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Aniplex USA Reveals ‘The Anthem of the Heart’ Blu-ray Import Plans

Aniplex of America has announced its plans to distribute the imported version of both the standard and limited edition Japanese Blu-ray releases of the film The Anthem of the Heart: Beautiful Word Beautiful World. Both editions will be released simultaneously with the Japanese release on March 30, 2016. Pre-orders are now open at www.AnthemoftheHeart.com. Limited quantities will be available.

Both editions will feature the film with the original Japanese audio and English subtitles and with audio commentary by the main creative team. The commentary is not subtitled. The limited edition set will also include a bonus disc and an audio CD. The bonus disc will include: “Special Programming before Theatrical Release”, “Opening Day Greeting” and promotional videos and commercials. The audio CD will contain the soundtrack, songs from the musical segment and a special voice drama sequence. A deluxe booklet and a mini-sized version of the 52-page theatrical pamphlet will also be included in the limited edition set.

The standard edition has a suggested retail price of $69.98 USD, but is currently available for $54.98 USD. The limited edition set has a suggested retail price of $104.98 USD, but is currently available for $84.98 USD.

Microsoft Announces New Education Tools for Minecraft and OneNote

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Microsoft announced two new products that will help people learn. The wildly popular sandbox game Minecraft has been used in classrooms to teach skills to students using a game they are already playing the game at home. One teacher in the US taught her third grade class about trading economies and non-renewable resources during a Minecraft based project. To bring Minecraft-based education to more schools, Microsoft and Mojang will be releasing Minecraft: Education Edition and a community site to go along with it that will provide teachers with lesson plans and mentoring. The program is being spearheaded by a board of educators and will launch sometime between June to August 2016.

Microsoft has also released a new add-on for OneNote designed for people with learning disabilities. The new plugin features a focus mode to help students stay on task and better decode text. Additionally, extra tools help break works into syllables, identify parts of sentences, and read the text out loud. The add-on is currently in beta testing and can be found at the Learning Tools for OneNote page.

Kodansha USA to Release ‘Attack on Titan: No Regrets’ OVAs on DVD

Kodansha Comics recently revealed their upcoming DVD releases of Attack on Titan: No Regrets. This is the first time that the two OVA episodes will be available with English subtitles. The series will tell the story of Levi. Both episodes will be bundled with releases of the original manga series. The DVDs will be coded for region 1 only.

A DVD containing Attack on Titan: No Regrets Part One will be bundled with the special edition release of Attack on Titan Volume 18 in April, while the DVD containing Part Two will be bundled with the special edition release of Attack on Titan Volume 19 in August. Both releases have a suggested retail price of $19.99 USD.

The special edition of Volume 18 is now available for pre-order from book retailers. It will include an original variant dust jacket with art from award-winning artist Cameron Stewart. The artwork is featured below.

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Aniplex USA Reveals the ‘Your Lie in April’ English Dub Cast and Blu-ray Release Details

Aniplex of America recently announced their plans to release the Your Lie in April anime on Blu-ray in North America from March 2016. Volume 1 will be available on March 29, with Volume 2 following on May 31. This adaptation is based on the award-winning manga series by Naoshi Arakawa, which was serialised by Kodansha. Pre-orders for both releases are now open from the official U.S. website for the series, www.YourlieinApril.com.

Volume 1 will feature episodes 1-11 with Japanese and English audio and English and Spanish subtitles across three Blu-ray discs. The textless version of the first opening and ending animation and audio commentary for episode 1 will be featured as on-disc extras. Volume 2 will feature episodes 12-22 with the same language options as with volume 1. The textless version of the second opening and ending animation, audio commentary for episode 22 and bloopers will be included as on-disc extras. Physical bonuses and package features for both releases include: an original soundtrack CD, collectable postcards, a box illustrated by Naoshi Arakawa and a BD case cover illustration by character designer Yukiko Aikei.

