Aniplex of America has announced at their Otakon panel, that they will be producing and releasing an english dub of the popular anime series Puelli Magi Madoka Magica. The series soared to popularity after it’s recent airing earlier this year in Japan and an english dub was a given.
Madoka Magica is a magical girl series set in a world in which wish granting creatures exist. However upon your wish being granted you are to become a magical girl in exchange and fight the forces of evil. The concept has proven popular and Aniplex being the smart people they are, have made a swift decision to dub the series. This is great for fans of the series and for those who have yet to check it out.
Alongside this major announcement was the announcement of the Rurouni Kenshin remake anime license being currently under negotiations. Also announced was that Aniplex will be releasing Welcome to the Space Show on Blu-Ray.
As more information on Madoka Magica and other titles comes to light we will keep you updated. Until then, what do you think of these announcements? Leave a comment below, letting us know.
This weekend global mobile game developers Com2uS will be finally become teenagers. To celebrate their 13th birthday, Com2uS will be giving a huge gift to mobile gamers from all platforms, slashing and hacking prices on a huge range of titles. From the iTunes App Store, to the Google App Market place, and anything in between, classic Com2uS titles such as: Heavy Gunner 3D, Caligo Chaser, Inotia 3, Chocolate Tycoon, Third Blade, Crazy Hotdogs and Trapped: Undead Infection are cut to a mere $0.99. Make sure you get in quick, the sale will only be in operation between July 30th and August 1st. After 13 years of delivering quality games to a range of mobile devices, the least we can do is wish Com2uS a happy birthday.
The Tatami Galaxy Complete Series Tag Line: Opportunity is always dangling in front of you… Produced by: Funimation(US) Siren Visual (AU) Run time: 270 minutes of 12 episodes Language: Japanese Genre: Philosphical, School Drama, Comedy Release Date: 22/06/2011 Available for purchase at Siren Visual Online Store ($49.95)
Overview:
What is art? It’s a question that many have discussed, but to define it seems to contradict it’s own concept. How does this question relate to The Tatami Galaxy? It’s a question that I found myself wondering many times during watching this series, as the series continuously attempts to outdo itself with artsy expression. Does it succeed or does it fall flat?
Story:
The Tatami Galaxy features what can only be considered a high concept storyline. Each episode tells the tale of an unnamed protagonist through seperate parralell worlds in which the key difference being that each world features the protagonist joining a different club or circle in university.
Sadly this is done in such an unnatural way that there is little legible storyline or true character progression. Which is a shame because the concept is simply oozing with potential. One particular point of interest is in the fact that this is a subtitles only release. Which does not do the show any favours as the characters talk at a break-neck speed and subtitles leave the screen just as quickly. It’s rather distracting and makes it even more difficult to invest in the story of the series.
Let’s not forget the over-the-top art direction which poses another road block in the way of the plot. It just simply takes too much attention away from the story and makes things so muddled and difficult to comprehend without several rewinds to make sure you caught what just happened.
Overall the story is forgettable and left little to no true impression on me outside of the fact that it was almost impossible to invest in and nearly as difficult to comprehend.
Characters:
Like the story, there isn’t a lot going on in the character department. It is difficult to understand these characters and their personalities as for one the story direction changes constantly and the characters designs change just as often, at a completely random rate.
Of the characters worth mentioning we have the unnamed protagonist, his yokai-like friend Ozu and the love interest archetype Akashi. All of these characters are not memorable. Its a real shame because there was so much potential in this series upon the surface. However once going in deeper, you discover that it’s insides are all falling apart.
It’s clear that the creators were unable to get the right balance between the art and the story. They do not seem to understand that in all things balance is necessary. Watching pretty visuals, may be nice for a while, but without a strong story and characters to justify and hold up the artstyle, the viewer may grow tired very quickly. That is unfortunately the case with The Tatami Galaxy.
Audio:
One part where The Tatami Galaxy succeeds is in it’s music. The series features an amazing soundtrack that is every bit as crazy as the show itself. The opening theme is one of the most memorable things about the series. The ending theme isn’t too bad either. What is so great about the music of the series is that it dares to do something bizaare and doesn’t fall flat on it’s face in doing so.
The voice work is decent, but may be difficult to follow for western viewers as characters speak extremely fast in this show. If you aren’t quick with your eyes, you will miss out on a lot of the show. Unfortunately Siren Visual did not add on a slower subtitles feature.
Artwork:
The defining point of The Tatami Galaxy is in the art and animation. The creators have strived for something so bizaare and unique that in doing so they have completely shot themselves in the foot. The artstyle is without a doubt visually pleasing and is indeed something to behold. But beyond the dazzling imagery and flurry of colours lies an empty cold shell of an anime series, that could have been filled with so much more life, if more work had been put into other parts of the production other than the art and animation.
