Take a Peek at Milinda & Froleytia in the Hot Springs

Hirokazu Tanaka and Keiichi Suzuki’s ethereal soundtrack for the 1994 cult classic Mother 2 – more commonly known for its Western title Earthbound – will receive not just a remaster, but also an exclusive vinyl release for the very first time outside of Japan. Ship to Shore PhonoCo. will be handling production with assistance from Sony Music Entertainment and pre-orders can be made through the former’s Storenvy page.

Earthbound-OST-Vinyl-05 — Front of vinyl jacket

Earthbound-OST-Vinyl-02 — Back of vinyl jacket

The vinyl release of Mother 2‘s soundtrack will include four sides for a total of 26 tracks, including the exhilarate, calming track Onett which could spark the inner wondrous adventurer in you. If you’re a fan of Earthbound or simply looking for great tunes, this might be the perfect vinyl for you! With an expected release window of early 2016, you won’t have to wait too long either.

Thankfully for those interested, Ship to Shore Phon0Co. has published a sneak peak of the remastered soundtrack with a sampler on SoundCloud.

Gundam Models Fan Makes a One-Punch Man Inspired Model

By

Feyris

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November 30, 2015

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Justin Gundam Custom, a Japanese Gundam models fan, revealed his latest custom model inspired by the notorious Saitama and Genos from the airing anime, manga and web-comic One-Punch Man! Check out the amazing and hilarious result:

Justin Gundam Custom is a well-known custom Gundam model creator, he’s also the maker of this Darth Vader custom model below.

You can check his recent models on his website.

Source: Crunchyroll

Assassination Classroom Second Season Key Visual Revealed

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November 30, 2015

The official website for the second season of Yusei Matsui’s Shonen Jump hit Assassination Classroom (Ansatsu Kyoushitsu) TV anime has revealed a new key visual. The series will premiere on January 7, 2016 on Fuji TV and Kansai TV. New episodes will air on Thursday nights. The series will also air on Tokai TV, BS Fuji, and other channels.

A teaser commercial for the anime’s second season was recently revealed:

The first season of the anime began this January in the Winter 2015 anime season and ran for 2 cours spanning 22 episodes. The final episode itself aired on Saturday, June 20th where the second season was unveiled at the end of the episode.

A new key visual featuring the students of Class 3-E for the upcoming climax of the first season was revealed earlier:

Anime visual:

Assassination Classroom is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Yusei Matsui. The series began serialization Shueisha’s Weekly Shonen Jump magazine from July 2012 and is licensed in English by Viz Media. The series follows the daily lives of an extremely powerful octopus-like teacher and his students dedicated to the task of assassinating him to prevent Earth from being destroyed. As of March 2015, thirteen tankobon volumes have been released in Japan with a circulation of ten million copies.

A single original video animation adaptation by Brain’s Base based on the series was screened at the Jump Super Anime Tour on October to November 2013. This was followed by a television anime adaptation by Lerche, which began airing on Fuji TV in January 2015. This adaptation has been licensed by Funimation for release in North America. The series was obtained by Madman Entertainment for digital distribution in Australia and New Zealand. A live action film adaptation was released on March 21, 2015.

Assassination Classroom (Ansatsu Kyoushitsu) synopsis from Haruhichan.

The students of class 3-E have a mission: kill their teacher before graduation. He has already destroyed the moon, and has promised to destroy the Earth if he can not be killed within a year. But how can this class of misfits kill a tentacled monster, capable of reaching Mach 20 speed, who may be the best teacher any of them have ever had?

The second season of the Assassination Classroom anime is currently in production and will air on Fuji TV and Kansai TV on January 7 2016, during the Winter 2015/2016 anime season. Further information about the second season will be revealed later in the year.

Source: Assassination Classroom official website, Moca News

Stage Reading of Yaoi Novel to Be Presented at Sanrio Puroland

By

Feyris

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November 30, 2015

Shimakaze can be pre-ordered here

The Sanrio Puroland, one of Tokyo’s greated theme park by the company behind Hello Kitty & friends, Sanrio, will present a very controversial stage reading of Ikuta-san-chi no Kome Ouji (The Rice Prince of the Ikuta Clan), a yaoi novel written by Sa To Michiru and Kusama Sakae.

