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Scotland Loves Anime 2016 dates confirmed

Date: 2016 March 17 17:10 | Posted By: Bryoz

Category > Anime > Film

Scotland's biggest animation film festival has announced its October 2016 dates as follows:

Glasgow: 14-16th 2016
Edinburgh: 17-23rd 2016

In previous years, the charity has brought many animated film premieres to Scotland, long before they are released outside of Japan. Along with an excellent selection of films, the event also welcomes Japanese guest speakers and education days which encourage artistic talent within Scotland.

Asian Kung-Fu Generation on NHK World Saturday 16th March 2016

Date: 2016 March 03 15:34 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Culture

Fans of Japanese music will want to tune into NHK World this weekend to watch Entertainment Nippon's coverage Asian Kung-Fu Generation.

The band has been running for 20 years, you may know their music from the hugely popular anime show Erased. Entertainment Nippon is due to air Saturday 5th March 2016 at 4:10, 11:10, 16:10 and 22:10 (UTC).

NHK World is a free to air station, and is broadcast dubbed into English or with English subtitles.

NHK World is available in the UK on the following
Sky Channel 507
Freestat Channel 209
Virgin Media Channel 625

They offer free live streaming if you don't have a service able to watch it.

It's also widely available around the world, so could be available in your region.

FUNimation Now announces new launch date, adds countries

Date: 2016 February 22 14:52 | Posted By: Eeeper

Category > Anime

US anime label FUNimation announces delay to UK launch date and adds Republic of Ireland to its territories list.

Omakase Announces Limited Edition Hatsune Miku Subscription Box

Date: 2016 February 03 15:35 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Retail

We've just got news from the good folks at Viewster about their latest Omakase goody box. The concept is simple, every two months they release a new themed box with merchandise from that series / theme. Along with a box of stuff, you also get access to Viewster's high definition ad-free streaming service. They'll ship to the United States, Canada and the UK.

The next box which is due out in March will feature Vocaloid Hatsune Miku and include exclusive Piapro Character Items. The box will retail for $29 USD (plus shipping and handling, which does vary where it's sent).

Previous themes have included Naruto and Kill La Kill.

MCM Event List for 2016

Date: 2016 January 30 14:25 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Events

As 2016 has just started it's time to plan ahead for those geek events. We've got a list of the MCM Comic Cons for 2016.

The MCM Event Calendar kicks off on 13th February with the MCM Midlands Comic Con. There's plenty more to follow throughout the year. The events always have something good to offer for anime fans too and often feature a guest or two from the anime and manga industry. The schedule is as follows:

13 February: MCM Midlands Comic Con
12-13 March: MCM Liverpool Comic Con
19-20 March: MCM Birmingham Comic Con
27-29 May: MCM London Comic Con
25-26 June: MCM Belfast Comic Con
2-3 July: MCM Ireland Comic Con (Dublin)
30-31 July: MCM Manchester Comic Con
23-24 September: MCM Scotland Comic Con (Glasgow)
28-30 October: MCM London Comic Con
19-20 November: MCM Birmingham Comic Con

The folks at MCM have also sent us details of two new events in Germany and Brussels. MCM Hannover Comic Con coming to Hannover Messe on 4-5 June 2016 and MCM Belgium Comic Con taking place at Brussels Expo on 11-12 June.

Also don't forget Comic Con Copenhagen 24-25 September 2016 and Comic Con Stockholm on 4-6 November 2016,

As always we've also updated the Otaku Calendar with details of these events.

Japan Foundation Touring Film Programme 2016 Details

Date: 2016 January 11 16:31 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Anime > Film

UK anime fans will be pleased to hear about the Japan Foundation Touring Film Programme.

It's set to run around the UK from Friday 5th February to Saturday 26th March 2016. Everything kicks off at the ICA in London, and then will tour a further 12 venues. All the films look interesting, but if we really, really had to pick one, we'd say Miss Hokusai, we've already seen it and can confirm it's one of those rare must see anime films. It shows you that there's so much more to anime. It's lavishly animated and tells the tale of Hokusai's daughter.

If you can't catch it in the cinema Miss Hokusai will be released on 31st March 2016 on DVD, Blu-ray and Collector's Edition Blu-ray by Anime Limited.

Anime Anthem of the Heart also forms part of the film tour. It's a story about a girl who can no longer speak and bottles up her emotions following a magical encounter with an "Egg Fairy".

The festival also has plenty of other very interesting Japanese films that would be worth your attention.

With all screenings like this, we strongly advise booking early to avoid disappointment. It's always good to see anime on a big cinema screen.

