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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.

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

Date: 2015 April 28 15:54 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Events

It's that time of year again, it's almost time for the big London Convention. The MCM London Comic Con is set to run from Friday 22nd to Sunday 24th May 2015. As always there will be plenty for a good geek to see and do. As is tradition we've received the details about the official event t-shirt. The design from Genki Gear features violent pandas.

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

Seraph of the End UK Simulcasting Coming April 2015

Date: 2015 March 18 16:40 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Anime

The good folks from UK Anime company Anime Limited have sent us details of their latest acquisition. They'll be simulcasting Seraph of the End. They have the rights for the UK, Republic of Ireland, Isle of Man, France, Benelux, Monaco, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Poland, Finland, Sweden, Denmark, Iceland and Norway.

The show is from WIT Studio, the studio behind Attack on Titan and HAL. The show will be directed by Daisuke Toku (who also directed Attack on Titan).

It'll be available for simulcast from April 2015. More details will be revealed by Anime Limited Next week. You can find the English subtitled trailer here.

Otaku News caught up with WIT Studio at the MCM London Comic Con a few years ago.

Rurouni Kenshin 3: The Legend Ends UK Cinema Details

Date: 2015 March 18 16:15 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Anime > Film

Warner Bros. UK have sent us more details of the cinema screenings for the third and final Rurouni Kenshin movie.
The following Cineworld Cinemas will be showing the feature film from Friday 17th April 2015.

Cineworld Bolton
Cineworld Cardiff
Cineworld Crawley
Cineworld Enfield
Cineworld Glasgow Renfrew St.
Cineworld Sheffield
Cineworld Stevenage
Cineworld West India Quay

As we've already mentioned the second movie is due to arrive on DVD and Blu-ray on Monday 6th April 2015.

MCM Birmingham Comic Con March 2015 Details

Date: 2015 March 14 10:24 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Events

UK Anime fans who can get the Birmingham next weekend will want to head over to the MCM Birmingham Comic Con. It's set to run from Saturday 21st to Sunday 22nd March 2015 at The NEC. They'll be the expected amount of geekery happening, with Films, video games, cosplay and so on being well represented there.

We've also just recived details that voice actor Quinton Flynn will be at the event. You may know him as Raiden from the Metal Gear series, or Iruka Umino from Naruto or even as Kon from Bleach. He's done a lot of voice acting in video games, anime and western animation, so you're bound to have heard him in one of his many roles.

Harajuku Girls at London's Finborough Theatre

Date: 2015 February 28 12:31 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Culture

Fans of Japanese Pop Culture inspired theatre will be interested in the new play Harajuku Girls which is currently running at the Finborough Theatre in London.

The play focuses on 3 young women who drift into the seedy underworld of Kabukicho. In a place were everything can be bought and sold they have to decide how far their willing to go

The performance is running from Tuesday 24th February 2015 to Saturday 21st March 2015.

MCM Midlands Comic Con 2015 Details

Date: 2015 February 10 15:30 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Events

UK people who can get to the Midlands this weekend and are looking for something geeky to do, will want to head to the MCM Midlands Comic Con at The International Centre Telford. There'll be anime, cosplay, gaming and other such sci-fi fun.

The event is set to run from 9:30am to 5pm on Saturday 14th February 2015. This kick starts the MCM events for 2015.

As always we've got the details on the Otaku Calendar.

The Wind Rises on Film4 Saturday 7th February 2015

Date: 2015 February 03 15:39 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Anime > TV

UK based fans of Studio Ghibli will want to tune into Film4 on Saturday 7th February 2015, as they'll be showing The Wind Rises at 3:25pm. This will be the first UK TV screening of the film. It's Hayao Miyazaki's latest (and most likely last) feature film since the famed Oscar winning director announced his retirement.

