This incident happened about several years ago when I went into a now-defunct Hollywood Video in a small suburb outside of Chicago, to ask about a certain foreign movie. At the time, I was on an Asian movie binge thanks to my mother who was in an Asian Films and Culture class at an adult college she attended. Watching the films she was recommended, I set foot on the Internet to find other movies not on her syllabus to personally watch. I found a Japanese movie that had an interesting plot: Suicide Club.

I had a few thoughts running through my mind, one being that the movie was so controversial in Japan, it was not ready for a local release. I asked anyway. Speaking to one of two clerks at the desk about Suicide Club, the other clerk entered the conversation and said:

“It’s Suicide Circle… and we don’t have that.”

So they don’t have it. Riiiiiight… First off, I was not asking him, but was asking the clerk waiting for me about it. Secondly, why so serious? Those who are probably thinking that he was joking, maybe he was. But you have to keep in mind the tone he said it in, looking at the formatting of the quote above. It did not sound like he was joking, and that he was sorting through the stack of movies like a robot, while listening in on our conversation. The clerk, a girl, joked with him, as if she found his correction a little much: “sounds like someone’s a movie buff.”

I should just drop it and forget about it. But remember that I have a problem with insincerity in people of certain fandoms. After the encounter, it was obvious that he was familiar with Asian movies, and probably a handful of anime series. That’s definitely not a bad thing since A LOT of us are into those too! But years later, meeting people that ended in unfortunate circumstances (see links above), you just can’t help but think “where did we go wrong?”

It turned out that the movie was not available on Region 1 DVD at the time. The only way I could have gotten it was through the awesomeness of YesAsia, but only on R2 and with no English subtitles. A few years later, the movie was FINALLY released on R1 from TLA Releasing.

And guess what the title on the cover says?

Both titles, Suicide Club AND Suicide Circle are on the cover! The movie officially has two titles.

Pardoning my rusty Japanese: “circle” in Kanji as 丸 (まる / maru)–translated as “circle” in English–it roughly means “club” in Japanese, as in a “Doujinshi Circle” (同人誌まる / doujinshi maru), or a group of independent manga artists. “Suicide Club” would make more sense, because the word “circle” is hardly used in the West.

With a title like “Suicide Circle”, it’s about a group of people joining together to commit suicide via an online message board, and the Japanese government is putting a stop to the trend. Kinda like Death Note with a dash of Battle Royale, right? Well, it doesn’t have anything to do with Death Note, nor it isn’t like it. That’s how I viewed the movie before I knew about Death Note–just another Japanese High School/Detective drama. There isn’t a mysterious diabetic detective in it, but it’s still an interesting movie. ^^

Now that we know the movie has two titles, it’s still the same movie. No need for hostility, people.

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The second Anime Blast was held November 9th through the 11th. I was unable to attend, as I traveled to Newark, New Jersey, for the BIGBANG Alive Galaxy World Tour held the Friday of the con’s opening day. It was an unfortunate conflict of dates, and normally I would be upset and look away of how things went (the last time that happened was after AWA 2010). Instead, it excites myself for 2013 after hearing the numbers from Anime Blast’s second year of an estimated 750 attendees!

I don’t know where to begin to explain how this past year’s event went. Of course, being 700 miles away experiencing a K-Pop concert that’s One of a Kind (pun intended) in the Northeastern US–driving home all day Saturday, with a day of recollection in Dalton, GA, Sunday after driving 14 hours, before heading back to Chattanooga Monday evening–a personal con recap is not possible. That said, it feels weird not being able to attend a convention that’s 20 minutes away from where you live.

Voice actor guests included the original voice actor for Alphonse Elric, Aaron Dismuke (Fullmetal Alchemist), Brittney Karbowski (Cat Planet Cuties), Kyle Hebert (Son Gohan in Dragonball Z), and returning for another year, Eric Stuart (Brock and James in Pokemon). Musical guests include Mr. Stuart’s band, The Eric Stuart Band, The Man Power, Project Leviathan, Professor Shyguy, and the return of My Parents Favorite Music. Lastly, Anime Blast welcomed the famous Greggo, host of many anime game shows inspired from Jeopardy, Wheel of Fortune, The Price is Right, Press Your Luck, and many others. He has hosted game shows at countless conventions over the past decade, including Chicagoland’s Anime Central, and most recently at Anime Weekend Atlanta.

