Puella Magi Madoka Magica Limited Edition Blu-ray Volume 1 Review

Review
by Zac Bertschy

http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/review/puella-magi-madoka-magica

Synopsis:
Madoka Kaname's life as an 8th grader couldn't be better – she has a loving family and great friends, and thanks to a little magical cat-creature thing named Kyubey, she's got the chance to throw it all away in favor of having magical girl powers. Along with her buddy Sayaka, Madoka weighs the intense pros and cons of signing a contract with Kyubey, making a wish and becoming a magical girl, whose duty it is to fight back the evil and mysterious “witches” who drive people to suicide. Before she makes her decision, however, the grim reality of service to Kyubey is put on full display.

Pre-Order here: http://www.rightstuf.com/catalog/browse/link/t=item,c=right-stuf,v=right-stuf,i=aoa1201l

Review:

The magical girl genre is one of the most well-worn and familiar assemblage of tropes anime has to offer – over the last 40 years or so it's been done, done again, done a hundred times more, beaten into the ground, resurrected, buried again and then exhumed. It's been satirized, parodied and paid loving tribute countless times, to the point where at times the genre parodies seemed to outnumber the sincere productions. They all follow the same basic set of rules – falsely “unremarkable” girl with a whole lot of moxie winds up with magical powers, a frilly dress, some sort of powerful totem (usually one that can be easily translated into bedazzled plastic merchandise) and, of course, an adorable and highly marketable fuzzy little sidekick. It's all ultra-familiar territory to anime fans, who at this point have likely seen so many parodies and deconstructions of the genre that any attempt to twist the material might feel stale.

It stands to reason, then, that when a real honest-to-goodness subversion comes along, it becomes a sensation. Puella Magi Madoka Magica avoids what nearly every other “magical girl deconstruction” does: instead of pretending to mock the genre while wallowing in its easiest clichés, Madoka Magica is truly attempting to do something different, introducing a host of wildly creative and deeply sinister elements, reaching inside the very heart of the genre itself and pulling it inside out.

At least, that's what the show seems like it's doing in these first 4 episodes, which is all you get in this installment of Aniplex's limited release.

It's a testament to the show's all-around superior craftsmanship, though, that these four episodes are so satisfying. We're introduced to the show's central conceit right up front: it opens inside plucky young Madoka's head, where she's having an apocalyptic vision of the future featuring a brave magical girl on the losing side of a desperate battle, hosted by a weird fuzzy little cat-eared mascot character named Kyubey. Kyubey promises Madoka that she can change this grim future by signing a contract to become a magical girl herself shortly before she wakes up. It's here we're given just a few moments of the familiar – she runs to her idyllic school with toast in her mouth, meets up with her best friends, all the things you can expect from the first episode of a magical girl series. The series starts showing its hand as quickly as it can, however, almost as if it's so excited to show you what you're in for that it simply can't wait.

Things start getting dark almost immediately: the girl from Madoka's dream, Homura, shows up as a transfer student and issues Madoka with a dire warning: “don't change who you are, and don't get involved with this nonsense”. Naturally, that doesn't stick; Madoka and her blue-haired friend Sayaka thwart Homura's attempt at taking Kyubey out, just in time for a “witch” attack, a powerful force invisible to most that drives people to suicide and murder. They're saved by Mami, a blonde magical girl who has fully bought in to her duty as a witch-slayer, one who clashes with the icy cold Homura and starts teaching Madoka and Sayaka all about the risks and rewards of a contract with Kyubey, whose formerly cute perma-smile and beady little pink eyes slowly become more and more sinister each time he's framed on screen. Even in the first episode, the show is extremely effective at laying a foundation that there's something deeply wrong with all of this and it isn't going to end well. By the end of the fourth episode, after some really disturbing events and revelations have occurred, you're cringing, wondering just how deep this rabbit hole goes and how bad things are going to get.

And that's really where the subversion comes in – the tone is executed with the sort of balance you rarely see. There's a palpable sense of dread hanging over everything that happens past the halfway mark in the first episode, one that drives you to continue watching rather than succumbing to pure angst. There's an expertise in the way the plot unfolds, sparing the clumsy exposition and only sharing what it needs to at the right moments, explaining as it goes along, making sure the audience knows the consequences of what's happening without drowning in lore. Central to all of this is the Kyubey character, who serves as sort of a symbol for what the creative team seems to be trying to do with this show – cute (and marketable!) on the outside, but it isn't remotely what it appears to be, instead hiding a litany of deep dark secrets that are better left buried. The world Madoka has found herself embroiled in isn't a magical fantasy world where she's moonlighting as a heroine saving pure hearts from incompetent villains and eating cake with her friends, it's a surrealist nightmare that she's been told will likely end in her death, to be forgotten by everyone who loves her. That the show posits this while pulling no punches makes it something special. At least, you know, in these first four episodes.

That quality doesn't stop at the storytelling – the artistry on display here is pretty fantastic and, best of all, risk-taking. Sure, the character designs are generally rote cutsey-poo magical girls with simplistic features and petticoats and jeweled sticks and whatnot, but once the “witches” start showing up, the show descends into almost psychedelic madness, a pastiche of cutout monarch butterflies and mustachioed dustballs filling the screen. It's unlike anything else out there, visually, and it evolves from episode to episode – each witch encounter is different from the last, following a different set of design rules, with grotesquely beautiful results. It's nigh-on experimental, and the juxtaposition of the twisted witch environments next to the cast's clean, stereotypical anime look provides a nice little summary of what makes this show so aesthetically different and daring. The animation itself isn't particularly spectacular – this was animated on a television budget, after all – but the art is so captivating that it's hard to notice the somewhat limited movement. It all looks incredibly sharp and handsome on bluray, too.

