Monday, June 22, 2015

Vampire Hunter D - V is for Vampire AMV



AMV link:  here
AMV creator: Shae Studios Youtube Channel
Series:  Vampire Hunter D/Vampire Hunter D Bloodlust
Song:  V is for Vampire by Powerman 5000

Vampire Hunter D is a phenomenon that's been going on for well over 20 years at this point and it still keeps things in the vampire genre fresh and inovating.  The original film, Vampire Hunter D, though it shows it's age, is still a landmark film responsible for introducing many in the West to anime.  It's second film Vampire Hunter D Bloodlust (based on the 3rd novel) more closely resembles the famed Yoshitaka Amano's (of Final Fantasy fame) artstyle all while telling an intriguing tale of forbidden love.

With Discotek releasing a new print of Bloodlust and Sentai Filmworks releasing the original film, albeit with a new dub and no sign of the original Streamline dub (which is actually incredibly accurate to the Japanese version); I figured it was time to see if this fantastic series had gotten some AMVs done for it.

Friday, June 12, 2015

ThatKaitoDan RWBY Volume 2 Retrospective Part 2 - 4

Part 2


Part 3


Part 4




Sorry for the delay folks, but after some tech malfunctions our friend ThatKaitoDan is back with Part 2, Part 3, and Part 4 of his RWBY Volume 2 Retrospective!!!

These Parts cover characters both major and minor, Team RWBY as a whole, and character development, importance to the plot, and other things.

Monday, June 8, 2015

Capcom Announces Resident Evil 0 HD Remaster



Good news Resident Evil fans, the oft' times forgotten Resident Evil 0 (prequel to the original RE game) is getting an HD Remaster in the vein of last year's Resident Evil HD release!

The game is set to hit PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, and PC in early 2016. E3 is just several days away, so we could possibly get some more information then!  It’s already looking quite nice, showing the same level of polish the recent HD remaster of the Resident Evil Remake got.

No word on if this game will also feature an alternate control configuration like the RE Remake HD edition got but for those of you, like me, who just cannot get the old tank controls to cooperate very well this option might be one of the saving graces to those interested in seeing the game that's often forgotten from RE's history.


The game is set to hit PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, and PC in early 2016. E3 is just several days away, so we could possibly get some more information then! It’s already looking quite nice, showing the same level of polish the recent HD remaster of the Resident Evil Remake got. - See more at: http://www.relyonhorror.com/latest-news/resident-evil-news/capcom-releases-first-official-trailer-for-resident-evil-o-hd-remaster/#sthash.7NChsWlg.dpuf
The game is set to hit PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, and PC in early 2016. E3 is just several days away, so we could possibly get some more information then! It’s already looking quite nice, showing the same level of polish the recent HD remaster of the Resident Evil Remake got. - See more at: http://www.relyonhorror.com/latest-news/resident-evil-news/capcom-releases-first-official-trailer-for-resident-evil-o-hd-remaster/#sthash.7NChsWlg.dpuf
The game is set to hit PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, and PC in early 2016. E3 is just several days away, so we could possibly get some more information then! It’s already looking quite nice, showing the same level of polish the recent HD remaster of the Resident Evil Remake got. - See more at: http://www.relyonhorror.com/latest-news/resident-evil-news/capcom-releases-first-official-trailer-for-resident-evil-o-hd-remaster/#sthash.7NChsWlg.dpuf

Thursday, June 4, 2015

Shonen Jump: J-Stars AMV


We're less than a month away from the release of the highly anticipated J-Stars Victory Vs.+ for PS3, PS4, and Vita in the US! Need a reminder of exactly why we're looking so forward to this game? This AMV showcasing some of the best of the best of Shonen Jump – both characters and shows included in the game and ones that aren't – serves as the perfect look back at the iconic SJ brand, as well as getting us seriously excited to punch Sasuke as Goku. Get hyped!

Monday, June 1, 2015

Master Keaton Case 6: White Goddess



Case 6:  White Goddess


SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS

Friday, May 29, 2015

Dissidia Arcade shows off new characters Bartz and Squall




Wednesday, May 27, 2015

Predator: Dark Ages short film released!



About a month ago I posted about an intriguing fan film in the Predator universe.  The trailer looked intriguing and now we have the entire short film on youtube!!!

From the film's youtube channel:

Set during the Crusades, the faith & fighting skills of a group of Templar Knights is put to the test when they encounter the Predator. Their battle is the thing Myths and Legends are born from.

Starring Adrian Bouchet, Amed Hashimi, Sabine Crossen, Ben loyd-Holmes, Jon Campling, Joe Egan and Philip Lane.

Written and directed by James Bushe.
http://www.jamesbushe.co.uk/

Director of Photography - Simon Rowling. http://www.srcinematography.co.uk/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PredDarkAges
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Predator_DA
@Predator_DA

A huge thank you to all our kickstarter contributors and everyone that has supported our film. We couldn't of done it with out you and hope you enjoy!

