Introducing the Saitama Nendoroid from the hit action packed One Punch Man anime series. Saitama comes with two expressions: his unconcerned face and serious face plus a set of extra parts such as a supermarket bag, extra hands, and more. From Good Smile Company.
One Punch Man – Saitama Nendoroid Figure – Pre-orders are available on Jlist here and is expected to be released in April 2016.
The December 2015 issue of Megami has featured a poster of Asami Hoshi, Eri Higuchi and Shizuno Saotome from the Anitore! EX (Anime de Training! EX) TV anime series. You can purchase this issue of Megami magazine here and view the other posters that came in this issue here.
The new original TV anime Anitore! EX (Anime de Training! EX) premiered on Tokyo MX TV, Sun TV, and Niconico on October 12.
The main characters include:
The main staff members of the upcoming anime have also been revealed. They consist of:
Anime visual:
Anitore! EX synopsis from Haruhichan:
“Move your soul and body!” Each episode contains a variety of routines, such as push-ups, sit-ups, spine twists, dance, yoga, stretches, trunk training, and taichi. Five girls aiming to become idols will exercise with you, and that troubling body fat percentage will go down by 1000%…!?
The Anitore! EX TV anime will air this Fall/Autumn from October 12th on Tokyo MX. Further information about the anime will be revealed in the upcoming weeks.
You can visit the anime’s website here: http://anime-training.com/
And follow their Twitter: @anitore_ex
Koi’s 4koma manga series Gochuumon wa Usagi Desu ka? (Is the order a rabbit?) has been featured as a poster in the December 2015 issue of Megami. You can purchase this issue of Megami magazine here and view the other posters that came in this issue here.
The girls were have been featured as a Halloween poster in the December 2015 issue of NyanType. You can purchase this issue of NyanType magazine here and view the other posters that came in this issue here.
In addition to this, another Halloween themed poster of the girls has been featured in the December 2015 issue of Megami. You can purchase this issue of Megami magazine here.
Another poster visual has been featured in the November 2015 issue of NyanType. You can purchase this issue of NyanType magazine here and you can view the other posters that come in this issue here.
In addition to this, Chino Kafuu and Kokoa Hoto were preparing for the sequel anime in a new poster visual in the October 2015 issue of Megami.
Gochuumon wa Usagi Desu ka?, also known in short form as GochiUsa, is a Japanese 4-panel comedy manga series by Koi, serialized in Houbunsha’s seinen manga magazine Manga Time Kirara Max since March 2011. It has been collected in three tankobon volumes as of March 2014. An anime television series adaptation by White Fox aired in Japan between April and June 2014. The second season is currently airing.
Synopsis of GochiUsa‘s first season from Haruhichan:
Cocoa arrives at the cafe Rabbit House one day, excited for rabbits. She actually all but lives in that cafe. She meets lots of different girls there, including a tiny and cool girl named Chino, a tough and soldier-esque girl named Rize, a spacey and quintessentially Japanese girl named Chiyo, and the ordinary but dignified Sharo.
You can visit the anime’s website here: http://www.gochiusa.com/
And follow the anime on Twitter: @usagi_anime
Various girls from the Girls und Panzer series have been featured in the December 2015 issue of Megami as a poster in celebration of the upcoming movie premiere on November 21. You can purchase this issue of Megami magazine here and view the other posters that came in this issue here.
In addition to this, another poster of the series has been featured in the November 2015 issue of the Japanese anime magazine Megami. You can purchase this issue of Megami magazine here and view the other posters that came in this issue here.
Various girls from the series were also featured as a poster in the September issue of Megami. You can view the other posters that come in this issue here.
Girls und Panzer is a 2012 Japanese anime television series created by Actas. It depicts a competition between girls’ high schools practicing tank warfare as a sport. The series was directed by Tsutomu Mizushima and produced by Kiyoshi Sugiyama. Takaaki Suzuki, who has earlier acted as a military history advisor for Strike Witches and Upotte!!, was involved in the production of the anime. The series initially aired in Japan between October and December 2012, with two additional episodes airing in March 2013 and an original video animation released in July 2014. Five manga series and a light novel adaptation have been published by Media Factory. An animated film had been announced for release in 2014, however was pushed back to Q2 2015.
