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Sci-Fi-London October 2009 Anime All-Nighter Details

Date: 2009 September 16 17:01 | Posted By:

Category > Events

The Weekend of 23rd - 24th October 2009 is great for anime fans to visit London, with the London MCM Expo. There's also the traditional Anime All-Nigther at Sci-Fi-London.

The film festival has run for many years now and always proves popular. They've got an extra special line up for this all night long anime screening, starting Saturday night 23rd October 2009. They'll be showing:

Evangelion 1.0
Time of Eve
The Sky Crawlers

We're most excited about the Evangelion 1.0 screening. Spike's already seen it and posted an Evangelion 1.0 review up when it first came out in Japan.

The Sky Crawlers also sounds promising as it's directed by Mamoru Oshii (who is best known as directing the Ghost in the Shell Movies).

Tickets will be available soon. We advise you book early to avoid disappointment as it's a great chance to seem some excellent features.

Souce: Sci-Fi London

London MCM Expo October 2009 Details

Date: 2009 September 14 17:05 | Posted By:

Category > Events

The good folks at the London MCM Expo have sent us the latest details for the event. Highlights from an anime perspective include - Studio BONES studio president Minami Masahiko and director Ando Masahiro, whose works include Fullmetal Alchemist, Cowboy Bebop, Gundam Seed Destiny and Neon Genesis Evangelion. Along with Trinity Blood voice actors Mike McFarland and Troy Baker.

The press release also has a shout out to cosplayers, who helped with the world record!

Read More... | Souce: London MCM Expo

MTV Iggy on Otaku Culture

Date: 2009 September 10 14:36 | Posted By:

Category > Fandom

The good folks at MTV Iggy (which is focused on breakthrough music and pop-culture from around the globe) have sent us details of their new feature - Otaku Culture.

They've got a couple of videos up from Otakon 2009 in Baltimore. It includes some otaku steampunk culture along with a video on ball jointed dolls. They've also got details of J-Rockers VAMPS, and plenty more to explore too.

Souce: MTV Iggy

New dating site for anime fans launches

Date: 2009 September 08 16:33 | Posted By:

Category > Fandom

There are tons of dating sites on the internet. Lots are even specialist dating sites by interest. So it should come as no surprise that the clever folks at Fan Crush have set up a dating site for otaku - Otaku Crush.

Read More... | Souce: Otaku Crush

Miyazaki is a Genre Unto Himself

Date: 2009 September 06 21:39 | Posted By:

Category > Anime

Anime legend Hayao Miyazaki's films combine aspects of familiar genres to make them classics of animation. i09 takes Miyazaki's most famous works and examines the genres used to make each film unforgettable.

Read More... | Souce: i09

ADV Films Shuts down

Date: 2009 September 02 17:51 | Posted By:

Category > Anime

US based Anime company ADV have closed. A detailed write up can be found on Anime News Network.

Apart from the asset transfers to other companies registered in Texas (where ADV was based), the details are still coming to light.

Below we've included the press release from ADV along with the press release from Section23 Films.

Read More... | Souce: ADV Films

London MCM Expo October 2009 Tickets now on sale

Date: 2009 August 09 13:03 | Posted By:

Category > Events

Readers who can get to London this October will be interested in the London MCM Expo on the 24th to 25th October 2009. Tickets are now on sale.

As attendance to this even it well over 30,000 people we doubt they will sell out. However we do strongly advise in spending a little bit extra for their Early Entry Tickets to save time queuing, you'll be grateful on the day!

Souce: London MCM Expo

Anime Network Launches Video-on-Demand in UK

Date: 2009 August 06 12:57 | Posted By:

Category > Anime > TV

We've got some exciting news from the folks behind The Anime Network. They've just launched a UK beta version of their site. So now anime fans in the UK can watch anime streamed to their PC. For less than a fiver a month you can watch a great selection of ADV titles.

They also offer a yearly subscription too.

Read More... | Souce: The Anime Network

AyaCon 2009 announce two more guests

Date: 2009 July 26 13:39 | Posted By:

Category > Events

The good folks at UK convention AyaCon 2009 have sent us more details about their guest line up. They've added Matthew Mercer voice actor, script writer, and independent film maker along with JoEllen Elam costume designer and makeup artist. This makes for a great variety of guests.

