Otaku News

An Anime Steeped in History: Princess Mononoke

Date: 2021 November 27 13:40 | Posted By: Franki Webb

In a change to our regular scheduled news, we bring you an academic article titled Steeped in History: Princess Mononoke. It delves into historical context of the much loved Studio Ghibli film focusing on how social class, race and religion are depicted. It also looks into the archaeological record, and written sources to understand how the film conveys these aspects while maintaining its fantasy element and pro-environmental message.

Voidol2 Anime Style Voice Changing Software Release Details

Date: 2021 November 25 21:59 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Technology

The good folks from Japanese software firm Crimson Technology have sent us details about their English language launch of Voidol2. This is real time voice conversion software primarily aimed at streamers, v-tubers and people who have the need to change their voice in real time.

The software has many voice modes and can make you sound like an anime character or even a robot and everything else in between. It retails for 13,200 JPY (about $114 USD / £86 GBP), but is currently on offer for 8,800 JPY (about $76 USD / £57 GBP). It's available to download on Windows or Mac via Sendowl.

Crunchyroll Announces Spy x Family

Date: 2021 November 22 20:43 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Anime

The good folks from anime streaming giants Crunchyroll have sent us details of their upcoming titles. The headline announcement is the release of Spy x Family, based on the manga of the same name it follows a master spy working in a cold war European-esque country. His newest mission requires him to build a family in order achieve his objective. This action comedy has been highly anticipated by fans of the manga (this includes us). Kazuhiro Furuhashi (Hunter x Hunter, Mobile Suit Gundam Unicorn) on board as Director while Kazuaki Shimada (The Promised Neverland) serving as Character Designer.

Other titles lined up for 2022 include Dance Dance Danseur (it's about dancing if you didn't guess), Aoashi which is based on the football (soccer) manga, plus the second season of the spooky In/Spectre.

Attack on Titan Final Season Part 2 Airs on Crunchyroll

Date: 2021 November 19 19:53 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Anime

The good folks from anime streaming service Crunchyroll have sent us details about Attack on Titan Final Season Part 2. It'll stream from 9th January 2022, available subtitled in eight languages and in more than 200 countries and territories worldwide. It'll also appear on Funimation and Hulu.

Keen eyed fans will notice that it's been marketed as "epic continuation" not the epic conclusion. So does this mean that there'll be another part of the final season? Only time will tell. Manga fans will have already had a chance to discover the ending as the final volume of the mega franchise was released in Japanese in June and in English last month.

We Love Anime Touring Festival 2021

Date: 2021 November 18 20:54 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Anime

Anime fans across the UK are in for a cinematic treat with the We Love Anime 2021 Touring Festival.

Set to run at the Showroom Cinema, Sheffield between Friday 19th November - Sunday 21st November 2021, then We Love Anime will be at selected Picturehouse and Showcase Cinemas between Saturday 4th - Sunday 5th December 2021.

The spin of from the celebrated Scotland Loves Anime festival, has many great titles for all different tastes. You're bound to find something you like!

For fans in Sheffield Showroom Cinema has joined together with other local independents to host free Japanese-themed events to run alongside the film programme. On Saturday 20th November 2021, Treehouse Board Game Café will be joining the venue to host an afternoon of Japan-themed games from 12pm until 3pm. On Sunday 21 November, internationally renowned graffiti artist Trik 09 will teach the fundamentals of drawing anime characters between 11am to 12pm.

Neon Genesis Evangelion UK Blu-ray Release Details

Date: 2021 November 16 22:07 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Anime

The good folks from anime distribution powerhouse Anime Limited have just sent us a reminder that Neon Genesis Evangelion will be available on blu-ray in the UK from Monday 6th December 2021. The groundbreaking landmark series caused an anime boom when it was first released and has been hugely influential ever since. The complete blu-ray set includes the complete original series along with the original two movies.

Anime Limited are releasing the complete set in various different editions to cater for all types of fans, from a standard edition for those who just want the content, a collectors edition for those who want some nice extra stuff and finally an Ultimate Edition that has tons of extra content. You can read about the different editions here.

Belle Cinema Screening + Director Q&A in Central London

Date: 2021 November 05 21:16 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Anime

For anime fans wanting to catch Mamoru Hosoda's latest cinematic masterpiece Belle, you might want to head over to Central London. As on Saturday 27th November 2021 at 3pm they'll be a special screening of the film, where afterwards the director himself will be there for a 30 minute Q&A session! This is a rare and exciting chance to ask the director about the movie.