There's one massive downside to this release, and that is, of course, the episode count. Aniplex is doing what Aniplex does, which an approximation (or in many cases simply a re-labeled import) of the Japanese release, which means we only get 4 episodes in an impossibly handsome package designed to part superfans with their money for a limited amount of content. This first volume comes with the first 4 episodes on bluray and DVD in a clear case with a reversible cover, a stack of limited postcards, two unsettling Kyubey stickers, a folded mini-poster and a soundtrack CD in its own DVD case, all bundled up in a sturdy, sueded box with gold embossed lettering. They want $95 for this beast, and there's no doubt the fans will pay for it, but if you're new to the series – especially given the way the show is written and the cliffhanger at the end of episode 4 – it's going to be a long, frustrating wait to see if the series lives up to the promise on this disc. It'd have been nice if they'd charged $100 for the complete series in one box with no frills, but that isn't how their particular business model operates, so we all get to wait.

Also included in the box is an English dub, which is a nice change of pace for the normally dub-adverse Aniplex. It's a competent and serviceable dub, with a team of talented actresses doing their best to bring these characters to life in English. They manage to mostly avoid “generic anime girl dub voice”, matching the pathos on screen without resorting to overacting, which would've easily killed any gravitas the show has to offer. Even Kyubey's voice is a pretty solid match – they didn't stray very far from the tone of the original Japanese, inflection and performance-wise. There are a few unnecessary embellishments in the dub script – “I'll have to take her out of commission” gets changed to “I'll just have to take her rookie ass out of commission” and the like, the kind of “let's make it edgier!” antics that just don't feel like they needed to be in there. Thankfully, those moments are limited, and people who prefer dubs won't be missing anything by switching over to the English track.

Even with only 100 minutes to go on, it's pretty clear why this show was and continues to be such a hit with fans. It's genuinely trying to do something different, and the enthusiasm the creative team clearly has for this project is bursting from every frame. There's no telling if the show actually lives up to its promise or not – we'll have to wait it out like we did in the bad old days, twiddling our thumbs until volume 3 comes out in 4 or 5 months, but if the first third of the show is any indication, it'll be well worth the wait (and the fairly ridiculous expense). More, please.
 Grade:
Overall : A
Overall (dub) : A
Overall (sub) : A
Story : A
Animation : B
Art : A
Music : A

Production Info:

Series Director: Yukihiro Miyamoto
Director: Akiyuki Shinbo
Series Composition: Gen Urobuchi
Script: Gen Urobuchi
Storyboard:
Yoshiharu Ashino
Tomoyuki Itamura
Tomohiko Ito
Shinichi Komata
Noriko Nanashima
Masayoshi Nishida
Shinsaku Sasaki
Episode Director:
Fujiaki Asari
Tomoyuki Itamura
Takashi Kawabata
Toshiaki Kidokoro
Shinichi Komata
Takahiro Majima
Yukihiro Miyamoto
Masahiro Mukai
Kotono Watanabe
Yuki Yase
Music: Yuki Kajiura
Original Character Design: Ume Aoki
Character Design: Takahiro Kishida
Art Director: Kunihiko Inaba
Chief Animation Director:
Mika Takahashi
Junichiro Taniguchi
Animation Director:
Ryouma Ebata
Toshiyuki Fujisawa
Junichi Fukunaga
Jun Hanzawa
Akihiko Itō
Yoshiaki Ito
Yasutoshi Iwasaki
Noboru Jitsuhara
Tomoaki Kado
Tomohiro Kamitani
Miyuki Katayama
Ryo Kobayashi
Yuuji Kondou
Kazuhisa Kosuga
Akiyuki Matsumoto
Mayuko Matsumoto
Motoki Matsumoto
Hitoshi Miyajima
Shinichi Miyamae
Naoto Nakamura
Miyabi Ozeki
Masahiro Sekiguchi
Kazuya Shiotsuki
Mika Takahashi
Junichiro Taniguchi
Fuyumi Toriyama
Sound Director: Yota Tsuruoka
Director of Photography: Shinichiro Eto
Producer:
Yoshinao Doi
Osamu Hosokawa
Atsuhiro Iwakami
Kozue Kaneniwa
Hiro Maruyama

World Cosplay Summit U.S. Preliminaries to Be Held at Katsucon

NATIONAL HARBOR, MD – January 27, 2012 – The World Cosplay Summit is pleased to announce that U.S. preliminary rounds will be held at Katsucon on Saturday, February 18th at 8:30pm. Cosplay groups from around the country will compete for the honor of representing the United States at the 2012 World Cosplay Summit in Japan.

After several years as a secondary event at various conventions around the country, World Cosplay Summit and Katsucon are excited to roll out the Preliminaries as a centerpiece event for general attendance on the 10th anniversary of the World Cosplay Summit. Teams of two will present their costumes and performances to be evaluated by a panel of U.S. World Cosplay Summit winners from previous years. In bringing it to a rapidly growing convention near the nation's capital, World Cosplay Summit and Katsucon are thrilled at the opportunity to present the premier event in international cosplay exhibition to a new and wider audience.

More than two dozen teams from across the country are vying for the chance to represent the United States internationally and perform in Japan before a judges' panel made up of industry legends and cosplay specialists. Previous years' judges have included Go Nagai (Devilman, Cutie Honey), Tōru Furuya (Mobile Suit Gundam, Sailor Moon), Rika Matsumoto (Pokémon, Outlaw Star), and Japanese cosplay superstar Tatsumi Inui of the Cure cosplay community website. World Cosplay Summit looks forward to sharing all the excitement, competition and fabulous costumes with everyone at Katsucon 2012.

About World Cosplay Summit

The World Cosplay Summit was launched in 2003 by the events department of Japanese television station TV Aichi to promote an international exchange through the Japanese youth culture of manga and anime. The championship debuted in 2005 and has been held annually since, with participants hailing from countries like Japan, the United States, Brazil, France, Italy, and more. 2012 will mark the 10th time the event has been held.

The United States organizing branch has been headed since 2010 by freelance organizer and 2005 United States team member, Laura Butler.