The Wind Rises was the highest grossing film in Japan for 2013. It tells the story of a fictionalised biography of Jiro Horikoshi, real life designer of the notorious Mitsubishi A6M Zero fighter aircraft. In the film, Jiro is forced to abandon his dream of being a pilot and becomes an engineer, spurred on by vivid dreams and the love of a woman.

Film4 have confirmed that it will be the English dubbed version which features the voice talent of Joseph Gordon-Levitt.

Film4 can be viewed on:
Freeview: Channel 15
Free Sat: Channel 300
Sky: Channel 315
Virgin: Channel 428
Virgin HD: Channel 429

Also don't forget Film4 +1, to watch it an hour later.
Film4+1 can be viewed on:
Freeview: Channel 45
Free Sat: Channel 301
Sky: Channel 316
Virgin: Channel 430

If you're interested you can read our review of The Wind Rises.

You also can buy the film on DVD, Blu-ray and DVD or Collector's Edition Blu-ray and DVD.

Regular readers will be aware of our review of The Kingdom of Dreams & Madness a documentary that follows the production of The Wind Rises.

Souce: Film4

The Japan Foundation Touring Film Programme UK 2015

Date: 2015 January 29 16:20 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Anime > Film

UK based fans of Japanese cinema are in for treat for the next couple of months when The Japan Foundation Touring Film Programme 2015 hits the UK. Scheduled to run at the ICA in London from 30th January to 5th February 2015 then 5th February - 26th March 2015 nationwide.

Anime fans can enjoy a screening of A Letter to Momo.

Plus the ICA Screening of Short Peace, will be accompanied with an intro and post-show Q&A with Japanese anime expert Helen McCarthy (she's written lots of books on anime, and given lots of talks on the subject too to say the least).

Live action film Wood Job also features a Q&A with the director Shinobu Yaguchi in London at 6:30pm on January 2015 and 6:15pm 3rd February 2015. The director will also be appearing at the Bristol, Derby and Sheffield.

If you're in the UK, hopefully you can get to one the following locations -

Belfast
Birmingham
Bristol
Cumbria
Derby
Dundee
Edinburgh
London
Newcastle upon Tyne
Nottingham
Sheffield

As always with cinema screenings like this we advise booking in advance to avoid disappointment.

MCM Comic Con Plans for 2015

Date: 2014 December 03 15:12 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Anime

Anime fans looking for geeky events will already know about the MCM Expo Group's Events. They've sent us details for their 2015 plans. They include the MCM London Comic Con, which is set to return for it's 25th run from Friday 22nd to Sunday 24th May 2015. As well as regional events in Birmingham, The Midlands, Manchester, plus Belfast. They've also started to expand into Europe with the MCM Ireland Comic Con and Stockholm Comic Con. They'll also be starting a new event Swedish show, Comic Con Malmö.

Tickets for the May 2015 MCM London Comic Con are now on sale. They also have interesting anime guests. Last time it was the creator of Cowboy Bebop and Space Dandy Shinichiro Watanabe.

Viral sensation Riusuke Fukahori Exhibits in London 11-21 December 2014

Date: 2014 November 27 15:51 | Posted By: Voxie

Category > Art

For the internet-inclined, you may have seen Riusuke Fukahori's work already, it went viral a few years back. Well, if you're in London between Thursday 11th and Sunday 21st December 2014, it's your chance to see his work in person.

Fukahori himself will also be holding a special talk on Tuesday 9th December, where he will be talking about his art, his process and will perform a LIVE demonstration. The event is also free. Don't miss it!

NEO Magazine Is 10 Years Old

Date: 2014 November 07 16:03 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Press Releases

Ten years ago a new UK anime and manga magazine appeared on the scene. Ten years later that magazine is still going strong. Neo Magazine are celebrating this with the launch of issue 130 which is on sale now. They've got a lot of prizes to give away this month too.

10 years ago we posted about NEO Magazine's launch, and more recently their 100th issue.