Souce: Japan Foundation Touring Film Programme

Omakase featuring Naruto Shippuden

Date: 2015 December 19 05:06 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Anime

Streaming company Viewster have sent us details of their latest Omakase goodie box. This time around the box is filled with Naruto Shippuden goodies, and also includes a $40 coupon to US Anime convention AX 2016.

For those curious we reviewed the first Omakase Box, which featured Kill la Kill goodies.

Kitacon 2016 Registration Details - Kitacon Karnival 2016

Date: 2015 December 01 00:01 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Events

The good folks from UK Anime convention Kitacon have just sent us details for their next event. Kitacon Karnival 2016. They've already revealed that it'll run from Friday 1st to Sunday 3rd April 2016 at the Birmingham Hilton Metropole NEC.

Now they've unleashed details about registration, which will open on midday on Sunday 3rd January 2016. The even is limited to 1,000 attendees (100 of which will be premium VIP memberships).

As always with such events we advise booking early. In August this year when AmeCon 2016 opened for registration they sold out in under an hour.

Terror In Resonance Ultimate Edition UK Release Details

Date: 2015 November 20 15:30 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Anime

UK anime company Anime Limited have just revealed the details of their Terror In Resonance Ultimate Edition. It will come with the the series on both DVD and blu-ray with 2 discs for each format. It also includes a 100 page hard back art book with tons of content that was originally included in the Japanese release of the series. On disc extras will include episode commentaries, in Depth conversation with the cast along with the textless Opening and Closing title sequences. They'll also be releasing the standard edition on DVD.

It's due for release sometime in Q2 of 2016. The company confirmed it will be released with both Japanese audio (with English subtitles) and English dub.

The series is directed by Shinichiro Watanabe, who also directed Cowboy Bebop and Space Dandy. We caught up with him last year to chat about the show.

We first watched the show when it was airing on Wakanim and are eagerly awaiting it's wider release in the UK. If you can't wait you can watch Terror In Resonance on Netflix UK.

Souce: Anime Limited

Attack on Titan: Part 1 Live Action UK Cinema Screening Details

Date: 2015 November 19 15:19 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Anime > Film

Super popular franchise Attack on Titan is due to hit UK cinemas on Tuesday 1st December 2015. Part 1 of the live action feature will be shown around the UK, so check the official website for a screening near you.

The move itself features an interesting mix of old school Tokusatsu for the titans, with some extra CGI on top for the steam and smoke effects. This is a great chance to catch the movie on the big screen.

Manga Entertainment UK and label Animatsu Entertainment signalled their intent to release more anime in the UK cinemas. So far they've released Dragon Ball Z: Resurrection 'F' and Boruto: Naruto The Movie across the country and it proved a hit with anime fans being able to enjoy films on the big screen locally.

Hyper Japan Christmas Market 2015 Details

Date: 2015 November 07 17:13 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Events

Fans of Japanese culture looking for something fun to do near Christmas will be interested in Hyper Japan Christmas Market. It's set to run from Friday 27th to Sunday 29th November 2015 at Tobacco Dock in London.

There's a ton of things to do at this event. They'll be lots of Japanese food, plenty of stalls with things to buy. Along with a whole host of musical performances from the virtual artist IA to the the cute and rather strange Lady Baby.

Cosplayers and fashion fans will be well represented too.

Anime fans will be pleased to hear that anime studio Production I.G will be represented too with anime director Naoyoshi Shiotani (who directed the Psycho-Pass TV series and movie) and producer Rui Kuroki, who will be giving talks throughout the event.

An Interview with Shigeto Koyama - Anime Character Designer

Date: 2015 November 06 18:31 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Features

The May and October MCM London Comic Cons are without doubt the biggest geek events in the UK. With over 130,000 people attending this October. It caters for all geeky tastes. Anime fans are also well looked after, each event regularly has an anime guest of honour. The October Comic con played host to Shigeto Koyama, renowned designer, he designed Baymax from Disney movie Big Hero 6. He was also involved in the character designs for fan favourite anime show Kill La Kill, as well as designing the weapons and lots of gear in the well loved game No More Heroes. We were lucky enough to catch up with him and ask some interesting questions.

Sunrise To Present Special Panel at MCM London Comic Con

Date: 2015 October 17 09:33 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Events

The good folks at MCM London Comic Con have just sent use details about an anime panel running at the Cominc Con on Sunday. It'll be presented by Eri Suziki from Sunrise's international department and it'll focus on the Gundam franchise and the next phase of their partnership with UK anime firm Anime Limited.

Sunrise are best known for being the studio behind Gundam, they've also created the anime versions of Cowboy Bebop, Love Live, Code Geass and Tiger & Bunny to name a few.

Anime Limited are also running the MCM Loves Anime Event on the Saturday.

