VIZ MEDIA LAUNCHES THE NEW MANGA SERIES SLEEPY PRINCESS IN THE DEMON CASTLE
A New Adventure Featuring A Drowsy Princess, Adorable Demons And A Charming Prince Of Evil Begins This Summer
VIZ Media,a premier company in the fields of publishing, animation distribution, and global entertainment licensing, announces the debut of the new fantasy adventure series SLEEPY PRINCESS IN THE DEMON CASTLE on June 12th.
SLEEPY PRINCESS IN THE DEMON CASTLE features story and artwork by Kagiji Kumanomata. The series will be published under the Shonen Sunday imprint with a rating of ‘T’ for Teens. Print MSRP for Volume 1 will be $9.99 U.S. / $12.99 CAN.Volume 1 is also available digitally on June 12th via viz.com and the VIZ Manga App, as well as from the Nook, Kobo, Kindle, iBooks, comiXology, and Google Play stores. Future volumes will be published in English by VIZ Media on a quarterly basis.
Kidnapped by the Demon King and imprisoned in his castle, Princess Syalis is…bored. She decides to while away the hours by sleeping, but getting a good night’s rest turns out to be a lot of work! She begins by fashioning a DIY pillow out of the fur of her Teddy Demon guards and an “air mattress” from the magical Shield of the Wind. The princess’s hapless demonic guards soon discover that their captive expects to be treated like, well, a princess. Things go from bad to worse—for her captors—when some of Princess Syalis’s schemes end in her untimely—if temporary—demise and she chooses the Forbidden Grimoire for her bedtime reading…
“The SLEEPY PRINCESS IN THE DEMON CASTLE delivers a smile-inducing mix of fantasy, adventure, and comedy,” says Annette Roman, Editor. “The Demon King and his minions are in for a lot more than they bargained for when they kidnap the resourceful but sleep-deprived Princess Syalis. We invite readers to enjoy this series debut this summer!”
For additional information on the SLEEPY PRINCESS IN THE DEMON CASTLE and other manga titles published by VIZ Media, please visit viz.com.
Streaming service VRV has announced that classic Warner Bros. cartoons Freakazoid!, Road Rovers, and Dragon’s Lair are streaming exclusively on the VRV platform now. VRV’s other channels include Crunchyroll, Geek & Sundry, Nerdist, Funimation, DramaFever, Rooster Teeth, and Shudder.
Dragon’s Lair is based on the classic video game. The cartoon debuted in 1984.
Follow the adventures of Dirk the Daring, whose devotion to Princess Daphne leads him on fearless quests to defend the realm of King Ethelred from Cinge the Dragon among many foes. This animated adventure series is adapted from the hit videogame and allows the audience to guess which action Dirk will undertake to defeat his enemies.
Freakazoid! debuted in 1995 on Kids’ WB. Stephen Spielberg executive-produced the show.
While hooked up to the information superhighway via computer, a teenager becomes overloaded with totally useless information that transforms him into Freakazoid!
Road Rovers aired for just one season on Kids’ WB starting in 1996.
They’re loyal. They’re vigilant. They’re man’s best friend. A whole new pack of superheroes bares its teeth in these exciting canine capers. They lounge in the laps of the world’s heads of state until summoned by a mysterious master. Then transformed into superhounds, these faithful companions spring into action to protect and defend the galaxy.
Find these on VRV including exclusive series HarmonQuest and Bravest Warriors. Note that a premium membership at VRV comes with a premium membership to Crunchyroll.
Anime Expo returned to the Los Angeles Convention Center earlier this month for its 27th year, and it looked like the gargantuan event was trying to tackle the difficulties of being “America’s Largest Anime Convention”, while still trying to provide their attendees with the biggest and best time possible. While the pure size of the convention alone makes it rather unwieldy, Anime Expo 2018 appeared to make a conscious effort to improve the attendee’s quality of life without compromising the experience. The five-day event, having been capped at a whopping 110,000 attendees, was a loud, bold, fun show of America’s love for Japanese culture and media.
When you first arrive at the convention center, after having walked past a flurry of anime-themed banners, billboards, and brightly wrapped shuttle buses, one of the first things you might notice is the new registration location. Rather than being stuffed half indoors on the already-crowded South Hall side of the center, Anime Expo moved this preliminary task to a large open outdoor area on the west side of the building. In conjunction with the introduction of pre-mailed badges, the majority of the attendees we spoke to found registration to be an easy and pain-free task this year. The bag check line to get into the convention hall was far more overwhelming, but it moved with relative speed with the help of dozens of volunteers to keep the line in order and moving forward. Compared to the reports of attendees having spent hours outside last year in order to bypass building security, this year appears to be a vast improvement.
