Checkpoint: Edelweiss, Kojikan, Golden Kids

Last update - Jan 21, 18:07 GMT (13:07 EST, 10:07 PST)

The 2006 eroge Edelweiss was the very first title released in English by MangaGamer, back in 2008, and this year it's returning with a new translation which will be made available for free to all prior (and future) purchasers of Edelweiss. But until they're ready to release that in April (barring any of their usual delays), they are now offering a trial version demonstrating the updated texts, as a 420'ish MB download.




The new Kodomo no Jikan OVA was released today in Japan, bundled with the 9th volume of Kaworu Watashiya's original manga otherwise known as Nymphet. This one delights us with "plenty of bathing suits" and some anatomically explicit "loli insertion" scenes (NSFW, spoilers, etc.). Also, since this OVA covers the events from chapter 55 in the manga, Daisuke's younger sister Chika makes her appearance for the first time.


A new soccer anime series called Golden Kids was also ninja-launched today, through an exclusive app for iPhone and other iOS devices. The app itself is free, but each episode's download costs $2.99 / 350 yen. The anime adapts a manga by Youichi Takahashi (Captain Tsubasa), and you can see a preview of it in this newly added Golden Kids trailer.


The shoujo manga Mistress Fortune is being released by Viz Media this February 1, as a single-volume story published under the Shoujo Beat imprint. The manga was written and illustrated by Arina Tanemura, and was originally titled Zettai Kakusei Tenshi Mistress Fortune (Absolute Awakening Angel Mistress Fortune) when it came out in 2008.

"Fourteen-year-old Kisaki Tachibana has psychic powers. She works for PSI, a secret government agency that fights aliens. She's in love with her partner Giniro, but PSI won't allow operatives to get involved. Just when Kisaki thinks she may be getting closer to Giniro, she finds out she's going to be transferred to California!"

Calling out to fellow number-freaks once more! Actually twice more. First of all, the 2010 circulation numbers for Japanese anime / gaming magazines are in: Weekly Famitsu über alles (not to be confused with the numbers for manga magazines from a couple of days ago). And second, some pretty charts for Blu-ray and DVD sales in Japan during 2010 - which overall rose by 20%. Mmm... pie!


Update: The kids' TV anime series Danball Senki now has a starting date set for March 2 - two weeks ahead of the PSP game that it adapts, which will be released in Japan on March 17. The game is also known as The Little Battlers and it's developed by Level-5 (Dragon Quest VIII, Rogue Galaxy, Ni no Kuni, Inazuma Eleven) as a "near-future, plastic-model-building role-playing game". To be ignored.


Update #2: The winners of the 56th Shogakukan Manga Awards have been announced. The Yumeiro Patissiere manga prevailed in the children's category, King Golf in the shounen (boys') category, Ooku: The Inner Chamber in the shoujo (girls') category, and the general category had two winners: Ushijima the Loan Shark, and Uchuu Kyoudai.


Update #3: FUNimation will be simulcasting the TV anime series Freezing, with the first 2 episodes becoming available for streaming on FUNi's video site this Monday, January 24. After that, a new episode will be added each week.