This is an independent, non-profit, artistic expression created purely as a fan film, for fans, by fans! It is in no way connected to, or endorsed by 20th Century Fox, nor is it intended to undermine or compete with any existing or forthcoming material.

Dragon Ball Z: Resurrection 'F' Theater Run Announced, Teaser Trailer Released


FUNimation has announced that it's limited theatrical run for the latest Dragon Ball Z movie, 'Resurrection 'F'', will begin on August 4th hand last through the 12th. No theater locations or times have been announced at this time however, but we can probably expect to see them soon.

In addition to this announcement, a teaser trailer for the film's English version was released.


I, as well as fellow writer Alc, missed out on going to see the previous film in theaters here, but hopefully with this film getting a slightly longer run than Battle of Gods did, we'll be able to go see this one!

Monday, May 18, 2015

Persona 4: The Golden Licensed by Aniplex USA



Aniplex USA has announced that they will be releasing the anime adaptation of Persona 4: The Golden as two 6-episode Blu-ray volumes in sub only format, with the first set to come out on July 21st. The volumes will also come with an original soundtrack CD, deluxe booklets, and a postcard set.

Sentai released the first Persona 4 anime, and for a variety of reasons, I really wish they had gotten this one as well. Sentai was able to get us a dub that got most of the original game cast back (and even some of the replacements soon became the new official cast members, and thus probably weren't their fault), and their sets, while pricey, weren't anywhere near the kind of pricing we can definitely expect to see from Aniplex, who excel at price gouging to an ungodly degree. Needless to say, this is far from stellar news from where I sit.

'The Boy and the Beast' Licensed by FUNimation



Coming as a surprise to probably no one, FUNimation has announced it's acquisition of Mamoru Hosoda's latest film, 'The Boy and the Beast'. The film is set to open on July 11 in Japan, with international theaters getting a limited release later this year and more to come in early 2016.

FUNimation has also previously released Hosoda's films 'Summer Wars' and 'Wolf Children', and seems likely to be the go to company for all of his work moving on. This is purely speculation, but it's also likely that Mike McFarland will be the director for this film's English dub, as he was for the previous two films.

Fairy Tail's Second Film Announced


Weekly Shonen Magazine in Japan has announced that a second film for Fairy Tail has been greenlit. No other information is available at this time, but as with most things, additional news is expected to leak out in earnest in the coming weeks.

Fairy Tail's first film was released in 2012, and while I haven't seen it yet (or any of the anime, despite owning a chunk of it), I am a huge fan of the manga, so I hope this movie turns out to be a good one.

JoJo's Bizarre Adventure To Be Dubbed


Despite earlier information hinting that the release of Season One of 'JoJo's Bizarre Adventure' would be sub-only, the listing has been updated via RightStuf to include a dub! This is very exciting news as this series is definitely one that could get some attention from outside the anime bubble, so this is a great additional way for it to do that, as well as maybe even ending up on Toonami in the future.

'The Muppets' Official Trailer Released


An official trailer for the newest incarnation of the Muppets was released online a little over a week ago!

The show is set to air this fall, and while the mockumentary/interview cutaway gag style still seems a little iffy in theory to me, I have to admit – this trailer gives me a lot of hope that this is going to be the kind of show Muppet fans are really going to enjoy.

Sunday, May 17, 2015

Mushishi: The Next Chapter film previewed in teaser



The Mainichi Shimbun paper's MAiDiGi service began streaming the teaser trailer for the Mushishi Zoku Shou:  Suzu no Shizuku film on Thursday. The same teaser trailer debuted on the anime's official website in April.

Saturday, May 16, 2015

Patlabor - Running Up That Hill AMV



AMV link:  here
AMV creator:  Shae Studios YouTube Channel
Series:  Patlabor The Movie 1/2
Song:  Running Up That Hill by Placebo

Many people know the Patlabor series through the OVA and Television Series which took an oftentimes lighthearted comedic approach with occasional series story threads.  Others however, like myself, were introduced to the series through the films which are much more serious in nature (both are good however, but it can be jarring going from the films to the series if you don't know what to expect).  Patlabor has a few AMVs but not as many as the franchise deserves.

Friday, May 8, 2015

Sentai Filmworks Licenses My Love Story!! Shojo anime






North American anime licensing company Sentai Filmworks announced on Thursday that it acquired the ongoing My Love Story!! (Ore Monogatari!!) television anime series. It plans to release the anime "soon" through select digital outlets, with a home video release to follow.


