New Section 23 goodness!

We have more news this week from Section 23 telling us of 2 more new releases for our US friends! Sentai Filmworks have brought out 2 anime series – “GLASS MASK COLLECTION 1” and “SPECIAL A COLLECTION 2”. “GLASS MASK COLLECTION 1” is based on the manga series of the same name, and has even been made into a live-action series starring Yumi Adachi. Here’s the synopsis for the anime series: Two Girls. One Dream. And the Entire World for a Stage. At 13 years old, Maya Kitajima seems destined to spend the rest of her life toiling in a crowded restaurant alongside her bitter and unstable mother; but when her incredible acting talent is discovered by the legendary diva Chigusa Tsukikage, Maya finds a new future filled with both golden opportunities and terrifying risks. For Ayumi Himekawa, success has always been assured, yet she longs to be recognized for

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KEKKAISHI now on Hulu.com

VIZ Media have let us know that the anime version of Yellow Tanabe’s manga series KEKKAISHI is now available to view on Hulu for our US friends to watch. KEKKAISHI is made of demon-battling and clans, and a whole lot more: Mystical forces are powerful in the region called Karasumori. For over 400 years, it has been the duty of a clan of “kekkaishi”—barrier masters—to guard the land and exterminate the supernatural creatures that are drawn to the area night after night. Yoshimori Sumimura is a junior high school student at Karasumori Academy. Following in the tradition that’s been passed down through generations, he is the twenty-second “kekkaishi” of the Sumimura clan. But by day, Yoshimori’s got other demons to battle: an addiction to sweets and a seriously crotchety grandfather! Yoshimori’s pretty neighbor, childhood friend and rival, Tokine Yukimura, is also a “kekkaishi,” but their families are feuding over who

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Pokemon.com Relaunches

As soon as hearing the news that Pokemon Company International was relaunching their pokemon.com site, I had to go check it out. The site itself looks sleek and colorful, great to appeal to pokemon’s normal fanbase. The site boasts an online episode viewer, simple minigames, and all the latest news in the pokeverse. The site is up to act as a destination for all pokemon fans to find the latest news and a handy place for the animated series, video games, and trading cards to all be together. There is an interactive pokedex, a card database, and even a “Pokemon Trainer Club” for all the trainer hopefuls out there! On top of all the information and news, the minigames are proud to be both easy to pick up on, yet challenging enough to keep the player entertained for hours. The pokemon fun zone, where the games are hosted, is a

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FUNimation blasts us with new announcements

Today we received a flood of news from the FUNimation camp! Not sure if there was a con of the weekend or they just felt like sharing the good news. Either way…here we go! First up is the announcement of FUNimation earning the full rights to the 24 episode sci-fi action anime series, “Full Metal Panic!” and the 12 episode “Full Metal Panic? Fumoffu” sequel. The series will be released on DVD and Blu-ray in 2010 but you can catch it streaming on their website here in December. What is Full Metal Panic? Sousuke Sagara is a seventeen-year-old military specialist working for the secret organization MITHRIL and has been recently assigned to protect the latest “Whispered” candidate: Kaname Chidori. Sousuke will have to deal with enemies from his past as well some surprising characters. Unfortunately for Sousuke, the toughest part of his mission isn’t only protecting Miss Chidori but also

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Review: Baccano! 1

Release Date: 24/06/2009 Languages: English, Japanese Genre: Action/Adventure, Anime, Mystery/Thriller, Occult/Supernatural Subtitles: English subtitles Runtime: 100.0 mins Format: DVD, Region 4 (PAL) Aspect Ratio: 16:9 Widescreen Full Height Anamorphic Buy it on RightStuf Buy it on Amazon Based on the original story by Ryohgo Narita, “Baccano!” brings us a different look at New York in the early to mid 1930′s. Mafia turf wars, robbery, killing sprees and other events are what can be found throughout at least the first 4 episodes (as that is how many are contained on Volume 1). In graphic detail by the way. It’s hard to choose one particular character in this as there are so many of them, and I have a feeling that there are many still to come in later episodes. For now, here are a few characters (and their voice actors) that we meet in this volume: the ditzy robber duo Isaac

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MONSTER now available on PSN!

