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The May issue of Kodansha‘s Nakayoshi magazine revealed on Friday that Kyo Nuesawa and Jet Kusamura‘s Shaman King & a Garden manga will end in the magazine’s next issue on May 2.

Kodansha USA Publishing is releasing the manga digitally in English, and it describes the story:

The women of Shaman King are no pushovers, and the trio of Canna, Matilda, and Marion are no exception! Find about the origins of this team in Shaman King & a Garden!

Kodansha USA Publishing released the manga’s second volume on January 11.

The manga launched in Nakayoshi in December 2020 as a spinoff of Hiroyuki Takei‘s Shaman King manga. Nuesawa is drawing the manga, and Kusamura (Shaman King: Red Crimson manga creator) is credited for the concept. Kodansha published the manga’s third volume in Japan on March 17.

Shaman King debuted in Shueisha‘s Weekly Shonen Jump magazine in 1998. The series abruptly ended in 2004, although a reprinting of the manga revealed a “true ending” in 2009. Viz Media previously 32 volumes of the original Shaman King manga from 2003 to 2011, but it no longer holds the license to the manga. Shueisha originally held the rights to the manga in Japan.

The manga has inspired a new anime series that premiered in April 2021. The anime will adapt all 35 volumes of the manga’s new complete edition. Kodansha USA Publishing is publishing the original Shaman King manga and is also releasing the Shaman King: Zero, Shaman King Flowers, Shaman King: Red Crimson, and Shaman King: Super Star spinoff manga in English.

Source: Nakayoshi May issue

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Discotek announced on Facebook on Wednesday that it will release the Kekkaishi, Yowamushi Pedal New Generation, and Urusei Yatsura: Lum The Forever anime and the live-action Uzumaki film on Blu-ray Disc on June 28. The company will also release the second season of the Sgt. Frog anime and the Galactic Whirlwind Sasuraiger anime on standard definition Blu-ray Disc (SDBD) and the remastered Blu-ray Disc version of Cyber City Oedo 808 on the same day.

The Kekkaishi Blu-ray Disc release (pictured right) will feature a new HD upscale. Discotek released the 52-episode anime on Crunchyroll. The anime adaptation of Yellow Tanabe‘s Kekkaishi supernatural action manga ran from 2006 to 2008.

Discotek‘s release of Yowamushi Pedal New Generation will will include all 25 episodes of the anime’s third season in Japanese with English subtitles.

Discotek is releasing the Urusei Yatsura: Only You, Urusei Yatsura: Remember My Love, Urusei Yatsura: Lum The Forever, Urusei Yatsura: The Final Chapter, and Urusei Yatsura: Always My Darling films with English subtitles and the English dubs from the previous AnimEigo releases. The films debuted between 1983 and 1991. AnimEigo released all five films on DVD. Discotek released the franchise‘s second film, Urusei Yatsura: Beautiful Dreamer, on Blu-ray Disc in February 2018. Central Park Media previously released the film on VHS and DVD.

The Uzumaki release will be the first Blu-ray Disc release for the film in the world, and will feature a revised subtitle translation. The release will launch a new line of live-action releases for Discotek titled Nihon Nights. The Uzumaki live-action horror film is based on Junji Ito‘s 1998-1999 manga and it opened in 2000. Discotek released the film on DVD in 2009.

Discotek‘s release of the second season of Sgt. Frog will include episodes 52-103 episodes with English subtitles. Episodes 52-78 wil also feature Funimaton’s English dub. Its overall release of the anime will include all 358 episodes in successive SD Blu-ray Disc volume releases by season. The anime series ran from 2004 to 2011, and it spawned five feature films. Funimation released two “seasons” of the anime on DVD, after ADV Films had licensed but not released the anime.

Discotek‘s release of Galactic Whirlwind Sasuraiger (Ginga Shippū Sasuraiger) will include all 43 episodes in Japanese with English subtitles. Galactic Whirlwind Sasuraiger is the third part of the J9 trilogy, and it ran from April 1983 to January 1984.

The director of the three-episode Cyber City Oedo 808 OVA Yoshiaki Kawajiri (Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust, Wicked City) is supervising the new 2K transfer. The remastered version will release as a Steelbook including both the U.S. and U.K. versions of the English dub. Discotek released the OVA on home video in March 2021. The Cyber City Oedo 808 OVA debuted in 1990. Central Park Media previously released the anime on VHS and DVD.