Here is a synopsis of the series from Haruhichan:
You may have heard of kung fu, but the girls at Oarai High School practice gun-fu—really, really BIG 75mm gun-fu, in fact. It’s called Sensha-do, and it’s the martial art of operating armored tanks! They take it seriously too, and since winning the national Sensha-do championship is such a huge deal at Oarai, they sometimes go to extreme ends in order to get the best students from Panzer class to sign up. Which is how Miho Nishizumi, who HATES operating tanks, gets drafted to join doomsday-driven driver Mako, even-triggered gunner Hana, highly receptive radio operator Saori and combustible tank-fangirl and loader Yukari as the incomparable Anko Team. They may not be on the half-track to fame and fortune, and maybe a few of them would rather shop for tank tops than become tops in tanks, but once their focus is locked and loaded, they’re absolutely driven.
You can visit the anime’s website here: http://girls-und-panzer.jp/
And follow their Twitter: @garupan
Issue #1405 of the Weekly Famitsu is finally out and, with it, comes an avalanche of fantastic scans for upcoming Japanese releases such as Genei Ibun Roku #FE, the peculiar cross-over between Shin Megami Tensei and Fire Emblem, and the new Attack on Titan game being developed by Omega Force. Accompanying these juicy previews, Weekly Famitsu also features reviews for some of the new releases in Japan. For those uninitiated in Famitsu’s disparate approach to critiquing games, the publication takes four in-house journalists and each one of them can rate a title up to 10, combining for a grand total of 40 points.
First and foremost, the magazine starts with the upcoming fifth entry in the Star Ocean JRPG series, Star Ocean 5: Integrity and Faithlessness. The following scans elaborate information on not just two new characters, Emerson and Anne, but also explains segments of the battle system. Emerson looks to be a character who plays from a range with his bow-like firearm while Anne, who accompanies Emerson in the plot, could play a more in-your-face, albeit rouge-like stature in combat.
Players will be allowed to assign up to four “roles” to each character which are split into two categories: attack and defense. However simplistic it may sound, the game reportedly features a “Factor” system that dynamically alters a character’s tactics by enhancing their abilities. These “Factors” can be as simple as a tank-like character dismissing defense to prioritize attacks or falling back and using skill-based moves and playing a more defensive stance. As with most JRPGs, you will level up for continuing to use these roles and the aforementioned “Factors” will become even stronger.
Star Ocean 5: Integrity and Faithlessness, developed by tri-Ace and published by Square Enix, will be releasing for PlayStation 3 and PlayStation 4 on Feb. 25, 2016 in Japan while North America and Europe should expect the title some time later in 2016.
Next up on the roster, Genei Ibun Roku #FE, the expressive collaboration between Atlus and Nintendo which was first announced as Shin Megami Tensei x Fire Emblem, flaunts its characters with style.
Genei Ibun Roku #FE will be released for the Nintendo Wii U on Dec. 26, 2015 in Japan, though North American and European release dates have not yet been disclosed.
As if timed perfectly alongside our article about Koei Tecmo’s plans for 2016, screenshots for the Attack on Titan game, developed by Omega Force (Dynasty Warriors franchise) and based off of Hajime Isayama’s manga of the same name, reveal more playable characters such as Krista Lenz, Ymir, Bertolt Hoover, Reiner Braun, and Annie Leonhart. Those who itch for a collector’s edition will be happy to hear that a “Treasure Pack” edition is due to release parallel to the standard, retail version. The Treasure Pack will run you a pretty 12,800 yen (approx. $105 USD) and will be packed with a soundtrack, scarf, badges for Eren, Mikasa, and Levi, and a code which will net you some exclusive costumes.
Additionally, Koei Tecmo shed light on how the Attack on Titan game will operate, saying that you will expend gas with every use of the 3D Maneuver Gear and your blades will also wear down over time much like the source material. Don’t expect to play like a god because it will be imperative that you trade equipment, refill your gas tanks, and replace your blades accordingly. What’s interesting, however, is how there will be weapons never before seen in both the manga and anime.
Attack on Titan is expected to be released in Winter of 2015 and has been confirmed for a 2016 release in North America and Europe for PlayStation 4 and PlayStation Vita.
Fairy Fencer F: Advent Dark Force – a remaster of Fairy Fencer F, originally released on the PlayStation 3 – received a little love from from Famitsu and a trailer was also posted online, giving us a look into what developer Compile Heart has in store. With new enhancements like a new six-man battle system, a new story route, and options for an even harder difficulty, masochists and JRPGs will have even more to chew down on when the game ships in Japan on Nov. 5, 2015 for PlayStation 4.