The cast list is as follows (character/Japanese actor/English actor):

  • Kousei Arima – Natsuki Hanae / Max Mittelman
  • Kaori Miyazono – Risa Taneda / Erica Lindbeck
  • Tsubaki Sawabe – Ayane Sakura / Erica Mendez
  • Ryota Watari – Ryota Ousaka / Kyle McCarley
  • Emi Igawa – Saori Hayami / Erika Harlacher
  • Takeshi Aiza – Yuki Kaji / Erik Kimerer
  • Nagi Aiza – Ai Kayano / Stephanie Sheh
  • Nao Kashiwagi – Shizuka Ishigami / Julie Ann Taylor
  • Saito – Kazuyuki Okitsu / Robbie Daymond
  • Saki Arima – Mamiko Noto / Wendee Lee
  • Hiroko Seto – Mie Sonozaki / Carrie Keranen
  • Koharu Seto – Inori Minase / Cristina Vee

Both releases have a suggested retail price of $159.98 USD. They are currently available for pre-order for $129.98 USD.

FUNimation Reveals ‘The Boy and the Beast’ English Dub Cast and Theatrical Date

FUNimation Entertainment has just announced the theatrical date and English dub cast for The Boy and The Beast. The film comes from acclaimed director Mamoru Hosoda. The film will premiere in theaters across North America on March 4, 2016. Fans can choose to watch it with the original Japanese audio and English subtitles or with the new English dub. FUNimation worked closely with Hosoda in order to produce an English dub that matched Hosoda’s vision for the film. Advance tickets will be available from February 5 here. A poster for the film is featured below. FUNimation provided a synopsis of the film:

The Boy and The Beast” (“Bakemono no Ko” in Japanese) tells the story of Kyuta, a young orphan living on the streets of Shibuya, who stumbles into a fantastic world of beasts. He’s taken in by Kumatetsu, a gruff, rough-around-the-edges warrior beast who’s been searching for the perfect apprentice. Despite their constant bickering, Kyuta and Kumatetsu begin training together and slowly form a bond as surrogate father and son. But when a deep darkness threatens to throw the human and beast worlds into chaos, the strong bond between this unlikely family will be put to the ultimate test—a final showdown that will only be won if the two can finally work together using all of their combined strength and courage.

The English dub cast is as follows (character/actor):

  • Kyuta (Young) – Luci Christian
  • Kyuta (Teen) – Eric Vale
  • Kumatetsu – John Swasey
  • Kaede – Bryn Apprill
  • Chico – Monica Rial
  • Hyakushubo – Alex Organ
  • Tatara – Ian Sinclair
  • Iozen – Sean Hennigan
  • Ichirohiko (Young) – Morgan Berry
  • Ichirohiko (Teen) – Austin Tindle
  • Jiromaru (Young) – Brittney Karbowski
  • Jiromaru (Teen) – Josh Grelle
  • Kyuta’s Mother – Jessica Cavanagh
  • Kyuta’s Father – Chuck Hüber
  • Lord – Steve Powell

Mike McFarland is the ADR director. John Bergmeier is the ADR head script writer, Bonny Clinkenbeard is an ADR script writer, Matt Grounds is the lead ADR engineer and Zachary Davis is the assistant ADR engineer.

FUNimation Announces the ‘Tokyo ESP’ English Dub Cast

FUNimation Entertainment recently announced the English dub cast of Tokyo ESP. In addition to regular voice actors, this dub will feature internet personality Adam Dahlberg. The cast list is as follows (character/actor):

  • Rinka – Sarah Wiedenheft
  • Kyotaro – Adam Dahlberg
  • Minami – Mallorie Rodak
  • Rindou – Bryan Massey
  • Kuroi – Jenny Ledel
  • Murasaki – Lara Woodhull
  • Peggy – Heather Walker
  • Ayumu – Morgan Berry
  • Yodani – R Bruce Elliott
  • Professor – Jefferey Schmidt
  • Kozuki – Lindsay Seidel
  • Amie – Bryn Apprill
  • Rin – Trina Nishimura
  • Sukesaburo – Philip Weber
  • Kakunoshin – Ray Hurd