Unfortunately, while Anime Expo did do it’s best to minimize its convention-wide lines and wait times, the experience inside still involved a lot of waiting, a lot of patience, and a bit of luck. While the convention might be equipped to handle over 100,000 attendees, the smaller events and experiences within Anime Expo had a significantly lower maximum capacity. It is almost essential to have a game plan going into the con if there is anything specific you are hoping to experience, or else you might find yourself unable to get into any of the events you were looking forward to. For example, the line for the highly anticipated My Hero Academia: Two Heroes world premiere began as early as the day before. Attendees finding themselves in line as early as 5 or 6 am still were unable to secure a seat for the afternoon show, leaving many hopeful fans disheartened. Many of the events in the entertainment hall, like the Blizzard and Fate/Grand Order experiences or the Dragon Quest and Kingdom Hearts demos, either required extremely early attendance or hours-long patience in order to get into their lines. Even some of the independent creators in the Exhibitor Hall had hour-long lines of customers. The fandom and audience for any given thing at Anime Expo is huge, purely due to the size of attendance, so you need to come in with a game plan regarding what you want to see and be up to the task of fighting for that chance.
If you were able to spend your time wisely and see what you wanted to see, then Anime Expo is like no other. The convention was filled to the brim with exclusive events and content you can’t catch anywhere else or anytime again. With 150+ industry guests, 500+ exhibitors in the Exhibit and Entertainment halls, 500+ artists in the Artist Alley, and 900+ hours of programming, few if any anime fans would struggle in finding something that appealed to them. Attendees of Anisong World Matsuri and OTAQUEST LIVE praised the fun, upbeat, high-quality concerts, while those that managed to get a slot in Jojo’s Bizarre Escape Room or One Piece Puzzle Hunt events raved about their enjoyment. While there might definitely be some difficulties in getting to experience Anime Expo, the experience itself might definitely be one worth fighting for!
Badges for 2019 are already up on their site, for those interested in snagging a spot before the price spikes or the attendance cap is hit. Anime Expo 2019 will be taking place from July 4th through July 7th. Located too far out from the west coast to justify the travel, or hoping for another chance to experience the convention? Anime Expo recently announced a partnership with New York Comic Con to launch Anime Fest @ NYCC x Anime Expofor east coast fans. While the quality of this first-year event is still to be seen, this collaboration between two of the world’s biggest conventions is definitely one to keep an eye on.
POKÉMON ADVENTURES And POKÉMON Movie Adaptations Will Be Available On VIZ Media’s Digital Platform And Partner Sites Starting July 24th
VIZ Media,a premier company in the fields of publishing, animation distribution, and global entertainment licensing, delivers exciting news to manga readers and POKÉMON fans across North America as it announces the digital launch of a comprehensive library of POKÉMON manga titles.
Beginning today and continuing each month through the start of 2019, POKÉMON ADVENTURES manga arcs will launch digitally on viz.com and the VIZ Manga App, as well as on VIZ Media digital partner platforms including the Nook, Kobo, Kindle, iBooks, comiXology, and Google Play stores.
A variety of popular POKÉMON ADVENTURES manga volumes, as well as theatrical movie manga adaptations, will be available.
July 24th: POKÉMON ADVENTURES Vols. 1-7: RED & BLUE
August: POKÉMON ADVENTURES Vols. 8-14: GOLD & SILVER
September: POKÉMON ADVENTURES Vols. 15-22: RUBY & SAPPHIRE
October: POKÉMON ADVENTURES Vols. 23-25: FireRed & LeafGreen
POKÉMON ADVENTURES Vols. 26-29: EMERALD
November: POKÉMON ADVENTURES: DIAMOND & PEARL/PLATINUM Vols. 1-11
December: POKÉMON ADVENTURES: HEARTGOLD & SOULSILVER Vols. 1-2
POKÉMON ADVENTURES: BLACK & WHITE Vols. 1-9
POKÉMON ADVENTURES: BLACK 2 & WHITE 2 Vols. 1-2
January: POKÉMON Manga Movie Adaptations
“The bestselling POKÉMON ADVENTURES have captivated readers of all ages,” says Sarah Fairhall, Editorial Director. “This extremely popular series features action-packed story arcs inspired by the video games. We’re thrilled to now offer fans access to their favorite stories and Pokémon in digital form.”
The POKÉMON ADVENTURES manga series features story by Hidenori Kusaka and art by Satoshi Yamamoto. The POKÉMON movie-tie in manga volumes are by various authors and artists.
POKÉMON is one of the most successful international entertainment franchises of all time. More than 300 million POKÉMON video games and over 23.6 billion Pokémon Trading Cards have been sold in more than 74 countries in addition to substantial publishing and merchandise sales. VIZ Media is the official North American distributor for a wide variety of Pokémon home media releases including animated series and films and also publishes a variety of POKÉMON manga graphic novel series including POKÉMON ADVENTURES, POKÉMON ADVENTURES: FireRed & LeafGreen,POKÉMON ADVENTURES: EMERALD, POKÉMON ADVENTURES: DIAMOND AND PEARL/PLATINUM, POKÉMON ADVENTURES: HeartGold & SoulSilver, POKÉMON ADVENTURES: BLACK & WHITE,POKÉMON X•Y, and POKÉMON OMEGA RUBY • ALPHA SAPPHIRE.
From visionary filmmakers James Cameron (AVATAR) and Robert Rodriguez (SIN CITY), comes ALITA: BATTLE ANGEL, an epic adventure of hope and empowerment. When Alita (Rosa Salazar) awakens with no memory of who she is in a future world she does not recognize, she is taken in by Ido (Christoph Waltz), a compassionate doctor who realizes that somewhere in this abandoned cyborg shell is the heart and soul of a young woman with an extraordinary past. As Alita learns to navigate her new life and the treacherous streets of Iron City, Ido tries to shield her from her mysterious history while her street-smart new friend Hugo (Keean Johnson) offers instead to help trigger her memories. But it is only when the deadly and corrupt forces that run the city come after Alita that she discovers a clue to her past – she has unique fighting abilities that those in power will stop at nothing to control. If she can stay out of their grasp, she could be the key to saving her friends, her family and the world she’s grown to love.