Source: Discotek Media‘s Facebook page

Author also launches new manga about Sakmoto Ryōma in April

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Kodansha announced on Saturday that Yū Suzunoki‘s Kounodori: Dr. Stork (Kōnodori) manga is returning for a new arc that will focus on the new coronavirus disease (COVID-19).

The new arc, titled Kōnodori: Shingata Coronovirus-hen, will launch in Kodansha‘s Morning magazine on April 28. The manga will again center on Sakura Kōnotori, and will detail the struggles of being an OB/GYN involved in childbirth during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Suzunoki launched the main manga in Kodansha‘s Morning magazine in August 2012, and the series ended in May 2020. Kodansha published the 32nd and final volume in October 2020.

Kodansha Comics is releasing the manga in English digitally, and it describes the story:

Childbirth isn’t an illness, so under normal circumstances, insurance won’t cover it. Delivery staff doesn’t cure disease or treat injuries, so there’s no need for a doctor…unless, of course, circumstances aren’t normal. This smash-hit drama gives a look into the lives of the men and women who work to welcome 1,000,000 new lives into the world each year in Japan.

The manga inspired a live-action television series in October 2015, and a sequel series premiered in October 2017.

Update: Suzunoki will also launch a new manga titled Ryōma ga Yuku based on Ryōtarō’s historical novel starting in Bungeishunju‘s Weekly Bunshun magazine on April 28. The manga tells a fictional story about the historical figure Sakamoto Ryōma. Source: Comic Natalie

Source: Morning

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Dark Horse Comics announced on Friday that Samurai Rabbit: The Usagi Chronicles, the CG animated series based on Stan Sakai‘s Usagi Yojimbo comics, will be available worldwide on Netflix on April 28. Dark Horse Comics is also streaming a trailer for the series.

Prepare yourself for the adventures of Usagi and friends, as they battle Yokai monsters and more to save the world. Samurai Rabbit: The Usagi Chronicles is available worldwide April 28 on Netflix!

Based on the Usagi Yojimbo comics by @usagiguy. pic.twitter.com/jGer1xcFO5

— Dark Horse Comics (@DarkHorseComics) April 1, 2022

Sakai is serving as an executive producer, along with Candie and Doug Langdale, who are also the showrunners. Additional executive producers include Gaumont‘s Nicolas Atlan, Terry Kalagian, Sidonie Dumas, and Christophe Riandee; Dark Horse Entertainment’s Mike Richardson, Keith Goldberg, and Chris Tongue; and Atomic Monster’s James Wan, Michael Clear, and Rob Hackett. Ben Jones is the supervising producer, and Khang Le is the art director.

The show takes place in the far future and follows teenage Rabbit Samurai Yuichi, who is a descendent of Usagi Yojimbo’s protagonist Miyamoto Usagi.

Stan Sakai, a Japanese-American, has been drawing the Usagi Yojimbo comic series for over 35 years. Sakai also collaborated with Dark Horse Comics president and founder Mike Richardson and Lone Wolf and Cub creator Kazuo Koike to create the 47 Ronin comic.

Source: Dark Horse Comics‘ Twitter account

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AnimeJapan 2022 was one of their first opportunities to speak about their experiences and memories of the season

With Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba‘s latest season Entertainment District Arc wrapped up, AnimeJapan 2022 was one of the first opportunities for the voice cast to speak about their experiences and memories of the season with a surprise live commentary show.

Featuring Natsuki Hanae (Tanjiro Kamado), Akari Kitō (Nezuko Kamado), Hiro Shimono (Zenitsu Agatsuma), Yoshitsugu Matsuoka (Inosuke Hashibira), and Katsuyuki Konishi (Tengen Uzui), the five voice actors greeted an enthusiastic crowd, saying they were excited to be with a live audience after a couple of years of only being able to engage in livesteam events. Of course they were also happy that people could join via the official livestream.

While it seemed the voice actors and the audience were ready for a 30 minute talk show, the MC, and producer of Demon Slayer, Yūma Takahashi, threw a nice little curve ball to everyone: a live audio commentary for select sections of the Entertainment District Arc. But this was no short commentary; it was 18 minutes long—nearly a full episode of Demon Slayer. The voice cast was certainly surprised at the length, and Shimono and Hanae drove it home with a little jovial banter reinforcing this was really going to be a full commentary.