Rurouni Kenshin 2: Kyoto Inferno Live Action Movie UK Cinema Release Details

Date: 2014 November 03 15:59 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Anime > Film

The good folks from Warner Bros. UK have sent us details about their latest cinema release Rurouni Kenshin 2: Kyoto Inferno.

The second live action movie follows the Kyoto arc of the popular franchise. Kenshin must face the demons of his past and fight opponents as ruthless as he used to be before taking his vow never to kill again.

The films arrives in UK cinemas on Friday 28th November 2014, so check your local cinema.

If you've missed the first movie you can grab it from Amazon.co.uk in it's special Steelbook blu-ray edition.

Hyper Japan Christmas Market 2014 Details - Reminder

Date: 2014 October 29 17:44 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Events

Are you looking for Christmas Japanese Culture fun in London? Well Hyper Japan have got something for you! on Friday 14th to Sunday 16th November 2014 they'll be running the Hyper Japan Christmas Market at National Hall, Olympia, London.

Read More... | Souce: Hyper Japan

Record numbers at MCM London Comic Con as attendance tops 110,000

Date: 2014 October 29 15:54 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Events

Last weekend was all about the MCM London Comic Con, which ran from Friday 24th to Sunday 26th October 2014. The good folks running the event have just sent us details of the attendance, with over 110,000 people visiting. This is up from over 101,000 people in May 2014 and 88,000 in October 2013.

To take the increasing numbers into account the show as 12,000 square metres bigger than in May 2014.

The next MCM London Comic Con is scheduled for Friday 22nd to Sunday 24th May 2015.

MCM Comic Con UK Licence Round up

Date: 2014 October 26 12:11 | Posted By: Eeeper

Category > Anime

Anime Limited and Manga UK formalise licence announcements at MCM Comic Con London 2014 along with MVM's already announced titles.

Toyota to launch Manga Inspired Adventures at the MCM London Comic Con

Date: 2014 October 14 16:12 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Retail

The MCM London Comic Con is almost here! We've just been sent details of an interesting product launch. Toyota will be revealing a manga styled adventure story to promote their new Aygo.

They've commissioned British based professional comic artist and illustrator Sonia Leong to create the artwork along with an original story. Sonia is no stranger to the UK anime and manga scene she is a member of popular UK artist collective and publishers Sweatdrop.

More details about the Aygo and it's manga inspired story will be revealed at the MCM London Comic on on Friday 24th October 2014 at the Toyota booth.

The MCM Expo is set to run from Friday 24th to Sunday 26th October 2014 at the ExCel Centre in London.

A Brief History of Manga Talk in London November 2014

Date: 2014 October 14 15:16 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Events

Manga fans wanting to know more about the history of sequential art will be pleased to hear about Helen McCarthy's A Brief History of Manga Talk. Helen McCarthy has written and co-written many books on anime and manga. She's London's resident anime and manga expert. She also edited the first UK Anime Magazine - Anime UK.

The talk is set to run in London at the Cartoon Museum from 6:30pm to 7:30pm on Tuesday 4th November 2014. The event is free, but as always we advise booking to avoid disappointment.

Please e-mail shop@cartoonmuseum.org or call 0207 580 8155 to book a ticket.

Ticket holders can also visit the Gekiga Exhibition for a special price of £2. We've covered the exhibition before here. It's a rare chance to see a great range of alternative manga. It's not every day you get to see such great artwork.

Genki Gear MCM London Comic Con October 2014 T-shirt Line Up

Date: 2014 October 08 15:26 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Retail

The MCM London Comic Con is almost here. It's set to run on Friday 24th to Sunday 26th October 2014. The good folks from geeky t-shirt company Genki Gear have sent us details of their new October line up.

Japan Matsuri in London Saturday 27th September 2014

Date: 2014 September 21 05:57 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Events

In London on Saturday? Looking for something Japanese Culture related to do? Well don't forget about the Japan Matsuri in London. The Traditional Japanese festival returns to Trafalgar Square. It's set to run on Saturday 27th September 2014 from 11am until 9pm. As expected, they'll be lots of food stalls, along with stalls selling all sorts of Japanese related goodies plus shows on the main stage. There is no entry fee, it's open to all.

