Japan Style

The Japanese Studio Toei Animation announced at a June 16 press conference in Shanghai that it is jointly producing a new Ikkyuu-san anime film with the Chinese conglomerate Shanghai Media Group and SMG's Toonmax channel. Toei animated the original Ikkyū-san historical comedy television series about a young monk-in-training from 1975 to 1982, when the studio was still known as Toei Dōga. The new Ikkyū-san anime film will open in China in February of 2012 — during the traditional Chinese New Year holidays.

The story of Ikkyū-san is loosely inspired by Ikkyū Sōjun, a real-life Buddhist monk who lived in 15th-century Japan. The anime imagines Ikkyū's childhood as a mischievous but clever monk-in-training at Ankokuji Temple. The original television series
already inspired a 1978 Ikkyū-san to Yancha-hime (Ikkyusan and the Mischievous Princess) film. The television series premiered in China in 1983 and became a popular hit among children there.

SMG operates the children's television channel Toonmax, which is popular in China and particularly in the Shanghai area. Another Japanese anime studio, MADHOUSE, is collaborating with China Film Group Corporation, director Yuji Ikeda (Fushigi Yuugi, Monster), and original character designer Naoki Urasawa (Monster, 20th Century Boys) on a film titled Tibetan Dog (Tibet Inu Monogatari).

Keyword: Toei, Shanhai Media Group, Animate, Ikkyuu-san, Film

Not So Daily Link of the Day: Voice actress Aya Hirano ( Lucky Star, The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya, Deathnote, and among many another ) announced on her blog on Tuesday that she will use Twitter for one day only. Her 10th CD single, "Hysteric Barbie," will ship on Wednesday, and to mark the occasion, she is temporarily using the "Hysteric_Barbie" Twitter account. As of Tuesday at 9:00 p.m. Japan Time (Tuesday at 8:00 a.m. EDT), she has made three posts and attracted over 4,600 followers.

Keyword: Aya Hirano, Twitter

The Watarase Film Commission, a non-govermental organization that support film production afforts in Gunma Prefecture northwest of downtown Tokyo, posted a casting call for a film based on the life of the late gag comedy manga pioneer Fujio Akatsuka. (Tensai Bakabon, Himitsu no Akko-chan). According to the posting for extras, Toei and Central Arts are basing the Kore de Ii no da! Eiga Akatsuka Fujio film on Akatsuka Fujio no Koto o Kaita no da!!, the book by Akatsuka's Weekly Shonen Sunday magazine editor Toshiki Takei.

Ryoichi Kimizuka (Bayside Shakedown, Nobody to Watch Over Me) wrote the script and Hideaki Sato (The Suspect: Muroi Shinji, The Unbroken) is directing. Filming will last from the beginning of July to the middle of August, and the film is slated to open throughout Japan next spring.

Fujio Akatsuka, the creator of many popular comedy gag manga and one of the earliest magical girl manga (Himitsu no Akko-chan), passed away of pneumonia on August 2, 2008.

Keyword: Film, Shonen, Tensao Bakabon's

Aniplex of America will stream the first 22 minutes of Welcome to The Space Show on the YouTube website on Monday at 8:00 a.m. Unlike with another anime which streamed on Youtube, The biginning of Welcome to THE SPACE SHOW will be specifically available to online viewer outside Japan and The same streamed will be available to Japanese viewers on the GyaO! service on Tuesday at midnaight, and the Tokyo MX station already aired on June 13.

Streamed Link: 

GyaO!

YouTube Aniplex of America

Kamichu Box Set

Best Price $30.00
or Buy New $36.99

 

Anime Expo has confirmed reports that actrss Saki Aibu will attend the July 1-4 convention for the world premiere of her new film Eternal First Love in Los Angeles. Aibu starred as Riiko Izawa in the live-action adaptation of Yu Watase's manga Absolute Boyfriend, as well as voicing roles in Doraemon, Professor Layton and the Eternal Diva, and Kaiketsu Zorori.

European game publisher MangaGamer has also announced two additional guests: voice actress and singer Minami Kuribayashi and artist Fujimaru. Kuribayashi starred as Haruka Suzumiya in Rumbling Hearts and Erstin Ho in My-Otome. She has also sung themes for Blassreiter, School Days, and others. Fujimaru worked on the Kira Kira Curtain Call and Dear Drops adult games from the Japanese brand OVERDRIVE.

Anime Expo announced on Thursday that voice actor Masakazu Morita will also appear as a Guest of Honor. MangaGamer guests include UR@N, Yuka Kayura, Shinji Katakura, Hiroshi Takeuchi, Kazutoshi Matsumura, and Japanese game publisher Age (with Sou Miyata and Kyousuke Himukai).