Synopsys by ANN:

The story follows Banri Tatsukawa, whose company goes bankrupt and who then gets thrown into a rice field in a bicycle accident. He’s helped by the bearish owner of the field, Amata Ikuta. Banri has a dream of becoming a yuru-chara (regional mascot)-like idol named Kome Ouji (the Rice Prince) to help revitalize local agriculture, and Amata shares his concern for rural development, but they’ll have to deal with Mr. Wakamiya, who holds farming in contempt.

But the reading of a yaoi novel is not the most incredible thing happening at Sanrio Puroland; being the mascot of Sanrio and its theme park, an unknown role will be taken by Hello Kitty herself.

For the other roles, Yuuta Kasuya (Shun Andromeda from Saint Seiya) will play Banri Tatsukawa, Daisuke Kishio (Shinobu Takatsuki from Junjou Romantica) will play Amata Ikuta and Tsubasa Hattori will play Mr. Wakamiya.

Source: ANN

Shimakaze’s Cutely Damaged Form in a Figure

By

Olivia Lynn

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November 30, 2015

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“Hawaa! I never thought they’d manage to hit me…!” This little cutie has been cutely damaged during battle! 1/8th scale and about 190mm tall, this figure would be a wonderful addition to any collector or lover of Kantai Collection. The destroyer Shimakaze has been sculpted in her major damage version with a look of surprise and embarrassment as her clothes drift away, her socks ripped.

The original illustration from the game has been faithfully brought to life in this figure, which even includes three adorable Rensouhou-chan characters taking damage around her.

Kantai Collection – Shimakaze 1/8 Figure Major Damage Ver. – Pre-orders are currently available on JList and is scheduled to be released in February 2016.

Sailor Moon Luna Themed Wallet and Accessory Collection

By

Olivia Lynn

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November 30, 2015

Sailor Moon is the one show that keeps on giving, and sure enough there are brand new accessories. This latest Luna Leather Collection is a versatile edition to the Sailor Moon accessory lines, in which they are more functional and fit for every day use. These cat, sailor senshi themes are sure to make you say, “In the name of the moon, I will buy this!”

The collection is made up of four pieces ranging from price from $176 USD to less pricier options. The items include wallets and ID cases all embossed with the Sailor Guardians’ planetary symbols, a crescent moon, and cute little cat ears.

Pre-orders are available at Premium Bandai, and the items are set for release in January 2016.

Source: Crunchyroll

Japanese PlayStation Store Closing for PSP in March 2016

By

Erik Hrothgar

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November 30, 2015

After almost eight years of service, Sony Computer Entertainment announced they will be shutting down their Japanese PlayStation Store on the PlayStation Portable on March 31, 2016. Even though you won’t be able to make purchases through the loveable handheld, don’t fret for you will be able to continue purchasing PSP titles through your browser, the PlayStation Vita store, and even the PlayStation 3 store.

Afraid of deleting a game to make space on your memory stick? No need to fear, for you will still be able to directly download that game in the future. Subsequently, the PlayStation Store’s closure on the PSP will also affect the UMD Passport Service – which served as a way for physical PSP games to be registered on your PlayStation Vita for a fee – thus meaning the Passport Service will also cease operation on March 31.

Despite moderate support from Sony with first-party titles, like the perplexingly addictive rhythm game Patapon, the PlayStation Portable was met with an overwhelming, collective war cry from third-party Japanese developers and publishers with new games releasing well into the lifespan of its successor, the PlayStation Vita which debuted in December 2011 in Japan. The PSP knocked on Nintendo’s door for a respectable amount of time with an intimidating 80 million units sold and an unbelievable ten-year stretch before finally being discontinued in 2014. It would appear that, with this recent move to shut down the PlayStation Store on the PSP, this is Sony’s final step in securing the PSP’s legacy and allowing the PlayStation Vita to truly shine as its successor.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dv6HBvkwe80

Source: Gematsu

Gender-Swapped Trafalgar Law Figure Previewed

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November 29, 2015

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During the Megahobby Expo 2015 event this weekend, Autumn introduced a number of upcoming figures coming from Bandai’s Megahouse. Among the previews was an eye-catching One Piece Portrait of Pirates IRO gender-swapped Trafalgar Law figure, inspired by Eiichiro Oda’s series of bonus Emporio Ivankov’s Horu Horu no Mi effect illustrations.

