FUNimation already has the rights to Sengoku Basara, an adaptation of a Dynasty Warriors-style game about feudal Japan. So I suppose it just makes sense for them to lock down the rights to a similar anime. Samurai Warriors (Sengoku Musou in Japan) is an adaptation of a Dynasty Warriors spin-off game about feudal Japan. It sounds like a rip-off, but considering that not only Samurai Warriors, but also Dynasty Warriors came before Sengoku Basara, it’s safe from such accusations. The anime starts on January 11, 2015, on the FUNimation Streaming Service. You have to pay a cheap subscription rate, but you can also use a 14-day free trial, even at the end of the series, so you can binge it all in one go. Read more…
Well, that was quick. Now we have a list of which US theaters are showing Evangelion 3.0: You Can (Not) Redo, the third Rebuild of Evangelion film, this coming January. There are over 45 theaters to choose from, with a good spread of states. Of course, as with all limited releases, some people are going to be left out. Luckily for them, the Blu-ray and DVD release has been given a release date of February 18, 2014, something that I somehow missed completely. So if you can’t make it to one of the screenings below, you can go order the movie on Amazon right now! Read more…
Posted by Bob Muir on Nov 12, 2013 in Anime, Cinema
North American fans of Neon Genesis Evangelion have been waiting since November 17, 2012 for the latest Rebuild of Evangelion movie. The remake/reboot/sequel/whatever movie series is already three films into the planned four-film story, but the third film, Evangelion 3.0: You Can (Not) Redo, has yet to receive a North American release. But this January 2014, ELEVEN ARTS and FUNimation will be screening the film. It will mostly be shown in an English dubbed format, but some showings will feature the original Japanese dub with English subtitles. Read more…
Here’s another little tidbit of news coming out of Otakon: Cowboy Bebop will be back in print again in the US. FUNimation announced that they’ll be releasing the popular anime classic series digitally and on Blu-ray in 2014. Sadly, the Blu-ray probably won’t be as impressive as the Japanese box set, but it also won’t be $350. If you’re not into owning things, Daisuki has you covered. The streaming service has confirmed they have licensed Bebop for release in 2014 as well, and are anticipating it to go up just before FUNimation’s release. Good time to be a Bebop fan! Read more…
Excited about that Mass Effect anime announced a little while ago? Here’s a good look at it, with a full-length trailer being released at Comic-Con this week. FUNimation is partnering up with Production I.G. and T.O. Entertainment to create the film and, well, it looks simply average. There are a few interesting shots in the trailer but for the most part it fails to excite me. Paragon Lost will be all about James Vega’s battle with the Collectors, so essentially this is something that will probably not grab most people unless they’re die hard Mass Effect fans.
This summer, Funimation Channel launched a viral campaign encouraging anime fans to contact their local cable providers to request Funimation’s 24-hour cable network. At last month’s Anime Expo in Los Angeles, I noticed they were even handing out gifts to con-goers who made the call in front of them. It might seem a bit cheap, but the cause is just. It’s a fact that Cable companies won’t bat an eye unless they see a reasonable demand for a service. I admit I like their approach, but unfortunately I find myself questioning how effective this method could be. According to one spokesperson for the company, several cable providers had reached a point where they were simply hanging up on the callers during the convention. On top of that, how impressive could a weekend of calls really be? If you really want to do your part, I suggest everyone actually take the time to call your local cable providers and make the request at your own leisure. It stands to reason that a steady demand would look far more impressive than a proverbial flash-mob. Don’t you agree?
I was given an opportunity to play with the new iPhone app Fullmetal Alchemist: State Alchemy Exam and enjoyed having an anime themed game at my fingertips. Now if you’re a serious gamer you might be let down with this app, but if you’re a fanboy (or fangurl) looking for an entertaining casual game then State Alchemy Exam is worth checking out. Exam is the key word here as this is a trivia quiz app which tests your knowledge of Fullmetal Alchemist with physics and chemistry thrown in for fun: Read more…
Posted by Michael Pinto on Dec 23, 2009 in Animation
I personally blame Gia Manry for the American popularity of Spice and Wolf — oh I’m sure other fans were into the show, but the first time I heard about it was when she did a review of the light novel back in the day. Without me realizing it somehow Gia had planted the seed and now every where I turn that’s all that anime fans seem to be talking about. Well now Gia can claim victory as Funimation has capitulated to wolf fandom and released the first season on DVD…
Posted by Michael Pinto on Nov 6, 2009 in Animation
The good news? Blu-ray for Samurai Champloo will be out on December 15, 2009. The bad news? What the hell ever happened to Shinichirō Watanabe! I realize that having been behind two great anime shows is pretty good for one lifetime, but damn it I’d like to see the guy do one more big thing. I’m not saying that he’s a slacker in fact Watanabe is the associate producer on the 2011 Cowboy Bebop film. But instead of seeing him revisit the past I’d love to see something new.
Posted by Michael Pinto on Nov 6, 2009 in Animation
I just finished reading a very scathing review of what Funimation is or rather what it isn’t doing for UK fans. The blog in question is Tiamat’s Manga Reviews and the first thing I can tell is the blogger in question loves anime — however as someone who also understands the pro side of the world I thought I’d address a few things that otaku may not always understand. So here’s my point-by-point insights on Tiamat’s critique: Read more…
Posted by Michael Pinto on Jul 18, 2009 in Animation
The frustrating thing about Twitter is reading the tweets of all of my anime pals who are at Otakon this weekend: For me the highlights of these cons is to hear about all of the anime shows that are making their way into America. But the nice folks at FUNimation have actually taken their panel and uploaded it to YouTube. The good news is that it looks like they’ll be bring over Casshern Sins, Eden of the East, Daytime Drinking, more Case Closed movies. By the Daytime Drinking isn’t an anime series but is an award winning film by Korean director Young-seok Noh: Read more…
Posted by Michael Pinto on Nov 4, 2008 in Animation
FUNImation is starting to get this digital media thing! On YouTube they’ve posted a test episode of Sgt. Frog (ケロロ軍曹 Keroro Gunsō). I like what FUNImation is doing on two levels: First they’ve done a nice job with the voice overs, Keroro is a real challenge to translate as it’s about the humor. Secondly they’ve embraced online video — but instead of reinventing the wheel they’re using YouTube which everyone is already watching. I hope FUNImation keeps this up…
