Checkpoint: Onigamiden, Minami-ke, Saimoe 2011

This year's anime film Onigamiden (Legend of the Millennium Dragon) will be extended with 19 minutes of extra footage in its "Director's Cut" version, when it releases on Blu-ray this September 28 - complete with an exclusive conceptual art gallery, as well. A DVD edition will also be available at that time, but that one will only feature the movie's regular theatrical version that initially premiered in Japan this past April 29. Furthermore, a North American release of Legend of the Millennium Dragon is currently planned for October 4, 2011.




A new Minami-ke "big project" will be revealed this autumn, according to this scan from the Monthly Young Magazine. Expectations weigh heavily towards a new TV anime series, to follow the earlier TV anime adaptations (three seasons so far) and the Valentine's Day-themed OVA from two years ago...




The annual Anime Saimoe Tournament (website) is starting today over on the 2ch forums, as usual challenging users with the ardent task of determining the most moe female anime character from the past year (i.e. from any kind of anime released in Japan between July 1, 2010 and June 30, 2011 - except those rated 18+). Today marks the start of the first round of preliminary voting and, at the end of the first week, some 2000+ nominations will have to be reduced to only 288 candidates in the main tournament bracket. You can find English-language instruction on how to vote on the Anime Saimoe fansite, and... may the most moe loli win! Last year's winner was K-ON!'s Azusa, by the way.