Animatsu Entertainment is a new official producer, licensor and distributor of anime in the United Kingdom and Ireland. They have signed an exclusive sales and marketing deal with Manga Entertainment, with Manga Entertainment to provide sale and distribution services and Animatsu to handle marketing and brand management. The company formed in October 2014 and has already gained a lot of support from anime fans thanks to the many licenses they already have and their social media presence.
Their licenses so far include:
Akame ga Kill and Gatchaman Crowds – a Blu-ray release is confirmed for both titles.
Halo: Nightfall will be released in a joint partnership with Anchor Bay Entertainment, with a DVD, Blu-ray and limited edition Blu-ray release set for March 16.
Blade andSoul, The Comic Artist and His Assistants, Chaika The Coffin Princess – Blu-ray releases are not yet confirmed for these titles.
Gatchaman Crowds will be released on April 27, 2015 with a suggested retail price of £24.99 (DVD) and £39.99 (Blu-ray).
The first DVD set will be released on March 31, 2015. It will feature the first 13 episodes of the season with dual audio across three discs. On-disc extras include the textless opening and ending animations. The package will be a soft box with a two-sided reversible cover illustrated by Character Designer Toshifumi Akai. Physical bonuses will include a mini poster and a two-sided deluxe illustration board.
Here is the cast list for the Japanese version and the English dub (character/actors):
Aladdin: Kaori Ishihara / Erica Mendez
Alibaba: Yuki Kaji / Erik Scott Kimerer
Morgiana: Haruka Tomatsu / Cristina Vee
Sinbad: Daisuke Ono / Matt Mercer
Titus Alexius: Yoshitsugu Matsuoka / Johnny Yong Bosch
Scheherazade: Maaya Sakamoto / Stephanie Sheh
Ren Koen: Yuichi Nakamura / Kaiji Tang
Matal Mogamett: Cho / Steve Kramer
Aniplex USA describes the first 13 episodes as follows:
In order to realize their objectives, the adventurers each embark on a new journey. Aladdin sets his sights on the land of Magnoshutatt to study magic while Alibaba travels to the Leam Empire to challenge the gladiators of the coliseum. Morgiana sets sail towards her homeland of Katarg, and Hakuryu returns to the Kou Empire…
Equipped with a charm to mask his powers of a Magi, Aladdin arrives to Magnoshutatt with another goal—to investigate this nation’s relation with the Al-Tharmen—the power behind the “Abnormalities of the World.”
Meanwhile, the royal family of the Kou Empire was in mourning for their Emperor’s passing and is shocked when the throne is passed on to someone they had not expected. An ominous cloud loomed over the Empire as the flames of revenge burned within Hakuryu. The Magi of the Leam Empire, Scheherazade, also sensed this threat from across the sea and grew concerned for her people.
Back in Magnoshutatt, Aladdin is hard at training at the academy when he meets Titus Alexius, a prodigy from Leam. But, Aladdin realizes that Titus was also equipped with the same charm! What is Titus’s true identity?! An all new adventure big enough to change the world begins now!
The second DVD set will be released on May 26, 2015. It will feature episodes 14-25 of season two with dual audio across three discs. On-disc extras again include the textless opening and ending animations, as well as the trailer for the English version. The package again will be a soft box with another two-sided reversible cover illustrated by Character Designer Toshifumi Akai. Physical bonuses will include another mini poster and another two-sided deluxe illustration board.
Aniplex of America has just revealed their release of Hanamonogatari, the sixth arc in the Monogatari series’ second season. The two-disc Blu-ray set will be released in North America on April 21, 2015.
It will feature ‘Suruga Devil’ episodes 1-5 with Japanese audio and English subtitles. On-disc extras will include the textless opening and ending animations, the ‘OP/ED alternate version’ of episode 5 and the PV and commercial collections. The package will be illustrated by Character Designer Akio Watanabe. The physical bonuses will include a deluxe booklet and a pinup postcard set. These items are subject to change.
The set has a suggested retail price of $64.98 USD. However, it can currently be pre-ordered for $49.98 USD.
Aniplex of America has just announced their upcoming release of the complete series of World Conquest Zvezda Plot on DVD. The three-disc set will be released on April 28, 2015.
The set will feature episodes 1-12 and the OVA episode with Japanese audio and English subtitles. On-disc extras will include the textless opening and ending animations, trailers, commercials and the preview for the OVA episode.
The package and physical bonuses will include collectible special pin-ups, a soft box cover and mini poster illustrated by Original Character Designer Kuroboshi Kouhaku and a two-sided reversible DVD cover illustrated by Character Designer and Chief Animation Director Keigo Sasaki. These items are subject to change.
The set has a suggested retail price of $74.98 USD. However, it can currently be pre-ordered for $59.98 USD.
Vertical announced three new releases at the recent KatsuCon, including a light novel release and two manga releases.