Read More... | Souce: Aya Revolution 09

BBC News Stroll around Akihabara

Date: 2009 July 09 08:36 | Posted By:

Category > Culture

BBC News have just published an interesting article about their stroll in Akihabara the otaku heartland.

The article introduces readers to the area, then they go on a tour around the district. They cover the hardware hacking scene in the area, focusing on the component shops. This is then followed by a mention of the surveillance equipment available. It then concludes with the homemade software culture, the article calls it unlicensed software, but we think they mean doujin software.

"This underground amateur culture has always been a big part of Akihabara and 'otaku' culture, back from home made comic books, now moving into homemade hardware and software."

Souce: BBC News

Giant Gundam robot stalks Japan

Date: 2009 July 08 08:24 | Posted By:

Category > Fandom

BBC News are currently running an interesting story featuring the Giant Gundam model in Tokyo. It focuses on Japan's great love for all things giant and robotic.

They get Patrick Galbraith, ethnographer at the University of Tokyo (I want his job), and author of The Otaku Encyclopedia to explain what Gundam is.

The article then goes to explain the rise of otaku culture and concludes with how robots will become more common place.

Souce: BBC News

Ponyo English Trailer Now Up

Date: 2009 June 24 18:51 | Posted By:

Category > Anime

Ponyo, the latest to come from Miyazaki-san can now be previewed in it's all-English language trailer. It features the likes of Cate Blanchett and Tina Fey in it's cast.

Ponyo (called 'Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea' in Japan) is about a baby fish who wishes to become a human girl.

Souce: Apple.com

Momoi Haruko at Aya Revolution 2009

Date: 2009 June 04 16:30 | Posted By:

Category > Events

We've just received some exciting information about UK anime convention Ayacon 2009's first guest. It's Halko Momoi, renowned singer and voice actress! You may have heard her voice on Nurse Witch Komugi-chan, Ai Yori Aoshi, and Seto No Hanayome.

Read More... | Souce: Aya Revolution 09

Anime Expo 2009 Guest of Honor - Seiji Mizushima

Date: 2009 May 18 16:53 | Posted By:

Category > Events

Los Angeles, California anime fans who haven't already marked July 2nd to 5th 2009 on their calendars may really want to do so now. Anime Expo have anime director Seiji Mizushima as their official guest of honor.

Read More... | Souce: Anime Expo

London Anime and Manga Shopping Guide

Date: 2009 May 11 17:01 | Posted By:

Category > Anime

London has a some great places for otaku to visit. The trouble is finding them. Using our London Otaku News Correspondents we've assembled a list of good places for anime and manga fans to visit while in London.

We've been maintaining this guide for over 15 years now. We always aim to keep it up to date.

Read More... | Souce: Otaku News

London Expo May 2009 Event Details

Date: 2009 April 20 16:43 | Posted By:

Category > Events

Anime fans who can get to London on the weekend of the 23rd to the 24th of May 2009, will want to visit the London MCM Expo at the Excel Centre. As always anime is well represented, with many of the UK anime and manga companies having a stall or some sort of presence, along with lots of dealers selling great merchandise. The event is also a huge draw to cosplayers, with many of the attendies in fancy dress!

Like last time, the event also plans to smash its current world record for the amount of video game related cosplay. It's set to be a fun weekend! So keep your calendars free. ^_^

Read More... | Souce: London MCM Expo

Interview with Helen McCarthy

Date: 2009 April 05 16:42 | Posted By:

Category > Anime

Audio interview with Japanese culture expert Helen McCarthy in conjunction with Irish Film Institute.

Read More... | Souce: Eeeper\'s Choice Podcast / Otaku News

Revolutionary Girl Utena: The Movie London Screening

Date: 2009 March 24 11:45 | Posted By:

Category > Anime > Film

London's Barbican continues show a great selection of anime. Fans should note that on Tuesday 26th May 2009 at 8:30pm, the centre will be showing Revolutionary Girl Utena, along with a talk from anime expert Helen McCarthy.

As always with these screenings we recommend fans book early to avoid disappointment.