The series will be available in standard and limited edition DVD and Blu-ray combo packs on February 23, 2016. Both editions will be coded for DVD regions 1, 2 and 4 and Blu-ray regions A and B, so fans from both within and outside the U.S.A. will be able to watch these discs. The on-disc extras featured in both editions will include episode commentaries, DVD/BD spots, a commercial, the textless opening animation for “Tokyo Zero Hearts”, the textless ending animation for “Kyuusei ?????ó?” and “Lasting Memories”, the U.S. trailer and other trailers.

LEGO® Dimensions™ Adds Five New Expansion Packs Based on World’s Biggest Entertainment Brands: Ghostbusters, DC Comics, Doctor Who, Back to the Future, and LEGO Ninjago!

LEGO® Dimensions Adds Five New Expansion Packs Based on World’s Biggest Entertainment Brands: Ghostbusters, DC Comics, Doctor Who, Back to the Future, and LEGO Ninjago!

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Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment announced today the release of five, highly collectible LEGO® Dimensions™ expansion packs based on Ghostbusters™, DC Comics, Doctor Who, Back to the Future™ and LEGO® Ninjago™. Players can customise their building and gaming adventures in LEGO Dimensions with the purchase of these Wave 3 Level Pack, Team Pack and Fun Packs which provide additional gameplay, buildable characters, and rebuildable 3-in-1 vehicles and gadgets with special in-game abilities. All expansion packs provide gamers the opportunity to use everything interchangeably, anywhere throughout the game. Plus, any expansion pack character can unlock the corresponding Adventure World of the same brand to provide players with additional open-world gameplay content based on that entertainment property.

Ghostbusters fans who want to spookify their LEGO Dimensions experience beyond the Ghostbusters level in the LEGO Dimensions Starter Pack can add the Ghostbusters Level Pack which includes “A Spook Central Adventure!” a mission-based Ghostbusters level where players must fight Gozer and save New York City.  The pack comes with a buildable Peter Venkman LEGO minifigure and Proton Pack, Ecto-1 and Ghost Trap – all playable in the game. Players can use the misfit parapsychologist’s Laser Deflector, Suspend Ghosts, and Hazard Protection abilities to solve puzzles and overpower enemies.  They can also boost their gameplay with the Ecto-1 which can be rebuilt into the Ecto-1 Blaster and Ecto-1 Water Diver and the Ghost Trap which rebuilds into the Ghost Stun ‘n Trap and Proton Zapper.  The pack also allows access to the Ghostbusters Adventure World where gamers can play as one of the four Ghostbusters. Players can replay through the game and other levels to trap ghosts and access more collectibles in their journey to save the LEGO multiverse.

Players can add a touch of mischief to their LEGO Dimensions gameplay with the DC Comics Fun Pack featuring the demented duo of The Joker and Harley Quinn.  Activating The Joker’s powerful Grappler, Target, Hazard and Electricity abilities or Harley Quinn’s Acrobat and Super Strength abilities will help them to solve puzzles and battle enemies. When things get tough, players can send in The Joker’s Chopper and Harley’s Quinn-mobile, and then rebuild them – respectively – into the Mischievous Missile Blaster and The Joker’s Lock ‘n Laser Jet; or the Quinn Ultra Racer and Missile Launcher for upgraded abilities in the game.

Whovians can upgrade their LEGO Dimensions gameplay with the Doctor Who Cyberman Fun Pack, featuring a buildable Cyberman minifigure and rebuildable Dalek.  Players can place the drone-like humanoid on the LEGO Toy Pad to bring him to life in the game, then activate his hi-tech Mind Control, Hacking, Drone, X-Ray Vision, Silver LEGO Blowup, Technology, and Dive abilities to solve puzzles and take on the enemies in true Doctor Who style.  The Dalek can be rebuilt it into a Fire ‘n Ride Dalek and Silver Shooter Dalek.

