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Otaku News Wallpaper

Date: 2005 September 04 19:01 | Posted By: Joe

Here at Otaku News we like to give something back to our readers as a way of saying thank you for reading this site. That's why we've commissioned the talented WingYun-Man and Rik Nicol to come up with some nice desktop wallpaper for you to download. The design in question is the new Shinsengumi Miyuki wallpaper, which features Otaku News mascot Miyuki as a member of the Shinsengumi. The wallpaper is based on the successful postcard campaign from AyaCon 2005.

Souce: Otaku News Wallpaper Page

iTunes Japan Music Cards For Japanese Music

Date: 2005 September 02 20:23 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Retail

The good folks at JList.com dropped us a line to tell us that they're selling iTunes Japan Music Cards, these are vouchers that you can use to redeem music on Apple's iTunes system. Using these vouchers you can buy plenty of music that is only available on the Japanese version of iTunes, which is very handy if you like certain songs, but don't want to import a whole album.

Souce: JList.com

Is KyuuCON a Scam?

Date: 2005 August 25 17:36 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Anime

After posting the press release from KyuuCon yesterday, it's been brought to our attention by various members of UK anime fandom that there is something fishy about KyuuCON. Firstly it appears that the venue mentioned the Plymouth Pavillions has not heard of KyuuCON or the organisers in question. The second major alarm bell is where the payments are going, into a personal bank account and not a building society account/non-profit account in the conventions name.

What's also interesting is their sudden change of heart, and the way they've just moved everything back a year. Plus this thread brought to our attention at the AyaCon Forum. At this current moment in time, based on what we have heard, we believe that KyuuCON is either very poorly organised or a cash grabbing scam, either way, we suggest you avoid KyuuCON for now.

Otaku News Adds RSS Feed

Date: 2005 July 22 18:15 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Websites

Here at Otaku News we like to listen to what you, our readers say. Without your feedback we would not know what stories you want us to cover and what features you like using on this site. Our most popular feature request to date has been for an RSS Feed, so the Otaku News Crew have finally made feeds for each edition of Otaku News. For more details check out the RSS Feed Details page.

We always want more feedback about our coverage and the features we can offer, so please feel free to contact us if you want to see more things on this site! Don't be afraid to e-mail us with news stories either!

Souce: Otaku News

AOL Radio Launches Japanese Pop Station

Date: 2005 July 22 18:00 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Websites

The people over at AOL have just sent details of their new Japanese Pop Station. It seems that AOL Radio listeners enjoyed the Video Game Scores station so much that AOL have added a Japanese Pop station due to popular demand!

Unseen Japan Photo Competition

Date: 2005 June 27 14:24 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Culture

The Mainichi Daily News have just announced the winners of their Unseen Japan photograph competition. Readers were asked to "Submit a photo that visualizes a rarely seen side of Japan", the result is a selection of photos that give a great insight into a Japan that you would not normally see in anime. ^_-

The winning photo - A waiting taxi reflects the brilliant neon lights of Shinsaibashi, Osaka, looks a lot like a shot from the film Lost in Translation. You can the see the rest of the winning photos on-line, the Mainichi Daily News have also posted every other entrant too.

Souce: Mainichi Daily News

Final Fantasy Music on iTunes UK

Date: 2005 May 12 13:56 | Posted By: Azure

Category > Websites

Discussions are underway to bring tracks from the 16 Final Fantasy Albums to the UK version of the iTunes website. The tracks would include songs from Final 1 through to XI as well as other FF themed CDs such as the ‘dear friends’ concerts and the 'Black Mage' albums.

Souce: Gamesindustry.biz

Otaku News Adds DVD Reviews

Date: 2005 May 08 18:45 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Websites

Here at Otaku News we listen to you, our readers comments and will always try to improve the site based on what we hear. The most common request we've had so far is for a review section. So the Otaku News Crew started to work away, writing reviews and also writing the code for you to navigate the reviews. At the moment we've put up some DVD reviews for you to read, over time we intend to add a lot more. Currently all editions of Otaku News will show all DVDs, regardless of their region. Eventually once we have a substantial number of reviews the UK and US Editions will only display reviews from their region.

