We are just having fun reviewing and discussing comic books, graphic novels, manga, anime/animation, music and movies that we have recently read, listened to or watched.
Sailor Moon keeps having a bang up year as Bandai keeps bringing out new items for their Sailor Moon fans. The latest round can be pre-ordered on the Bandai Fashion Net and the items are pictured above. You have four items you can choose from: Luna Hoodie 8,978 yen ($90); Luna Slippers 2.940 yen ($30); Sailor Moon Beanie 3,675 ($37); and Sailor Moon Jacket 13,388 ($140).
The One Piece Symphony is heading back to Paris. It would be way cool to get some concert dates in North America. The symphony will play music from the anime in front of footage, also from the anime. If you are going to be in Paris on April 5, 2014, you might want to see if you can get some tickets to the performance. It will be at the Grand Rex for two performances, one at 2:00 p.m. and the other at 8:00 p.m. Check out the trailer below from “Le Fee Sauvage” on YouTube:
1979 found me in front of a television after school watching a new cartoon. That cartoon was, unbeknownst to me, the anime Starblazers (Uchu-Senkan Yamato). I just thought this was a cool space cartoon, being fresh off watching Star Wars, in 1977 which feed into my love for Science Fiction. Starblazers 2199 is a re-adaptation of Yoshinobu Nishizaki’s original work, from Production I.G. and Voyager Entertainment, and will be available with English and Spanish subtitles. This is a classic anime that you will want to consider for your anime collection, it would fit nicely right beside the original series. Check out the short feature below explaining Starblazers 2199 and how it will differ from the original series. Thanks to “yamatocrew01” on YouTube for the video:
If you happen to live in France or traveling in France during December and you are looking for places to visit you might want to consider the Igarashi Yumiko: Empress of Shojo Manga exhibit that will be on display. There are no details as to where it will be housed yet, but if you do a search on the web when the date is closer you will locate the exhibit. The exhibit will contain 20 pieces from Igarashi Yumiko. As you are visiting you can also purchase the exhibit pieces if you like one for 450 euros or roughly $605. The exhibit will make a very brief stop in Lyon, on November 30 – December 1, and then the remainder of the time it will be in Paris, December 4 – January 4. You can go to AnimeNews Networks site linked below to see more artwork of Igarashi Yumiko:
Black Butler is a manga series by Yana Toboso and is being release by Yen Press. Great news for the fans of the series in a since. The live action Black Butler is set to be released in Japan, January 18, 2014. The film stars Hiro Mizushima as Sebastian and Ayame Goriki as Shiori, Sebastian’s newest master. The movie is set 130 into the future of the manga series so it is not a straight up adaptation, but could be looked at as a future story for the series. It depends on how one looks at the film. Since Warner Bros. is involved with production I would think that this movie will eventually make it to the North American market either as a dubbed or at least a subtitled movie. Thanks to “NatashaJapan” on YouTube for the following trailer:
The Japanese Red Cross Society is doing a cool promotional, for blood donations, in the Ibaraki prefecture. While supplies last the anime Girls und Panzer is collaborating with the Red Cross to help promote blood donations from teens and individuals in their 20’s. Donors will receive a special Girls und Panzer souvenir card after they have donated. The other cool factoid is that the story of Girls und Panzer is set in the town Oarai, which is in the Ibaraki prefecture. It would be cool if something like this could be done with the North American Red Cross and superheroes.
Are you ready for Valentines. Yes it is a few months away, but Premium Bandai has put up for pre-order two valentine chocolate sets for you anime valentine. The featured anime is Puella Magi Madoka Magica and Sailor Moon. Both are pictured above. The Madoka Magica is in a gold-stamped and embossed box featuring Madoka and Homura and the Sailor Moon box has Sailor Moon in silhouette. Each box contains ten pieces of chocolate and is priced at 2,626 yen ($26.60). This would be a cool valentine, so if you can do it go for it.
This one is a little strange, but that’s alright. Sanrio has announced that in 2014 there will be a merchandising crossover between Hello Kitty and The Simpsons. What is probably even more shocking is that age of these two properties. If you don’t keep track of how old things are this will shock you like it did me. In 2014, Hello Kitty turns 40 and The Simpsons turns 25. I don’t feel this old, but I guess I am.
If you want to make a small statement about your Evangelion fandom and have the extra money lying around this could be for you. The Eva Store is selling gloves, knit caps, and hoodies (pictured above), for the Winter season, that are Eva Unit themed. The gloves and caps are 6,090 yen ($61) a piece and the hoodies are 5,040 yen ($51).
If you don’t like lugging around a bunch of manga this will probably make you happy and if you don’t own a Kindle it will make you want to purchase one. Why would you want a Kindle? Viz has just put it’s entire manga catalog onto Amazon’s Kindle Store. So know when you purchase a volume you have the choice of getting a physical or digital format. Be aware that Viz has also raised their pricing across the board to $6.99 per volume know.