Viz Media is publishing Kazune Kawahara and Aruko's original shojo romantic comedy manga in North America, and the publisher describes the story:
Takeo Gōda is a giant guy with a giant heart. Too bad the girls don't want him! (They want his good-looking best friend, Sunakawa.) Used to being on the sidelines, Takeo simply stands tall and accepts his fate. But one day when he saves a girl named Yamato from a harasser on the train, his (love!) life suddenly takes an incredible turn!
The anime's main cast includes:
  • Takuya Eguchi as Takeo Gōda
  • Megumi Han as Rinko Yamato
  • Nobunaga Shimazaki as Makoto Sunakawa
 
Morio Asaka (Chihayafuru, Aoi Bungaku Series' No Longer Human, NANA, Card Captor Sakura) is directing the anime at the studio MADHOUSE (Parasyte, Hunter x Hunter, Summer Wars, Paprika).  Natsuko Takahashi (Brothers Conflict, Nobunaga Concerto, Akatsuki no Yona, Yokai Watch) is in charge of the series scripts, and Kunihiko Hamada (Chihayafuru, NANA, Monster, Summer Wars) is designing the characters.

Crunchyrollhas been streaming the anime since it premiered in Japan in April.

I've been a fan of the series ever since the first volume of the manga was released stateside so I'm very eager to see how it translates to an anime format.  I already know Episode 4 is a chapter from later on (Chapter 6 or 7 if I'm remembering correctly) but it's placement as Episode 4 doesn't hinder things in the slightest as far as character development goes.

Sentai's dubs however are very hit-and-miss with me so while I would have preferred FUNimation to acquire the rights to the series I'm just happy someone stateside has the anime for us fans to purchase!


Thursday, May 7, 2015

Digimon Adventure Tri Website Lists Daisuke Motomiya


'This world has chosen the reality and the future which shouldn't have been chosen.' This line from the recently released Digimon Adventure Tri trailer has already lead to much speculation from fans that the film series might be retconning Digimon Adventure 02 – the immediate sequel to the original anime and often considered the black sheep of the franchise. This theory might already have been derailed however, as some poking around on the official Japanese website apparently can lead one to finding the name 'Daisuke' in it's coding. Daisuke – or as he was known outside of Japan, Davis – was the lead character of Digimon Adventure 02.

This obviously doesn't confirm anything 100% however. There's a chance this could amount to nothing, however, it's also possible it could amount to the character (and perhaps others from 02) being used in entirely different ways and still retcons 02 in some form or fashion. We'll keep you posted as more news becomes available!

JoJo's Bizarre Adventure 'Season 1' DVD Listing Unveiled


An Amazon listing has gone up for 'Season 1' of JoJo's Bizarre Adventure, listing it for a July 28th release, from Warner Home Video. ANN has confirmed through Viz Media – who are the master merchandise license-holder for the franchise – that they are not involved in this release, though they are releasing the original manga.

Not much else is known about this release as of now. 'Season 1' might not even mean the original anime series adapting Parts 1 and 2 of the manga, as a 'test dub' of a few 'Season 2' episodes which adapts Part 3 of the manga was released online last year. Hopefully this is a release of the first anime however, before they can move on to the later material at a later date.

Viz Licenses First Three Naruto Epilogue Novels



Coming as somewhat of a surprise, Viz Media has announced that they will be releasing the first three Naruto 'epilogue' novels in English starting this year. The epilogue novels tell character-specific stories that will help bridge the gap between the final two chapters of the manga, much as last year's film 'The Last' did.

The first three, of six total, novels that we're confirmed to get are 'Kakashi's Story', 'Shikamaru's Story', and 'Sakura's Story', and are planned to be released in November, February 2016, and May 2016 respectively. The following three books, which are entitled 'Konoha Hiden', 'Gaara Hiden', and 'Akatsuki Hiden' in Japan, are due to come out in May, June, and July of this year respectively, and will hopefully be licensed at a later date.

Viz also announced licensing the 'Uzumaki Naruto: Illustrations' book that will be released in November, as well as giving the 72nd (and final) manga volume a February 4th release date.

Wednesday, May 6, 2015

Digimon Adventure Tri Update News: Trailer, Movie, and Cast Announcement


News on the upcoming 'Digimon Adventure Tri' series has been coming out at a somewhat steady, somewhat slow, pace ever since it was first announced, but at the end of a recent streaming of the original series, Toei dropped some pretty big bombshells about it, as well as giving us a teaser trailer.


Digimon Adventure Tri, which was originally announced as a TV series, is now apparently a six-part film series instead, the first of which is titled 'Saikai' (or 'Reunion') and is due out on November 21st. The series has also reunited the cast of the Digimon partners from the original series, but the DigiDestined/Chosen Children themselves have all been recast.