We've also adopted a policy of being honest, so far one review already has a rating of 2 out of 10! We hope you find this addition to the site helpful and enjoying reading our opinions, of course if you don't like it and think you can do better, then by all means tell us, we are always looking for talented contributors to write news articles, reviews and anything else of interest to otaku!

Souce: Otaku News DVD Review Section

Dinkybox Cool Japanese Toys

Date: 2005 January 24 15:42 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Retail

Wil Overton who many of our readers will know was the artist for popular Super Nintendo Magazine SuperPlay published many moons ago (and also influenced a large amount of UK fan artists with his style), has sent us details of his latest enterprise.

Dinkybox is a shop selling you the very best in cool toys and goodies from around the world, it mainly focuses on the new wave of smaller designer group/artist toys. Why are Otaku News plugging it I hear you cry? Well Dinkybox stock anime related stuff like Dr Slump Kubrick figures, the parody show Panda-Z and also some nice Deleter Manga supplies like pads, pens and ink and also screentone.

We don't normally shamelessly plug companies here, but Wil's a nice guy and agreed to an interview when my first website Anime Digital was getting off the ground, so we owe him a favour or two. ^_-

Souce: Dinkybox

Miyazaki Web Celebrates 10 Years On-line!

Date: 2005 January 02 19:37 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Fandom

The end of 2004 marked the end of another year, and it also marked another landmark for anime fandom, the most accurate and complete dedicated unofficial resource for Studio Ghibli fans - The Miyazaki Web celebrates it's 10th Birthday on December 31st 2004.

The site is really better known as a part of Nausicaa.net and has often been mistaken as the Official Studio Ghibli Website, because of it's professional finish and level of detail. Many have used it for research on Studio Ghibli and it's founder Oscar winning director Hayao Miyazaki. The Miyazaki web is more than a website it also has it's own mailing list, the Miyazaki Mailing List, which has grown steadily each year for the last 13 years, the majority of it's subscribers are American, but for a first time the UK is now the second most subscribed country, beating Japan to third place.

Here's wishing the Miyazaki Web a Happy Birthday, and good luck with the next 10 years!

United Publications Price Cuts

Date: 2004 December 31 12:52 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Retail

We've just heard from Dragon, the webmaster for United Publications (a popular UK import anime and manga retailer) that they've slashed their prices by up to 20% on most US DVDs due to the strength of the Pound, our UK readers with multiregion set-ups should check it out!

Souce: United Publications

More Christmas Wallpaper From Otaku News

Date: 2004 December 21 19:45 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Websites

We've had lots of positive feedback about our Christmas Desktop wallpaper, so in the true Christmas spirit, it's only right to give our readers what they want! ^_-

The image in question like all our wallpaper is an image made exclusively for Otaku News. This very festive girl has been drawn by the talented Wing Yun Man.

Christmas Wallpaper From Otaku News

Date: 2004 December 19 17:40 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Websites

Firstly we must apologise for the lack of updates recently, the holiday season has got the better of the Otaku News Crew! To celebrate the festive season one of the Otaku News artists, Andes Sudo has been a busy bunny working on some Tima Christmas Desktop Wallpaper for you to download and enjoy.

Frightmoore University Posts It's 100th Page

Date: 2004 November 28 09:49 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Webcomics

It's been a busy week for me which is why I haven't posted as much news as I would like on Otaku News this week. So today is catch up day! One of the advantages of running your own news website means that you can plug your other side projects now and again (no Spike that doesn't mean you can start posting about all the yaoi you draw).

