Yes, yes, I realise that placing "Gundam" next to "gay" is a bit of a pleonasm, but this is just too much! If last year the multi-million yen Gundam figures were in fashion, it's now time for an uber-gay Gundam figure. Lo and behold!


Giapet writes that "apparently a staffer at Bandai was "inspired" to give the figure a more "feminine air" and is now auctioning the results off". On the bright side, this girlyfied version of Bandai's MG Gyan is a whole lot cheaper, as the seller is only trying to squeeze 50,000 yen (almost $480) from the auction (pretty pink pics inside, or here). And, truth be told, the original figure wasn't much more manlier, either.

Now, if you'll pardon me, I'll go puke my guts out.

ICv2 brings word tonight that American publisher Dark Horse Comics has licensed the Clover manga, which they will (re-)release in January 2009. Yes, it's not exactly the first time it's being released in North America (Tokyopop did it in 2001-2002), but Dark Horse is going for a different format: they will pack the entire Clover manga series (four volumes) in a 512-page omnibus edition with 32 pages of color, priced at $19.95.

The story is set in a dark, dystopian future, where a totalitarian government tries to control a breed of children gifted with special powers, known as "Clovers". The Clover manga was originally created by CLAMP and published by Kodansha in Japan between 1997-1999. Talk about late licenses...

A new project (co-)created by studio Madhouse was revealed this week, and this time it's an anime adaptation of the cult suspense movies Siberian Express - a title which flashed me back to the classic (and completely unrelated) strategy game Transarctica... eh, the good ol' days. Anyway, ANN writes that "the anime project is planned as an anthology work with several directors", and that Madhouse will produce at least one of the parts.

Originally written, directed and produced by Haruo Mizuno, the Siberian Express movies began in 1996 as a tribute to Alfred Hitchcock's movies, and new ones are still being planned for 2009. To get a feel for what to expect, here's IMDB's synopsis for the first Siberian Express movie:

"On the last leg of of a train ride from Moscow to Manchuria during the early years of World War Two, one of the passengers suddenly disappears. All of the other passengers, including military personnel and civilians from both the Axis powers and Allied nations, have reasons to be suspected. As the remaining passengers investigate, more murders are committed, until at last the political and personal motives of the killer (killers?) are unravelled."

- The Gurren Lagann: Guren-hen movie website has launched, bringing along the first trailer that you can also see here on Animekon since a couple of days ago. The animated movie will premiere in Japan on September 6, and may we remind you that the first Gurren Lagann anime series was surprisingly licensed by Bandai, for a DVD debut this July.

- The 07-Ghost manga has been licensed by Go! Comi, who will publish the first volume in January 2009. There are currently six volumes published in Japan, and the manga is still running. Needs more lolis.

- Nui! manga preview posted online in English by Broccoli Books (PDF file). Volume 1 of this schoolgirl-loves-her-plushies (and vice-versa) manga is coming out on June 23, volume 2 in October, and volume 3... who knows.

The trailer for the Higurashi movie that we added yesterday already revealed this, but it's well worth saying it again: a second live-action Higurashi movie is already in the making, even as we (or at least the Japanese) wait for the first one's premiere this Saturday, May 10. Judging by this trailer, it doesn't look bad at all. And neither do the would-be lolis. (Update: Just noticed on Canned Dogs that a Japanese movie review site rated the movie 10... out of 100... so much for my enthusiasm)


Other bits and pieces of information surfaced a few days ago from the Megami Magazine (via ANN), teasing us with a few more details about the third Higurashi no Naku Koro ni anime. First of all, it appears that Higurashi 3 will not be a full-length series, but only a short, 3-episode OVA. And secondly, we have a tentative title for it: Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Rei - just like a fan-made software disc from 2006 which added two chapters based on the original Higurashi visual novel.

Sadly, there's still no release date for Higurashi 3, but we should at least see some preview footage this year. Like we said in our "Higurashi vs. Higurashi 2" article, it's gonna be an excruciating wait.

P.S. In case you missed it last month, the Higurashi manga was licensed by Yen Press, and will begin serialization in their new magazine Yen Plus, starting from July 29.

