Artist: Tamako Kitashirakawa (CV: Aya Suzaki) Year: 2013
Notes: Tamako Market ED song.This song is cute and bubbly, very fitting for the anime. Tamako Market is a slice-of-life, comedy and romance anime; The story revolves around a young girl who is heir to a mochi shop, about her friendship troubles and a fat bird that can talk.
Although I'm not a fan of slice-of-life animes, I was able to survive the 12 episodes and actually enjoyed it; I found the art to be very cute.
The first fan made episode of My Little Pony: Friendship is magic, was released today. My Little Pony fans have been looking forward to this for a long time, now. Created by FlamingoRich. The story is focused on Rainbow Dash. After boosting her natural abilities by way of science, she is able to do a Double Rainboom, which sends her to a distant land, where she meets a group of unique girls — The Powerpuff Girls. It kept true to both series, and they portrayed the personalities of each character pretty well. The art was excellent, almost matching the quality of real episodes. The voice actors mimicked the voices in real episodes pretty well. Quite a fun experience. It combines two of the greatest series ever released on television, and it does it in a unique fun way. You can find the episode on Youtube, here.
5 days! 5 days!! Yes, there's only 5 days until the first airing of the second season of Uta no Prince sama (Maji Love 2000%), and to satisfy us fan(girl)s the production company has released two commercials/promotional videos early this morning.
The first two seasons of this comedy anime, with each episode only 3 minutes in length, was very enjoyable; It's about an older sister that looks like a pre-schooler and a younger brother that looks like an adult and their daily lives/troubles. I recommend it to those who want a good laugh. - pumpkin_so77
Recorder and Randsell Mi, the third anime season based on Meme Higashiya's four-panel manga Recorder and Randsell, will premiere in Japan this July. Higashiya's story revolves around Atsushi Miyagawa and his sister Atsumi Miyagawa. Atsushi looks like an adult at 180 centimeters (about 71 inches) tall, but he is actually an elementary school boy. Atsumi looks like a little girl at 137 centimeters (54 inches) tall, but she is actually in high school.
The manga launched in Takeshobo's Manga Club Original magazine in 2007, and it also runs in Takeshobo's Manga Life Original magazine.
I'm gonna derail myself from my usual topic, and instead talk about something else. I'm gonna talk about aggression and how it can be prevented. Aggression is a common trait among humans. Some of us can control it, better than others. We tend to get angry because of our ignorance. We attach ourselves to certain ideas of ourselves. We allow others to identify us with insults, and we get angry at them. It's highly illogical. When you think about it, anger is pointless, it has no use, it doesn't help us in any way. It hold us back. So, how come humans haven't removed that trait throughout our evolution? Why do we always tend to think so primitively? I think it's because of our inability to come to awareness. If we could, we would've removed pointless emotions such as anger a long time ago.
A truly memorable anime. This series focuses on the lives of Edward and Alphonse Elric. It also focuses on Alchemy, a mysterious art that works almost by way of magic. Itis the art of constructing, reconstructing and deconstructing matter. In order to use Alchemy, you must follow a certain law — in order to gain something you have to sacrifice something of equal value. The art of using Alchemy is known as transmutation. However, there is a taboo among alchemist, human transmutation is forbidden — for what could equal the value of a human life.
Knowing all this, Edward and Alphonse attempt human transmutation, and the results are horrifying. Edward almost loses his little brother, but he manages to attach his brother's soul to a large suit of armor. While he did manage to save his brother's life, he paid the terrible price of his limbs. In order to get back what they've lost, the brothers embark on a journey to find the Philosopher's Stone that is said to amplify the powers of an alchemist enormously.
There are two series in the Fullmetal Alchemist franchise. Both follow the same synopsis. However, where they differ from each other is in the dept of the story, and how closely they follow the manga.
Fullmetal Alchemist
This series aired in October 4, 2003. I don't have much to say about this series because, although I truly enjoyed this series, there isn't much for me to say but how it differs form the later series. It's full of dramatic moments, and has some intense battles, too. The story ends with a movie that follows the end of the series. Basically, Edward ends up in our world, and has to find a way to get back to his world. Also, the way alchemy works differs greatly from the manga. Alchemy in Edward's world is a result of many experiments done in our world. The energy released goes to his world, allowing people to use Alchemy. The series ends in a satisfying (yet confusing) way.
Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood
This series aired April 6, 2009. This series closely follows the manga, and is in my opinion better than the previous one. It got me into watching more anime series, too. This series is also full of sad, dramatic, and intense moments, but I dare say the story is better. In this series not only do the Elrics need to recover what they've lost, but they also need to stop an evil mastermind from taking over the world. It takes the antagonists from the previous series and makes them a bit more interesting and stronger. You explore Edward's world more deeply in this story. Also, Alchemy's energy comes from the energy produced by the Earth's tectonic plates. Edward goes through some hard moments and you never really know whether to feel sad or happy, because the series constantly changes momentum in a genius way. The final battle is truly epic. It's a great series, and I highly recommend it.
If you enjoy anime that will mess with your emotions, both series are perfect for you. I loved the characters, and it never really got boring — not in the Brotherhood series, at least. The voice acting was perfect, and in both series the art was excellent. Both are action packed, with some occasional funny moments. Seeing how Edwards grows, the sacrifices he has to make, is invigorating. The original soundtracks for both series are excellent. Just listen to this:
Edward is very intelligent — he's an alchemist prodigy. He can also be short headed. He hates it when people call him short, and has a profound hate towards milk. However, once he decides to learn something, he will not sleep for days and will continue his studies relentlessly. Alphonse is the level headed one, always calling out to Edward whenever he's rude to someone. He loves animals, and will often adopt stray animals and house them in his armor. Both are willing to sacrifice each other for each other. They share a bond that can't be broken, and give each other strength. Winry is Edward and Alphonse's childhood friend. She's responsible for giving maintenance to Edward's artificial limbs. She can be too aggressive, but will always be there when the Elrics need her.
I highly recommend both series. I hope you give at least one of them a chance, I can guarantee you will enjoy your time.
Pony Canyon is alsostreaming two new television commercials for Devil Survivor 2 The Animation on Wednesday. The commercials feature the opening theme song "Take Your Way" by livetune featuring Fukase (from the band End of the World/Sekai no Owari) and the ending theme song "Trauma / Be" by the Japanese hip-hop group Song Riders.
livetune and Fukase's single will ship on June 5, and Song Riders' single will ship on May 22. The producer kz has used Hatsune Miku vocals under his unit name livetune in the past; while he has contributed opening theme songs before, this is his first under the livetune name.
The anime series will adaptAtlus' Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor 2 Nintendo DS role-playing game. In the story, 13 Devil Messengers face the end of the world by mysterious invaders in seven days.
Atlus USA released the original Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor Nintendo DS game in June 2009 in North America, and then released the enhanced port titled Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor Overclocked in August 2011. Atlus released the Devil Survivor 2video game in Japan in July 2011, and then Atlus USA released the game in North America in February 2012. Suzuhito Yasuda(Durarara!!, Yozakura Quartet) drew the main character designs for all three games. The second game will be ported to the Nintendo3DS system this summer under the name Devil Survivor 2: Break Code.
The original Devil Survivor game also inspired a manga adaptation from Satoru Matsuba (WARASIBE) that launched in Kodansha'sMonthly Shonen Sirius magazine last May.
The series will premiere on April 4 on MBS' "Animeism" programming block.
The final episode of the Tamako Market television anime series ended on Wednesday night (effectively early Thursday morning) with a teaser video for the Chūnibyō demo Koi ga Shitai! anime that simply stated, "Contract renewed." The show's official website also features a new visual (pictured at left) with the same words.
The first season was amazingly delicious with a variety platter of ikemen, I'm glad second season gets an all-go! - pumpkin_so77
The May issue of Kadokawa Shoten's Asuka Ciel magazine is announcing on Saturday that a second season of the Hakkenden: Eight Dogs of the East television anime series has been green-it. The anime adaptsMiyuki Abe's original manga that reimagines the setting from the classic Hakkenden samurai novel as a female-oriented story with supernatural elements.
