Japan Style

Having read and owned the Hagakure, which is a collection of prose and writings by samurai warrior Yamamoto Tsunetomo that were collected near the end of his life that detail the Bushido honor code while telling the story of a young samurai eager to learn from an old former warrior turned Zen monk; I always wondered why the book had not been adapted into a manga anthology, as much of the descriptive prose lends itself to lush visuals.
It seems the newly formed Kodansha International has done just that, with the forthcoming release of the manga adaptation based off of William Scott Wilson’s English translation. Sean Michael Wilson (no relation to the aforementioned translator) adapted the prose for the manga layout while illustrator Chie Kutsuwada provided the illustrations and translator Wilson also provided the afterword for the adaptation.The 145 page manga is slated to be released in January of 2011 for $14.95.

The North America anime distributor Funimation has announced at its Anime Central panel on Saturday that it has licensed the Rosario + Vampire, Rosario + Vampire Capu2, Chaos;HEAd, Chrome Shelled Regios, Rideback, Heaven's Lost Property (Sora no Otoshimono), and GUNxSWORD anime series. All of the new titles will ship in 2011 — except for GUNxSWORD and Regios, which will ship in late 2010

Funimation has also announced the English dubbing casts for Eden of The East, Casshern Sins, and Shikabane Hime. The company is offering a "free ride" to Comic-Con International in San Diego this July to the most ardent Fullmetal Alchemist fan; fans can enter by posting their video pleas on YouTube and http://www.fullmetalalchemist.com/comiccon/.

Takayuki Inagaki (Desert Punk, Indian Summer) and Gonzo's 2008 Rosario + Vampire television series and its Rosario + Vampire Capu2 sequel adapt Akihisa Ikeda's supernatural school comedy manga of the same name. The story follows an ordinary high school boy who fails to get into any private academy except one — which happens to be populated by supernatural creatures (yōkai) disguised as humans. To survive, Tsukune Aono has to pretend that he is also a yōkai and blend in. Viz Media publishes the manga in North America

Earlier this year, the NYICFF hosted the U.S. premieres of three anime features and several shorts, including the Summer Wars family anime film from The Girl Who Leapt Through Time director Mamoru Hosoda, MADHOUSE's Mai Mai Miracle anime film, and Production I.G's Oblivion Island: Haruka and the Magic Mirror fantasy film.

The official website and blog of the Tono to Issho anime franchise has announced on Thursday that the fifth volume of Ohba-Kai's original 4-panel gag manga will bundle a new anime DVD "volume 1.5" on August 23. The manga follows the humorous exploits of generals during Japan's tumultuous sengoku (Era of the Warring States) period. The anime DVD's voice cast remains largely unchanged from the one used in the previous drama CD, but the character Honda Tadakatsu (pictured at right, played by Raikō Sakamoto) will debut on the anime DVD.
A video anime adaptation had already shipped in March, and the official website has also announced that a television anime series adaptation will premiere in July. Mankyuu is directing, scripting, and storyboarding the "volume 1.5" anime DVD, just as he did for the earlier video anime. Frontier Works is producing the music, and Gathering is producing the animation.

The first DVD box will contain the "episode 0" special and the first 13 episodes along with a making-of video, candid shots, and a poster. The second DVD box will contain the last 13 episodes with a making-of video for the ending scene.

Keyword : Anime, DVD box, The Japanese

This year's 19th issue of Shueisha's Weekly Shonen Jump magazine announced on Monday the title of its relaunched spinoff magazine for new manga creators. Shonen Jump Next will ship its first issue on April 30. Each issue will contain one-shot manga stories by new manga creators, as well as side stories based on manga series currently running in the main Weekly Shonen Jump magazine. Creator Hiroshi Shiibashi is illustrating the first issue's cover and contributing a side story from his Nurarihyon no Mago story.

The May issue of Shueisha's Jump Square magazine announced on April 3 that an another spinoff magazine called Jump SQ.19 (pronounced "Jump S Q Ichi Kyū") will launch on May 19. The first issue will contain one-shot manga such as Mizuki Kawashita's G-Maru Edition, Usamaru Furuya's Teiichi no Kuni, the return of Yasuhiro Nightow's Kekkai Sensen, and Kentaro Yabuki's adaptation of Tomohiro Matsu and Peco's Mayoi Neko Overrun! light novel series.

Ichijinsha has dated the launch of its previously announced WAaI! boys in skirts magazine for April 24. As the English subtitle of the magazine suggests, the magazine will focus on "male maidens." The first issue will contain several manga stories, how-to tips on women's clothings, and coverage of anime and games with the theme of males in women's clothes.

Anime Expo has announced that it will host six Japanese DJs at the July 1-4 convention in Los Angeles. Anime Expo will host DJ CHUCKY, M-Project, m1dy, GUHROOVY, NO+CHIN, and DJ Schwarzenegger. These DJs will be performing for Anime Expo's dance events on both Friday and Saturday night. DJ CHUCKY on Anime Expo has created music for the game series Beatmania IIDX, and GUHROOVY has been featured in Beatmania Gottamix, Beatmania IIDX, GuitarFreaks, and DrumMania.
In Anime Expo The six DJs will join previously announced guests: director Shinichi "Nabeshin" Watanabe (Excel Saga, Puni Puni Poemy, Tenchi Muyo GXP), voice actress Yuu Asakawa (Love Hina, Azumanga Daioh, Bubblegum Crisis 2040), animation director and co-founder of the BONES animation studio Toshihiro Kawamoto (Cowboy Bebop, Wolf's Rain), and J-rock band SOPHIA.