Read More... | Souce: Barbican

Japanimation: Gonzo Focus at The Barbican: 7-9 April 2009

Date: 2009 March 19 10:16 | Posted By:

Category > Anime > Film

London based anime fans are in for a real treat from the 7th to the 9th of April 2009. The Barbican will be holding a series of screenings all focusing on fan favourite studio Gonzo. Curated by anime expert Helen McCarthy she’s really managed to arrange an interesting line up. Apart from all the great Gonzo titles what’s really got our interest is the Surprise Sneak Peak, scheduled for Thursday 9th April.

As always with these events we advise that fans book early to avoid disappointment.

Read More... | Souce: Barbican

Evangelion Merchandise Selection

Date: 2009 March 08 14:58 | Posted By:

Category > Retail

Anime and merchandise naturally go hand in hand, with some titles just a thin excuse to create merchandise. Generally the more popular the series, wider and crazier the variety of merchandise available. With Neon Genesis Evangelion, regarded one of the most popular titles of all time, I thought it would be worth looking into the more unusual merchandise available from the franchise. When researching this article I expected to find some oddities, after all you can even get an Eva Unit-01 mountain bike. However I was really surprised by what's out there!

Read More... | Souce: Otaku News

Schoolgirl Milky Crisis Book Competition

Date: 2009 March 05 15:28 | Posted By:

Category > Anime

We've teamed up with the good folks at Titan Books to give away copies of the new book Schoolgirl Milky Crisis: Adventures in The Anime And Manga Trade. The book written by Jonathan Clements reveals in inner workings of the anime and manga business.

Read More... | Souce: Otaku News

AyaCon 2009 registrations now open

Date: 2009 February 16 17:24 | Posted By:

Category > Events

UK anime fans looking for 3 days of fun on Friday 14th to Sunday 16th August 2009, will be pleased to hear that the registration for AyaCon 2009, known as Aya Revolution 09 is now open.

The convention will once again be held at the Warwick Arts Centre, University of Warwick, near Coventry. The AyaCon crew have run many successful conventions before and as a result it proves popular with fandom. Bookings are filling up fast, so book now to avoid disappointment.

Souce: Aya Revolution 09

An interview with Andrew Driver

Date: 2009 February 13 17:19 | Posted By:

Category > Anime

In April 2009, Alma Books will publish an English translation of Yasutaka Tsutsui's novel Paprika. The basis of Satoshi Kon's award-winning animated film of the same name, the English translation was handled for Alma by Andrew Driver. Otaku News can now present an interview with Mr. Driver which he graciously agreed to do with Eeeper on behalf of Otaku News in which he talks about his work on the novel.

Read More... | Souce: Otaku News

Paprika original novel to be released in UK in 2009

Date: 2009 February 04 10:57 | Posted By:

Category > Anime

Original novel Satoshi Kon based anime film Paprika upon will be released in the UK

Read More... | Souce: ANN

Hetalia Anime causes a storm in South Korea

Date: 2009 January 26 17:16 | Posted By:

Category > Anime

The Daily Yomiuri are currently running an article about Hetalia causing an uproar among South Koreans.

The show was set to be broadcast on Japanese satellite channel Kids Station on January 24th 2009. However on January 16th the station cancelled their plans to run the show.

Read More... | Souce: Daily Yomiuri

Helen McCarthy on RightStuf's Anime Today Podcast

Date: 2009 January 20 16:12 | Posted By:

Category > Anime

Anime fans will want to check out RightStuf's latest podcast. It features an interview with anime expert Helen McCarthy who promotes her book 500 Essential Anime Movies. In the podcast she explains how she narrowed down her choices in the book to just 500 shows. Along with how anime production and writing about anime has changed over the years.

Souce: RightStuf Anime Today Podcast

London Barbican Japanimation: After Tezuka Season

Date: 2009 January 18 14:01 | Posted By:

Category > Anime > Film

London anime fans will want to head over to the Barbican for their upcoming season Japanimation: After Tezuka. It's considers Tezuka's legacy and the works he inspired.

It starts on Wednesday 28th January 2009 and is set to run to Sunday 1st February. Curated by anime expert Helen McCarthy, she always manages to arrange a selection of animated treats. Her introductions are worth attending too, as she manages to cram plenty of facts about each screening.

