The guest list grows for AX2010!

First we hear Nabeshin is making his way to Anime Expo, then J-rock group Sophia was making their way to LA as well. Now word is that Yuu Asakawa is going to be there as a Guest of Honor too! I am growing incredibly jealous of those who are able to attend! For those who don’t know Yuu Asakawa, she has been a voice actress in a myriad of Anime shows (70+ according to Anime Expo) including Priss in “Bubblegum Crisis: Tokyo 2040“, Sakaki in “Azumanga Daioh” and Motoko in “Love Hina“. This talented Japanese lady has also used her vocal abilities to voice Lebreau in Final Fantasy XIII and Shalua in Dirge of Cerberus: Final Fantasy VII, as well as singing the theme songs for Bubblegum Crisis: Tokyo 2040 and the Love Hina Christmas Special! If you’d like to meet Yuu Asakawa, you can see her at autograph sessions,

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A Legend cometh from VIZ on March 9th!

VIZ Media have let us know about a new Yuu Watase manga coming out on March 9th – “ARATA: THE LEGEND“! Who is this “Arata” and why is he a legend? Read the following synopsis to find out: In a world where humans and gods coexist, Arata is the unfortunate successor to the matriarchal Hime Clan–unfortunate because if he’s not cross-dressing to hide his gender one minute, he’s fleeing for his life the next! When Arata winds up in the modern world and switches places with a boy named Arata Hinohara, it’s a wonder which Arata is actually better off… In Volume 1, Hinohara is the spitting image of Arata, so he suddenly finds himself fighting people after his life! As he navigates through this foreign world filled with power-hungry warriors, who will come to his aid? One thing’s for sure–it’s not easy being Arata! Amy Yu, Editor, VIZ Media:

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YOZAKURA QUARTET now available

Section 23 and Sentai Filmworks have brought out another new anime series – this time it’s the series “Yozakura Quartet Complete Collection”. Here is a synopsis for you: When Demons Walk the Streets, The Cops need to recruit More Demons! In a town where humans and demons co-exist, it takes more than a normal police force to maintain the peace. Enter the Hiizumi Life Counseling Office, a fantastic foursome of unique teenagers, each gifted with an amazing super power! Since it sometimes takes real demon-fire to fight demon fire, the first three quarters of the team aren’t exactly human: Ao, a cat-eared telepath; Kotoha, a half-human conjuror and Hime, descended from a dragon (and the town’s acting mayor) all of whom also happen to be delightfully female. Rounding out the group is the token male and human, Akina, the office director and “Oyakume,” capable of banishing spirits permanently (and from

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Anime Expo® 2010 Guest of Honor announced!

Looking into going to Anime Expo this year? Hoping to see someone interesting? Maybe you might bump into one of our GamingAngels while you are there! But if that isn’t quite what you were after then hopefully the announcement of the Guest of Honor will suit your taste! The people at the SPJA (The Society for the Promotion of Japanese Animation) have let us know that the anime director and seiyu Shinichi “Nabeshin” Watanabe will be an official Guest of Honor at 19th Anime Expo. For those of you who may not know him by name, some of his works include Excel Saga, Puni Puni Poemy, The Wallflower, Tenchi Muyo! GXP and Nerima Daikon Brothers. At the convention “Nabeshin” will appear on guest panels, at meet-and-greet sessions and sign autographs for fans. You also might know “Nabeshin” as a character in some anime shows (such as in the picture above)

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Review: Romeo X Juliet – Collection 1 “Romeo”

“Romeo X Juliet” is your classic love story, but with a different twist. It incorporates the ideas of William Shakespeare’s original story with ideas of the people at Studio GONZO to create a refreshing interpretation of a world renowned classic. Release Date: 21/10/2009 Languages: ENGLISH, JAPANESE Genre: Action/Adventure, Anime, Romance, Science Fiction Subtitles: ENGLISH subtitles Number of Discs: 2 Runtime: 300.0 mins We all know the story of “Romeo and Juliet” by William Shakespeare, so when it gets the anime treatment you’re either going to love it or avoid it like the plague. In this version we meet Juliet disguised as a Zorro-style saviour who turns up just in time to save a girl who had been mistaken for Juliet herself. Romeo’s father, Lord Montague, is scouring Neo Verona in search of her, and any girl is open to accusation. When Juliet was a small child, her family (known as

