SHAFT Postpones Release of Madoka

 

My translation of this article:

2011/3/15 Volume 1 BD/DVD Postponement Notice

We offer our heartfelt sympathy to everyone affected in the Touhoku Pacific region.
Because of the earthquake, there are power shortages and issues with distribution. We were planning to release Puella Magi Madoka Magica Vol. 1 on March 30th. Because of the situation, we have decided to postpone its release.

We deeply apologize for the large amount of trouble this will cause everyone, but we ask that you please understand and cooperate with us. Please check Aniplex’s official site from now on for updates regarding the release date.

You’ve probably already heard about the devastating earthquake and tsunami in Japan. It’s obvious things like this would happen, since frankly there are much better things to allocate limited power and resources to than manufacturing and shipping anime DVD’s. Madoka’s preorder statistics indicate that it could end up becoming the best selling anime series of all time, so I can only imagine how tough this decision must have been for SHAFT. This news is disappointing to say the least, but it’s great that they have their priorities so well established.

If you’d like to join SHAFT and do your part to help Japan recover, follow the link under Japan Earthquake and Tsunami at the top of our sidebar.

FUNimation’s Hypocrisy Revealed

Video in Funimation’s dubbing room as seen in America’s Greatest Otaku

Remember FUNimation, the moralist anime production company that tried to sue 1337 anonymous bittorrent users for downloading a One Piece fansub? Well, it turns out that for all their bloviating about piracy, they are nothing more than a bunch of filthy hypocrites.

The screenshot above is taken from the latest episode of America’s Greatest Otaku, Tokyopop’s attempt to emulate reality television with an anime spin. It shows a monitor in FUNimation’s dubbing studio, with episode 3 of Sora no Otoshimono playing for the benefit of the dub actors.

Keen eyes on the ANN forums quickly noticed something strange about the subtitle font being used. Turns out it’s from HorribleSub’s illegal rip of CrunchyRoll’s stream.

Sora No Otashimono, Episode 3, 08:42

The evidence here is irrefutable. Unless FUNimation went to great lengths to replicate HorribleSub’s unique font in Aegisub, there is no question that they are using illegal rips for their dubbing work. This is particularly damaging after they made such a grand show of suing thousands of people whose only offense was WATCHING FANSUBS. No question about it, FUNimation has had their ethical soapbox shattered.

More after the break.

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For Better or Worse? Two New K-ON! Manga Announced

To the surprise of absolutely no one, the upcoming issue of Manga Time Kirara will announce two new K-ON! spinoff manga, both of which will premiere next month. As far as we know, these two manga share the K-ON! title, but cover different subject matter . The first, which begins on April 9th in Manga Time Kirara, will focus on the continuing adventures of Ritsu, Mio, Yui and Mugi as they go to college. The second, which begins on April 28th in sister magazine Manga Time Kirara Carat, will follow the light music club at Sakuragaoka Girls’ High School, now manned by Azusa, Ui and Jun.

And thus, the inevitable slow decline of the K-ON! franchise begins. They won’t stop milking this cow until its dry, utterly dehydrated and comatose.

I’ve seen it happen dozens (if not hundreds) of times before. At first, K-ON! was a fun but vapid slice-of-life series, an enjoyable diversion that kept us amused with short skirts and pop music. Sadly, as the manga stretched on and the anime plowed through its second season, creative bankruptcy began to set in. The jokes got stale. The plots became repetitious. Even the much-vaunted music lost its luster. K-ON! was winding down, and everybody knew it.

More after the break.

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Second Season of Squid Girl Announced~de geso!

Listen up, foolish humans! Did you think that the beach house was the only land I would conquer~de geso ka? Your naivety will be your undoing~de geso! While you have been watching other inferior anime, I’ve been plotting my second season~de geso. But now that I’ve allowed you all to become complacent, you’ll stand no chance against my superior planning~de geso! I will trample you all and see that you pay for your insolence with your – wait, Sanae, stop it! I’m giving a speech here! Get off of me!

Ahem. I thought I would at least  give you humans a fair warning~de geso. I will not reveal the air date of my second season just yet, but it is already far too late for you to stop me~de geso. Enjoy the time you have left, for soon you will bow to your new master, Ika Musume~de geso! If you don’t resist, I may go easy on you~de geso.

In the meantime, I will test your resolve~de geso! If you cannot survive the video below, your body is not ready for Squid Girl season 2~de geso!

It’s Never Too Early to Talk About Spring Anime!

Even though the winter anime season has just begun, the intertubes are already ablaze with anticipation for the upcoming spring season, fueled largely by the charts released by The Cart Driver and Cowboy Bimbop. Since anticipation makes the heart grow fonder, I’ve decided to speculate on which shows will catch my fancy this spring. Of course, since all I have to go on is a thumbnail and plot summary, everything I say here is little more than an educated guess… so don’t take it TOO seriously. I’m sure I’ll be adding and dropping shows to this list once I see the actual trailers.

My picks are below the break. Tell me yours in the comment section!

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Second Hokago no Pleiades Trailer Released

The second trailer for the new Gainax-Subaru magical girl astronomy anime has been posted on YouTube.

I have to say, this trailer has a bit more substance than the previous “OMG CUTE GIRLS” version. I had originally written Hokago off a a cynical, moe-pandering corporate tie-in, but this trailer has lit a small spark of hope that this will be something worth watching. Gainax, I’m counting on you!

Hokago no Pleiades Trailer Released

The trailer for the new Gainax-Subaru magical girl astronomy anime has been posted on YouTube.

Apparently, it’s going to premier on February 1st as a “High-DEF YouTube Exclusive.”

So, does this ONA have the cajones to go up against Shaft’s magical girl offering, Madoka Magica? I’m not so sure. Shaft’s show has grimdark master Shinbo behind it, whereas Gainax’s feels like MagiPoka mixed with K-ON!. And with a blatant corporate sponsership thrown into the mix, I’m betting Hokago will be another lackluster offering from the studio that brought us such turds as He Is My Master and Hanamaru Kindergarten.

Hey, not every Gainax show can be a genre-busting masterpiece. Just grit your teeth and wait for PSG season two.

Bakacast – My Motorcycle Can’t Be This Sexy

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On this episode of Bakacast, we praise yet another one of Hasbro’s new TV shows, Transformers: Prime. But before that, we all discuss the details of the content-restriction bill that the Tokyo Metropolitan Government passed recently, also known as the “anime ban.” Not because we think we think we’re breaking the news, but because we’d like to help calm down all the people positing end-of-the-anime-world scenarios.

After that, we go to our normal reviews, which contain more rants than usual thanks to Kirino’s absurd “apology,” Samurai Girl‘s hilarious thoughts on love, and Iron Man‘s writing staff proving they have no idea how a plot is supposed to work. Oh, and I guess we answer a Twitter question wherein we reveal how terrible we are at casting live-action adaptations of anime.

We cover:

  • Transformers: Prime #1-5
  • OreImo #11
  • Panty & Stocking #11
  • Iron Man #11
  • Squid Girl #10
  • Otome Youkai Zakuro #11
  • Star Driver #11

[This album art brought to you by ka-ju, who is very talented at drawing giant robots.]