After a 26-year hiatus and a copyright dispute, Space Battleship Yamato (also known as Star Blazers) is back! An all-new Yamato feature film, featuring old-school character designs and CGI spaceship graphics, is set to premiere on December 12th in Japanese theaters.
–Via ANN
Yes, this is actually a character from Ponyo.
Disney has confirmed that the Japanese Blu-Ray release of Ponyo, which is the first Studio Ghibli Blu-ray release ever, will include multiple subtitle tracks in eight languages. These languages are: Japanese, English, French, Italian, Spanish, Korean, Traditional Chinese, and Simplified Chinese. Additionally, the release will include audio tracks in seven languages: Japanese, French, Italian, Spanish, Korean, Mandarin Chinese, and Cantonese Chinese. Oddly enough, English is the only language to receive subtitles, but no audio track. This likely has to do with Ghibli’s licensing agreement with Disney.
Since both Japan and the United States adhere to Region A Blu-ray coding, American fans who wish to watch Ponyo subtitled can now import the Blu-ray disc when it is released on December 8th. Unfortunately, our Australian and British friends will have to wait for a Region B release.
–Via ANN
The last week of my life has been hell what with lots of tests and reports due in, but now that it is all over I can sit back, relax, and talk about the Melbourne Anime Festival that was on last weekend. It was epic.
Yamamoto Yutaka, the famous director of the first Haruhi season, as well as his studio Ordet, have announced that they are producing an “anime project” for the Vocaloid song Black Rock Shooter. Although the format of the project is unrevealed, speculation is leaning towards an animated music video for the song. The anime is due for release next April, although a “pilot version” will be released on September 30th. This pilot release, which includes a CD single and a booklet with anime artwork, also includes a DVD (or Blu-ray) that may contain a preview of the anime.
Here are some screenshots from the project, which can also be viewed on the Black Rock Shooter website.
The Good Smile Company have outdone themselves once again with this 1/8th scale of the svelte assassin Canaan, from the anime series of the same name. And would you just look at her!
New details about the highly anticipated Gundam Unicorn (aka Gundam UC) adaptation, which returns to the Universal Century timeline of the original Mobile Suit Gundam, were revealed at Tokyo’s Big Gundam Expo on Friday. Unicorn has been confirmed to be an OVA series, with six 50-minute episodes, and been given a spring 2010 release date. Furthermore, Bandai will be releasing the series simultaneously worldwide (most likely online), meaning those of us in the English-speaking world will get to watch the OVA at the same time as our Japanese friends. This is the first Bandai series ever released in this fashion, so this marks a momentous event for both Gundam fans and anime fans in general.
Here’s a bright note in an otherwise dismal Haruhi day. Aya’s overly cute, the music is excellent. The video itself … I’ll let you be the judge.
It will be a few weeks before the blood temperature comes down below boiling point for dedicated fans of The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya. Now that the contentious Endless Eight arc has ended critical people from behind the scenes are coming forward and voicing their opinions.
Aya Hirano, the popular seiyuu of Haruhi Suzumiya, has spoken out on what she thought about the decision to run Endless Eight for two whole months:
Disney, being the marketing geniuses executive meddlers that they are, have decided to record their own pop version of the theme song from Hayao Miyazaki’s new film Ponyo. The final product, which makes use of the vocal “talents” of Frankie Jonas and Noah Cyrus, as well as heavy manipulation by Auto-Tune, can be heard in the comparison video below.
Multiple sources have now confirmed that the new Haruhi episode, which aired today in Japan, is the first part of the Sighs of Haruhi Suzumiya arc.
WARNING: THE FOLLOWING POST CONTAINS SPOILERS!