World Cosplay Summit Preliminaries at Katsucon 2012
URL: http://www.katsucon.org
Dates: February 17-19
Location: National Harbor, MD
Cost: Free to attend with general admission (ticket prices vary)

Sentai Filmworks Licenses "Psychic Squad"

HOUSTON, January 30, 2012— Sentai Filmworks is glad to announce its license of PSYCHIC SQUAD (Zettai Karen Children) where, once upon a time, there were three little girls – who were all considered national security risks and a danger to the human race! The 52 episode series is based on a manga by Takashi Shiina (Ghost Sweeper Mikami) with direction by Keiichiro Kawaguchi (Hayate the Combat Butler, Nyan Koi!) and music by Kotaro Nakagawa (Code Geass, Inu x Boku S.S.).

They're cute, adorable and three of the most powerful Espers the world has ever seen: Kaoru, the brash psychokinetic who can move objects with her mind; Shiho, the sarcastic and dark natured psychometric able to pick thoughts from people's minds and read the pasts of inanimate objects like a book; and Aoi, the most collected and rational of the three, who has the ability to teleport herself and the others at will. So what to do with these potential psychic monsters in the making? Enter B.A.B.E.L., the Base of Backing ESP Laboratory, where hopefully “The Children” and others like them can become part of the answer to an increasing wave of psychic evolution. It's a win-win solution… Unless you're Koichi Minamoto, the overworked young man stuck with the unenviable task of field commanding a team of three pre-teen girls! Will Koichi survive the experience? Will the PLANET survive the experience? Find out as the girls get meta-physical in PSYCHIC SQUAD!

PSYCHIC SQUAD will soon be available digitally through multiple outlets, with a home video release on subtitled DVD scheduled for later this year.

About Sentai Filmworks:
Sentai Filmworks is one of the fastest-growing anime companies in North America, producing hit series like Highschool of the Dead, Towa no Quon, Samurai Girls, Guin Saga, Needless and Angel Beats! as well as high profile theatrical films such as Grave of the Fireflies and Appleseed. Sentai Filmworks' programs can be found on home video distributed by Ingram Entertainment, Baker & Taylor, Section23Films, The Right Stuf and other good and fine distributors. Digital product offerings may be found at iTunes, Hulu, Netflix, Amazon, Zune Marketplace, Anime Network, PLAYSTATION Network, Android Market and YouTube.

www.sentai-filmworks.com

L'arc-en-Ciel Make New York City Debut with Headlining Show At Madison Square Garden

Band Makes History Being the First Japanese Artist to Headline the Legendary Venue

"The biggest band you've never heard of." - Kerrang!

L'Arc-en-Ciel, one of Japan's most celebrated rock bands, will make their long overdue U.S. return on March 25th with a performance at New York's legendary Madison Square Garden. Originally scheduled for March 23rd at The Theater at Madison Square Garden, the show has been moved to the world famous arena due to the overwhelming demand of fans. This will mark the first time a Japanese band headlines MSG. Tickets will go on sale this Saturday, January 28th. Visit www.larc-en-ciel.com for details.

 In support of their 20th Anniversary, L'Arc-en-Ciel will bring their epic pop rock - a sound that has sold over 40 million records, scored the band back to back #1 albums and broken numerous concert records to their most passionate US supporters for only the second time in 20 years, creating an authentic J Rock pilgrimage for fans of the genre hungry to see the real thing.

 Check out this live performance of “HONEY,” one of the band's most popular songs: http://vimeo.com/34135893

 Formed in 1991 in Osaka, Japan, L'Arc-en-Ciel has mesmerized crowds since the very beginning. No matter the year, with their unique melodies and edgy sounds, the band, responding to the zeitgeist, has had a hit song to match the times. Like all great musicians, the band's music has evolved over the years and has had a lasting influence. From their early work to their most recent offerings, which ranges from Goth rock to jangly guitar pop reminiscent of The Cure's lighter moments and U2-esque stadium anthems, L'Arc-en-Ciel has continually captured audiences worldwide.

 In 2004 the band made their first and only performance in the USA (Baltimore) to an audience of 10,000 people; and has since performed in China (Shanghai and Hong Kong), Korea (Seoul), Taiwan (Taipei), and France (Paris), playing to millions of fans and proving that L'Arc~en~Ciel's sound extends across borders.

 Returning in May 2011 from a three-year hiatus, the band came together for two sell-out shows in aid of Japanese Tsunami relief at Tokyo's Ajinomoto Stadium. The performances in front of 100,000 fans reestablished the band's position at the center of the Japanese Music scene.

 L'Arc~en~Ciel will embark on their “L'Arc~en~Ciel WORLD TOUR 2012” this March visiting Hong Kong, Bangkok, Shanghai, Taipei, New York, London, and Paris, before concluding back in Japan. Tour dates below.

L'Arc-en-Ciel recently released a spectacular box set called “TWENITY” which runs the full gamut of their music. Visit www.larc-en-ciel.com for more details.

L'Arc-en-Ciel will release a new album “BUTTERFLY” on February 8, 2012 via iTunes. Stay tuned for more information!

www.facebook.com/pages/LArc-en-Ciel
twitter.com/LArc_official
www.myspace.com/larcenciel

L'Arc-en-Ciel WORLD TOUR 2012 dates:

March 3rd Asia World Expo Arena Hong Kong, China
March 7th Impact Arena Bangkok, Thailand
March 10th Mercedes-Benz Arena Shanghai, China
March 17th TWTC Nangang Exhibition Hall Taipei, Taiwan
March 25th Madison Square Garden New York, New York
April 11th indigO2 London, UK
April 14th Le Zenith Paris, France
May 5th Jamsil Gymnasium Seoul, Korea
May 12th Nissan Stadium Yokohama, Japan
May 13th Nissan Stadium Yokohama, Japan
May 19th Universal Studios Japan Open Air Special Stage Osaka, Japan
May 20th Universal Studios Japan Open Air Special Stage Osaka, Japan

Saboten Con 2012 Welcomes Japanese Guest Akira Yamaoka and Many Others

Phoenix, AZ - January 25, 2012 - Saboten Con is proud to announce video game musician, Akira Yamaoka; voice actress, Mary Elizabeth McGlynn; voice actor, Troy Baker; and comedian/ voice actor, Phillip (Phil) LaMarr as some of the guests for 2012. Saboten Con will be held from September 1 to 3 at the Renaissance Glendale Hotel in Phoenix, Arizona.

