Propeller Anime Club presents: Anime Nite at the Geek Easy! (Cyperpunk Revolution)

Like anime? You wouldn't be reading this if you didn't, so I'm going to assume that you do. Live in Central Florida, or more specifically, Casselberry/Winter Park/Oviedo/Tuskawilla/Altamonte Springs/Orlando? If you do, then you need to head out to A Comic Shop this Friday (July 1st) and hang out at Anime Nite. It's an event that the Propeller Anime Club runs and they normally deliver. This month's theme, if you didn't read, is cyberpunk anime. You know, anime like Ghost in the Shell, Armitage III,  or Black Magic M-66, that deal with cities run almost completely by technology. So, if you like anime, go. If you like comics, go. If you like fun things, why not? Hope to see you the...

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Anime News - Fractale Manga Continues Despite Director's Request

The Japanese publisher Square Enix posted the 10th chapter of the Fractale manga adaptation on its Gangan Online website on Thursday, even though Yutaka Yamamoto, the director of the original Fractale anime, had asked for the manga to be discontinued.Yamamoto reported on his Twitter account last week that he asked thefranchise's production committee to discontinue the manga series. The manga artist, Mutsumi Akazaki, had written on her blog earlier that week that she found the work "uninteresting" and added that she wanted to work on a manga that she enjoyed. After making his request, Yamamoto noted that the final decision lies with the production committee.The Gangan...

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Anime News - France's Japan Expo Award Winners Announced

The winners were announced at France's Japan Expo Thursday:Manga Category Best Shōnen: Bakuman Best Shōjo: Maid Sama! Best Seinen: Drops of God Best Release: A Distant Neighborhood Special Edition Anime Category Best Series Adaptation of Manga: Black Butler Best Original Series: Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion R2 Best Release: The Vision of Escaflowne Asian Film Category Best Live-Action Film: Ikigami Best Animated Film: Summer Wars Best Release: Professor Layton and the Eternal Diva Videogame Category Best Home Console Videogame: Naruto Shippūden Ultimate Ninja Storm 2  Best Portable Console Videogame: Kingdom Heart - Birth by Sleep  J-Music...

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Anime News - Crows Zero's Miike Helms Film of Ai to Makoto Love Manga

Takashi Miike (Yatterman, Crows Zero, Nintama Rantaro) will direct the fourth live-action film adaptation of Ai to Makoto (Ai and Makoto), a romance manga by influential 1970s creator Ikki Kajiwara (Ashita no Joe, Kyojin no Hoshi, Tiger Mask). The story follows the relationship between an innocent high school girl named Ai Saotome (played by 17-year-old Emi Takei, pictured right) and a high school delinquent named Makoto Taiga (30-year-old Dororo and Ikebukuro West Gate Park's Satoshi Tsumabuki, pictured below).The Ai to Makoto 201X film will open next year.The original manga sold 8 million copies and was already adapted into a live-action television series in...

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Anime News - Kowarekake no Orgel Designer POP Makes Manga of Anime

POP, the original character designer of such titles as Moetan and Yutori-chan, launched a manga adaptation of the Kowarekake no Orgel anime on the website Flex Comix Blood on Wednesday. POP happens to be the co-creator and original character designer for the Kowarekake no Orgel anime.The near-future story follows a boy musician who lost his dream, and the mysterious android girl that he encounters.POP self-produced the original anime video with director Keiichiro Kawaguchi (Moetan, Zettai Karen Children) and writer Shinichi Inotsume (Hayate the Combat Butler, Nyan Koi!). The team then updated the anime as a theatrical...

