If you’re a fan of the popular bishoujo mahjong series, you might be interested in the opening video of the upcoming Saki game for the PSP, simply called Saki Portable. From the looks of the game, it’s more or less a cross-over between a visual novel and some mahjong element in it. Obviously, mahjong will take [...] Related posts:Play Mahjong, Saki-Style! Phantasy Star Portable 2: Opening Trailer! Tower Of Druaga MMORPG Opening Animation Released!
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YOINK! That’s the sound of the rug being yanked out from underneath me at least five times while I was watching the first episode of THE TOWER OF DRUAGA: AEGIS OF URIK (and thanks to Gia suggesting it to me). For the opening teaser, I was getting a little nervous that this was going to be like RECORD OF LODOSS WAR.  Sorry to fans of the show, but I couldn’t watch that past a couple episodes because it was so dry - - and I suspect that had a lot to do with the story being governed by the rules of DUNGEONS AND DRAGONS. So, when this episode started off with characters charging up and announcing their attacks like this was a turn-based RPG, I got a little anxious. Then the boy named Jil (a cousin of Johnny Cash’s “Boy Named Sue”?) gets conked out, we cut to the opening titles and I’m seeing the questing band’s real life counterparts roaming around the subway while a bubbly girl sings about “swinging.”   Oh, OK…   I see orc warriors roaming around the train station and tripping on the turn-styles. This series is about a bunch of kids’ fantasy lives colliding with their real lives. I’ve got it. It’s like the NEVERENDING STORY. Then the boy named Jil fills us in on the back story of the fantasy world and, again, color me surprised, because I DID NOT expect this series to be drawing from the Epic of Gilgamesh. I’ve seen modern fantasies inspired by Greco-Roman mythology, Norse mythology, Egyptian mythology, even Celtic mythology… but this is the first time I’ve seen SUMERIAN mythology. Kudos to these people for fishing outside the pond. Then the boy named Jil starts running into a number of funny gags and this anime becomes a (very funny) spoof of fantasy tropes.   Again, not what I could've called. I particularly liked the gags about the guys ogling the girl in their band writhing in a tentacle trap rather than save her right away (shades of that really disturbing vine-scene in EVIL DEAD there), the taboo words of voicing your plans to get married and settle down after an adventure marking you for death (glad to see clichés can be ridiculed on both sides of the Pacific) and Jil’s careless insistence on getting the Black Knight’s name wrong. I’m starting to suspect this is like that one of episode of SOUTH PARK where the kids are acting out their ninja fantasies with their very real, and very dangerous, ninja weapons. I’m waiting for the fantasy to end abruptly when TOWER OF DRAGUA’s Butters-equivalent gets cut on his own katana. Then the boy named Jil destroys Droaga and wakes up back at the beginning scene. What? That was all just a dream? Is this about the wacky fantasies of a character within a fantasy? Where’s the reveal of their real life identities? Is that something they’re not going to get to for a few episodes? If it all? Now, I’m intrigued… -- Tom Pinchuk is the writer of UNIMAGINABLE for Arcana Comics and HYBRID BASTARDS! for Archaia Comics.   Watch out for the HYBRID BASTARDS! hardcover collection this March - - available for pre-order now on Amazon.com.
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Today Gundam Unicorn pre-orders, we get some insight into the manga industry in Japan, and Gonzo releases a new Druaga game opening animation sequence. Trouble With Blip? Check Out Our Screwattack! Story 2 Story 3
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Artwork by: 3B @ Pivix. The website of Gpara.com has recently updated itself with a 158-seconds video of the opening for the upcoming MMORPG for the series for The Tower of Druaga. True to it’s anime series, the opening movie is yet again animated by the now downsized Gonzo. Titled as The Tower of Druaga: The Recovery [...] Related posts:Slam Dunk As An MMORPG? Disappearance of Suzumiya Haruhi Promotional Video Released! Tales of Symphonia: The Animation Promotional Video Streamed!
