The fall season is underway and things are coming together well across the streaming services. While Funimation doesn’t have anything on tap for today, HIDIVE has a few dubs on tap for new and backlist shows like Tonegawa and Bloom into You. Crunchyroll has a lot of shows hitting today including more of A Certain Magical Index and Uzamaid alongside more Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure.

Crunchyroll:

• 9:00am – MS. VAMPIRE WHO LIVES IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD.
• 10:30am – GURAZENI: MONEY PITCH
• 10:30am – A CERTAIN MAGICAL INDEX III
• 11:00am – HINOMARU SUMO
• 11:30am – UZAMAID!
• 11:30am – DAKAICHI -I’M BEING HARASSED BY THE SEXIEST MAN OF THE YEAR-
• 12:05pm – JOJO’S BIZARRE ADVENTURE: GOLDEN WIND
• 2:15pm – SENRAN KAGURA SHINOVI MASTER
• 6:30pm – FUTURE CARD BUDDYFIGHT ACE
• 8:30pm – BONO BONO 3RD SEASON

Funimation:

• Nothing Scheduled

HIDIVE:

• 9:00 am – Bloom into You Episode 9
• 9:30 am – Bloom Into You Episode 6 (Dub)
• 10:00 am – Between the Sea and the Sky Episode 5
• 12:00 pm – Princess Principal Episode 11 (Sub/Dub)
• 1:30 pm – Tonegawa  Episode 17 (Sub/Dub)
• 8:00 pm – Gakuen Basara Episode 9

The end of the month sees a couple of manga releases coming out on the “speciality” side with FAKKU bringing some of their projects from digital to print. This month sees two new titles coming a work from Esuke and another from Mizone. We won’t share the not safe for work artwork here but you can click below to see it.

Darling You Drive Me Mad: Esuke’s Darling, You Drive Me Mad… is packed with sweet vanilla stories of shy girls who have a difficult time letting their true feelings known. With a slight nudge though, these rosy cheeked, soft beauties will envelop you, driving anyone with a pulse wild!

The third season of Daredevil landed back on October 19th, 2018 and Netflix has now confirmed that the series has been canceled, which follows the recent cancelations of Luke Cage and Iron Fist. The move leaves us with the in-production third season of Jessica Jones and the second season of Punisher. The move has been largely expected after the initial cancelations and with Disney ramping up its Disney+ streaming service for launch next year. Complicating things between Netflix and Marvel TV was the desire by Netflix for shorter seasons than the thirteen episodes they were doing and the changing nature of what Netflix is involved in as they’re shepherding more original works now than when the deal was developed back in 2013 – and  combined with filming in the expensive city of New York City.

At this point, it’s pretty much a given that the other two series will wrap up with their next season and we’ll be spending our time wondering what Disney+ and Marvel Studios will do with the characters since they do have fans and are part of the strong run of characters that exist on the ground level side that’s ideal for what the Disney+ service is.

Plot concept: Just when Matt thinks he is bringing order back to the city, new forces are rising in Hell’s Kitchen. Now the Man Without Fear must take on a new adversary in Frank Castle and face an old flame – Elektra Natchios.

Bigger problems emerge when Frank Castle, a man looking for vengeance, is reborn as The Punisher, a man who takes justice into his own hands in Matt’s neighborhood. Meanwhile, Matt must balance his duty to his community as a lawyer and his dangerous life as the Devil of Hell’s Kitchen, facing a life-altering choice that forces him to truly understand what it means to be a hero.

The last day of the month is what Right Stuf sets as their figure listing date since things come from Japan and there’s always some uncertainty as to what shows up when. Like previous months, there’s a lot of interesting figures out with three dozen things expected to land, from more Hatsune Miku to some neat Izetta material. There are lots of Fate related releases as one would expect but there are a lot of fun other properties in here, often in Nendoroid form.

Check for your favorite property below!

It’s been a bit since the third season of Preacher finished up and after the delay we saw last year between the second and the third I wasn’t too worried about a renewal since FX is pretty positive about the show. The fourth season has now been given the green light but it’ll be some time before we see it as it’ll begin production in Australia early next year.

“Preacher is a show unlike any other on television, said David Madden, President – Programming, Entertainment Networks, AMC Networks. “A passionate base of fans found their way to Jesse, Tulip, and Cassidy and have followed along with their adventures, at times indescribable adventures, for three seasons. We are thankful to our partners at Sony and to Seth, Evan, and Sam for everything they have brought to this series, which we are pleased to renew for a fourth season. Like the superfans of Preacher, we can’t wait to see where this journey leads next.”

The series is written by Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg with Sam Catlin as showrunner. It stars Dominic Cooper as Jesse Custer, Joseph Gilgun as Cassidy, Ruth Negga as Tulip, and Ian Colletti as Eugene/Arseface.

