Posts Tagged ‘ova’

After the first week, it’s easy to understand why everyone would lose a little excitement for the rest of the month but come on everyone, there’s still so much good stuff to look forward to! Featured in the last two weeks of the summer season are the returns of Strike Witches and Sengoku Basara and the much talked about premiere of Shiki. How can you not be excited? Asobi ni Iku Yo? Alright yeah good point.

So here it is, the last installment of the summer season preview! I know that in part 1 I said I’d be splitting this into three parts but I’d rather just get this all done in one swoop.

 

Strike Witches 2
Studio: AIC
Genre: Moe/Fanservice Action
Adapted From: Manga, OVA, First Season… and here we are 
Premiere Date: 7/7
Trailer 

 

First Impression: Didn’t want to watch season 1, feeling much the same for season 2 right now.

 

The girls who refuse to wear pants while flying around the sky are back for a second season. All pants should beware.

 

Why You Should Care:

- This is the third series that AIC is producing this season (there are four total if you count Asobi ni Iku yo from AIC+). Extra notably, this is also the series that was originally scheduled to be produced by Gonzo before they were replaced with AIC.

- Other than that, it appears that things are going to stay roughly the same with the cast and crew.

- If you had this one on your summer simulcast radar congratulations; Crunchyroll recently announced this one for their lineup.

 

Shiki
Corpse Demon
Studio: Daume
Genre: Horror
Adapted From: Manga 
Premiere Date: 7/8
Trailer

 

First Impression: Horror series haven’t been getting very far this year but this looks interesting.

 

A remote mountain village with 1300 residents are starting to drop like flies shortly after a family moves into an abandoned mansion. After doing some investigating the village realizes that they are under attack by vampires.

 

Why You Should Care:

- While he made a small guest appearance in the Tono no Issho OVA, this is the time pop singer Gackt has voiced a lead anime character.

- Not surprisingly, Shiki has already been announced for simulcast by Funimation. The series will be airing during Fuji TV’s Noitamina block which Funimation started simulcasting in the spring with The Tatami Galaxy and House of Five Leaves.

 

Asobi ni Iku yo
Let’s Go Play
Studio: AIC+
Genre: Sci-Fi Romantic Comedy
Adapted From: Light Novel 
Premiere Date: 7/10
Trailer

 

First Impression: I’m not sure you could drink this series watchable.

 

While attending a memorial service, a boy named Koi meets a mysterious girl with cat ears named Eris who claims to be an alien. Now Koi’s life involves living with a strange alien and protecting her from the government agents and his scheming best friend who want to take her away.

 

Why You Should Care:

- I’ll admit it, this is a tough one.

 

Sengoku Basara 2
Studio: Production I.G
Genre: Historic Action
Adapted From: Video Game
Premiere Date: 7/11

 

First Impression: As Funimation put it, the manliest manly anime ever.

 

The series that re-imagines famous figures from Japanese history as pizza eating shonen warriors (the non-turtle kind) returns for a second season.

 

Why You Should Care:

- Replacing popular Japanese rock band led by Takanori Nishikawa, Abingdon Boys School (Darker than Black, Soul Eater, Tokyo Magnitude 8.0), for the OP will be T.M. Revolution (aka Takanori Nishikawa).

- The cast remains the same for this season but a new director, Kazuya Nomura, will be leading them.

- Yup, Funimation will be simulcasting this one too.

 

OVAs/OADs are notoriously hard to get any sort of information on before their release. Consider below a rough primer for what’s coming up but keep in mind details might be sketchy in places.

 

Kure-nai OAD
Studio: Brains Base
Premiere Date: 7/2

In the original manga and anime series (which aired in 2008), a teenage boy works for a woman doing odd jobs that often involve putting his life on the line. On one occasion, his mission is to protect a young girl who is being hidden from her family for her own safety.

 

Why You Should Care:

- New character designs (that some fans are saying aren’t actually an upgrade)

 

Shin Koihime Musou
Studio: Dogakobo
Premiere Date: 7/7

In the newest release, the lady warriors return for a story set in St. Francesca Academy. After a fierce battle between students, everyone visits a southern island to unwind.