Taichi Yagami – Natsuki Hanae
Yamato Ishida – Yoshimasa Hosoya
Sora Takenouchi – Suzuko Mimori
Koushiro Izumi – Mutsumi Tamura
Mimi Tachikawa - Hitomi Yoshida
Jou Kido – Junya Ikeda
Takeru Takaishhi – Junya Enoki
Hikari Yagami – MAO

The series will be re-using the original series opening and closing, 'Butterfly' by Kouji Wada and 'I Wish' by AiM, as well as Ayumi Miyazaki's 'Brave Heart' being used as the insert song. Whether this means literally the same songs or re-makes of them by the original artists is yet to be known.

Overall, this is some big and rather shocking news. The anime was originally supposed to start this Spring as a TV series, but then it was delayed, and now seems to have shifted formats entirely. This, as well as the main cast upheaval, is a bit of a sign for worry, but the trailer definitely peaks my interest, and I'm still eager to see where this goes.

Dragon Ball Xenoverse: Resurrection 'F' Goku and Vegeta Outfits Now Available!


It's been known for a while now that the third DLC pack for Xenoverse, when it finally comes out, will contain playable characters from the new film. However, an unannounced bonus pack was just released yesterday, containing even more Resurrection 'F' goodness!

The pack, which is free to players who previously purchased the Season Pass (unsure on if it's free for everyone or not) contains two outfits and one accessory for our customizable characters.
  • Whis Symbol Gi
  • Whis Symbol Armor
  • Super Saiyan God Super Saiyan Goku Wig
The Gi and Armor are the outfits that Goku and Vegeta wear in the new movie, after Whis 'autographs' them, and the wig gives the playable characters Goku's SSGSS hair. The items are deposited right into your inventory, so you don't even have to spend any in-game zeni on them to use them.

We're still waiting on the release of DLC Pack 3, which contains SSGSS Goku and Vegeta, as well as Golden Frieza and Jaco, as playable characters among other bonuses, but it should be released any day now.

Sunday, May 3, 2015

Master Keaton Case 5: Paris Under the Roof





Case 5:  Paris Under the Roof


SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS


Thursday, April 30, 2015

Slow Mo Guys Tribute - We Can Make the World Stop AMV



AMV link:  here
AMV creator:  maruul
Series:  Slow Mo Guys/Rooster Teeth
Song:  We Can Make the World Stop by The Glitch Mob

Something a little different for our AMV posts.  I'm a huge fan of Rooster Teeth in all it's facets, and one of the ones I particularly like is the oftentimes educational and always cool The Slow Mo Guys.  If you've never checked them out give their main youtube a gander here

And here's a channel trailer for you to watch as well!


Wednesday, April 29, 2015

New Series 'Dragon Ball Super' Announced, Airing in July


Hold onto your hats people, this is not a drill! In news that came out of nowhere, it has been announced that a new Dragon Ball series, the first 'new' one in 18 years, will begin airing in Japan in July! The series, titled 'Dragon Ball Super', will take place 'after the defeat of Majin Buu, when the Earth is peaceful again'. Original creator Akira Toriyama is credited as coming up with the original story and character concepts for the series.

Some additional notes should be added to this however. 1) For clarity's sake, 'Dragon Ball Kai' began airing in 2009, so we've had a series on TV since the end of GT in 1997, but by Kai's very nature I can see why it's not considered “new”. 2) While the announcement lists it as taking place after Majin Buu, that doesn't mean it will actually be after the end of the manga, as both of the two recent films as well as the Jump Special Animation Tour special before them, also take place after that arc but during the 'ten year' time skip prior to the final chapters. This series could very well be in that same area of time. 3) It doesn't pay to be cynical, but it's worth pointing out that GT was originally touted as having Toriyama's involvement as well, but in the end his involvement was very minimal. While it's unlikely that that's true this time as well due to Toriyama's increased interest in the franchise as of late, it's still something to keep in mind.

Needless to say, this is news that I never thought I'd actually read or have the pleasure of reporting on. Dragon Ball Z was arguably my first anime series, is still one of my favorites, and the Dragon Ball franchise as a whole is among my absolute favorite things. To think we're getting another new series...I'm a little numb with excitement!

Monday, April 27, 2015

Discotek's Lupin III: Jigen's Gravestone dub available on Hulu






Late 2014 saw Discotek announce the acquisition of the newest Lupin III "film"  Daisuke Jigen's Gravestone.  What was even more surprising was that Discotek announced the film would be dubbed, a first dub for the company (they keep dubs on shows that have previously had them but don't dub themselves).  But a few days ago a new bit of news was dropped to the surprise of everyone.


Lupin III: Jigen's Gravestone is on Hulu dubbed. This Lupin production was dubbed in LA and features Richard Epcar back as Zenigata (he previously played the character in FUNimation's Lupin III:  Woman Called Fujiko Mine), but Keith Silverstein is Lupin, Cristina Vee is Fujiko, and Dan Worren is Jigen.

You can watch the entire film dubbed here and the subtitled version is also available!!!

