Tail) and studio TROYCA (new studio opened by Aoki).
The second half of Aldnoah.Zero will be airing from January during the Winter 2015 anime season. The first half of Aldnoah.Zero is currently airing on Sundays at 11:59PM JST.
With almost six months on the backburner, Kill la Kill returns from hiatus with a special episode taking place shortly after the events of the original series. You can read my thoughts on the base series here, but to summarize: Kill la Kill had a fantastic assortment of visual design and character that made it one of the best shows of the last three or four years by a country mile. Let down only by some shoddy animation due to budget, it is definitely worth a watch for its fantastical action and memorable writing.
Kill la Kill Special as such has put quite a bit of weight on TRIGGER’s shoulders, being the lauded twenty fifth and final episode of the series. The original Kill la Kill ended almost perfectly, so adding more on top is a risky move. Titled “Goodbye Once Again”, it is to be considered a final farewell and conclusion to Kill la Kill as a whole. Conclusiveness is a strong theme in this episode, hammering home the idea with constant dialogue that emphasizes that everyone’s time together is coming to an end. This is honestly a refreshing sentiment to see, especially given how popular Kill la Kill has gotten over the course of its life. Too often we see what we love get twisted into something else by stretching itself thin for the sake of viewership. What you see now is the end, and nothing more.
Taking place three weeks after their final encounter with Ragyo, Kill la Kill Special encompasses the events shortly after the end of the original series. Just as everything is supposed to be getting better for everyone at Honnouji Academy, it only seems to get worse as graduation closes in and a mysterious new enemy opposes them. Prepare for all the same stupidity and ridiculousness you’ve come to know, but not necessarily the kind you love. This does not take itself seriously, even in comparison to the early stages of Kill la Kill. Episode 25 is a mostly light-hearted romp with our old friends, and not much else.
This actually leads to one of my biggest complaints with the Kill la Kill Special: it just doesn’t do all that much new. It is blatantly obvious how compact this is, as it feels like the events of at least two episodes compounded into one. On top of that, all it really does is retread existing territory and give a little bit of insight to a character that wasn’t much of one prior. The antagonists feel like they were put in purely to add an enemy to what otherwise didn’t really need them. Almost everything about this feels like it exists only to make fans happy one more time, and not to progress Kill la Kill to the proper conclusion that it already had. It hurts to say it as someone who absolutely adored the original series, but episode 25 is mostly an unnecessary add on.
Kill la Kill Special isn’t all bad, though. It focuses quite a bit on how Satsuki copes with having to put down her blade and start living a normal life. Something fairly well articulated in this episode, as it humanizes her in a way that the show just didn’t. Satsuki’s character was one of the best parts of Kill la Kill, so it is nice to see her get the spotlight and emphasis in the final episode. Ryuko and Mako get their fair share of screen time as well, but nothing significant was really added to them. Ryuko goes through a bit of coping over Senketsu’s death as expected, but it felt rushed and shallow in comparison to their relationship in Kill la Kill. The only notable development outside of Satsuki’s evolution is of Hououmaru Rei, who gets a bit more exposition which leads into a particularly good flashback featuring Ragyo.
Animation quality is surprisingly good in contrast to the original Kill la Kill. Key frames look beautiful and while you still get much of what we have come to expect from modern anime, it pulls its weight pretty well. The musical score, composed by Hiroyuki Sawano, is just as good as you’d expect from him. Sadly, there aren’t any new tracks in Kill la Kill Special. Even the opening for the original series is re-used, which feels especially jarring considering how much of a change of pace this episode is as a whole.
In the end, the detrimentally fast pacing leads Episode 25 to pale in terms of telling a compellingly ridiculous story while staying internally consistent. Things just happen in Kill la Kill Special that are simply glossed over or quickly explained away without much depth. A disappointing conclusion to a series that was otherwise legendary. That being said, Kill la Kill Special is by no means a purely bad experience. Anyone who wants just a little bit more Kill la Kill in their life should definitely check out this special. While it may be a bit of a flaccid conclusion, this still stands as an acceptable episode of the show. TRIGGER could have gone with an episode purely about saying goodbye to the characters we’ve learned to love, but instead decided that there had to be a self contained conflict within it that feels forced and unnecessary. While still a recommended watch, a lowered expectation is advised.
Have you watched Kill la Kill Special? Let us know how you felt in the comments below!
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