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Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children DVD Details

Date: 2006 April 06 16:49 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Anime > DVD

Otaku rejoice! The popular RPG game series Final Fantasy has stolen many hours of our lives, especially Final Fantasy VII, which is why a CGI movie was made. It's set two years after the events of the game, and features everyone favourite Cloud and Sephiroth. It's due for UK release on DVD and UMD on April 24th and April 25th in the USA, it looks like it's going to be good.

Update: We now have a review of Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children.

Adult Swim Fix

Date: 2006 February 20 10:33 | Posted By: Jeremy

Category > Anime

Adult Swim to start featuring classic and new shows on website, seven days a week.

Negima Voice Cast Announced

Date: 2006 January 12 10:03 | Posted By: Jeremy

Category > Anime

Following up on a recent announcement of FUNimation Entertainment, Ltd's acquirement of Negima, the anime series based on Ken Akamatsu's latest manga about a boy wizard teaching English at a girl’s school in Japan, Anime Insider announced in their 2006 Preview issue some more of the cast for the English dub. The series is due out later this year, though there is no official date for the release.

Greg Ayres is still up to voice main character Negi Springfield, while Luci Christian (Full Metal Panic, Azumanga Daioh) will play his hot tempered student Asuna. Other actresses for the mostly female cast include Laura Bailey (Fruits Basket), Monica Rial (Excel Saga, Burst Angel) and Caitlin Glass (Fullmetal Alchemist). With the 30+ students in Negi's class (including fortune teller Konoka, shy bookworm Nodoka, haughty rich girl Ayaka, half-demon kendoist Setsuna, vampire girl Evangeline, ninja girl Kaede and many more) and Akamatsu’s plans to develop them all with their own storylines, Negima could very contain one the largest voice casts for an anime series, Japanese or English.

Souce: Anime Insider

Largest US Anime Conventions of 2005

Date: 2006 January 03 15:33 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Events

Anime-Cons.com have just published an article with the attendance figures for the top 10 largest anime conventions in the US. This year Anime Expo gets the number 1 spot with 33,000 attendees including attendees, guests, staff, dealers etc). Otakon get place with 22,000 paid attendees., while third place goes to A-Kon with 10,000 paid attendees, which is a drastic difference from the top two places. What makes this article better than the average website post is that Anime-Cons.com actually go to the effort of explaining the figures, and how they got them, which allows you get a better idea of what each convention is counting. They also have a nice disclaimer stating that biggest does not always equal best, it just means that more people went.

Souce: Anime-Cons.com

NewType USA to Serialize Seven Seas Manga

Date: 2005 December 28 12:25 | Posted By: Jeremy

Category > Manga

NewType USA to serialize Seven Seas Entertainment's Aoi House starting with January 2006 issue.

CPM Outlanders Fan-Casting Contest Begins

Date: 2005 September 24 10:03 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Anime > DVD

The nice people at Central Park Media have sent us details of their Outlanders Fan-Casting Contest. More details can be found on-line here along with the chance to win some Outlanders goodies.

Cowboy Bebop Makes Record Sales

Date: 2005 September 03 21:33 | Posted By: Jeremy

Category > Anime

Cowboy Bebop sells over one million copies in the U.S.

ADV To Appear On G4

Date: 2005 August 30 21:03 | Posted By: Jeremy

Category > Anime

Three hit anime series from ADV Films appearing on G4 this fall.

Otaku Unite Launch TOKYOnoRADIO

Date: 2005 August 18 17:46 | Posted By: Azure

Category > Fandom

We’ve just been sent details from Otaku Unite, on their new project TOKYOnoRADIO, which will be selling a number of albums from various Japanese underground groups, including the 5.6.7.8's who are famous for the "woo-hoo" song heard in Kill Bill.

Otaku Unite also inform us that they will be taking pictures of cosplayers at Otakon for their Otaku Unite DVD a documentary on anime fandom in the US.