The DVD and Blu-Ray release of the film is set to come out from Discotek/Eastern Star in 2015 but no concrete date has been given.

Thursday, April 23, 2015

New 'Muppets' Show To Be More...Adult?


Entertainment Weekly has reported that the upcoming revival series based on Jim Henson's Muppets characters is going to be a little 'different' than what fans might expect. The pilot, and entire concept of the series, is reportedly going to explore the 'personal lives' of the characters in a mockumentary style, reminiscent of Arrested Development and The Office, in a more 'adult' manner.

While the concept of exploring the characters sounds interesting, I have to admit, I'm a little concerned about the mockumentary style. If it's anything like it sounds to me, with characters constantly just talking to the cameras, then I'm not really a fan of that style of film based on examples of it I've seen before. As a big Muppets fan though, I'm still excited to check the series out when it finally airs.

1985 Vampire Hunter D Film to Receive New Dub


In news that nobody would have seen coming, Sentai has announced that the original Vampire Hunter D film will be receiving a new dub. The re-release is set to be available on DVD and Bluray on August 25, and it's unknown as of now if the original Streamline dub will also be on the new release as a bonus track.

There's not much else to report on as of now, but we'll try to keep you posted as more news becomes available.

Dragon Ball Xenoverse DLC Pack 3 Detailed


Further details on the third DLC pack for Dragon Ball Xenoverse have come to light! The pack which will mostly focus on the new film, 'Resurrection 'F'', will definitely contain the following.
  • 4 new playable characters (Super Saiyan God Super Saiyan Goku, Super Saiyan God Super Saiyan Vegeta, Golden Frieza, and Jaco the Galactic Patrolman)
  • 5 Parallel Quests
  • 2 new Masters (Jaco and '???')
  • 8 Master Quests
  • 14 Moves
  • 1 Accessory
  • 7 Z-Souls
The second mystery mentor is rumored to be Old Kai, which could hint at playable characters getting the 'Ultimate' transformation. It's also unsure if some of the other Japanese DLC for the film's promotion, such as Tagoma's scouter and Goku and Vegeta's new movie outfits for custom characters, will also be included. Most interesting of all is the fact that there doesn't seem to be any story missions from the film.

The pack currently has no official date announced, but is rumored to be by the end of the month, likely on the 28th.

Mr. Holmes First Trailer Released

The first trailer for the upcoming film 'Mr. Holmes' has also hit the internet.


The film, which is currently set to release in the UK on June 19 (no US release date has been announced as of yet) will star Ian McKellen as an aged Sherlock Holmes, whose memory is starting to fade, as he relives the details of his last – and only failed – case.

The entire concept sounds incredibly interesting, and with McKellan at the helm, this is definitely a movie to keep an eye on.

Jurassic World Global Trailer Released

We're still playing catch up from a lot of real-world work as of late, so bear with us – and first up is something that has me very excited, another new trailer for 'Jurassic World'!


Jurassic World, set to hit theaters on June 12, is the first new film for the franchise since 2001's Jurassic Park III. The story takes place twenty-two years after the events of the original film (matching the real-world passage of time) on Isla Nublar, were Hammond's dream of a fully functioning dinosaur park has finally come true. Attendance numbers are dropping however, and in an attempt to boost those numbers, the staff have created a new 'hybrid' dinosaur, the 'Indominus Rex'. The creature quickly proves to be too much to control, and Owen Grady (Chris Pratt), the park's Velociraptor trainer, is enlisted to help track down the renegade dinosaur.

The film, also starring Bryce Dallas Howard and Vincent D'Onofrio, is one of my most anticipated movies of the year. I've been a huge Jurassic Park fan ever since I was a kid, so to have a chance to re-live that kind of feeling all over again is going to be great!

Wednesday, April 22, 2015

Noctis coming to Dissida after Final Fanatsy XV



Square Enix have been hosting location tests for Dissidia Final Fantasy at arcade centers in Japan, and several key developers in Square Enix producer Ichiro Hazama, Koei Tecmo director Takeo Kujiraoka, and head of Team Ninja Yosuke Hayashi answered a few questions in an interview with Dengeki.

So far, it’s been announced that Dissidia Final Fantasy on arcade will feature characters from the first Final Fantasy up until Final Fantasy XIV. Dengeki asks if there’s a chance we’ll see Noctis from Final Fantasy XV as one of the characters that eventually makes it into the game.

“We’re thinking about it, of course. He would likely use something like his ‘Phantom Swords’,” Kujiraoka says with a laugh.

“There are even some among us that have been thinking about it, saying ‘if Noctis will be in it, how will he perform those warps?’” adds Hayashi.

“However, this will have to be after Final Fantasy XV releases,” Hazama says. “It would be a bit too much to play as a Final Fantasy XV character in arcades right after the demo.”