The line up is as follows:

Dororo 18:00 Wednesday 28th January 2009
Black Jack: Episode 15:00 Saturday 31st January 2009
Phoenix: Immutable Conclusion 13:45 Sunday 1st February 2009
Akira 15:45 Sunday 1st February 2009
(also later on in February)
Tekkonkinkreet 20:30 Tuesday 24th February 2009

With the Tokyo City Promotion 2009 in London at the same weekend it looks like the end of January is a great time for anime fans to visit London! As always with popular screenings we advise that you book early to avoid any disappoint.

Read More... | Souce: Barbican

Tokyo City Promotion 2009 in London

Date: 2009 January 16 09:10 | Posted By:

Category > Events

London anime fans are a in for a real treat on Saturday 31st January 2009, where a special Tokyo Day will be running. Organised by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, Tokyo Day is set to be packed with tons for otaku to see and do.

The event will be held at Lawrence Hall at the Royal Horticultural Halls and Conference Centre.

Admission is free. It's set to run from 10am to 8pm.

Read More... | Souce: Tokyo City Promotion 2009

Naruto Shippuden on-line an hour after Japanese Broadcast

Date: 2009 January 02 06:35 | Posted By:

Category > Anime

We've just recived an exciting press release from Crunchyroll, who will be streaming Naruto Shippuden on-line an hour after Japanese broadcast. This sort of distribution model has been talked about for ages in the anime press, but until now it's never actually officially happened.

Read More... | Souce: Crunchyroll

Klaatu as Spike Speigel?

Date: 2008 December 19 21:55 | Posted By:

Category > Anime > Film

The star of The Day The Earth Stood Still, The Matrix trilogy, and Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure wants to play Spike Speigel in a live action adaptation of Cowboy Bebop.

Read More... | Souce: MTV

Schoolgirl Milky Crisis Blog

Date: 2008 December 05 18:49 | Posted By:

Category > Production

Anime expert Jonathan Clements has just launched a blog to promote his new book Schoolgirl Milky Crisis: Adventures in the Anime and Manga Trade, which is due for publication in early 2009.

The blog has some interesting insights that will no doubt also appear in the book, even an article about writing the index for the book proves to be amusing.

Souce: Schoolgirl Milky Crisis Blog

Lincolnshire anime screenings

Date: 2008 December 03 18:01 | Posted By:

Category > Events

UK based anime fans who can get to Lincolnshire will want to visit the Hub National Centre for Craft & Design in Sleaford, as they'll be showing the How Manga Took over the World Exhibition, from 7th February 2009 to 19th April 2009. The exhibition is touring after a successfully run at Urbis.

Souce: Hub National Centre for Craft & Design

Last London Anime Club Meeting

Date: 2008 November 23 14:31 | Posted By:

Category > Events

Anime fans who can get to London on Sunday 7th December 2008 should do so for the last meeting of the London Anime Club. The LAC has been running for 15 years now, but attendance has been dropping for various reasons, so they've decided to halt it's regular meetings. The Christmas meetings always have lots of people going, along with extras such as a prize draw, DDR:UK will be there with games and the bring and buy, along with all the usual things like the video room, and dealers selling anime and manga merchandise.

Souce: London Anime Club

Thought Bubble Festival

Date: 2008 November 07 13:43 | Posted By:

Category > Events

UK anime fans who can get to Leeds will want to keep the 13th to the 16th November 2008 free for the Thought Bubble Festival. The Festival will have a great selection of anime and manga stuff, including film screenings too.

The Convention on Saturday 15th November 2008 (10am - 5pm) will have free entry to cosplayers!

They'll be screening the following films:
Sword of the Stranger
Mind Game
20th Century Boys
Detroit Metal City

We've already seen Sword of the Stranger, and watching it on a big screen is recommend.

Read More... | Souce: Thought Bubble Festival

The Akiba: A Manga Guide to the Akihabara

Date: 2008 November 07 13:04 | Posted By:

Category > Press Releases

We've been sent a press release for a new book that sounds perfect for otaku paying a trip to Tokyo. The Akiba: A Manga Guide to the Akihabara (published by Japan Publications Trading), is an interesting blend of manga and travel guide.

Update: We've reviewed The Akiba: A Manga Guide to the Akihabara

Read More... | Souce: Japan Publications Trading

Gundam 00 Coming to US Sci Fi Channel in November

Date: 2008 October 29 20:06 | Posted By:

Category > Anime

Mobile Suit Gundam 00 to start airing on SciFi Channel in November.