Plot concept: Preacher is about Jesse Custer, a conflicted Preacher in a small Texas town who merges with a creature that has escaped from heaven and develops the ability to make anyone do anything he says. Along with his ex-girlfriend, Tulip, and an Irish vampire named Cassidy, the three embark on a journey to literally find God.

© 2017 Waki Yamato, KODANSHA / “Haikara-san” Partners. All Rights Reserved

What They Say:
During the Taisho era of 1918, 17-year-old Benio Hanamura thrives on bucking tradition. A boisterous and stubborn tomboy, Miss Hanamura is a quintessential Miss Modern. She shirks her “lady-like” activities to practice kendo and climb trees. Gasp! She vows to find love on her own terms but her family has other plans. With war raging in the background, Benio finds herself fighting her own battles; sometimes with a kendo sword, sometimes with an umbrella, but always in her way.

The Review:
Audio:
The audio presentation for this release brings us the original Japanese theatrical mix in its 5.1 format as well as a stereo format while the English language dub gets the 5.1 treatment, both of which are done in the uncompressed PCM form. The film is a pretty dialogue-driven piece for the most part but it has a wider and more expansive field owing to its theatrical design so placement is a bit more distinct and movement across the soundstage feels like it works better. These areas are pretty straightforward with what it does as it goes from quiet to loud depending on what the characters are up to. The bigger areas, such as the action toward the end or the bits of swordplay and other moments earlier, are well-placed and there’s a good distinctive aspect to it, especially with the bass during the fights. Dialogue is clean and clear throughout and we didn’t have any problems with dropouts or distortions during regular playback.

Video:
Originally in theaters in 2017, the transfer for this film is presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.78:1 in 1080p using the AVC codec. Animated by Nippon Animation, the project has a really great look as it captures the Taisho era very well with lots of distinctive backgrounds and a lived-in feeling for much of it. The character animation goes a bit brighter for the most part, especially with our leading character, and there’s a good look to it by being vivid at times without oversaturation. The details in the designs are solid and hold up without a problem while the character animation has a lot of really nice moments of fluidity as it unfolds. It’s a very clean looking encoding working from some great materials and the end result is a pretty much pristine looking release.

Packaging:
The packaging for this release brings us a standard sized Blu-ray case where the front cover operates using the main key visual for the season. This brings us a look at the various characters that are primary and important on the supporting side set against a simple white background with a few light cherry blossoms falling across it. The framing is nice to give it a feminine touch with the detail and it all ties together well with the logo along the lower right where it doesn’t dominate. The back cover uses much the same layout but provides for more character material from the key visual side along the left while the right has a good summary of the premise and some very small shots from the film to show off. The technical grid goes for a slim approach here but conveys the main details but in too small of a font for my taste considering the amount of open real estate it can work with. No show related inserts are included nor is there a reversible cover.

Menu:
The menu design for this release is quite nice as sometimes the small elements can really make it. This menu goes for clips playing throughout it and it takes up the entire screen but it’s working with a theatrical project so there’s lots of detail and good color quality to really draw you into it as it moves between characters. The navigation strip along the bottom is done in a bright pink with white text and the right end has a bunch of roses with some green leaves to it while the left has the same, but larger and with the logo block overlaying it for the film. It gives it some nice weight and it feels like it helps to frame the whole thing really well. There’s little here beyond the film and a trailer so it’s just setup and scene access, which is quick and easy to use and problem free both as the main menu and as the pop-up menu during regular playback.

Extras:
There are no extras with this release.

Content: (please note that content portions of a review may contain spoilers)
Based on the manga by Waki Yamato, Haikara-san is a two-part film whose first part is here as Eleven Arts brought it out on theaters and worked with Nozomi Entertainment to bring it out on home video. The original manga ran for eight volumes in the 1970’s and it saw a forty-two episode TV anime series back then. It also spawned three live-action TV Films in the 70’s and 80’s and came back for one more in 2002. With as much interest as there was it wasn’t too much of a surprise to see it come back for a two-part anime feature film whose first film had Kazuhiro Furuhashi writing and directing it at Nippon Animation. It got a brief theatrical run here that was definitely welcome but I was really keen to finally see it here on home video.

This film is one that follows some familiar paths when it comes to projects taking place in the Taisho era, this one during 1918 and 1919. Here, we’re introduced to a Japan that has modernized in the big city with a lot of Western elements to it from clothes to buildings in terms of style. Benio, at seventeen-years-old, has grown up with this modern approach and fancies herself a modern girl. She’s confident in herself, less interested in the old ways that keep women down in their position, and is looking to have a good life on her terms. Her life does take a curious twist when out with her childhood male friend Ranmaru she ends up falling out of a tree getting a kite and into the hands of Shinobu, an army lieutenant who was coming by on his horse. This small moment is what draws them together but isn’t one exactly based on fate. Her father had arranged this previously, which certainly isn’t modern but she has little real recourse at the moment.