PS3 hard-drives beware – more anime might be coming your way with the latest news of Naoki Urusawa’s MONSTER becoming available on the PlayStation Network! The series is also available for PSP owners to download. The downloads will cost $1.99 per episode, but don’t worry as there are only 6 episodes available at the moment and all are the dubbed versions. You can find them on the PSN’s VIZ Media Channel page. Brian Ige, VIZ Media Director of Sales, Home Entertainment: “We’re very happy to debut this exciting and thought-provoking series to a whole new audience with the launch of Naoki Urasawa’s MONSTER anime on Sony’s PlayStation Network,” says Brian. “MONSTER has become a hit among fans of anime and manga, and we look forward to the gaming audience discovering one of Naoki Urasawa’s most gripping and critically acclaimed works.” The anime series can also be seen on SyFy channel

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Review: Nana Anime Box Set 1

Title: Nana Uncut Box Set 1 Viz Media Rated: M for Mature The story of Nana is about two women that find themselves on a journey going to Tokyo to start a new life. The women meet accidentally on a train and learn that they are both 20, headed to Tokyo and both named Nana. But that is where the similarities end. Nana Komatsu wants to start her life in Tokyo and be with her friends and boyfriend. She has a cute personality and is dresses preppy/sweet lolita style. Nana Osaki wants to be a singer of a rock ‘n’ roll band and had a heartbreak but is looking to make a name for herself. Nana Osaki has a kickback nature and wears Vivienne Westwood. The two meet again when looking for an apartment and decide to become roommates. The anime Box set #1 contains 11.5 episodes. 11.5 is a

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Gaming Angels at New York Anime Fest

This year was my second year checking out the New York Anime Fest (NYAF), and I was quite excited to go! I have to say that it seemed a lot smaller than last year, but I still had a great time and enjoyed all of the panels, costumes and booths that I visited. My first day was Saturday, and I arrived a little bit after the show opened. The con took place in the lower level of the Jacob Javits center, and was set up a bit better from last year. The dealers room seemed smaller, but there was still a good amount of things for people to browse, and happily it seemed that Artist Alley (independent artists) seemed a lot larger, and I had a great time browsing and wound up picking up a couple of chibi Zelda stickers (one now resides on my DS). Along with the NYAF

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NYAF “INUYASHA” News

VIZ Media have made New York Anime Festival their stage to announce some exciting news for INUYASHA devotees – the Final Act is coming your way soon! The conclusion to the series will start showing on the 3rd of October on ShonenSunday.com/anime and Hulu.com (with subtitles), only hours after it has been shown to Japanese audiences! And every Saturday after that will bring you a new episode, so now you’ll have something else to do on Saturday nights huh? For those unfamiliar with INUYASHA, you should know that it is an anime series based on a popular manga series by Rumiko Takahashi (creator of the popular series Ranma ½) and features the doglike half-demon InuYasha and the high school girl Kagome who is essentially master to InuYasha. For more concise information, be sure to visit ShonenSunday.com. Ken Sasaki, Vice President Strategy & Business Development, VIZ Media: “INUYASHA is one of

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Naruto Shippuden movie DVD release date!

Naruto fans rest easy – VIZ Media are set to bring you the latest Naruto installment “NARUTO SHIPPUDEN THE MOVIE” in November – on the 10th to be precise! In this movie, a spirit that Naruto has come across before has made a re-appearance. This spirit once threatened to destroy the world, and Naruto knows that the only way to stop it yet again is to find and protect a priestess named Shion. He knows that Shion is the only one who can seal away the spirit, but her latest prediction is a cause for concern – especially when it involves Naruto’s demise. Knowing this, he faces the prospect of his death head-on and continues to fight anyway! Brian Ige, VIZ Media Director of Sales, Home Entertainment: “The NARUTO Shippuden story arc is largely about growing up and as the world’s most popular ninja grows into adolescence, so have millions

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