Regular readers would have first heard about this years event on the Otaku Calendar as it's the best way to organise your otaku lifestyle! ^_^

Souce: Japan Matsuri

Top Anime Director Shinichiro Watanabe to star at MCM London Comic Con October 2014

Date: 2014 September 05 16:50 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Events

The MCM London Comic Con returns this October 2014. As always UK based anime fans are in for a treat.

The good folks running MCM London Comic Con got in touch with us to tell us that this time around the Anime Guest of Honour is renowned anime director Shinichiro Watanabe. The man is well known for fusing anime with different musical styles. His work is highly regarded (and rightly so). He's the force behind Cowboy Bebop, Samurai Champloo and Kids On The Slope. More recently, he's also directed Space Dandy and Terror In Resonance.

He'll be appearing on stage, plus attending the Anime Limited stand to sign autographs (exact times will be announced closer to the date), he's also here to promote the UK home video launch of Space Dandy and Terror In Resonance.

We were lucky enough to interview him last year at the MCM London Comic Con in May 2013.

MCM London Comic Con October 2014 Exclusive Pre-order T-shirt from Genki Gear

Date: 2014 September 05 16:20 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Retail

It's that time of year again! This October from Friday 24th to Sunday 26th geeks will descend on London for the MCM London Comic Con. 3 days of fun for all the different kinds geek spectrum, otaku, gamers, film fans, cosplayers, will all be well represented. As is tradition the good folks at Genki Gear will have an MCM London Comic Con Exclusive Official T-Shirt. It will be available for pre-order and features a sweet monster design.

The t-shirt is available from www.genkigear.com or the official MCM Store.

Hyper Japan Christmas Market 2014 Details

Date: 2014 September 03 15:23 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Events

UK fans of Japanese culture will be pleased to hear about Hyper Japan's next event. The Christmas Market is set to run from Friday 14th to Sunday 16th November 2014 at National Hall, Kensington Olympia in London. We visited their last event in July and had lots of fun. So it's worth setting a date in your calendar or even your Otaku Calendar, as it's a great place to get some Christmas shopping done in advance.

Read More... | Souce: Hyper Japan

Haruki Murakami Book Signing Report

Date: 2014 August 31 11:23 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Fandom

Yesterday cult best selling author Haruki Murakami was in London for a book signing. Being fans of his work the Otaku News Team decided to go along and see if we could get a signed copy of his book. It turns out, we're not hardcore Murakami fans.

Waterstones were running the book signing and advised fans that they would be giving out wrist bands for the event at 8:30am. The first 200 people would be able to buy a copy of the book and get it signed by the man himself. The next 200 would get a pre-signed copy. We got to the Piccadilly branch of Waterstones at 7:30am, already the queue had hit the 400 people capacity. The security guard for the event was politely turning people away. It was inevitable if you cap the number of people at an event, that there will be some people disappointed.

Haruki Murakami London Book Signings - August 2014

Date: 2014 August 29 16:58 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Events

UK based fans of cult writer Haruki Murakami will want to head to Waterstone's Piccadilly Circus Branch on Saturday 30th August 2014 at 11:00am where the author will be signing his latest book Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki and His Years of Pilgrimage.

Sensibly due to the authors huge popularity Waterstone's are advising people to turn up early to avoid disappointment. They will be operating a wristband scheme. Customers will receive their wristband for this event when they purchase Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki and His Years of Pilgrimage on Saturday 30th August at 8.30am, or when they bring a valid Waterstones receipt/Waterstones.com despatch note with their copy on the day of the signing. They'll be limiting the wristbands to the first 200 people, and they are non transferable. Those who are not lucky enough to meet Haruki Murakami on the day, will be guaranteed the opportunity to buy a rare pre-signed edition. These will be limited to 200 copies only, one per person.