Considering that Team Ninja are working on the development of Dissidia Final Fantasy, Dengeki asks if there’s a chance of seeing characters from the Dead or Alive series. To this, Hayashi responds by saying that for Dissidia Final Fantasy, it would be best to develop the game with Final Fantasy fans in mind. Team Ninja’s role is to provide their knowhow, experience, and technology.

Since their goal is to add 50 characters or more, there may be a lot of space in the roster for other characters, but Hayashi says that Final Fantasy is a series with a lot of characters, so there will be plenty to choose from, and clarifies that they don’t have any plans on adding Dead or Alive characters.

Moving on, Team Ninja’s Soft Engine is used to show more realistic skin texture and movements to the characters of Dead or Alive. Dengeki asks whether the studio will employ it for Dissidia Final Fantasy.

“At first, we asked ‘can we try it out with Terra?’” Hayashi responds with a laugh. “However, currently, it’s been decided not to use it for the time being. I don’t know if we will by the time it’s done, but we’ll try creating the game without using it first. We’ve discussed how once a character that requires it for ‘that’ appears, we’ll think about it again.”

Tomorrowland 2nd trailer



Tomorrowland has a 2nd trailer out for our viewing pleasure, and I'm getting more and more interested with every new detail I see.

Space Funk - Uptown Dandy AMV



There are so many great Space Dandy AMVs it's hard to choose just one, but recently a lot of them have been made using Uptown Funk.  This one is probably my favorite.


AMV link: here
AMV Creator:  Nearphotison
Series:  Space Dandy
Song:  Uptown Funk by Mark Ronson featuring Bruno Mars

ThatKaitoDan RWBY Volume 2 Retrospective Part 1




thatkaitodan:
Welp after several months of delays and even a final hurdle stopping this come out sooner, FINALLY my RWBY Volume 2 Retrospective is here!!!
Part 1 on my thoughts and feelings on the recent volume's content right here, keep in mind these are just my opinions, not the cold hard facts of the show, opinions vary. The remaining parts coming soon.  :)

Tuesday, April 21, 2015

New Lupin the 3rd Series Composed by Yuji Ohno Confirmed!


The new 'Lupin III' TV series that was originally announced for Spring in Japan has unfortunately been delayed until the fall – but it's not all bad news however. The 'original' composer, Yuji Ohno, has been enlisted to do the series score! Ohno released a comment on his involvement with the series, stating “"Lupin is returning center stage! This is what 'Lupin Sound' should be! Please look forward to that kind of music." While Ohno didn't score the original 'green jacket' series, he did score the second and third TV series (often affectionately referred to by fans as the 'red jacket' and 'pink jacket' series), as well as all of the yearly TV specials for the franchise.

There has been no word as of yet as to the cast of the franchise, but it is likely that everyone from the recent series and specials will be returning. The only one in question (and keep in mind this is highly, highly speculative) is Jigen's original seiyuu, Kiyoshi Kobayashi. Kobayashi has been playing the character since the 70's, and the recent 'Daisuke Jigen's Gravestone' film seems like the ideal place for him to step down if he so wishes. We at the Fandom Writer certainly hope he's still involved though.

009 Re:Cyborg English Cast & Release Date Announced


After licensing it a few years ago, FUNimation has finally announced the English release date and cast for the 2012 film '009 Re:Cyborg'. The DVD/Blu-ray combo will be released on July 28th, with a limited edition set to include a 44 page interview and information booklet. The English cast is as follows.

Joe Shimamura/009 – Jason Griffith
Ivan Whisky/001 – Stephanie Sheh
Jet Link/002 – Marc Diraison
Francoise Arnoul/003 – Erin Fitzgerald
Albert Heinrich/004 – Dave B. Mitchell
Geronimo Jr./005 – Patrick Seitz
Chang Changku/006 – Michael Sorich
Great Britain/007 – John White
Pyunma/008 – Marcus Griffin
Dr. Isaac Gilmore – George C. Cole
Samual Klein – Kevin T. Collins
Void – Greg Abbey
Navy Man – Sean Schemmel

FUNimation is collaborating with Michael Sinterniklaas's N.Y.A.V. Post studio for the dub, which is why it has a mixture of LA and NY based voice actors rather than FUNimation's in-house crew. Sinterniklaas is also set to direct alongside Anthony Tortorici.

I only vaguely remember the early 2000's anime series of Cyborg 009 from Toonami, but I liked it well enough to be quite interested in how this film turns out.

Boruto: The Movie First Teaser Released


A first teaser trailer for the upcoming 'Boruto: The Movie' has hit the internet.