Since I was not there to experience the con myself, I turn it over to those who were with their own media to bring you a recap of Anime Blast Chattanooga 2012!

Fanboy Photos

Winners of the Anime Blast Chattanooga 2012 Cosplay Contest (cr: Fanboy Photos on Facebook)

Fanboy Photos is Chattanooga’s very own Cosplay photography startup. The team has attended just about every con held in the Southeastern US, even going to Anime Expo this past year, capturing exciting photos in the eyes of a fan. For more photos from the con, check out Fanboy Photos on Facebook!

Preston Jong

Preston Jong (prestonjong) is a local videographer who was inspired to film at Anime Blast Chattanooga as a fan of Ackson Lee’s (acksonl) anime con videos.

Anonymous Candy & Coconuts

Fan Video – Part 1

Fan Video – Part 2

Greggo’s Games

Greggo has a YouTube channel (gregdasgo) featuring videos of his game shows from every convention Greggo has attended in his career. Videos from Anime Blast uploaded so far are from Anime Match Game and Anime Press Your Luck. Check out and subscribe to his YouTube channel for new additions and to see if he’s making a stop at a con near you!

Anime Match Game – Part 1

Anime Press Your Luck – Part 1

Anime Press Your Luck – Part 2

Kyle Hebert

Anime Blast 2012′s guest Kyle Hebert even recorded a couple of videos from the con!

Part 1

Part 2

If you missed out on last year’s Anime Blast, the con will return for a third year November 8-10 2013. Stay tuned to Anime Blast Chattanooga’s official website for more information. Anime Blast Chattanooga is also on Facebook and Twitter.

If you were at Anime Blast, please feel free to share links to your own recap through photos, videos, or article links in the comments!

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Warning: This post contains spoilers and may be censored for your safety. To view the censored text, please view the full post.

I gave my first impressions of Future Diary with certainty that it would be something like Death Note. Pardoning my comparisons–but thinking about it, you can’t talk about this series without mentioning another like it, where there are more series like Dragonball Z and Gundam with elements of fighting and mecha. The first few episodes were similar, but totally unique: the main character, Yukiteru Amano, learns that the diary he keeps on his phone does more than remind him of the day’s events, but rather tells him the future. In Death Note, there was a notebook lying on the ground with the words of said series on it. Yuki and Light both play the game of god, but one of them (Yuki) doesn’t want further participation in the game–unless he has to to save a life.

In Future Diary, you have Yuno, a girl who is very, very clingy–but who is determined to go to great lengths to declare her love for Yuki, even though they just met under extreme circumstances. The same for Misa Amane in Death Note, but there are times when she could choose to back away. Yuno, like Yukiteru, had no choice but to tag along.

Future Diary gets to the point where the show deserves a TV-MA rating (which requires an age check/account on Hulu). Not because of the other crazy girl–Minene, another diary holder who actually plays an important role of the story–[censored due to spoilers], but for scenes that borderline an HBO series–or a late evening prime-time cable series that includes such elements that would not be appropriate for an audience under the age of 17-ish–with brief nudity and innuendos–along with surprises that are too shocking to give away in this review.

When the 11 not-so-minor characters were introduced, I saw that this was going to be a very quick series, as there’s more to the manga to explain (keeping in mind that I have yet to read the manga). There are some who die, then there are some who keep coming back–characters that were thought designed to fail during their first appearance–but they really play an important part of Future Diary. There are characters who wished would go away. But you might want to wait until you wish for anything rash. The more you watch, the more you realize how important and how bad you feel for the character.

The other diary holders are very diverse: a guy who’s a “Sentaicon” (if that’s such a term–or someone who is obsessed with shouting lines from a Sentai show), a cute little boy (or girl?) who doesn’t look like a diary holder, a cultist with a troubled past, and a strange, large headed woman who is in charge of an orphanage. While the important diary holders seem to know about the diary’s powers prior to Yukiteru’s introduction, the remaining diary holders are sucked into the game of God–even those close to Yukiteru.

Future Diary has somehow work its way into my library of shows that would feel right at home without doubt. Maybe not a series you need to stop what you’re doing to watch, but definitely a series to own and watch for any mood you’re in–even if you’re uncertain of the elements provided. There’s not much to complain about the animation: the character design is your typical modern Shounen-style art. Although, you may find yourself looking away when a character is plotting evil.