Put simply too much time and effort was put into the artstyle that all other areas of the series apart from the music was really lackluster and felt very empty. Even though they spent so much time on the art and animation a lot of it is just art with no meaning.
This is where I link it all back to the opening question: What is art? It’s a question that perfectly sums up Tatami Galaxy, a show that tries so hard to be an artistic revelation that it instead becomes the opposite, a hollow body void of the slightest hint of artistry.
So much was put into making it artistic that all in all it failed miserably to achieve that. It’s a case of an anime studio not understanding the simple concept of moderation.
Special Features:
This DVD took me by complete and utter surprise, for the first time in a long time, Siren Visual actually put a decent amount of special features on one of their titles. With features such as bonus mini episodes, TV spots, behind the scenes featurettes and more, Siren Visual has finally shown that they can release DVD’s with a little extra added in for those who want some more from their anime besides simply just watching it.
Also in the package is the usual slip-case packaging which is as usual a nice little addition to the DVD and has some nice artwork on the cover. Overall this is a definite step in the right direction for Siren Visual. Heres hoping they keep this up with future DVD releases.
Conclusion:
In closing, The Tatami Galaxy is an anime series that was bursting with complete and utter potential but never truly succeeds in grasping and utilising that potential. It is a true shame that this anime could not have been as good as it looked. Perhaps their is a parallel world in which the creators spent more time on the storyline? One can only wonder. Unfortunately The Tatami Galaxy was sadly a disappointment and an overall unbalanced experience.
Therefore I give The Tatami Galaxy Complete Series:
If you have even the slightest interest in the blood-thirsty sport of MMA, now is your time to take notice in 505 Games’ upcoming title Supremacy MMA, which will be releasing on the Xbox 360 and PS3 this September. Being rated M, this fighter lets players beat each other to a bloody pulp and honestly looks to be the most satisfying MMA experience that we have seen so far come to the gaming realm.
In the new trailer below, you can see the bone crunching and bloody action in full display as the oddly fitting melody “The Flower Duet” gracefully plays in the background. Everything looks fantastic and the attention to detail shines through wonderfully with the painful expressions on each fighter’s face. After seeing the clip, I am almost tempted to forward this trailer to THQ as this is the way an MMA style experience should be handled. Bloody, beautiful, and satisfying.
Barkin’ Buddy Developer: Radical iDeas Group Publisher: Radical iDeas Group Genre: Social Networking Platform: iPhone(reviewed)/iPad Release: 11/7/11 Price: $1.99AUD
Overview
“Do ya like dogs?” A strange question from an equally strange man I met in England a few years back. The question was the proceeded by him pulling an A4 sheet of paper from his pocket, pointing at it and asking me to look. The photo was of a dog in the snow, which he claimed to be his. Secretly I suspect he had downloaded and printed the image from Google, but there isn’t much need to throw such accusations about. Perhaps there is a better, less suspicious means of sharing information about pets? Radical iDeas Group CEO and dog lover, Alexander Bagg, came up with the idea of a new social networking application for the iPhone, Barkin’ Buddy, after recognising the disconnect between the number of dog owners worldwide and the advent of social networking.
Profile Design
When I think of social networking profiles, I normally picture a convoluted misspelt list of likes and dislikes, littered with opinions that no one really cares about. Perhaps Barkin’ Buddy developers have assumed that all dogs like/dislike similar things. What is more likely is that the developers at the Radical iDeas Group released that it’s a bad idea to structure a profile for a dog this way. Let’s face it, making a Facebook page for your pet isn’t cool. The features on the profile are more related to information that is worth knowing when your dog is interacting with other dogs, like gender, age, breed and name. I think it is a little silly to include the last name, but they have done it anyway. There is also the option to upload a photo of your pet, pretty much the same as any other social networking site. However it looks as if you can only upload the one. I’d say this is for the best, to avoid people uploading a ridiculous amount of photos of their dog, perhaps even wearing a range of different little hats? The world can probably do without these images I’m afraid. In terms of the profile interface, it is a little bland, featuring just basic text and the single photo.
Networking Capabilities
Immediately after registering my dog I found a fault with the App, which is the fault with any social networking platform after release. The flaw is that no one else is using it. I registered my profile, and received an email saying I was #44, so I can only assume that there are only 43 dogs with profiles out there. None of which live anywhere near me at all. Because of this, it’s a little difficult to evaluate the strength of social networking available through this App. After clicking the map button, a bunch of parks that are near by to me appear on the map. Not much information seems to be given about the parks, just their address. There are also a few parks that appear on the map that aren’t flagged by the App. I assume that if there were to be a dog near by then they would appear in the same fashion as these parks. If it bothers you that people can find out where you and your dog live by using this App, then there is the ability to set your profile to invisible.