VIZ Announces Zatch Bell Clothing Line

Date: 2005 August 17 21:55 | Posted By: Jeremy

Category > Anime

VIZ announces a clothing line based on hit anime Zatch Bell with Exquisite Apparel Corp.

Kamikaze Girls to Hit U.S. Box Office

Date: 2005 August 11 21:25 | Posted By: Jeremy

Category > Anime

VIZ Media, LLC, has announced that they will be releasing the award winning Japanese film Kamikaze Girls theatrically in several major North American cities. The film follows others such as Princess Mononoke, Spirited Away (which won the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature), Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence and most recently Howl’s Moving Castle. Kamikaze Girls will make its debut on September 9 in New York City at the Village East Cinemas, followed on September 16 at Los Angeles’ Landmark’s NuArt Theater, with additional bookings in Seattle, San Francisco and other cities.

Based on the hit novel by Novala Takemoto, which is set to be translated and released by VIZ Media in February 2006 as part of their Fiction Imprint line, Kamikaze Girls follows the adventures of two mis-matched girls, a Lolita-type named Momoko and a tough high school biker named Ichigo, whose strong personalities initially clash but eventually bind them together as they embark on a quest to find a legendary embroiderer. Starring hot young J-Pop talents Kyoko Fukada as Momoko and Anna Tsuchiya as Ichigo, the film became an immediate cult favorite in Japan with its complex, multilayered plot and eccentric and infectious brand of humor. It has also won several awards: Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actress, Best Supporting Actress and Best New Actor at the Yokohama Movie Awards, and Best New Director at the Fujimoto Awards. Further information about the film can be found at the website, www.kamikazegirls.net.

Souce: VIZ Media

Digi Charat Singing Group Auditions

Date: 2005 August 09 10:24 | Posted By: Azure

Category > Events

Synch-Point is holding auditions for an American version of DUP ( Dejiko, Ususa Puchiko) Digi Charat singing group. The deadline is tight but if you live in LA it’s certainly worth giving a shot.

Mechademia Calls Out For Submissions

Date: 2005 August 02 17:21 | Posted By: Jeremy

Category > Fandom

New anime and manga-based academic journal Mechademia is looking for sbumissions for future issues.

Save ConnectiCon

Date: 2005 July 23 21:41 | Posted By: Jeremy

Category > Events

Anime News Network has announced some bad news for ConnectiCon, the Connecticut-based multi-genre convention dedicated to anime, gaming, webcomics, science fiction, fantasy and more. Thanks to some last minute changes caused by "a series of misunderstandings", the organizers of the convention have incurred over $30,000 of personal debt.

Luckily for ConnectiCon, help is on the way. A group of webcomics, including Apple Geeks, MacHall, VG Cats and more, have organized a drive called "Save ConnectiCon" to help raise funds to help the convention with its financial troubles. The drive is based at a website, which has a members only section for individuals that donate $5.00 or more. This exclusive section includes artwork/wallpapers and other content from the webcomics involved. Also, according to Ananth Panagariya at Apple Geeks, some webcomics will also be putting original art on auction to help in raising money to save the event.

Donations are currently being accepted at the Save ConnectiCon website via Paypal. The drive has already managed to raise over $14,000 in under three days.

Souce: Anime News Network

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!

Newtype USA to Launch Evangelion Serial Manga

Date: 2005 July 19 22:38 | Posted By: Jeremy

Category > Manga

Newtype USA will be releasing game-based Evangelion manga, Angelic Hearts, as serial starting in August issue.

Evangelion To Be On Adult Swim

Date: 2005 July 12 22:12 | Posted By: Jeremy

Category > Anime > TV

Anime News Network has announced that Neon Genesis Evangelion, the hit anime that revolutionized the giant robot genre in particular and anime in general, will be debuting on Adult Swim as part of its late night line-up. No air date has been released, but the show is said to be appearing sometime in the near future.

