© SUNRISE

Madman Entertainment is setting things up for their release of Cowboy Bebop as part of its 20th anniversary and they’re starting to bring out some details for it. With it set for a March 6th, 2019 release, the sprawling set is listed at $399.95. The set has the complete series in an individually number vinyl flight case, the TV series on four discs, the movie on its own disc, and three soundtrack CDs. It’ll also include a 120-page comprehensive art book.

The distributor is also looking to make sure that the package will have space for the Cowboy Bebop movie for those that have it and want to keep the franchise as a whole together.

Check out our review of the North American release and our Twenty Years Later article.

Plot Concept: The Bebop crew is just trying to make a buck. This motley lot of intergalactic loners teams up to track down fugitives and turn them in for cold hard cash. Spike is a hero whose cool facade hides a dark and deadly past. The pilot Jet is a bruiser of a brute who can’t wait to collect the next bounty. Faye Valentine is a femme fatale prone to breaking hearts and separating fools from their money. Along for the ride are the brilliant-but-weird hacker Ed and a super-genius Welsh Corgi named Ein. On their own, any one of them would be likely to get lost in the sprawl of space, but together, they’re the most entertaining gang of bounty hunters in the year 2071.

© FURYU / Pastel Memories Production Committee

The app game for Pastel Memories arrived has been rolling out some good updates for the anime adaptation and now a new promo has arrived. Recently scheduled for a January 7th, 2019 debut on Tokyo MX and other major broadcasters, the new promo gives us a good look at the show and a tease of the opening theme song as well. Yasuyuki Shinozaki is directing the series with the overall composition being don by Tamai Tsuyoshi. Shinya Segawa is adapting Nero Nashiki’s original character designs for animation while Project No.9 is handling the animation production for it.

The Japanese cast includes Hiyori Nitta as Izumi Asagi, Mariko Toribe as Ayaka Sakaki, Yumi Uchiyama as Irina Leskova, Yukiyo Fujii as Kaoruko Nijouin, Rie Murakawa as Yuina Machiya, Naomi Ōzora as Michi Edogawabashi, Ai Yamamoto as Minami Senju, Yui Ogura as Chimari Maiko, Yumiri Hanamori as Nao Mejiro, Yurika Kubo as Rei Kurushima, Megumi Toda as Komachi Satonaka, and Kotori Koiwai as Saori Rokugou.

Check out the official site and Twitter.

Game Concept: The “otaku girls” role-playing game takes place “a little bit in the future in 20XX.” Akihabara, which was once called “the otaku holy land,” is now in decline after otaku culture itself has declined. Players take on the role of a manager of one of the few remaining “otaku shops.” The manager helps to “raise” various talented otaku girls, and together, players and the girls battle a “virus” that is infecting the world of various works, while also retrieving people’s lost “memories.”

Discotek Media promised last year that they’d be bringing out the Galaxy Express 999 movies on Blu-ray and they’re now starting in on that. The original movie is now set for a February 26th, 2019 release in bilingual form. The release is priced at $29.95 and at the moment doesn’t list any extras to it. I don’t believe the DVD release back in 2011 had anything much int he way of extras either. Adieu Galaxy Express 999 is coming on the same day as well and with the same pricing structure to it and again without anything in the way of details just yet.

Galaxy Express 999: Tetsurou Hoshino is a boy bent on obtaining an immortal mechanical body in order to take revenge against his mother’s murderer, the machine man Count Mecha. However, due to the incredible cost of obtaining what he seeks, his only hope is to steal a boarding pass for the Galaxy Express 999, a space train that travels across the galaxy and whose final stop is a planet where the metal replacements are provided for free. After swiping a pass, Tetsurou is pursued by the police and ends up collapsing into the arms of a mysterious woman named Maetel, who closely resembles his mother. Once he awakens, she tells the boy that she will provide him entry onto the 999 as long as he agrees to travel with her. Accepting her proposition, Tetsurou boards the cosmic railway with Maetel and begins a journey across the galaxy.

Adieu Galaxy Express 999: Despite the destruction of the mechanization home world Andromeda, the machine empire is still swept across the galaxy and Earth has become a battleground. Having returned from his journey aboard the train Galaxy Express 999, Tetsurou Hoshino joins the resistance and fights alongside others who have retained their humanity.