As far as story pacing is concerned, it would take–wait for it–the first chapter of the Death Note manga to win one over. With Future Diary, it took several episodes before I fully understood the story. While that’s the usual number of episodes it takes before even consider finishing it, it’s rare for me personally to enjoy a series as it reaches its conclusion. Of course, the experience would have been different for one who read the manga first.

Where to Watch Future Diary:

- FUNimation
- Hulu

Note: The listed sites may only be limited to the North America. Check your local content publisher for alternatives. Please support the series through legal streaming services!

Rating:

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I discovered Mai Kuraki several years ago thanks to my overactive curiousness. Of course, my curiousness led me to sample this album through means that would leave it in my internal wishlist until April 2012 in Nashville.

The album is “Delicious Way”, her first release in 2000 named after the title song. I had no idea who she was, though I can relate her to Utada Hikaru, who was also in the start her career at the time. Mai released an album in the US a couple of years later after her debut. It seems that being in the late 90′s, and just the beginning of Asian artists making their way to the US-Pop/R&B scene (i.e.: [Toshi]nobu Kubota), it didn’t get a lot of press.

One of the songs released on her US album was “Stepping Out”, which is one of my favorites from Delicious Way. This is the only version of the song I’ve listened to in English–and I think I’m going to keep away from it for the time being, because the original version beats the alternative language version! ^^

Mai Kuraki has been very active these 13 years, with over 11 albums and 40 singles, 1000 Man Kai no Kiss (1000万回のキス) her most recent release in 2011. Listening to Delicious Way, I intend on sampling more of her work, such as her second album “touch me!” But this song brings back many memories!

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The 2013 Spring lineup this year has several to choose from. For me, there is one series that caught my eye. With my small, and growing interest of other mecha series besides Gundam (and the fact that I’ve been marathoning G Gundam and Gundam Wing during my blogging break), Valvrave: The Liberator is a series that I expect to have a sort of following, if all goes well, story-wise.

Another series is not so much a full series, but a mini-series (aren’t most anime series mini-series, anyway?). Kara: The Animation is an anime series featuring the members of one of my favorite K-Pop groups, Kara. In this five episode series, one episode follows a member of Kara, voiced by Nicole, Seungyeon, Jiyoung, Hara, and Gyuri, tackling different careers.

Lastly, there’s the appearance of a few returning series: Uta no Prince-Sama and Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Destiny. SEED Destiny is part of the HD remastering project as the first SEED series. Uta no Prince-Sama 2000% is the second season of Uta no Prince-Sama 1000%. The series itself is based on a visual novel of the same name that features a cast of bishounen characters. I’ve seen this series parodied with bishounen from other anime series on Pixiv… ((I’ll have to watch this show at some point…))

As far as movies and OVAs are concerned, there’s the hugely anticipated Dragonball Z: Battle of Gods movie now in theatres in Japan. Of course, I cannot forget about the latest episode of the Gundam Unicorn OVA, “Two Worlds, Two Tomorrows”, with the seventh and final episode due out next year.

Valvrave: The Liberator

Ore no Imouto: Season 2

Mobile Suit Gundam Unicorn – Episode 6: Two Worlds, Two Tomorrows

[Chart: Nihonomaru via Anime Suki]

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The following features are scheduled to be published (if there is anything to be published):

Wednesdays: Previews (trailers, teasers, etc.)
Thursdays: Regular Content (convention reports, interviews, musings, etc.)
Fridays: Reviews (every 2 Fridays), First Impressions (every 2nd Friday of the month)

With this schedule, it’s also a chance to bring back original series such as Ni-Ongaku Spotlight (showcasing Japanese music) and The CEN.TAKU.ME Journal (a journal highlight events in the anime fandom), both with a goal of one post every 1st and 2nd Thursday of the month, respectfully.

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I decided not to attend MTAC this year, the year’s theme being Devil’s Dozen. I bowed out of traveling to the con due to financial reasons, mainly because of a possible trip to the Northeast in the Summer. Though my side gig of offering writing services would have helped, I am seeking a better career that guarantees a financial future for such endeavors: an effort has seen a bit of success with a previous job interview!