That places her in his household where there’s some wealth and money but also a whole lot of tradition. While we do see the expected romance slowly come to life between Benio and Shinobu, the fun for me was in watching how she shook up the household and started to bring a little more modernity to it. It’s not easy since there’s an older contingent to it that are set in their ways and find them to work well, but when you have honor-bound moments that include killing others and yourself you know Benio is going to resist against it. The one complicated element I didn’t care much for was that Ranmaru, upon learning all of this, confesses his own love to her and ends up quietly seeking employment as a maid there. Since he grew up playing female roles in the kabuki theater he falls into that look and style easily enough but it’s something where it just feels uncertain as to how well accepted it would have been.

The film does a really good job of presenting us the situation with how Benio handles it, the struggles and joys that comes with it, and the slow romance that forms are she becomes more and more drawn to Shinobu. It’s not all easy living and smiles as there’s a war going on in China where Shinobu is eventually sent and that creates its own uncertainty for a while as he’s gone. The passage of time is definitely an area where I enjoyed the film in seeing a greater confidence out of Benio as she immerses herself into the world that’s just as modern as she is and seeing how she embraces it completely. That adds some new characters but since the film didn’t heavily invest to begin with in a large cast the additions feel welcome and helps to separate the to lives that she leads.

In Summary:
Haikara-San Here Comes Miss Modern is certainly a familiar tale that we’ve seen when it comes to the Taisho era and that’s not a complaint in the slightest. Seeing different characters and how they interact with such situations (and plenty of alternate world takes on the era) makes for an enjoyable experience. Benio and Shinobu are an interesting couple that doesn’t get as much time together as I would like but there are a lot of neat moments between the two as she settles into the household and they both lead their lives based on the demands of the moment as it goes forward. This release looks great as it has a fantastic encoding of great materials and it includes a solid dub that some fans got to enjoy in the theater that’s worth exploring here if you missed it. Definitely great to have this and to get the anticipation set for the second half.

Features:
Japanese 2.0 PCM Language, Japanese 5.1 PCM Language, English 5.1 PCM Language, English Subtitles

Content Grade: B+
Audio Grade: B+
Video Grade: A
Packaging Grade: B+
Menu Grade: B
Extras Grade: N/A

Released By: Eleven Arts
Release Date: December 4th, 2018
MSRP: $24.95
Running Time: 97 Minutes
Video Encoding: 1080p AVC
Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1 Widescreen

Review Equipment:
Sony KDL70R550A 70″ LED 1080P HDTV, Sony PlayStation3 Blu-ray player via HDMI set to 1080p, Onkyo TX-SR605 Receiver and Panasonic SB-TP20S Multi-Channel Speaker System With 100-Watt Subwoofer.

Fame, fortune, and disfiguration.

What They Say:
A disfigured actor is forced to frame Bruce Wayne.

The Review:
Content: (please note that content portions of a review may contain spoilers)
With the mix of primetime and the burn through of various episodes during weekday shows, the early run of Batman: The Animated Series is kind of disjointed in a few ways but I’m enjoying the fact that most of these episodes are pretty much standalone pieces. With this episode, we get the introduction of Clayface, a character that is difficult to make work well in general. I really came to like the character in the recent Gotham Academy comic series but also the strange and convoluted take on him in the Bombshells series from the WWII setting. Here, he gets the bonus of being voiced by Ron Perlman, which means there’s a certain gravitas to it that works very well and gives the character some weight.

The opening thrust of the episode here is Bruce Wayne betraying Lucius Fox to gain documents that will cause a lot of problems when they’re released, which is what Lucius is expecting Bruce to do. Of course, this isn’t really Bruce Wayne but rather an impersonator that’s setting his own game and framing Wayne for his own goal. This lets us shift into seeing the origin story here for Matt Hagan, an actor at Imperial Pictures who is only able to work thanks to a special face cream that smooths out his disfiguration. The cream, from Daggett, definitely does the job in allowing him to reshape his face so that he can be leading man material. But he’s also just an incredibly angry man in general and distrusting of everyone around him almost to the point of paranoia. And without any cream left and no desire to work for Daggett to get more, he’s now looking for his own way to get the cream.

Which, of course, goes horribly wrong since Daggett is your basic gangster type and doesn’t like being turned on. Pour gallons of it into Hagan’s body, the transformation is that rare thing that happens and creates the villain known as Clayface. His story in this doesn’t get far as it’s running in parallel to Batman trying to figure out what happened to Lucius and that takes him down a slow path to a two bit mobster that he wants to squeeze for information. Because of his connection to Lucius he takes things fairly far here with the guy and doesn’t get what he wants and even ends up grating against the police a good bit in how it plays out. It’s a rougher side for Batman since it has him infused with more emotion than in some of the other early episodes and opponents he’s had to deal with.

