It’s official! Manga publisher Kodansha and Sailor Moon creator and writer Naoko Takeuchi are bringing us a new Sailor Moon anime next year!!!

The announcement was made during a 20th anniversary celebration for the Sailor Moon manga, and long time fans everywhere (including myself) couldn’t be more excited. Anime News Network brought us this announcement, along with the news that although the original Sailor Moon (Kotono Mitsuishi) and Tuxedo Mask (Tohru Furuya) were at the announcement, they didn’t say specifically if they would reprise their roles as the iconic characters. Although no broadcast details have been released, we do know that the anime will come to us in the Summer of 2013 and that it will have a worldwide, simultaneous broadcast.

After long, long years of being unable to buy anything but Chinese bootlegs of the Sailor Moon DVDs with crummy English subtitles, I can’t help but hope this will mean we might get some official distribution for the long-coveted Sailor Moon collections sometime soon. Please Takeuchi, can was haz?

How many of your are as thrilled as Scarlett, Darcy and I are?  I may or may not have rushed off to immediately watch some of my old DVDs after hearing the news.

In honor of the announcement, I give you a Future Girls Sailor Moon AMV!

This weekend is going to be huge for anime fans. Every year, Anime Expo in Los Angeles, California, brings us some of the biggest announcements in Japanese animation coming to North America. Why? Because with a partnership with the non-profit Society for the Promotion of Japanese Animation (SPJA) and big names like Danny Choo (www.dannychoo.com) in attendance, this is a convention that attracts a ton of attention and preparation from all the big companies. I’ll be here all weekend bringing you news and updates from the convention, so stay tuned fellow Anime and Manga fans!

First up: (and probably the biggest news so far) – Viz Media has announced a new 24-hour anime channel called “Neon Alley” that will premier this fall.

VIZ Media is excited to unveil the plans for Neon Alley, a new 24-hour programmed channel featuring the world’s best anime, debuting on a major game console this fall for the U.S. and Canada! Neon Alley will be studio agnostic, featuring not only VIZ Media titles, but ones from other producers and distributors!

Neon Alley will feature dubbed & uncut content, with exclusive debuts each week! Programming will include blockbusters like NARUTO SHIPPUDEN, INUYASHA: THE FINAL ACT, and DEATH NOTE. Fans will also be able to discover new titles like TIGER & BUNNY, BERSERK: THE GOLDEN AGE ARC, ZETMAN, and more!

San Francisco, CA, June 27, 2012 – VIZ Media, the largest publisher, distributor and licensor of manga, graphic novels and anime in North America, unveiled plans for Neon Alley, a 24-hour anime channel featuring the world’s best titles set to debut on game consoles this fall. The service will be available in the United States and Canada.

Neon Alley’s schedule will include a mix of action, adventure, science fiction, supernatural, fantasy, and horror anime, all uncut and dubbed in English, and presented in HD (when available). Programming will include blockbuster anime titles like NARUTO SHIPPUDEN, INUYASHA: THE FINAL ACT, and DEATH NOTE, and will allow fans to discover new titles such as TIGER & BUNNY, BERSERK: THE GOLDEN AGE ARC, ZETMAN, and NURA: RISE OF THE YOKAI CLAN, along with original content that provides news and behind-the-scenes access for fans of anime and manga.

“We created Neon Alley for fans to watch the best anime titles in the world right on their TV,” said Ken Sasaki, President and Chief Executive Officer for VIZ Media. “Neon Alley will have weekly exclusive premieres of the hit titles they love, along with a mix of new, cutting-edge titles they didn’t know they were missing.”

Neon Alley will be a subscription-based service, subsidized with limited commercial advertising, to keep the launch price to consumers at a low $6.99 per month. Anime fans can register online at NeonAlley.com for news, updates on the service’s launch, and to find out how to get a sneak preview of the series debuting during the first season. Neon Alley is the first platform designed to be studio agnostic, featuring titles from other anime producers and distributors, and will unveil its programming lineup, special introductory offers, new acquisitions and other partnerships throughout the next several months.

For more information on Neon Alley, please visit www.NeonAlley.com.

For more information on VIZ Media, please visit www.VIZ.com.

Second: eigoMANGA Heads To Anime Expo 2012

(San Francisco, Los Angeles) – June 26, 2012: San Francisco based comic book publisher, eigoMANGA announces its participation at Anime Expo 2012 which is held on June 29 to July 2, 2012 at the Los Angeles Convention Center in Los Angeles, California. eigoMANGA will be exhibiting at Booth #1149.

Special Guest:

eigoMANGA Welcomes MinoMiyabi

We are proud to invite acclaimed animator, MinoMiyabi as our special guest. At Anime Expo, he will kick off the launching of his new cartoon studio in Los Angeles, California!