Gender-swapped Trafalgar Law
Bathing Beauties Nami
Limited edition POP Sanji
POP Sailing Again Luffy v.2
Action Figure Dracule Mihawk

Source: Crunchyroll

Danboard Computer Glasses Available for Pre-Order

By

Olivia Lynn

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November 29, 2015

Tokyo Otaku Mode presents original computer glasses modeled after the popular character from Yotsuba&!, Danboard.

The frames are a soft tan color, made from acetate. There are different shades of this beige on the interior and exterior, giving the wearer a unique look with each angle. The temple tips have an adorable Danboard face on them. Danboard’s coin slot is also fashionably expressed on the front of the frames, giving them a playful feel.

The glasses also come paired with a case, which is designed with a cute Danboard face on it. The glasses’ cloth also portrays the character’s cute visage.

These computer glasses aren’t all fashion. The glasses also have blue light cutting lenses to keep your eyes healthy and strain free while on the computer, your phone, or while gaming. These specially designed lenses will keep out blue light that is emitted from electronic devices.

The set, which includes the glasses, case, and glasses’ cloth, is priced at $148.99 USD and is available for pre-order on Tokyo Otaku Mode. They will be released in February 2016.

Source: Tokyo Otaku Mode

Panty Shot Yuki Nonaka Figure

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Yuki Nonaka can be pre-ordered here.

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November 29, 2015

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From anime adaptation of Tesuto Uesu and Nekosuke Ookuma’s light novel series Shinmai Maou no Testament (The Testament of Sister New Devil) comes a sexy figure of blue haired and calm heroine Yuki Nonaka that is sure to capture the hearts of men everywhere. Yuki is presented in a sexy pose with striped blue bra exposed and panties too if you look at her back! A wonderful item for bishoujo figure collectors. By Pulchra.

Shinmai Maou no Testament – Yuki Nonaka 1/8 Figure – Pre-orders are currently available on JList and is scheduled to be released in May 2016.

Seductive Mio Naruse Figure Revealed

By

Mio Naruse can be pre-ordered here.

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November 29, 2015

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From anime adaptation of Tesuto Uesu and Nekosuke Ookuma’s light novel series Shinmai Maou no Testament (The Testament of Sister New Devil) comes a sexy figure of red headed fiery heroine Mio Naruse that is sure to capture the hearts of men everywhere. Mio is presented in a sexy pose with pink bra exposed and panties too if you look at her back! A wonderful item for bishoujo figure collectors. By Pulchra.

Shinmai Maou no Testament – Mio Naruse 1/8 Figure – Pre-orders are currently available on JList and is scheduled to be released in May 2016.

Mangaka Jinpachi Mori Passes Away

By

himecatherine

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November 29, 2015

Mangaka Jinpachi Mori passed away on November 21st, at 7:24am. He lost his battle with esophageal cancer at the age of 57. It was revealed last year, in July that he had the cancer inside of him, so he may very well have fought the cancer for over 2 years before succumbing to the disease.

Mori was born in Sasebo, Nagasaki in 1958. After his graduation from the Nihon University College of Art, he started writing in magazines, premiering his debut manga, Kisai no Hito in Shogakukan’s Big Comic Original magazine in 1988, with art by Osamu Uoto. The manga centers around Kawata Yoshio, a family court judge who loved flowers. It received a live-action television drama in 1993 on TBS.

Other manga of his include Benkei in New York, Tsuchi no Ko, Tajikarao, Saiban’in no Megami, and Nozomi.

Mori challenged the strengthening of Japanese juvenile law, and encouraged social and community-based rehabilitation of delinquent juveniles. His final work is a book titled, Kisai no Hito kara Kimi e no Yuigon: Sasebo Koichi Dokyusei Satsugai Jiken to Shonen-ho, where he discusses the history of juvenile law in Japan. You can find it on Amazon.jp here.

Manga creators like Mori, such as Tooru Fujisawa, the creator of Great Teacher Onizuka and Kouji Mori, the creator of Holyland, are all pivotal authors, as despite them being in the 50’s, still write and discuss the idea of understanding and connecting with the youth, even once you leave that part of your life, as you yourself understand the struggles of adolescence, and the trials of entering adulthood. May Jinpachi Mori rest in peace, and may his family be well.

