Checkpoint: Precure, 3DS, Kojima, Pedobear

Last update - Jan 20, 18:34 GMT (13:34 EST, 10:34 PST)

A Suite Precure anime film was announced yesterday, as the 11th movie in the Pretty Cure magical girls franchise (following the Precure All Stars DX3 anime film that premieres in Japan this March 19). As always produced by Toei, this new film - titled Eiga Suite Precure - should open there in October 2011. Like the TV anime series that's starting this February 6, it will feature two new heroines: the pink-haired Cure Melody and the blonde-haired Cure Rhythm, who "save the world with music!" (when they're not busy spicing up our gallery).




Pre-orders for Nintendo's new 3DS handheld have opened today at Japanese retailers, and among recent rumors of launch-day shortages, people have been lining up in typical otaku fashion (e.g. queues of up to 260 people have been reported), trying to secure their pre-order. The 3DS launches on February 26, at which time there will only be about 400,000 units available according to unconfirmed retail reports. Nintendo's official story is that 1,500,000 units will have been shipped in Japan by March 31.


Metal Gear Solid's Hideo Kojima is a lolicon. Among ancient game design documents and rejected projects that he found while "cleaning his shelves", another thing that caught his eye was a magazine featuring 15-year-old Erika Toda - which he lovingly shared on twitpic.

* Hideo Kojima has earned an achievement, receiving Pedobear's Seal of Approval *


Speaking of pedobear, I so want one of those fluffy pedobear hats! (via ANN)


A movie with almost 300 200 superheroes? Madness!... This mind-bending distinction will go to an upcoming live-action film in the prolific Super Sentai franchise, which is sure to challenge the fans' know-how (and forever cripple their attention span), by reuniting no less than 199 "power rangers" - plus all of the giant robots - from every team in this 35-year-old series, when it's released in Japan this May 21, under the title Super Sentai 35-Saku Kinen Sakuhin, as announced by the Japanese film distributor Toei during its 2011 lineup press conference yesterday, ANN reports.

If you had any trouble whatsoever following the above phrase, you might as well forget about watching that movie: you are not prepared!


Another newly announced live-action movie is Always: Sunset on Third Street '64, which will be the third theatical adaptation of Ryohei Saigan's nostalgic manga Sanchoume no Yuuhi: Yuuyake no Uta. The original story follows the lives of people in a Tokyo neighborhood as the iconic Tokyo Tower rises above them, during 1964 - the year that Tokyo hosted the Summer Olympics. This new film will premiere there in stereoscopic 3D in 2012.


By the way, movie tickets will become "a whole lot cheaper" at Toho Cinemas, Japan's largest cinema operater which runs about one in five of the country's cinemas. Ticket prices will drop from 1,800 yen ($22) to 1,500 yen ($18), but only starting from spring 2012.


And coming up shortly, the official debut trailer for Final Fantasy XIII-2, in HD! Stay tuned...

Update: And it's up, enjoy!


Update #2: The Majikoi gallery that I promised to open yesterday took a bit longer than expected, but it's fully uploaded now.


Update #3: The first book in the Mardock Scramble light novel series has been released in North America by Viz Media a couple of days ago, on January 18. So it turns out that last summer's listing was perfectly accurate.


Update #4: Added a Nintendo 3DS trailer, to go with yesterday's announcement of the new handheld's release dates and prices in Europe (March 25, priced at €249 - the equivalent of $335) and the U.S. (March 27, priced at $249).