In Summary:
The two-part stories are ones that always have a slower first half that doesn’t quite provide the tension that it needs. The larger idea does work well but there’s not enough in the first half to really cement us with Clayface until the very end, though what we get at the start in showing why he turns as he does and ends up like he does works well. It’s a good origin in that it’s fleshed out like it is and the anger is understandable with why he’ll lash out. The same can be said for Batman in this with Lucius injured and now full of fear of Bruce Wayne as it’ll force Bruce to figure it out with a lot of intensity driving him. It’s a solid episode but ends up as another two-parter where it doesn’t have the tension to make the first half work as well as it should.

Grade: B

© Bird Studio / Shueisha / Toei Animation / © 1989 Toei Animation Co., LTD.

The upcoming release of the Dragon Ball Super: Broly feature film, which brings the character into the actual TV series canon for the first time, is getting close with its Japanese release set for a  December 14th, 2018 debut. Ahead of that, we now have a new teaser spot for it that provides the reveal that Gogeta will be in the film, which will delight fans. The film is directed by Tatsuya Nagamine based on the screenplay by Akira Toriyama, who also worked on the character designs. Funimation is bringing the film out in North America on January 16th, 2019.

The cast from the TV series includes Masako Nozawa as Son Goku, Son Gohan and Son Goten, Ryo Horikawa as Vegeta, Aya Hisakawa as Bulma, Takeshi Kusao as Trunks, Mayumi Tanaka as Krillin, Masaharu Satou as Kame-Sen’nin, Toshio Furukawa as Piccolo, Naoko Watanabe as Chi-Chi, Yuko Minaguchi as Videl, Unshou Ishizuka as Mr. Satan, Kôzô Shioya as Majin Buu, Kouichi Yamadera as God of Destruction Beerus and Masakazu Morita as Whis.

Property Concept: With Majin Buu defeated, Goku has taken a completely new role as a…radish farmer?! With Earth at peace, our heroes have settled into normal lives. But they can’t get too comfortable. Far away, a powerful god awakens to a prophecy revealing his demise at the hands of a formidable being. When his search for the Saiyan God brings him to Earth, can Goku and his friends take on their strongest foe yet?

© Yuji Shiozaki, Shonen Ginjin / Ikki Tousen WW Partners

Announced in October, a new series is coming for a franchise that’s been idle for awhile with Ikki Tousen Western Wolves. The official site has now dropped the first promotional video for the series along with a new key visual for the fanservice-heavy/sexy series. Serving as a sequel to the 2014 OVA, it’s set to as a three-episode OVA series at the start of each month on AT-X next year in addition to the home video release. It’s directed by Takashi Watanabe as the chief director working with Mitsutoshi Sato as the hands-on director. Masaya Honda is working on the series composition with Rin-Sin returning as character designer and GENCO with the animation production.

The Japanese cast includes Masumi Asano as Hakufu Sonsaku, Kei Shindou as Gentoku Ryūbi, Hitomi Nabatame as Unchou Kan’u, Minori Chihara as Ekitoku Chōhi, Chiaki Takahashi as Himiko, Ami Koshimizu as Shinmen Takezō, Satoshi Hino as Kōkin Shūyū, Yuko Kaida as Shimei Ryomō, Mai Kadowaki as Kōmei Shokatsuryō, Yuu Asakawa as Shiryū Chō’un, Susumu Akagi as Mōtoku Sōsō, Shuuhei Sakaguchi as Genjō Kakōton, Hana Takeda as Chūkō Kyocho, Chiwa Saito as Shikō Sōjin, Rui Tanabe as Mitsuyoshi Yagyū, Yuiko Tatsumi as Yoshitsune Minamotonokurō, Ayaka Ohashi as Chūbō Sonken (replacing Yui Horie), Hiromi Igarashi as Ashiya Dōman, Hisao Egawa as Shikyo Shōnin, Honoka Inoue as Ekisai, Minami Takahashi as Nansai, and Shizuka Itou as Kotetsu.

Check out the official site and Twitter.

Property Concept: Everyone wants a piece of the new girl in town, but nothing turns Hakufu on more than a brutal street fight. She shrugs off her shredded skirts and tattered tops with a flurry of busty badassery while fighting to unite seven rival schools. With no shortage of enemies, why take on one guy when she can take on ten?

In this adventure in which teenage brawlers are guided by jewels infused with the spirits of ancient warriors, Kakufu is content to flash her panties and crack some skulls. But like any hero, she cannot escape her destiny – no matter how dark it may be.

[Source: ANN]

©BNGI / PROJECT SIDEM

What They Say:
The Members of Legenders, Koron Chris, Kitamura Sora, and Kuzunoha Amehiko, are the newest members of 315 Productions.