Souce: Waterstones

AmeChibi Sells Out In 6 Hours

Date: 2014 August 25 14:51 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Events

UK anime fans will not be surprised to hear that Mini Anime Convention AmeChibi 2015 has hit it's registration limit of 500 people in 6 hours of opening their website for registration. The website enabled registration at midday on 25th August 2014, and by 6pm on the same day the limit had been reached.

We did say to book early to avoid disappointment. Those who have not yet registered can be added to the wait list, and put in the queue for any cancelled registrations.

The convention is going to be a smaller less crowded affair, with the event highlighting "the smaller size means a cosier venue, with less of that pesky walking around".

Souce: AmeCon Website

AmeChibi 2015 Registration Details

Date: 2014 August 16 07:21 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Events

UK based anime fans will be pleased to hear the news sent to us from the good folks from AmeCon. They've already announced that AmeChibi will be running from Friday 10th to Sunday 12th April 2015 in Nottingham. Now they've just revealed when registration will be open/

On Monday 25th of August 2014 at midday, they'll accept registrations. So get ready, as with events like this once they've sold out, that's it. We advise on booking early to avoid disappointment.

Update: AmeCon have confirmed the mini con will be limited to 500 places. So do book early.

Studio Ghibli Forever screenings throughout the UK in August

Date: 2014 August 05 13:32 | Posted By: Voxie

Category > Events

In conjunction with film distributor Studio Canal, there will be a selection of Studio Ghibli features playing at cinemas throughout the UK in August. Including Spirited Away, My Neighbour Totoro, Arrietty, Ponyo, Earthsea, Cat Returns, Porco Rosso and Princess Mononoke. There will even be a 'Draw Your Own Studio Ghibli Character' workshop!

Screenings will be all over the UK, including Glasgow, Sheffield, London, Manchester, Bristol, Nottingham.

Not only that, but tickets are at great value starting from £4 for children and £7.50 for Adults.

Bryan Lee O'Malley Seconds UK Book Signing Details

Date: 2014 July 29 15:14 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Events

UK based fans of Scott Pilgrim will be very pleased to hear about Bryan Lee O'Malley's new book Seconds. To celebrate it's launch Bryan will be in the UK for some book signings at Gosh! Comics in London on Thursday 14th August 2014, The British Library in London on Friday 15th 2014, plus Forbidden Planet in Edinburgh on Sunday 17th August 2014.

We've already updated the Otaku Calendar with these details.

Update: More details the signings have been announced including, Leeds, Manchester and Dublin.

If you can't make it to the signings, you can always pre-order Seconds from Amazon.co.uk.

Souce: Raidomaru.com - Bryan Lee O\'Malley\'s Website

Hyper Japan Event Reminder - July 2014

Date: 2014 July 24 17:04 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Events

Fans of Japan looking for something to do this weekend will want to head over to Earl's Court for Hyper Japan. The Japanese Culture event is set to run in London from Friday 25th to Sunday 27th July 2014. As we've mentioned before, there's lots to see and do this weekend.

Souce: Hyper Japan

Anime director Shingo Natsume to be guest of honour at MCM Scotland Comic Con 2014

Date: 2014 July 18 15:47 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Events

We've already mentioned that the MCM Manchester Comic Con is about to start, but planning ahead anime fans will be interested in the MCM Scotland Comic Con set to run at Glasgow's SECC from Saturday 6th to Sunday 7th September 2014. Otaku will pleased to hear that anime director Shingo Natsume will be the guest of honour at the September event. Director has an impressive CV and is currently directing Space Dandy alongside Shinichiro Watanabe.

As always, we've added details of the event to the Otaku Calendar.

MCM Manchester Comic Con July 2014 Details

Date: 2014 July 16 15:41 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Events

UK based anime fans and geeks in general will want to head to Manchester this weekend for the MCM Manchester Comic Con. The event is set to run from Saturday 19th to Sunday 20th July 2014 at Manchester Central. Popular anime companies will be there including Manga Entertainment UK and Anime Limited will be there selling their wares.