Source: ANN

Assassination Classroom Second Season Slated for January 7

By

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November 29, 2015

This year’s 53rd issue of Shueisha’s Weekly Shonen Jump magazine will be announcing on Monday that the second season of Yusei Matsui’s Shonen Jump hit Assassination Classroom (Ansatsu Kyoushitsu) TV anime will premiere on January 7, 2016 on Fuji TV and Kansai TV. New episodes will air on Thursday nights. The series will also air on Tokai TV, BS Fuji, and other channels.

A teaser commercial for the anime’s second season was recently revealed:

The first season of the anime began this January in the Winter 2015 anime season and ran for 2 cours spanning 22 episodes. The final episode itself aired on Saturday, June 20th where the second season was unveiled at the end of the episode.

A new key visual featuring the students of Class 3-E for the upcoming climax of the first season was revealed earlier:

Anime visual:

Assassination Classroom is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Yusei Matsui. The series began serialization Shueisha’s Weekly Shonen Jump magazine from July 2012 and is licensed in English by Viz Media. The series follows the daily lives of an extremely powerful octopus-like teacher and his students dedicated to the task of assassinating him to prevent Earth from being destroyed. As of March 2015, thirteen tankobon volumes have been released in Japan with a circulation of ten million copies.

A single original video animation adaptation by Brain’s Base based on the series was screened at the Jump Super Anime Tour on October to November 2013. This was followed by a television anime adaptation by Lerche, which began airing on Fuji TV in January 2015. This adaptation has been licensed by Funimation for release in North America. The series was obtained by Madman Entertainment for digital distribution in Australia and New Zealand. A live action film adaptation was released on March 21, 2015.

Assassination Classroom (Ansatsu Kyoushitsu) synopsis from Haruhichan.

The students of class 3-E have a mission: kill their teacher before graduation. He has already destroyed the moon, and has promised to destroy the Earth if he can not be killed within a year. But how can this class of misfits kill a tentacled monster, capable of reaching Mach 20 speed, who may be the best teacher any of them have ever had?

The second season of the Assassination Classroom anime is currently in production and will air on Fuji TV and Kansai TV on January 7 2016, during the Winter 2015/2016 anime season. Further information about the second season will be revealed later in the year.

Source: Assassination Classroom official website, ANN

Kono Subarashii Sekai Ni Shukufuku Wo! Anime Adaptation Slated for January 14

By

-

November 29, 2015

4

Japanese light novel imprint Kadokawa’s Sneaker Bunko has revealed that a TV anime adaptation of Natsume Akatsuki and Kurone Mishima’s Kono Subarashii Sekai ni Shukufuku wo! (Give Blessings to This Wonderful World!) light novel series is in production. The anime’s website has revealed that the anime starts from January 14th next year, in addition to the reveal of the cast, staff, visuals and promotional video.

The main cast of the anime has been revealed and includes:

Jun Fukushima (Yoshihisa Manabe from Kotoura-san) will voice Kazuma Satou
Sora Amamiya (Miia from Monster Musume) voicing as Aqua
Rie Takahashi (Akane Uchida in Shirobako) as Megumin
Ai Kayano (Menma in AnoHana) voices Raratina Dustiness Ford
Sayuri Hara (Mio Honda in The iDOLM@STER Cinderella Girls) will play the role of Luna
Tetsu Inada (Ira Gamagoori from Kill la Kill) voices a Ruffian
Ayaka Suwa (Tokaku Azuma in Akuma no Riddle) as Chris
Hiroki Yasumoto (Germany from Hetalia) is going to voice Beldia Dullahan
Takuya Eguchi (Kazuya Kujou in Gosick) will be voicing the role of Kyouya Mitsurugi
Yui Horie (Tsubasa Hanekawa from Bakemonogatari) is voicing Wiz

The production staff of the anime has:

Director: Takaomi Kanasaki (Tokyo Ravens, Kore wa Zombie Desu ka?)
Series Composer: Makoto Uezu (School Days, Yuuki Yuuna wa Yuusha de Aru)
Anime Character Designer: Koichi Kikuta (Seitokai Yakuindomo and Robotics;Notes Animation Director)
Art Director: Masakazu Miyake (Jinrui wa Suitai Shimashita, Kamisama Dolls)
Sound Director: Yoshikazu Iwanami (Fate/Zero, Sword Art Online)
Animation Studio: Studio Deen (Higurashi no Naku Koro ni, Rurouni Kenshin)

Japanese pop singer Machico will perform the anime’s Opening theme song “fantastic dreamer” with voice actresses Sora Amamiya, Rie Takahashi and Ai Kayano singing the Ending theme song “Chiisana Boukensha” in character.