Not a lot is shown other than giving us a brief look at the animation, which again still appears to look as good as we'd expect a Naruto film to, but it does tease a few interesting tidbits. As seen in the end of the manga, Boruto seems to have a bit of an issue with his father, likely due to how busy Naruto is. There also seems to be potential rivalry between him and Sarada, Sasuke and Sakura's daughter. Most interestingly though are a set of labels on some characters in the teaser, or most specifically, Sasuke. The label of 'Master' pops up over him, seeming to imply that he's actually the sensei for Boruto (and perhaps Sarada as well)! That would definitely be a twist I wouldn't have seen coming.

The film is currently set to release in Japanese theaters on August 7th.

Star Wars: The Force Awakens Second Teaser Released


We're a little behind on news due to a busy work weekend, so most of you have probably already seen this, but in case you haven't – a new teaser for Star Wars: Episode VII: The Force Awakens, has been released!



The teaser still doesn't show enough for myself personally to decide how interested I am, being an armchair Star Wars fan as it were, but does give us a little more of a glimpse into what the film might be entailing. It's definitely nice to finally hear Luke, see a tease of Leia, and flat-out see Han and Chewie yet again.

The film is currently slated to release on December 18, 2015, and is the first in a series of new films for the franchise in the works since Disney purchased the Star Wars film rights.

Monday, April 20, 2015

Alan Wake 2...coming after all? It's more likely than you might think





Fellow Alan Wake fans rejoice!!!

Not only is Remedy seriously considering giving us Alan Wake 2 after their newest game Quantum Break releases, but we even have some details and a prototype trailer to show for it!!!

A massive amount of text, some concept art, and a video are below the cut.


Predator: Dark Ages short film trailer



While we all patiently wait for more news on Shane Black’s new PREDATOR sequel, short film director James Bushe took matters into his own hands and made a fan film featuring the man-hunting extraterrestrials; only this time they're up against a group of Templar Knights, who are put to the test when they encounter the PREDATOR. You can watch the trailer below, as the short gears up for its premiere at the MCM London Comic-Con on May 22nd-24th.

PREDATOR: DARK AGES is a short film that follows…
"a group of Templar Knights that are charged with hunting down a "Demon" that plagues the countryside. Their battle with the Predator is the thing Myths and Legends are born from."
The film was written and directed by James Bushe and stars Adrian Bouchet, Amed Hashimi, Sabine Crossen, Ben loyd-Holmes, Jon Campling, Joe Egan and Philip Lane.


Master Keaton Case 4: Immortal Man



Case 4:  Immortal Man
  

SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS

 

Friday, April 17, 2015

Dissidia Arcade Test Tutorial Video



Square Enix has released a new seven-minute tutorial video detailing how to play Dissidia Final Fantasy Arcade ahead of its location test start on April 17.

The game is due out in Japanese arcades this fall.



Wednesday, April 15, 2015

J-Stars Victory Vs.+ Receives Western Release Date!


It's been known for a while that Western audiences were finally going to get to play J-Stars Victory Vs. at long last, but we didn't know exactly when...until now.


Bandai Namco has just announced that the US will receive the game for PS3, PS4, and (digitally on) Vita on June 30th! The UK will see a release four days prior to this on the 26th.

J-Stars Victory Vs. is the latest in a 'series' of games from Japan that mashes up characters from various Shonen Jump titles such as Dragon Ball, Naruto, Bleach, Yu Yu Hakusho, One Piece, JoJo's Bizarre Adventure, and many many more. The game allows you to duke it out in various locales from the included series, as well as play a story mode in a world that's a mash-up of these series as well. Unique to the non-Japanese release of the game however (hence the '+') will be some gameplay tweaks to balance the characters better, as well as an 'Arcade' mode to add further replay value.

Europe (and the US if they order from GameStop) will have the option to pre-order and receive a 'compendium' which will have character art and brief blurbs about the various titles included.

I am super excited for this game, being a big fan of a lot of the titles included as well as Shonen Jump in general. Time to pre-order!

Dragon Ball Xenoverse DLC Pack 2 is Available Now!


Despite some possible questions as to whether they were keeping to the originally announced date for North America, the second pack of DLC for Dragon Ball Xenoverse was released yesterday! As a reminder, this pack gives you:
  • 4 new playable characters (Nuova Shenron, Eis Shenron, Towa, & Mira)
  • 3 Time Patrol Quests (Story Mode)
  • 3 Parallel Quests
  • Pan as a Master, and her 5 Master Quests
  • 5 new costums from Pan, Gogeta, Super 17, Towa, and Mira
  • 22 new techniques from Pan and the four new playable characters
  • 6 new Z-Souls, 2 from Pan and 1 each from the new playable characters
DLC Pack 3 is still to be announced for a release date, but will feature (among other things) a playable version of Golden Freeza from the new 'Resurrection 'F'' film, as well as Jaco the Galactic Patrolman. Stay posted for more news as it hits!