To kick things off, the audience was treated to a nice three shot of Tanjiro, Zenitsu, and Inosuke in their courtesan in training disguise and a discussion about the three characters’ infiltration into the entertainment district. Shimono had quite a bit to say, as he was most excited to voice this section of the story. Most especially about Zenko’s (Zenitsu’s front for the mission) heavy makeup worn throughout the season. “It may have been heavy makeup, but it didn’t make me look that ugly.” Shimono remarked. Yet, he also noted the beautiful and fluid animation made him forget about the makeup when watching the show. This was all topped off with some nice ribbing and jokes from Matsuoka about Inosuke not speaking, beginning with Matsuoka putting on a feminine voice and ending with the deep voice he used when Inosuke apologized to Tanjiro and Zenitsu at the end of the Tanjiro Kamado, Unwavering Resolve Arc of Demon Slayer.

The live commentary moved on the most exciting part of Demon Slayer‘s Entertainment District Arc, the action packed fights, with an engaging conversation about the demon’s Daki and Gyutarō. Both Hanae and Kitō said they were a bit intimidated by Daki’s voice actor, Miyuki Sawashiro, in a good way as they could feel the intensity in her performance. Konishi was also surprised at the choice of Gyutarō’s voice actor, Ryōta Ōsaka, at first. Wondering if Ōsaka has ever done roles like Gyutarō in the past, after listening to him Konishi thought, “That’s Gyutarō.” It was unfortunate Sawashiro and Ōsaka couldn’t join the 5 on stage at AnimeJapan 2022, but it was evident the respect the Hanae, Kitō, and Konishi had for the two.

There was also a general consensus among the voice actors about the action in the Entertainment District Arc of Demon Slayer with Hanae and Konishi saying they both had scenes they watched several times for how well everything came together. Konishi pointed his recording session of Tengen’s final throw down with Gyutarō saying, “The art was nearly complete—still in black and white and a bit rough—and looked amazing. You could use it as is, but when it was completed it was even better.” In fact, Konishi got goose bumps watching it, and it was his first time in a while crying from watching a scene that wasn’t a tearjerker.

However, the most moving sections of the live commentary were when the cast touched on the main theme of Demon Slayer: family. This wasn’t just the family bond between Tanjiro and Nezuko, but also between Daki and Gyutarō. With the former, the audience was treated to the beautiful scene in the sixth episode where Tanjiro had to calm Nezuko with a lullaby. Hanae noted this was actually the first thing he voiced for the season. But then he joked that since Tanjiro is supposed to be tone deaf Nezuko’s tears might not have been from her memories but because he’s a bad singer. Kitō laughed along with Hanae’s comments.

However, it was surprising to hear Kitō talk about the demons, Daki and Gyutarō, and their relationship with each other. Since they are the featured demons for the Entertainment District Arc, the audience is not supposed to feel much sympathy for them. Kitō made light of this, but when shown one of the final scenes from the tenth episode she pointed out she couldn’t really be mad at Daki. Kitō even went on to mention that she is like a cute brat and Gyutarō really cares for her. This was a nice reminder that despite the abhorrent nature of the demons in Demon Slayer, those same demons can have the same familial connections as the humans.

It’s not often you get to see cast member of an anime series do a live commentary. This made the Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba stage event at AnimeJapan 2022 feel special for those who could attend in-person and watch via stream.

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The official website for the live-action film adaptation of author Shin Sawada and artist Renji Asai‘s The Violence Action manga posted a teaser trailer and teaser visual on Friday. Both showcase more cast members and the August 19 opening for the film.

Kanna Hashimoto (left in image below) plays protagonist Kei Kikuno.

The main cast includes (from left to right, top to bottom in image below):

• Fumika Baba as Shopkeeper
• Yosuke Sugino as Terano
• Kanna Hashimoto as Kei Kikuno
• Ōji Suzuka as Watanabe
• Win Morisaki as Kaneko
• Takashi Okamura as Zura-san
• Yu Shirota as Michitaka-kun
• TYūri Ōta as Daria
• TShunsuke Daito as Ayabe
• Jiro Sato as Sandaime (third generation leader)
• Katsunori Takahashi as Kinoshita

The manga’s story centers on Kei Kikuno, an assassin who seems to be an easygoing and cute girl next door but is actually a top hitgirl. Kei skillfully handles jobs with her gun expertise and physical prowess.