For the first time ever, Saboten Con welcomes Japanese guest Akira Yamaoka to the states for its 2012 convention year. Mr. Yamaoka joined Konami in 1993, after previously being a freelance music composer. He is most well known for his work in the video game series, "Silent Hill", for which he composed most the music and sound effects. Since "Silent Hill 3", he became its producer while also still composing music for the series. Yamaoka also started working in collaboration with Mary Elizabeth McGlynn and Joe Romersa for vocal compositions.

Much of Mr. Yamaoka's work from previous titles have been compiled for the 2006 "Silent Hill" movie adaptation, directed by Christophe Gans. He also composed songs for KONAMI's "Bemani" series, which has featured tracks from "Silent Hill". Currently, Akira Yamaoka is working on a project with Jeff Danna on the upcoming film, "Silent Hill Revelation" to be released sometime in 2012.

A veteran to Saboten Con, Mary Elizabeth McGlynn is returning as a guest for 2012. Mary Elizabeth McGlynn is an American voice actress, ADR director, writer, and singer best known for her extensive English-language dubbing of various anime, and her singing in multiple games from the "Silent Hill" series. As an actress, Mary Elizabeth has also had several movie roles. With her voice acting talents and dedication to Anime, she won an American Anime Award.

As a director, Mary Elizabeth recently finished directing the first season of "Stitch!" for The Disney Channel and the ADR on the animated feature film "Dino Mom". She is currently directing "Naruto: Shippuden" for Disney XD. She has directed the 4 "Naruto" movies as well as "Naruto" the series for which she received the 2008 SPJA award for best director. Among her many other directing credits are "Cowboy Bebop" the series, "Cowboy Bebop: Knockin' on Heaven's Door", "Wolf's Rain", the movie "Appleseed" and was a co-writer for the American adaptation of "Metropolis". She also directed the original animated series "Gormiti Lords of Nature" for Cartoon Network and "Wild Animal Babies" for PBS.

For the gaming world, Mary Elizabeth McGlynn directed Samuel L. Jackson and Ron Perlman as well as the rest of the original cast in the recently released, "Afro Samurai" game. She also directed the entire cast of "iCarly" for their interactive game. Mary Elizabeth has directed the voice work for "Soul Calibur Legends", "Resident Evil: Umbrella Chronicles", "Devil May Cry 3", "3.5" and "4", "Spyhunter", the "Naruto Clash of Ninja" and "Ultimate Ninja" series, as well being second director for "Kung Fu Panda".

Furthermore, Mary Elizabeth has had the great honor of singing the music of Akira Yamaoka for the movie "Silent Hill" as well as the games: "Silent Hill 3", "4", "5", "Origins" and the newly released "Silent Hill: Shattered Memories" which she also co-directed.

Many of you who went to Saboten Con, told us how disappointed that our next guest was unable to attend last year. We heard you and invited him again. Troy Baker will make an appearance at Saboten Con 2012. A native of Dallas, Texas, Troy, once the lead singer for “Tripp Fontaine” (FMPM/Universal), first began working as an actor in TV and Radio commercials. He quickly became a mainstay voice actor of the Anime community with such roles in "Fullmetal Alchemist", "Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood", "Trinity Blood", "Basilisk", "Code Geass", and "Shin-chan".

Troy can also be heard in lead roles for blockbuster video game titles like Abbaddon in "Darksiders, Snow Villers in "Final Fantasy 13", Allen in "Modern Warfare 2", Brooks in "Call of Duty: Black Ops", Kanji in "Persona 4", Vincent Brooks in "Catherine" and many others. Currently, Troy Baker is re-voicing James Sunderland in "Silent Hill 2" HD collection to be released sometime in January 2012.

As an actor, Troy Baker has excelled in the on camera industry. He has starred alongside Val Kilmer (Tombstone), Karl Urban (Star Trek), Steve Zahn (That Thingy You Do!), Elizabeth Banks (W), Glenn Morshower (24), and Lou Diamond Phillips (La Bamba). Troy was the host and co-producer for the hit reality TV show “Road Rage”, which spotlighted pop culture conventions around the country. Now residing in Los Angeles, Troy continues to write and record music.

Making his first appearance to Phoenix, Saboten Con welcomes Phillip 'Phil' LaMarr. Phil LaMarr is an American actor, comedian, and voice actor. He has an extensive voice acting career with major roles in the animated series "Futurama", "Static Shock", Cartoon Network's "Samurai Jack", "Justice League", "Justice League Unlimited", and "Transformers: Animated"

In the video game industry, Phil has done voice over work for Vamp, a villain of "Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty" and "Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots". Additionally, he has notable roles in Square Enix's "Final Fantasy 12" as well as in the PSP version of "Final Fantasy Tactics: The War of the Lions". Other games he has dubbed include, "Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines", the "Jak and Daxter" video game series, several characters in the game "Marvel: Ultimate Alliance", "Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, Mercenaries: Playground of Destruction" and its sequel, "Mercenaries 2: World in Flames", and PS3 titles "Infamous 1" and "2".

Recently, Phil LaMarr voiced the merchant, Vulgrim in the new action/adventure hybrid "Darksiders", reprised his role as Kit Fisto for the video game: "Star Wars: The Clone Wars - Republic Heroes", and voiced Rick Grimes in the animation film adaptation of "The Walking Dead".

Get the latest news on upcoming Saboten Con events by following us on Twitter or liking us on Facebook.

