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Animeggroll, in association with FUNimation, is giving away a special Fullmetal Alchemist package in honor of the North American release of Fullmetal Alchemist: The Sacred Star of Milos. The winner will be chosen by a random drawing from among all entrants. One lucky winner will receive:

1 theatrical sized poster signed by the cast members

1 set of the entire Full Metal Alchemist Brotherhood series

and 1 copy of the Sacred Star of Milos

_________

Contest rules:

Employees and relatives of employees of Animeradius or FUNimation, Inc. are ineligible. Animeradius is not responsible for lost or misdirected entries. Duplicate entries will be discarded. Entries generated by script, macro or other automated means are all void and will not be accepted. All entries must be individually completed and no automated entries will be accepted. Animeradius is not responsible for any typographical errors in the contest. The contests only are intended for legal residents of the United States and Canada. Minors under the age of fourteen (14) must obtain the signed consent of their parent or legal guardian to receive the grand prize. By entering, participants release Animeradius and Animeggroll, LLC, affiliates, directors, officers, employees and agents from any and all liability for any injuries, losses or damages of any kind caused by any prize or resulting from acceptance, possession, use or misuse of any prize or participation in this contest. Except where prohibited by law, participation in the contest shall constitute and signify the winner’s consent that Animeradius a division of Animeggroll, LLC. may use the winner’s name, address, likeness, photograph, statements made by the winner about the promotion or Animeradius a division of Animeggroll, LLC and/or prize information for promotional purposes without further payment or consideration. The grand prize winner shall be notified by e-mail within 10 days of the conclusion of the contest. If a prize is won by a minor, prize will be awarded to a parent or legal guardian on the minor’s behalf. In the event of noncompliance with these requirements, prize may be forfeited and awarded to an alternative winner. Prize notifications returned as undeliverable or unclaimed will be deemed forfeited. Void where prohibited.

news provided by Japan Probe

The town of Hokuei in Tottori prefecture built several bronze statues in 1999 to celebrate itself as the birthplace of the popular Detective Conan (Case Closed) manga series. Unfortunately, as this news report shows, the statues are very vulnerable to vandalism:

Somebody snapped a magnifying glass out of one statue’s hand, and bent a snorkel on another statue. City officials estimate it will cost about 500,000 yen to repair the damage.

Animator, Director and Designer Involved with HATSUNE MIKU, DORAEMON, FRUITS BASKET, MUSHISHI, POKEMON, REVOLUTIONARY GIRL UTENA and X-Men Comes  This Summer’s Most Anticipated Animation, Music and Manga Convention in Southern California

LOS ANGELES, Calif. (May X, 2012) – This year’s highly anticipated summer event, AM², June 15-17, 2012 that will be held in sunny Southern California (Anaheim, California) proudly announces the attendance of Japanese animator, designer and director (recipient of the 11^th Animation Kobe/Individual award in 2006) Hiroshi Nagahama as an official 2012 Guest of Honor.  Nagahama-san has been involved with some of the most popular animes of our time including FRUITS BASKET, MUSHISHI, REVOLUTIONARY GIRL UTENA, X-MEN and DETROIT METAL CITY. More info and convention registration can be found at www.am2con.org

LOS ANGELES (May 18, 2012) – Anime Expo (AX), North America’s largest anime, manga and Japanese pop culture celebration, will feature a live concert by acclaimed composer and producer Yuki Kajiura when it returns to the Los Angeles Convention Center from June 29 – July 2, 2012.   Kajiura brings her unique fusion of Japanese and European styles to AX in “FictionJunction,” her music project featuring the composer on keyboards and a special vocalist.

Brand New Action Adventure Series Follows A Young Boy’s Quest To Fulfill His Destiny And Become A Dueling Champion; Vol. 1 First Editions Include Limited Edition YU-GI-OH! Trading Card

A STIRRING NEW ANTHOLOGY OF FANTASY, SCIENCE FICTION AND CYBERPUNK SHOWS WHY THE FUTURE IS JAPANESE

New Literary Release Features 13 Innovative Stories From And About Japan By An International Collection Of Some Of Sci-Fi Fiction’s Most Acclaimed Authors

San Francisco, CA, May 16, 2012 – VIZ Media’s Haikasoru imprint announces the release of THE FUTURE IS JAPANESE, a new fiction anthology featuring science fiction and fantasy stories from some of today’s greatest writers from both Japan and the English-speaking world. The book is now available from the company’s Haikasoru imprint and has a MSRP of $14.99 U.S. / $17.99 CAN. An eBook edition will also be available for the Amazon Kindle, Apple’s iBooks Store, the Barnes & Noble’s Nook Books Store, and the Sony Reader™ Store.