On March 27, it was revealed that 4-member rock band SPYAIR’s newest song “Niji” will be used as the theme song for the TBS drama “Sennyu Tantei Tokage”, which will begin airing every Thursday at 9PM starting on April 18.
Actor Matsuda Shota stars as a detective in the drama. The drama offers a different flavor of mystery and suspense as it follows a former elite police detective who possesses an overwhelming memory and his assistant as they solve difficult and unresolved cases. The drama is also reflective of human nature as the characters in the drama mature as they struggle to balance “oneself” with “one’s past.”
For a little backstory on the band, all of the SPYAIR members are from Aichi Prefecture and they were formed in 2005. In 2009, DJ ENZEL☆ who was a support member, joined the group. Last year, they were handpicked to provide the theme song for the Japanese release of the film “The Amazing Spiderman,” and in December, they performed for the first time ever at the Nippon Budokan in Tokyo. After their performance at the Nippon Budokan, ENZEL☆ left the group. This is the first song they have made as a four-man group and it was written specifically for the drama. The song is a brilliant rock ballad that encourages one to persevere and walk forth even when one is troubled.
The group plans on revealing the song on March 31 at Zepp Namba in Osaka.
Hi! My name is Richard. I just recently joined the My Bubbletea Time team, it's quite an honor. I'll be focusing on anime themed blogs — feel free to contact me if you want suggestions based on your interests. I only recently got into blogging, and it's been really fun! My favorite anime (so far), is Kino no Tabi, I probably spend too much time watching anime. I run several online communities. I enjoy expressing my opinions; I like to look at things from a philosophical point of view. I'm currently studying to become a System Analyst.
Because there really isn't much to say about myself, I'm gonna explain how I came to joining this team, though it's quite a short story. I created a community on the site Google+, and at the time we were short on moderators, so I invited Diluen to help with the community. Not too long after, I started blogging and Diluen was one of the few (if not the only) to visit my blog — seriously, getting people to visit your blog is hard. So, anyway, he liked my blogs and invited me to join this one. I'm very grateful to have given this opportunity!
Apparently the Crypton vocaloids are now so identifiable that it just takes the right color to invoke an association. At least that's the implicit pitch. Piapro has unveiled a set of five nail polishes including Miku green, Rin and Len yellow, Luka pearl blue (as in her headphones), Meiko red and Kaito blue. They sell for 1,050 yen ($11).
The official site for Death Note/Highschool of the Dead director Tetsuro Araki and Production I.G subsidiary Studio Wit's adaptation of Hajime Isayama's Attack on Titan manga has posted a full roster of Kyoji Asano's (Psycho-Pass) character designs. And, while the distinctive look is sure to turn off some, for many, it's going to reignite anticipation for the looming April anime.
Wacom, a company that makes digital drawing tablets, has added a new video with artist Yori to its "Drawing with Wacom" series on Wednesday. The video features Yori using the Cintiq 13HD, Wacom's new drawing tablet with a compact 13.3-inch LCD display.
Yori is best known for illustrating the music videos for Mikito-P's "Yi Er Fan Club" (1,2 Fan Club) and other songs. With vocals by Vocaloid idols Gumi and Kagamine Rin, "Yi Er Fan Club" has garnered over 1.9 million views on Niconico.
To promote the upcomingGhost in the Shell Arise anime, the staff recreated the franchise's signature optical camouflage in real-life using some decidedly low-tech, high-concept performance art:
The artists installed the exhibit at the February 12 unveiling of Ghost in the Shell Arise. The "camouflage" was only effective in one spot in the room — a viewer had to stand on a bulls-eye marked on the floor to experience the full effect.
Title:secrete base 〜君がくれたもの〜 (10 years after ver.)
Artist: Ai Kayano, Haruka Tomatsu, and Saori Hayami Year: 2011
Notes: Ano Hi Mita Hana no Namae o Boku-tachi wa Mada is an emotional anime that teaches us how to forgive, reflect and move on, especially if we have lost someone dear to us.
