Tuesday, February 10

Maria+Holic OP, "Hahaji"



Piano version



Anime

Typical Shinbo madness, now ascended into memorable anime meme.

Crunchy Roll is given more recognition by Japanese industry

In blatant recognition by Japanese anime industry, Crunchy Roll, premier streaming site of Asian media notably anime which used to be illegal appointed to the industry body that organizes Tokyo Anime Fair annually. Used to be hated black sheep by Japanese anime industry, now it is welcomed with open arms ever since Crunchy Roll goes legit. It is also first non Japanese entity to join Assn. of Japanese Animations the organization that supervises the premier fair for anime industry.

Considering it was first formed in 2006, it has been a meteoric rise for San Francisco company, underscoring the emerging technology where people is getting more comfortable streaming anime instead of downloading them. Essentially, it might seen as Third Wave movement as coined by famous American futurist, Alvin Toffler.

Source

Earlier entry
Japanese editorial on Crunchy Roll

Sequel to Spice and Wolf / 狼と香辛料


Due to successful DVD sales (vol 1 reached 9133 units), Spice and Wolf sequel is announced with pretty much the same crew who did the 1st last year except for character designer (Kazuya Kuroda is replaced by Toshimitsu Kobayashi). Studio Brain Base will be doing this instead of IMAGIN.

I consider this series as delightful, under the radar hit, kindling hopes that there is still something anime can offer. Slated for summer 2009 release, perhaps same time with famous moe anime, Nogizaka no Himitsu (also another DVD success, 7556 unit for vol 1).

Certainly good news for me.

Official News

Mamoru Oshii's Production I.G Musashi Teaser is out.



Oh! Beautiful! I am so looking forward to this. I wonder if they using the novel's template to tell the famous sword saint or not.

Production staff includes director Mizuho Nishikubo (also known by his alias Toshihiko Nishikubo) who has worked on numerous Oshii films including Ghost in the Shell (1995), Innocence (2004) and The Sky Crawlers (2008). He also directed the TV series Otogi Zoshi and Legend of Heavenly Sphere Shurato. Kazuto Nakazawa, director of the mind-blowing animation segment in Quentin Tarantino's Kill Bill Vol. 1 (2003) and creator of innovative characters as seen in Samurai Champloo (2004), will design the characters for Musashi. The animation is supervised by Kazuchika Kise, the chief animator in Ghost in the Shell, Innocence and Blood: The Last Vampire.

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