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In our continued watch on anime studio Gonzo, to see whether they'll get things back together or fade out from existence, they've has now released the opening sequence for the MMORPG iteration of the Tower of Druaga, the classic-game-turned-anime that Gonzo produced the animation for originally.Apparently the company had to bring back animators and other staffers who had been laid off in order to produce this animation in the first place-- but presumably the reunion was a contract one; I wouldn't go expecting Gonzo Part II.  <object height="388px" width="640px"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/ZUGvG2ChDss&amp;hl=en_US&amp;fs=1&amp;"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed wmode="transparent" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/ZUGvG2ChDss&amp;hl=en_US&amp;fs=1&amp;" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" height="388px" width="640px"></embed></param><param value="transparent" name="wmode"></param></object>  It certainly looks good, and with luck we could hope that the money Gonzo is being paid for this might help them move forward with a new project; or perhaps the MMO will be popular enough to warrant a new animation, which Gonzo would be first choice on. Maybe they could even just continue getting work producing animation for games, like the Arcadia Saga promo video from a month or so ago.But that's the optimistic outlook-- I couldn't tell you what to realistically expect from this point forward, unless someone comes out of left field to invest money on Gonzo.
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Hanazawa Kana 花澤香菜 has the moe-est voice in anime.As Shiika in Mushiuta, Sora in Sketchbook (2007), and Sora again in the underrated Mahou Tsukai ni Taisetsu na Koto - Natsu no Sora (2008), Kana-chan took vocal moe to a new level. (click photos to enlarge)But already in 2007 we could hear that there was more to her, in her strangely communicative grunts as the main character in Potemayo. In 2008 she did the quite un-moe Zange in Kannagi, although with uneven results. And in the spring of 2009, she shifted her moe voice to create the fey but powerful ojousama Sharon Rainsworth in Pandora Hearts.Then in the fall of 2009, as Suou in Darker than Black 2, she broke out as a real actress. She is entirely believable as the conflicted Suou, tossed about in a sea of events she does not understand, but gradually adapts to.And although the voice is still that of a young girl, she produces a range of sound, from whispers to screams, that shows more and more technical mastery.Kana-chan broke into voice-acting at 17, in 2006, as the popular character Kaminagi Ryouko in Zegapain. But she had been in show business since at least 2001, when she was a 12-year-old child actress. She was a regular cast member in the TV drama Gakko no Sensei that year. And she had a minor seiyuu role in Last Exile in 2003.Here are images of a few of her important anime roles: (mouseover for captions) After her performance in Zegapain, the highly respected seiyuu agency Osawa Office took her on. Osawa represents such major seiyuu as Kawasumi Ayako and Noto Mamiko. As seiyuu Minagawa Junko said: "Isn't Osawa amazing to have recognized her?" And I agree. Her acting in Zegapain is adequate at best, but she had that voice, and Osawa realized even then that she might have the ability to make the most of it. There is something about her voice that gives presence to her characters.Here is a video showing clips of her roles up to Natsu no Sora, in the summer of 2008:<object height="344" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/Y9FViJj4nLE&amp;hl=en_US&amp;fs=1&amp;"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/Y9FViJj4nLE&amp;hl=en_US&amp;fs=1&amp;" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" height="344" width="425"></embed></object>Kana-chan (the name she likes to be called by) is rather shy, and comes across in her many radio shows and guest appearances as somewhat out of it, and not too bright. In fact, she is intelligent and capable, just a bit dreamy. She has been a university student since 2007, working and studying at the same time, and will graduate in 