The Week In Anime-Diana Wynne Jones 1934-2011

Hello and greetings fellow otaku,

I am very sad to say that we lost a very important figure who’s book inspired the popular Hayao Miyazaki animated feature Howl’s Moving Castle. It was announced yesterday that Diana Wynne Jones author of the book Howl’s Moving Castle passed away at the age of 76 with a long battle from cancer.

Mrs.. Jones has been well know for writing over 40 books for children and adults including the book mentioned above, Castle In The Air and House of Many Ways just to name a few. Her first original novel entitled Changeover was published back in 1970 and she published a children’s book entitled Wilkins’ Tooth in 1973. Mrs. Jones is survived by her husband and three children.

Overall I enjoyed the film version of the book and I have been trying to read the actual book itself, but I never had a chance to do so. But in closing, she will be defiantly be missed and that we wish her husband and her sons all the best during this difficult time.

So until next time, remember that there is a ton of great anime and manga out there. All you have to do is find it. Ltrs.

Misc Stuff-Under A Bit Of Stress At The Moment!!!!! Will Resume Regular Posting Soon :)

Hello and greetings fellow otaku,

Now for those of you loyal readers out there know, for over the last few months I have been trying to find full time work. But so far, I have been having some bad luck with my search with either companies that are not hiring or I end up getting an interview but I didn’t get the job. Overall this has been affecting me personally in which I have been under a lot of stress.

Thus my performance here at AFC has been lacking some of its luster. I haven’t been able to post as much as I wanted to or watch as much anime as I wanted to along with other feature segments such as Anime Remix, Anime March Madness and my Pokémon Game Play coverage as I wanted to. But please keep in mind that AFC will not be shutting down any time soon and that I do from time to time suffer from these periods of Bloggers Block, but I have been able to get over it and improve my performance overall.

So to all you loyal readers out there, please be patient!!!!! I am trying to do the best I can to get back on track, and once I do, I can assure you that AFC will be better than ever. Thanks you guys with your cooperation and until next time, remember that there is a ton of great anime and manga out there. All you have to do is find it. Ltrs.

Breaking News In Manga-Sailor Moon Manga To Return This September and New Digital Manga Titles!!!!!

Hello and greetings fellow otaku,

We have a lot of interesting developments in the manga world today, so here are some of the top stories that you definitely need to know.

First off, Kodansha USA Publishing has just announced that they are getting ready to re-release one of the most popular manga series know to anime fans around the world, Sailor Moon!!!!! Originally published in Japan in 1992 and published five years later in the U.S., Sailor Moon has gained pop culture status all around the world. Some examples in the U.S. include the song “One Week” by the band “Barenaked Ladies” and the popular book series “The Princess Diaries” written by Meg Cabot.

The re-release of the series will be published in a bi-monthly format and will consist of twelve volumes with new cover art and detailed translation notes. Kodansha also announced that they will also be publishing the prequel to the series entitled “Codename: Sailor V”.  At the moment, Kodansha has not set a date as to when the first volume of the re-release will be published.

 

On the digital front this week, Digital Manga Inc. has recently announced three new titles that they will be adding in the coming weeks. These new titles include Only Serious About You Vols. 1 and 2, Mr. Tiger and Mr. Wolf and Lovephobia Vol.1. for more information on these new licenses, you can check out Digital Manga Inc.’s blog by clicking on the link below.

Digital Manga Inc.’s Official Blog

http://www.digitalmanga.com/blog/

And finally on a few un-related notes, Viz Media is joining the effort to help those who were affected in last Friday’s devastating earthquake and tsunami in Japan. Viz is planning on donating money to three charitable organizations including Save The Children, AmeriCares, Architecture for Humanity and Artists Help Japan. To learn more about these organizations and to donate, click on the link below to read the press release from Viz Media.

Viz Media Press Release-Tsunami and Hurricane Relief Efforts

http://www.viz.com/content/viz-media-donates-japanese-earthquake-and-tsunami-aid-and-recovery-efforts

AMM 2011 Update

And finally on the AMM 2011 front, it has been officially declared that Yomi will be advancing to the next round after a triple overtime battle with Tomo. We will have more information on this story and exclusive highlights for you tomorrow.