Tōichirō Rutō is directing the film, and is co-writing the script alongside Itaru Era.

The series launched on Shogakukan‘s online magazine Yawaraka Spirits in April 2016. The manga went on hiatus from March 2018 to June 2019 due to a creator’s poor health. The series ranked on the top 20 list of manga for male readers in the 2018 edition of Takarajimasha‘s Kono Manga ga Sugoi! (This Manga Is Amazing!) guidebook.

Asai drew a manga adaptation of Mamoru Hosoda‘s The Boy and The Beast anime film, and Yen Press released the series in English in North America.

Daisuke Muroi is Sawada’s real name, and he drew the Reiri manga with author Hitoshi Iwaaki (Historie, Parasyte) from December 2015 to December 2018.

Sources: The Violence Action live-action film’s website, Comic Natalie

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‘Evolved’ title adds ‘Shin’ prefix

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The official Twitter account for the anime of Miku and U35‘s Shinka no Mi ~Shiranai Uchi ni Kachigumi Jinsei~ (The Fruit of Evolution: Before I Knew It, My Life Had It Made) light novel series announced on Friday that a new television anime adaptation has been green-lit. The “evolved” new title is Shin Shinka no Mi ~Shiranai Uchi ni Kachigumi Jinsei~ (True: The Fruit of Evolution: Before I Knew It, My Life Had It Made). The teaser visual below features the protagonist Seiichi Hiiragi and Saria, but also a mysterious character.

The anime’s website features a countdown that will end on August 5. August 5 is also the first day of Crunchyroll Expo.

The “animal fantasy” story of The Evolution Fruit: Before I Knew it, My Life Had It Made! centers on Seiichi Hiiragi. Though at the bottom of his school’s social pecking order, he and his entire school are upended when everyone in the school is transported into another world. Seiichi finds himself alone and approached by a gorilla, who instead of attacking him, proposes to him. At the moment that Seiichi thinks that “I guess a gorilla is fine too,” they find the Fruit of Evolution, and when they eat it, their lives are suddenly changed once again.

Miku began serializing the story on the “Shōsetsuka ni Narō” (Let’s Become Novelists) website in January 2014, where it is still ongoing. Futabasha‘s Monster Bunko light novel label began publishing the novel in print in September 2014, with illustrations by U35 (Lapis Re:LiGHTs, Aquatrope of White Sand character designs).

Hanashi Media, a new U.S-based manga and light novel publisher, licensed the light novel series in English and Spansh.

Sorano launched a manga adaptation of the novels on Futabasha‘s Web Comic Action manga website in September 2017.

The novels inspired a previous television anime series that premiered on October 4 and had 12 episodes. Crunchyroll streamed the series as it aired.

Sources: The Fruit of Evolution: Before I Knew It, My Life Had It Made anime’s Twitter account, Comic Natalie

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The official website for Kaginado (Key, Etc.), the first crossover anime series featuring the franchises by Visual Arts‘ Key brand, confirmed more cast members and the April 12 premiere for the second season on Friday.

As teased in the previous visual above, six characters from the 2010 anime Angel Beats! will appear in the second season:

The season will premiere on the Tokyo MX channel on April 12 at 25:00 (effectively, April 13 at 1:00 a.m.), and it will also run on KBS Kyoto, Sun TV, Niigata TV 21, AT-X, BS NTV, Hokuriku Asahi Broadcasting, and Asahi Broadcasting Nagano. It will stream on various services in Japan at the same time as the Tokyo MX broadcast.

The first 12-episode Kaginado anime season premiered on Tokyo MX on October 12. The anime is streaming in various regions worldwide through Crunchyroll, Funimation, HIDIVE, Wakanim, Aniplus-Asia, bilibili, and Muse Asia.

Kazuya Sakamoto (Tabi-Hani) directed the first season at LIDEN FILMS Kyoto Studio. Takashi Aoshima (Rewrite episode script writer) was was the chief writer, and penned the scripts alongside Kai and Tōya Okano. Eriko Haga designed the characters. Kazunari Araki was credited for prop design. Yukihiro Shibutani was the art director, while Asami Kitsukawa was the color designer. Tomoaki Suzuki was the compositing director of photography. Kazuo Kajikawa was credited for editing. Akane Maeda was the sound director. Tohoku Shinsha Studio was credited for sound production. Visual Arts/Key was credited for the music.