About Saboten Con
Saboten Con will be held on September 1- 3 at the Renaissance Glendale Hotel in Phoenix, Arizona. This will be our 5th year as the largest Anime Convention in Arizona. Our goal is to build on all the amazing previous years with more exciting programming, more guests, and more things to do. For more information or register, visit www.sabotencon.com

Crunchyroll Launches Full 1080P Video Streams

San Francisco, Calif. (January 12, 2012) – Crunchyroll, Inc., the leading anime streaming service, announced the launch of 1080p video streams today. More information can be found at www.crunchyroll.com

Starting today, Crunchyroll premium members can stream the latest anime titles immediately following Japan TV broadcast in Full High-Definition 1080p streams. Previously, premium members were able to stream videos at 720p quality. High-Definition 1080p streams are available immediately for Crunchyroll's simulcast lineup.

Crunchyroll's CTO Brandon Ooi said, “We are very excited to offer 1080p streams on our simulcast titles. Now anime fans worldwide can enjoy such great titles as NARUTO SHIPPUDEN, BLEACH, NISEMONOGATARI, HUNTER X HUNTER, THE PRINCE OF TENNIS II and over twenty other simulcasts, streaming in glorious 1080p immediately after Japan TV! In addition, our simulcast J-Drama titles such as SECRET AGENT ERIKA, MOONCAKE, and DEKA KUROKAWA SUZUKI look absolutely amazing in 1080p.”

Episodes can be accessed from Crunchyroll.com, the free iPad and iPhone application, the Android application, Google TV, Roku, Boxee, Vizio VIA, WD TV Live and additional set-top channels, and affiliate partners.

Crunchyroll premium members have access to the largest anime selection, same-day access for simulcasted titles, no advertisements, and HD 1080p quality on select titles. More information about the Crunchyroll membership plan can be found at: www.crunchyroll.com/freetrial

About Crunchyroll, Inc.

Crunchyroll is a leading global video network and developer of social media applications for Japanese anime and Asian media. Through applications like Crunchyroll for iPhone, iPad, Android, TV set-top boxes, affiliate websites and its own streaming website, Crunchyroll delivers officially-licensed content from leading Asian media producers directly to consumers.

Crunchyroll has offices in San Francisco, Calif. and Tokyo, Japan, and is a member of the Association of Japanese Animations (AJA) and Licensing International Merchandisers' Association (LIMA). Founded in 2006, Crunchyroll is funded by leading venture capital firm, Venrock, Japanese entertainment giant TV TOKYO, digital publishing leader Bitway and a group of angel investors representing some of the brightest and most successful entrepreneurs in Silicon Valley. More information can be found at www.crunchyroll.com.


 The statements made in this press release that are not historical facts are "forward-looking statements." These forward-looking statements are based on current expectations and assumptions that are subject to risks and uncertainties. The Company cautions readers of this press release that a number of important factors could cause Crunchyroll.com's actual future results to differ materially from those expressed in any such forward-looking statements. Such factors include, without limitation, product delays, industry competition, rapid changes in technology and industry standards, protection of proprietary rights, maintenance of relationships with key personnel, vendors and third-party developers, international economic and political conditions. The Company may change its intention, belief or expectation, at any time and without notice, based upon any changes in such factors, in the Company's assumptions or otherwise. The Company undertakes no obligation to release publicly any revisions to any forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date hereof or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events.

FUNimation Entertainment Acquires High School DxD

Flower Mound, TX – January 13, 2012 – FUNimation Entertainment announced today that it has acquired the broadcast, home video, merchandising, mobile and streaming rights to the anime series, High School DxD. The anime is based on the Japanese light novel series by Ichiei Ishibumi. FUNimation plans to release the series on DVD and Blu-ray. Simulcast will be Mondays at 4pm CST, beginning January 23, 2012.

Series synopsis:
Issei Hyodo is your average perverted high school student whose one wish in life is to have his own harem, but he's got to be one of the unluckiest guys around. He goes on his first date with a girl only to get brutally attacked and killed when it turns out the girl is really a vicious fallen angel. To top it all off, he's later reincarnated as a devil by his gorgeous senpai who tells him that she is also a devil and now his master! One thing's for sure, his peaceful days are over. In a battle between devils and angels, who will win?

Additional information may be found at: http://www.funimation.com/high-school-dxd

About FUNimation® Entertainment
FUNimation® Entertainment is the leading anime company in North America. FUNimation has a proven formula for launching and advancing brands. They manage a full spectrum of rights for most of their brands including broadcasting, licensing, production, internet, and home video sales and distribution. For more information about FUNimation Entertainment and its brands, visit www.funimation.com.

AnimaRecife 2012 Sábado Videos 1080p

AnimaRecife 2012 Domingo Videos 1080p

Asian Kung-Fu Generation to Release Album in the US for the First Time

ASIAN KUNG-FU GENERATION will be releasing their very first greatest hits album consisting 17 songs from their 6 full albums and 2 mini albums, added with their brand new song “Marching Band”.
Concurrently with the Japan release, the album is now available in the US through iTunes and Amazon.

Not only in Japan, ASIAN KUNG-FU GENERATION has gained international popularity through features on various animation films including:
“Far and Beyond” (track 1) – opening theme song to NARUTO
“Rewrite” (track 5) – opening theme song to Fullmetal Alchemist
“A Town in Blue” (track 10) – theme song to Taiyo Matsumoto's animation film Tekkonkinkreet
 “After Dark” (track 11) – opening theme to BLEACH

ASIAN KUNG-FU GENERATION
“BEST HIT AKG”
Now available on iTunes and Amazon

Tracklist
1. Far and Beyond
2. Piece of the Future
3. Understand
4. A Flower Named You
5. Rewrite
6. To Your Town
7. Loop & Loop
8. Black Out
9. Blue Train
10. A Town in Blue
11. After Dark
12. Rock'n Roll, Morning Light Falls On You
13. Mustang
14. Fujisawa Loser
15. Love songs of new century
16. Soranin
17. Marching Band