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Anime News - 1st Appleseed XIII Film's Action Promo Streamed

The Japanese movie distributor Shochiku began streaming an 80-second action promotional video for Appleseed XIII ~Yuigon~, the first "theatrical remix" of the Appleseed XIII anime project, on its YouTube channel on Wednesday.Appleseed XIII is a new retelling of Masamune Shirow's Appleseed future paramilitary manga, separate fromKazuyoshi Katayama's previous original video anime and Shinji Aramaki's two computer-animated movies. This latest adaptation is composed of 13 22-minute direct-to-video anime episodes, plus two feature-length compilation films of the episodes.Appleseed XIII ~Yuigon~ opened in Japan on June 13, and a limited edition of...

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Anime News - Gainax's Dantalian no Shoka Anime Promo Video Streamed

TV Tokyo's website for Gainax's Bibliotheca Mystica de Dantalian (Dantalian no Shoka) anime series began streaming a new 15-second promotional video this week. Yutaka Uemura is directing this adaptation of Gakuto Mikumo's light novel series. The anime will premiere in Japan on July 15.In this story, a young man named Huey (Daisuke Ono) in 1920s London meets a girl named Dalian (Miyuki Sawashiro) who handles the Bibliotheca Mystica de Dantalian, the forbidden books of demonic wisdom.[Via Moon Phase](animenewsnetwork.com)Seriously, I can't wait to watch this. It definitely looks to be a winne...

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Anime News - Hunter X Hunter Manga Resumes in Shonen Jump in August

This year's 30th issue of Shueisha's Weekly Shonen Jump Magazine is confirming on Monday that Yoshihiro Togashi will resume his Hunter X Hunter manga in the magazine in August. Togashi has put his manga series on hiatus since last June. More details will be provided in future issues of the magazine.The last published book volume of the manga, #27, shipped in Japan in December of 2009.Viz Media published the 27th volume in North America in March.Retailers had already revealed that the next two compiled book volumes of the manga, #28 and #29, will ship on July 4 and August 4, respectively.[Via Yaraon!](animenewsnetwork.com)YES! I was waiting for thi...

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Anime News - Love Live! Anime Ad for Idol Unit μ's 3rd Single Posted

On Monday, Bandai's music label Lantis began streaming the first commercial for the single "Natsu-iro Egao de 1, 2, Jump!" by the idol group μ's (pronounced Muse). The group's third single will ship on August 24 and include a DVD of the videos, song and karaoke tracks, and voice drama tracks for 2,000 yen (about $25).μ's last two single tracks, "Bokura no Live Kimi to no Life" and "Snow Halation," were also animated as part of Sunrise, Lantis, and ASCII Media Work's Dengeki G Magazine's Love Live! School Idol Project. Bibi, a mini group within Love Live! had their single "Diamond Princess no Yūutsu"" animated as well. (animenewsnetwork.com)Here's a video....

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Anime News - Japan's Animation DVD Ranking, June 20-26

AKB48's AKB ga Ippai ~The Best Music Video~ collection topped the chart with 209,410 copies.Takashi Yamazaki's live-action film adaptation of the Space Battleship Yamato anime (pictured right) debuted at #2 by selling 56,090 copies.The Director's Cut of the live-action special-effects film Kamen Rider W Forever A to Z Unmei no Gaia Memory landed at #16 by selling 5,540 copies in its second week for a new total of 6,290. Another live-action special-effects title, Kaettekita Tenso Sentai Goseiger last epic, also landed at #33 in its second week and added 2,818 to its total of 3,171.The Buono! Live 2011 winter ~Re;Buono!~ concert DVD debuted at #40 with 2,223 copies sold, followed by the DVD Box for the live-action television adaptation of...

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Anime News - 3rd Natsume's Book of Friends Anime's Promo Posted

The official Japanese website of the Natsume Yūjin-Chō San (Natsume's Book of Friends) anime series began streaming a 30-second promotional video this week. The new anime continues the story after the first two 13-episode anime series based on Yuki Midorikawa's Natsume Yūjin-Chō (Natsume's Book of Friends) ghost-story manga. The promotional video features the "Boku ni Dekiru Koto" opening theme song by the group HOW MERRY MARRY. The anime will premiere on July 4.Takahiro Omori is once again directing the anime at the studio Brains Base. Also returning are character designer Akira Takata, monster designer Tatsuo Yamada, art director Yukihiro Shibutani, color setting artist Yumi...