Read More... | Souce: i09

Kitacon Announces New Guests

Date: 2008 October 28 18:20 | Posted By:

Category > Events

We've just been sent news from the good folks at Kitacon (the UK anime Convention in Northampton 17th-19th April 2009), informing us that they've got two more guests. Voice actors Laura Bailey and Travis Willingham will be attending the convention.

Read More... | Souce: Kitacon

Could Manga Inspire A Murder?

Date: 2008 October 24 18:46 | Posted By:

Category > Anime

Sky News are running an article about the possibility that manga could inspire murder, and how it frustrates anime fans. It cites the current case of Meredith Kercher, a 21 year old student who was stabbed to death in Italy in a house she shared with other students. It mentions that the prosecution of the case are highlighting that Raffaele Sollecito (one of the accused) was acting out a "dark fantasy", inspired by his manga collection. BBC News have more coverage of the same story.

Read More... | Souce: Sky News

Revelation Films 2009 Q1 anime UK DVD release schedule

Date: 2008 October 21 16:32 | Posted By:

Category > Anime > DVD

The nice folks at Revelation Films have sent us details of their 2009 Q1 line up. For the first three months of 2009 promises to see the UK release of:

Fullmetal Alchemist Season One Part One - January.
Spiral The Complete Series Box - February
Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicle (the final instalment) - March
Tsubasa The Complete Series Box Set - March

What's interesting in the press release is that it actually states sales figures, something you rarely see for the anime industry. It'll be nice if all anime companies releases sales figures for their titles. However this is valuable information for sales and marketing teams, which is why most companies like to keep this these details secret.

Read More... | Souce: Revelation Films

Grand International Cosplay Ball

Date: 2008 October 07 15:19 | Posted By:

Category > Events

We've got some exciting news about the Grand International Cosplay Ball, which is set for Sunday 30th November at the Clapham Grand, London, England.

This is the first event to our knowledge that is aimed at cosplayers, and not an event like an anime convention with cosplayers as a feature.

The event looks to be a sure fire hit, with live bands, DJs, ballroom dancing, a kimono fashion show, fire and burlesque performances and even an Alice-In-Wonderland themed photography area.

As always with such events we advise that you book soon to avoid disappointment.

Read More... | Souce: Grand International Cosplay Ball

Kitacon Fan Choice Awards

Date: 2008 September 18 18:53 | Posted By:

Category > Fandom

UK anime fans looking for convention fun in April 2009 will be pleased to hear that Kitacon will be holding a Fan Choice Awards, where fans get to vote for their favourites, anime, manga, characters and more. They'll even be able to collect them on behalf of the nominees. This does sound like an interesting concept.

Read More... | Souce: Kitacon

Helen McCarthy and Jonathan Clements London Book Signings

Date: 2008 September 15 16:53 | Posted By:

Category > Events

Anime fans in London who can get to the Barbican on Saturday 20th September 2008 will want to drop in between 3pm and 6pm where expert writers Helen McCarthy and Jonathan Clements will be signing their books.

While in the Barbican don't forget to enjoy the great Tezuka Movie Season that Helen's curating.

Souce: Barbican

An interview with Kari Wahlgren

Date: 2008 September 07 11:01 | Posted By:

Category > Anime

Thanks to go the great folk at AmeCon 2008, we were able to interview their main guest, voice actress Kari Wahlgren. You may have heard her in the American dub of FLCL as Haruko, or Robin in Witch Hunter Robin or Scarlett in Steamboy to name a few of her roles. As well as many video games you've probably played.

Read More... | Souce: Otaku News / Voiceacting.co.uk

Eye On Anime Interview Helen McCarthy

Date: 2008 August 31 13:18 | Posted By:

Category > Anime

With the upcoming Tezuka Season at London's Barbican, the folks at Eye On Anime have interviewed anime expert and season curator Helen McCarthy.

Souce: Eye On Anime

Fanboys wanted for MTV's True Life

Date: 2008 August 19 16:09 | Posted By:

Category > Fandom

Our US based readers who like the idea of appearing on TV should consider this request from MTV who are keen to do a True Life episode on Fanboys.