[PROFILE]
Formed in 1996 through their music club in college.
Released their 1st album “Hokai Amplifier” in 2002 from an indie label.
In April 2003, “Hokai Amplifier” was exceptionally re-released from Ki/oon Records, making their major debut. By summer, the band played FUJI ROCK Festival and SUMMER SONIC.
Same year, the band launched “NANO-MUGEN Festival” at Shinjuku LOFT. Joined by international artists from 2004 including Ben Folds, Third Eye Blind, and Stereophonics, the festival gradually expanded and shifted its venue to Budokan, and then to Yokohama Arena.
Starting with their first overseas performance at Korea's music festival “INCHEON PENTAPORT ROCK FESTIVAL”, they appeared in 10 summer rock festivals all over Japan in 2007.
In 2008, they shared the stage with WEEZER at “WEEZER FESTIVAL” for both Tokyo and Osaka shows.
On June 23, 2010, they released their 6th original album “Magic Disk” achieving No.2 at the ORICON chart.
The band has released a total of 9 albums and 15 singles selling 2.5million units.

asiankung-fu.com

FUNimation Acquires Additional Rights to Haganai

Flower Mound, TX – January 28, 2012 - FUNimation Entertainment announced today at Ohayocon that it has acquired the broadcast, home entertainment, merchandising, mobile and streaming rights to the anime series, HAGANAI (Boku wa Tomodachi ga Sukunai). FUNimation plans to release the HAGANAI series on DVD and Blu-ray. Watch full episodes on www.funimation.com.

Series synopsis:

Kodaka Hasegawa has just transferred to St. Chronica's Academy and he's having a hard time making friends. With his naturally blond hair and fierce looking eyes, people constantly mistake him for a delinquent. One day, he runs into his bad-tempered loner of a classmate, Yozora, while she's talking to her imaginary friend, Tomo. Since neither of them have any friends, they decide to form a club and start recruiting some. Little by little, lonely classmates join their club to learn how to build friendships through cooking together, playing games, and other group activities. But, with so many misfits, will the club members really be able to get along?

Additional information may be found at: http://www.funimation.com/haganai

FUNimation Suspends Production of Dragon Ball Z Blu-rays

Flower Mound, TX – January 26, 2012- FUNimation Entertainment, has officially confirmed they have suspended production of all future planned Blu-ray releases of Dragon Ball Z including Level 2.1 scheduled to be released on March 27, 2012.
 Blu-ray editions of Dragon Ball Z went into production based on fan demand, however due to technical challenges of restoring from the original film frame by frame, we are unable to continue these releases by way of this process. FUNimation will be re-evaluating the current process and researching more efficient methods of restoration.
Specific questions may be directed to : feedback@funimation.com

Aguenta Coração clip oficial José Augusto (1990)

Okami-San and Her Seven Companions Cast Announcement

Character     Actor

ALICE    Terri Doty

LIST     Micah Solusod

MAJOLIKA     Lindsay Seidel

MOMOKO     Stephanie Young

NARRATOR     Luci Christian

NEKO     Jerry Jewell

RINGO     Monica Rial

RYOKO     Brina Palencia

SUZUME     Alexis Tipton

TARO     Todd Haberkorn

YUKIME     Lydia Mackay

Engineer Kevin Leasure

Director Colleen Clinkenbeard

Ōkami-san and Her Seven Companions will be available on Blu-ray/DVD Combo on April 3rd, 2012. Pre-order now on Amazon.com by clicking this link.

synopsis:

Once upon a time, the studio behind Toradora! and Shakugan no Shana created a fable-minded story full of fairy tale tomfoolery, attractive archetypes, allusions to allegories, parodies of para—ugh, enough alliteration! You get my drift…

Ryoko Ōkami, the “wolf” of our story, and her BFF Ringo, also known as Little Red Riding Hood, are members of Otogi Bank—a high school club that helps classmates out of grim situations. One day, a meek young man proclaims his love to Ryoko, who does nothing but bite him in return. “You’re much too weak for me,” she huffs. So the boy joins Otogi Bank to prove he has the stuff to protect his beloved—even if it means taking a blow to the head with a lead pipe. He’s no Prince Charming, but will Ryoko allow herself to have her own happily ever after?

http://www.funimation.com/okamisan

Sentai Filmworks Licenses Bodacious Space Pirates

HOUSTON, December 29, 2011— Prepare to be boarded by stellar entertainment on a galactic scale as Sentai Filmworks announces the impending escape of the rollicking, hit space opera Bodacious Space PIRATES! What happens when Teen Chic meets Pirate Technique? Find out when Director Tatsuo Sato (Martian Successor Nadesico, Ninja Scroll TV, Stellvia) returns to the familiar waters of comedy and interplanetary adventure and deftly steers the bestselling Mini-Skirt Pirate novels by Yuichi Sasamoto (Venus Wars, Ariel) on a course to become an all new 26 episode anime masterpiece, while Noriyuki Matsumoto’s brilliant original characters designs are adapted for animation by the team of Akira Yasuda (Turn A Gundam) and Hiroshi Takeuchi (Big O, Xenoglossia.) There’s plenty of pillage and yo-ho-ho-ing ahead in the most plunder-full adventure epic of the year, Bodacious Space pirates!

Most families have a skeleton or two in the closet, but Marika is understandably shocked to learn that what her family has been hiding is a skull and crossbones! And while the revelation that her late father was a space pirate would have been earthshaking enough for most teenage girls, discovering that he was the captain of the notorious pirate ship Benten Maru will change Marika’s life forever. Because, you see, pirating is a family business, and she’s just inherited the position of captain. And her father’s former crew is quite intent on making sure Marika accepts the job! So what’s a girl to do? Well, if you’re a high school student whose prior total naval experience has been working at the space yacht club, there’s really only one moral dilemma that has to be resolved: are pirates allowed to wear really short mini-skirts? Get ready for intergalactic buccaneering unlike any you’ve ever seen before as the spaceways get broad-sided by cutting lasses, curvy knaves and the sexiest pirate’s chest ever in BODACIOUS SPACE pirates!

bodacious space Pirates will simulcast premier on Crunchyroll starting January 7, 2012 at

9:00 a.m. Pacific Standard Time (GMT-8). Additional digital outlets and TV broadcast will follow starting in February with DVD and Blu-Ray to follow.