The chibi-character anime is a crossover of some of Key‘s most popular visual novel and anime titles, including Kanon, Air, Clannad, Little Busters!, Rewrite, and planetarian.

Among the franchises in the crossover anime, noted Key writer Jun Maeda wrote the original visual novels for all but Rewrite, and also worked on the music for all of them (including Rewrite).

Kanon debuted in 1999, while Air debuted in 2000, and Clannad in 2004. Kanon had two television anime adaptations: the first by Toei Animation in 2002, and the second by Kyoto Animation in 2006. Kyoto Animation adapted Air into a television anime in 2005 as one of its first full productions as a studio, and Toei Animation also adapted it into an anime film in the same year. Kyoto Animation also animated the 2007 television anime of Clannad.

Little Busters! debuted in 2007, with J.C. Staff‘s anime adaptation premiering in 2012. Rewrite debuted in 2011, with the television anime by 8-Bit premiering in 2016. planetarian also inspired an anime in 2016.

Source: Kaginado anime’s website, Comic Natalie

The official Twitter account for the Mobile Suit Gundam: Cucuruz Doan’s Island (Kidō Senshi Gundam: Cucuruz Doan no Shima) anime film revealed the cast as well as character and mobile suit visuals for the film’s Southern Cross team. An elite unit of which the titular Cucuruz Doan was once a member, the Southern Cross team is also infamous among Federation forces. The team has both veteran members who resent Doan’s desertion, as well as new members who have joined in admiration of the unit’s reputation.

The cast includes (bottom row, left to right in image above) Yuu Hayashi as the team’s bellicose new member Danan Rashica who admires Doan, Shizuka Itou as Selma Levens who thinks their current leader does not compare to Doan, Atsushi Miyauchi as the team’s leader Egba Atler who detests Doan, Yōji Ueda as the team’s deputy leader and sniper Wald Ren, and Koji Yusa as Yun Sanho.

The team members all fields MS-06GD Zaku mobile suits with increased leg thrusters for enhanced maneuverability and custom loadouts.

The previously announced cast includes:

Toru Furuya as Amuro Ray

Shunsuke Takeuchi as Cucuruz Doan

Ken Narita as Bright Noa

Satomi Arai as Mirai Yashima

Megumi Han as Sayla Mass

Toshio Furukawa as Kai Shiden

Hideki Nakanishi as Hayato Kobayashi

Misato Fukuen as Fraw Bow

Tomofumi Ikezoe as Sleggar Law

The film’s original announcement described the film as a retelling of the 15th episode of the original Mobile Suit Gundam television anime. The episode itself has been omitted from English releases of the series.

The story is set after the Federation defense of Jaburo, with the Federation planning to renew offensives on Zeon’s invasion headquarters in Odessa. Amuro and the White Base head to Belfast to resupply, but the White Base receives new orders: to head to the “Island of No Return” to search and destroy any Zeon stragglers. Amuro set out on the island in search of Zeon spies, but find a group of children and a Zaku mobile suit on the supposedly uninhabited island. With the Gundam left behind, Amuro encounters a man who calls himself Cucuruz Doan. After uncovering the secret of the island, Amuro attempts to make his way back to the Gundam to escape.

Manga creator and animator Yoshikazu Yasuhiko directs the film, and is also credited with the character designs alongside Atsushi Tamura (Weathering With You) and Tsukasa Kotobuki (Mobile Suit Gundam: The Origin, Saber Marionette J). Yasuhiko had revealed in June that he was working on an unannounced anime film. Ka Hee Im is credited as assistant director. Toshizo Nemoto (Macross Delta) is penning the script. Longtime Gundam mechanical designers Kunio Okawara, Hajime Katoki, and Kimitoshi Yamane are credited for mechanical design in the film. Takayuki Hattori (Mobile Suit Gundam: The Origin) is composing the music.

Yūji Kaneko is the art director, while Nagisa Abe is the color key artist. Takeshi Katsurayama and Ryō Iijima are the compositing directors of photography. Shuhei Morita is the CGI line director, and Morihito Abe is the CGI director. Kazuhiro Nii is editing, and Sadayoshi Fujino is the sound director.

The film will open on June 3.