Read More... | Souce: MTV True Life

Totoro Forest Project

Date: 2008 August 12 17:26 | Posted By:

Category > Events

Fans of Studio Ghibli and those concerned with conservation will be interested to hear about the project to save Sayama Forest, which is also known as Totoro Forest. The project aims to auction off original artwork and sell a book with the collected art, in order to raise money to protect Sayama Forest.

"A fund-raising exhibition / auction to benefit the Totoro No Furusato National Fund, the Japanese non-profit foundation established by Oscar-winning filmmaker Hayao Miyazaki, which is leading efforts to preserve and protect the Sayama Forest. The auction will feature original art created by internationally-acclaimed artists in the fields of animation, comic books, and illustration."

Fans will have to travel to Pixar Animation Studio in Emeryville, California.

Souce: Totoro Forest Project

500 Essential Anime Movies by Helen McCarthy - out now

Date: 2008 August 05 18:01 | Posted By:

Category > Anime

We've received details regarding anime expert Helen McCarthy's new book 500 Essential Anime Movies. It's out now in the UK and will be released in the US in a few weeks. You can buy it Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk.

We've always recommend Helen's books for several reasons - they're well written and they're well researched that and they're enjoyable to read. ^_^

Helen goes to a lot of effort to check the facts and details when writing books and it does show. We also recommend Helen McCarthy's publications when researching anime and manga, especially for academic purposes, you can never go wrong citing her work.

Read More... | Souce: Ilex Press

The Pirate Anime FAQ Returns

Date: 2008 August 03 16:31 | Posted By:

Category > Anime

8 years ago, I wrote an FAQ about piracy in anime, and how to avoid buying pirate goods. It started off as a simple guide as part of a site called Anime Digital, but evolved and improved over the years. It's generally regarded as the most comprehensive guide to pirate goods in anime fandom. A mini version has been printed at many anime conventions and distributed among convention staff to quickly spot pirate goods. The anime industry also use it to make anime fans aware of bootleg goods.

For the last 8 years the Pirate Anime FAQ was hosted on the London Anime Club's web server. Unfortunately it's been unavailable since April because of server problems so we have decided to host the guide on Otaku News instead. We'd like to thank the London Anime Club for hosting the Pirate Anime FAQ for the last 8 years.

The Pirate Anime FAQ has been translated into French and German, thanks to the kind help of anime fans. I'll put the French and German translations up soon. However I've made a few small changes to the FAQ to make sure it will fit with the formatting of Otaku News. As a result the translations will need to be updated too.

The old content from Anime Digital is not lost and we're currently deciding if we should integrate the articles into Otaku News, or archive them as a separate site.

So please update your bookmarks, the new URL for the Pirate Anime FAQ is http://www.otakunews.com/piratefaq.php.

Souce: The Pirate Anime FAQ

Naruto PS3 Game Demo Out

Date: 2008 July 31 19:55 | Posted By:

Category > Gaming > Consoles

A demo of the new Naruto Ultimate Ninja Storm PS3 game is now available to download

Read More... | Souce: PlayStation Network

AmeCon 2008 Competition

Date: 2008 July 20 10:54 | Posted By:

Category > Events

With Leicester based UK anime convention AmeCon less than a month a way, they've decided to launch a great competition where you can win two tickets to the convention, plus free accommodation for the length of the convention.

The press release also details the guest for this year will be voice actress Kari Walgren, who has done a large variety of voice work, including the American dubs for a few anime series - Haruko in FLCL, Scarlett in Steamboy, Robin in Witch Hunter Robin and Lavie in Last Exile.

Read More... | Souce: AmeCon 2008 Competition Page

London Barbican Osamu Tezuka Season

Date: 2008 July 17 15:37 | Posted By:

Category > Anime > Film

We've received some exciting news from the London Barbican about a special Osamu Tezuka Season they'll be running from Thursday 18th to Wednesday 24th of September 2008.

The season is curated by anime expert Helen McCarthy (who's written tons of good books and articles on anime and manga). The line is up a great showcase of Tezuka's work, with The Film Is Alive: Osamu Tezuka Filmography looking especially interesting, as it we're certain Helen will bring an informative take on the panel with the event.

Osamu Tezuka is the granddaddy of anime and manga, without doubt the most influential and inspiration artist, as always with these events we suggest you book early to avoid disappointment.

Read More... | Souce: Barbican

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