The screening will take at place at the Picture House Central in Piccadilly Circus (you can't get more Central in London than that).

Recently the movie received a 14-minute standing ovation at Cannes.

The screening was made possible by the good people at anime company Anime Limited and The Japan Foundation.

Souce: Picturehouse Central

My Hero Academia: World Heroes' Mission Movie Review

Date: 2021 October 30 13:05 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Anime > Film

The latest My Hero Academia movie has just hit cinemas around the world. We've just seen this third instalment of the franchise. So read on to read our review.

Mobile Suit Gundam: Hathaway's Flash

Date: 2021 October 17 17:33 | Posted By: Eeeper

Travelling by space shuttle on the way to a new job, Hathaway Noa is caught up in a terrorist group's attempt to hijack the plane with its passengers. Together with a Federation officer, Kenneth Sleg, and an enigmatic fellow passenger Gigi, Hathaway is able to defeat the terrorists. But the group, called MAFTY, have bigger plans and these will draw Hathaway, Kenneth and Gigi into a much bigger conflict. Trapped in the Philippine city of Davao, Hathaway has only a few ways out before both Gigi and Kenneth figure out who he really is.

My Hero Academia: World Heroes' Mission Cinema Release Details

Date: 2021 October 11 19:51 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Anime > Film

The good folks from anime mega firm Funimation have sent us the release details for the latest My Hero Academia Movie. Titled My Hero Academia: World Heroes' Mission, Deku and his classmates have only two hours to save the world! While off internship with the number one Pro Hero Endeavor Agency, Deku and his new friend Rody find themselves wanted nationwide for a crime they didn't commit. Can Deku and his friends stop Humarise's global plans of eliminating all Quirks?

The story promises lots of action from Izuku Midoriya, Shoto Todoroki, and Katsuki Bakugo.

The movie hits cinema screens in both sub and dubbed versions in United States and Canada, United Kingdom and Ireland Australia, New Zealand and Sweden all on October 29th 2021, South Africa October 28th 2021. While
Denmark, Norway, and Iceland from November 11th 2021.

Read on to find out about the exclusive to Showcase is a limited edition My Hero Academia: World Heroes' Mission Vol. W Specialty Manga Booklet.

Funimation UK Announces December 2021 Home Video Releases

Date: 2021 October 09 20:15 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Anime > DVD

The good folks from anime mega company Funimation UK have just sent us details about their December 2021 release line up. They've got a lot good stuff there, but we're most excited about Nichijou - My Ordinary Life as it's such a fun, silly and under rated series. They'll be releasing it on Limited Edition blu-ray with an artbook and some art cards, along with a separate standard edition blu-ray.

Other limited edition releases include Code Geass: Akito The Exiled - OVA Series and Death Parade - The Complete Series. For those looking for standard edition blu-ray releases they'll be releasing Assassination Classroom: The Complete Series, Code Geass: Akito The Exiled - OVA Series, Fire Force Season 1 (the complete first series), Death Parade - The Complete Series, RoboTech - Part 2 (The Masters), along with some The Rising of the Shield Hero - Season 1 (The complete 1st series), Akudama Drive The Complete Series.

Plus the standard edition of the new 4K Blu-ray release of Akira.

Reconguista in G Movie Part 2: Bellri's Fierce Charge

Date: 2021 October 09 19:21 | Posted By: Eeeper

In an attempt to rescue Bellri and the others, Dellensen launches an attack on the pirate corps's Megafauna. Bellri, forced into space combat in Earth orbit, fails to realize he is facing his former instructor and shoots him down with the G-Self.

Meanwhile, the Capital Army demands the return of the G-Self and Raraiya Monday, and deploys first the Mask team's Elf Bullocks and then Becker's Wuxia team. Behind the scenes, a crisis is developing which will drive them all to violate the taboos of SU-Cordism-the existence of a threat from space.

Reconguista in G the Movie I Go! Core Fighter

Date: 2021 October 06 19:47 | Posted By: Eeeper

The new era begins. The turbulent era known as the Universal Century has ended. Now, mankind looks towards prosperity and peace in the new era known as the Regild Century (R.C.)