So head over to stand number 811, to find Manga Entertainment UK, Anime Limited and MVM titles on sale.

They'll also be some voice actors at the show including Bryce Papenbrook (who'll be voicing Eren in Attack on Titan), DC Douglas, along with Vic Mignogna who is best known as voicing Edward from Fullmetal Alchemist (he's voiced loads).

Plus the MCM Manchester Comic Con will play host to the EuroCosplay Championships where on Saturday one talented person will be selected to represent the UK for the 2014 finals.

You can download the official show guide here.

Manga Jiman 2014 Competition Details

Date: 2014 July 12 15:06 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Art

UK based artists should get drawing as the Embassy of Japan in the UK have just announced details of the 2014 Manga Jiman competition. The manga competition is now in it's 8th year. The theme this time around is "ichi-go ichi-e", which can be translated as "once-in-a-lifetime meeting" or "a chance encounter".

We've covered previous Manga Jiman competitions before. The top prize this year is 2 return tickets to Japan, second prize is a laptop, and third a rather nifty digital camera.

They've also got an interesting category for 11 to 13 year olds, Yonkoma Manga covering 4 panels.

Hyper Japan Event Details - July 2014

Date: 2014 July 03 15:28 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Events

UK based fans of Japanese culture including anime, manga, food, J-Pop, cosplay and more traditional things will want to head to London on Friday 25th to Sunday 27th July 2014 for Hyper Japan.

The annual J-culture event returns promising to be it's biggest Hyper Japan yet.

It'll have all sorts of fun things to see and do. Including a game and anime park, fringe market, a section of pure kawaii, plus much more!

Read More... | Souce: Hyper Japan

Artist talk: Seiichi Hayashi in conversation with Ryan Holmberg in London July 2014

Date: 2014 June 15 13:30 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Events

The good folks from The Japan Foundation in London have got in touch to tell us about an up coming event that'll be of interest to manga fans. They'll be hosting Artist talk: Seiichi Hayashi in conversation with Ryan Holmberg on Tuesday 1st July 2014 from 6:30pm at their London Office.

Seiichi Hayashi is know for his highly regarded alternative manga. If you think manga is all shonen and want to expand your horizons. There is so much to manga and different forms of sequential art.

The talk is free to attend but booking is essential. To book e-mail event@jpf.org.uk

MCM London Comic Con smashes attendance record, tops 100,000 visitors

Date: 2014 May 29 16:28 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Events

The MCM London Comic Con for May 2014 has just finished. We're still recovering from the huge event. So much always happen at them! The good folks from the Comic Con have sent us details of the attendance figures. The May 2014 event attracted 101,600 addendies, up from 88,000 in October 2013, and just over 70,000 people in May 2013.

To cope with this huge growth the people running the event booked more floor space at the London Excel Centre and even arranged for extra cash machines to be brought in to cope with all the demand.

At this current growth rate it'll interesting to see how big the October 2014 MCM London Comic Con is!

Create your own Kaburimono headgear at the Japan Foundation in London

Date: 2014 May 06 16:05 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Events

The good folks from the Japan Foundation in London have sent us details of an upcoming event set to run at the end of May 2014.

Details as follows:

At the end of this month, The Japan Foundation will be hosting three workshops with Japanese artist Norio Nishihara, renowned for making bizarre and outlandish headgear known as "kaburimono". In the workshops, participants can make their very own Kaburimono similar to Nishihara's creations, using newspaper and coloured tape. They can also take their inspiration from almost anything - even their favourite anime or manga characters. The workshops will be held at the Japan Foundation in Russell Square, on the 30th May (3:00pm) and the 31st May (11:00am and 3:00pm).

This event is free, but booking in advance is essential to avoid disappointment as there are a limited number of places.