After finding other dogs on your walks, and adding them as your dogs friends, you can then view them on your buddy list. The profile page also gives you the option to state that you and your pet are out for a walk, in case any of your pet’s buddies are near by and want to walk too. The networking here isn’t based on pet owners, but rather on socialising the dogs. I’m not sure if the idea is that you meet new dogs when on walks, or if you are organising walks with dogs and pet owners you already know, the App seems to foster both interactions. There is also a Twitter like function, title “Bark!” As the name suggests, this is basically sending out a communal message for all to hear/read.
Conclusion
The App is rather limited in terms of sociability, and the premise itself is a little odd. However, I can see the merit behind the idea to some degree. Dogs need socialising, and perhaps it is better to walk your dog at a time where they can interact with other dogs. With this in mind, checking out local parks and seeing what type of, and how many other dogs are in the same area might be useful. Given the recent release of the App, it is hard to gauge its effectiveness at this point in time. Despite this, I can’t see it having a wide range of uses other than the one I previously stated. Perhaps spreading the information available to users to include dog friendly parks, and especially beaches, might push the App a little further in the right direction.
Xenoblade Chronicles has been out in Japan for over a year now, and there’s been a huge effort from fans to get it released in North America. Nevertheless, it will be landing in Europe and Australia as early as next month, and I managed to get a sneak peek at this quirky RPG this week.
The key to any RPG is an interesting setting, and Xenoblade paints a magnificent picture of a unique world. The lore follows that the first two living creatures in existence were dueling titans, who defeated each other in battle. The fallen titans went on to form two continents, the residents of which have been warring for eons. Players must make their way from a village somewhere on the lower leg of one titan, Bionis, to defeat the opposing Mechon armies. The visuals are fantastic, squeezing every drop of power out of the Wii’s hardware. The environments convey a sense of freedom and sheer scope; the fact that you can see parts of the titans in the distance helps keep you oriented, not to mention adding unique elements to the vistas before you.
Interestingly, the localized version allows players to choose an English language speech or the original Japanese audio with English subtitles, perfect for purists of JRPGs.
Gameplay wise, Xenoblade is very similar to the standard RPG format, but has a few unique characteristics, along with the creative setting, that help it stand out. Combat plays out in real-time, with attacks regulated according to how long it takes to perform each. Normal attacks can be spammed, but specials can only be activated at certain intervals. Damage bonuses can be earned by attacking different parts of an enemy, or by moving your character around them. Some attacks deal more damage or can only be used from beside or behind an enemy.
A more pronounced twist on the formula comes in the form of the Vision mechanic. According to the legends in game, the main character Shulk has the ability to foresee events, and apparently it crops up a few times throughout the game’s main story. In battle, the Vision mechanic means that periodically, a short vision will flash up, depicting a currently engaged enemy performing a powerful attack on a party member. A timer then lets you know how long you have until that event transpires, and it’s up to the player whether or not they intercept it. Pre-emptively attacking the enemy, or using defensive abilities on the targeted party member, are possible courses of action.
Random encounters are a staple of the RPG genre, but can become very annoying after a while. Xenoblade goes a long way towards fixing this by making these encounters visible before you engage the opponents. Players can see wild creatures milling around, with icons floating above their heads to indicate how they would detect the player’s presence, and how they would react. Some will attack on sight, others will not engage the player in combat unless provoked. Some may be blind, but will hear the player, requiring different stealth tactics to avoid. I personally love this feature, and hope it becomes a standard mechanic for RPGs.
There’s already a large fanbase anticipating Xenoblade’s release outside Japan, and it looks like they will not be disappointed. Even people like me, who aren’t huge RPG players, should get a kick out of this.
Funimation Entertainment announced during their Otakon panel that they had acquired the license for Heaven’s Lost Property: The Movie – Angeloid of Clockwork.
The film is a continuation of the two Heaven’s Lost Property anime series and will conclude the series story. Funimation announced that they will release the film in 2012. Other than that no solid date was given.
This isn’t the first Heaven’s Lost Property title Funimation has licensed. They also previously licensed both anime series in the series and with this movie they will hold all licenses to the series.
You can check out the Heaven’s Lost Property: The Movie – Angeloid of Clockwork trailer below. Let us know what you think in the comment section below.