MinoMiyabi is conducting eigoMANGA’s annual How To Draw Manga & Portfolio Review workshop as well exhibiting his work at eigoMANGA’s Booth #1149 on Saturday and Sunday!

Animation Screening – ‘Padak’ is an award-winning full-length animated film directed by Lee Dae Hee. The film is about the lives of fish in captivity in a Korean seafood restaurant. Some fish accept their fate while others fight to change it.

This is the North American advance screening premier of ‘Padak’. The ‘Padak’ screening is scheduled for Monday, 10am – 1:00pm and located at Video 2 (LACC 404).

Panel Schedule –

eigoMANGA In 2012 Panel

Come join us at our panel discussion where we will announce and showcase releases of our mass-market publications, games, and animation. Come For The Free Giveaways!

eigoMANGA In 2012 panel is scheduled for Saturday, 10am – 11am at LP 2 (LACC 502AB).

How To Draw Manga And Portfolio Review Workshop

MinoMiyabi holds a workshop tutorial to teach the fundamentals of manga illustration and storytelling! He will also be on hand to critique portfolios from up-and-coming artists. Don’t Miss It!

The How To Draw Manga And Portfolio Review workshop is scheduled for Sunday, 11am – 12pm at WS2 (LACC 501).

Exhibition Booth:

Check Out Our Latest Work At eigoMANGA’s Booth

Come check out our latest releases in comic books, animations, and games. And celebrate with us the inaugural release of Vanguard Princess which is set to hit the gaming market in the late summer!

eigoMANGA’s Exhibition Booth is located at Booth #1149.

Advance Screening:

North American Advance Screening of ‘Padak’

You’re invited to view the North American advance screening of ‘Padak’ at Anime Expo!

The award-winning film directed by Lee Dae Hee is about about the lives of fish in captivity in a Korean seafood restaurant. Some fish accept their fate while others fight to change it.

The‘Padak’ advance screening is scheduled for Monday, 10am – 1:00pm and located at Video 2 (LACC 404).

Media Appearance:

eigoMANGA Appearing On Crunchyroll’s AX stage

eigoMANGA’s team is set to make a live interview appearance on Crunchyroll’s Live Stage for their live-streaming show. We would love our fans to join us in-person or watch the live web-stream on Crunchyroll’s website.

Crunchyroll interview appearance is scheduled on Sunday starting at 5:30pm at Crunchyroll’s Live Stage Booth #701.

Exciting news! Viz Media will yet again have a big presence at this year’s Anime Expo in Los Angeles, and fans will note that this includes some really great special guest appearances by Tiger & Bunny Executive Producer Masayuki Ozaki along with the series’ amazing cast of North American voice actors! I can’t wait for next weekend, and I’m pumped to be bringing you all the Anime Expo news from right here in Los Angeles in the coming days. Stay Tuned!

Press Release 6/21/2012

VISIT VIZ MEDIA AT ANIME EXPO, BOOTH #1401

VIZ MEDIA RETURNS TO ANIME EXPO 2012 WITH A BIG ROSTER OF SPECIAL GUEST APPEARANCES, BOOTH ACTIVITIES, PRODUCT GIVEAWAYS AND MUCH MORE!!!

Join the Fun at the Nation’s Biggest Anime Convention

San Francisco, CA, June 21, 2012 – VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), the largest publisher, distributor and licensor of manga and anime in North America, celebrates its return to Anime Expo^® 2012 with an array of fun booth attractions, product giveaways, special guest appearances, and exciting panel discussions scheduled to take place throughout the unique 4-day Southern California event.

Anime Expo is the nation’s largest anime convention and will take place at the Los Angeles Convention Center in Los Angeles, CA from June 29^th to July 2^nd. VIZ Media will be located in Booth 1401. Information on Anime Expo is available at: www.anime-expo.org.

VIZ Media will welcome TIGER & BUNNY Executive Producer Masayuki Ozaki as its guest for a very special panel discussion to be held on Saturday, June 30^th at 12PM in Room LP1 The company will augment the TIGER & BUNNY fun at the Saturday panel by also welcoming the series’ talented voice actors, Yuri Lowenthall (Barnaby Brooks Jr. / Bunny), Travis Willingham (Rock Bison), Laura Bailey (Dragon Kid), Patrick Seitz (Sky High), John Eric Bentley (Fire Emblem) and Tara Platt (Agnes), who brought the characters to life for North American fans. Don’t miss Mr. Ozaki and the TIGER & BUNNY English cast in a special signing session after the panel at the South Hall Autograph Area, at 3:30PM.

Anime and manga fans won’t want to miss a special VIZ Media panel on what promises to be the biggest development in anime this year. Join company executives on Friday, June 29^th at 2:00PM in Petree Hall (Hall CD) for the “Super Secret VIZ Media Anime Project” panel.