Junji Ōno‘s Mobile Suit Gundam: The Origin MSD: Cucuruz Doan no Shima (Mobile Suit Gundam The Origin MSD: Cucuruz Doan’s Island) manga (pictured at right) launched in Kadokawa‘s Gundam Ace magazine in May 2016, and ended in May 2019. The manga has a total of five volumes.

The manga is a spinoff of Yoshikazu Yasuhiko‘s Mobile Suit Gundam: The Origin manga. The manga tells the story of Cucuruz Doan, a character who appeared in the similarly-titled 15th episode of Yoshiyuki Tomino‘s original Mobile Suit Gundam anime series. In the episode, the titular character is a Zeon pilot who abandoned his post after refusing an order.

Yasuhiko’s Mobile Suit Gundam: The Origin manga is also inspired by and re-imagines the original Mobile Suit Gundam series. Viz Media published part of the manga in North America from 2002 to 2004, before it halted publication of the series. Vertical licensed the series in 2013, and released all 12 volumes.

The manga inspired a six-episode anime project in Japanese theaters from 2015 to 2018. Yasuhiko worked as chief director, character designer, and storyboarder for the anime. A 13-episode television series recompilation of the anime premiered in April 2019.

Sources: Cucuruz Doan’s Island film’s Twitter account, Mainichi Shimbun’s Mantan Web

Season premieres on April 21, adds Emi Hirayama to cast, with Sweet Alley performing theme song

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The official website for the Kamen Rider franchise revealed on Thursday that the franchise‘s Ohiru no Shocker-san (Shocker During the Day) anime will have a second season that will start streaming through the Toei Tokusatsu Fan Club on April 21 at 12:00 p.m. The anime will also air within the [email protected] Bu program on Tokyo MX and TV Shizuoka, as well as within Asahi Broadcasting Aomori‘s GO!ABA program.

Emi Hirayama joins the anime’s cast as the monster Dokugander. Idol group Sweet Alley performs the anime’s theme song “Brand new me.”

The first season debuted streaming through the Toei Tokusatsu Fan Club on January 11, and made its television premiere on January 20. Hiroshi Namiki is directing the anime at Kachidoki Studio. Yū Saitō is the anime’s audio director, with CHANCE iN credited for Audio Production. Hiroto Sasaki is composing the music. Voice actor Tomokazu Seki is credited for the sound effects.

Study Yu-saku is also penning an Ohiru no Shocker-san manga that launched at the same time as the announcement of the anime on November 11 last year. Both the manga and anime celebrate the franchise‘s 50th anniversary.

The manga centers on the everyday struggles of the lackeys of Shocker, the villain organization in the original Kamen Rider series. The anime’s initial announcement came on November 11 or 11/11 — “Iiii Day,” a wordplay on the Shockers’ characteristic cry. (The anime’s streaming premiere date and time can also be written as “1/11 11:00.”)

The anime project accepted auditions for singers for the anime’s theme song through the LINE LIVE livestreaming app, as well as voice acting auditions for a Shocker lackey through the voice acting livestreaming app Voice Connect.

Sources: Kamen Rider franchise‘s website, Comic Natalie

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Manga last updated on February 25

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The official Twitter account for Kadokawa‘s Monthly Dragon Age magazine revealed on Monday that writer Amahara and artist masha‘s Interspecies Reviewers (Ishuzoku Reviewers) manga will again not have a new chapter this month due to masha‘s unspecified illness. The manga last updated with a new chapter on February 25, and did not update in March. Monthly Dragon Age Twitter account will announce the date for the manga’s return at a later time.

Yen Press licensed the manga, and it describes the story:

Beauty truly is in the eye of the beholder! From elves to succubi to cyclopes and more, the Interspecies Reviewers rate the red-light delights of all manner of monster girls…the only thing is, they can never agree on which species is the hottest!

The manga ran as a special one-shot in Kadokawa‘s Monthly Dragon Age in July 2016, and then later launched in the Dragon Sharp# section of the Nico Nico Seiga website in August 2016. Kadokawa published the manga’s seventh compiled book volume in December 2021. Yen Press released the sixth volume on February 1.

The manga inspired a television anime premiered in January 2020. Funimation removed the series from its streaming service later in January, stating the company “determined that this series falls outside of [its] standards.” The company stated it decided to take down the series altogether instead of altering the content. Amazon Prime Video removed both the English-dubbed and English-subtitled versions of the anime in the first week of February 2020. Right Stuf later licensed and released the anime uncensored on Blu-ray Disc in December 2021.