T-shirt featuring Black Butler lead appears in retail clothing chain
Not-So-Daily Link of the Day: Retail clothing chain Hot Topic has added merchandise from Yana Toboso's manga Black Butler to its lineup. The merchandise currently consists of a t-shirt featuring the series' titular butler, Sebastien Michaelis, in red on a black background. The shirts are available in sizes ranging from extra-small to XXXL.
The Black Butler manga launched in Japan in September 2006 in Square Enix's Monthly GFantasy shounen manga anthology. Yen Press licensed the manga for North American release and began serializing it in its Yen Plus anthology in July of 2009. In October 2008 a TV anime was produced based on the manga, and Funimation licensed it for North America. A follow-up anime series will air in Japan starting this July. The anime inspired a fashion show in Tokyo in 2008.

Keyword: Black Butler, Merchandise, Toboso's Manga, T-shirt

The Oricon entertainment news source reports that a second stage play and an anime adaptation are in the works for Gakuen Hakkenden, Kō Amami and Aki Kuruwa's fantasy romance boys-love manga. In this multimedia project, scriptwriter Amami re-imagines Nansō Satomi Hakkenden, Kyokutei Bakin's famous epic novel about eight samurai who serve the Satomi clan during Japan's tumultuous Sengoku (Warring States) era.
Just as in traditional kabuki plays, male actors are auditioning for all of the roles in the second play — including all of the female characters. Already casted in the first play are several veterans of The Prince of Tennis musical, such as Kenn (Miracle Train ~Ōedo-sen e Yōkoso~, Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monster GX), Yuki Tsujimoto, and Ryuko Isogai.
STC Jimukyoku collaborated on a stage musical adaptation of Idea Factory's female-oriented Hiiro no Kakera visual novel game before working on the stage versions of Gakuen Hakkenden. Masatsugu Takase (The Last Samurai) is serving as the plays' action director. The first play will run in Tokyo's Ikebukuro Theater Green from July 14 to July 19, while the second play will run in Tokyo's Shinagawa Rikkōkai Hall.
The original Hakkenden novel already inspired the Hakkenden: Legend of the Dog Warriors video anime series (Geneon Entertainment) and the 1999 science-fiction television anime re-imagining, Shin Hakkenden.
The original manga just launched in Kobunsha's Purial magazine this past April, and the first compiled book volume is slated for next year.

Keyword: Oricon, Anime, Boys-Love, Gakkuen Hakkenden

The American video distributor Anchor Bay Entertainment has acquired First Squad - The Moment Of Truth, Yoshiharu Ashinoand Studio 4°C's animated video version of a story by Russian artists Misha Sprits and Aljosha Klimov.

First Squad is set during the opening days of World War II on the Eastern Front. A group of Soviet teenagers with extraordinary abilities has been drafted into a special unit to fight the invading German army. A Schutzstaffel (SS) officer attempts to raise from the dead an army of crusaders from the 12th-century Order of the Sacred Cross and enlist them in the Nazi cause.

The film premiered at the Moscow International Film Festival in June and won the Kommersant newspaper's prize. It also played at Locarno, at Cannes in France, at Sitges, and at Waterloo, Canada.

Ashino had previous directed Tweeny Witches, and Studio 4°C animated Tekkonkinkreet, Genius Party, and parts of The Animatrix.

The American video distributor Anchor Bay Entertainment has acquired First Squad - The Moment Of Truth, Yoshiharu Ashinoand Studio 4°C's animated video version of a story by Russian artists Misha Sprits and Aljosha Klimov.

First Squad is set during the opening days of World War II on the Eastern Front. A group of Soviet teenagers with extraordinary abilities has been drafted into a special unit to fight the invading German army. A Schutzstaffel (SS) officer attempts to raise from the dead an army of crusaders from the 12th-century Order of the Sacred Cross and enlist them in the Nazi cause.

The film premiered at the Moscow International Film Festival in June and won the Kommersant newspaper's prize. It also played at Locarno, at Cannes in France, at Sitges, and at Waterloo, Canada.

Ashino had previous directed Tweeny Witches, and Studio 4°C animated Tekkonkinkreet, Genius Party, and parts of The Animatrix.

The official website for the television anime adaptation of Tozen Ujiie's Seitokai Yakuindomo slice-of-life comedy manga began streaming a 30-second program announcement commercial and a 15-second one on Saturday. The website is also streaming a promotional video. The anime will premiere in Japan on July 3.

The official website for the television anime adaptation of Takaya Kagami's Densetsu no Yūsha no Densetsu fantasy light novel franchise is streaming its second, 207-second high-definition promotional video via the YouTube video service. Both the official website and YouTube are still streaming the first promotional video, which premiered at March's Tokyo International Anime Fair. The Legend of the Legendary Heroes anime will premiere in July.