If, by any chance, you're familiar with the Kurozuka manga, then you're likely to enjoy edo-ass-kicking and sword-fighting stories. And by extention you'll be happy to know that said manga will be adapted into an anime series by Animax. The announcement mentions that the Kurozuka anime will be aired after Ultraviolet: Code 044 - which itself is only set to begin on July 1, so... look for Kurozuka around October, I guess also on July 1. (Update: Fixed the date, based on Giapet's more eloquent report)

Originally published in the Super Jump magazine until 2006, the manga was later compiled into 10 volumes. You can see the covers below, and even further down below you'll find ANN's outline of the storyline.

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 Continue reading 'Kurozuka Manga Gets Anime'...

As part of the previously-mentioned return to our once-normal schedule (umm, hopefully), our utmost priority was updating the loli of the month, along with the complementary "loli-tops". The choice was an easy one this time: we delegated Choco from Chokotto Sister to put her loliness to the test, since she's been our "mascot" for well over a year now - and it just so happens that the full Chocosis fansub was finally completed recently (yaaay, time for another booze-drenched anime session). Fuii!


Not only is Choco the best Christmas present we never got, but she is also one of the hottest lolis-in-a-box. Especially when she leaps out of the box, scantily wrapped in ribbon (cue nose-blood). Still, she can't quite compare to Aruru-in-a-box (hell, nobody can!), but on the other hand Aruru is only a fan-made loli-in-a-box, not an "out-of-the-box" loli-in-a-box... Umm, you get my drift. This debate could go on forever, anyway, so to make things a bit easier, we have a new top for your voting pleasure, aptly called "Best loli-in-a-box".

And as for the new poll, the question is pretty straightforward: "Got any favorite anime this season, so far?". Once again, sorry I couldn't be bothered to squeeze more choices in these loli-tops. Comment away if you have any other worthy additions.

It's loli-business as usual here at Animekon as we return from our week-long road trip, with eyes wide feasted on all the blossoming girlies we stalked stumbled upon in select locations around the country. Shikashi... all this "real life" has taken its toll on our sedentary selves, so let's return to the good old virtual world, briefly recapping what went on in our absence.

- The OP and ED songs for the upcoming anime Slayers Revolution will be sung by singer / voice actress Megumi Hayashibara, who will also return as the main lead Lina.

- The Three Kingdoms anime jointly produced in China and Japan (by Beijing Glorious Animation and Future Planet, respectively) will begin airing in June, and will run for 52 episodes, adapting the classic Romance of the Three Kingdoms novel. Like many other animes / games have done before...

- A 43-year-old otaku from South Carolina was rejected from a manga club meeting at his local library. He was not amused. In fact, he's thinking about suing the library for age discrimination. (I hope we won't become such retards 10-15 years from now)

- Neko Rahmen will be getting a live-action movie called Neko Rahmen Taishou (General Neko Rahmen). The original comedy manga about a cat running a ramen shop was already adapted into an anime - freely available online on Vuze.

- A new Blue Dragon manga will be serialized in the V Jump magazine (starting from May 21), based on the recently started Blue Dragon: Tenkai no Shichi Ryuu anime. By the way, we've just added a trailer for the second anime.

- The Lucky Star manga has sold 1.8 million copies so far, according to the latest report issued by Kadokawa. Even so, the publisher's net losses approached $25 million in the previous fiscal year. Blame the Suzumiya Haruhi / Lucky Star anime pirates. Or Canada.

- Aria the Animation was licensed by Right Stuf and its Nozomi Entertainment production arm, who will release the first DVD box set (13 episodes) on September 30, with Japanese audio and English subtitles. Later on, they also plan to release Aria the Natural, Aria the OVA: Arietta, and finally Aria the Origination.

- The Girl Who Leapt Through Time (Toki wo Kakeru Shoujo, or simply TokiKake) will be screened in American theatres, from June to early September. So far Los Angeles, New York, and Seattle are the cities carrying solid screening dates, but "other theatrical dates will be announced soon".