First up is an omnibus edition of the Seraph of the End light novels. The first omnibus is planned to be released in December 2015. So far, seven volumes have been released of the manga version since 2012, with three volumes currently published in English by Viz Media and the fourth volume planned for release on March 3, 2015. An anime adaptation is planned for April 2015.
Second is the release of the Ninja Slayer manga. It is not clear which manga adaptation will be released, as there are two manga different manga stories adapted from the original light novels, which were originally posted on Twitter. Trigger is producing an anime adaptation that will premiere in April 2015.
Third is the release of Kizumonogatari, the third volume in the Monogatari series. Vertical stated that NisioOisin requested they start with the third volume.
Exact release dates for these releases have not yet been confirmed.
Sentai Filmworks has recently revealed the English dub cast for their upcoming release of The World God Only Knows: Goddesses, the third season in the series. Here is the list in its entirety:
Keima Katsuragi – Chris Patton
Elsie – Luci Christian
Haqua – Jessica Calvello
Tenri Ayukawa / Diana – Juliet Simmons
Kanon Nakagawa / Apollo – Brittney Karbowski
Tsukiyo Kujo / Vulcanus – Caitlynn French
Yui Goido / Mars – Krystal LaPorte
Shiori Shiomiya / Minerva – Hilary Haag
Ayumi Takahara / Mercury – Elizabeth Bunch
Lune – Tiffany Grant
Gira – Allison Sumerall
Nora – Maggie Flecknoe
Chihiro Kohsaka – Cynthia Martinez
The third season of The World God Only Knows will be released on DVD and Blu-ray in North America on March 10, 2015, with a DVD and Blu-ray release of the four OVAs following on May 5.
Sentai Filmworks has provided a synopsis of this season:
Dating Game master Keima Katsuragi’s skills at conquering hearts in the virtual world have translated into real life so well that he and Spirit Hunter associate Elsie have already captured 14 of the runaway spirits attaching themselves to the souls of different girls. But is even the God of Conquests up to the task of romancing six REAL Goddesses?
The fate of the world may depend on it, because if Keima can’t do it six more times, a renegade faction of demons will use the Goddesses power to unleash an even more dangerous and powerful group of demons. That could mean the devastation of both Heaven and the Earth! (Not to mention Keima losing his own head.) And if the situation wasn’t difficult enough, it seems that the Goddesses’ souls are hidden inside girls that Keima has already had to make fall in love with him before. As part of the magic spell, they’ve all forgotten about him… or have they?
More details about the aforementioned home video releases will be revealed in the near future.
Madman has put a large sample of the popularNaruto anime on their AnimeLab streaming service. The first 26 episodes are now available with English subtitles.
The first volume of Masashi Kishimoto’s original manga was first sold in Japan on March 3, 2000, with volume 72, the final volume, being released on February 4, 2015. More than 130 million copies of the manga are in circulation in Japan, and more than 75 million copies of the manga have been sold internationally. Madman has been distributing the manga in Australia since 2008.
Naruto Shippuden, the sequel to the Naruto anime, is still airing in Japan and much of it is also available on DVD in Australia thanks to Madman.
For those who have not seen Naruto before and are interested in checking out the show before making the decision of whether or not to buy the series on DVD, the first 26 episodes can be found here and viewed by people with an AnimeLab account. These episodes are available on DVD across collections one and two.
Australians Chocolate Liberation Front and Surprise Attack Games announced their upcoming platformerOscura: Lost Light will hit Linux, Mac, and Windows on February 24, 2015.
The lights went out across the Driftlands after our hero Oscura destroyed the Aurora Stone. Oscura must now fix his mistakes and defeat the evil villain Marvo. Oscura will be assisted by four crystals that give him special powers to defeat the shadows.
Oscura: Lost Light features an art style inspired by Tim Burton’s minimalism.
Oscura: Lost Light is the third title in the series. The previous game Oscura: Second Shadowwas released on Mac and iOS in June 2014.
Square Enix took to the stage at the Japan Amusement Expo in Chiba today to reveal that they are working on a brand new arcade game called Dissidia Final Fantasy. The last time we heard of the Dissidia franchise it was back in 2011 when the second title was released for the PSP. Currently only announced for arcades, Dissidia Final Fantasy will feature a three on three battle system which is far different from past versions of the game.
The teaser trailer for the game can be found below and the playable characters revealed so far are Y’Shotla from Final Fantasy XIV, Lightning from Final Fantasy XIII, Cloud Strife from Final Fantasy VII, Terra Branford from Final Fantasy VI, and The Onion Knight from Final Fantasy II.
In what has become a weekly event, Atlus USA has released another new trailer for Etrian Mystery Dungeon and this time around it focuses on introducing the Gunner class, a fighter that specializes in ranged combat and can not only damage enemies from afar using their firearms but also support allies with various skills.
The Gunner can prevent enemies from moving or attacking by targeting specific limbs of enemies and you can see them in action in the trailer below. As for the game itself, Etrian Mystery Dungeon is set to be released in North America on April 7th.