This is the ED song. I find it very calming and sadness wells up when I listen to it, but it's not a gloomy kind of sadness, it's a happy reflection and reminds me I should treasure those that I have around me. The lyrics are beautifully written, describing all the fun memories that friends can have.
With about a fortnight to go until the Winter 2012/2013 anime season to end, it's time to get excited about new series coming in the Spring 2013 anime season!
Check out a compilation of the anime trailers in the coming season here:
My list of animes that I'm looking forward to include:
Aku no Hana
Devil Survivor 2 The Animation
Hentai Ouji to Warawanai Neko.
Kakumeiki Valvrave
Karneval
Ketsukekigata-kun!
RDG: Red Data Girl
Shingeki no Kyojin
Suisei no Gargantia
UtanoPrince-samaMajiLove1000%2 (Sorry I had to put this in sparkles because I've been waiting for this for a very very long time!! *cue fangirl scream*)
You come across this amazing Youtube video but how can you get it and watch it even when you're offline? We list a few simple steps for "downloading" Youtube videos. Credits from this youtube tutorial.
Copy the URL of the Youtube video.
Open VLC player, click on Media tab and click on Open Network Stream.
Select the Network tab and in the box paste the URL, then click Play.
Once the video starts loading, click on Tools tab and then Codec Information.
At the bottom of the window should be a box labelled Location. Highlight and copy all the text inside the box (ctrl-a + ctrl-c).
Open a new tab in your web browser and paste all the text you copied into the URL bar and press enter.
Go to Options button of your web browser and select Save Page As. Save the file as a .FLV file.
Enjoy your video again and again even when you're offline!
Apple's iTunes store is listing that an English version of Hatsune Miku's song "Tell Your World" will be released March 20. The listing currently features a 90-second preview of the song. The Japanese version of the song is already available on the U.S. iTunes store.
Composer kz wrote, scored, and arranged the original song — which was featured in a multi-award-winning Google Chrome commercial — under the unit name livetune.
The English version of "Tell Your World" will also be included on livetune's new Hatsune Miku album Re:Dial, which is also slated for release on March 20 in Japan. Re:Dial will include the song "Redial," which will feature a music video from contemporary artist Takashi Murakami.
Kyary Pamyu Pamyu has a brand new song and music video in the form of “Ninja ri ban ban” a colorful eye candy love letter to Japanese culture complete with ninja dance moves, laser battles, and catchy techno hooks composed by Yasutaka Nakata of capsule and Perfume. Enjoy it below!
Without much fanfare, the corporate entity behind the Hatsune Miku VOCALOID software has confirmed a Summer release timeframe for the long-awaited English version of the voice synthesis software that gave rise to an entire subculture around Hatsune Miku and the varied spinoffs. The software itself is a variant of the much more extensive VOCALOID2 software suite developed by Yamaha for use in the recording industry as a replacement for human vocalists.
The English version of the Hatsune Miku Vocaloid software has been in development since the US concert debut of Hatsune Miku in 2011 and was originally meant to be released shortly after, though the software was quietly delayed while Crypton continued to gauge the popularity of Vocaloid in the US.
Crypton Future Media will be hosting a panel during this week's South by Southwest Interactive conference where they will introduce Hatsune Miku to the tech-oriented crowd and press on Monday morning.
If you’re a Hatsune Miku fan currently on a vacation in Japan, I’d bet you ordered Domino’s Pizza via the newly released iTunes app. Want more of the popular virtual diva from this era’s cutting-edge technology? Then you might want to stay in Japan a bit longer for RWC’s soon-to-be-released gadget: the “Hatsune Miku Tablet Navi starring Saki Fujita”.
This Hatsune Miku-themed Android tablet will go on sale starting April 15. The illustrations featured on the case as well the 50 pre-installed wallpapers (all are original illustrations) were drawn by Takumi Torigoe and other artists. A navigation app featuring the voice of Saki Fujita is also included.