DETAILS
Release: December 21, 2018
Directed By: Robert Rodriguez
Screenplay By: James Cameron and Laeta Kalogridis
Based on the Graphic Novel (“Manga”) Series: “Gunnm” By Yukito Kishiro
Produced By: James Cameron and Jon Landau
Cast: Rosa Salazar, Christoph Waltz, Jennifer Connelly, Mahershala Ali, Ed Skrein, Jackie Earle Haley, Keean Johnson
Game On Expo, according to the organizers, is Arizona’s premier gaming convention. To the fans, it is an adrenalin rush of all types of gaming, eSports tournaments, amazing panels, high profile guests, and other oddly interesting events. When it started out in 2015, it was focused on retro video gaming which is how it solidified its rather dedicated fan base. In the intervening years, they have added more and different types of gaming, expanding each one as they can. This year’s event is, at least to my eyes, their most ambitious endeavor yet, and I’m excited to check it out!
The first two years of Game On Expo were held at the Mesa Convention Center which is a great venue for a new convention to get its legs. Last year, they held the event in the Phoenix Convention Center, and they return to downtown Phoenix this year (August 10-12). The show is growing very quickly which shows that the organizers are doing something right.
What am I excited about?
To be perfectly honest, Game On Expo is one of my favorite conventions every year. The reason for this is that it’s unique. There isn’t another convention that is even remotely similar to it, at least not in Arizona, there’s always something new and interesting to experience.
The first thing that comes to mind are the musical guests. They have eight nerdy or nerd-adjacent musical artists and DJs performing – half on Friday night, half on Saturday. The schedule can be found here, but the ones that interest me are Mega Ran and the Minibosses.
Next, we have the Sumuji Maid Café and Dobutsu Lounge on Saturday. These are things I had never heard of, but they sound like a lot of fun! The maid café touts food, games, and the talents of charming maids and butlers. While the Dobutsu Lounge is a late-night hostess lounge with drinks, games, and talented individuals, apparently. I’m not sure exactly what to expect, but I’m going to be there!
Also, Game On is hosting the Classic Tetris World Championship Desert Qualifier. I will not be participating in this as my Tetris skills are, well, terrible, but it’s certainly a very cool event that I may find myself watching.
As a board game enthusiast (see my review of Starfinder), I am always on the lookout for events that have robust support for them, and Game On has gone above and beyond this year. I won’t be able to list everything that I’m interested in here as the article would be probably 10,000 words that no one would read. But take a look at all the board games, D&D, and Pathfinder (oh, my)!
In addition, there are a whole host of very intriguing panels. On Friday, I’d like to check out E-sports and The Law and Black Nerd Comedy. Saturday has The Gaming Discourse: Top 10 Games of All-Time! And Sunday, I will be looking to enjoy: Streaming in Arizona: Learn from Our Mistakes, Dead Malls & Urban Exploration, and Rampage to the Rock.
A few quick hits that are interesting to me: a visual novel library (new this year); open play of 300+ tabletop board games; various card game tournaments; and a 21+ pre-party at The Grid.
And last but not least, and a contractual obligation due to her being my sister-in-law, Courtney Leigh Creations is a guest at the convention. She is a local costume designer, cosplay artist, and streamer that is pretty awesome. All joking aside, Courtney is an amazingly talented person in many ways and a wonderful person to boot. If you get the chance, visit her booth and tell her I sent you!
As you can see, there are tons of things to do at Game On Expo, and I plan to do at least some of them. If you want to join me in the fun, go buy your tickets!
Game On Expo is returning for its 4th annual event next weekend, August 10-12! In just a few short years, they’ve made a name for themselves as Arizona’s largest gaming convention, and probably the fastest growing nerd event in the state. The event hosts free-play video game, pinball, and arcade lounges, tournaments, cosplay contests, voice actor and industry guests, panels on game design and history, and so much more. And they’re expanding again this year with even more new content, including 10x the tabletop game programming and new anime and Japanese gaming features!
Konami Code
Before we get into the overview of what to expect this year, we want to mention a very special discount code that you should use right now to buy your tickets! Game On Expo has teamed up with Extra Life, a charity that brings joy to sick kids through gaming. Use promo code “extralife” now through August 8th to get $10 off a full event pass, and $5 dollars of your purchase will go straight to Extra Life! It’s pretty much the best deal ever.
Free-to-play
Now let’s get into the main features of Game On Expo. All your favorite mainstays are returning, including free video game lounges stocked with both retro and modern games, plus pinball and arcade areas. New this year will be a pachinko parlor stocked with the popular Japanese gaming machines. For those who don’t know, pachinko games are something vaguely like a cross between a slot machine and pinball. Try your luck!
