Unaired Episodes: K-ON, FMA, Bakemonogatari...

... and the list can go on, with the likes of Nodame Cantabile: Finale and So-Ra-No-Wo-To. For some odd reason (lazy / unpaid / unemployed animators?), a worrying new trend is emerging these days, as more and more anime series are receiving "unaired" episodes that were not originally shown on TV, well after their original airing. This obviously provides a wonderful incentive for would-be buyers of each series' polished (and uncensored, where appliable) DVD or Blu-ray editions. Which - let's face it - is a perfectly valid marketing trick, frustrating as it may be at times.



The most anticipated of the above is probably the 2nd-unaired episode of Bakemonogatari, which we were expecting quite some time ago, considering that the 1st-unaired episode was released online last autumn, with some delay itself. This new one is effectively Episode 14, titled "Tsubasa Cat - Part 4", and according to a recent interview, the staff was supposed to have it finished by now. Apparently they failed. Again.

Anyway, once it's ready for the world (and vice-versa), it will be streamed for free on the official website, where the old Episode 13 is still the one being streamed at the time of writing. Episode 14 will also be included on the anime's Volume 6 - a.k.a. "Tsubasa Cat Volume II" - out in Japan on Blu-ray and DVD this March 24. The kick-ass artwork above will serve as its cover image, and guess who we'll have as our next loli-of-the-month...

Much like Bakemonogatari, another anime to enjoy excellent sales in Blu-ray format - and also blessed with an unaired episode - is the highly popular K-ON!. Its 7th and final volume was released for Blu-ray and DVD this January 20, selling over 30,000 copies in the first week again, and featuring said bonus episode that we've been teased with since past July. By the way, did we mention the second season of K-ON! yet? Yeah, there's that too, starting from April 2010!

Moving on, we have the not-so-final Nodame Cantabile: Finale. This third season began airing just last month, but already there's an unaired episode attached to the first DVD volume that's coming out in Japan on April 7. Furthermore, April will also bring yet another Nodame Cantabile OVA, bundled with the limited edition of the 24th volume of Tomoko Ninomiya's romantic comedy manga (shipping there on April 26). ANN has more info about the various other goodies to be stuffed inside that box, if you're interested.

Next up it's Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood. Sure enough, this ongoing anime remake will get an unaired episode of its own, bundled with the Blu-ray and DVD release of its Volume 9, on April 21. Which leaves us with...

So-Ra-No-Wo-To - another ongoing anime series, from those that began airing in Japan last month. And certainly one of the most promising! There are currently 2 unaired episodes planned for this anime, otherwise known as Sora no Oto (Sounds of the Skies). Its first DVD / Blu-ray volume ships on March 24, but in won't be until its 4th and 7th volumes that said extra episodes will see the light of CRT, LCD and plasma screens. Which means June 23 for the first unaired episode, and September 22 for the second one. Hang on in there.