I was prepared on skipping MTAC 2013 as I did not even put in a request for media access. Otherwise, the feeling of missing out would have been a burden as not being able to go to AWA at the last minute back in 2010… which means that I am fine with being spoiled of this year’s MTAC. However, I would be interested in gathering media from local Otaku who have attended the con and share them with readers, and also give those who are in the business of providing geek media a spotlight! ^_^

For those who are new here, check out my past reports of MTAC:

• MTAC Odyssey
• MTAC Goes to 11
• - MTAC Goes to 11 (Day 1)
• - MTAC Goes to 11 (Day 2)
• - MTAC Goes to 11 (Day 3)
• MTAC Omega

Next year’s confirmed theme is MTAC in Love, which marks their 14th year, and the fact that the number “14″ is symbolic of Valentine’s Day—February 14th, or is it 2(0)14 to Mtaku? Although, it looks like the con will be held on Easter weekend (April 18-20, 2014) once again.

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Anime Sushi TV aims to keep fans in touch with the latest in the world of anime, manga, and gaming, as well as a look at recent releases in DVDs and manga, cosplay fashion, and a review of the biggest anime conventions in the country. Anime Sushi is hosted by Tadao Tomomatsu, former host of the British TV show Banzai, and Ella Bowen, a multi-talented performer and journalist. Both Tadao and Ella have years of experience in the world of Otaku interest, and proud to share their expertise with fellow fans.

On their Kickstarter page, a typical episode of Anime Sushi goes like this:

Curiosity has been raised as to what would be on a typical episode of “Anime Sushi” -!*@*!- Well, Tadao and Ella would open at the home stage and then it would look a bit like this:

Tadao shares some of the latest news, including screening many clips from current and upcoming shows and movies.

He throws to Ella for a location piece, perhaps an anime con, perhaps a movie premiere, but always something for the eye.

Then back to Tadao for an interview with a major figure in the anime or gaming world.
For three Acts the show often flies through uncharted territory, into the inner workings of the animation or gaming industry with an up close look at a studio where artists, writers, computer geeks and other crazed geniuses join forces to make on-screen magic.

Fans will be celebrated in their brilliant cosplay attire. Everywhere we look it’s theater, when fans show the passion, laughs and games of anime. Internet savvy viewers describe their discerning thoughts about the shows they love by Youtubes and posting photos.

Anime Sushi is being funded via Kickstarter with the goal of bringing fans a quality series as one would find on a cable or satellite channel on a reasonable budget. The production staff of Anime Sushi have over two decades of experience with major media companies when it comes to filming and editing well known TV shows and movies. The Kickstarter Risks and Challenges states:

One concern is that among the over 200 networks now delivering content over the air, on cable, and via satellite systems, none may find that our project meets their current programming needs. Even our fallback position of distributing our show over one of the numerous internet streaming video services, such as Neon Alley (with whom we are in touch), poses challenges. One is that they may not accept our series for their channel. Another is that because some of these channels are sponsorship financed, our series not generate the large and broad audience needed to make this business model work.

I was able to chat via e-mail with the producer of Anime Sushi, Karl Laundy, with a few questions.

What inspired the creation of Anime Sushi?

Karl: Some of us (and our kids!) being anime fans, we realized there was need to find out about what’s happening in our favorite animes, manga and games more then every few months when we go to a convention. There is really news about anime 52 weeks a year and Anime Sushi is the outlet that wants to bring it to you along with advice about how to get your Otaku On for all to see.

According to the Kickstarter page, Anime Sushi “dodges the magazine show label by mixing review and info segments” rarely found in this kind of video program. On the subject of magazine formats, in the North American anime community, the printed format is becoming obsolete due to the growing demands of digital editions, insufficient sponsor support, or the lack of reader interest. Between video and print media, even audio, which format do you think would be of more interest?

Karl: Anime and manga are VISUAL mediums although I think things like Anime Idol at AX have proven how important the audio is to alot of people. One thing about the internet and TV is that you can now get really high quality images and they move! So I think that is where people will be going to stimulate their geek. That is why people go to conventions and watch podcasts is to get excited about what they like and what’s next. There will always be time for manga and print of course, because, sometimes, we like our theatre IN our mind… It’s also quieter that way too. You don’t always want your parent/wife/girlfriend yelling, “Will you TURN THAT DOWWWWWN!”

