The SOS Brigade Seitenkan has posted a video of their attempts to make Japanese food. The results are… interesting.
Apparently Kyonko doesn’t like seafood. O_O
SOS Brigade Seitenkan vs. Japanese Food
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Second Ponyo Trailer
The second english trailer for Hayao Miyazaki’s new film Ponyo has been revealed.
Japanese Anime Industry Shrinks
ANN is reporting that the Japanese anime industry has shrunk for a second year in a row, with revenues down over $2 billion in 2008. Drops in both box office revenues and DVD sales contributed to this downward trend. Yasuo Yamaguchi, the director of the Association of Japanese Animators, thinks he knows the problem.
“The spread of free Internet downloading is having a deadly effect.”
Of course, that MUST be what’s wrong. I’m sure this industry decline has NOTHING to do with endless moe filler, ill-advised publicity stunts or ridiculously overpriced DVDs. Good call there, Yasuo!
Meanwhile, while the Japanese anime industry is floundering, the American industry is thriving. Must be a fluke.
Endless Eight and the DVDs of Despair
The eighth episode of the new Haruhi ‘season’ has aired, and (suprise) it’s another repetition of Endless Eight. The common wisdom now is that next week’s episode with be the last E8 loop. We can only hope.
Meanwhile, in even more depressing news, the DVD release details for Endless Eight have been revealed. It seems that E8 will be released across 4 DVDS, with two episodes per DVD. Each release will retail for ¥6,930 (approximately $72 USD).
Yes, you read that right. That’s seventy-two dollars for two episodes. That means buying the entirety of E8 on DVD will cost $288.
I think I’ll wait for the box set.
–Via Random Curiosity and Sankaku Complex (NSFW)
Kotobukiya Haruhi Figure Review
My personal world of figurine worship has just become a whole lot more awesome with the arrival of the Kotobukiya figurine of Haruhi Suzumiya. I have had my eyes on this figurine ever since she was released to the drooling market in October of 2008, and indeed my initial thoughts are “She is awesome”.
Hirasawa Yui by ALTER
Recently at the Tokyo Wonder Festival some new K-ON! figurines were revealed, in particular this awesome rendition of Hirasawa Yui by ALTER. I’m not a huge fan of K-ON! having lost interest in the series as it progressed, but when it comes to the figurines, I’m willing to reconsider…
Kuroshio Sea
John Rawlinson recently posted this amazing video of his visit to the Kuroshio Sea.
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The Kuroshio Sea is located at the Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium, and famously contains the second-largest panel of acrylic glass in the world. It is also one of the few aquariums that keeps whale sharks in captivity.
Greenscreen: Behind The Scenes
Our British friends, the SOS Brigade Seitenkan, have updated their Youtube with a video showing the construction of their greenscreen. (Note: the video is a bit choppy at the beginning)
For those of you who wish to participate in the Brigade’s activities, there’s still a week left on our greenscreen challenge!
K-On! Music Tops Charts
K-On!’s most recent release, Hōkago Teatime, has become the first character album ever to top the Japanese charts, selling 67,000 copies since its release last Wednesday. With Maddy Caddy set to release in a few weeks and hype at an all-time high, K-On! looks set to fill the void left in otakus’ hearts by Endless Eight…
–From ANN
Lucky Star: Net Idol Meister announced
According to Japanator, the game Lucky Star: Net Idol Meister has been announced for the PSP, and is slated for a December 24th release in Japan. The game challenges the player to raise a Lucky Star girl to become a popular net idol, via a series of minigames. In this respect, it seems to be either an homage or a parody of the Idolmaster series. Your girl will be able to visit Akihabara, Bukuro, their own hometown and (naturally) the internet.
–Via Japanator