OK, first up on Monday November 22nd, Frightmoore University an up-and-coming webcomic I'm the webmaster for, has just made the milestone of posting it's 100th page! Gigi has drawn a little celebratory image of the main characters having a little party. Frightmoore has been running since 2001, and in April 2004 when an updated version of the site was launched on it's own domain name were we able to gauge an idea of how many hundreds of thousands of unique users actually visited Frightmoore! If you have read any of it yet, go on and take a look.

While we're on the subject of plugging stuff don't forget to check out The Journey of Light an independent animation project that is currently underway written by our very own Azure.

Souce: Frightmoore University

Strong Yaoi Sales on Amazon.com

Date: 2004 November 14 08:34 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Manga

ICv2 are reporting an interesting trend with Amazon.com's manga best seller list. Apparently Yaoi is three of the top five, four of the top ten and six of the top fifteen manga titles. ICv2 point out that these sales are only on Amazon.com as the American Bookscan list doesn't not match with these sales figures, with only Del Rey's Tsubasa Volume 3 appearing at the top of both lists.

ICv2 speculate that people purchasing Yaoi prefer the privacy and relative anonymity that on-line reatilers offer and that the two main Yaoi publishers Digital Manga and CPM Manga don't have the marketing clout or number of titles compared to other publishers with titles at the top of the graphic novel lists.

Souce: ICv2

Otaku News UK DVD Reader Survey

Date: 2004 November 07 19:32 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Fandom

With your support Otaku News are keen to compile a definitive survey for 2004 about what anime titles our readers would like to see released onto DVD in the UK. This can include TV series, film, OAV old and new. We are not going to do a web based poll, since that would limit the options, we are going to do an open survey to hear what you really want to be released in the UK. To take part please email your suggestions to AnimeSurvey@otakunews.com

Your e-mail address will only be used for this survey and once the results have been collated your details will be deleted. They will not be passed on to a third party for any reason. This survey will run until the 24th of December.

Souce: Otaku News

Channel 4 Viewers to Vote on 100 Greatest Cartoons.

Date: 2004 November 01 14:59 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Anime

British anime fans will like to know that Channel 4 are currently running votes on the 100 Greatest Cartoons. Akira as always is present along with Pokemon, as is Spirited Away and Princess Mononoke, and (rather worryingly) Legend of the Overfiend. Each person gets to vote for their top 10 favourite shows, so head over there and vote!

This show should be interesting to watch I wonder who they will get in to talk about anime when it's broadcast, and who would admit to enjoying hentai on national TV?

Souce: Channel 4

Daily Yomiuri Roundup

Date: 2004 October 28 16:24 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Culture

With all the Japanese news currently focusing on the aftermath of the earthquake that hit the Niigata prefecture, I thought it would be nice to cover some more positive things (there's nothing like escaping from reality).

It's about time some of you have a look at The Daily Yomiuri Website, they are running some nice stories about the following:

- A Russian diplomat who has written a book about a Sumo Wrestling.
- National Science Museum in Tokyo has lots of displays for foreigners.
- An Interesting Story about English as a Foreign Language

Also for the more enlightened otaku, have you ever wondered what a Japanese fish market looks like? The Yomiuri Website has lovely photos of every day Japanese life if you have the time to browse.

For the artist in you the newspaper have started to accept entries to their International Cartoon Contest.

Souce: Daily Yomiuri

GoManga.com Goes Live

Date: 2004 October 26 18:18 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Manga

Recently we ran a press release about Seven Seas producing original manga. Now their site Gomanga.com is live. So far they've got details of four titles on their site - Amazing Agent Luna, Blade for Barter, Last Hope and No Man's Land.

ADV Titles Prove Popular With AnimeOnDVD.com Readers

Date: 2004 October 18 18:18 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Websites

Those happy people at ADV USA have just sent us a press release detailing their recent success with AnimeOnDVD.com readers. Each month AnimeOnDVD readers vote for what they believe to be the best DVD release of that month. Over the past six months ADV have scooped 4 of the monthly awards.

