I must say, I'm surprised that so few votes have gone for Kanokon in our current poll so far, considering it's arguably the most ecchi anime series this season (although To Love-Ru ain't too shabby, either). But that may change once the DVD edition of Kanokon starts coming out this summer, as it's said to be even naughtier than the ongonig TV and Internet versions - at least according to this Dengeki Online story picked up by AnimeNation.

The first Kanokon DVD, containing the first two episodes, will be released in Japan on June 25, a few days after the TV broadcast will come to an end with episode 12.


Below are the covers of Volume 1, alongside some random surprise-sex screenshots. Oh, and we also added a big pink Kanokon wallpaper in our gallery. (...)

 Continue reading 'Kanokon Even More Ecchi On DVD'...

It's not too clear where said details are emerging from, since the original report from Moon Phase (via Giapet) doesn't seem to mention the source, but I'm not feeling particularly paranoid tonight, so let's go with it.

They say that the new Slayers Revolution anime will start airing this July on TV Tokyo, in a late-night spot. And as for the plot, well, here's Giapet's exact interpretation:

"Apparently the plot at least begins as a search for a replacement for Gourry's Sword of Light. Characters that I think haven't been seen in the anime before (but who are known in the novels) will appear, including Rook and Mirina. Some more familiar faces, as well: Prince Phil returns, as does Sylphiel. And apparently some kind of mascot character called Pokota, as well... no clue there."

While on the subject, as briefly mentioned a couple of days ago, the OP and ED songs for Slayers Revolution will be sung by singer / voice actress Megumi Hayashibara, who will also return as the main lead Lina.

Oh, hai! The Lucky Star lolis will make a playful - albeit brief - return in a Lucky Star OVA, as reported by ANN. The first details about it are expected to explode with joy this Saturday, May 10, within the pages of Kadokawa Shoten's COMPTIQ magazine. This is the same publication in which the original Lucky Star manga has been running - a manga sold in 1.8 million copies so far, as noted in yesterday's checkpoint.

Well then... let's get busy waiting for those details...

Update: Disecting some Japanese scans, Zepy reports that the Lucky Star OVA will begin this summer, and will once again be animated by Kyoto Animation. "Haruhi in 2009 sounds more real with each passing day!", he adds. No shit.

- A trailer for episode 2 of Sora no Iro, Mizu no Iro - releasing on June 27 - was posted on Getchu (it's way too super duper NSFW to host here, even for our perverted selves). The first episode of this hentai OVA (also known as Color of Sky, Color of Water) appeared almost two years ago, but I still have a very, very vivid recollection of it...

- Bandai Visual USA announced that it will stream Super Robot Wars: OG - Divine Wars episode 1, followed by Galaxy Angel Rune episode 1, on its dot-anime website. "In just a few more weeks".

- This week marked the terminal edition of World Hobby Festival Ariake 18 Final, "the last WHF ever" as HD bluntly puts it. What's left behind is a looong string of photos and articles detailing the impressive figures shown at the event. As usual, HD did a great job chronicling it, so feel free to peruse his list of posts tagged 'WHF Ariake 18' (more to follow, presumably). Great stuff! Below is just a random sample... more flat than random, actually. And hardly safe for work, mind you.

And so it begins, at last! The Japanese video streaming website Nico Nico Douga has posted the first episode of the Candy Boy web-anime, which continues from last year's single-episode OVA. So get ready for more girl-on-girl lovu-lovu between the Sakurai twins and their pestilent persistent admirer, Sakuya.

If you don't have an account on Nico Nico Douga, and don't want to bother going through the not-so-complicated registration process, stick around for a while: we'll be adding the episode here on Animekon shortly. Meanwhile, the 10-minute Candy Boy OVA (episode 0, if you will) is still available locally.

Update: Here you go, Candy Boy episode 1.

Update #2: Replaced the raw version with the subbed one, thanks to SHiN-gx Fansubs. Same link, enjoy. I know I did.

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.

 (...)

 Continue reading 'Kurozuka Manga Gets Anime'...

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".