The official website of Anime Contents Expo (ACE) has opened today, bringing more details about this new anime industry event, whose first edition will be held this year at Makuhari Messe in Chiba prefecture, between March 26-27. By no small coincidence, this coincides with the last two days of the traditional Tokyo International Anime Fair (TAF) - which many of the top anime and manga companies will boycott, in sign of protest to Tokyo's recently passed amendment to its Youth Healthy Development Ordinance.



ACE 2011 will be held in Makuhari Messe Exhibition Halls 3 & 4, with visiting hours open between 09:00 and 18:00 on both days (March 26-27). The entrance fee will be 1,500 yen for a single day, and apparently there will be no two-day passes. Those interested in buying tickets early can refer to the "Tickets" section on the official website.

The organizers - and exhibitors confirmed so far - include (...)

 Continue reading 'Anime Contents Expo 2011 Updates'...

So you know Mahou Shoujo Madoka Magica, this season's "cute healing anime" packed full of magical girls and hot transformations? Well, a few days ago episode 3 aired in Japan, making a pretty shocking revelation that this is actually a *spoiler* bloody horror anime. Scenario writer Urobuchi Gen eventually apologized for having mislead us. And just like that, my previously-mild interest in this title has soared through the roof.



A somewhat slow to surface news relays the announcement of a Macross F virtual concert hosted on Sony's PlayStation Home service, using 3D graphics. This actually seems to have been revealed one week ago, in a video program with Megumi Nakajima and Aya Endo - the voice actresses of Ranka and Sheryl from the anime adaptations. A good way to promote the 2nd Macross Frontier movie, that premieres in Japan this February 26.

A small non-controversy broke out after the first Blu-ray and DVD volume of (...)

 Continue reading 'Checkpoint: Madoka, Macross F, Ika Index, PSP2'...

Not since the days of that legendary pedobear hat from a great many winters ago (actually from earlier this week), has there been something more deserving of the lustful utterance "OMG GIEF!" - as this here pair of Fate/stay night curtains, with which to adorn your otaku sanctuary... *drool*... Damn you, random twitterer!



The upcoming anime Hyouge Mono is the first of this spring's new TV series to receive a precise starting time: April 7 at 23:00 hours, on Japan's NHK network, according to its freshly updated official website. The anime adapts Yoshihiro Yamada's historical manga Hyouge Mono: Tea for Universe, Tea for Life, about a man obsessed with tea ceremony and material desires in his pursuit of a fortuitous life.

Another upcoming TV anime (of decidedly more interest) is (...)

 Continue reading 'Checkpoint: Fate/stay, Hyouge Mono, BakaTest 2'...

FUNimation has finally addressed the issue that arose from their recent termination of Fractale's simulcast in North America, through an article titled "Anime Simulcasts, Territory Rights and the Future" posted on the official blog. But despite the sizable length of their argument, they either don't get, or they intentionally "ignore the elephant in the room", as one commenter best puts it.



The entire article pretty much heralds territorial lockouts as the second coming of Loli Jesus, but somehow avoids the real piracy-related (or, rather, piracy-inducing) problems that plague the anime industry. All the while making no effort whatsoever to dodge the truckload of guilt that was unjustly dumped onto them, by that "bullshit" Fractale Production Committee - when they had every right to take a defensive stand against an accusation that's simply out of their hands. Instead, they just dropped the soap and bent over. (...)

 Continue reading 'FUNi Talks Licensing, Piracy... But Doesn't Get It'...

TLDR version: Please submit one or more of your favorite lolicon anime from 2010 in the comments below, as candidates for our upcoming "Best Lolicon Anime of 2010" poll.

We take our lolis very srsly, here at Animekon. So when it comes to looking back over a whole year full of flat-chested temptations, trying to select but a precious few for our defining "Best Lolicon Anime" awards... well, it's hard. It's damn hard! Tossing lolis aside by the dozen, while trying to shake off the mental image of them crying their moe heart out; worrying about keeping the most likely fan-favorites above the cut; while also forcing our own fetishes in the final top 10 - all this can be a pretty nerve-racking process.



What you could do to help - and I would very much appreciate any feedback on this matter of utmost importance! - is to ease that "fan-favorites" part of the process, by sharing one or more of your favorite lolicon anime from last year in the comments below. TV series, OVAs and movies all qualify, as long as they aired / had an OVA volume released (...)

 Continue reading 'Best Lolicon Anime of 2010 Candidates - Help!'...

The "politics x mahjong action" manga Mudazumo Naki Kaikaku: The Legend of Koizumi has been re-elected for a new term. Its second part will begin serialization this spring, in the Kindai Mahjong magazine. Meanwhile, the first part of Hideki Ohwada's manga still has one more compiled volume (#6) left to be released in March, having just ended its serialization today. And if you haven't seen last year's free Koizumi OVA, go for it: it's crazy!