Sentai Filmworks Licenses Listen To Me, Girls. I Am Your Father!

HOUSTON, January 17, 2012— Sentai Filmworks has announced the licensing of LISTEN TO ME, GIRLS. I AM YOUR FATHER!, the wild new anime series that takes the classic sit-com premise of ‘a bachelor being forced to adopt three young children and discovering a whole new outlook on life’ and turns it completely on its head! Based on the series of novels by Tomohiro Matsu and the subsequent manga series illustrated by Yuka Nakajima, the 12 episode series is directed by Itsuro Kawasaki (LICENSED BY ROYALTY, RENTAL MAGICA, ARC THE LAD,) while series composition is handled by veteran Naruhisa Arakawa (STEEL ANGEL KURUMI, DNANGEL, BLUE SEED) while key animator Takashi Mamezuka (INFINITE STRATOS, EDEN OF THE EAST,) takes up the task of adapting Nakajima’s original designs.

Whoever said little girls grow up in the most delightful ways wasn’t Yuta Segawa! He wasn’t happy when his sister married a man who already had two children. But given that Yuri raised Yuta by herself after their own parents’ deaths, what kind of brother would Yuta be if he didn’t take in their THREE children when Yuri and her husband Shingo’s plane disappears? Of course, the fact that Yuta’s only a nineteen year old college student, living in a tiny apartment, and the fact that he’s now living with three GIRLS, two of whom aren’t related by blood and one of whom is only five years younger than he is, is bound to cause some issues. Especially when the eldest girl, Sora, is harboring a secret crush on him and would be quite happy if Yuta’s social life revolved around the ‘family,’ while middle sister Miu is starting to make noises about ‘older men’ as well. And did we mention that it’s a really, REALLY small apartment? Add the girl Yuta actually likes, Raika, as a smoldering fuse and the question isn’t IF Yuta’s home sweet home is a powderkeg, but rather one of when and how often! Some family ties bind, others may need restraining orders in LISTEN TO ME, GIRLS. I AM YOUR FATHER!

LISTEN TO ME, GIRLS. I AM YOUR FATHER! will be available digitally through multiple outlets, with a home video release on subtitled DVD scheduled for later this year.

Sentai Filmworks Licenses "Another"

HOUSTON, January 16, 2012— Sentai Filmworks is ghoulishly pleased to announce the acquisition of ANOTHER, the eagerly awaited new anime series that dares to ask the question: What do you do when your classmate’s school locker is a locker in the morgue? Based on the hit novel by Yukito Ayatsuji, the 12 episode series joins the manga, written by Ayatsuji and illustrated by MELANCHOLOY OF HARUHI SUZIMIYA’s Noizi Ito, and the forthcoming live action feature film (due Summer 2012) as part of the latest hit horror franchise to erupt from Japan. Tsutomu Mizushima (BLOOD C, KOBATO, XXXHOLIC) directs from series composition by Ryo Higaki (MORIBITO-GUARDIAN OF THE SPIRIT) while Yuriko Ishii (Persona – Trinity Soul) adapts Ito’s original character designs for animation.

Mei Misaki was cute, athletic and one of the most popular girls in her school. Why should a little thing like death change that? Now, 23 years after Mei’s mysterious demise, a new transfer student discovers that not only is his school’s student body one corpse short of a full roster, but that some secrets never leave high school. And what’s more, all of this may somehow be tied into his own family past. What is the secret and how does it all connect? And even if Kouichi does figure it out, will that knowledge help save him? As the school bells toll a deadly dirge and students begin to die, things that were never properly buried come back to haunt the high school of the damned in ANOTHER!

ANOTHER will soon be available digitally through multiple outlets, with a home video release on DVD and Blu-Ray scheduled for later this year.

About Sentai Filmworks:

Sentai Filmworks is one of the fastest-growing anime companies in North America, producing hit series like High School of the Dead, Towanoquon, Samurai Girls, Guin Saga, Needless and Angel Beats as well as high profile theatrical films such as Grave of the Fireflies and Appleseed. Sentai Filmworks’ programs can be found on home video distributed by Ingram Entertainment, Baker & Taylor, Section23Films, The Right Stuf and other good and fine distributors. Digital product offerings may be found at iTunes, Hulu, Netflix, Amazon, Zune Marketplace, Anime Network, Playstation Network, Android Market and YouTube.

Martin Scorsese's Hugo leads Oscar charge with 11 nods

Citation: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-16699960

Martin Scorsese's 3D epic adventure film Hugo leads the charge at this year's Academy Awards with 11 nods, including best film and director.
War Horse, The Artist, Moneyball, The Tree Of Life, Midnight In Paris, The Help and The Descendants, and Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close complete the best film category.
Meryl Streep and George Clooney are nominated for the best acting prizes.

The 84th Academy Awards take place in Los Angeles on 26 February.
Hugo, the story of an orphaned boy living inside a giant clock in a French railway station, was followed closely in the nominations list by silent movie The Artist, which had 10 mentions.
France's Michel Hazanavicius received nods for writing and directing the comedy, while his wife Berenice Bejo was named in the best supporting actress category.
The film's star Jean Dujardin will compete for best actor along with Clooney (The Descendants), Gary Oldman (Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy), Demian Bichir (A Better Life) and Brad Pitt (Moneyball).
It is Oldman's first nomination, after more than 30 years on the big screen.
The British star said: "You may have heard this before, but it has never been truer than it is for me today, it is extremely humbling, gratifying, and delightful to have your work recognized by the Academy, and to join the celebrated ranks of previous nominees and colleagues. Amazing."