2011. And she has hosted her own radio show for over a year. The show is called: Can Hanazawa Kana Do It Alone?Between her drama work when she was 12 and Zegapain when she was 17, Kana-chan didn't get much work, but kept searching for her place in show business. A post on 2channel describes her as having been an "underground idol," and there are photos to prove it: Kana-chan doesn't have a great singing voice, and that may be one reason her idol career never took off. But she did do a great job with the partly-spoken OP4 of Bakemonogatari, "Ren-ai Circulation":<object height="340" width="560"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/3VHMA4AcZNs&amp;hl=en_US&amp;fs=1&amp;"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/3VHMA4AcZNs&amp;hl=en_US&amp;fs=1&amp;" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" height="340" width="560"></embed></object>The adult Kana-chan (now 20) is no raving beauty, but she is quite attractive in an old-fashioned sort of way, as well as seeming to be a genuinely nice person: Here are a very recent and the oldest photo here. One of Kana-chan fron an interview this fall about Kobato. One showing her when she was twelve, and just about to begin her entertainment career: Here's a ridiculously cute video interview she did for Voicha magazine in late 2007:<object height="340" width="560"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/GwBAs-6qj58&amp;hl=en_US&amp;fs=1&amp;"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/GwBAs-6qj58&amp;hl=en_US&amp;fs=1&amp;" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" height="340" width="560"></embed></object>Here's another video, from about the same time, with her co-stars in Sketchbook, Nakase Asuka (centre) and Makino Yui. The beginning is Kana-chan at her loopy best:<object height="344" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/nj4bIkd2Ky8&amp;hl=en_US&amp;fs=1&amp;"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/nj4bIkd2Ky8&amp;hl=en_US&amp;fs=1&amp;" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" height="344" width="425"></embed></object>Here's a clip she did with her friend Tomatsu Haruka, talking about strange food combinations that Nagi ate in Kannagi, in which Kana played Zange to Tomatsu's Nagi. Tomatsu puts Italian-style salad dressing on her rice, while Kana-chan puts Bulldog sauce (like HP sauce) on hers. The bubbly Tomatsu thinks the Italian dressing makes the rice taste great, like "Italian cuisine." Kana-chan tries it and says drily: "It's okay."<object height="340" width="560"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/eSDFKNw9PF4&amp;hl=en_US&amp;fs=1&amp;"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/eSDFKNw9PF4&amp;hl=en_US&amp;fs=1&amp;" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" height="340" width="560"></embed></object>And here they are doing a brief recording session, reversing their roles in Kannagi so that Kana-chan plays Nagi and Tomatsu plays Zange:<object height="340" width="560"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/j-lqesYSPBY&amp;hl=en_US&amp;fs=1&amp;"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/j-lqesYSPBY&amp;hl=en_US&amp;fs=1&amp;" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" height="340" width="560"></embed></object>Here is a very recent clip of Kana-chan talking about her role as the heroine Sofia in the Wii game Tales of Graces, which was released 10 December 2009:<object height="340" width="560"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/PGMzLn_WeQ0&amp;hl=en_US&amp;fs=1&amp;"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/PGMzLn_WeQ0&amp;hl=en_US&amp;fs=1&amp;" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" height="340" width="560"></embed></object>Finally, here is a brief clip from the 2006 TV drama Uramiya Honpo, showing the 17-year-old Kana as a girl in hospital first greeting a friend who has come to visit, and then actually dying on screen:<object width="320" height="266" class="BLOG_video_class" id="BLOG_video-4dae9c53deeffe2" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0"><param