The MCM London Comic Con is set to run from Friday 23rd to Sunday 25th October 2015.

Viewster Launch Omakase Streaming and Merchandise Service

Date: 2015 October 17 08:48 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Anime

Streaming Service Viewster have just launched a new package aimed at anime fans. Omakase includes a subscription to their HD Ad-free service, plus a bimonthly box of goodies, including merchandise, music and comics. The boxes will feature limited edition and exclusive stuff. Their launch box will feature exclusive Kill la Kill merchandise.

The Omakase service will be available in the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom.

A subscription currently costs $29 (USD) for 2 months, plus shipping and handling.

Shigeto Koyama to be anime guest of honour at London Comic Con October 2015

Date: 2015 October 11 10:16 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Events

We keep saying that the MCM Comic Con keep having interesting anime guests at their events. The October run of the MCM London Comic Con is no different. This time around Shigeto Koyama will be the anime guest of honour. He's been responsible for the design of Big Hero 6's robot Baymax, and been involved with Kill la Kill and Hideaki Anno's Rebuild of Evangelion movies. He's got a whole host of credits to his name for A-list anime titles including Gurren Lagann, Space Dandy and Ghost in the Shell SAC: Solid State Society.

The MCM London Comic Con is set to run from Friday 23rd to Sunday 25th October 2015. Anime fans will also be interested in the MCM Loves Anime side event.

MCM Loves Anime in London Special Screenings

Date: 2015 October 03 15:04 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Anime > Film

It's October! Which means the MCM London Comic Con is almost upon us. It's set to run from Friday 23rd to Sunday 25th October 2015. The good folks at Anime Limited will be running a special standalone event, MCM Loves Anime, which has 4 special anime screenings at The Crystal. They'll be screening thee world premiere of Gundam The Origin II: Artesia's Sorrow, along with 3 other mystery anime films. Anime Limited are being tight lipped about what they'll be, but they are letting on they've got a mix of shows that consists of hits from Scotland Loves Anime - most importantly they are all English premieres!

The event is ticketed separately from the MCM London Comic con, as it's a side event, day pass ticket will be at early-bird pricing of £20 until 12th October. From 13th October tickets will be priced at £25. As always with events like this we suggest booking early to avoid disappoint.

Souce: Anime Limited

Animax Weekly Highlights for 14th September 2015

Date: 2015 September 14 15:43 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Anime

The good folks from UK Anime streaming service Animax have sent us details of their weekly highlights.

The company have just launched iOS and Android Apps too.

Every Friday evening of the month the site will also launch a new movie, this Friday HAL will join the Animax site.

Other highlights include Tiger & Bunny The Movie: The Beginning, Tiger & Bunny The Movie: The Rising. Bleach: Memories of Nobody, Mardock Scramble: The First Compression. Plus Simulcasts Rampo Kitan and Overlord.

Re:Minder - 009 Re:Cyborg UK Release Details

Date: 2015 September 11 16:36 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Anime > DVD

Anime fans might be interested to know that 009 Re:Cyborg is out on Collector's Edition Blu-ray and DVD on Monday 14th September 2015 from UK company Anime Limited.

For those interested in the title, we've got two reviews from the theatrical release, plus an interview with the film's director Kenji Kamiyama, who is best know for being the driving force behind Ghost In the Shell: Stand Alone Complex.

Souce: Anime Limited

Full Metal Panic - Ultimate Edition Blu-Ray UK Release Details

Date: 2015 September 10 16:29 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Anime

UK Anime company Anime Limited have just announced that they'll be releasing Full Metal Panic - Ultimate Edition on blu-ray. The set is due out on Monday 7th December 2015, just in time for Christmas.

The ultimate edition has all 3 seasons of the fan favourite. That's Season 1, Fumoffu and The Second Raid (which has never had a UK release before). Anime Limited announced on Twitter that they will reveal more about the release shortly.

They have revealed that the set is blu-ray only and looking at the Amaon.co.uk listing it contains 1,200 minutes of content (that's 20 hours worth) across 7 discs. We expect Anime Limited will give it their usual ultimate edition treatment too, it'll include a full sized artbook.

WIT Studio's Kotomi Deai and Hiroshi Shimizu heading to MCM Scotland Comic Con

Date: 2015 September 07 16:15 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Events

Anime fans in Glasgow are in for a treat, we've already mentioned Scotland Loves Anime 2015, however just before that the MCM Scotland Comic Con is set to run on Saturday 26th to Sunday 27th September 2015. The anime guests this time around are are WIT Studio's Kotomi Deai and Hiroshi Shimizu. WIT Studio are best known for the megahit anime Attack on Titan.

