Checkpoint: Pleiades, Akiba, Fractale

Last update - Jan 12, 18:01 GMT (13:01 EST, 10:01 PST)

Through a new trailer that came out today, Houkago no Pleiades - the next Gainax anime - has finally unveiled its release date: February 1, 2011. The video also reminds us that this web-anime otherwise known as Afterschool Pleiades will be a "Hi-Def YouTube exclusive", created in collaboration with car maker Subaru. Below is a fitting fanart that brings together two prominent pink-haired magical girls from the current winter anime season: Subaru from the anime at hand, and Madoka from Mahou Shoujo Madoka Magica.




Speaking of fanarts, you might be interested in one (or more) of the local galleries that were given a face-lift last night: Broken Blade (the 5th anime film premires this January 22), Moshidora (starts on March 14) and Ikoku Meiro no Croisee. The latter also had its first trailer added here today (albeit neither recent, nor revealing), among a dozen other trailers.


An "Akihabara Guide" app has been released for the iPhone and other such iOS devices, by a certain company called Prime Style Corporation. It costs 2 bucks on the North American iTunes store, and it's available in six languages: English, Spanish, Portuguese, Korean, Chinese and Japanese.

"The app features original anime-inspired characters who provide information on shops and restaurants around Akihabara (Akiba), Tokyo's shopping district which is well-known for catering to the tastes of anime, manga, and game fans", ANN explains.

Update: FUNimation has just announced on its blog that it will be simulcasting the TV anime series Fractale, starting tomorrow - January 13, at 10:45 a.m. CST, one hour after the anime's Japanese broadcast premiere.