Tag Archives: Anime

Kyoani’s Next Project is Nichijou

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Kyoto Animation, the masters of all things moe, have announced their next project: an animated adaptation of Keiichi Arawi’s gag manga Nichijou.

Cover of Nichijou volume 1

Yeah, I’ve never heard of it either. Apparently it’s something of a mix between Azumanga Diaoh and Cromartie High School, featuring moeblob characters, slapstick comedy and random bouts of deer wrestling. Sounds like this series is right up Kyoani’s alley.

The announcement in Shonen Ace.

Could this be the next Lucky Star?

[Via ANN]

The Rest of the K-ON!! Voice Actresses

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Since Stilts has introduced you to Ritsu’s VA. I figured you should meet the rest of the group. Can you guess which voice actress plays which character? Mouse over each picture for the answer! More information can be found by clicking on the link below their picture.

Tsumugi Kotobuki

Minako Kotobuki

Yui Hirasawa

Aki Toyosaki

Mio Akiyama

Yōko Hikasa

Azusa Nakano

Ayana Taketatsu

Ho-kago Tea Time (4)

Ask Ritsu’s Voice Actress Your Questions

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Have you ever dreamed of Ritsu saying Ripley’s classic “nuke them from orbit” line?

No? Just me?

Oh, well, in any case, if you do have something you’d like Satomi Sato to say or a question to ask her, head over to Danny Choo’s website. Choo will interview her for the debut of his new show, “Culture:Japan,” and is taking phrase-requests, questions and fanart from his audience.

Take note: the show airs on June 12, but he’ll film it on June 3. So don’t be like our favorite absentminded drummer and wait until the last minute.

K-ON!! Band Sets New Record

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Hip, hip, hooray!

Not content with simply stealing the hearts of otaku, the K-ON!! girls’ newest single, “Go! Go! Maniac”, stole the top spot of Oricon’s weekly singles ranking according to ANN. “Listen!!” came in second place, because there’s apparently no such thing as overkill.

“But Stilts,” I pretend you’re asking, “who are they beating?” Good question! Looking at today’s daily rankings, the #3 slot belongs to enka-singer Fuyumi Sakamoto’s “Asia no Kaizoku/Mata Kimi ni Koi Shiteru” (“Asian Pirates/I’m in Love with You Again”). It was released over a year ago and recently climbed to the top, only to be unseated by Hokago Tea Time’s songs. And in #4 is “Mahō no Ryōri ~Kimi kara Kimi e~” (“Magical Cooking ~From You to You~”) by the curiously-named Bump of Chicken, who have done songs for video games and anime, too. It was released on April 21 and made it to the top of both the daily and weekly charts. Clearly, both songs were worthy contenders for the cultural steamroller that is K-ON!!

I’m pleasantly surprised by this development. To me, the vast majority of the songs from the first season of K-ON! were generic and forgettable J-pop tunes. When I first heard the OP and ED for the second season, I thought, “Hey, they’re actually taking risks and experimenting with different styles. Good for them!” It’s nice to see that they’ve been rewarded for their efforts.

What is your favorite Kyoto Animation series?

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Is there any anime studio more polarizing than Kyoto Animation? Ever since their meteoric rise to fame with the 2006 hit series The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya,  KyoAni has been both adored and reviled by the fandom. Now we want to know what you, dear readers, think about their work. Do you have a favorite KyoAni series, or do you loathe everything they’ve done? Perhaps you simply don’t care?

Let us know by voting in the poll below, then head over to our forums for more detailed discussion!

[poll id=”10″]

Series Review: A Certain Scientific Railgun

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Okay, confession time. How many of you clicked on this review just because it had “Railgun” in the title?

If you did, you’re in good company; that’s the very reason I started watching A Certain Scientific Railgun in the first place. It was only later that I learned it was a spinoff of another anime called A Certain Magical Index, which itself was adapted from a series of light novels by Kazuma Kamachi. Ever heard of him? Yeah, me neither. However, you don’t need to have seen Index to understand Railgun; the latter stands on its own as a highly enjoyable mix of action, scientific intrigue, comedy and slice-of-life. Yup, this show has something for everybody… including Bleach fans, since its second half contains an inordinate amount of soul-crushingly boring filler. Unfortunately, that turns out to be the major flaw that drags down an otherwise awesome show.

Find out more after the break!

Continue reading →

Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya Licensed

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HUGE NEWS! A video on the ASOS Brigade website has just confirmed that Bandai has licensed The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya film, which will be coming to Viz Theater in San Francisco on May 21. Tickets will be available from New People World. Based on what we know so far, it’s likely that Bandai is dubbing the movie alongside the second season. Stay tuned to Project Haruhi for further updates, and feel free to discuss Haruhi in greater detail in our forums!

Series Review: GA-REI -zero-

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I have a confession to make. I am not a big manga reader. I follow a few titles, but I’m generally ignorant of the latest Japanese comics until I’m clued in by one of my friends. So I came into GA-REI -zero- with only basic knowledge of the manga. I knew it was about slaying evil spirits in the modern world, but that was all; and, honestly, that’s all you need to know. The show works fine on its own. It even made a fan out of me.

Be warned: the first episode is a massive tease. As usual, Tokyo is going to hell, this time because of a massive spike in spirit activity. A group of elite spirit hunters—whose best member is clearly the girl who uses her motorcycle as a weapon—is brought in to clean up the paranormal activity. They’re doing quite well up until the end, when a mysterious girl kills all of them with her katana. Continue reading →

K-ON!! OP and ED

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The first episode of K-ON!! just finished airing in Japan. The speedsubs aren’t out yet, but fortunately we’ve got just the thing to take the edge off your moe cravings. Behold, the new K-ON!! opening and ending themes!

GO! GO! MANIAC

Listen!!

The singles of these songs will be released on April 28th by Pony Canyon.

I initially didn’t like the “Go! Go! Maniac” very much, but I think it’s starting to grow on me. It has a very infectious beat, like that damned Love Hina theme that always gets stuck in your head. As for “Listen!!”, I feel it’s kinda generic; definitely not as good as “Don’t Say Lazy”, but not all that bad either. Let’s hope the rest of K-ON!!‘s music is a bit more memorable.

Anyhoo, the buzz on Twitter seems to indicate the K-ON!! premier was a huge success. This will no doubt come as a relief to many otaku who have been nervous about Kyoani since last year’s Endless Eight debacle. Fortunately, it seems disaster has been averted… at least for now…