Why You Should Care:

- “visits a southern island” means this is going to be one long beach episode filled with fan service and bikinis.

 

Black Lagoon: Roberta’s Blood Trail
Studio: Madhouse
Premiere Date: 7/17

The long awaited 3rd season takes the form of a 5 episode OVA focusing on warrior maid, Roberta.

Why You Should Care:

- Funimation wasted no time with this one so count this as licensed and set for release in the US next year.

 

 

Hen Zemi
Abnormal Physiology Seminar
Studio: XEBEC
Premiere Date: 7/23
Trailer

 

Based on the manga, the comedy series focuses on Nanko Mutsutaka who has been placed in an Abnormal Physiology class filled with weird students despite being fairly ordinary herself.

 

Why You Should Care:

- A comedy from the director of Hidamari Sketch and the studio that brought you Heroic Age, Kanokon and Shuffle.

 

Aki Sora Yume no Naka
Studio: Hoods Entertainment
Premiere Date: 7/30
Trailer

 

After receiving an OAD earlier this year, Aki Sora returns in an OVA telling the story of a forbidden relationship between siblings and their quest to keep it a secret.

 

Why You Should Care:

 

- Very ecchi in content (one of the trailers for this release was a 30 second sex scene with a voice over) so take that for what its worth.

- I didn’t get into the manga series but the OAD released earlier this year was a surprisingly enjoyable and well done release.

 

 

Queen’s Blade: Utsukushiki Toushi-tachi
Studio: ARMS
Premiere Date: 8/25

 

The warriors of Queen’s Blade return though no information is available on what they’ll be doing besides fighting.

 

Why You Should Care:

 

- Media Blasters has already picked up the TV series, could an OVA license be far behind?

- The ED theme features all 19 characters!

 

Sora no Otoshimono OAD
Premiere Date: 9/9

The super dangerous 14th episode of the TV series that was deemed too risqué to even be released as a DVD extra finally gets to see its release along with Vol. 9 of the manga.

 

Why You Should Care:

- Another one where the TV series has already been picked up (Funimation currently has it) so perhaps we’ll see it stateside eventually?

- The title of this bonus episode roughly translates to "Here and peep locker room girls!" And that sound you hear is my head banging against my desk as I think about how many people probably already have this pre-ordered.

- So apparently this episode was too hot for TV and too risky to be included as an extra on the DVD but it’s just safe enough to be released as a limited edition manga extra? Whatever.

 

And that’s it for the summer season! Be sure to keep checking back over the next couple of weeks as I make my way through as many of the new premieres as I can before the end of the month/end of the season wrap up post. So what’s been good for you so far this season? Anything coming up that you’re really excited about?

A new batch of trailers has found its way online this week including looks at a couple of upcoming OVAs and live action!

Mazinkaizer SKL OVA: What can you say about Mazinkaizer SKL that you can’t see in the trailer uploaded to the official site earlier this week? A sequel to the 2001 OVA (which itself was based on the manga, TV and movies released throughout the 70’s and 80’s), the Bandai Visual mech series looks good and has a theme by JAM Project. Isn’t that really all it takes these days to be given a mech pedigree? The OVA drops on one disc July 25th.

 

 

Black Lagoon: Roberta’s Blood Trail OVA: While we’re on the subject of OVAs, who else is really excited to see the Black Lagoon OVA??? After a sneak peek on Japanese television and the US premiere this weekend at Anime Expo, I’m willing to bet that the number of people who are answering yes to that question is growing by the day. A new 40 second trailer has been posted to the official site (click OVA 001 Movie Start along the top) which indicates that the whole crew will be returning in this 5 episode OVA along with some back up warrior maids for good measure. The first volume hits shelves on DVD and Blu ray (there’s even a collectable Blu ray that isn’t being released on DVD) in Japan on July 17th.

 

 

Shiki: In the new 30 second trailer for the Daume (DearS, Le Portrait de Petit Cossette) produced Shiki takes an interesting approach with (what I’m assuming will be) its final trailer before the July 8th premiere. While all of the earlier trailers played up mood through the use of music and frantic editing; the latest trailer uses no music, a simple monologue and extended character shots to instill the quiet setting of the village under attack by vampires. If this series isn’t on your summer radar already, put it there.