I have another gaming confession to admit: I’ve never played a Starfox game before. Thankfully I was able to recify this situation when I got my hands on a preview code for the upcoming 3DS remake of Starfox 64, originally released as Lylat Wars in Europe and Australia. And even with no prior attachment to the franchise, I can say that I will be getting this as soon as it’s released in September.
The game has received a graphical overhaul, and gameplay and control has been customised to take advantage of the hardware of the 3DS. With the updated visuals the game is a treat to behold, and perfectly demonstrates the 3D capabilities of the device. Judging the distance between buildings, enemies and other obstacles is made easy with this enhanced depth of vision, but the effects of 3D can be much more subtle as well; the crosshair is layered, and feels more precise, and the scores after a multiplayer match recede into the background, so the player in first place seems closer. The inventive use of 3D for these kinds of little things makes the effect feel better intergrated.
Despite the improved graphics, the choice to have the characters retain their Muppet-like “flapping heads” animations while speaking adds a surprising amount of charm.
The top screen displays the 3D aerial action, and remains fairly uncluttered. Vital information like your health and special weapons are still communicated on the top screen, but the regular mesages from your teammates and enemies will now pop up unintrusively on the bottom screen.
Control has been customised to best utilise the device’s capabilities, and streamline problems that players of the original game may have encountered. The aerial maneuvers have been assigned to the D-pad, rather than the reportedly confusing techniques in the original. Now, pressing down on the D-pad will perform a U-Turn, to quickly turn 180 degrees. Pressing up will send the player into a somersault, to quickly get behind and attack enemies on their tail. The improved ease of execution makes them very useful in a dogfight. Players can also now invert the Y-axis if they prefer, which I found much easier to use.
The 3DS’s built-in gyroscope can also be used to control your movements, but from my limited time with this control scheme, I’m not sure of its practicality. It took a bit of getting used to, particularly for turning left and right, but I did only play like this for 10 minutes or so. The potential is there, so perhaps with practise it will become easier. I’m inclined to try it again sometime. Of course, moving around like that constantly gets you out of the narrow 3D sweet spot, so the 3D will invariably have to be turned off.
Multiplayer is included, and only requires one game card between up to four players, which is always nice. Expecting each player to own a copy is a bit too much. Players also have the very cool option to use the forward-facing camera to transmit a live video feed of themselves in place of a static avatar image. In action, this works really well, helping identify your opponents in battle, and rub it in when you shoot them down.
It still looks to be a short game, apparently rushable in only a few hours, but replayability is added in the form of a new score attack mode, and multiple paths through the world map. Players can replay levels to receive medals for reaching certain scores, improved over the original by allowing players to jump to any previously played level. There are also alternate exits, revealed by finding hidden warps, or achieving secondary goals. These will send the player off on a different journey through the Lylat system, influencing the levels reached and gameplay difficulty. Replaying a level to find a different way through will unlock new locations.
Whether you’ve played the original or are coming to it fresh, Starfox 64 3D looks like a strong pillar of Nintendo’s upcoming first party lineup for the modestly performing handheld. And with the recently announced price drop, there’s no better time to get your hands on a 3DS, if you haven’t already.
The J-Pop girl band sensation, AKB48 has taken Japan by storm. So much so that the 48 girl strong music making machine has broken the record for best selling music DVD in Japan, with their latest music DVD release.
“AKB ga ippai ~The Best Music Video” is the particular music DVD that broke music history, by becoming the best selling music DVD of all time in Japan. The DVD features all the girls greatest hits including “Everyday” and “Heavy Rotation”.
The 48 girls that make up AKB48 also hold the record for biggest pop band of all time as well as being voted by numerous publications as Japan’s sexiest women. Decide for yourself by checking out their music video for their hit song “Everyday”. Whether you like J-Pop or not AKB48 are without a doubt breaking new ground in the world of music.
The hit anime series, Tiger and Bunny has recently been announced to be getting a manga adaptation. The manga will be published in Weekly Young Jump and will be illustrated by Hiroshi Ueda, known for Full Metal Panic! Sigma.
Tiger and Bunny tells the tale of a world where superheroes don’t just save the day. They save the day in front of cameras for the latest reality TV hit! The series focuses on two of these superheroes for hire, Tiger and Bunny.
The Tiger and Bunny anime is licensed and is simulcast online in Australia by Siren Visual and in America by Viz Media. As more news comes to light we will keep you updated.
Aniplex of America has announced at their Otakon panel, that they will be producing and releasing an english dub of the popular anime series Puelli Magi Madoka Magica. The series soared to popularity after it’s recent airing earlier this year in Japan and an english dub was a given.