We also get a good luck at Gravity Rush 2, the sequel to SCE Japan Studio’s ex-PlayStation Vita exclusive Gravity Rush, with protagonists Kat and Raven looking stylish as ever.
Gravity Rush 2, otherwise known as Gravity Daze 2, will release in North America, Europe, and Japan in 2016. For those who want to experience the original, you can pick up Gravity Rush on PlayStation Vita or wait for the release of Gravity Rush Remastered which will be out on Dec. 10, 2015 in Japan and Feb. 9 and Feb. 10 for North America and Europe, respectively.
Another HD remaster pops up in the form of Resident Evil Zero HD Remaster which features a cheeky nod to an easter egg in Resident Evil 2 where Rebecca Chambers, a playable character in Resident Evil Zero, shows up in a photo, dressed in a sports-top and bloomers with the Raccoon City Police Department insignia adorned on her chest.
According to the official Steam page, Resident Evil Zero HD Remaster will release in early 2016. Alongside that release, players will also have the option of purchasing the Resident Evil Origins Collection which will include the HD remaster for the first Resident Evil and Resident Evil Zero HD Remaster.
Famitsu continues to provide an onslaught of previews, images, and information on various other titles such as Bloodborne: The Old Hunters, an expansion to the gothic-horror action-adventure Bloodborne. Developed by From Software, the masterminds behind the frenetic Dark Souls series, Famitsu’s website confirms they will provide more information within the week.
Bloodborne: The Old Hunters has a confirmed, worldwide release date of Nov. 24, 2015.
Is that not enough for you? How about the massive Project X Zone 2: Brave New World, featuring a roster of characters from Bandai Namco, Capcom, and Sega games?
Hot off the announcement that Dhalsim would be featured as a release character for Street Fighter V, the elastic yoga expert is back and has a diverse new combo system to heat things up. Laura Matsuda, a new character for the franchise and older sister to Street Fighter III: Third Strike‘s Sean Matsuda, also makes an appearance and is looking fierce as ever being the first grappler character in the franchise to have a projectile.
Coincidentally, Shoryuken reported that, through data-mining, even more characters will either be announced or come out after release with voice clips hinting at the inclusion of characters like Super Street Fighter IV‘s Juri Han and a new, unannounced character “Fan/Fun.” Experience Street Fighter V for yourself on Feb. 16, 2016 when it launches for PlayStation 4 and PC in North America and Feb. 18 in Japan.
Other titles shown off in this week’s Famitsu include Nitroplus Blasters: Heroine Infinite Duel, a fighting game developed by Examu (Arcana Heart, Aquapazza) which will feature a numerous amount of Nitroplus characters including their own mascot, Super Sonico.
XSEED Games will be publishing Nitroplus Blasterz: Heroine Infinite Duel for a North America release in Jan. 2016.
Below are other titles featured in this week’s Famitsu that, unfortunately, are not confirmed for North American or Europeans releases with only two games, Mobile Suit Gundam: Extreme VS Force and Romance of the Three Kingdoms 13, confirmed for an English release in Asia.
Sources: All Games Beta, Gematsu [1], [2], [3], Siliconera
The official website of Osomatsu-san has revealed that the first Blu-ray Disc/DVD volume of the series will not include the first episode “Fukkatsu! Osomatsu-kun,” and will instead include a completely new episode in its place. The first Blu-ray/DVD volume is slated for a January 29 release.
Yuichi Takahashi of TV Tokyo apologized for the series’ third episode during a press conference on October 29. The episode contained a parody of the Anpanman children’s anime character. The first and second episodes of the show also contained parodies of many other series, such as Attack on Titan, Boys Over Flowers, and Sailor Moon.
Osomatsu-san visual:
Osomatsu-kun is a manga series by Fujio Akatsuka which ran in Shounen Sunday from 1962 to 1969. It has been adapted into two different anime series of the same name, the first in 1966, produced by Studio Zero, and the second in 1988, produced by Pierrot and aired across Japan on Fuji Television, the anime satellite television network, Animax, and the South Korean kids channel, Cartoon Network Korea. A new anime series by Studio Pierrot, Osomatsu-san, began airing in October 2015 to celebrate Akatsuka’s 80th birthday (Akatsuka passed away in 2008 at age 72).