Both are experienced in the anime industry, and have been involved in titles such as The Rolling Girls, Silver Spoon, Kids on the Slope, Sword Art Online, Samurai Champloo and Space Dandy.

They'll be presenting panels, meeting fans and signing autographs at the Comic Con.

This is not first time WIT Studio staff have appeared at an MCM Event, we caught up with WIT Studio at the October 2013 MCM London Comic Con. The next MCM London Comic Con set set to run from Friday 23rd to Sunday 25th October 2015.

When Marnie Was There London Screening Details

Date: 2015 September 01 15:28 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Anime > Film

UK Ghibli fans will want to head to London in October to catch screenings of When Marnie Was There at the BFI London Film Festival.

The Film will be screened at the Haymarket Cineworld at 14:30 on Saturday 10th October 2015 and 18:15 on Wednesday 14th October 2015 at the BFI Southbank.

This is Studio Ghibli's final film.

The BFI London Film Festival 2015 also has other films of interest, including Mamoru Hosoda's The Boy and the Beast. If you like Summer Wars, The Girl Who Leapt Through Time and Wolf Children, you'll want to catch this feature.

AmeCon 2016 Registration Filled in Under an Hour

Date: 2015 August 31 17:04 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Fandom

We've already mentioned earlier that AmeCon registration went live today. The fan run anime convention's registration was filled in under 40 minutes, with all 1,000 spaces booked by 19:38.

Anyone wanting to attend the 2016 event now will have to be added to the wait list and hope that someone else gives up their space for the ever popular event.

Souce: AmeCon

Scotland Loves Anime 2015 Announced

Date: 2015 August 29 12:37 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Anime

Anime fans in Scotland are in for a treat this October as popular anime film festival Scotland Loves Anime returns to Edinburgh and Glasgow for it's 6th consecutive year. They'll also have some screenings in Aberdeen too.

Scotland Loves Anime have just announced the event is set to run in Glasgow from Friday 9th to Sunday 11th October 2015 and Edinburgh from Monday 12th to Sunday 18th October 2015. The line up as always is awesome. They've got all sorts of anime, plus the new live action Attack on Titan movies. Guest wise anime director Keiichi Hara who recently directed Sarusuberi: Miss Hokusai, will be at Glasgow, along with renowned anime expert Jonathan Clements (saying he's an expert is a bit of an understament, as) he's written tons about anime in books and magazines, plus is the co-author of the The Anime Encyclopedia.

Scotland Loves Anime 2015: Edinburgh Line-Up
Monday 12th to Sunday 18th October 2015

Sarusuberi: Miss Hokusai
Empire Of Corpses
Expelled From Paradise
The Case Of Alice & Hana
Dragonball Z: Resurrection ‘F’
Attack On Titan – Live Action Film 1
The Last: Naruto The Movie
Boruto: Naruto The Movie
Love Live! The Movie
Madoka Magica – Film 3: Rebellion
Attack On Titan – Part 1
Attack On Titan Part 2 – Jiyuu No Tsubasa
Ghost In The Shell: The New Movie (2015)

Scotland Loves Anime 2015: Glasgow Line-Up
Friday 9th to Sunday 11th October 2015

Sarusuberi: Miss Hokusai
Empire Of Corpses
The Case Of Alice & Hana
Dragonball Z: Resurrection ‘F’
Attack On Titan – Live Action Film 1
Attack On Titan – Live Action Film 2
Boruto: Naruto The Movie

Anime Pioneer Osamu Tezuka Documentary on NHK World This Weekend

Date: 2015 August 27 11:50 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Anime

Anime fans keen to know about the origins of their hobby will be very interested to tune into NHK World this weekend to catch Artist in Motion: Anime Pioneer Osamu Tezuka. The documentary looks at the famed manga and anime creator who often considered the founding father of modern anime. It focuses on the triumphs and tribulations of an artist driven to new forms of expression.

It will be broadcast on NHK World on
Saturday 29th August
23:10
Sunday 30th August
5:10, 10:10 and 17:10
All times are in UTC (as NHK world is a global channel).

NHK World is free to access, and is broadcast on most satellite providers. It broadcasts it's content in English, either dubbed into English, or in Japanese with English subtitles. Details on how to watch it can be found here.

UK based readers can find NHK World on:
Sky Channel 507
Freesat Channel 209
Virgin Media (with certain packages) Channel 625

Australian based readers can catch it on Foxtel Channel 656

American readers can get it with different cable or satellite providers.

You can also watch a live stream on the NHK World Website or download their live streaming app for your tablet or smartphone.