Ant-Man Full Trailer Released



We're running a few days behind on this one, but on April 13th, a second (but the first full) trailer for Marvel's upcoming 'Ant-Man' film was released online!


The film, set to be released on July 17th of this year, will tell the story of petty thief Scott Lang, as he is brought in by Dr. Hank Pym to safeguard the Ant-Man suit, a technology which gives it's user the ability to decrease in size but increase in strength, from people who want to misuse it's power.

Admittedly, Ant-Man is not a character I'm super familiar with, and on paper the concept sounds kind of ridiculous – as does the name – but I haven't been disappointed by one of the Marvel Cinematic Universe film choices yet, so I'm looking pretty forward to when this film comes out.

Level E Review Update


This is just an update on the progress of the Level E review. Originally, I was planning to do it episode by episode, as was being done with Master Keaton by Alc, but due to the heavy back-and-forth during my work and this style just not presenting itself as the best method for my writing on most things, I'm having to change it to a post-series 'full series' review. I may tackle other series in an episode-by-episode format in the future, but for now, it will have to be full series reviews. Sorry to anyone this may have disappointed, but I hope you still look forward to the review!

Monday, April 13, 2015

Long Live the King - Final Fantasy Tactics AMV



AMV link:  here
AMV Creator:  acidragdoll's channel
Series:  Final Fantasy Tactics:  War of the Lions
Song:  Viva La Vida by Coldplay

Final Fantasy Tactics is one of those classics that stood out in it's own time and still does today.  Held as one of the best tactical RPGs of all time, it was a godsend when Square announced they were giving fans an updated PSP port featuring fancy new cutscenes with a hand drawn and painted look which included voice acting, new jobs, and new guest characters and a mission mode to add to our roster.  Add in a newly translated script full of all the Shakespearean dialogue we never knew we needed and a story that drew in old fans as well as new ones and you have an epic ripe for the taking.

I never even knew people did AMVs of the title but I was pleasantly surprised to find this after I got done reporting on all of the Dissidia news we've had over the past few days.

Also of special note since this alone doesn't get it's own news blurb but it's been confirmed that one of Ramza's abilities in Dissidia will be Shout.  I'm excited to see how that unique ability will be used in the game's fighting system.

Dissidia Final Fantasy Arcade to have 14 characters at launch








Dissidia Final Fantasy for arcades will have 14 playable characters at launch, Square Enix clarified during a live stream this morning.



On Friday, Japanese outlets reported the publisher as saying at its Closed Conference event that the game would launch with 50 characters.  But this was misreported, the company said.  Rather, Square Enix is planning to have 50 playable characters in the long run, added to the game via post-launch updates.

To date, the following seven characters have been confirmed:
  • Warrior of Light (Final Fantasy I)
  • Onion Knight (Final Fantasy III)
  • Terra Branford (Final Fantasy VI)
  • Cloud Strife (Final Fantasy VII)
  • Lightning (Final Fantasy XIII)
  • Y’Shtola (Final Fantasy XIV)
  • Ramza Beoulve (Final Fantasy Tactics)
View some footage from the broadcast below.
 
  
While the battle set up menu (the picture with Y'Shtola up top) might look familiar to players of the handheld Dissidia titles on PSP the battle hud still looks just a tad bit cluttered to me.  Also of important note is the lack of villains in the starting line up.  Now I'm sure with 50+ playable characters we'll get some villains eventually but one my favorite things in the handheld titles was maining Garland.
 
However I do wonder if Kenji Utsumi's death in June 2013 is a reason we haven't seen the character added to the roster; Square Enix might be pretty busy both casting voice actors for any roles that have never before had speaking parts AND having to recast Garland.  If Garland does appear we at least still have his English voice actor, Chris Sabat of FUNimation, here to be his VA...unless we get a different director for this game than the previous two games had.  That director Bob Buchholz is a different voice director than the one for the main Final Fantasy series (Jack Fletcher) and while many may have criticized the direction he gave most of the actors he is at least kind enough to try and keep voice actors as consistent as possible.

Dissidia Arcade VS PS4 Comparison



Square Enix showed off the latest trailer for the upcoming arcade game, Dissidia Final Fantasy, and the developers have uploaded another pair of videos, including one that compares the game’s arcade looks to what it would look like on PlayStation 4.




The above video shows the comparison between what Dissidia Final Fantasy looks like on arcade and what it would look like on PlayStation 4. As previously reported, a PS4 version hasn’t been “officially” announced yet, as Square Enix said that they would like for fans to enjoy it first in arcades. They mentioned that there won’t be any development towards a console release until at least a year after the launch of the arcade version.



The second video shows more gameplay footage of the characters, starting with Warrior of Light, Onion Knight, Terra, Cloud, Lightning, and Y’shtola. The video also shows a glimpse of a Midgar stage, along with more 3v3 action and Ifrit in battle.