Demon Slayer -Kimetsu no Yaiba- The Movie: Mugen Train Now on Crunchyroll

Date: 2021 October 05 20:07 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Anime

Anime streaming super service Crunchyroll have just sent us details about their latest release. They've just put up Demon Slayer -Kimetsu no Yaiba- The Movie: Mugen Train. The box office smash is now available to stream on Crunchyroll. Which means if you haven't already you can get on the hype train and see what all the fuss is about.

They've also sent us a reminder that they have the original series that leads up to the events of the movie.

Availability wise the series and film will be available in English, Spanish, and Portuguese in English-speaking countries; and in Spanish and Portuguese in Latin America -- both in subbed and dubbed. The series will also be available in French-, German- and Russian-speaking countries as well as the Nordics. The film will also be available in French- and Russian-speaking countries as well as the Nordics.

Don't forget Viz have just released the complete box set of the original manga which contains the whole story!

Anime Limited Announce Future Boy Conan UK Release on Blu-ray and 4K UHD Blu-ray

Date: 2021 September 28 21:02 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Anime

Anime distributors Anime Limited have just announced that they have the UK rights to Future Boy Conan. The hugely significant and influential show has not had an official English language until now. GKIDS have the US distribution rights and will release it sometime late this year. While Anime Limited intend to release the series early 2022.

The series is significant as it marks Hayao Miyazaki's directorial debut, the legendary director went to co-found Studio Ghibli and make ground breaking titles such as My Neighbour Totoro and Spirited Away.

Anime Limited also mention Keep Your Hands Off, Eizouken's tribute to the show, with characters watching it and it inspiring their love of anime.

Anime Limited will release the title together on Blu-ray and 4K UHD Blu-ray, split across two collectors edition releases. They'll include a 132-page book written by Jonathan Clements (co-author of the Anime Encyclopedia and tons of other stuff) and Andrew Osmond (who wrote the BFI Film Classics: Spirited Away book, along with lots of other stuff).

The 4K Release will be the first anywhere in the world, but we think it's worth it just for the book and a chance to finally get Future Boy Conan officially in the UK is something we've been eagerly waiting for. This title is a must watch for any Ghibli fan.

Kotatsu Japanese Animation Festival 2021 Details

Date: 2021 September 08 20:09 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Events

The good folks from the Kotatsu Festival have just sent us details for their upcoming 2021 event. Set to run in Cardiff - Chapter from Saturday 25th to Sunday 26th September 2021 and Aberystwyth Arts Centre from Friday 1st to Sunday 3rd October 2021. As always the Japanese animation festival has a great selection of films including The Deer King, Ride Your Wave, On-Gaku along with Studio Ghibli's first 3D CGI offering Earwig and the Witch.

Not to be outdone by the big titles, they'll also be showcasing the talents of independent animators including
cut-out animation called In Full Bloom and a hand-drawn fresh depiction of affection between two girls in The Mark of Emi.

They'll also be a few workshops and some free online events are also being planned.

As always with events like this we suggest booking early to avoid disappointment.

Funimation adds 30+ anime series to service for UK/ROI viewers

Date: 2021 August 31 21:00 | Posted By: Eeeper

Category > Anime

Funimation announces UK section of their streaming service will add over thirty series to the platform from 31 August 2021.

Funimation adds four Gundam titles to platform catalogue

Date: 2021 August 31 20:57 | Posted By: Eeeper

Category > Anime

Funimation announces four Mobile Suit Gundam titles to be added to their online streaming service in a number of territories

New blu ray editions for Neon Genesis Evangelion series announced for UK-US-AUS

Date: 2021 August 31 18:16 | Posted By: Eeeper

Category > Anime

UK, US, Australian anime video labels reveal new details for multiple upcoming releases of seminal 90s mecha action TV series and its original films.

My Hero Academia: World Heroes' Mission Movie Release Details

Date: 2021 August 25 16:48 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Anime > Film

The good folks from anime distributors Funimation have just sent us some exciting news about the new upcoming My Hero Academia movie. My Hero Academia: World Heroes' Mission will be arriving cinemas in North America, UK and Ireland on 29th October 2021, while fans in Australia and New Zealand will get the film on 28th October 2021.

The third movie in the franchise, this time around Midoriya, Todoroki and Bakugo crisis in My Hero Academia history, with only two hours to save the world! The action takes place while the trio are at their internship with the number one Pro Hero Endeavor Agency. The villains this time around want to eliminate all quirks!

You can catch the official trailer here.

We're currently enjoying the 5th season of the anime, which is available to watch on funimation.com and Crunchyroll.

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