Source: Monthly Dragon Age‘s Twitter account

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App’s tie-in anime will have preview screening of episode 3 in May

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The official website for Idolland PriPara, the smartphone app based on TAKARA TOMY A.R.T.S and syn Sophia‘s PriPara franchise, announced on Thursday that the game has been delayed once again to later this summer or fall. This is the game’s third delay: the game was scheduled to launch in spring 2021, but was delayed for the first time to summer 2021, and then delayed again to spring 2022.

The app’s associated anime, which will stream within the app, is the franchise‘s first new anime in three years. While the anime’s regular run will be delayed alongside the app, the anime has so far had online preview screenings of the “episode 0” prequel and episode 1 in October. Episode 2 had an online preview screening on January 12. Episode 3 will have a preview screening in May.

The “virtual idol life app” from developer syn Sophia lets users create their own custom characters in the PriPara theme park, where anyone can become an idol.

Makoto Moriwaki is returning from the various PriPara television anime series to direct the in-app anime at Tatsunoko Productions, and Michihiro Tsuchiya is also back to supervise the series scripts. In addition to the many returning staff members, Avex Pictures is once again producing the music.

The Pretty Series of projects began with syn Sophia‘s Pretty Rhythm: Mini Skirt arcade game in 2010. The game inspired four television anime series, as well as five anime films and the spinoff King of Prism franchise. The sequel game PriPara (Prism Paradise) launched in 2014 and inspired four television anime series and four anime films.

The first anime season of Kiratto Pri☆Chan premiered in Japan in April 2018. The second season then premiered in April 2019. The show’s third season premiered in April 2020 and ended in May 2021. Crunchyroll streamed the anime as it aired.

A new magic-themed television anime, Waccha PriMagi!, premiered in October 2021 to mark the franchise‘s 10th anniversary. HIDIVE is streaming the series. Sentai Filmworks licensed the series, and it will release it on home video.

Update: Release window corrected. Thanks, nutmegknight.

Sources: Idolland PriPara‘s website, Mainichi Shimbun’s Mantan Web (link 2)

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1st season debuted on Netflix in December 2020

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Netflix began streaming a new English-subtitled cast announcement video for the second season of the live-action series of Haro Aso‘s Alice in Borderland (Imawa no Kuni no Alice) manga on Tuesday. The video reveals the returning cast members for the series, and also reveals the series’ December 2022 worldwide debut date on Netflix.

The first season debuted on Netflix in December 2020. It was the most viewed live-action series in Japan in 2020, and it ranked in Netflix‘s top 10 in 40 countries and territories worldwide. Shinsuke Satō (live-action Bleach, Kingdom films; Oblivion Island anime film) will again direct the series. Yoshiki Watabe and Yasuko Kuramitsu penned the fist season’s scripts with Satō. ROBOT is credited with planning and production.

The manga centers on Ryōhei Arisu (pronounced the same as “Alice” in Japanese), a male high school student who is irritated with his intolerable everyday life. One night, he tags along with his bad friends Karube and Chōta to hang out in town. However, the town is suddenly covered in giant fireworks. When he comes to his senses, Ryōhei notices that no one else is around. Finding themselves in a different world, Ryōhei, Karube, and Chōta are forced to participate in survival games or die right off the bat. The three fight to live, as well as to find a way back to their own world.

Aso began serializing the manga in Shogakukan‘s Weekly Shonen Sunday S (formerly Shōnen Sunday Chō) magazine in 2010. The series transferred to Weekly Shonen Sunday as it entered its final story arc in March 2015. The manga ended in March 2016, and Shogakukan published 18 compiled book volumes. The manga’s 12th, 13th, and 14th volumes shipped with original video anime (OVA) episodes. HIDIVE is streaming the OVAs.

A spinoff series titled Alice in Borderland: Chi no Kyokuchi – Daiya no King-hen ran from October 2014 to February 2015 in Weekly Shonen Sunday. Aso also launched a separate spinoff series titled Imawa no Michi no Alice in Shogakukan‘s Monthly Sunday GX magazine in August 2015, with art by Takayoshi Kuroda. The manga ended in February 2018, and Shogakukan published eight volumes for the series.

Aso launched a new spinoff manga series titled Imawa no Kuni no Alice Retry (Alice in Borderland Retry) in Shogakukan‘s Weekly Shonen Sunday magazine in October 2020, and ended it on January 20.