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

Metrocon Seek Human Chess Pieces

Date: 2005 February 20 12:46 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Events

Florida anime convention Metrocon are currently seeking Cosplayer volunteers to participate in their Anime Human Chess Match. So if meet all their terms and conditions and can cosplay as one of the characters listed on their site why not give it a shot? It's also interesting to note that they've got ninja and pirate pawns.

The Otaku News Crew are pondering which anime characters are going to be which pieces, we suspect that Gendo Ikari will be a king for one side, while Rosette Christopher will be a bishop!

Souce: Metrocon

PCR Distributing, Co - Yulia Nova Cosplay DVDs Vol. 1-3

Date: 2005 February 19 08:40 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Anime > DVD

Russian Idol Yulia Nova and Japanese photographer Satoshi Kizu have teamed up to produce some Cosplay DVDs, which are well clearly aimed at the more mature audience. The Otaku News Crew wonder who buys these things and more importantly, why they don't bother buying Schoolgirl Milky Crisis instead! ^_-

Move Over, Mickey Mouse-san

Date: 2004 December 12 17:31 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Anime

The Associated Press have a good write up on the Success of anime in the US, it features John Ledford of ADV Films, who describes ADV as the "anti-Disney". Since it's syndicated, it appears on quite a few news sites. Well known store Wizzywig Collectibles gets mentioned too. We recommend that you check out The Sun Herald's copy of it, even if you don't live in the South of Mississippi. ^_-

Souce: The Sun Herald

Anime Network Issuse A Call To Arms For All Anime Fans

Date: 2004 December 07 17:08 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Anime > TV

The Otaku News Crew have just received a newsletter from Anime Network the cable and satellite channel that broadcasts nothing but anime (yay).

They've issued a "call to arms for all Anime Fans" with the headline:
"Anime Fans of America: YOUR TIME IS NOW!"
The newsletter states that Anime Network's continued operation and expansion is in jeopardy and to help improve things the channel wants anime fans to either fax or e-mail the cable companies' decision makers directly via www.theanimenetwork.com. The Anime Network also advise you to get everyone you know to do the same. You can even phone Comcast directly on (215) 665-1700 and say that you'll switch for Anime Network.

The Otaku News crew are uncertain how necessary this is, if it's a marketing ploy from the very clever folks at Anime Network, or if they are indeed in trouble and need fan support.

Souce: Anime Network

U.S. High Schools, Libraries and College Anime Clubs Offered Free Preview DVDs from ADV.

Date: 2004 December 03 17:03 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Anime

The folks at ADV US have just launched a new campaign ingeniously called Anime ADVocates. This sort of thing is a dream for a US otaku running an official anime club at their high school, library or college. Eligible applicants have the opportunity to get free anime preview DVDs, prizes and other goodies from ADV.

TokyoPop's 5th Rising Stars of Manga Competition Kicks Off Today

Date: 2004 December 01 19:23 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Manga

TokyoPop have just launched their popular manga competition where artists are invited to submit 15 to 20 pages of manga inspired comics for a chance to be in the next Rising Stars anthology, to be published in Summer 2005.

Along with the usual lovely cash prices TokyoPop have added an extra and welcomed twist with the people's choice category where the top 20 finalists will have their entire entries posted on the TokyoPop website and judged by the fans. The Otaku News crew think this is a good idea, the interactive element adds that extra bit of fun to the competition by getting fans to participate (especially the ones that can't draw to save their lives like myself) and also provides TokyoPop with additional market research resolving tricky tie breaker situations with which submission will generate the most fan interest (and hopefully revenue too).

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

More Anime In the Press

Date: 2004 November 18 18:11 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Anime

It seems to be the in thing to report about anime fandom at the moment. Otaku News has featured various reports by publications in the past and now the Cincinnati Enquirer has published their write up on anime fandom.