HOUSTON, May 17, 2012 — Sentai Filmworks is pleased to announce their acquisition of Cluster Edge.  This Sci-Fi spectacular, with animation production by SUNRISE, consists of 25 episodes, plus 3 OVA episodes and was directed by Masashi Ikeda (Mobile Suit Gundam Wing, Inuyasha), features character designs by Yoshihito Hishinuma (Inuyasha) and Wan Komatsuda, and music by Takayuki Negishi (Tokyo Majin, RIN – Daughters of Mnemosyne).

Submit questions at nadesico.rightstuf.com by 4 p.m. CDT on May 25, 2012.

GRIMES, Iowa, May 16, 2012 – Anime producer and distributor Right Stuf, Inc. and Nozomi Entertainment want fans’ questions for Tatsuo Sato, the director of MARTIAN SUCCESSOR NADESICO and numerous other fan-favorite anime series. Please submit your questions, via the form located at the official Nadesico site (nadesico.rightstuf.com), by 4 p.m. CDT on May 25, 2012.

NOZOMI ENTERTAINMENT Announces
MARIA WATCHES OVER US, Season 1
Complete first season available as a Litebox-style DVD set on Sept. 4, 2012

GRIMES, Iowa, May 16, 2012 – Anime producer and distributor Right Stuf, Inc. and its Nozomi Entertainment division are pleased to announce the MARIA WATCHES OVER US, Season 1 DVD set will be available on September 4, 2012.

This new DVD set repackages the entire 13-episode first television season of Maria Watches Over Us, plus the Season 1 specials, in a single DVD keepcase. It features Japanese audio, along with English on-screen translations, and two English-language subtitle tracks: one with regular dialogue subtitles and a second, special subtitle track that retains the Japanese honorifics.

DVD set available on Sept. 4, 2012 to include 26-episode TV series &
first-ever release of GEKIGANGAR 3, both with remastered video;
plus PRINCE OF DARKNESS motion picture.

GRIMES, Iowa, May 16, 2012 – Anime producer and distributor Right Stuf, Inc. and its Nozomi Entertainment division are pleased to announce the MARTIAN SUCCESSOR NADESICO Complete Collection Limited Edition DVD set will be available on September 4, 2012.

This new DVD box set will feature the entire 26-episode television series and its sequel motion picture (Prince of Darkness), as well as its Gekigangar 3 OVA spin-off. This will be the first time Gekigangar 3 will be available to North American audiences.

REDMOND, Wash., May 16, 2012 – Since the March 23 launch of Kid Icarus: Uprising on the Nintendo 3DS system, legions of fans have experienced the game’s action-packed multiplayer features. To make it easier than ever for fans to come together, Nintendo of America has created a Multiplayer Battle Day Meetup Everywhere community that people can use to organize their own local Kid Icarus: Uprising multiplayer tournaments, meetups and social gatherings*.

Beta Key Giveaways and Invites Begin

IRVINE, Calif. – May 15, 2012 – Gamania Digital Entertainment today revealed the official Closed Beta launch date for its free-to-play, 3D MMORPG, Divina. Starting Wednesday, May 16, at 10:00AM PDT, players will be able to participate in Divina’s  May Madness Beta testing, which will feature open world Player versus Player (PvP) combat for the first time, as well as new competitive events. The May Madness Beta will end on Sunday, May 20, at 11:59PM PDT, giving testers five full days to explore Divina and help get it ready for its commercial launch this year.

THIS BOY CAN FIGHT ALIENS Available on August 14th

HOUSTON, May 15, 2012 – Home video distributor Section23 Films today announced its August slate of releases; including THIS BOY CAN FIGHT ALIENS. Written and created by director Soubi Yamamoto, the newest and most innovating creator in the anime field, and produced by CoMix Wave Inc., THIS BOY CAN FIGHT ALIENS will be released on DVD & BLU-RAY by Section23 client, Sentai Filmworks.

