This week we’ve got another very adorable Hatsune Miku video, new stuff from Viz Media Digital, an amazing cosplay music video montage and a car of the future. It’s Monday, but let’s make that Monday a bit brighter!
First up:
(Via Nico Nico Douga and A.N.N.): It was only a matter of time before somebody made an adorable (and totally awesome) live action/cosplay Hatsune Miku music video! The performer of the song (which is called “Kotatsumuri” – I believe meaning “under the Kotatsu”?) created this video to bring it to life (even more so than Hatsune Miku would normally). I absolutely love the inspiration and creativity that comes from all things Volcaloid, and I can’t wait to see even more innovation in the future!
Second this Week: Viz Media creates the new “Viz Labs” to drive their already awesome digital content innovation:
Press Release date: April 23rd, 2012 – VIZ MEDIA CREATES VIZ LABS
TO DRIVE DIGITAL CONTENT INNOVATION
New Division To Be Led By Gagan Singh
San Francisco, CA, April 23, 2012 – VIZ Media, the largest publisher, distributor and licensor of manga, graphic novels and anime in North America, announced the formation of VIZ Labs, a new division of the company led by Gagan Singh, Executive Vice President and Chief Technology Officer. VIZ Labs will focus on innovation in digital content distribution, and will consolidate engineering and digital business efforts across the company into one group. VIZ Media has recently been selectively acquiring engineering talent, and that acquisition strategy will continue under VIZ Labs.
“Innovation in distribution is an integral part of VIZ Media’s future,” said Ken Sasaki, President and CEO of VIZ Media. “As a long-time partner of the company, Gagan helped us shape our digital content strategy, and we’re delighted to have him join our team full time.”
VIZ Labs and Singh are responsible for integrating technology across the entire company, including the digital platforms for VIZ Manga and VIZ Anime. Prior to joining VIZ Media, Singh was the Founder and CEO of West Side Labs, a long time technology partner for VIZ Media. With advanced degrees from Harvard, MIT and UC Berkeley, Singh joins VIZ Media with a wealth of experience.
“I am honored and excited to join VIZ Media,” said Singh. “With all VIZ Media has already accomplished in building a digital content platform, there is still phenomenal opportunity and growth potential for the company. VIZ Labs will be the tip of the spear to drive the innovation that brings the manga & anime our fans love through their preferred digital platform.”
Over the past 18 months, VIZ Media has transformed the traditional manga and anime business through a variety of strategic partnerships and digital platforms, making manga and anime more accessible than ever before. VIZ Media’s anime titles rank among the most popular streaming entertainment series online, thanks to partnerships with Apple, Hulu and Netflix. The VIZ Manga digital platform was an industry breakthrough, making high-quality, legal translations of the world’s most loved manga available at VIZManga.com and the VIZ Manga apps for iPhone®, iPod® touch and iPad®. VIZ Media took things even further when it introduced WEEKLY SHONEN JUMP ALPHA, a digital manga anthology making the most popular manga series in the world available in the United States within two weeks of their original Japanese release, faster than ever before in the history of the industry. VIZ Labs will announce its first major initiative and VIZ Media’s next digital platform this summer.
Last on deck: I’ve got a fun coslplay music video and an amazing ‘car of the future’-style picture to share with you.
XBox Daily News shared this fun image with us that makes me wonder – could we actually drive cars like this one day? It is both the greatest and most terrible idea ever.
and finally – another amazing Cosplay Music Video montage by Ackson Lee. He’s a genius, and every time I watch one of these I want to dance the night away! This one’s from last year, but totally worth sharing if you haven’t stumbled across it yet. I dare you to watch his channel and not want to dance!