 

Nararihyon no Mago: Continuing with the summer season, four new trailers have gone up for the upcoming supernatural action series,  Nararihyon no Mago (which is apparently being shortened to Nuramago which I’m happy to do as well). In the first two TV spots, a 15 second and 30 second trailer introduces a bit of the mood and cast. In the second set of trailers, special day and night versions (posted below) introduce the main character, Rikuo Nura, who is a quarter demon.

 

 

 

Live Action Yamato: Finally closing things out today is a first look at the upcoming live action Yamato adaptation. In the works since October 2009, fans are finally getting a new look at the upcoming live action movie via a YouTube upload before its December release. Space Battleship Yamato came way before my time and even if I watched it now I fear that I wouldn’t have the same appreciation that fans who grew up with it feel for it now. Even still, THIS. LOOKS. AWESOME!

 

It’s been awhile since I’ve been able to post two Trailer Roundups in the same week but got to love that new season feeling. New series, new footage, girls who refuse to wear pants, new siblings engaged in forbidden relationships… ah, it’s definitely summer again.

Three new trailers have gone up for the upcoming Aki Sora OVA series produced by Hoods Entertainment. The manga series about two siblings in a secret, forbidden love affair received an OAD earlier this year and is now ready to go much more in-depth with its story on July 25th before concluding with the second volume on October 6th.

All of the new trailers are only around 30 seconds long but you’d be surprised how much NSFW content you can squeeze into only half a minute (the second trailer is one long sex scene). Unfortunately I can’t post any of the trailers here directly but they can all be found on the official website. Oddly, I enjoyed the OAD that was released earlier this year but then I tried to read the manga and got bored very quickly. Anyone else given this series a chance?

Also posted to the official website this week is a new trailer for the upcoming AIC+ fan service series, Asobi ni Ikuyo. The hero of this series is a teen named Kio who meets a girl during a memorial service who claims to be an alien but looks like Holo if she were a cat. The series premieres on July 10th and already makes me want tell AIC to stop with the freakin cat girl series! We get it already!

Finally, a new trailer has been posted for the highly anticipated (well, by some of you at least) sequel, Strike Witches 2. As previously reported, the animation this season is being taken over by AIC after Gonzo was *cough* replaced. Normally I would make a crack about another cat girl showing up just because but I’m pretty sure they’ve already got that pretty well covered. The war on pants resumes on July 10th.

Original creator Kazuya Minekura (Saiyuki, Bus Gamer) has announced that the Saiyuki Gaiden prequel manga will be getting made into an OVA. There was no release date attached to the announcement unfortunately. Originally serialized in 1997, the manga series has since spawned eight different anime adaptations (the last one being Saiyuki Reload: Burial in 2007). The good news for fans is that once upon a time what used to be ADV released the original TV series in 2003 (and 2005 and 2006 and 2008… oh and once again in 2009) and Saiyuki: Requiem movie in 2005. Then again, Geneon also released the Saiyuki Reload series in 2005 so I’m not even going to begin to guess what has become of the license by now.

<Via Japanator>

Psst! I can see down your... actually, just never mind.

So, do you remember earlier this year when a special animated workout OVA was released in Japan? You know, the one starring the very amply endowed Hinako who would encourage otaku to get out of their chairs and actually exercise with her while she would… stretch and bend into various poses? Then do you remember how fun it was to watch other people actually post videos onto YouTube working out with the OVA? Ah, good times.
 

 

 

Apparently it’s worked so well that a new OVA is going to be released in February of next year titled ‘Motto Isshoni Training Hinako no Hon’ (More Training with Hinako Book). I’m not going to try to make any attempts at figuring out what the content will be of the second DVD as I’m hoping my readers are smart enough to figure that much out on their own. Though it was also pointed out that if you’re the type who just likes to watch instead of actually participate (you sicko ~_^), an art book featuring Hinako in a variety of outfits and poses not found on the original DVD will be released November 20^th. Both the DVD and art book are currently available for pre-order from Amazon.jp.