Tabletop expansion pack
Tabletop programming is getting a major facelift, sponsored by Gateway Games, Crit Hit, and Arizona Game Fair. You can find Pathfinder and D&D games all weekend, along with a free-play board game library of over 300 games. Amazing Discoveries will be running TCG learn-to-play and tournaments all weekend for Magic: The Gathering, Pokemon, Dragon Ball Super, and Yu-Gi-Oh.
Skill challenges
For the competitive among you, gaming tournaments are getting even bigger and better this year. The Retro World Championships are returning, and there will be plenty of eSports with cash prizes, including a $1,000 prize pool for Fortnite! Head over to sign up for a tournament online. If you’re a costumer, the annual cosplay contest also has cash prizes and is open to cosplayers of all skill levels.
Japanese version
Love Japan? In addition to the pachinko parlor, Game On Expo is also unveiling a Visual Novel Library where you can play these immersive story video games. If the games aren’t enough, be sure to experience the new Sumuji Maid Cafe and the after-hours Dobutsu Lounge!
NPCs and guest appearances
Just like previous years, the Game On Expo guest list is full to the brim with celebrities and industry personalities. This year they boast big-name guests like voice actor Jennifer Hale (Commander Shepard, Mass Effect; Aayla Secura, Star Wars: The Clone Wars) and Troy Baker (Joel, The Last of Us; Booker, Bioshock Infinite), YouTubers from hit shows like The Completionist, Black Nerd Comedy and Beatemups, video game designers Brian F. Colin (Rampage) and Eric Wile (EverQuest: Mac Edition), and cosplayers Ashlynne Dae and Courtney Leigh Creations. Eight nerdy bands will also perform throughout the weekend to satisfy your video game music fix. Browse the entire guest list, and then head over to the panel schedule to see what interesting things they have to share.
Tickets
Pre-sale tickets are available now on the Game On Expo website. Full event passes are $55 and single-day passes range from $25-$35. Kids 10-and-under are $10, and toddlers are free. For 1 hour earlier entry every day, a free kids pass, and an exclusive poster and pin, VIP passes are $75. Passes will be sold at a slightly higher price at the door. The fun starts Friday, August 10th at 12 pm for VIPs and 1 pm for general passes, and will run through Sunday, August 12th at 5 pm at the Phoenix Convention Center. Press ‘Start’ to join!
‘Never-Ending Man: Hayao Miyazaki’ – Documentary on the Iconic, Academy Award-Winning Director and Co-Founder of Studio Ghibli Coming to U.S. Cinemas
GKIDS and Fathom Events Partner to Bring Miyazaki Biopic to Big Screens Nationwide on December 13 and 18
GKIDS, the acclaimed producer and distributor of multiple Academy Award®-nominated animated features, and Fathom Events are proud to announce the U.S. debut of “Never-Ending Man: Hayao Miyazaki.” This documentary follows the formerly-retired film director and animator Hayao Miyazaki as he experiments for the first time with CGI. Miyazaki is a Japanese film director, producer, screenwriter, animator, author, and manga artist. In 1985 he co-founded Studio Ghibli and went on to direct highly influential and acclaimed animated films such as Spirited Away, Princess Mononoke, and My Neighbor Totoro – which won the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature in 2003. Miyazaki’s critical and commercial success continued through his final run of films including Howl’s Moving Castle, Ponyo, and The Wind Rises. After the 2013 release of The Wind Rises, at the age of 72, he announced his retirement from directing, however his endlessly inventive mind has turned toward new creative avenues. The documentary explores the life and career of Miyazaki as he returns to work to create his short film Boro the Caterpillar using CGI.
“Never-Ending Man: Hayao Miyazaki” comes to move than 500 U.S. cinemas Thursday, December 13 at 7:30 p.m. and Tuesday, December 18 at 7:30 p.m. (local time), subtitled in English. For a complete list of theater locations, visit the Fathom Events website (theaters and participants are subject to change).
In 2013, Academy Award®-winning film director and animator Hayao Miyazaki suddenly announced his retirement at the age of 72. But he can’t shake his burning desire to create. After an encounter with young CGI animators, Miyazaki embarks on a new project to utilize CGI for the first time ever. But the artist, who has been adamant about hand-drawn animation, confronts many challenges that threaten to cancel the film. Can an old master who thinks he’s past his prime shine once again? This program goes behind the scenes over two years as Miyazaki overcomes struggles to create his short film Boro the Caterpillar using CGI.
Earlier this year, GKIDS and Fathom Events presented the U.S. premieres of Mary And The Witch’s Flower, Fireworks, and The Night is Short, Walk On Girl, as well as 20th anniversary retrospective screenings of the cult-classic Perfect Blue to big screens nationwide.
“The works of Miyazaki have proven to be timeless favorites with anime fans nationwide,” Fathom Events CEO Ray Nutt said. “We have seen time and time again how his works resonate with U.S. audiences, and are proud that our ongoing partnership with GKIDS will bring this engaging documentary to these devoted anime aficionados.”
Highlights include new original Anime 7SEEDS, new look at upcoming series SAINT SEIYA: Knights of the Zodiac, Rilakkuma & Kaoru and ULTRAMAN as well as the exclusive worldwide streaming debut of cult-classic NEON GENESIS EVANGELION
Netflix, the world’s leading internet entertainment service, continues to successfully expand its original Anime programming and today, during the Anime Lineup Presentation event at Akiba Theatre in Tokyo, presented some exciting highlights for the upcoming year.