Osomatsu-san synopsis from Haruhichan:
Matsuno household has six naughty and mischievous sons (who are sextuplets), led by the eldest Osomatsu. They were grade schoolers back in the Shouwa period, but despite of still living in the same old household, the street view as well as the life style of modern day society have changed drastically.
The results for the official Sword Art Online popularity poll by Dengeki Bunko have been announced. The poll had a total of 68,993 participants and the top 10 include:
10) Silica (ALO – Cait Sith ver.)
9) Asuna (Alicization ver.)
8) Kibaou
7) Yui (SAO ver.)
6) Alice Synthesis Thirty
5) Eugeo
4) Kirito (SAO)
3) Sinon (GGO)
2) Yuuki (ALO)
1) Asuna (SAO – Knights of Blood)
Good Smile Company have revealed images of the upcoming nendoroid figure of One Punch Man‘s Saitama. He comes with two head parts with different expressions – one with his standard unconcerned expression and one with a more serious expression to show off during battle scenes! He also comes with a super market packet to hold to display the calmer side of his life.
Amiami have listed him for a April 2016 release date for the total of 4,200 (34.57) yen.
A commercial for this video was also posted:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=czDp-UKmBI4
Source: Amiami
Switch and Dragon Toy have revealed images for of a top-quality figure of beautiful and sexy warrior lady battling against a vile tentacle monster. Her clothes have been ripped and damage from her fight with the tentacle monster while she struggles to keep the beast at bay. An original figure based on the top notch designs of popular ero illustrator Odanon.
Slime tono Tatakai – Yuusha Marudea 1/6 Figure – Pre-orders are available on Jlist here and is expected to be released in May 2016.
The official website of Ao Jumonji and Eiri Shirai’s Hai to Gensou no Grimgar (Grimgar of Fantasy and Ash) light novel series has announced that the series receive a TV anime adaptation in January 2016. The anime’s website has launched revealing the first visual, promotional video and main staff of the upcoming series.
Hai to Gensou no Grimgar (Grimgar of Fantasy and Ash) anime promotional video:
The first members of the anime’s production staff were also revealed and includes:
Hai to Gensou no Grimgar (Grimgar of Fantasy and Ash) is a fantasy light novel series written by Ao Jumonji and features illustrations from Eiri Shirai. The series began in 2013 and is being published under Overlap Bunko. To date a total of 6 volumes have been released. The series also inspired a manga adaptation by Mutsumi Okubashi, which is being serialized in Square Enix’s Gangan Joker magazine since April this year.
Here is the series synopsis from MAL:
Why are we here? Why are we doing this?
Before Haruhiro had realized what happened, he was surrounded by darkness. Why was he here? Where was here? Even now, he still didn’t know. Those around him were the same as him, no one remembered anything other than their own names. And when they emerged from the darkness, the world that awaited them seemed like something out of a video game.
In order to survive, Haruhiro forms a party with the others, learns fighting skills, and as a soldier in the reserve force, takes his first steps into the world of Grimgar. What awaits him there, he doesn’t know…
This the story of an adventure born from the ashes.
The Hai to Gensou no Grimgar TV anime will air from January 2016 during the Winter 2015/2016 anime season. Further information about the series will be revealed in the upcoming weeks.
You can visit the anime’s website here: http://grimgar.com/
And follow their Twitter: @grimgar_anime
The official website of the Macross franchise revealed that Macross Delta will be the new Macross television anime’s finalized name. The website also posted a new visual which reveals the project’s logo, two fighters, and the catch phrase “Gekitsui se yo” (Shoot [it] down).
The first footage of the Macross Delta anime will be shown during a New Year’s Eve special on TV this year. The staff of the anime have hinted that the special will also be airing the first full episode. The anime is a direct sequel to the 2008 anime Macross Frontier, set 8 years after its events.
The anime’s site has three brand new visuals that introduce the two leading factions of the series. The visual above features new fighters that are called Valkyries. The next visual features the 5 members of the Tactical Sound Unit Walkure, which are composed of idols.
They will be up against the 5 members of the Aerial Knights Valkyrie team from the Kingdom of Wind.
The first cast member of the anime has been revealed. A competition was held late last year by the anime’s staff in a set of singing auditions. Eventually, Minori Suzuki won the singing competition and will voice Freyja Wion in the upcoming series as her debut anime role.