The Review:
Content: (please note that content portions of a review may contain spoilers)
With this episode, we get a trio of guys from the F-LAGS group heading back to cook after picking up lots of ingredients and their excitement is palpable. They’re connecting with the Jupiter group guys in order to do this so we get a big kitchen of six together, which naturally includes a bit of singing along the way, as they start working all the ingredients. Which at times can be a little odd as someone is fascinated by the mushrooms. It plays out much as you’d expect with admiration and silliness in the mix as it’s not a competitive cooking event but rather six friends just getting together. It’s not without its bit of drama, however, simply because there must be but even that’s cute when it comes to the time involved in getting it all done.

In Summary:
I still have zero connection to these characters since they’re barely even names to me – never mind groups – but episodes like this are cute enough in seeing the way they put the meal together. They’re kept to chibi mode for the whole thing but it works well to deliver the cuteness of them with the positive nature of what they’re doing along with the camaraderie.

Grade: B-

Streamed By: Crunchyroll

Fans are continuing to be excited that the Kakegurui anime series is getting a second season that’s coming in January and now a bit more has been revealed about it. The official site has a quick hit little teaser that reveals that Rumi Okubo has boarded the project in the role of Miri Yōbami. Check out the spot below! Matsuda is working as a co-director for the new season. With the first season being on Netflix during the summer 2017 season it’s expected to premiere there as well.

Yuuichirou Hayashi directed the first season based on the series composition by Yasuko Kobayashi and character designs by Manabu Akita. MAPPA is on board to produce the animation. The music is being handled by TECHNOBOY’S PULCRAFT GREEN-FUND.

The Japanese cast includes Saori Hayami as Yumeko Jabami, Minami Tanaka as Meari Saotome, Tatsuya Tokutake as Ryouta Suzui, Yuki Wakai as Itsuki Sumeragi, Karin Nanami as Yuriko Nishinotōin, Mariya Ise Midari Ikishima, and Miyuki Sawashiro as Kirari Momobami.

The series has six volumes out so far and is published digitally and in print in English by Yen Press.

＼新キャスト発表！⑤／#賭ケグルイ 第2章新キャラクター、
陽喰三理役は… #大久保瑠美 さんです！ pic.twitter.com/FYaixmLbPr

— TVアニメ「賭ケグルイ××」公式 (@kakegurui_anime) November 30, 2018

Check out the official site and Twitter.

Plot Concept: Hyakkaou Private Academy. An institution for the privileged with a very peculiar curriculum. You see, when you’re the sons and daughters of the wealthiest of the wealthy, it’s not athletic prowess or book smarts that keep you ahead. It’s reading your opponent, the art of the deal. What better way to hone those skills than with a rigorous curriculum of gambling? At Hyakkaou Private Academy, the winners live like kings, and the losers are put through the wringer. But when Yumeko Jabami enrolls, she’s gonna teach these kids what a high roller really looks like!

© Akiwo Yasaka / Yu Aikawa / Ichijinsha

What They Say:
Hinowa Tomari, a completely ordinary high school boy, is summoned by his homeroom teacher one day and informed that he’s been selected to become the wife of a mysterious creature called Kanenogi. Despite their uncertainty, the new couple registers their marriage… and starts a surprisingly happy new life together?! And thus the sugary-sweet married life of the soft, fluffy Jingai-san and the ordinary high school boy begins!

The Review:
Content: (please note that content portions of a review may contain spoilers)
The show was cute enough last time around with the sports festival and all the creatures cheering on their wives. With this episode, the fall has arrived and that has the leaves changing and Kanenogi showing some signs of coming down with a cold considering the size of its snot. But it’s really Tomari that’s coming down with something as he’s got a viral infection, which lets the roles play out with Kanenogi taking care of him and carrying him home. It’s cute watching the two together and for Tomari’s fellow wives to come to visit him at home to make sure he’s being well taken care of, especially since Kanenogi is in sympathy-sickness caring mode.

In Summary:
With its short time it doesn’t get a chance to really spread its wings and showcase the relationship in a big way but we do get some nice short moments with the two main characters as Tomari is sick. The show handles the rest of the cast well with a quick nod early on and then almost a little bit of a montage piece with the other couples toward the end to show their concerns and how they’re handling everything. It’s still weird and cute and I can’t quite get a handle on it, but it is weirdly cute.

Grade: C+

Streamed By: Crunchyroll

© 2018 Kouhei Kadono / KADOKAWA ASCII · Media Works

With an anime adaptation done way back in 2000 that was released domestically by Right Stuf, the new anime adaptation of the Boogiepop and Others light novel from Kouhei Kadono and Kouji Ogata is getting closer and closer. The official site has added a lot of new supporting cast below after previously revealing the leads and now we have a new promotional video that highlights the opening theme song as well as a premiere date of Januray 4th, 2019 where it’ll be on multiple networks..

Shingo Natsume is directing it based on the series composition by Tomohiro Suzuki. Hidehiko Sawada is handling the character designs for it with Madhouse handling the animation production.