Now, the way that I am imagining this in my head, Studio Hibari may have found themselves something to work with for years into the future. Let’s be honest, anime fans can be fickle about a lot of things and that includes how long they will stick with something or enjoy a certain character. Sure, they worked out with Hinako for awhile but it was fairly obvious that they were going to get bored with that eventually. Now they will have a brand new DVD to work out with for a little while before ‘Hinako Trains You Until You Pee Yourself’ hits the shelves in 2011 or the even more distant ‘Hinako Might Touch Herself Suggestively If You Just Do A Freakin Pull Up Already’. By the way, if Studio Hibari is reading this and wants to use my titles feel free to write me, I can do this all night! (Yeah, that’s what she said. Ba dum ching!)

<Via Moetron>

More details have emerged regarding the new season of Shakugan no Shana today which will make fans happy. So yesterday, it was revealed that a new Shana OVA would be hitting store shelves in late October, seems that’s just the beginning though. In an interview with Animage magazine, producer Nobuhiro Nakayama states that he wants to complete the Shana story but before they can do that background stories need to be clarified. After the OVA gives fans some more insight into background stories and character pasts a third TV season will be made to complete the series. So there it is Shana fans, official confirmation of a new OVA AND a third TV season. You may squee now.

Mixed in the shuffle of Bandai’s title delays revealed this morning, it completely bypassed me that they also revealed some further August release dates which will be of interest to fans. Both the Lucky Star OVA and Sola have finally been given release dates! After almost a year after initial announcements were made about either release by Bandai last year! Yes we get it, suspense is fun. You know what else is fun? Release dates.

For fans of the oddball otaku comedy, Lucky Star, the OVA will be shipping the 43 minute OVA on August 4^th. In Lucky Star OVA, the girls go through a number of new daily escapades including getting the twins to venture into online gaming and long summer days. Sola will be shipping as a complete box set on August 18^th. The Anime Legends collection will contain all thirteen episodes of the television series plus the two subsequent OVAs which were commonly referred to as episodes 14 and 15. Both series are currently available for pre-order through Right Stuf.

For today’s trailer roundup, VAP has posted a new one minute trailer for their upcoming OVA, ‘Saint Seiya: The Lost Canvas’. With animation produced by TMS Entertainment, the first volume of the new series will drop on store shelves later this month (June 24^th) and tells a story that starts 250 years before the original series takes place. The newest trailer shows quite a bit of character footage but not much else making this one purely something to get fans excited. Though that was likely already happening due to this being the first new Saint Seiya since last year’s six episode OVA. Well that and the cast list include names like Aya Hirano, Nana Mizuki and Jun Fukuyama.

I haven’t seen this series yet but with this one serving as a prequel of sorts, perhaps it would be a good time to start?

Good news for fans of hardcore fan service! New screenshots have been made available on Dengeki Playstation Online of the upcoming fan service filled Aika Zero OVA. The new OVA will be released on August 25^th with a real flashback to the original: Studio Fantasia did the original animation, returning as character designer and director is Noriyasu Yamauchi, Kenichi Kanemaki is returning to write the scripts and Ami Koshimizu is reprising her role as Aika. I “borrowed” one of the safer images to show you here but I’ll let you guess which image in the article I was really tempted to use. Oh and be warned that about half the screen caps lean towards the NSFW side so click with caution.

Two new premiere dates have made them way online for both Hellsing and Gundam 00. First up, Geneon has updated their Hellsing info to announce that the sixth OVA will be released on July 24^th. Also being revealed is that the OVA series will also be receiving a full blu ray box set release next summer so be very excited for that.

In news that hits closer to home, Gundam 00 is just popping up everywhere lately getting a premiere on Crunchyroll yesterday from Bandai Network and then having a premiere date on Sci-fi (syfy?) Network this summer. Crunchyroll premiered the first season yesterday on the website and as I type this they have nine subtitled episodes available and the entire first season available dubbed. Which begs the question on if they are going to make the rest of the season available in the original Japanese.

Last night Sci-fi announced their summer lineup and Gundam 00 Season 2 is listed as premiering on June 29^th from 11pm to midnight. Yes, that does mean that two episodes will air per week.

Finally, Funimation announced last night in their blog that Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood is now available on Hulu for fans to check out. Only the first two episodes are available at the moment but more are going to be added every Friday until presumably the end of the season.