When the 999 returns to Earth, Tetsurou receives an enigmatic recorded message from his former traveling companion Maetel, telling him to board the train once more. Fighting his way to Megalopolis station, he makes it onto the train just as it departs. This time, however, Tetsurou is met with several mysteries: Maetel is nowhere to be seen, an ominous “Ghost Train” has appeared, and the ultimate destination of the 999 is unknown. Amid all this, Tetsurou finds himself confronted by the mysterious black knight Faust and soon discovers the machine empire’s darkest secret.

© Haruko Ichikawa / Kadokawa

Sentai Filmworks has another series coming up at the start of the year that they’ve now revealed the cast for with Land of the Lustrous, also known as Houseki no Kuni. The show is set for a steelbook edition release on January 22nd, 2019 where it’ll include Japanese, Spanish, and English dub tracks and we now know that Kyle Jones will be directing it. Sentai Filmworks has now brought out their first dub clip for it and have provided both an English and a Spanish dub clip!

The cast for the show includes Sarah Wiedenheft as Phos, Savanna Menzel as Diamond, Shelley Calene-Black as Rutile, Brian Mathis as Kongo, Genevieve Simmons as Bort, Avery Smithhart as Cinnabar, Heidi Hinkle as Jade, Alyssa Marek as Antarcticite, Luci Christian as King Ventricosus, Allison Sumrall as Yellow Diamond, Serena Varghese as Euclase, Shelby Blocker as Alexandrite, Teresa Zimmerman as Amethyst 33, Teresa Zimmerman as Amethyst 84, Olivia Swasey as Morga, Brittney Karbowski as Zircon, Cat Thomas as Red Beryl, Elissa Cuellar as Benito, Juliet Simmons as Goshe, Maggie Flecknoe as Aculeatus, Christina Kelly as Padparadscha, Shanae’a Moore as Obsidian, Carli Mosier as Neptunite, and Kalin Coates as Ice.

The series was directed by Takahiko Kyougoku based on the series composition by Toshiya Oono. Asako Nishida worked on the character designs with studio Orange handling the animation.

The Japanese cast includes Tomoyo Kurosawa as Phosphophyllite, Mikako Komatsu as Cinnabar, Ayane Sakura as Bort, Ai Kayano as Diamond, Yumi Uchiyama as Rutile, Saori Hayami as Goshenite, Mutsumi Tamura as Morganite, Ayahi Takagaki as Jade, Ari Ozawa as Benitoite, Himika Akaneya as Zircon, Atsumi Tanezaki as Neptunite, Mamiko Noto as Euclase, Junko Minagawa as Yellow Diamond, Rie Kugimiya as Alexandrite, Jouji Nakata as Kongou-sensei, Sayaka Harada as Watermelon Tourmaline, Reina Ueda as Hemimorphite, Hitomi Nabatame as Sphene, and Houko Kuwashima as Peridot.

Serialized in Afternoon magazine since 2012 and has nine volumes out so far, the original work comes from Haruko Ichikawa. Kodansha Comics released the first volume as Land of the Lustrous on June 27th, 2017.

Plot Concept: No matter what the odds, life will find a way to continue, with young Phos and the other gems as the ultimate proof. Instead of flesh, their bodies are made of living crystal, allowing them to survive in a world too toxic for any human. But their gem bodies also attract a terrible danger: the Lunarians, who hunt the gems and use their shattered forms to fabricate jewelry and ornaments. The gems with the strongest forms defend the others, but Phos is too weak and brittle to fight. Instead, Phos is ordered to compile an encyclopedia; but could that research discover hidden secrets that could help the gems? Join Phos, the toxic Cinnabar, the powerful Bort, the valiant Diamond, and others in a glittering world unlike anything you have seen before: the LAND OF THE LUSTROUS!

© SUNRISE / PROJECT L-GEASS Character Design © 2006-2018 CLAMP · ST

The next Code Geass feature film is in the works for a February 2019 bow for Code Geass: Fukkatsu no Lelouch sequel and it’s been quiet since that was announced back in August. The film now has a second trailer that’s been released, clocking in at 90-seconds, as well as the new key visual to the right. Additionally, we got some additional new casting reveals with Keiko Toda as Shamuna, Akio Ohtsuka as Fōgunaa, and Kenjiro Tsuda as Kujapatto.