Players can take their LEGO Dimensions gameplay to the future and back again with the Back to the Future Doc Brown Fun Pack.  Placing everyone’s favourite absent-minded scientist on the LEGO Toy Pad will bring him to life in the game where players can activate his Hacking, Technology, Fix it, and Drone abilities to crack puzzles and defeat enemies. If he runs out of ideas, bring in Doc Brown’s Traveling Time Train and rebuild it into the Flying Time Machine and Missile Blast Time Train.

Players can also take a wise master on their LEGO Dimensions adventures with the LEGO Ninjago Sensei Wu Fun Pack which includes a buildable Sensei Wu minifigure and his golden staff, plus a Flying White Dragon which can be rebuilt into a Golden Fire Dragon and Ultra Destruction Dragon.  Players can deploy his Spinjitzu skills and other special abilities to solve puzzles and battle enemies.

LEGO Dimensions is available for Xbox One, Xbox 360, PlayStation®4 and PlayStation®3 computer entertainment systems and Nintendo´s Wii U™ system.

Follow LEGO Dimensions at:
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/LEGODimensions

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/LEGODimensions (@LEGODimensions)

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Follow the weekly LEGO Dimensions YouTube series at: http://www.youtube.com/LEGODimensions

Sentai Filmworks Reveals the ‘Re: Hamatora the Animation’ English Dub Cast

Sentai Filmworks has just revealed the English dub cast list for Re: Hamatora the Animation. This season, which is the second season of the series, is due to be released in North America on DVD and Blu-ray on January 26, 2016. The cover art for the DVD release is featured below. In addition to all twelve episodes of the first season, both editions will feature the Japanese promo, the Japanese disclaimer and the textless opening and ending animation as on-disc extras. The English dub cast is as follows (character/actor):

  • Nice – Adam Gibbs
  • Murasaki – David Wald
  • Art – Leraldo Anzaldua
  • Hajime – Christina Kelly
  • Birthday – Blake Shepard
  • Ratio – Andrew Love
  • Honey – Margaret McDonald
  • Three – George Manley
  • Koneko – Nancy Novotny
  • Master – Carl Masterson
  • Gasuke – Luis Galindo
  • Mao – Mike Yager
  • Theo – Greg Ayres
  • Rei – Juliet Simmons
  • Moral – Chris Patton
  • Chiyuu – Kasi Hollowell
  • Momoka – Carli Mosier
  • Ishigami – John Gremillion
  • Mamiya – Bryan Kaplun
  • Gouda / Mio – Kira Vincent Davis
  • Suzuki / Ogii – Mark X Laskowski
  • Masumoto – Josh Morrison
  • Suruga – Scott Gibbs
  • Sakuraba / Wind – Jovan Jackson
  • Doktor – Rutherford Cravens
  • Hikaru – Bryson Baugus
  • Paper – Stephen E. Moellering
  • Sakurai – Gareth West
  • Samura / Onoo – John Swasey
  • Natsukawa – Tommy Baird
  • Kid Nice / Ichiko – Tiffany Grant
  • Kid Art / Nurse- Katelyn Barr
  • Skill – Kalin Coates
  • Youko – Amanda L. Baird
  • Mina – Joanne Bonasso
  • Kotone – Tiffany Terrell
  • Beckiena – Allison Sumrall
  • Hagii / Dr. Watanabe – Houston Hayes

Sentai Filmworks announced their acquisition of this season towards the end of last September. Seiji Kishi returned as the director for this season. Jun Kumagi provided the series composition. Sound direction was provided by Satoki Iida. It was animated by Lerche.