And as always, stay with AFC for the latest development on these breaking stories. So until next time, remember that there is a ton of great anime and manga out there. All you have to do is find it. Ltrs.

Misc. Stuff-Anime March Madness 2011 Round One Update

*Sports Center theme plays* VO: “This Is Anime Center”

Hello and greetings fellow otaku,

Well the first round of AMM 2011 is well underway, and from what we have been hearing from insiders, it has been a real grudge match. Here are some of the highlights.

In the first half we see Yomi giving Tomo a very excruciating facial after Tomo saying that she was “BAKA” for not  recording her favorite tv show last night. Hey Tomo, there is a brand new invention called “TiVo” ever heard of it???? But the action does not stop there, later on we see Tomo sneaking into Yomi’s room in which she makes fun of her pen name “Tearful Little Diet Girl” on a live radio show.  That really had to hurt Yomi, but it does give Tomo the edge at the end of the first half.

As for the second half, it gets really ugly, and I mean really ugly. Unfortunately the producers  have declined to air the footage from the second half since it is absolutely too raw for TV. But at the end of the second half, it is a split contest in which each competitor has gotten equal opportunity over the other.

So at this point we are heading into overtime for this match. What will happen, check back tomorrow for all the exciting action plus exclusive commentary and previews of match-ups two and three right here on Anime Center. So until then, remember that there is a ton of great anime and manga out there. All you have to do is find it. Ltrs.

*Hugs and Hand pounds All-around Everybody!!!!*

Misc Stuff-Anime March Madness 2011 Round 1

Hello and greetings fellow otaku,

Well it is time once again for one of AFC most popular traditions, so get ready because it is time to get ready for the second annual Anime March Madness tournament. And for those of you who though last years tournament was a real grudge match, well hang on to your seats because this year it is going to get ugly!!!!!

Now for those of you who who did not follow last years tournament, here’s  how it all goes down. Twenty-two anime, manga and video game characters will go toe to toe to determine who is the best in the world of otaku culture. Over the next few weeks, we will be brining you live coverage of each matchup with all the highlights, press conferences, trash talking and much more. But in the end, only one character will be victorious and he or she will claim the title of Anime March Madness champion of 2011. So let’s not waste anymore time, let get right to the first matchup.

Round 1- Yomi Vs. Tomo

And for round one of the tournament, we have a re-match of sorts of last years tournament. Well actually, these two haven’t had a chance to compete last year due to the tournament being canceled. So let get ready for two best friends with different personalities to put their friendship aside and take their personalities to the battle field. It’s Yomi Mizuhara and Tomo Takino from Azumanga Daioh.

Now I am not going into much details about the tale of the tape for this match-up, but if you would like to check out the background for the match, check out my post from last years tournament to get up to speed. And don’t forget to check back on Tuesday for all the highlights from this match and a preview of round two action. So until next time, remember that there is a ton of great anime and manga out there. All you have to do is find it. Ltrs.

Anime March Madness 2010-Round 3 Coverage

http://animefullcircle.com/2010/04/01/misc-stuff-anime-march-madness-round-3/

Misc Stuff-Help The Victims of the Tsunami and Earthquake in Japan!!!!!

Hello and greetings fellow otaku,

Today I planned on starting coverage of Anime March Madness, however this will be pushed over to tomorrow. For those of you who may or may not have herd, at 2:46 PM (Local Time-Japan)\ 12:46 AM (EST-Eastern Standard Time) a 8.9 magnitude earthquake occurred near the east coast of Honshu Japan. Hours later, a huge tsunami slammed the area in which thousands of homes, vehicles, and boats among other things were swept away in it’s path.

According to area police, about 178 were killed in the tsunami,  584 people are missing from the area and 947 people were injured from it. We here at AFC would like to extend our thoughts and well wishes to those individuals and families who were affected by this tragedy. Our thoughts and prayers are with you all.

For more information about what happened and what you can do to help, please check out the following links at the end of this post. Thank you.