The Japanese cast includes Aoi Yuki as Toka Miyashita/Boogiepop and Saori Onishi as Nagi Kirima. The new additions include Chiaki Kobayashi as Keiji Takeda, Shino Shimoji as Kei Niitoki, Ayaka Suwa as Naoko Kamikishiro, Junya Enoki as Masami Saotome, Aoi Ichikawa as Shiro Tanaka, Ayana Taketatsu as Minako Yurihara, Kouki Miyata as Echoes, Taku Yashiro as Masaki Taniguchi, Kana Ichinose as Aya Orihata, Yoshimasa Hosoya as Jin Asukai, Yoshiaki Hasegawa as Shinjirō Anō, Kana Asumi as Kotoe Kinugawa, Yōji Ueda as Spooky E, and Kana Hanazawa as Suiko Minahoshi.

The opening theme song is “shadowgraph” by MYTH & ROID while Azuna Riko is performing the closing theme song “Whiteout.”

Seven Seas Entertainment has released the novel in English in print and digital.

アニメ『ブギーポップは笑わない』は2019年1月4日より放送開始。第1～3話の先行上映会が12月16日に開催 https://t.co/LIxtynnKvV #boogiepop pic.twitter.com/OYO5iVWzYg

— 電撃オンライン (@dengekionline) November 30, 2018

Check out the official site and Twitter.

Plot Concept: There is an urban legend that children tell one another about a shinigami that can release people from the pain they may be suffering. This “Angel of Death” has a name: Boogiepop. And the legends are true. Boogiepop is real. When a rash of disappearances involving female students breaks out at Shinyo Academy, the police and faculty assume they just have a bunch of runaways on their hands. But Nagi Kirima knows better. Something mysterious and foul is afoot. Is it Boogiepop, or something more sinister…?

[Source: ANN]

© GCREST

The summer 2018 anime series 100 Sleeping Princes and the Kingdom of Dreams is getting its home video releases handled by Avex Pictures and they’ve set a familiar schedule. We’re doing a bit of catch-up on the artwork department as we now have a look at the third volume that arrived today in Japan. The twelve episode series is getting a six-volume release that began on September 28th, 2018. The DVDs are priced at 5,800 yen each while the Blu-ray’s are priced at 6,800 yen. Check out the full schedule below.

Yukina Hiiro directed it based on the series composition by Natsuko Takahashi. Majiro worked on the character designs and Project No.9 handled the animation production.

The Japanese cast includes Haruka Kimura as the heroine, Daiki Yamashita as Navi, Kenichi Suzumura as Avi, Showtaro Morikubo as Byakuyou, Ayumu Murase as Hinata, Soichiro Hoshi as Shigure, Mamoru Miyano as Kairi, Satoshi Hino as Gary, Shinnosuke Tachibana as Gilbert, Junichi Suwabe as Douglas, Masakazu Morita as Rosso, Takahiro Sakurai as Orion, Hidenori Takahashi as Setique, and Seiichirō Yamashita as Kegaremal.

Check out the official site and Twitter.

Property concept: The series takes place in the dream world, where dreams give people the power to live, but the world is threatened by dream-eating beings known as “Yumekui.” In order to save the world, princes from all kingdoms must join their power. The story follows the butler Navi and Prince Avi of the knight kingdom Arstoria as they travel the world in order to save it.

100 Sleeping Princes and the Kingdom of Dreams Japanese Volume 3 Cover

100 Sleeping Princes and the Kingdom of Dreams Japanese Volume 2 Cover

100 Sleeping Princes and the Kingdom of Dreams Japanese Volume 1 Packaging

100 Sleeping Princes and the Kingdom of Dreams Japanese Volume 1 Cover

[Source: 100 Sleeping Princes and the Kingdom of Dreams]

© KOTOBUKIYA / FAGirl Project

A sequel project for Frame Arms Girl was revealed back in March 2018 and we learned in July that the project is a feature film. In October we learned that it’s planned for a summer 2019 debut and with a new event that’s underway in Singapore we now know that it’s set for a June 2019 debut in Japan. Additionally, a formal title of Frame Arms Girl: Kyakkyau Fufu na Wonderland was revealed.

The first season was directed by Keiichiro Kawaguchi based on the series composition by Deko Akao. Kosuke Kawamura handled the character designs and served as the chief animation director with ZEXCS producing the animation.

The Japanese cast includes Narumi Kaho as Gōrai, Yōko Hikasa as Ao Gennai, Erii Yamazaki as Materia Black and Materia White, Hibiku Yamamura as Architect, Kanomi Izawa as Bukiko Kotobuki, Minami Kabayama as Jinrai, Rika Abe as Hresvelgr, Rika Nagae as Baselard, and Yuu Ayase as Stylet.

Check out the official site and the official Twitter.