Viz Media licensed the original manga, and released the first volume on March 15.

Source: Netflix‘s YouTube channel

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The video is part of a new monthly series titled “CuriosiAMo con Azzurra” (or “looking around with Azzura”).

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Seemingly capitalizing on the popularity of Virtual YouTubers, the Italian Air Force (Aeronautica Militare) posted a video on its official YouTube channel last Friday introducing “Azzura”, a self-described “avatar of the Aeronautica Militare.”

Azzura’s first video is a brief introduction of the ejection seat, a device that allows the pilot to quickly evacuate the aircraft during emergencies. The video is part of a new monthly series titled “CuriosiAMo con Azzurra” (or “looking around with Azzura”).

Source: Dr Commodore

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Film ranks at #5 in 2nd weekend

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Box Office Mojo records the Jujutsu Kaisen 0 film as earning a cumulative total of US$27,723,448, ranking #5 in its second weekend in the United States. The film earned US$4,579,727 over the weekend, earning US$1,301,503 on Friday, US$1,883,932 on Saturday, and US$1,390,000 on Sunday, respectively.

The film screened in 2,418 theaters, and had a per-theater average of US$1,894 over the weekend.

Jujutsu Kaisen 0 earned 1,072,252,950 yen (about US$9.37 million) in Japan on its debut day on a Friday last December. The film earned 2,694,128,150 yen (about US$23.5 million) in its first three days in Japan.

The film has sold a total of 9.28 million tickets for over 13 billion yen (about US$108 million) since it opened in Japan on December 24, and is currently the 19th highest-grossing film in Japan of all time.

The film is the highest-earning film at the Japanese box office from the 2021 calendar year, after surpassing Evangelion: 3.0+1.0: Thrice Upon A Time, according to the Mainichi Shimbun paper’s Mantan Web.

The film is based on Gege Akutami‘s Jujutsu Kaisen 0 Tokyo Toritsu Jujutsu Kōtō Senmon Gakkō (Jujutsu Kaisen 0: Tokyo Prefectural Jujutsu High School) manga prequel story, with MAPPA animating again and TOHO distributing. Megumi Ogata voiced the main character Yuta Okkotsu, and Kana Hanazawa voiced the character Rika Orimoto.

Source: Box Office Mojo (link 2)

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New teaser, visual, mobile suits also revealed

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Bandai Namco Group unveiled a new teaser video and visual for Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch From Mercury (Kidō Senshi Gundam: Suisei no Majo), the first new Gundam television anime series in seven years, during its Gundam Conference on Tuesday. The video reveals the anime’s protagonist, the first ever “female hero” in a main Gundam television anime series, as well as her mobile suit, the Gundam Aerial.

The conference also revealed a prequel project for the anime titled Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch From Mercury Prologue. Bandai Namco described the prequel as a full-fledged project that will feature its own story and mobile suits, including the Gundam Lfrith (first image below) and Beguir-Beu (second image below).

The prologue project will debut this summer, and will debut first at the Gundam Factory Yokohama (the site of the life-size moving Gundam statue), the life-size Gundam Unicorn statue in Tokyo’s Odaiba, the life-size Freedom Gundam statue in Shanghai, the life-size RX-93ffν Gundam statue in Fukuoka, and the upcoming Gundam Base Virtual World in Bandai Namco Group’s planned Gundam Metaverse project. The project will then debut in events in Japan and around the world at a later date.

High Grade 1/144-scale models for the three newly revealed mobile suits are already in production.

Koji Fujiwara, Bandai Namco Entertainment‘s Chief Gundam Officer, stated at the “Dai 2-kai Gundam Conference” event last September when the anime was first announced, “We are aiming to create a work that even young generations will support.” He added, “We are making bigger developments than ever before.”

The series will be the first brand-new television anime series in the franchise since Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron-Blooded Orphans. The first season premiered in October 2015 and aired for 25 episodes, and the second season premiered in October 2016 and also aired for 25 episodes.

The anime will premiere in October during the Nichi-5 slot on Sundays at 5:00 p.m. JST (4:00 a.m. EDT/3:00 a.m. EST) on MBS/TBS‘ network of stations.

Update: Video added from IGN China.

Images © SOTSU, SUNRISE

Source: Gundam Conference, Press release

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