And it's another rather uneventful hot and humid summer day here, and my lack of sleep isn't helping things much. But that's the usual in summer for me ;) Anyways, we're through most of the new summer shows now with only a couple more slated to start at the end of the month. Aside from perhaps adding Innocent Venus then, I think my schedule is pretty much set. Not quite as many shows to really get your attention like there was in the spring, but good enough :) And now a bit of news from the past week (or two, or more...)Illumitoon Acquires Beet the Vandel Buster It's somewhat unexpected to have a new NA distributor starting up nowadays, but here you go:Three former executives from FUNimation have announced the formation of a new privately-held company, Illumitoon Entertainment Ltd., dedicated to bringing exciting anime titles to the US. Formed in January 2006, the company focuses on acquiring exciting anime from Japan, with the emphasis on making them relatable for an American audience.“Of course, we always want to include the original Japanese tracks with our shows, for the serious anime fan,” says Barry Watson, the company’s President and CEO. “It’s just that we want it to be accessible and engaging for a mass audience as well.Illumitoon Press Release - Beet the Vandel Buster Coming to US An emphasis on making shows "relatable for an American audience" sounds very much like 4Kids, but the indication that they intend on including the original Japanese is reassuring if they do end up acquiring something that I like. I doubt that'll happen, though, since most of the kid shows I'm watching (or have watched) probably wouldn't be considered marketable to a mass audience here. Shoujo and mahou shoujo doesn't sell here and all that... Oh well... Coyote Ragtime Show Ep 3 Preview You can watch it at the show's website. Click "story", then click the big button with "Next show time" on it (it's very good quality wmv). Wonder if this will continue for the entire series... perhaps they really need that extra time for the episode itself. Otogi Juushi Akazukin Goods You can have your own Sweetphone now and such... What, they're not going to sell the weapons Akazukin uses? ;) btw, OP single is out August 2, ED single is out August 8. Negima! Website Renewal Now with the character designs from the new season of Negima! that Shaft is producing. Official title: Negima!?. Don't forget the "?" ;) Second Seasons for... Himawari! (no mention of when) and Sasami Mahou Shoujo Club (in the Fall). From what I've read, it looks like the "last" episode of Sasami that aired today leads into the next season, so I'll treat it as just another episode (as episode 13 of 26) instead of doing a full wrap-up and review.
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      Makoto's teacher meets with Mihoshi and Tonobe -- Makoto's grades have been going down since she joined the cooking club. Tonobe won't stand for that! Washu's rather odd as well, so he goes to investigate. The cooking club isn't in the home ec room, however... Washu, Sasami and the rest are at the usual place, this time practicing how to fly on a broomstick. Tonobe spys on them as they walk out of Daimon's house. Tonobe sees the girls with brooms, so he immediately thinks that Washu is making them clean. He can't allow that! He comes out from his hiding place -- he's going to ask for the cooking club to be disbanded since they're obviously not doing anything related to cooking, among other things. Sasami and the other girls don't want that to happen at all... Tonobe says that if they are actually doing club activities, then he'll have them prove it. If Washu can make something good for him he won't complain... What are they going to do? Washu has zero interest in cooking... if Washu's gone, then what's going to happen to the Mahou Shoujo Club? Misao has just found a place where she belongs... Anri blames it all on Makoto, of course. But Sasami says it'll all be okay -- working together they can make something happen. They're all wearing those friendship rings Misao gave them last time :) The girls try to teach Washu how to cook, but it doesn't work at all. It's hopeless at this rate... they'll have to think of another way.. Tsukasa suggests they use magic. Yup, they could do that. Makoto gets together the perfect plan -- when Tonobe's walking outside, first, Misao will scare him with her magic worms (or whatever they are... and Misao isn't that scary, really...), then Anri will use her magic to crush him with words, and then it's break time provided by Makoto to make him let his guard down, then it's Tsukasa's turn. Uhh... I dunno about that being a perfect plan, Mako-chan (^^;;) But what about Sasami? well, she's pretty much useless.. poor Sasami-chan... The girls put their plan into action... well, they try to. Misao can't get her magic worms to appear, Anri's magic doesn't work... and then they get caught by Daimon.
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