Souce: Cincinnati Enquirer

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

Watching Anime, Reading Manga a Book By Fred Patten

Date: 2004 November 03 17:54 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Anime

Although it's old news, I'm sure many of our readers are not yet aware that Stone Bridge Press have published a new book by anime and manga guru Fred Pattern, - Watching Anime, Reading Manga. The book has 63 articles covering all aspects of anime from fandom and the industry, it also has articles on the first ads in America to current day mainstream hits like the anime sequence in Kill Bill and anime inspired live action films like The Matrix. If you want to know more be sure to check OnlyPubjab.com's write up.

Souce: Stone Bridge Press

Cosplay Photographic Exhibit in LA

Date: 2004 October 20 17:42 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Art

LA otaku are in for a treat from October 28 to November 26 The Perfect Exposure Gallery will be hosting an exhibit on cosplayers or "Photographic portraits of costumed anime fans" to be more exact. Shot at anime conventions around the US and Canada in 2003 and 2004, it sounds a bit like A Fans View only off-line!

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!

ADV Cosplay Caps

Date: 2004 October 06 17:55 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Toys

We've just got news from ADV about some really cool headgear! Their toy deparment it seems have had some great fun producing "Cosplay Caps" based on the animal characters from their popular titles. These hats are a bit similar to the ones worn by the Digi-Charat gang. They've got Menchi and a Puchuu from Excel Saga, Saizo the pig from Peacemaker and Kaleido Star's baby seal Jonathan.

These hats are made exclusively for ADV Toys and aren't Japanese import items, they're made from a fleece type fabric. At the moment we haven't got a set release date for them, but we do know that they'll retail for $14.99

Yuri Revolution Tokyo

Date: 2004 October 05 19:11 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Events

The good girls at Yuricon have just sent us their press releasing detailing the Yuri Revolution event in Tokyo

"We'll be touring the anime and manga centers of Tokyo, visiting Tokyo Tower, museums and other Tokyo attractions.We'll top it all off with an all-yuri event in the home of yuri manga, the Nichoume in Shinjuku, where we can embarrass ourselves by trying to speak Japanese with well-known yuri mangaka." This is just for starters.

To attend all you have to do is get to Tokyo on April 12-17, 2005, remember you have to sort out your own flights and accommodation though.

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!

Fandom at the Canadian National Expo

Date: 2004 September 06 14:45 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Fandom

The Toronto Star are running an interesting article about the Canadian National Expo, the biggest event of its kind in Canada with more than 26,000 attendees. Anime fans (particularly Cosplayers) get their fair share of coverage.

Souce: Toronto Star

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.

Learn Japanese by Reading Manga

Date: 2004 August 28 10:21 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Press Releases

Washington Otaku will be pleased to know that the Japanese Language Center will be running a course that focuses on learning Japanese by reading manga!

Anime News Network readers unhappy with Newtype DVD change

Date: 2004 August 24 17:57 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Fandom

The Anime News Network have just published an article regarding a recent reader poll. The poll asked readers for their opinion on Newtype USA's decision to remove the free DVD from non subscription issues of the magazine.

Ghost In The Shell 2 Clips To Be Shown At Otakon

Date: 2004 July 28 17:17 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Anime > Film

We've just heard from the folks at Dreamworks that they'll be showing exclusive teaser trailers at Otakon 2004. As always this massive anime convention is fun, and Dreamworks have supplied another reason to get over to Baltimore!

Dark Horse Comics Seeks Kanji Writers

Date: 2004 May 24 22:05 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Anime > DVD

Manga Publishers Dark Horse Comics have posted a request for people who can write kanji to help them out at Comic-Con in San Diego this year. The successful candidate will get paid $150 and given a four-day exhibitor badge. They will however have to pay for their own travel and accommodation.

Fred and Sarah got hitched!

Date: 2004 February 16 22:58 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Fandom

Today, Fred Gallagher and Sarah Wooden, better known as Piro and Seraphim of MegaTokyo have announced that they got married on New Years Eve!

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