Property Concept: The story begins when Ao opens a package that arrives at her doorstep. Inside the package is Gourai, a Frame Arms Girl: a small robot capable of independent movement. Gourai is a newly-developed prototype: a Frame Arms Girl equipped with an “Artificial Self,” an advanced AI that gives her a personality. Ao is the only one that has activated her. Gourai begins to gather both battle data and emotions, starting a day-to-day life with Ao, who knows nothing about Frame Arms Girls.

“What Doesn’t Change”

What They Say:
The three Himote sisters, Tokiyo, Kinami, and Kokoro, are living in what they’ve dubbed the “Himote House” in Nakano, Tokyo. Sharing the house with them are their former classmates, Tae and Minamo, and a cat named Enishi. These five unique girls live a boisterous life at the Himote House, spending their days trying to figure out how to get guys to like them. What’s more, the five of them, and the cat, all have a mysterious power…

The Review:
Content: (please note that content portions of a review may contain spoilers)
Himote House isn’t quite a show that I dread as I’ve had those before but it’s one where I wonder if it’ll really change things up and do something more with itself. A lot of the structure after the initial setup has had them hanging around and just talking with each other or getting involved, of all things, playing baseball int he house. We did get a shift in one of them feeling out of place the last time around and this one tries for something else different by having Tokiyo “missing” when everyone wakes up and discovers her gone. Of course, we get the hunt for her with the cat talking about it because, well, cats.

That leads to them walking through the house looking for clues, talking about things like how the Tanuki might be Tokiyo – which is awkward when one of them mentions that its nips are out. Poor Tokiyo! The show moves around in a pretty familiar pattern from there with a little more exploration and just a lot of sitting around talking with a few comical gags mixed into it which sends them into fits of laughter more than it does me by a mile. What’s interesting with the show is that the way it’s put together we have something that feels a lot more natural than acted if only from how the laughter is handled and that really does give it a different feeling, especially when the laughter from several or all of the characters is done at the same time – something you don’t get from most shows.

In Summary:
While a lot of the episode doesn’t work since it’s just kind of loose in a way it’s definitely fun when we get everyone back together and most of them discover that there’s home security here and the main living area is recorded – which shows them all just getting drunk and acting silly. There are things with this show that I definitely find interesting but there’s also a whole lot that just leaves me very frustrated with it. It’s a weird curiosity that I imagine plays better with its target audience than me and I can certainly understand why.

Grade: C

Streamed By: Crunchyroll

© SQUARE ENIX

We learned back in January that the Grimms Notes game Square Enix will be getting an anime adaptation that’s set for winter 2019 season in January. With the basics setup for it already, the official site has now updated with a new promotional video that reveals a January 10th, 2019 debut on TBS.  we now have some of the theme song side being revealed with singles releases scheduled for February 2019. A new full-cast key visual was also revealed below.

Seiki Sugawara is directing it based on the series composition by Hiroshi Yamaguchi. Kentaro Matsumoto is handling the character designs with Brain’s Base working on the animation production.

The Japanese cast so far includes Ryota Ohsaka as Ekusu, Reina Ueda as Reina, Miyu Kubota as Shane,  and Takuya Eguchi as Tao.

Ayana Taketatsu is going to handle the opening theme song “Innocent Notes” for the series while  i☆Ris is set to perform ending theme song “Endless Notes,” which isn’t too much of a surprise as one of the members, Miyu Kubota, is in the series itself.

Check out the official site and Twitter.

Plot Concept: The game revolves around the adventure of players with a given book that tells their fate in the world created by “Storytellers” and these people must fight against “Chaos Tellers” who overwrite their books with bad events.

2019年1月よりTBS・BS-TBSにて放送開始予定のTVアニメ『グリムノーツ The Animation』のキービジュアルが公開されました。それにあわせて、アニメ公式サイトも正式オープン！！
公式Twitter（@grimmsnotes_ta）も本日スタートです！！！#グリムノーツTAhttps://t.co/zzzMZhW92L pic.twitter.com/qhCLeJpJou

— アニメ『グリムノーツ The Animation』公式 (@grimmsnotes_ta) November 30, 2018

Chi and the secret place.

What They Say:
Chi is a sweet playful kitten, always full of energy. She gets milk from Yohei, and is relaxing at home, nice and full. As she searches around the house for something exciting, she comes across Yohei walking with a handful of rubber balls. The balls bounce everywhere as he drops them, and Yohei and Chi can’t get more excited. The day ends with Chi and the family making a great memory together.

The Review:
Content: (please note that content portions of a review may contain spoilers)
Chi’s Sweet Adventure did some fun stuff in giving us a look at the show from Yohei’s point of view through the pictures that he had. It was mostly recap but it was pulled together in the right way to make it interesting and amusing, especially since we were at the point where the series was airing for nearly a year. And if you do figure kids as the primary audience for it then it makes sense to do a little bit of an easier episode like this. That said, we now move into the final four episodes of the season that lets Chi and company have more fun.