AmeCon 2016 Registration Reminder

Date: 2015 August 26 16:56 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Events

UK Anime fans planning ahead for the big fan run summer convention in 2016 will already be aware of AmeCon. The event is set to return from Friday 29th to Sunday 31st July 2016. AmeCon will be running for the first time at the Warwick Arts Centre, the venue favoured by AyaCon.

Registrations for Amecon 2016 will be opening on Bank Holiday Monday 31st August at 7pm. This year the convention are introducing two tiers of membership. Standard that costs £48, and premium that costs £85, this gives you many bonus items in your conpack, plus earlier access to the dealers, plus reserved seating at keynote events (along with other privileges).

Generally with fan run events like this, once they're booked out, that's it. They don't sell tickets on the door. So make some time on Monday evening to register.

Official MCM London Comic Com Genki Gear October 2015 T-shirt Design Revealed

Date: 2015 August 25 12:24 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Retail

August isn't over yet, but people are already eyeing up the next big event on the horizon. The MCM London Comic Con. The October run of the major geek event is set from Friday 23rd to Sunday 25th October 2015. From an otaku perspective, they'll be lots of cosplayers there, along with all the UK anime distributors. They've as of yet to announce an anime guest, but in the past they've had famous anime directors, producers, voice actors, and illustrators.

As is tradition, t-shirt company Genki Gear have created the exclusive official t-shirt design to celebrate October London MCM Comic Con. The design this time around has a retro feel with its mix of 8 bit gaming and zombies. Priced at £16.99 this limited edition design is available for pre-order now at both Genkigear.co.uk and the MCM official webshop.

The Japanese Gallery in London Launches New Anime Cel Website

Date: 2015 August 20 15:54 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Anime

The good folks from the Japanese Gallery in London have sent us details of a new website they've just launched. Cel-ga.com showcases anime cels that the gallery has for sale. You can buy them on-line and get them shipped to you. Alternatively, you can always walk into their London shop and buy it in the real world.

Noragami UK DVD and Blu-ray Release Details

Date: 2015 August 18 17:03 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Anime

The good folks from Manga Entertainment UK have just sent us the details for Noragami The Complete Series Collection. The supernatural anime is directed by Kotaro Tamura (who was the Assistant Director on Wolf Children).

The series is due out on Monday 21st September 2015. You can pre-order it from Amazon.co.uk on DVD and Blu-ray.

Doraemon Arrives on UK TV

Date: 2015 August 16 15:46 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Anime

Anime fans will be keen to hear that the Japanese cultural icon Doraemon will arrive on UK TV from Monday 17th August 2015. The blue cat from the future will make his UK debut on kids TV station Boomerang at 7:30 am. With new episodes airing after that daily. Boomerang is available on Sky, Virgin Media, BT Vision and other TV services in the UK and Ireland.

In Japan Doraemon is huge, the manga started in 1969 and went on to sell over 100 million copies. He's had anime shows, feature films and (as you'd expect) plenty of merchandise. He quintessentially an example of Japanese children's manga. A true classic you should see.

The version being aired will be the 2005 version of the show.

Doraemon has recently been making inroads in the US since it's been showing on Disney XD.

Souce: Wired UK

Karen's Bridge on Location with Kinmoza

Date: 2015 August 03 16:02 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Features

It's no secret that our editor has a soft spot for moe anime show Kinmoza. We even took a trip to see Alice's house a while ago, revealing the location used to the world.

There are other locations used on the show that fans might be interested in visiting. Caron Cooper of Fosse Farm B&B has just told us about a local bridge featured on the show.

AmeCon 2016 Registration Details Announced and Kitacon 2016 Details Revealed

Date: 2015 August 02 14:24 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Fandom

We know UK anime fans like to keep up to date with convention news. As another Kitacon draws to it's end, at it's closing ceremony UK anime convention AmeCon have just announced when it will open for registration.

The AmeCon team revealed that their website will accept registrations on Monday 31st August 2015. The convention is set to run from Friday 29th to Sunday 31st July 2016 at the Warwick Arts Centre.

Kitacon 2016 is also due to run from Friday 1st to Sunday 3rd April 2016, once again at the Birmingham Hilton Metropole NEC. As of yet they've yet to announce when they'll open for registration.

It's normal for fan run conventions like this to take registration in advance, they often sell out quickly, so we advise booking early to avoid disappointment. Tickets are not sold at the door. Once they reach capacity, then anyone else wishing to attend is normally added to a wait list.

Souce: Kitacon

Anime Limited Licenses Ping Pong The Animation

Date: 2015 July 24 16:05 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Anime

The good folks at UK Anime company Anime Limited have announced that they have the new licence - Ping Pong The Animation. It's based on the manga by Taiyo Matsumoto, who is also responsible for Tekkonkinkreet and more recently Sunny. The anime is direct by Masaaki Yuasa who did the excellent The Tatami Galaxy.