name="movie" value="http://www.blogger.com/img/videoplayer.swf?videoUrl=http%3A%2F%2Fvp.video.google.com%2Fvideodownload%3Fversion%3D0%26secureurl%3DpgAAAPCZD0ddCGBZjZs6HcCGJYdFx7cOI4aE--qXXKR8WwYKzutq5nvsD8fXM7toJJVPQGB6gK4h4nlvOp9B6Eowcgc3s_q90obL3e2edTzGU4lVWhHVJXMqXw1ORKX_B1xNy0hq_-EmVnmH9k-Mtw-GXc78BKPxOII9zBE4DfSeCpzrIYCXr-WTbkZ5ZlQxgt76lZnFFxlPu_xgzNOyaP3fbSqMD6b51dwHJhJmer3HC9st%26sigh%3D93WQba6rAAH_e26ibdJH8JRKOic%26begin%3D0%26len%3D86400000%26docid%3D0&amp;nogvlm=1&amp;thumbnailUrl=http%3A%2F%2Fvideo.google.com%2FThumbnailServer2%3Fapp%3Dblogger%26contentid%3D4dae9c53deeffe2%26offsetms%3D5000%26itag%3Dw320%26sigh%3Do-e40LoujkTXS1m-GAiiBHSSrjA&amp;messagesUrl=video.google.com%2FFlashUiStrings.xlb%3Fframe%3Dflashstrings%26hl%3Den"><param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF"><embed width="320" height="266" src="http://www.blogger.com/img/videoplayer.swf?videoUrl=http%3A%2F%2Fvp.video.google.com%2Fvideodownload%3Fversion%3D0%26secureurl%3DpgAAAPCZD0ddCGBZjZs6HcCGJYdFx7cOI4aE--qXXKR8WwYKzutq5nvsD8fXM7toJJVPQGB6gK4h4nlvOp9B6Eowcgc3s_q90obL3e2edTzGU4lVWhHVJXMqXw1ORKX_B1xNy0hq_-EmVnmH9k-Mtw-GXc78BKPxOII9zBE4DfSeCpzrIYCXr-WTbkZ5ZlQxgt76lZnFFxlPu_xgzNOyaP3fbSqMD6b51dwHJhJmer3HC9st%26sigh%3D93WQba6rAAH_e26ibdJH8JRKOic%26begin%3D0%26len%3D86400000%26docid%3D0&amp;nogvlm=1&amp;thumbnailUrl=http%3A%2F%2Fvideo.google.com%2FThumbnailServer2%3Fapp%3Dblogger%26contentid%3D4dae9c53deeffe2%26offsetms%3D5000%26itag%3Dw320%26sigh%3Do-e40LoujkTXS1m-GAiiBHSSrjA&amp;messagesUrl=video.google.com%2FFlashUiStrings.xlb%3Fframe%3Dflashstrings%26hl%3Den" type="application/x-shockwave-flash"></embed></object>Data:-- born 25 February 1989-- from Tokyo-- 158cm tall (5'2")-- likes: taking baths-- abilities: mimicry, magic, storytelling-- favorite food: dried taro-- likes: men who have dark hair and look good in a suit and glasses-- likes: Tomatsu Haruka, Kawasumi Ayako, Tsuji Ayumi-- likes: "picopico pop" electronic music like Perfume, Nakata Yasutaka, MOSAIC.WAV. Asian Kung-fu Generation.etc-- the mangaka of Potemayo was a big supporter of hers at auditions for the anime's cast, saying her version of Potemayo's sounds was just right for the character-- in the early years of elementary school, she and her friends used to "see fairies" and play by kicking and punching them-- she tends to daydream and lose focus, and her coworkers rag her about it. Toriumi Kousuke (Gil in Pandora Hearts) called her "Kana on a cliff," referring to the Miyazaki film Ponyo On a Cliff.-- she has one sibling, a brother four years younger, and she shows him her animes-- she has been a regular on twelve radio shows, two of which are still onStaff in:(2007) Sketchbook ~full color'S~ (TV) : Theme Song Performance (ED2)(2008) Kyouran Kazoku Nikki (TV) : Theme Song Performance (ED)(2008) Sekirei (TV) : Theme Song Performance(2009) Bakemonogatari (TV) : Theme Song Performance (OP4)Cast in:(2003) Last Exile (TV) as Holy Madosein(2006) Magical Witch Punie-chan (OVA) as Tanaka Potaru(2006) Zegapain (TV) as Kaminagi Ryoko(2007) Getsumen To Heiki Mina (TV) as Hazemi Nakoru/Minazuki Mina(2007) Mushi-Uta (TV) as Anmoto Shiika(2007) Higurashi no Naku Koroni Kai (TV) as Tomomi (eps 14.15)(2007) Potemayo (TV) as Potemayo(2007) Sketchbook ~full color'S~ (TV) as Kajiwara Sora(2008) Gunslinger Girl -Il Teatrino- (TV) as Angelica(2008) Shina Dark - Kuroki Tsuki no Ō to Sōheki no Tsuki no Himegimi (OAV) as Mapul(2008) To Love-Ru (TV) as Yuuki Mikan(2008) Blassreiter (TV) as Elea(2008) Kyouran Kazoku Nikki (TV) as Midarezaki Yuuka(2008) Mahou Tsukai ni Taisetsu na Koto: Natsu no Sora (TV) as Suzuki Sora(2008) Sekirei (TV) as Kusano(2008) Strike Witches (TV) as Suwa Amaki (ep 12)(2008) Kemeko Deluxe! (TV) as Riko At Androids(2008) Kannagi: Crazy Shrine Maidens (TV) as Suzushiro Hakua; Zange(2008) Gunslinger Girl -Il Teatrino- (OAV) as Angelica(2009) (The) Tower of Druaga: the Sword of Uruk (TV) as Henaro(2009) Asu no Yoichi! (TV) as Ikaruga Kagome(2009) Basquash! (TV) as Coco JD(2009) Pandora Hearts (TV) as Sharon Rainsworth(2009) To Love-Ru (OAV) as Yuuki Mikan(2009) Bakemonogatari (TV) as Sengoku Nadeko(2009) Sora no Manimani (TV) as An Yukie(2009) Cencoroll (movie) as Yuki(2009) Kobato. (TV) as Hanato Kobato(2009) Darker Than Black: Ryuusei no Gemini (TV) as Suou Pavlichenko(2010) Seikon no Qwaser (TV) as Mitarai Fumika(2010) Durarara!! (TV) as Sonohara Anri(2010) Bungaku Shoujo (movie) as Amano ToukoLinks:Anime News Network (eng)Wikipedia (eng)ja.Wikipediablog (radio show)live radio show video from TAF last summerpic search (English)pic search (Japanese)video search (English)video search (Japanese)idol photos