If the Kickstarter project fails to meet its goal, are there still plans to launch Anime Sushi through other means?

Karl: Yes. Absolutely. We have had enough fan reaction to know there is a hunger for some Anime Sushi (I punned, I’m sorry). But we’ve also had great reaction from the studios and the networks. Funimation has supplied us with clips and updates already. Neon Alley has been running a promo for our Kickstarter campaign on their air for the last couple of weeks. We’ve also gotten some reactions from studios in Japan (Madhouse, Toei Animation). So we are building on several fronts to try to get the show off the ground.

- – - – -

Anime Sushi’s goal is to reach $75,000 by February 2nd, 2013. Check out the Kickstarter page for more information and donation rewards!

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There’s not a lot that interests me too much on this year’s list, with the exception of their interesting titles: Mangirl!, appearing to be a latest entry into the moé category which is about a group of “Japan’s cutest manga editors” with the desire of launching the “#1 manga magazine”, despite having no experience in editing manga. Without looking at the synopsis, it would sound like a totally different anime altogether, if it weren’t for the title…

An anime I’ve had the opportunity to watch a couple of episodes of is Problem Children Are Coming From Another World, Aren’t They? (Mondai-Ji-tachi ga Isekai kara Kuru Sou Desu yo?), which is about three youths sent from their own worlds into a fantasy world (which might be thought of as a crossover between .hack//SIGN and Alice in Wonderland) by a mysterious girl who goes by the name of Black Rabbit in efforts to thwart the plans of the devil.

Hakkenden: Touhou Hakken Ibun

One more series of interest is Hakkenden: Touhou Hakken Ibun, which features a mostly Bishounen cast (yay!). Besides that fact, the story is a supernatural re-imagining of the Hakkenden samurai novels about eight half-brothers with familiar elements of the Sengoku period. It also includes elements that border on Yokai, which may or may not be a deal breaker–in before cute males. ^_^

Mangirl!

Mondai-Ji-tachi ga Isekai kara Kuru Sou Desu yo?

Hakkenden: Touhou Hakken Ibun

[Chart Source: Neregate via Anime Suki]
["Hakkenden: Touhou Hakken Ibun" Promo: NicoTubeAnime (sidebar contains some NSFW content)]

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Happy New Year 2013--Year of the Snake(s) (By きりんじ on pixiv)

I hope everyone had a good time last month and that everyone got what they wanted! There’s not much for me to talk about of what I accomplished in 2012 and what I wish to accomplish in 2013. It’s been a hectic couple of months that I haven’t been able to think about it. My plans for 2013 will slowly but surely be outlined in the months to come (as usual for the past couple of years). However, one thing’s for sure for the new year is that the blog will be put on a fixed posting schedule of at least three days a week until further notice in hopes of eliminating writer’s block, and to focus on writing better posts than before.

Good luck to everyone in 2013! ^_^

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It seems that with the success of Dragonball Kai and the OVAs Yo! Son Goku and His Friends Return, the remake of the Playdia The Plan to Eradicate the Saiyans, and the recent Bardock special, there’s renewed interest in continuing the story–considering the announcement of the movie. That’s a good thing, right? But not when it’s some attempt to dash the hopes of fans.

Here’s the “trailer” for Dragonball Hoshi. It does look like a legit Dragonball series, but unless you’re up-to-date on the latest Dragonball game, you might have seen this before:

It’s actually the opening movie of Dragonball Heroes, an arcade game exclusive to Japan. Since it’s a game not widely known about outside of Japan, it was an opportunity to twist the facts, passing it on to everyone as exciting news.

There are new characters exclusive to the game, and it takes one to spread the news to thousands, creating the buzz that it is now was. Here’s a must-read article on The Dao of Dragonball that has a very thorough explanation of the Hoshi “phenomenon”.

To make things short: the official existence of Dragonball Hoshi is: FALSE. If it was real, Anime News Network would have reported it already (and I would have spammed about it on Twitter, Facebook, and this blog about it as I have with Gundam Unicorn). This isn’t the first time a fake Dragonball series was spread around: don’t forget Dragonball AF, which was was most creative rumor spread on the Internet* for nearly a decade. It eventually inspired a fan doujinshi from fan author Toyble.