The leading members of the anime’s production staff were also revealed and consists of:
Here is the first promotional video for the anime:
Macross is a Sci-Fi mecha franchise created by Shoji Kawamori in 1982. The franchise began as a TV anime series in 1982 as Super Dimension Fortress Macross, produced by Studio Nue (Dirty Pair, Space Battleship Yamato) and running for 36 episodes. The anime itself was localised to North American audiences in the following, as part of the first entry in Robotech. Since its initial series, there has been two additional anime series: Macross 7 in 1994 and Macross Frontier in 2008, alongside various OVAs, anime films and accompanying manga and video game adaptations. The most recent anime of Macross was the second Macross Frontier film that released in 2012, Macross FB7: Ore no Uta wo Kike!
Here is the synopsis of the original 1982 Macross anime:
In 1999, an alien ship crashes on South Atalia Island and makes the human race aware of other life in space. Ten years later, the ship is reconstructed and christened as the SDF-1 Macross. However, on the day of its maiden voyage, an alien race called the Zentraedi make their appearance on Earth, beginning the UN Spacy/Zentraedi war that would change the history of both races forever.
The Macross Delta anime is currently in production. A special broadcast of the anime’s first episode will be shown on New Year’s Eve. Further information about the anime will be revealed soon.
You can visit the anime’s website here: http://macross.jp/
And follow their Twitter: @macrossD
Source: ANN, Otaku Tale
Centorea Shianus, Miia, and Rachnera Arachnera from the anime adaptation of Takemaru Inui’s manga series Monster Musume no Iru Nichijou (Everyday That There Is a Monster Girl) has been featured as a poster in the December 2015 issue of NyanType. You can purchase this issue of NyanType magazine here and view the other posters that came in this issue here.
Doppel, Manako, Tionishia, and Zombina from the Monster of a Neuro group have also been featured as a poster in the November 2015 issue of NyanType. You can purchase this issue of NyanType magazine here and you can view the other posters that come in this issue here.
Rachnera Arachnera has also been featured as a poster in the October 2015 issue of NyanType. You can purchase this issue of NyanType magazine issue here and you can view the other posters in this issue here.
The girls from the series were recently revealed in the August issue of popular Japanese magazine NyanType.
Recently a new visual featuring Cerea was featured in Megami.
A new visual from the recent issue of NewType has been revealed that features Papi the harpy, the half human and half bird sub-species.
Another visual was also revealed in the June issue of Megami. The new visual features Miia, waking up and ready to start the day.
While another visual for the anime was also revealed in the most recent issue of Animage:
The anime adaptation was revealed on the 7th manga volume of Takemaru Inui’s manga series Monster Musume no Iru Nichijou (Everyday That There Is a Monster Girl), there was wraparound jacket band announcement revealing that the TV anime adaptation of the manga will premiere this July, during the summer 2015 anime season.
Monster Musume no Iru Nichijou, usually translated as “Everyday Life with Monster Girls” but also as “Daily Life with a Monster Girl” or “Everyday Monster Girls“, is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Okayado. The manga first began as a series of hentai one-shots. An anime adaption has been announced to Air in July 2015.
Monster Musume is currently published in Japan by Tokuma Shoten in their Monthly Comic Ryu magazine and by Seven Seas Entertainment in the United States, with the chapters collected and reprinted into—so far—6 tankobon volumes. The story revolves around Kimihito Kurusu, often referred to as “Darling” among various other things, a Japanese student whose life is totally thrown into turmoil after becoming involved with the “Interspecies Cultural Exchange” program by mistake.
Monster Musume synopsis from Haruhichan:
Monsters—they’re real, and they want to date us! Three years ago, the world learned that harpies, centaurs, catgirls, and all manners of fabulous creatures are not merely fiction; they are flesh and blood—not to mention scale, feather, horn, and fang. Thanks to the “Cultural Exchange Between Species Act,” these once-mythical creatures have assimilated into society, or at least, they’re trying.
When a hapless human named Kurusu Kimihito is inducted as a “volunteer” into the government exchange program, his world is turned upside down. A snake-like lamia named Miia comes to live with him, and it is Kurusu’s job to take care of her and make sure she integrates into his everyday life. Unfortunately for Kurusu, Miia is undeniably sexy, and the law against interspecies breeding is very strict. Even worse, when a ravishing centaur girl and a flirtatious harpy move in, what’s a full-blooded young man with raging hormones to do?!