Anime Limited intend to release the title on DVD and blu-ray sometime in October 2015. We speculate that they've chosen this date to coincide with the huge October MCM London Comic Con.

Love Chunibyo and Other Delusions UK DVD and Blu-ray Release Details

Date: 2015 July 22 16:18 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Anime

The good folks from UK anime label Animatsu have sent us details of their up coming release Love Chunibyo and Other Delusions. It's due out on DVD and Blu-ray on Monday 24th August 2015. From Kyoto Animation the studio that brought you The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya and K-On, this fan favourite is making it's way to the UK.

As always you can pre-order the anime on DVD and Blu-ray from Amazon.co.uk.

Inside The Industry: Anime Talk - Report

Date: 2015 July 14 16:27 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Features

It's not often you get to see behind the scenes of the anime industry and find out what it's really like. This week the Japan Foundation in London hosted a talk called Inside The Industry: Anime.

The event brought together:
Hirokatsu Kihara who worked at Studio Ghibli before becoming a best selling author.

Michihiko Suwa who works as Chief Producer at the Animation Department of Yomiuri TV and credits include Detective Conan (aka Case Closed) anime.

Aya Suzuki a British/Japanese Layout artist, 2D Character/FX animator and occasional animation lecturer. Projects worked on include (but are not limited to) Hayao Miyazaki's The Wind Rises at Studio Ghibli, plus Mamoru Hosoda's Wolf Children.

Stephen Cavalier acted as chair, bringing his two decades experience in the animation and games industries along with authoring a book on The World History of Animation

The event ran on Monday 13th July 2015. It was free to attend and it was so popular there was waiting list. The audience was a mix of anime/manga fans along with animation students and animation industry professionals.

Space Dandy's Kimiko Ueno to be Anime Guest of Honour at Manchester Comic Con 2015

Date: 2015 July 08 15:47 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Events

The MCM London Comic Con frequently has top notch anime guests of honour. It seems now that the good people at MCM are expanding and bringing an anime guest of honour to their MCM Manchester Comic Con event. Space Dandy's Kimiko Ueno will be the guest of honour at the event which is set to run from Saturday 25th to Sunday 26th July at Manchester Central.

She's a script writer for anime Space Dandy and also written scripts for favourites such as Crayon Shin-chan.She'll be their signing autographs and presenting an on-stage panel on how anime screenplays are developed. This is an interesting part of anime production that will be good to gain insights on!

Space Dandy Season 2 will be available in the UK on DVD and Blu-ray from Monday 3rd August 2015.

Summer Explorers! - Children's Anime Screenings in London

Date: 2015 July 03 15:00 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Anime

Readers with children who enjoy anime will be interested in the UK Japan Foundation's Summer Explorers! Japanese Anime Screenings. The screenings are set to take place on Saturday 1st August 2015 at Bafta 195 Piccadilly in Central London.

They'll be showing a selection of films from 11:30am until 6:30pm. The screenings are free, but booking is required. As always with events like this, we advise booking early to avoid disappointment.

Koma Neko The Curious Cat is a film suitable for children aged 2+, while the other features are either suitable for children aged 8 and above or children ages 10 and above.

Puella Magi Madoka Magica Part 1: Beginnings and Part 2: Eternal UK Blu-ray and DVD Release Details

Date: 2015 June 29 15:56 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Anime

The good folks from Manga Entertainment UK have sent us details of their up and coming release of Puella Magi Madoka Magica Part 1: Beginnings and Puella Magi Madoka Magica Part 2: Eternal. Both movies are due out on Monday 10th August 2015. They form a recap of the dark magical girl TV series and feature new scenes and improved animation.

You can make a contract (but not with Kyubey, with Amazon). and pre-order it from Amazon.co.uk. You can pre-order both Part 1 and Part 2 on Blu-ray or Part 1 and Part 2 separately on DVD.

Knights of Sidonia Complete Series 1 Collection UK DVD and Blu-ray Release Details

Date: 2015 June 24 16:49 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Anime

The good folks from UK anime label Animatsu have sent us details of their latest release. Knights of Sidonia Complete Series 1 Collection is due out on DVD and blu-ray on Monday 17th August 2015.

The show is also currently available on Netflix.

As always you can pre-order the series on DVD and blu-ray from Amazon.co.uk.

Anime Limited Summer 2015 DVD and Blu-ray Release Highlights

Date: 2015 June 21 15:58 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Anime

Let's take a quick look at Anime Limited's up and coming line up. Fans who like their anime in a tangible format will be interested in the company's releases.