Sneak peeks at other upcoming anime and manga series, as well as news on newly licensed properties, will be a major focus of the VIZ Media Panel, scheduled for Sunday July 1^st at 1:30PM in Room 515A.

VIZ Media’s colorful booth on the main convention show floor (Booth 1401) will be a continual hub of activity with planned giveaways of sci-fi samplers from the company’s Haikasoru literary imprint, full-color anime and manga posters featuring a variety of fan favorite characters, and much more! A special photo op will also be available to create a fun memory and share it with friends after the show!

Manga fans are encouraged to explore VIZ Media’s WEEKLY SHONEN JUMP ALPHA, the nation’s leading digital manga magazine. Readers that sign-up at the booth for an annual membership during Anime Expo will be treated to a special free YU-GI-OH! Shock Master collectable trading card (limited quantities available)!

Fans are also invited to a fun SHONEN JUMP ALPHA Fan Meet-Up scheduled for Sunday July 1^st, at 5PM in Room 515A. Gift bags filled with a variety of fun collectibles will be given away (while supplies last) and attendees can meet the SHONEN JUMP ALPHA staff and other WEEKLY SHONEN JUMP ALPHA readers, and learn all about what the nation’s premier digital manga magazine has in-store for future issues.  Each new digital edition of WEEKLY SHONEN JUMP ALPHA treats manga fans across North America to the latest chapters of some of the world’s most popular manga series only two weeks after they debut in Japan’s massively popular WEEKLY SHONEN JUMP magazine.

For more information on VIZ Media anime and manga titles, please visit: www.VIZ.com.

Are you excited for this weekend’s Anime Expo? Will you be attending? Shout out in the comments below!

It’s time! Toonami returns tonight at midnight on Cartoon Network’s Adult Swim. I’m here to share tonight’s schedule, and you can be sure I’ll be tuning in tonight!

12:00 AM – Bleach – Long running and varied in style and story – this show brings a little something for everybody.

12:30 – Deadman Wonderland – A post-earthquake Japan meets sci-fi and fantasy in this gritty thriller about a boy named Ganta.

https://youtu.be/ICyghQBiog4

1:00 – Casshern Sins – A reebot of the classic series Casshern – this story mashes up cybernetics, robot wars, and a world where humanity faces the very serious possibility for extinction.

https://youtu.be/Pe5pfGcxUaw

1:30 – Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood – If you loved Fullmetal Alchemist you’ll love Brotherhood even more. This new series more closely follows the story of the manga and brings a lot of valuable depth to the characters we know and love like Edward and Alphonse Elric.

https://youtu.be/FaazgkzFg7k

2:00 – Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex – Another classic series that aired on Toonami many years ago, Stand Alone Complex follows a group known as the Section 9 mobile police force as they attempt to track down the infamous terrorist “The Laughing Man.”

https://youtu.be/yz59RhWk-nA

2:30 – Cowboy Bebop – If  you haven’t watched Cowboy Beebop this is a must-see as it is one of the greatest anime series of all time.

Just a few hours ago, Cartoon Network released a splash page and tweeted to their followers: “Attention Toonami faithful: We heard you. On 5/26/12 Toonami is back bitches.”

Diablo 3 finally came out and now Toonami is coming back to Cartoon Network? This is a really good week! No news yet as to what shows will be coming to the programming block, but I’m willing to bet that after the long absence of Toonami we’ll be pleased with the selection. I’m also hoping that Steve Blum will be back to voice our favorite Toonami mascot, Tom (pictured at left).

Here are some of my favorite, classic Toonami promos to get you back in the mood for the upcoming night of awesomeness that will be May 26th!

Space is the Place:

Pardon our Dust:

What would YOU like to see featured on Toonami’s return?

In Sony Pictures Home Entertainment and Marvel Animation’s X-Men Anime, recently released on DVD, the X-men must put their grief aside as they reunite to embark upon a mission that takes them to Japan to search for a missing girl.

Their travels reveal that far more is going on than a simple missing person case.  Mutants have been disappearing all over the area, and this knowledge leads the X-Men to the not-so-imaginatively-named U-Men, a group of lunatics intent on creating its own army.

I can’t compare this series to the comics, since I think the only time I picked up an X-Men comic was to read about Jean Grey and Scott Summers’ wedding, but I feel like I know the characters pretty well through watching the movies and the Saturday morning cartoon that aired years and years ago.  (That was when I realized how much I loved Mr. Sinister.  His sense of fashion is unparalleled).

So, I’m not an expert by any means, but I’m also not an X-Men newbie.  And I think the characterizations of Wolverine and Cyclops were great.  Beast, too, I’d say.  Wolverine (Logan) has a few great one-liners, and he’s sarcastic and has an attitude.  This is in line with how I perceive the character.  He’s always such a bad-ass.  Cyclops (Scott), in comparison, is the serious one, the leader of the group.  And as bland as a cupcake without frosting.