You can visit the anime’s website here: http://monmusu.tv/
And follow their Twitter: @monmusu_tv
The Yu-Gi-Oh!’s anime franchise Twitter account announced that the upcoming film Yu-Gi-Oh!: The Dark Side of Dimensions will open in Japan for April 23. The film will be available outside of Japan in late 2016.
The cast is as follows:
It was previously announced that Shunsuke Kazama will return to voice Yugi Muto, and Kenjiro Tsuda will return to voice Seto Kaiba as the stars of the film.
Yu-Gi-Oh!’s manga creator, Kazuki Takahashi, is in charge for the film’s script, the character design and is serving as chief producer supervisor. Satoshi Kuwabara (Yu-Gi-Oh! Zekal, Yu-Gi-Oh! Zekal II) is the film director.
Shueisha’s Weekly Shonen Jump magazine teases the film’s story, which takes place 6 months after the end of the manga:
In the past Yugi Yami and Kaiba have clashed many times!! Yami Yugi, who resides in Yugi Muto’s body, and Kaiba will have a duel that bets their prides and accepts each other’s mutual experience.
Yu-Gi-Oh! is a Japanese manga series about gaming written and illustrated by Kazuki Takahashi. It was serialized in Shueisha’s Weekly Shonen Jump magazine between September 30, 1996 and March 8, 2004. The plot follows the story of a boy named Yugi Mutou, who solves the ancient Millennium Puzzle, and awakens a gambling alter-ego within his body that solves his conflicts using various games.
Two anime adaptations were produced; one by Toei Animation, which aired from April 4, 1998 to October 10, 1998, and another produced by NAS and animated by Studio Gallop titled Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters, which aired between April 2000 and September 2004. The manga series has spawned a franchise that includes multiple spinoff manga and anime series, a trading card game, and numerous video games. Most of the incarnations of the franchise involve the fictional trading card game known as Duel Monsters, where each player uses cards to “duel” each other in a mock battle of fantasy “monsters”, which forms the basis for the real life Yu-Gi-Oh! Trading Card Game.
Yu-Gi-Oh! synopsis from MyAnimelist:
Yuugi is a somewhat frail young boy who happens to be a big fan of gaming of any kind. But when he solves an ancient egyptian puzzle he is granted all the powers of darkness. Now when confronted with danger and injustice, he transforms into a much darker and dangerous form, and proceeds to dish out the justice and punishment for those who so richly deserve it.
Source: ANN
At the DealBook conference, in New York City, Netflix CEO Reed Hastings was brought to speak on stage with New York Times columnist Andrew Ross Sorkin about a plethora of topics, primarily those targeted at finances and long-term goals for the company. With Netflix expected to spend $5 billion on original content for 2016, Hastings made a statement that he’s “hopeful” that, with time, Netflix will produce an anime show. (Skip to 29:48 in the following video.)
Netflix is steadily expanding into the Japanese market with their platform having launched back in September and exclusively streaming titles, in North America, such as Knights of Sidonia and, recently, The Seven Deadly Sins. Netflix has also revealed that Smile Precure!, under the name Glitter Force, will stream on their service starting December 18th.
Netflix also plans to stream the upcoming film adaptations of Gamon Sakurai’s Ajin: Demi-Human manga, which will be produced by Polygon Pictures (Knights of Sidonia, Tron: Uprising), three days after its Japanese premiere in January.
Source: AnimeNewsNetwork
Amazon Japan listed a new Owari no Seraph novel titled Owari no Seraph: Kyuketsuki Mikaela no Monogatari (Seraph of the End: The story of Mikaela the Vampire). It is the first Volume of a series and based on Takaya Kagami, Daisuke Furuya and Yamato Yamamoto’s manga. The story of the novel will be written by Kagami while Yamamoto is doing the illustrations. Shueisha will publish the novel on December 4.
The novel’s description from Amazon is:
The secret hidden in Mikaela’s name. The deadly fight with the “human” Crowley, and the encounter with Ferid. The story will uncover their travels. A shocking new series that will move closer to the truth and origin of vampires!
Owari no Seraph (Seraph of the End) is a Manga series written by Takaya Kagami and illustrated by Yamato Yamamoto. The dark fantasy Manga began in Shueisha’s Jump SQ in September 2012. To date there are 9 volumes released. An anime adaption premiered in Japan on April 4 with a second season starting in October 10, 2015.