The project brings back a lot of familiar names with Goro Taniguchi directing based on the screenplay by Ichiro Okouchi. Working from CLAMP’s original character designs, Takahiro Kimura will be handling that area while Sunrise is on the animation production. The project comes after wrapping up the recap film trilogy this past May and we should have most of the (surviving) cast return for this edition of it.

The previously announced new cast includes Ayumu Murase as Shario, Nobunaga Shimazaki as Shesutaaru, and Wataru Takagi as Bituru.

The original TV series premiere in 2006 with a sequel run in 2008. A spinoff OVA series began in 2012 that ran for several years with Akito the Exiled.

Check out the official site and Twitter.

Plot Concept: The film takes place two years after Zero Requiem.

© Project Maquia

The recent theatrical release of the Maquia: When The Promised Flower Blooms film is gearing up for its next phase with a home video release. Australian distributor Madman Entertainment has revealed a March 6th, 2019 release with a DVD priced at $29.95 and a Blu-ray at $34.95. No extras are listed yet but by comparison that North American deluxe release comes with an 80-page booklet, a short written scenario by Mari Okada, a 3-panel display box with art from Character Designer Akihiko Yoshida, and an inner cover with art by Character Designer and Art Director Yuriko Ishii. On-disc extras include a 25-minute making-of featurette as well as the promos and commercials from Japan.

Check out our review of the film and the interview with Mari Okada.

The film was written by Maki Okada and was her directorial debut with it arriving back in February 2018 in Japan. Yuriko Ishii handled the character designs with PA Works handling the animation production.

The Japanese cast includes Manaka Iwami as Maquia, Miyu Irino as Erial, Ai Kayano as Leilia, Hiroaki Hirata as Baro, Misaki Kuno as Medmel, Miyuki Sawashiro as Rashine, Rina Satou as Mido
Tomokazu Sugita as Isol, Yōko Hikasa as Tita, Yoshimasa Hosoya as Lang, and Yuuki Kaji as Clear. Check out the English cast credits here.

Check out the official site and Twitter.

Plot Concept: The people of Iorph have a lifespan of hundreds of years and maintain their teenage appearances for life, but when the peace of this town is shattered by those who want the secret to their longevity for themselves, a young girl named Maquia is forced to escape. Wandering the land alone, upon finding an orphaned baby she chooses to raise him, but as this boy grows up so the difference in their lifespans is thrown into ever-sharper relief.

Taishi Tsutsui / Shueisha / Boku-tachi wa Benkyō ga Dekinai Production Committee

We learned back at the end of August that the Boku-tachi wa Benkyō ga Dekinai manga by Taishi Tsutsui was getting an anime adaptation and we’ve had some good reveals for it so far. The first promotional video for it has dropped for it, though the Japanese trailer is locked, leaving us to a second piece below as they didn’t put it on Twitter either. Yoshiaki Iwasaki is directing it based on the series composition by Go Zappa. Masakatsu Sasaki is handling the character designs with Studio Silver and Arvo Animation handling the animation production.

The main cast now includes:

• Ryota Ohsaka as Nariyuki Yuiga
• Haruka Shiraishi as Fumino Furuhashi
• Miyu Tomita as Rizu Ogata
• Sayumi Suzushiro as Uruka Takemoto

The Weekly Shonen Jump title, which got a Jump Start preview as We Never Learn through Viz Media, began in February 2017 and has seven volumes out so far with new volumes landing roughly every two months. Popular properties from the magazine generally generate a good bit of content quickly for a single-cour and can boost the sales of both the magazine with people jumping on for more as well as the compiled volumes.

Check out the official site and Twitter.

Plot Concept: The series follows Yuiga, a student who is aiming for a scholarship because he comes from a poor family. His school gives him a condition: he can have a recommendation for a scholarship if he tutors his two beautiful classmates to help them get into the schools of their choice. Ogata may be a science genius and Furuhashi a literature prodigy — but Ogata is aiming for a liberal arts school and Furuhashi is aiming for a science school. And they’re both clueless outside their fields of expertise.

[Source: ANN]

Originally seeing a very under the radar release from Geneon Entertainment, Discotek Media has picked up the rights to the 2004 incarnation of Tetsujin 28 this past summer. The show was scheduled for a September 25th, 2018 release as a standard definition show on Blu-ray priced at $49.95. Now, fans can go back even further in time as the 1980 series Shin Tetsujin 28 has been scheduled with a January 29th, 2019 debut. The set will have the 51-episode series spread across four Blu-ray discs in high-definition priced at $79.95.

