Hello and welcome to another edition of Sunday News Bites! Our fat cat correspondents have been working hard to bring you more interesting titbits from the world of anime and manga, so let us read on…
More editing for Shigofumi
Shigofumi fans will recall that a few weeks ago, episode three suffered from rather abrupt editing “in light of recent events in Japan”; now, episode eight is also to be edited for the same reasons.
Social correspondent The Cardinal: An edited episode is better than a Nice Boat, but if this goes the same way as episode three, last minute excision of footage could really hurt the story. I suggest a Nice Cat episode instead.
Viz picks up Solanin
Regular readers will recall that I recently reviewed the Solanin manga, and if that made you want to own it for yourself, then you’ll be pleased to learn that Viz will be releasing it this autumn. Also set to hit shelves later in the year are Bokura ga Ita (to be released under the translated name We Were There), Captive Hearts, Blank Slate and NORA.
Licensing correspondent The Admiral: As the only one we’ve read here at Azure Flame, Solanin is the title we’re looking at, and it will certainly be a perfect choice for anyone who’s already planning to pick up Honey and Clover from Viz. Also, at only two volumes, it’s not going to break the bank.
Absolute Boyfriend live-action
Only two of Yuu Watase’s works received an anime adaptation, but if you’re desperate for more shoujo escapism then look no further than the upcoming live-action adaptation of Absolute Boyfriend. Starting in April, the series tells the tale of a young office lady who ends up receiving the ultimate boyfriend in the form of a “lover robot”.
Entertainment correspondent Aria: Punyu? [Who needs the perfect man when you can have me?]
Go 5D with Yu-Gi-Oh!
You might think that even those whose every waking hour is preoccupied with card games would have had their fill of Yu-Gi-Oh by now, but it seems that Konami have come to believe otherwise. To that end, a new anime series entitled Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D will be starting this April, featuring a brand new hero and his red motorcycle as they participate in a new stadium battle game that all the kids will love. Tune in this spring to see just how hilariously awful it can get.
Entertainment correspondent Aria: Punyu. [It seems that the real life Yu-Gi-Oh is actually getting more ridiculous than its parody rip-off Dicemasters.]
Goodbye, HD-DVD
With the news that Toshiba, the main backer of HD-DVD, is no longer going to be manufacturing players and recorders of the new format, the next-generation format war has come to an abrupt end. Blu-ray now emerges as the victor, but with DVD still going strong and legal online downloads coming into their own, it can hardly be said to be a decisive blow for the future.
Financial correspondent Mr Tibbs: I always had a feeling that Blu-ray would win out, but that doesn’t mean I support it- as we’ve said here before, trying to cram a new format into a marketplace that isn’t ready or willing to adopt it just yet is hardly going to lead to massive sales.
Ikkitousen season three
In some quarters, one season seemed like more than enough, but for those of you out there who need more scantily clad girls stripping each other in the heat of battle, a third season of Ikkitousen will be coming your way. This time around, the series will throw the manga out of the window entirely to focus on an original story.
Entertainment correspondent Aria: Punyu. [Story is a relative term when referring to Ikkitousen, since we all know it doesn’t really have any.]
I just hope they do a better job of editing Shigofumi this time around than they did with episode 3, especially now the series is actually getting pretty good.