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FUNimation has just informed us on their official blog that there are a metric ton of new anime waiting to be watched on their many different streaming services. Check out how awesome Nabari no Ou english dub is, or how crappy Black Blood Brothers happens to be; get a sneak peek before you have to spend any of your hard earned cash. Here is a list of new video’s on their sites. FUNimation.com/Video Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood JPN 35 Big Windup! JPN 17-19 Black Blood Brothers ENG 1-6 Casshern Sins JPN 9-10 Fruits Basket ENG 1-4 Heat Guy J ENG 9-10 Le Chevalier D’Eon ENG 3-4 Magikano ENG 11-13 Nabari no Ou ENG 11-13 Sgt. Frog ENG 11-13 Sgt. Frog JPN 39-40 Shakugan no Shana ENG 7-8 Slayers EVOLUTION-R JPN 9-10 Solty Rei ENG 3-4 Soul Eater JPN 37-40 Tokyo Majin ENG 1-4 Vexille: 2077 Isolation of Japan JPN When They Cry ENG 23-24 YouTube.com/FUNimation Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood JPN 33 Ah! My Goddess ENG 7-13 Bamboo Blade JPN 17-20 Blassreiter ENG 7-8 Burst Angel ENG 5-7 Casshern Sins JPN 1-2 Full Metal Panic! TSR ENG 5-6 Gunslinger Girl: Il Teatrino ENG 11-13 Heroic Age ENG 19-20 Kurau Phantom Memory ENG 1-4 Murder Princess ENG 3-6 Ragnarok JPN 11-14 Save Me! Lollipop ENG 9-10 Slayers EVOLUTION-R JPN 1-2 Spice and Wolf JPN 5-6 The Count of Monte Cristo ENG 11-13 Tower of Druaga: The Aegis of Uruk JPN 3-12 Tower of Druaga: The Sword of Uruk JPN 3-12 When They Cry ENG 5-7 Hulu Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood JPN 33
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Just received this press release from Funimation. Four entire anime episodes ready for your viewing pleasure at 9:00am PST today . Read on for the press release. [Note to our anime readership. We're currently working on Blassreiter, Dragonaut, and Tower of Druaga. We should have reviews shortly.] Greetings to all souls on this Friday the 13th (spooky, huh?)! We want to put superstitious minds to rest on this date and put at least one sure, good thing into the lives of you anime watchers. Or rather, four. [Today] at 11:00 am CST, FUNimation ...
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Based off of the classic arcade game from Bandai-Namco, Tower of Druaga: The Aegis of Uruk is the tale of wannabe hero Jil. Sixty years after the Tower of Druaga was defeated, it has once again returned to the Uruk Kingdom. But fortunately for the people of Uruk, the Summer of Anu approaches, which subdues [...]
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 Those "linebarrels" are not made of "iron."  Emi, The Boobpad. FUNimation has announced the English dub cast for Linebarrels of Iron , which you may remember as one of Crunchyroll 's earliest simulcasts (back when their biggest deal was with Gonzo , giving them access to Tower of Druaga and Linebarrels). The mech drama is based on Eiichi Shimizu and Tomohiro Shimoguchi's manga of hte same name, which runs in Akita Shoten and is ongoing there. The anime ran from October '08 to March '09. Rising FUNimation star Josh Grelle , who voiced Wallflower lead Kyohei Takano and Kenichi: The Mightiest Disciple 's titular hero, will star as Kouichi, a high school boy who gains super-strength and other such powers after an accident involving a satellite falling from orbit. Kouichi later also gains amnesiac Emi Kizaki, played by Alexis Tipton (her first lead, after playing Yuuri Andou in Bamboo Blade and Aira in Tower of Druaga ) and a mech: Linebarrel. Here's the full cast list.    Linebarrels of Iron Cast List Caitlin Glass is set to ADR direct, with Mike McFarland assisting. And if that's not enough information to get you interested in the series, good news for those of you who buy anime from Right Stuf: if you pre-order part one of the 24-episode series, you'll get a free Emi oppai (breast) mouse pad. Now that's a wrist pad!
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