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Anime News - Mawaru Penguindrum's 6 TV Ads Streamed

The official website for the Mawaru Penguindrum television anime series began streaming all six of the anime's television commercials on Tuesday.The latest anime from director Kunihiko Ikuhara(Revolutionary Girl Utena, several Sailor Moon television series) will revolve around three siblings — Kanba (Subaru Kimura), Shōma (Ryohei Kimura), and Himari Takakura (Miho Arakawa). Otome Yōkai Zakuro manga creator Lily Hoshino is handling the original character designs. The 24-episode anime will premiere in Osaka's Kansai area on July 7.The anime's Twitter account also noted that the ANIMATE character goods store in Yokohama will beholding advance screenings of...

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Anime News - Toradora Author Takemiya to Launch Evergreen Manga

The official blog for ASCII Media Works' quarterly magazine Dengeki Daioh Genesis announced on June 22 that Toradora! author Yuyuko Takemiya and manga artist Akira Kasukabe (Persona 4 Degenki Comic Anthology, Tales of Destiny: Director's Cut - Hakanakikoku no Rion) will launch a new manga series titled Evergreen. The manga will appear in the magazine's 2011 Summer issue, which will go on sale on July 19.The website noted that Evergreen is a nostalgic summer countryside story.The magazine's official Twitter account also posted four rough character sketches for the upcoming title. The images show Hotaka, the protagonist; Niki, a heroine who is a beautiful...

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Anime News - Media Blasters Adds Bakuman Anime with English Dub

The North American anime distributor Media Blasters announced on Tuesday that it acquired the Bakuman. television anime series. Media Blasters' AnimeWorks label will start releasing the anime on DVD this November with the first seven episodes and an English dub. The original manga that inspired the anime was written by Tsugumi Ohba and drawn by Takeshi Obata — the co-creators of Death Note. The story involves Moritaka Mashiro, a junior high school student, who is persuaded to work towards becoming a manga creator with the encouragement of two classmates. In the anime version, Moritaka is voiced by Atsushi Abe, whose other recent roles include the protagonist Akiyuki...

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Anime News - Yamato is #1 Japanese Live-Action Film BD to Date

Takashi Yamazaki's live-action film adaptation of the Space Battleship Yamato space opera anime sold 24,985 units during the June 20-26 week to become the top-selling domestic live-action film on Blu-ray Disc in Japan so far. It also moved 56,090 DVDs since it officially went on sale on home video on June 24.The film earned 943 million yen (about US$11.4 million) in its first five days at the Japanese box office last December.38-year-old SMAP band member Takuya Kimura (Howl's Moving Castle's Howl) headlines this film based on the anime classic, which was adapted as Star Blazers in English. The other cast membersinclude Meisa Kuroki (Vexille - 2077 Isolation...

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What Am I Watching - Kiko-Chan's Smile

p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; line-height: 21.0px; font: 15.0px Times} p.p2 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; line-height: 21.0px; font: 15.0px Times; min-height: 18.0px} Synopsis - Kiko-chan is a kindergarten student who, well, never really smiles. She is a child prodigy, and can do things most kids her age can't, but many just can't get past her odd personality. This anime is about the misadventures of Kiko-chan and her family. Review - I normally don't watch shows about kindergartens too much, but this one is worthy of note. Kiko-chan is a really memorable and unique character, and I can honestly picture her alongside Anpanman, Shin-chan, and Doraemon in terms of being absolutely unforgettable. ..If only...