Explore the East at MCM London Comic Con - JapanEx expands and rebrands as PopAsia

Date: 2014 April 25 14:19 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Events

The big London event the MCM London Comic Con is a month away. It'll run at the Excel Centre from Friday 23rd to Sunday 25th May 2014. The good folks running the Comic Con have just got in touch to tell us that their JapanEx section is expanding to include Korean Pop hits and Indonesian films such as The Raid. As a result they're going to rebrand it to PopAsia.

They'll also have extra sections to temp people including the cute sounding Kawaii Alley. As always they'll have tasty food from the Far East on sale in PopAsia.

Hyper Japan 2014 Event Details

Date: 2014 April 17 17:07 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Events

UK based fans of Japanese culture will be excited to hear about the return of Hyper Japan. The popular event which celebrates everything J-Culture related, including Japanese street fashion, cosplay, anime, manga, Japanese cuisine and of course the more traditional side of Japanese culture is back at London's Earl's Court One.

The event is set to run from Friday 25th July to Sunday 27th July 2014.

Read More... | Souce: Hyper Japan

Japanese Theatre at artsdepot in North London

Date: 2014 April 14 16:53 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Culture

Cultured readers in North London will be interested in hearing about the latest performances at the artsdepot in North Finchley. On Sunday 18th May 2014 at 11am and 2pm, there will be performances of Tales from Old Japan. The family performance has been created for children aged 5+ and their families. It focuses on 3 traditional Japanese tales.

While on Tuesday 10th & Wednesday 11th June 2014 the artsdepot will host the UK premiere of Super Premium Soft Double Vanilla Rich, a darkly humorous look at Japanese consumerism.

MCM London Comic Con May 2014 Exclusive Pre-order T-shirt from Genki Gear

Date: 2014 April 10 16:47 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Anime

It's almost time for the big MCM London Comic Con in May. The event is set to run from Friday 23rd to Sunday 25th May 2014. As is tradition super t-shirt company Genki Gear have produced a special exclusive design for the event. The theme this time around is a Teeny Tiny Ninja!

It's available as a limited edition pre-order only from the 7th April until the 16th May at Genkigear.com for £16.99. There is also a subtle design change with the MCM logo on the arm this time around.

Babymetal make UK debut at Sonisphere

Date: 2014 April 08 14:43 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Events

UK based fans of kawaii metal group Babymetal will be pleased to hear that they'll be making their UK debut at Sonisphere. The metal festival is set to run from Friday 4th to Sunday 6th July 2014 at Knebworth Park. Headline acts at Sonisphere include The Prodigy, Iron Maiden and Metallica. Babymetal will be playing at the Bohemia tent on the Sunday.

UK's First Cat Caf

Date: 2014 April 05 10:58 | Posted By: Voxie

Category > Culture

You may have already heard in the Metro or Guardian about London's first "cat café", elegantly named Lady Dinah's Cat Emporium. This otaku dream was originally crowdfunded through IndieGogo.

Cat cafés are a known trend in Japan, and it being brought over to the UK was such huge news, it needn't be put here on Otaku News. But here's a reminder just in case you did miss it: You'd want to book a table soon if you want to see it before Summer is over!

Lady Dinah’s Cat Emporium is open now. Book a table through their website.

Souce: Lady Dinah\'s Cat Emporium

First Free Weekend for REZtron's Retro Sega Gaming Bar Night

Date: 2014 April 05 10:37 | Posted By: Voxie

Category > Events

In case you're too busy to attend London's various gaming bars weekday events, the folks at Reztron are holding their first weekend one. Held at the award-winning cocktail bar Aquum in the increasingly trendy Clapham area.

If you grew up on the Dreamcast, Megadrive or Master Systems and want to hang out to reminisce with your mates (or mates-to-be), this event is for you! What's more, this time it's free entry.

There will be a Sonic the Hedgehog 'speed run' competition going on, with prizes to be won.

Cosplayers are also encouraged to come along!

Further details on the games available after the jump...