Links Related To Post

http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/2011-03-11-Japan-quake_N.htm?csp=hf

http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/eqinthenews/2011/usc0001xgp/#details

http://yourlife.usatoday.com/mind-soul/doing-good/kindness/post/2011/03/how-to-help-the-victims-of-the-japan-earthquake/147322/1

Other Bloggers Talk About The Tsunami

http://jedko.wordpress.com/2011/03/11/tokyo-magnitude-8-0-is-no-longer-a-what-if-anime/

http://www.major-arcana.net/zanaikin/2011/03/japan-has-biggest-things-to-worry-about-right-now/

Afc Quickies Video Edition-Pokémon Episode 37?-Holiday Hi-Jynx

Hello and greetings fellow otaku,

With my copy of Pokémon Black supposing arriving tomorrow, what no better way to kick of my new adventure by showing a classic episode of Pokémon season one. So in this edition of Afc Quickies, I am going to showcase the episode entitled “Holiday Hi-Jynx”.

Now I won’t go into all the details about this episode for those readers out there who have never seen the episode, but if you want to find out more information about it, you can read the article from Bulbapedia at the end of this post. But anyway, enjoy the show and I will catch ya guys later.

Bulbapedia Summary for Holiday Hi-Jynx

http://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/Holiday_Hi-Jynx

Afc Coming Attractions-Pokémon Black Gameplay, Anime March Madness 2011 and Much More!!!!

Hello and greetings fellow otaku,

Well spring is around the corner and that means that we will have a lot of interesting things going on for the month of March. But besides watching the NCAA Tourney and getting ready for Easter, check out the things that we have coming up this month at Afc.  Trust me, you are going to like what you will see.

Pokémon Black Gameplay

First off, Pokémon Black and White will be on sale starting tomorrow and for those of you who are planning on getting a copy or if you just want to find out what the game is like, we will have exclusive gameplay coverage in which I will give you an inside look at the latest version in the Pokémon game franchise. Updates will be on a weekly basis, so make sure to check in every week to follow my progress thru the game.

Anime March Madness 2011

Second, anime march madness is back and will be better than ever. Twenty-Two of your favorite anime, manga and video game characters will compete in a head to head match to determine who is the best of the best in 2011. For those of you who followed last year’s tournament, the stakes will be higher and the name calling and body bashing will be exciting. The fun and excitement will begin this Thursday with match-up one (Competitor’s to be announced) so don’t miss the exciting action as Anime March Madness kicks off this Thursday, be there or be square.

Feature Review, Spring 2011 Anime Preview, Hayao Miyazaki Tribute and Much More

Finally,we will be taking a look at some of the new anime series that will be premiering this season. I will have my picks for series that will be must see viewing, series to avoid and others that I will take a glance at. We will also have a feature review from a reader in which he will share his thoughts on the Hayao Miyazaki classic “Only Yesterday”. And speaking of Miyazaki-san, I know that I have been promising that I would be doing this tribute to him for a while now but I am keeping my word that our tribute to Hayao Miyazaki will begin this month with “Howl’s Moving Castle”. I know that I meant to start this special series  a year ago, but since I was in school at the time and that other things were going on, I figured it was time to get back on track with this.

All this plus, news, reviews and videos coming your way this month only on Afc. So until next time, remember that there is a ton of great anime and manga out there. All you have to do is find it, Ltrs.

Related Articles

• Game Freak: Pokemon Isn’t Just for Kids (escapistmagazine.com)
• Pokémon: 15 Years of Catching ’em All (pinkbananaworld.com)

Breaking News In Anime-Evangelion Manga To Resume After An 14 Month Hiatus!!!!!

Hello and greetings fellow otaku,

Here is some interesting news for fans of Neon Genesis Evangelion that is not related to Eva 2.0 being released in three weeks (March 29, 2011).

According to Kadokawa Shoten publishers of Young Ace magazine, popular anime character creator Yoshiyuki Sadamoto will resume publishing the manga version of Neon Genesis Evangelion after a fourteen month hiatus. The next edition of the manga will be features in Young Ace magazine in their April 4th issue. Sadamoto had place the manga version of the anime on hiatus since last February and stated that he would resume publication this past winter. Currently, Viz Media has recently published volume twelve of the manga series.

As always, stay with AFC for more details on this developing story. So until next time, remember that there is a ton of great anime and manga out there. All you have to do is find it. Ltrs.