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GRAVITY-DEFYING 3D PUZZLE GAME, ATTRACTIO, NOW AVAILABLE IN THE AMERICAS FOR PLAYSTATION 4, PLAYSTATION VITA AND STEAM FOR PC

GRAVITY-DEFYING 3D PUZZLE GAME, ATTRACTIO, NOW AVAILABLE IN THE AMERICAS FOR PLAYSTATION 4, PLAYSTATION VITA AND STEAM FOR PC

Futuristic and Mind-Bending Title Blends Non-Linear Puzzle Solving, Unique Characters and Advanced Physics for a One-of-Kind Gameplay Experience

Santa Clara, CA., (JANUARY 19, 2015) BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment America Inc., a leading interactive entertainment publisher and developer, has just released Attractio, the gravity and physics-bending 3D puzzle game from Mexico based indie developer, GameCoder Studios. Attractio features non-linear puzzle solving, three unique playable characters each with their own unique story line, and is available now in the Americas for the PlayStation® 4 computer entertainment system, PlayStation® Vita hand-held system and STEAM® for PC.

In Attractio, players use futuristic technology like Gravity Boots and a Gravity Gun to interact with and manipulate the gravitational pull of objects to solve a wide range of challenging puzzles, which can be solved in variety of creative ways. Taking control of three characters, each with their own unique styles and back story, players must make their way through a series of deadly challenges and puzzles as part of an elaborate reality show set in the year 3275. Players will encounter some devious puzzles that can only be solved by only one of the characters, requiring gamers to strategically switch among characters for an experience that challenges their creative and spatial puzzle-solving abilities.

“With Attractio, gamers will find a truly original puzzle game experience that will literally turn their world upside down,” said Eric Hartness, Vice President of Marketing at BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment America, Inc. “Utilizing their brains, intuition and creativity, players will have hours and hours of challenging fun, striving to pass each unique level in the game.”

Attractio is rated “T for Teen” by the ESRB. The game is available in digital form now in the Americas for the PlayStation 4 computer entertainment system and PlayStation Vita hand-held system through the PlayStation Network, and for PCs through STEAM at the MSRP of $19.99. For more information about Attractio or other games from BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment America Inc., please visit; http://www.bandainamcoent.com, or join the conversation on our Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/bandainamcous or follow us on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/bandainamcous.

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About BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment America Inc.
BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment America Inc., part of BANDAI NAMCO Holdings Inc., is a leading global publisher and developer of interactive content — including all major video game consoles, iOS, mobile and online. The company is known for creating and publishing many of the industry’s top video game franchises, including PAC-MAN®, TEKKEN®, SOULCALIBUR®, NARUTO™, NARUTO SHIPPUDEN™, Dragon Ball®, GALAGA®, RIDGE RACER® and ACE COMBAT®.  More information about the company and its products can be found at www.bandainamcoent.com or www.facebook.com/BandaiNamcoUS.

All other trademarks are properties of their respective owners.

©BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment Inc.

Press Release © 2016 BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment America Inc.

Sentai Filmworks Licenses ‘Knights of Sidonia’ Season Two

Sentai Filmworks has just announced its acquisition of the second season of Knights of Sidonia, subtitled Battle for Planet Nine. This season will be available soon on both DVD and Blu-ray.

The anime is based on Tsutomu Nihei’s manga series. This season was directed by Hiroyuki Seshita, and Sadayuki Murai (Bubblegum Crisis: Tokyo 2040) handled the series composition and script. Both of these people worked on the first season as well. It was animated by Polygon Pictures. Sentai Filmworks provided a synopsis of this season: “The story continues to follow ace pilot, Nagate Tanikaze, as he spearheads the defense of Sidonia against a terrifying alien threat alongside an unlikely ally, a human-alien hybrid whose voice is strikingly similar to someone he loved and lost. However, Sidonia may be in more danger than anyone realized, as diabolical forces plot not only from without but also within.”

It has not yet been confirmed if this release will feature an English dub or if it there will be a collector’s edition available.