Owari no Seraph synopsis from Haruhichan:
One day, a mysterious virus appeared on Earth which killed every infected human over the age of 13. At the same time, vampires emerged from the world’s dark recesses and enslaved mankind. Enter Hyakuya Yuuichirou, a young boy, who along with the rest of the children from his orphanage, are treated as livestock by the vampires. Even in captivity, Yuuichirou dreams big. He dreams of killing vampires. He dreams of killing them all.
Source: ANN
Konami, the publisher of such long-lasting franchises like Castlevania and Contra, have been making some conflicting statements as of lately. Despite the closure of Kojima Productions, an in-house game development studio for Konami, and The New Yorker reporting that Hideo Kojima has left the company, Konami, themselves, have gone on to say that Kojima is “on vacation.”
The lack of transparency from Konami continues with an interview with Rika Muranaka – who worked as a composer on the Metal Gear Solid franchise – conducted by the Codec podcast’s co-host Clayton Daley. According to an explanation from Daley, himself, in talks with YouTuber YongYea:
“The main reason for the falling out, at least in her opinion, is that Kojima gets paid a salary, and doesn’t make any profit share on the game. He gets paid a certain amount no matter what, and he was spending so much money and delaying the project, and adding all these features and making sure the game was the biggest and best thing it could be, and Konami was unhappy with that because [delaying] has no effect on him. He was spending the budget on… upgrading the Fox Engine and then delaying further because the engine wasn’t ready, and Konami wasn’t happy with that because he gets his salary and he takes a more traditional “Japanese man” approach by not taking a profit share.
“In her eyes, Kojima’s a fantastic creator, and probably the best creator of his time, but he doesn’t have a strong business sense like Konami would like him to have. Where instead of, for example, cutting corners by lowering foliage resolution, he wants to make sure everything looks as good and polished as possible. She said they paid for her to write 30-40 songs that ended up not being used, and he’d tell her to write another one, then another one, then another one, because he settles for what he likes and has a good mind for what people want to see and what people want to hear.“She’s worked directly with Kojima for the music before so she does have some insight, and personally believes that the music has suffered in MGSV because she’s not a part of it, because they couldn’t afford her. So instead of paying her to go to all these people and recruit them for the music, they chose to remove her from the equation and go to the people directly.”
Donna Burke, who worked on Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain as a singer, also said on Twitter that Kojima was, in fact, fired.
Rumors, at the time, were also surfacing in regards to “power struggles” within the company and Hideo Kojima to which Burke said were “accurate.”
It’s interesting to consider that both Burke and Muranaka are so in-sync with their testimonies, though, unsurprisingly, Konami was quick to squash those rumors. A representative for Konami reportedly told Videogamer.com that Burke’s claims, in terms with Kojima’s supposed termination, were “categorically incorrect.” It was, then, revealed that Kojima would continue to work on Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain, though the current news circulating that Kojima has not actually left the company create even more confusion.
However, it seems as if the newly appointed CEO of Konami, Hideki Hayakawa, may be backpedaling his statement, from earlier this May, saying that “mobile is where the future of gaming lies.” With a staggering five million units sold since its release on Sep. 1, Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain has grossly benefited Konami.
The entire debacle comes around full circle in today’s Nikkei (thanks to Kotaku, 2ch), where Konami is said to be considering another Metal Gear Solid entry. Another quote from Nikkei states that, “when we start development, a large-scale investment will become necessary.” Perhaps Konami is prepared, this time around, to appropriately allow Kojima and his team to realize their visions.
Sources: Niche Gamer, Kotaku, NeoGAF
Last night’s report of Konami shutting down Metal Gear Online LA Studio, which resulted in laying off about 35 employees. Eurogamer informed the public that at least 20 jobs have been lost in the process. There were only 50-60 people employed at Konami LA studio’s peak, however, this is still a result of bad business decisions. The closure of this particular studio leaves the future of Metal Gear Online up in the air.
Following that Konami has admitted their Los Angeles-based development studio, Konami LA Studio, has confirmed that they will be shut down.
In a statement made to Polygon, the company commented that these closures are only because the company is being “restructured.”
This facility contributed to the recent Metal Gear Solid games. Konami will continue its operations to support all Metal Gear Solid titles, including the recently launched Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain and Metal Gear Online. Metal Gear Online is still scheduled to release for PC Steam in January 2016.
During their first report, Konami stated there were 20-35 jobs lost, but in their most recent report of their LA studio’s closure, they assured the public that no layoffs were occurring. Konami is also standing by their previous comment, stating Hideo Kojima is on “vacation.”