The website also revealed two additional visuals:

Here is the first promotional video for Kono Subarashii Sekai ni Shukufuku wo!:

Kono Subarashii Sekai ni Shukufuku wo! (Give Blessings to This Wonderful World!) is a fantasy adventure light novel series written by Natsume Akatsuki and illustrated by Kurone Mishima. The series began in October 2013 being published under Kadokawa Shoten’s Sneaker Bunko imprint, where a total of 7 volumes have been produced to date. A spin-off light novel series titled Kono Subarashii Sekai ni Bakuen o! is also being produced alongside the parent novel, with 3 volumes to date. A manga adaptation is currently being serialized in Fujimi Shobo’s Monthly Dragon Age magazine.

Subarashii Sekai ni Shukufuku wo! synopsis from MAL:

The life of Satou Kazuma, a hikikomori who likes games, all too soon came to an end because of a traffic accident… It was supposed to, but when he woke up, a beautiful girl who called herself a goddess was in front of his eyes.

“Hey, I have got something a little nice for you. Wanna go to another world? You can take only one thing of your choice along with you.”

“…then I’ll take you.”

From here on, the great adventure of subjugating the Demon King will begin for the reincarnated Kazuma… Or so one would think, but it’s the labor for obtaining food, clothing and shelter that begins! Despite Kazuma wanting to live in peace, the goddess keeps causing problems one after another, and eventually, they attract the attention of the Demon King’s army!?

The Kono Subarashii Sekai ni Shukufuku wo! anime will start its broadcast from Thursday January 14th at 1:05am JST on Tokyo MX, airing every week in that timeslot. The series will also air on Sun TV at 1:30am JST. The anime will also air on Chiba TV and TVK at 1:00am JST on the following day, with a TV Saitama and Mie TV broadcast with the hour.

You can visit the anime’s website here: http://konosuba.com/
And follow their Twitter: @konosubaanime

Dead or Alive Xtreme 3 Confirmed for No Western Release

By

himecatherine

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November 29, 2015

4

The Team Ninja community manager confirmed, on November 18th, on the Dead or Alive Facebook page that the company does not, and will not publish Dead or Alive Xtreme 3 in the West. KOEI Temco Europe responded to the situation by commending the Team Ninja community manager, saying, “Kudos to the TN’s CM for being honest. But if you really want it, you can import EN ver.” KOEI Temco Games announced the game in August, and the company specified that the game would be exclusive to Japan, and the rest of Asia. The Asian release will have an English-language option, so those who elect to import the game will not be dead in the water trying to play it.

This series is no stranger to controversy, and money talks, so perhaps, with enough demand, and time for the controversy surrounding this game, and titles similar to it to die down a bit, Team Ninja will elect to reconsider their stance on releasing it in the West.

If you really are a fan of this series and want to get your hands on it, you can pre-order it here. The game is scheduled to ship for Playstation Vita, as well as the Playstation 4 on February 25th of next year.

Dead or Alive Xtreme 3 is an upcoming video game in the Dead or Alive series, currently in development by Team Ninja to be published by Koei Tecmo as the third main sequel to the beach volleyball spin-off title Dead or Alive Xtreme Beach Volleyball. It is to be released under two titles for the two different platforms, as Dead or Alive Xtreme 3: Fortune for the PlayStation 4 and as Dead or Alive Xtreme 3: Venus for the PlayStation Vita. The game will be released in Japan on February 25, 2016, but will not be released in Western territories.

Be sure to check out the developer’s site here.

And then see the publisher’s site, here.

Source: ANN, Twitter

Top 20 Most Pure and Innocent Anime Characters

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