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Anime News - Iron Man Anime's English-Dubbed Clip Posted by Marvel

The American comic book publisher Marvel began streaming an English-dubbed clip from MADHOUSE's anime of Marvel's Iron Man character. The series will have its television debut in the United States alongside MADHOUSE's Wolverine series on July 29, on the G4 channel. Iron Man will run at 11:00 p.m ET/PT. The Iron Man anime premiered at Comic-Con International 2010 in San Diego, before airing in Japan during the fall 2010 season. In the series, Tony Stark travels to Japan to build a new arc reactor for the country, but ends up fighting the mysterious Zodiac consortium. Adrian Pasdar (Heroes, The Super Hero Squad Show) voices...

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Anime News - Blood-C Anime's 3rd TV Ad Streamed

The official website of Production I.G and CLAMP's Blood-C vampire anime project is streaming the anime's third 30-second television commercial. The manga creator team CLAMP is developing the story and original character designs based on Production I.G's Blood: The Last Vampire film. Tsutomu Mizushima (XXXHOLiC) is directing the project with creative supervision by Blood: The Last Vampire planning assistant and Blood+ director Jun'ichi Fujisaku. Nana Mizuki will play the lead role of Saya Kisaragi in the planned televesion seriesand movie.The animated television series will premiere on July 7, and the film...

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Anime News - Comcast Xfinity Runs High School of the Dead in July

High School of the Dead, the zombie apocolypse series by the MADHOUSE studio, will be available to rent on the Comcast Xfinity entertainment service from July 1 to July 31. The twelve-part series will be available in the Top Picks category for US$0.99 per episode.Based on the manga by Daisuke Satō, the fanservice-heavy horror series involves a highschool boy, his friends, and the school nurse. During a zombie apocalypse, the characters must fight their way out of their school and and take a journey to find out what has happened to the world.The Comcast Xfinity release also includes included is a free behind-the-scenes special, "Dead and Loving It," exclusive to Comcast customers.(animenewsnetwork.com)For...

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Anime News - Actress Manami Komori Puts Work on Hold Due to Poor Health

The official website for singer and voice actress Manami Komori announced on Sunday that she is putting work on hold at the end of June, due to her poor health. The announcement was also made on Komori's radio show Komori Manami no Pop'n Pajama EYE and her agency Pro-Fit's website. According to the announcement that Komori's management posted, the actress has been in poor health since this past spring, so she needs to recuperate on the advice of her doctor. Her management also apologized to Komori's fans.Komori is best known for her portrayal of the character of Jam Kuradoberi in the fighting videogame Guilty Gear XX. She also appeared in the 2007 television anime Toward the Terra (as Nakinezumi)...

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Anime News - Kemeko Deluxe! Romantic Comedy Manga Ends in Japan

Manga creator Masakazu Iwasaki ended his Kemeko Deluxe! romantic comedy series in the August issue of ASCII Media Works' Monthly Comic Dengeki Daioh magazine on Monday. The manga ran for almost six years; it debuted in Monthly Dengeki Comic GAO! in 2005 and moved to its current home after the previous magazine ended in 2008.The story centers on a typical high school boy named Sanpeita Kobayashi and a mysterious girl who suddenly appears in his bedroom. The girl declares herself to be Sanpeita's wife, and it is only later that Sanpeita discovers that the "girl" is actually a robot. The robot's pilot turns out to be M.M., who was promised the boy's hand in marriage a decade earlier.The...

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Anime News - Rurouni Kenshin Manga Gets Live-Action Film in 2012 (Updated)

22-year-old actor Takeru Satoh (Kamen Rider Den-O, Rookies, Beck, Ryōmaden) will star in a live-action of Nobuhiro Watsuki's Rurouni Kenshin samurai manga next year. Keishi Ōtomo will direct Satoh on this new film, just as he did in last year's NHK historical television series Ryōmaden. Warner Brothers Pictures Japan is producing with its president William Ireton, while Studio Swan (Paradise Kiss) is in charge of the actual film production.The Sankei Sports newspaper adds that the staff aims to release the film internationally and eventually make a series. This will be the first live-action adaptation of the manga.Producer Shinzō Matsuhashi commented, "Satoh has...

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