They've got tome interesting releases in the pipe lines:

Many will be keen to get their hands on Sword Art Online II which be released on blu-ray and DVD on Monday 17th August 2015. Anime limited state the collectors box is limited to the first print run of the title. So get it while you can. You can pre-order the DVD and Blu-ray from Amazon.co.uk.

We're excited about Season 2 of Space Dandy. That's due out on Monday 3rd August 2015. Again you can pre-order it on DVD and blu-ray from Amazon.co.uk.

We know many fans are excited about Tokyo Ghoul, which Anime Limited will be releasing on Monday 28th September 2015. Pre order it now on DVD and Blu-ray from Amazon.co.uk.

They've got more too, but you can always read about them on the Otaku Calendar.

Souce: Anime Limited

Uniqlo Launch Manga T-shirt Collections

Date: 2015 June 01 14:38 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Retail

Fans of anime and manga who like to declare their fandom on t-shirts will be pleased to hear about Uniqlo UK's latest range of Manga T-shirt Collections.

The global Japanese fashion retailer have designs from Ghost In the Shell Arise, Taiyou Matsumoto + Nicolas de Crécy and Osamu Tezuka.

Win a Trip to Tokyo with Viewster

Date: 2015 May 27 17:42 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Anime

Streaming Service Viewster are currently running a competition for users to win a trip to Tokyo. They're offering the chance for the ultimate fan (and one of their friends) an all expenses paid trip to Tokyo. For a chance to win you have to show them you're the ultimate fan of Japan. The competition closes on Sunday 31st May 2015, so get thinking and get posting on social media!

Souce: Viewster

Hyper Japan July 2015 Details

Date: 2015 May 27 14:19 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Events

UK based fans of Japanese culture will be interested in Hyper Japan. The regular Japanese Culture event is set to return to London, this time at The O2.

The event is set to run from Friday 10th to Sunday 12 July 2015. As always it's listed on the Otaku Calendar.

There'll be lots to see and do there, highlights include as always all the food, plus anime music singer Eir Aoi, best known for her work on Sword Art Online and Kill La Kill. Anime is also well represented with anime director Kobun Shizuno. They'll be lots of gaming goodness too, plus things like Japanese clothes, and music.

Channel 5 Documentary Seeks Single Male Anime Fans

Date: 2015 May 26 12:54 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Fandom

It's unusual to ask our readers this! Are you a UK based single male anime fan, looking for romance? A production company making a documentary for Channel 5 are looking for eligible bachelors who are interested on going out on a date for the documentary with another anime fan. The lady in question is an anime fan and loves attending conventions.

So if you're looking to find a like minded individual, a bit of romance, while on TV, now's your chance!

Mecha Designer Hidetaka Tenjin invited by Viewster to MCM London Comic Con May 2015

Date: 2015 May 14 15:47 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Events

The MCM London Comic Con is almost here for it's May run. They always have top notch Japanese guests, and this time around it's no exception. For the May 2015 London Comic their Anime Guest of Honour is Hidetaka Tenjin the mecha illustrator, sci-fi artist and mechanical designer. He's worked as a mechanical artist on titles such as Macross Zero, Macross Frontier, Macross Frontier: The False Diva and Macross Frontier: The Wings of Goodbye. Other anime credits include Hellsing Ultimate, Gundam Evolve, Genesis of Aquarion and its sequel series Aquarion Evol.

He's been invited by Viewster the on-line streaming service that has a great selection of anime which we've covered before.

Hidetaka Tenjin will be meeting fans on Friday and Saturday at the event. The MCM London Comic Con is due to run from Friday 22nd to Sunday 24th May 2015.

Terra Formars UK DVD and Blu-ray Release Details

Date: 2015 May 08 15:44 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Anime

Do you like your anime violent? Do you like your anime with a mix of sci-fi too? Well Manga Entertainment UK have just announced their latest acquisition. Terra Formars. They'll be releasing part 1 of 2 on Monday 31st August 2015 on DVD and blu-ray.

The story revolves around a botched attempt to terraform Mars. The planet has become overrun by giant humanoid cockroaches, who happen to kill humans on sight. Queue the clean up crew who are sent to Mars to sort out bad cockroaches and find a cure to a virus ravaging Earth. Naturally violence ensues.

The show is currently streaming on Crunchy Roll.

Durarara!! UK Standard Edition Blu-ray and DVD Release Details

Date: 2015 May 06 16:13 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Anime

The good folks from Anime Limited have sent us details of the upcoming release of Durarara!! - Standard Edition. It'll hit the shops on DVD and Blu-ray on Monday 18th May 2015.

The standard edition has fixed discs that resolve issues with subtitles on some versions of the Collectors Edition (Anime Limited are offering replacement discs for this issue.)