Today’s announcements join Netflix’ ever-growing slate of Anime that has already been captivating fans around the world, including this year’s series DEVILMAN crybaby or B: The Beginning. Over the course of 2019, viewers everywhere will be able to discover and enjoy even more Anime coming from some of the best creators in the word, as well as a chance to revisit some of the most beloved stories they already know and love, including SAINT SEIYA: Knights of the Zodiac, ULTRAMAN or NEON GENESIS EVANGELION.
More details about what Netflix announced and presented today at the lineup event in Tokyo:
Rilakkuma and Kaoru | Global Launch: April 19, 2019
When a woman in her thirties begins sharing her apartment with a soft toy bear that has decided to take up residence there, she finds that the secret to life is sometimes as simple as relaxing. One of the most popular characters in Japan comes to life in this stop-motion animation series.
Staff: Director: Masahito Kobayashi Writer: Naoko Ogigami Creative Advisor: Aki Kondo Production Rights: San-X Production Company: dwarf studios
Main Cast: Mikako Tabe
NEON GENESIS EVANGELION | Global Streaming Debut: Spring 2019
A.D. 2015. Tokyo 3 is under attack by powerful creatures known as the Angels. The protagonist, Shinji Ikari, is chosen to pilot the Humanoid Decisive Weapon Evangelion — the only way for humanity to fight against the Angels. The battle for the fate of humanity starts now. What exactly are the Angels? What fate awaits the young pilots and humanity itself?
Besides NEON GENESIS EVANGELION,EVANGELION:DEATH TRUE² and THE END OF EVANGELION will also be launching on Netflix.
Staff: Director: Hideaki Anno Planning / Draft: Hideaki Anno Character Design: Yoshiyuki Sadamoto Mechanic Design: Ikuto Yamashita, Hideaki Anno Production Company: Studio Khara
SAINT SEIYA: Knights of the Zodiac | Global Launch: Summer 2019
SAINT SEIYA: Knights of the Zodiac follows modern-day adventures of young warriors called “Knights”, who are sworn protectors of the reincarnated Greek goddess Athena. Each Knight wears a powerful armor based on their chosen zodiac constellation, and are called Knights of the Zodiac. They aid Athena in her battle against powerful Olympian gods who are bent on destroying the humankind.
Staff: Director: Yoshiharu Ashino Story Editor & Head Writer: Eugene Son (Avengers: Secret Wars) Character Design: Terumi Ishii Saint Cloth design: Takashi Okazaki Production Company: Toei Animation
7SEEDS | Global Launch: April 2019
In the immediate future, a giant meteorite has collided with earth. All living organisms, including mankind, have been wiped off the face of the planet. The government, who had foreseen this outcome, took measures to counter the worst-case scenario called Project 7SEEDS, in which five sets of seven young men and women were carefully selected and placed into teams. Each participant sought ways to survive on a deserted island.
Staff: Director: Yukio Takahashi Story Editor: Touko Machida Character Design: Yoko Satoh Production Company: GONZO
Main Cast (Summer Group B): Nao Touyama, Jun Fukuyama, Katsuyuki Konishi, Yoko Soumi, Kana Asumi, Akira Ishida, Aoi Yuuki, Kazuhiko Inoue
ULTRAMAN | Global Launch: April 1, 2019
Several years have passed since the events of Ultraman, with the legendary “Giant of Light” (光の巨人 Hikari no Kyojin) now a memory, as it is believed he returned home after fighting the many giant aliens that invaded the Earth. Shin Hayata’s son Shinjiro seems to possess a strange ability, and it is this ability, along with his father’s revelation that he was Ultraman, that leads Shinjiro to battle the new aliens invading the Earth as the new Ultraman.
ADULT SWIM AND CRUNCHYROLL PRODUCING ALL-NEW BLADE RUNNER ANIME SERIES WITH ALCON TELEVISION GROUP
Alcon Television Group, a division of Alcon Entertainment, has partnered with Adult Swim and Crunchyroll to produce and distribute a new anime series inspired by the critically acclaimed Oscar-winning movie BLADE RUNNER 2049.
BLADE RUNNER – BLACK LOTUS will feature thirteen 30-minute episodes produced by animation studio Sola Digital Arts (Ultraman). Shinji Aramaki (Appleseed) and Kenji Kamiyama (Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex) will direct all episodes of the premiere season, which will follow their current directorial work on the upcoming Ghost in the Shell series reboot. Shinichiro Watanabe (Cowboy Bebop, Samurai Champloo) is a creative producer. While the series plot is being kept under wraps, producers have confirmed the story will take place in 2032 and will include some familiar characters from the BLADE RUNNER universe.
Adult Swim will have the worldwide rights (excluding Asia) to distribute the English dubbed versions of the series and will air the English dubbed episodes of BLADE RUNNER – BLACK LOTUS on the network’s popular anime programming block Toonami. Similarly, Crunchyroll will handle worldwide streaming for its community of more than 45 million registered users and 2 million subscribers.
Adult Swim and Crunchyroll are both divisions of Warner Media, with BLADE RUNNER – BLACK LOTUS being one of several upcoming exciting collaborations including the recently debuted Mob Psycho 100 on Toonami.