As soon as the press release was sent, it was already out of date, ADV had won the September award for Chrono Crusade Vol. #1!

Jonathan Clements Launches New Website

Date: 2004 October 16 13:26 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Websites

Jonathan Clements, writer, translator, co-author of the Anime Encyclopedia, The Erotic Anime Movie Guide, The Dorama Encyclopedia and I Love My Tamagotchi (under the name of Bronwen Komatsubara), has just e-mailed with some details regarding his new website -

"Don't know if this counts as news or not, but if it does, there is much anime goodness to be found at my website, including the English version of my Afterword to the deluxe edition of Akira, the unpublished Afterword to the Anime Encyclopedia, and several anime columns from Newtype and the Sci Fi channel."

Considering how much Jonathan Clements has done in the anime industry, I think it does count as news, so go on and have a look at his website. I'm off to find Schoolgirl Milky Crisis.

Souce: Jonathan Clements

UK Conventions Set For 2005 And 2006

Date: 2004 September 29 18:32 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Events

It seems at almost exactly the same time, both AyaCon and AmeCon have officially announced more details regarding their next conventions!

It was announced at AyaCon 2003 that there would be no AyaCon in 2004, but now they've updated their website saying that "We are currently planning to stage our latest event, AyaCon Five, in Summer/Autumn 2005. We're aiming to make AyaCon bigger and better than ever!" As yet, they haven't revealed a venue for the convention.

AmeCon have also just updated their website. Stating that "The Convention will not be running in 2005, but will be running at Aston University, Birmingham, in 2006. Registrations for 2006 will open shortly."

Read More... | Souce: AyaCon / AmeCon Websites.

Sweatdrop Launch Free Webcomics

Date: 2004 September 20 15:52 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Webcomics

Talented up and coming British manga artists Sweatdrop Studios have just launched a webcomics section. They've posted comics by Dock, Laura Watton, Emma Vieceli, Selina Dean, Fred and Sonia Leong.

Even if you're not in the UK, it's always nice to check out some of their lovely artwork.

Souce: Sweatdrop

Anime News Network and Protoculture Addicts Join Forces

Date: 2004 September 19 09:27 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Websites

At Nan Desu Kan the Anime News Network announced that they are joining forces with independent anime magazine Protoculture Addicts to produce Anime News Network's Protoculture Addicts. This will be the 82nd issue of Protoculture Addicts (out in January 2005).

This is good news for Anime fans in North America (and the rest of the English speaking world too), since Protoculture Addicts has always been an excellent intelligent source of information for fans, combined with ANNs resources it means even better magazine. I look forward to reading this!

Animejin Suspended

Date: 2004 September 19 09:12 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Websites

Successful UK anime website Animejin is to be suspended indefinitely.

Animejin is one of the oldest UK anime websites that is still currently running, it's been around since 1993 in print form and then in 1995 made the transition to a website. For a long while it was the primary news source of UK Anime fans on-line. Animejin also posts regular news bulletins on Usenet and to e-mail subscribers.

Mamoru Oshii to Answer Fan's Questions On-line

Date: 2004 September 03 13:57 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Anime > Film

We've just had details in from the folks at Dreamworks.
Mamoru Oshii the director of Ghost In the Shell 2: Innocence will be answering questions posted to the offical Ghost In the Shell 2 Site's forum. Sign up and Join this thread - http://www.ghost2.com/board/showthread.php?t=62.

Fans will already know that Oshii was behind the original Ghost in the Shell Movie, and the first two Mobile Police Patlabor Movies.

Otaku News Launches!

Date: 2004 August 18 16:29 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Websites

18th August 2004. Otaku News, a new site dedicated to anime, manga and other cool Japanese things launched today. Yes, that's this site! We intend to bring you news for fans of Japan. From Anime to Zen, with a good dose of informative articles and laughs along the way.

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