The Embassy of Japan Announce Manga Jiman 2013 Winners

Date: 2014 April 02 16:03 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Art

The Embassy of Japan in London announced on Friday 21st March 2014 the winners of the prestigious Manga Jiman Art Competition. 10 winners were selected for the main category, winning prizes ranging from gift vouchers to a return flight to Japan.

1st place winner is Katja Hammond with Oh Crumbs! This was her third time entering the competition. Having read her submission, it's clear that this was something special, it could have been easily published and enjoyed as a children's book. She joined with other artists to form the Cross#atch Manga and Comics collective.

2nd place winner is Rachel Dunn with her story The Apocalypse and Key, an imaginative sci-fi tale of a pub that forms a hub to other dimensions.

3rd place winner was Selina Dean with her story A Beautiful World, a tale of travel water and romance. Readers familiar to the UK fan scene will know her from her work at Sweatdrop Studios.

Megan Brennan-Dent deserves a special mention, she won the prize for the most impressive Manga by an entrant aged between fourteen and sixteen. She also won 6th place overall, competing against everyone! This has not happened before at the Manga Jiman. Megan is indeed an up and coming talent and one to watch.

The Wind Rises Review

Date: 2014 March 05 03:03 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Anime

While Hayao Miyazaki's latest offering The Wind Rises awaits it's special UK preview on Wednesday 23rd April 2014, it is currently being shown in the US and Australia. We were lucky enough to catch a screening in English recently.

Here's our review of the film.

Patema Inverted UK Cinema Screening Details

Date: 2014 March 05 01:13 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Anime

UK based anime fans looking for some cinema action will be pleased to hear about the up coming release of Pateman Inverted. The film debuted in the UK as part of the Scotland Loves Anime Screenings, and will be released in cinemas on Friday 2nd May 2014. Anime Limited will be bringing it to the big screen.

Japanese Gallery Cel Sale in London

Date: 2013 November 25 15:29 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Art

The good folks at the Japanese Gallery in London have sent us details of the cel sale, or as they call it cel sell! The event runs from Friday 6th to Sunday 8th December 2013. They'll be offering people who visit the gallery 20% off all anime products as long as you bring this voucher along. You may have seen the Japanese Gallery's anime cels being sold at events like Hyper Japan and the MCM London Comic Con. They actively welcome and encourage cosplayers at this sale.

REZtron celebrates the Dreamcast's 15th Anniversary at Hoxton Pony on Wednesday 27th November

Date: 2013 November 19 11:07 | Posted By: Voxie

Category > Events

Another post for the Sega gaming otaku here. As if playing Megdrive classics at #vypesocial wasn't enough, REZtron are doing a second Sega event this coming week, only this time the focus is the Sega Dreamcast!

There will be the likes of House of the Dead 2,Virtua Tennis,Rez,Ikaruga,Soul Calibur, Crazy Taxi 2, Power Stones, Shenmue and even Samba De Amigo available to play.

The event is also hosted at the trendy Hoxton Pony bar in Shoreditch, London. So expect an exciting fusion of retro and modern experiences.

Entry cost £2.50, or free if you attend the #vypesocial event the previous evening.

Hokusai Exposed in London Art Exhibition

Date: 2013 October 15 16:27 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Art

UK based fans of Japanese art and culture will be pleased to hear about Hokusai Exposed, an immersive exhibition of Katsushika Hokusai works along with "Re-create". Set to run at The Old Truman Brewery in London from Saturday 26th October to Sunday 17th Nov 2013.

The iconic works will be presented using a process of digital remastering and state of the art printing to produce versions much closer in impact and colour to the original prints. Additionally downstairs they'll be an over 18's only section (oooooh), where visitors have to navigate their way through an old Edo street lit only be the red light of chochin lanterns, to discover re-created prints of Hokusai's manga sketches, ghost tales, and shunga. Some of the shunga have been rendered in 3D to really pop out too!

Plus there's a pop up sake bar there, which won't require an exhibition ticket.

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