“I first saw BLADE RUNNER in 1982, at age 11. It has remained one of the defining films of my life,” said Jason DeMarco, svp/creative director of Adult Swim on-air. “To be able to explore more of this universe, with the incredible talent we have on board, is a dream come true.”
“BLADE RUNNER is a seminal work, and its influence permeates the genre,” said Sae Whan Song, head of business development for Crunchyroll. “Adult Swim shares our excitement to bring this new series to fans, and we’re looking forward to building on this franchise together.”
Alcon’s Andrew Kosove, Broderick Johnson, Laura Lancaster, Al-Francis Cuenca, and Sola Digital Art’s Joseph Chou will executive produce the project. Alcon exec Ben Roberts will serve as co-executive producer. Production IG’s Mitsuhisa Ishikawa is participating as production advisor.
States Kosove and Johnson, “The BLADE RUNNER universe is an incredibly deep well for story and character with its world and mythology that audiences have been debating and talking about since inception. We are excited to continue exploring that world via this anime series. Lancaster added, “We are thrilled to have Shinji Aramaki, Kenji Kamiyama and Shinichiro Watanabe as our creative partners and look forward to the exciting journey ahead.”
Third Annual Crunchyroll Anime Awards Announced Presented By DEVIL MAY CRY 5 & Sponsored By CAPCOM
What: Get your nominations ready! Crunchyroll, the world’s largest destination for anime and manga, is announcing that the Anime Awards, presented by Devil May Cry 5, is coming back in 2019 with Capcom on board as its title sponsor.
The annual Anime Awards celebrate the best and brightest in Japanese animation with categories honoring all your favorite series, characters, moments and more from anime in 2018. Last year, the Crunchyroll community showed up in force with over 2.1M votes across 17 categories.
Crunchyroll will announce the full list of categories and the judges for this year’s awards show in mid-December. Voting will begin across categories on January 11, 2019. Voting will end on January 18, 2019. Finally, winners will be revealed via livestream on February 16, 2019, during an event filmed in San Francisco.
Crunchyroll has partnered with Omelet to launch the anime streaming service’s new brand campaign, Stay Crunchy, a dedication to the extraordinary and inclusive anime community.
Crunchyroll’s “mascot” Hime punctuates the message of the hero film by coming to life as an animated character for the first time. A valued member of the Crunchyroll community in her own right, with endless fan art and a huge fan base, Hime is the perfect voice to offer words of empowerment to our community, encouraging fans to “Stay Crunchy.”
Crunchyroll is the world’s largest anime library, with over 45 million registered users and 2 million subscribers with 360-degree content experiences. Crunchyroll is the #9 SVOD globally.
“Stay Crunchy” production partners include:
Taichi Kimura of Caviar Content, who infuses his work with a mix of Japanese and UK culture, directed our film.
Our animation team behind the variety of anime in the film represents iconic animators and fresh talent, who combined all of their individual styles to achieve the final visual look for the film. Lead Animators include:
Rapparu “Kanamewo”, “Crystal Cloud”
Mai Yoneyama – “Darling in the Franxx”, “Kill la Kill”, “Sword Art Online”
NAZONOANIMEDAN – “Re:Zero”, “Dog Days”
47℃ – “Yuru Yuri”, “Cinderella Girls”, “Encouragement of Climb”, as well as additional Japanese artists
Yutaka Yamada scored the film. He has written scores for more than 40 projects including for hit anime series “Tokyo Ghoul” and “Marumo no Okite”.
We worked with Lionel Lum, a fan who builds 1:1 ratio replica vehicles, to build a real life wheelchair replica of the Lagann mecha from Gurren Lagann.
And for the first time ever, Crunchyroll members will be able to share their personalized anime series recommendations with the new Crunchy Mix digital tool.
We took inspiration from the art of the mixtape – a personal gift, crafted with care that can be sent to individuals or posted for all of a users friends to enjoy. And because anime fans love to share and welcome people into the genre, we created a digital engagement platform that allows them to create bespoke “mixes” tailor made to the personalities and interests of their friends.
Whether it’s heightening someone’s love for anime or opening a door for someone brand new to the genre, Crunchy Mix is a tool for the fans to show their friends that there’s something for everyone in the accessible and diverse world of anime.
Crunchy Mix will be live through the Crunchyroll platform at the end of December 2018.
Crunchyroll Stats
Over 45M registered users
Over 12M monthly active users
Over 2M subscribers globally (Top-10 global SVOD)
27M social followers
Simultaneous translation into 8 languages
World’s largest anime collection, with 1000+ titles, 30,000+ episodes
Sentai Filmworks announced today that it acquired exclusive rights to Pastel Memoriesfor the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and Scandinavia. The anime series is based on the imaginative Japanese roleplaying game of the same name by FuRyu, who is also in charge of the series production.
Akihabara is known as a shining beacon for otaku culture everywhere. But in a not-to-distant the future, that culture is on the decline due to a mysterious affliction causing widespread memory loss. As a result, Akihabara has lost its luster. However, in one of the few remaining otaku shops, Izumi and a handful of comrades hatch a plan to restore lost memories and return “Akiba” to its former glory.