You can pre-order Durarara!! - Standard Edition on DVD and Blu-ray from Amazon.co.uk.

Anime Limited will also be selling Durarara!! at the MCM London Comic Con on Friday 22nd to Sunday 24th May 2015.

Souce: Anime Limited

International Trailer for Miss Hokusai - Coming to UK Cinemas Autumn 2015

Date: 2015 April 29 16:06 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Anime

We've already covered that UK anime company Anime Limited will release Miss Hokusai some time this year. Already it's shaping up to be a good movie as Anime Limited have just sent us details that a Miss Hokusai has been selected for the Annecy International Animation Film Festival Official Feature Film Competition.

"To celebrate the announcement of Miss Hokusai having been selected for the Official Feature Film Competition at the 39th Annecy International Film Festival we have shared the international trailer for our forthcoming film release, Miss Hokusai on our YouTube channel."

The film opens in Japan in May 2015 and Anime Limited tell us that it will hit UK cinemas in Autumn 2015. They will release more news in the coming months.

Souce: Anime Limited

Harlock Space Pirate UK Release Details

Date: 2015 April 26 12:07 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Anime

Just a quick reminder to our readers we don' t normally mention releases for the upcoming week (as that's what the Otaku Calendar is for), however as a few of our readers have expressed interest in the new CGI movie Harlock Space Pirate we thought it would be worth mentioning.

The remake of Leiji Matsumoto's classic anime is due for UK release on Monday 27th April 2015. It's available on DVD and blu-ray steelbook from Amazon.co.uk.

009 Re:Cyborg English Dub Cast Announced - Plus UK DVD and Blu-ray Release Details

Date: 2015 April 21 14:08 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Anime

UK Anime fans will be pleased to hear that Anime Limited have just announced the dub cast for 009 Re:Cyborg. The feature is directed by Kenji Kamiyama the driving force behind Ghost in the Shell Standalone Complex.

The film will be released on DVD and blu-ray in June 2015. There is also a 3D edition of the film on blu-ray. We've seen the film in 3D on the cinema screen and can confirm that it's worth watching in 3D to get the full enjoyment of the feature. It's been sometime subtle with 3D glass effects, plus there's something fun about reading subtitles in 3D too!

009 Re:Cyborg is available to pre-order on Amazon.co.uk on DVD and Collectors Edition Blu-ray/DVD combi-pack (which also includes the 3D edition of the film). The release date has yet to be updated on Amazon.

Thanks to the good folk at Anime Limited we were able to interview Kenji Kamiyama about 009 Re:Cyborg.

You can read our review of film here.

AmeCon 2016 Details Announced

Date: 2015 April 12 14:41 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Events

UK anime fans looking for a summer convention in 2016 will be pleased to hear that AmeCon have just announced that they will be running on Friday 29th to Sunday 31st July 2016. This time around they'll be at the Warwick Arts Centre. The last anime convention at this venue was Ayacon in 2013. It proved to be a popular venue, and it's the logical choice for AmeCon to take the baton from AyaCon.

The details of AmeCon 2016 were announced at the closing ceremony for AmeChibi. We spent the weekend enjoying the relaxing convention.

Interestingly we've been told current plans for AmeCon 2016 is that it will have an 1,000 people capacity. UK conventions generally can go up to 1,500 attendees. As any larger you start getting issues finding a suitable sized venue, along with legal complications such as insurance and tax. They don't want a huge convention, they want a good enjoyable convention. The smaller 500 people capacity at AmeChibi could have been seen a dry run, allowing them to get the new committee members up to speed with the logistics of running a convention.

Souce: AmeChibi Closing Ceremony

Hello Kinmoza Simulcast and License Details

Date: 2015 April 07 15:19 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Anime

The Second Season of Kinmoza is now airing. No sooner than the first episode of season 2 was simulcast on Crunchyroll, US anime firm Sentai Filmworks announced that they have the US rights to the second season.

The second season is called Hello!! Kinmoza, and appears to more of the same moe anime as the first season. The show follows the gentle everyday adventures of Alice a British schoolgirl living in Japan with her best friend Shino. They go to school and talk about how blonde Alice's hair is. The show is based of a 4 panel manga.

We must admit that the Otaku News Team have a soft spot for the show. While it's light and fluffy content wise, the animation studio did it's research in the UK and found a location suitable for Alice's house. Otaku News had the world exclusive revealing the British location for Kinmoza as B&B Fosse Farm.

Kinmoza Season 1 is available to buy from Amazon.com on DVD and Blu-ray.

Readers (include those in the UK) can watch Kinmoza season 1 and 2 on Crunchyroll.

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