But I’m biased.  I’ve never liked Cyclops.  And at least for part of this series he’s like a depressed teenage boy, with  hair falling over his eyes and tantrums and deep silences.  In one scene, he stares up into a sky filled with stars, their light reflecting in his visor.  He has a flashback accompanied by the sound of the ocean, drenched in romance and nostalgia.  The ocean and music, along with the bluish tint of the scene reminded me of a scene between Yuna and Tidus in Final Fantasy X.  Maybe that seems completely random, but it’s what flashed through my mind.

Overall, I liked this series, but I think if I had to choose between it and Iron Man, I’d choose the latter.  Plus, I ended up watching it in English rather than in Japanese.  I kept hearing the word “mutant” in Japanese but it wasn’t written in the subtitles.  This annoyed me too much, and I wondered what else was being left out of the translation, so I had to switch.

In the English version, actor Scott Porter portrays Cyclops (The Good Wife, Friday Night Lights, Caprica). Bonus features include:

·      Re-Examining The X-Men takes viewers behind-the-scenes of creating X-Men’s mutant tales.

·      X-Men: A Team of Outsiders provides an in-depth exploration of Marvel’s most heroic and infamous mutants.

·      Special Talk Session round table discussion with the creators of Marvel anime’sX-Men and Blade.

If you’re an X-Men fan, you’ll probably like this series.  Even a casual fan like myself can easily enjoy it, at least a little, but if you go into it without any knowledge of the characters, then you probably won’t get much out of it.

Now available on DVD is the Sony Pictures Home Entertainment and Marvel Animation Iron Man Anime. This series originally aired on G4, but it is now available to own with bonus materials.  We recently held a contest to give away two copies of Iron Man as well as the X-Men Anime, and the winners Richard and Andrew have been notified.  Thanks to everyone who entered!

I actually don’t watch a lot of anime unless you count Sailor Moon, but I do love animation, period.  And the Iron Man series is very well done, in my opinion.  Tony Stark is wonderfully portrayed as a confident and wealthy American in Japan who also happens to be a superhero.  There is an ease and grace in the way that he moves that I find a bit more elegant than the portrayal by Robert Downey Jr. in the live-action feature films, but both are equally intriguing.

I also liked the use of occasional soft lighting in scenes.  I think it’s most often used when hinting at a romantic interest, but it was really done beautifully, and I have never really seen an animated comic adaptation just look so pretty.

If you choose to listen to the English dub, Adrian Pasdar (Heroes, The Lying Game) is Stark and Iron Man.  However, when given an option, I always prefer the original language and therefore read the subtitles and try to listen out for the little Japanese I know.  It’s easy to switch between the two, though, and I think both voice casts are great.

The plot centers on Stark as he arrives in Japan to build the Arc Reactor, which is a power plant that will provide free energy to the world.  He also plans to retire the Iron Man persona, but his plan is thwarted by the Zodiac group.  He must battle cultural differences, Mech monsters, and handle the press.  The latter isn’t too much of an issue, though, since sparks (forgive the pun) fly between him and a local newspaper reporter.

There are 12 episodes and the bonus features are:

·      Re-Imagining Iron Man explores the plot and themes of the anime series.

·      21^st Century Hero: The Technology of Iron Man introduces fans to Tony Stark’s high-tech suits and gadgets.

·      Special Cross Talk round table discussion with the creators of the Iron Man and Wolverine anime series.

·      Voicing Tony Stark, an interview with Japanese actor, Keiji Fujiwara.

I really enjoyed this series and would recommend it.

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!

Hey everybody! April’s Girlcast is chock full of shiny goodness and ready for your listening pleasure!

On this month’s podcast, we love Hunger Games, can’t wait for The Avengers and really want to help Nintendo! Also, Bizzarobot returns to the ‘cast this month! Yay!

Head on over to the Big Shiny Robot iTunes page or download here. On this month’s podcast: Miss Mecha (Jessie), Scarlette Robotica (Kelly), Bizzarobot (Erin), and Darcy (from The Geekiest Girls You Know blog).

Send us your questions and comments here or over on our Facebook or Twitter (@BSRGirlcast). Thanks for listening!

Big Shiny Robot! is giving away two sets of Marvel Anime:  X-Men The Complete Series and Iron Man The Complete Series.  Each winner will receive one of each title, and to be eligible to win simply answer the following:  what is the airspeed velocity of an unladen swallow?

I kid, I kid.  I just really like asking that question.

Actually, post a comment below telling me who your favorite Marvel character is.  Everyone who posts will have their name entered in a drawing.

Contest ends on April 27 at midnight; winners will be contacted via email shortly thereafter.

May the odds be ever in your favor!