Product details follow, in order of release

Coming August 2012

One year ago, Pop Japan Travel went on hiatus due to the tragedy that occurred in Japan’s Tohoku region. Fans and staff alike have been eagerly waiting for the return of the tours, and thanks to the hard work of our staff and the support of our fans, Pop Japan Travel is proud to announce a triumphant return with the All-Japan Alpha + Omega Tour! The Alpha + Omega tour will be our most adventurous excursion ever, featuring a taste of Japan for every palate. We’ll be visiting an anime studio, meeting Japanese manga artists and learning about their creative process, going on an intimate tour of Shibuya’s famous 109 department store, sitting in the audience of a Japanese television store, and shopping the streets of Akihabara, Nakano, Harajuku, and more!

interview provided by TokyoPop

Watching our favorite characters do righteous battle, unleash kamehamehas and morph into magical girls is only half the fun of being an anime fan. When we don the costume of our favorite characters, it can be a totally transformational experience (May the Philosopher’s Stone help you if you call an Ed Elric cosplayer short), adding another layer of appreciation to the things we love. To celebrate all things cosplay, we are launching Cosplay Friday, the first in our monthly series of spotlights on our favorite cosplayers. To kick things off, we caught up with the lovely Rochelle Anne, a badass mamma jamma with a penchant for dressing up like ladies who can kick your butt.

LOS ANGELES (May 11, 2012) – Anime Expo (AX), North America’s largest anime, manga, and Japanese pop culture celebration, will present the U.S. concert debut of the anime-inspired heavy metal band, ANIMETAL USA, when it returns to the Los Angeles Convention Center from June 29 – July 2, 2012.  ANIMETAL USA promises to take AX by storm with its furious combination of classic and original anime music, metallic riffs, solos, powerful vocals and futuristic make-up and costumes.  As Official Guests of Honor, the band will also participate in a meet-and-greet, autograph signing and a focus panel.

HOUSTON, May 11, 2012— Switchblade Pictures has announced the newest addition to the company’s growing line of live action features: SULTRY ASSASSIN 2 – NINJA BRAINWASH.  The second in a new series of ero-ninja epics based on the novels by Junichi Yagami, SULTRY ASSASSIN 2  picks up where the previous installment, APHRODISIAC  KILL, left off  and is once again written and directed by Kenichi Fujiwara (ZOMBIE HUNTER RIKA, ZEROMAN R) and produced by the Take Shobo Company and Shintoho Pictures Co., Ltd.  Akiho Yoshizawa (MAIDROID 1 & 2, INVADER 33D) reprises the titular lead role, joined once again by WKA and WPKC world kickboxing champion Yoshihiro Sato, also the two-time winner of the Japanese national K-1 tournament (2006, 2007.)  Adding new faces to the spectacular selection of stunning physical specimens on display are a new duo of daring damsels in varying stages of distress and undress: exploitation star Shijimi (HELLDRIVER, MAIDROID 02,) and model/actress Yuzuka Kinoshita.

news provided by TokyoPop

In honor of Mother’s Day, we’re taking a look at the coolest anime moms who stole our hearts and made us ask, “Why can’t she be my mom?”

#5 Delia Ketchum (Pokemon) – There’s a fine line between cool and irresponsible, and while some might argue that letting your 10-year-old son leave the house to go adventuring might be questionable parenting, we think it’s downright awesome! There’s something to be said for having your mom having that much faith in you.

The first 100 diehard fans that arrive to each theatre will receive a free Dragon Age T-shirt.

Tickets are going fast so you better get them NOW!

http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/242610 (Edmonton, AB, Canada)

http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/242644 (New York, NY)

http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/242653  (San Francisco, CA)

http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/243236 (Los Angeles, CA)

Santa Ana, CA (May 8, 2012) – NIS America, Inc. is excited to announce today that the horror comedy Occult Academy Complete Series Premium Edition is now shipping to online retailers across North America. In Occult Academy, a group of high school students and faculty will tackle spirits, mysterious creatures, ancient prophecies, and even the myth of the Mayan calendar! These odd but intriguing characters will pursue the twists and turns of the world’s greatest mysteries and bring to light hidden stories of untold truths. Occult Academy Complete Series Premium Edition comes packed onto 2 Blu-ray discs in NISA’s highly praised collectible packaging, along with a hardcover art book. Now available at select online retailers: Right Stuf, The Anime Corner Store, Anime Pavilion, Anime Castle, and NIS America’s Online Store.