Specs and other features of the Hatsune Miku Android Tablet:
7-inch touchscreen tablet – 800 x 480 liquid crystal screen
OS: Android 4.0
Memory: 512 MB
Storage: 8 GB (up to 32 GB of expandable memory)
Wireless connectivity
Camera: 2 MP
Slots: microSD card, Mini HDMI and USB
FM transmitter
Earphone jack
FM transmitter
This tablet package includes an AC adapter, USB cable, SAGA cable, a stand and a pedestal. It has approximately 4.5 hours of battery life.
The Hatsune Miku Tablet Navi starring Saki Fujita is priced at 39,800 JPY (Approx. 405.83 AUD). Pre-orders for this gadget has commenced.
Ketsuekigata-kun!, the manga about anthropomorphized blood types, is inspiring a television anime that will premiere on April 7. In Japan, some people believe that blood types are linked to personalities; to them, people with Type A blood are reliable, Type B blood signifies passionate people, Type O blood indicates those with an independent streak, and Type AB people are capricious.
A creator who goes by the pen name "Real Crazy Man" has been drawing manga that takes these blood-type personalities and turn them into characters. Popular voice actors Jun Fukuyama, Yūichi Nakamura, Akira Ishida, and Tetsuya Kakihara will play Types A, B, O, and AB, respectively, in the anime.
Yoshihisa Oyama (director of photography on Aku no Hana, Say "I love you".) is helming the anime at the studios Assez Finaud Fabric. and feel. Kenichi Yamashita (Ishida and Asakura, Yumeiro Pâtissière) is writing the scripts, and Dax Production is charge of sound. Earth Star Entertainment published three manga volumes by "Real Crazy Man" since last July.
The current buzz of (female otakus in) anime forums is "What's that new swimming anime by KyoAni about?" - Who cares, there's 4 hot, half-naked guys splashing themselves with water, what more could fangirls ask for?
During the latest episode of Tamako Market, a short ad by KyoAni subsidiary Animation Do presented short promo ad featuring a bit of eye candy for the female viewers.
No doubt this will be another huge hit when it finally gets released. Also see here for how terrible wonderful the fandom has already been.
It's been a while since I last posted a song and today I'm recommending not a Japanese song (!wow) but an English rock song. I find the lyrics of this song very inspirational and I respect the artist for all that's she's done in her career.
Title: Try
Artist: P!nk Year: 2012
Notes:The interpretive dance is also amazing! Favourite part of the lyrics:
Where there is desire There is gonna be a flame, Where there is a flame Someone's bound to get burned, But just because it burns Doesn't mean you're gonna die. You've gotta get up and try, and try, and try.
The official website for the anime adaptation of Kagami Yoshimizu's Lucky Star spinoff manga Miyakawa-ke no Kuufuku (The Miyakawa Family's Hunger) announced the staff and theme song performers on Friday.
Yutaka Yamamoto or "Yamakan" (Kannagi: Crazy Shrine Maidens, episodes of The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya and Lucky Star) is directing the anime at his studio Ordet and Encourage Films. Takeshi Yasuda and Hiroaki Takeuchi planned and developed the project in collaboration with Touyou Ikeda. Touko Machida (Lucky Star, The IDOLM@STER) is overseeing the series scripts, and Mamoru Ikeya designed the characters.
Ken'ichi Maeyamada (songs in Baka and Test - Summon the Beasts , Nichijou - My Ordinary Life, Bodacious Space Pirates) is composing the music. While the cast has not been announced, the opening theme song "Kachigumi" is credited to the characters Konata Izumi and Kagami Hiiragi. Similarly, the ending theme song "Makegumi" is credited to Hinata and Hikage Miyakawa.
The original manga is based on the Lucky Star Moe Drill game series. It centers around big sister Hinata Miyakawa and little sister Hikage Miyakawa's impoverished daily life at home (due to Hinata's wasteful habits) and Hikage's life at elementary school.
The anime will stream on the Ustream service this spring. The anime's website previews the designs and the two sisters' profiles. It also presented the wooden ema prayer plaque, hung in offering at Washinomiya Shrine, that revealed the anime on New Year's Eve last year. The ema already listed Yamamoto next to Yoshimizu's sketch.