With this episode, trouble comes with Come-Com and the other kittens together in the park. It’s amusing to see just how socialized Come-Come has become and the way the four play games together so well like you’d see with kids in general. The four play in some adorable ways, such as being high in the tree and out of side which lets them torment the older visitors lightly. Hidden in the tree, it becomes their secret place together and provides for a nice bond to share. One of the things they can do from there is to really look up and that has Chi wanting to get to the clouds, which we see how Come-Come tried that some time ago as well as the others. Suffice to say, it’s both cute and dangerous but also made up in some instances. The wonder of the kittens is definitely adorable as they fantasize about ways they could get there from their own perspective.

`In Summary:
We really never forget that most of the cats are just kittens but sometimes it’s nice to have something a little more firm like this come by to showcase it. While it takes a flight of fancy toward the end with how they deal with it the bulk of it is fairly straightforward and fun. Chi and her friends are adorable in their innocence in playing in the park while the fantasy moments in the back half deliver its own cuteness even if it’s not an area that I typically care for too much.

Grade: B

Streamed By: Amazon

© Makoto Makoto / Kodansha

The spring 2018 series Piano no Mori is getting ready for its second season to hit in January and NHK has now set their plans for it. The show is now scheduled for a January 27th, 2019 debut on the network but it comes with a change. Gaku Nakatani directed the first season but not Hiroyuki Yamaga is on board for it. Everything else looks to be the same from the first season.

The first season saw Gaku Nakatani is directing it based on the series composition by Aki Itami and Mika Abe. Sumie Kinoshita is serving as the chief animation director and character designer while Fukushima Gainax (now studio Gaina) is on board as the production studio.

The Japanese cast includes Soma Saito as Kai Ichinose, Junichi Suwabe as Sousuke Ajino, Natsuki Hanae as Shuuhei Amamiya, Ryoko Shiraishi as Kai Ichinose (Elementary), You Taichi as Shuuhei Amamiya (Elementary), Yūichi Nakamura as Pang Wei, Toshiyuki Toyonaga as Kōsei Hirata, Maaya Sakamoto as Reiko Ichinose, KENN as Lech Szymanowski, Aoi Yūki as Takako Maruyama, Mariya Ise as Sophie Ormesson, Katsuyuki Konishi as Karol Adamski, Koji Yusa as Takeshi Saga, Hiroshi Yanaka as Kōtarō Shiba, Marie Miyake as Namie Amamiya, Ryou Hirohashi as Arisa, Motoko Kumai as Daigaku Kanehira, Hideyuki Tanaka as Yōichirō Amamiya, and Bin Shimada as Jean-Jacques Theroux.

The feature film from Madhouse was released in the summer of 2007 and was directed by Masayuki Kojima with character designs by Shigeru Fujita. The property is based on the original concept from Makoto Isshiki that ran from 1998 through 2015 with a break in between and has twenty-six compiled volumes.

Check out the official site and Twitter.

Plot concept: Amamiya Shuuhei moves from Tokyo to the countryside due to his grandmother’s bad health. His father is a famous pianist and Shuuhei has taken strict piano lessons since he was very young, aspiring to follow in his footsteps. In school, he is teased by his classmates and is dared to play the piano in the forest. This piano is said to be cursed: if you play it, no sound will come. After school, Ichinose Kai, a boy in the same class, takes Shuuhei to the forest. When Shuuhei tries to play he fails, but Kai plays a wonderful song.

© Tsukasa Unohana / Houbunsha / Animayell! Production Committee

The Manga Time Kirara Carat anime adaptation of the Anime Yell!! manga is coming up with a Japanese October 7th, 2018 debut and TOHO has put together a new promo for it. This one looks at the ninth episode that’s coming up on December 3rd, 2018 with a very quick hit approach. The show has Masako Sato directing it based on the series composition by Fumihiko Shimo. Manamu Amasaki is on board with the character designs while Doga Kobo is handling the animation production.

Crunchyroll recently picked up the streaming rights to the property with it set for worldwide availability outside of Asia.

The Japanese cast includes Yuka Ozaki as Kohane Hatoya, Yuina Yamada as Hizume Arima, Mikako Izawa as Uki Sawatari, Tomori Kusunoki as Kotestu Tatezima, and Haruka Shiraishi as Kana Ushiku.

The four-panel manga comes from Tsukasa Unohana which began two years ago in the magazine and has two volumes out in Japan.

Check out the official site and Twitter.

Plot Concept: The story focuses on Kohane Hatoya, a young woman who loves to be helpful to others. After she moves from middle school to high school, she becomes fascinated with cheerleading, and she starts a cheerleading club at her high school. Joining Kohane in her cheerleading activities is the experienced Hizume and Kohane’s childhood friend Uki.