Source: Niche Gamer, Polygon
Kadokawa and Chara-ani have revealed a breathtaking 1/6th scale figure of Nitroplus mascot character Super Sonico. The busty gravure idol is dressed in a hot Patissier outfit complete with hat and apron! Some parts are made from silicon-like material like her thighs which when pressed feels like soft skin.
Super Sonico – Super Sonico Nama Figure Patissier Ver. 1/6 – Pre-orders are available on Jlist here and is expected to be released in February 2016.
Square Enix is finally starting to let more information slip out on its new entries in the Kingdom Hearts series – Kingdom Hearts III and Kingdom Hearts 2.8 HD: Final Chapter Prologue, a collection of games including an HD remaster of the Nintendo 3DS title Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance – at its Kingdom Hearts Premium Theater Event at the D23 Expo in Japan. While no release dates were confirmed or announced, audience members were treated to two new trailers and a slew of updates to keep fans, who have been waiting almost nine years, antsy.
While the trailers won’t officially be released until November 3rd, 10PM PT, audience members were quick to jot down notes that coincide with the following screenshots.
According to KH Insider, this screenshot involves Riku and Kairi at the Mysterious Tower, featured in Kingdom Hearts II, discussing the importance of their mission to collect the “7 Guardians of Light,” thus protecting the “7 Princesses of Heart” with Yen Sid. Mickey is also featured, of course, telling Riku and Kairi that he was recently in the Realm of Darkness where Aqua was last seen in the epilogue of Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep. This ties into Yen Sid’s previous comment, concerning the significance of rescuing Aqua, Terra, and Ventus who were left broken and separated at the end of Birth by Sleep.
Other information includes a fully disclosed conversation between a young Xehanort and Eraqus playing chess, which was introduced in Kingdom Hearts III‘s E3 2015 trailer.
A new Nobody was also shown off, donning a scythe and being “surrounded by red petals”, supposedly hinting at Organization XIII’s Marluxia. A video message from the voice cast for Kingdom Hearts III was also played for the audience and a King Mickey mascot came out to the stage.
In concerns with Kingdom Hearts III, one screenshot has been posted online that shows a new Attraction Flow scene, featuring the trinity of Sora, Donald, and Goofy, supposedly based off of Buzz Lightyear’s Astro Blaster.
Another screenshot for the HD remaster for Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance has also been posted, with a slew of characters in a tender moment, ready to charge forward.
We’ll keep you updated as the trailers come out and more information unfolds.
Sources: Siliconera, KH Insider
The official website of the upcoming TV anime adaptation of Kouhei Horikoshi’s Boku no Hero Academia (My Hero Academia) manga is now online and has revealed that Studio Bones (Kekkai Sensen, Fullmetal Alchemist) will produce the series. The first visual for the anime was also revealed:
The anime adaptation of the series was announced in the recent issue of Shueisha’s Weekly Shonen Jump magazine. The issue also reveals that Hirofumi Neda will launch the Boku no Hero Academia Smash!! (My Hero Academia Smash!!) “special spinoff” manga on the Jump+ digital app and in Weekly Shonen Jump.
Boku no Hero Academia (My Hero Academia) is an action adventure manga series written and illustrated by Kouhei Horikoshi. The series began in July 2014 under Shueisha’s Weekly Shonen Jump magazine, where a total of 5 volumes have been compiled. The series has had good reception selling over 200, 000 copies in 4 months, with the first volume selling out in short time.
Synopsis of Boku no Hero Academia from MAL:
People are not born equal, a realization that 4-year-old Midoriya Izuku faced when bullied by his classmates who had unique special powers. Izuku was one of the rare cases where he was born with absolutely no unique powers. This did not stop Izuku from pursuing his dream, a dream of becoming a great hero like the legendary All-Might. To become the great hero he hopelessly wants to become, he now will join the ranks of one of the highest rated “Hero Academies” in the country: Yueiko. With the help of his idol All-Might, will he be able to claim the ranks and become a true hero?
A TV anime adaptation of Boku no Hero Academia is being produced by Studio Bones. Further information about the series will be revealed in the near future.
You can visit the anime’s website here: http://heroaca.com/
And follow their Twitter: @heroaca_anime
Visit the manga’s official Twitter account here or the author’s official Twitter account here.
Source – Boku no Hero Academia Anime Website