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VIZ MEDIA debuts the romantic CACTUS’S SECRET

With Valentine’s Day coming up, romance is in the air and VIZ Media have caught the bug! They are releasing a new shojo manga called “CACTUS’S SECRET“. What are the “prickly” details?: Miku Yamada has a longtime crush on classmate Kyohei Fujioka. But no matter how many times she tries to show him how she feels, clueless Kyohei just doesn’t get it. Frustrated, Miku gives up on him, only to have him start calling her “Cactus” for being prickly when he’s around. In the opening volume, Miku decides to try telling Kyohei her feelings by giving him chocolates for Valentine’s Day. But Kyohei, unaware that he’s the object of her affection, offers himself up as a practice partner for her love confession. Can Miku get through to him that he’s the one she loves? The manga is written by Nana Haruta whose first manga was written and published when she

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An innocent game turns deadly in new Sci-Fi manga

Finally! A manga based on a video game! Well, it’s news to me if it has been done before BUT has it been done like the new manga “BOKURANO: OURS” before? The story: It’s summer and 15 kids walk into a nearby seaside cave. They meet a strange man in the cave who invites them to play a brand new video game. Instead of running from the strange man (because we all know about stranger danger!) they let him explain the premise of the game, which is to pit one giant robot against alien invaders. The catch however is that they have to sign a contract to play the game. Little do they know what they are signing, and when they realise what they’ve gotten themselves into it’s already too late to change their minds. Leyla Aker, Senior Editorial Manager, VIZ Media: “This release continues to demonstrate the success of

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MADMAN’S 82nd Academy Award nominees

As we should all know, the Academy Award nominees were announced this week. Among the nominees are some films which you can find in the collection of Australian owned company Madman Entertainment, and they’ve let us know exactly what they are! Nominated in the “Best Animated Film” category is THE SECRET OF KELLS, which introduces us to 12 year old Brendan. He must battle Vikings and a Celtic serpent (as well as his own personal fears) to save the enchanted forest in which his new-found friend Aisling (a fairy/white wolf/girl) lives and complete the Book of Kells. Madman will release the film on DVD on March 10th, 2010 for $29.95. For “Best Documentary” THE COVE is up for an award. The documentary exposes the current problems facing the dolphin population in Taiji, Japan – where they harvest dolphins within a hidden cove which allows for the operation to be carried

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Midnight in the Heart of Midlothian

Midnight in the Heart of Midlothian is a motion comic based on the world of Halo. You can find it to watch it in Halo Waypoint, which is a free download on the Xbox 360. Unlike the earlier Halo Legends, these episodes will be running indefinitely, so if you don’t get to watch it on the day it’s released, you won’t miss out entirely. Episodes one and two are hiding in the Halo Archives under “Shows” so it’s not too late to catch up! Midnight in the Heart of Midlothian is written by Frank O’Connor and animated by ONE. It’s based on O’Connor’s “Halo: Evolutions” short story. The story is about bravery and sacrifice in even the darkest depths of space. I don’t want to spoil too much, but for all you hardcore Halo fans out there, you should really check this out. The style is really cool, since it

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VIZ releases “BIOMEGA”

Sci-fi action manga readers will be happy as there is a new manga named “Biomega” being released next Tuesday, February 2nd. Zoichi Kanoe plunges into the depths of 9JO, a sprawling island city in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, in search of Eon Green, a girl with the power to transmute the N5S virus. The deadly contagion is spreading across the world, turning humans into disfigured, zombie-like “drones.” But he’s not the only one looking for her. Agents of the Public Health Service’s Compulsory Execution Unit are also in hot pursuit, with sinister designs of their own. Zoichi and his trans-human allies have no time to waste; the countdown to the apocalypse has begun! “Biomega” was created by Tsutomu Nihei. His first manga “BLAME!” won the Shiki Award in Japan, and was nominated for North America’s Harvey Award. He also wrote a Wolverine tie-in which was published by Marvel,

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