The Pokemon anime series Pocket Monsters: Diamond & Pearl, which ended in September after nearly 200 episodes, will receive an extra two episodes, as a TV special anime that will air in Japan this February 3. The stories depicted will be of "Hikari (Dawn in the English adaptation) and Takeshi (Brock) after their journey with Satoshi (Ash) ended".

The North American Blu-ray release of The Garden of Sinners (Kara no Kyoukai) with all its 7 anime films is still firmly set for this February 8. But first, on February 5, (...)

 Continue reading 'Checkpoint: Koizumi, Pokemon, Sinners, Pirates'...

Last update - 18:01 GMT (13:01 EST, 10:01 PST)

Through a new trailer that came out today, Houkago no Pleiades - the next Gainax anime - has finally unveiled its release date: February 1, 2011. The video also reminds us that this web-anime otherwise known as Afterschool Pleiades will be a "Hi-Def YouTube exclusive", created in collaboration with car maker Subaru. Below is a fitting fanart that brings together two prominent pink-haired magical girls from the current winter anime season: Subaru from the anime at hand, and Madoka from Mahou Shoujo Madoka Magica.



Speaking of fanarts, you might be interested in one (or more) of the local galleries that were given a face-lift last night: Broken Blade (the 5th anime film premires this January 22), Moshidora (starts on March 14) and Ikoku Meiro no Croisee. The latter also had its first trailer added here today (albeit neither recent, nor revealing), among a dozen other trailers.

An "Akihabara Guide" app has been released for the iPhone and (...)

 Continue reading 'Checkpoint: Pleiades, Akiba, Fractale'...

Last update - 23:41 GMT (18:41 EST, 15:41 PST)

The end of Bleach might be closer than expected, if a certain rushed blog post by the Japanese rock band ROOKiEZ is PUNK'D turns out to be true. They are the ones singing the anime series' latest ending theme song, and their post originally said that their tune "is perfect for the final season's climax" (implying that the anime will end by April). The message has since been edited to no longer include that remark, either because it was an untimely revelation, or they simply got it all wrong. Update: The rumor has been denied by Morita Yosuke, the anime's assistant recording director, who stated: "The airing schedule has been fixed far in advance and it won't be ended soon".



Realistically speaking, the worst-case scenario would be for the TV anime series to take a temporary break, and allow for more material to build up in the ongoing manga that it's based upon (since it's been catching up rather fast with the manga's story). The Bleach anime is currently at its 304th episode, which just came out today, as a matter of fact. And here's a freshly uploaded trailer previewing episode 305.


The "Tiger Mask" / "Naoto Date" charitable trend has finally reached critical mass, resulting in an explosive chain-reaction all over Japan, (...)

 Continue reading 'Checkpoint: Bleach, Tiger Mask, Live-Actions'...

Last update - 21:22 GMT (16:22 EST, 13:22 PST)

How much would a replica of Yui's guitar from K-ON! be worth, one that's signed by all five of the anime's seiyuus? 3 million yen? 20 million yen?... 9,999,999,999 yen?! All these are actual (albeit dubious) bids for such a guitar that's being offered at an online auction, on the Yahoo! Japan website. The latter one - obviously a dupe - would be about $120 million. But since then, the auction has been re-listed, in hopes for more serious bidders. Fat chance!



The two lead actors from this month's live-action Gantz movie - Ken'ichi Matsuyama and Kazunari Ninomiya - will appear in person at the film's January 20 premieres from both Japan (in Tokyo) and the U.S. (in Hollywood). Indeed, that very same day! Brrr, have fun with the jet-lag, guys.

A new Patlabor-related book by Mamoru Oshii is being listed for release (...)

 Continue reading 'Checkpoint: K-ON!, Gantz, Patlabor, Tiger Mask'...

Last update - 23:59 GMT (18:59 EST, 15:59 PST)

Phew, finally some breathing time after this week's downpour of announcements. Enough so, that I managed to catch up with some trailers and other goodies for the latest anime series that started today and yesterday. I'll get to them in a bit, but first...

The lulz anime Lucky Star will soon receive a proper release in Blu-ray format, as a limited edition "Complete Box" set that's coming out in Japan this May 27. The noteworthy thing about it is that it will include not only English subs, but even English dubs, along with the standard Japanese audio and subs. Both the 2007 TV series and the 2008 OVA will be there, as will various other bonuses that you can read about on ANN. The price, you ask? 39,900 yen, or about $475. I'm not even going to comment on that...



The xxxHOLiC Rou manga is coming to an end next month, with the release of Bessatsu Shonen Magazine's March issue on February 9, which will carry the final chapter in this CLAMP-stamped manga. The subsequent 19th compiled volume will follow on March 9, bringing with it the second OVA episode of xxxHOLiC Rou - titled "Adayume".

Now, about those new anime series that began airing this weekend (...)

 Continue reading 'Checkpoint: Lucky Star, xxxHOLiC, Trailers'...