(*Well, not the most creative for the Internet, but definitely for the Dragonball franchise…*cough*)

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The trailers for the fifth episode of Gundam Unicorn, The Black Unicorn, were released back in the summer. It’s been a bit since the time I should have post it, but think of this as a prelude to an upcoming review of the latest chapter in the story.

Those following Gundam Unicorn since the beginning may recall the events so far, such as Banagher’s potential as a Newtype, the revelation of Audrey Burne’s true identity, the re-introduction of Captain Bright Noa, and the mysterious Black Gundam that fell from the sky at the end of the previous episode, “In The Depths of the Gravity Well”.

In the latest episode, Audrey is in possession of the Vist Foundation’s Martha, where her capture would bring Banagher to rescue her, and to reveal information on the La+ program. Knocked out after being attacked by the Banshee, also known as “The Black Unicorn”, Banagher is held captive in the Ra Cailum where Bright confronts him on secrets of the La+ program. This episode of Unicorn also features the theme “Broken Mirror” by the BOOM BOOM SATELLITES.

Trailer #1

Trailer #2

Episode 5 was released on June 8th, and is available for domestic purchase through The Right Stuf. Episode 6, “Two Worlds, Two Tomorrows”, will be released in Spring 2013. Also check out my review of At the Bottom of the Gravity Well.

- Purchase Mobile Suit Gundam Unicorn: The Black Unicorn from Right Stuf

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Checking my inventory along with previous posts in the series, I have collected and/or consumed half of the anime discussed: Love Hina, Mobile Suit ZZ Gundam, Mobile Suit Gundam 00: S1, and Interstella 5555. Series that are still “at large” include The Big O, The Guyver, School Rumble, Great Teacher Onizuka, Gurren Lagann, and Excel Saga. There is the exception of Neon Genesis Evangelion, which I have succeeded in watching the reintroduction of EVA through the recent movies, although I have heard they are sort of an Extended Director’s Cut of the original–something to look into again as I seek the TV series–once the license is rescued.

A few of the shows mentioned are available on streaming services, where the other few are no longer in print and are being sought at places where used media is sold. While Anime at Large has been somewhat a success, I feel bad for waiting so long to get ahold of a show. With the reintroduction of Anime at Large, I am recruiting the help of readers to choose which anime series to watch next. The shows about to be mentioned are new to the list, and are shows that are highly praised by friends and other fans.

• Persona 4: The Animation
• Kuroko no Basuke
• Durarara!!
• Nabari no Ou
• Code Geass
• Fairy Tail

The following shows will be voted on in the poll created on the CEN.TAKU.ME page via Facebook. Out of the six of these, the series with the most votes will be watched and reviewed before moving on to another series selected from a new poll. The focus will be on newer anime series before nominating shows from the original AL list. The next series will be selected sometime in early January with a new poll to be created in the future after the show is finished*.

(*Or at least satisfied with the story of a long running series, such as Fairy Tail.)

Do you have a recommendation on the shows in the poll? Please leave your opinions in the comments section! ^_^

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The winner of the ISML 2012 Exhibition Tournament is Kirigaya Kazuto from Sword Art Online! His victory was a surprise, considering that Sword Art Online is a series from this past Summer 2012 anime lineup. It’s also surprising that he defeated Lelouch Lamperouge, finishing third, in the eighth round, whose title would have been defended if it weren’t for the strong support of Kirito fans, who prevented his fellow finalist, Kinoshita Hideyoshi from Baka to Test no Shokanju.

Another character who had a strong showing in the earlier rounds is Tetsuya Kuroko of Kuroko no Basuke, another popular anime from this past year. Characters who remained the longest include Shizuo and Izaya from Durarara!! and Roy and Edward from Fullmetal Alchemist. They made it far, but failed to make it towards the top three.