The nominees has been announced for the third annual Crunchyroll Anime Awards presented by Capcom’s Devil May Cry 5, which celebrates the best and brightest in Japanese animation, honoring your favorite series, characters, moments and more from anime in 2018.
Fans voted across 15 categories, including Anime of the Year, Best Film, and Best Director. New categories this year include: – Best Performance by a Voice Actor, both in Japanese and English – Best Character Design – Best Director – Best Fight Scene
MEGALOBOX was the most nominated series this year with eight nominations.
This is My Hero Academia’s second year nominated. In 2018, the series was nominated for 8 categories, including Anime of the Year. This year, our judges awarded nominations for Best Animation and Best Boy.
The Crunchyroll community is invited to share their picks on social using #AnimeAwards.
Tune in live on TWITCH on FEBRUARY 16TH to see which of your favorites took home the win!
New Crunchy City Experience Coming To Crunchyroll Expo 2019
Junji Ito To Be Guest At Crunchyroll Expo 2019
Crunchyroll Partners With Quidd
On Monday, Crunchyroll announced that “New Crunchy City” will be coming to Crunchyroll Expo 2019. New Crunchy City is an immersive amazing experience where anime comes to life. Taking place Labor Day Weekend at the San Jose McEnery Convention Center, Crunchyroll Expo 2019 empowers you to experience anime like never before as you stroll the streets of New Crunchy City metropolis with fellow anime fans.
They also announced horror manga master, Junji Ito as a guest at Crunchyroll Expo 2019.
Born in Gifu Prefecture. After graduating from high school, he became a dental technician. While working, he contributed his manga stories to Monthly Halloween (Asahi Sonorama)’s rookie manga contest “Kazuo Umezu Award” and won its fine work prize with “Tomie” in 1986, which also became his debut title and one of his well-known stories. Since then, he has written various masterpieces, such as “Michi no Nai Machi” (The Town Without Streets), “Kubitsuri Kikyu” (The Hanging Balloons), “Soichi” series, “Shibito no Koiwazurai” (Lovesick Dead), “Uzumaki,” and “Gyo.” In 2017, he reached the 30th anniversary of his manga artist activity. His latest work “Muma no Kikou” (The Succubus’ Travel Journal) is now serialized in “Nemuki+” (Asahi Shimbun Shuppan).
Also announced is their partnership with Quidd, the largest social market place for digital stickers, GIFs, trading cards, and 3D digital toys! The first sticker and trading card collections from Crunchyroll to release are Hime-chan, Cardcaptor Sakura: Clear Card, and DARLING in the FRANXX. The sticker and trading card collections are now available to download in the Quidd app on iOS and Android. Please continue to check the Quidd app for future anime collections to come, including Mob Psycho 100, Black Clover, Re:ZERO, The Ancient Magus’ Bride, Haikyu!!, Bananya and more!
WHAT: GKIDS, the acclaimed distributor of multiple Academy Award-nominated animated features, and Fathom Events, continue their collaboration to bring treasured animated features to U.S. cinemas with “Okko’s Inn.” The latest feature from famed anime studio Madhouse and director Kitaro Kosaka, who was a key animator on numerous classic films at the venerable Studio Ghibli, “Okko’s Inn” seamlessly blends immersive, idyllic landscapes with storybook charm in a heartfelt journey about growing up and finding one’s way. The film “Okko’s Inn” follows Okko, who goes to live in the countryside with her grandmother, who runs a traditional Japanese inn built on top of an ancient spring said to have healing waters, after losing her parents in a car accident. While she goes about her chores and prepares to become the inn’s next caretaker, Okko discovers there are spirits who live there that only she can see – not scary ones, but welcoming ghosts who keep her company, play games and help her navigate her new environment. The inn’s motto is that it welcomes all and will reject none, and this is soon put to the test as a string of new guests challenge Okko’s ability to be a gracious host. But ultimately Okko discovers that dedicating herself to others becomes the key to taking care of herself. “Okko’s Inn” delivers a rare ghost story that –despite several floating characters– is firmly grounded in the trials and joys of humanity. In addition to the feature, attendees will view an introduction from director Kitaro Kosaka.
WHO: Fathom Events and GKIDS
WHEN: Monday, April 22 at 7:00 p.m. (English dubbed). Tuesday, April 23 at 7:00 p.m. (in Japanese with English subtitles).
WHERE: Tickets for “Okko’s Inn” can be purchased online by visiting www.FathomEvents.com or www.OkkosInn.com and at participating theater box offices. Moviegoers throughout the U.S. will be able to enjoy these events in approximately 500 select movie theaters. A complete list of theater locations will be available on the Fathom Events website (theaters and participants are subject to change).
Celebrate Valentine’s Day Early With the Heartwarming Japanese Anime Hit ‘I want to eat your pancreas’ Coming to U.S. Cinemas For Only Two Days
Aniplex of America and Fathom Events Partner to Bring Lauded Coming-of-Age Tale to Select Big Screens Nationwide on February 7 and 10
Fathom Events in partnership with Aniplex of America brings the uplifting, coming-of-age tale that has captured the hearts of millions in Japan, “I want to eat your pancreas.” Based on the bestselling, award-winning novel by Yoru Sumino, “I want to eat your pancreas” the anime adaptation beautifully explores the relationship between the terminally ill Sakura and the unnamed protagonist, “Me,” as they embark on an emotional journey during an unforgettable spring. As these two opposites try to learn to find happiness, they in turn discover the true meaning of compassion. In addition to the poignant feature, attendees will also view exclusive extra footage, including interviews with the cast and crew.
