OP for Phantom ~Requiem for Phantom~ by KOKIA

I hated this anime but the OP is wonderful. KOKIA has sang another great song for horrible anime of Gunslinger Girl: Il Treatino last year. She sounds like her songs, tragic but beautiful since she sing awesome songs for 2 terrible animes. Sounds strangely fitting for some reason, like celebrating the death of series.

Few more of her works solidify perhaps undeserved reputation since her voice is beautiful are Brain Powerd (the one where Gundam creator erred big time) and Agito: Spirit of the Past (the movie is not that good).

Cheers.

Her website.

SEGA in trouble.

Usually the word restructuring means you in bad shape and need to lose bloat in order to make money again instead of losing it. SEGA, despite successes like Valkyria game which now adapted as anime currently has announced restructuring few days ago. The boss of SEGA (Takayuki Kawagoe) apparently lamenting despite high ratings for SEGA gamesby critics, it did not translate immediately into sales. He also speak of diversifying, SEGA now eagerly parceling out its work to be adapted as anime which something they rarely do in the past.

Apparently they combining assets from east and west to work in synergy for SEGA's vision (cut cost and less layers of decision making). In February they reported 119 m USD losses and already axed 110 arcade centers it its wake. This is not the end though, SEGA expecting 235 m USD loss by March, a very grim number.

It is no wonder that Tales of Abyss enjoyed such qualitative animation due to generous funding but Valkyria anime feel shortchanged in animation department. It is such a stark difference. In 2008, SEGA was reporting 170 m USD profit.

The grim reaper of economy recession has yet to finish.

Source