Final Standings

1. Kirigaya Kazuto (Sword Art Online)
2. Kinoshita Hideyoshi (Baka to Test no Shokanju)
3. Lelouch Lamperouge (Code Geass)
4. Oreki Hotaro (Hyoka)
5. Otonashi Yuzuru (Angel Beats)
6. Togashi Yuta (Chunibyo demo Koi ga Shitai!)
7. Katsuragi Keima (Kami nomi zo Shiru Sekai)
8. Araragi Koyomi (Bakemonogatari)
9. Gilgamesh (Fate/Zero)
10. Orihara Izaya (Durarara!!)
11. Kyon (The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya)
12. Edward Elric (Fullmetal Alchemist)
13. Sakata Gintoki (Gintama)
14. Takasu Ryuji (Toradora!)
15. Roy Mustang (Fullmetal Alchemist)
16. Kuroko Tetsuya (Kuroko’s Basket)

To celebrate Kirito’s victory, I present you the latest trailer for Sword Art Online. Be aware that the anime is either nearing or reached its finale as of writing…

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The upcoming Dragonball Z film, Battle of Gods (神と神/Kami to Kami), was announced in this past July, and will be the 14th movie in the series. In the announcement, Akira Toriyama is said to be “deeply involved” with the story. In the past month, two new villains were introduced: Wiz (voiced by Masakazu Morita–known for his role as Ichigo Kurosaki from Bleach) and Bils (voiced by Koichi Yamadera). This past week, FLOW–performers of the themes “COLORS” (Code Geass) and “DAYS” (Eureka Seven)–will cover the original TV theme song, “CHA-LA-HEAD-CHA-LA”, for Battle of Gods.

The story takes place several years after the Majin Buu arc. Bils, also known as “God of Destruction”, awakens from a lengthy slumber. Bils seeks Goku after discovering his triumphs against previous enemies, most importantly the fight against Freeza. Goku learns of Bils through King Kai, only to be told to stay away. The encounter leads to Goku’s eventual defeat, and doubts of whether the new foe can be stopped.

Battle of Gods is to be released in Japan March 30th, 2013. There is no word on a localized dub or release from FUNimation.

Trailer translation from Kanzenshuu.com:

東映・20th Century FOX
[Toei / 20th Century FOX]

ナレーター「この世には、」
Narrator: “In this world,”

全人類待望
[All Humanity Has Been Waiting]

ナレーター「星や生命を生み出す神様がおられる。」
Narrator: “There are gods [/is a god] who bring[s] stars and life into being.”

創造と
[Creation And]

ナレーター「そしてまた反対に、星や生命を破壊する神様がおられる。」
Narrator: “And also, in opposition, there are gods [/is a god] who destroy[s] stars and life.”

破壊
[Destruction]

ナレーター「創造と破壊…」
Narrator: “Creation and Destruction…”

神
[God]

ナレーター「この世界のバランスを保つためには必要なのじゃ。」
Narrator: “They are necessary to maintain balance in this world.”

悟空「オッス！ちょっとオラと戦わねえか？」
Goku: “Heya! Wanna fight w’ me for a bit?”

界王「バカモン！神様に喧嘩を売るヤツがおるか!?」
Kaiō: “You fool! Who would pick a fight with a god?!”

原作・ストーリー・キャラクターデザイン
鳥山明
[Original Work / Story / Character Designs:
Akira Toriyama]

ミスター・サタン　「おい、化け猫！俺と勝負しろー！」
Mr. Satan: “Hey, Monster-Cat! Square off against me!”

ウイス「地球を破壊なさいますか？」
Uisu: [in honorific register] “Will you destroy the Earth?”

ベジータ「アイツ、とんでもないぞ！」
Vegeta: “He’s unbelievable!”

ビルス「創造の前に破壊あれー！」
Birusu: “Before creation, let there be destruction!”

亀仙人「神様が破壊じゃと!?」
Kame-Sen’nin: “A god would destroy?!”

悟天・トランクス「オレたちが相手だ！」
Goten & Trunks: “We’ll be your opponent!”

クリリン「地球はもう、終わりだ！」
Kuririn: “The Earth is doomed!”

ピッコロ「いや、銀河系がなくなるぞ」
Piccolo: “No, the entire galaxy will cease to be.”

悟空「か…め…は…め…波ーーー！」
Goku: “Ka… me… ha… me… HAAAAA!”

悟空「映画『ドラゴンボールZ　神と神』！
Goku: “The movie ‘Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Gods’!”

最強、始動。
[The Mightiest Make Their Move.]

2013.3.30
超拡大ロードショー!!
[2013.3.30
Super-Wide Release]

悟空「映画館で待ってっぞ～！」
Goku: “I’ll be waitin’ at the theater!”

[Source: Kanzenshuu via ANN]

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