'Absolutely thrilled'

Streep, who received her nod for her portrayal of the former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher in The Iron Lady, has now been nominated for 17 Academy Awards - more than any other actor.
It means she pulls further ahead from joint second-place holders Katharine Hepburn and Jack Nicholson, who have 12 apiece.
She has won twice, for Kramer vs Kramer and Sophie's Choice.
Other contenders in this year's best actress category were Glenn Close (Albert Nobbs), Viola Davis (The Help), Rooney Mara (The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo) and Michelle Williams (My Week With Marilyn).

Jessica Chastain and Octavia Spencer compete against each other in the best supporting actress category, for The Help

Hugo did not receive any nominations in the acting categories, mainly being recognised for its technical achievements - including art direction, film editing and visual effects.
Woody Allen picked up a nomination for best director for his movie Midnight In Paris, along with Terrence Malick for The Tree Of Life and Alexander Payne for The Descendants.
Sports drama Moneyball, Steven Spielberg's War Horse, and civil rights tale The Help all scored six nominations.
Octavia Spencer and Jessica Chastain will go head to head for the best supporting actress prize for latter film.
Melissa McCarthy and Janet McTeer complete the category for Bridesmaids and Albert Nobbs respectively.
British star Kenneth Branagh will vye for the best supporting actor award for his role in My Week With Marilyn.
"It was a rare honour to play Sir Laurence Olivier," he told the BBC. "To be recognised by the Academy for doing so is overwhelming. I'm absolutely thrilled."
His competition comes from Jonah Hill (Moneyball), Nick Nolte (Warrior), Christopher Plummer (Beginners) and Max von Sydow (Extremely Loud And Incredibly Close).

Below are the nominees in the 24 motion picture categories:

Best Picture
"The Artist"
"The Descendants"
"Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close"
"Hugo"
"Midnight in Paris"
"The Help"
"Moneyball"
"War Horse"
"The Tree of Life"

Best Actor

Demian Bichir, "A Better Life"
George Clooney, "The Descendants"
Jean Dujardin, "The Artist"
Gary Oldman, "Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy"
Brad Pitt, "Moneyball"

Best Actress

Glenn Close, "Albert Nobbs"
Viola Davis, "The Help"
Rooney Mara, "The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo"
Meryl Streep, "The Iron Lady"
Michelle Williams, "My Week With Marilyn"

Best Supporting Actor

Kenneth Branagh, "My Week With Marilyn"
Jonah Hill, "Moneyball"
Nick Nolte, "Warrior"
Christopher Plummer, "Beginners"
Max Von Sydow, "Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close"

Best Supporting Actress

Berenice Bejo, "The Artist"
Jessica Chastain, "The Help"
Melissa McCarthy, "Bridesmaids"
Janet McTeer, "Albert Nobbs"
Octavia Spencer, "The Help"

Best Director

Woody Allen, "Midnight in Paris"
Michel Hazanavicius, "The Artist"
Terrence Malick, "The Tree of Life"
Alexander Payne, "The Descendants"
Martin Scorsese, "Hugo"
Steven Spielberg, "War Horse"

Best Original Screenplay

Woody Allen, "Midnight in Paris"
JC Chandor, "Margin Call"
Asghar Farhadi, "A Separation"
Michel Hazanavicius, "The Artist"
Kristen Wiig and Annie Mumolo, "Bridesmaids"

Best Adapted Screenplay
Alexander Payne, Nat Faxton, Jim Rash, "The Descendants"
John Logan, "Hugo"
George Clooney, Grant Heslov, Beau Willimon, "The Ides of March"
Aaron Sorkin, Steven Zaillian, "Moneyball"
Bridget O'Connor, Peter Straughn, "Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy"

Best Animated Feature
"A Cat In Paris"
"Chico & Rita"
"Kung Fu Panda 2"
"Puss in Boots"
"Rango"

Best Foreign Language Film of the Year
Bullhead (Belgium)
Footnote (Israel)
In Darkness (Poland)
Monsieur Lazhar (Canada)
A Separation (Iran)

Original Score
"The Adventures of Tintin," John Williams
"The Artist," Ludovic Bource
"Hugo," Howard Shore
"Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy," Alberto Iglesias
"War Horse," John Williams

Best Original Song
"Man or Muppet," The Muppets; Music and Lyric by Bret McKenzie
"Real in Rio," Rio; Music by Sergio Mendes and Carlinhos Brown, Lyric by Siedah Garrett

Best Achievement in Art Direction

"The Artist"
"Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2"
"Hugo"
"Midnight in Paris"
"War Horse"

Best Achievement in Cinematography

"The Artist"
"The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo"
"Hugo"
"The Tree of Life"
"War Horse"

Best Achievement in Costume Design
"Anonymous"
"The Artist"
"Hugo"
"Jane Eyre"
"W.E."

Best Documentary Feature

"Hell and Back Again"
"If a Tree Falls: A Story of the Earth Liberation Front"
"Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory"
"Pina"
"Undefeated"

Best Documentary Short Subject
"The Barber of Birmingham: Foot Soldier of the Civil Rights Movement?"
"God Is the Bigger Elvis"
"Incident in New Baghdad"
"Saving Face"
"The Tsunami and the Cherry Blossom"

Best Achievement in Film Editing
"The Artist"
"The Descendants"
"The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo"
"Hugo"
"Moneyball"

Best Achievement in Makeup

"Albert Nobbs"
"Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2"
"The Iron Lady"

Best Animated Short Film
Dimanche/Sunday
The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore
La Luna
A Morning Stroll
Wild Life

Best Live Action Short Film
"Pentecost"
"Raju"
"The Shore"
"Time Freak"
"Tuba Atlantic"

Best Achievement in Sound Editing
"Drive"
"The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo"
"Hugo"
"Transformers: Dark of the Moon"
"War Horse"

Best Achievement in Sound Mixing
"The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo"
"Hugo"
"Moneyball"
"Transformers: Dark of the Moon"
"War Horse"

Best Achievement in Visual Effects

"Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2"
"Hugo"
"Real Steel"
"Rise of the Planet of the Apes"
"Transformers: Dark of the Moon"