Tickets for “I want to eat your pancreas” are available now at www.FathomEvents.com and participating box offices.
Presented by Fathom Events and Aniplex of America, “I want to eat your pancreas” comes to more than 400 U.S. cinemas subtitled on Thursday, February 7 at 7:00pm (local time) and English-dubbed on Sunday, February 10 at 12:55pm (local time). For a complete list of theater locations, visit the Fathom Events website (theaters and participants are subject to change).
The special two day event includes the world premiere of the English dub featuring cast members Robbie Daymond (“Sailor Moon,” “Digimon Adventure tri.”) and Erika Harlacher (“Fate/Apocrypha,” “Violet Evergarden”) voicing the two main characters, along with Kira Buckland (“Blue Exorcist,” “Durarara!!x2”), Kyle McCarley (“Fate/stay night [Unlimited Blade Works],” “DEVILMAN crybaby”), and Dorah Fine (“Magi: The Kingdom of Magic”) in supporting roles. Making her directorial debut is voice actress Erica Mendez from “KILL la KILL” and “Your lie in April,” who has signed on to handle the voice direction in addition to composing the English adaptation of the heartwarming film.
“I am pleased to be able to share this beautiful story to everyone living in the U.S.,” said Aniplex of America president, Shu Nishimoto. ”This film captures both the beauty of Japan’s landscape as well as the beauty in growing up. I hope the film gives everyone a renewed appreciation for life and the people that shape our life choices.”
“I want to eat your pancreas” was produced by Studio VOLN (“Ushio & Tora”) and marks Shinichiro Ushijima’s (“One Punch Man,” “All Out!!”) directorial debut. The Japanese cast features popular actor and 72nd Mainichi Film Awards Best New Actor winner, Mahiro Takasugi, who will voice the main character “Me” alongside veteran voice actress, Lynn (“High School Fleet,” “A Place Further Than the Universe”), who will voice the female lead, Sakura Yamauchi. The impressive voice cast also includes Atsuko Tanaka (“Fate/stay night [Unlimited Blade Works],” “Ghost in the Shell”), Shin-ichiro Miki (“Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood,” “Initial D”), and three-time winner of the Japanese Academy Awards, actress Emi Wakui.
“We are excited to once again partner with Aniplex of America to bring this highly anticipated title to the U.S.” Fathom Events CEO Ray Nutt said. “It is a wonderful story and appeals to people in all walks of life.”
Crunchyroll, the world’s largest destination for anime and manga, announces guests and programming highlights for the third annual Anime Awards.
Hosting this year’s awards show is “Sailor Moon” and “Hunter x Hunter” voice actress, Cristina Vee. She will be accompanied by an incredible slate of presenters to celebrate the best and brightest of anime from 2018.
Michelle Phan – Entrepreneur, EM Cosmetics, and influencer
Ryan Potter – Actor (DC’s “Titans” and “Big Hero 6”)
Justin Briner – English voice actor (“My Hero Academia”)
Kevin Penkin – Composer (“The Rising of the Shield Hero,” “Made in Abyss”)
Freddie Wong – RocketJump Productions, Director(“Anime Crimes Division”)
SungWon Cho (ProZD) – Creator/Influencer (“Anime Crimes Division”)
Roger DiLuigi – Creator/Influencer (Roger’s Base)
Yssa Badiola – Animator/Director, Rooster Teeth
Miles Luna – Writer/Director, Rooster Teeth (“gen:LOCK”)
Victoria Holden, Miles Thomas and Tim Lyu – Crunchyroll staff and supporting hosts
The presenters this year range from community influencers to industry creators but bring a love for anime and opinions as strong as their passionate fanbase. Each guest will be presenting one of 15 various categories through the night at Twitch HQ.
Tune into the Crunchyroll Anime Awards on Saturday, February 16 at 6 PM on Twitch at http://twitch.tv/crunchyroll.
Tickets on Sale Now for ‘Fate/stay night [Heaven’s Feel] THE MOVIE II.lost butterfly’ in Cinemas Nationwide March 14 Only
WHAT: Following the news of the North America premiere of “Fate/stay night [Heaven’s Feel] THE MOVIE II. lost butterfly” in February in downtown Los Angeles, Aniplex of America and Fathom Events are proud to announce that tickets are on sale now for the highly-anticipated anime’s nationwide release. “Fate/stay night [Heaven’s Feel] THE MOVIEII. lost butterfly” is the latest installment of the beloved series from the creators of the wildly popular Fate franchise that gave anime fans “Fate/stay night [Unlimited Blade Works], Fate/Zero, Fate/Apocrypha,” and the hit mobile game, “Fate/Grand Order.” This three-part movie follows the third route, known as the “Sakura Route,” of the “Fate/stay night” visual novel game, with the first chapter of the Heaven’s Feel trilogy, “I. presage flower,” released in 2017 to much fanfare.
WHO: Fathom Events and Aniplex of America
WHEN: Thursday, March 14, 2019 at 7:00pm local time.