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 the Misaki No. 1!! manga at #42 with 2,138 copies.

The fifth volume of the live-action Kamen Rider 000 series rose to #46 in its second week and added 1,929 copies to its total of 2,253. Berryz Kobo's Single Video Ai no Dangan was #56 with 1,511 copies, while AKB48's Nogashita Sakana-tachi Single Video Collection added 1,333 to its 50-week total of 167,921 at #66.

The second musical version of Nintama Rantaro appears at #83 with 1,062 copies.

Source: Oricon

[There are gaps in the chart above because non-animated DVD releases are not included. Oricon does not directly post more data for weekly sales than what is listed here. Any purportedly additional data comes from unverified, anonymous sources.]

(animenewsnetwork.com)

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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 Miyawaki, director of photography Hitoshi Tamura, and editor Kazuhiko Seki. However, Sadayuki Murai (Mōryō no Hako, Boogiepop Phantom, Millennium Actress) will be the new series script supervisor.

The story revolves around Natsume, a boy who has been able to see ghosts since he was little. Unfortunately, humans shun him, and there is not much fondness between him and ghosts either. One day, he inherits a Yūjin-Chō ("Book of Friends") from his grandmother. The book is actually full of contracts that his grandmother made to trap ghosts. As one ghost after another shows up, Natsume tries to release or help them — even while many of them seek vengeance on him.

Crunchyroll streamed both of the previous television anime seasons outside Japan, and it ran the second season, Zoku Natsume Yūjin-Chō, as it aired in Japan. Viz Media is publishing the seventh volume of the manga in North America in June.

[Via Moon Phase]

(animenewsnetwork.com)

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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 the first episode on July 3 with Arakawa and other possible special guests. People who get passes and go to the screenings will receive a not-for-sale poster.

[Via Moon Phase]

(animenewsnetwork.com)

Here are the teasers to this show. Can't wait!

CM 2

CM 3

CM 4

CM 5

CM 6

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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 blonde wild girl (pictured right); Yutaka, a cute girl who might be the next head of the manga club; and Soga, a dejected ikemen (handsome male) who is Hotaka's friend and a member of the manga club. 

(animenewsnetwork.com)

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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 in Xam'd: Lost Memories.

(animenewsnetwork.com)

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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 of Japan's Vexille,Crows Zero's Luca), Toshiro Yanagiba, and Tsutomu Yamazaki.Takashi Yamazaki helmed Returner, Always: Sunset on Third Street, and last year's Ballad, before directing Yamato. Aerosmith vocalist Steven Tyler wrote and sang the film's theme song, "Love Lives."

The video extras on the Blu-ray Disc release include a making-of video that followed Kimura, footage from the opening-day greetings by the staff and cast, and a discussion between Kimura and the director.

(animenewsnetwork.com)

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