Additionally, Discotek Media is bringing out a Blu-ray release for Tetsujin 28: Morning Moon of Midday, which is getting a DVD/BD combo release on the same day. This is a Japanese language with subtitles release priced at $24.95.

Plot concept: Shortly after pre-teen Shoutarou Kaneda discovers his late father’s legacy, a 60-foot-tall, 50-ton remote-controlled robot, he’s put in charge of it. Shoutarou accepts the V-controller and duty that his father intended for the giant robot, Tetsujin: to fight evil and keep the peace. As the youngest member of Interpol, Shoutarou’s adventures take him around the world, under the sea, through time, and the deepest reaches of space. His mentors are Dr. Shikishima, his father’s brilliant colleague, and Inspector Ohtsuka, the sometimes buffoonish chief Interpol liaison, but in someways, Shoutarou is closest to his giant avatar, Tetsujin. Together, they battle various menaces, from mad scientists to pirates to ninjas to international criminals, all with their own unique giant robots, but the deadliest villain that Shoutarou and Tetsujin build up to is the Space Demon King, an alien so powerful that he threatens to swallow up the Solar System.

The upcoming anime adaptation of the Saint Seiya: Saintia Shō manga has been rolling out a lot of updates over the past year and we’re close to the debut now. The series is getting a Japanese Amazon Prime Video debut on December 10th, 2018 and now a new promotional video has landed to show off more of it and the opening theme song. The project has Masato Tamagawa as the director with Ikuko Takahashi handling the series composition. Keiichi Ishikawa and Ayana Nishino are handling the character design with GONZO handling the animation adaptation.

The cast has also grown with the introduction of a new trailer with:

• Hideo Ishikawa as Jabu
• Rika Tachibana as Atë
• Marika Kōno as Emony
• Aki Kanada as Mirai
• Akeno Watanabe as Shinato

The previously revealed cast includes Aina Suzuki as Shōko, M.A.O as Kyōko, Inori Minase as Saori, Megumi Nakajima as Mii, Toshihiko Seki (Scorpio Milo), Hideyuki Tanaka (Leo Aiolia), Ryotaro Okiayu (Gemini Saga), and Rina Satou as Mayura.

The series from Chimaki Kuori kicked off in the summer of 2013 in Champion Red magazine and has nine collected volumes in Japan so far.

Seven Seas Entertainment picked up the rights to the manga back in 2017.

Check out the official site and Twitter.

Plot concept: In the wake of a space-wide civil war instigated by Saga–the Gemini Gold Saint–a new team of Saints comes together with the goal of protecting their goddess Athena. This first all-woman team of armored warriors, powered by the Zodiac, will use their cunning, strength, and compassion to defend their worlds and oppose their very destinies.

[Source: ANN]

© Maruyama Kugane · Published by KADOKAWA / Overload 2 Production Committee

Australian distributor Madman Entertainment is gearing up for another release with the Overlord II complete season. The show is getting released on March 6th, 2018 where the DVD and Blu-ray are priced at $59.95 and $64.95 respectively and they’ll also be bilingual. A limited edition release priced at $99.95 is also coming but there are no details about what makes it limited. Extras for all sets include:

• OVERLORD II at Anime Expo 2018: Interview with Kugane Maruyama & Naoyuki Itou
• Play Play Pleiades 2
• Special Preview Collection
• Promotional Videos
• Commercials
• Textless Opening & Closing Songs

The winter 2018 anime series comes from author Kugane Maruyama with illustrations by so-bin that’s published by Enterbrain. It began in the summer of 2012 and released its eighth volume earlier this year. The series has had two drama CDs released with previous volumes.

It’s being animated by Madhouse with Naoyuki Itou directing it based on scripts by Yukie Sugawara and character designs by Takahiro Yoshimatsu as they adapt from the original works.

The series will star Kenta Miyake as Cocytus, Manami Numakura as Narberal Gamma, Masayuki Katou as Demiurge, Shigeru Chiba as Sebas Tian and Yumi Uchiyama as Mare Bello Fiore.

Plot Concept: The series follows a salaryman who remains online when the service for an MMORPG ends. In doing so, he becomes a powerful skeletal wizard. In his new form, he begins attracting followers and conquering the digital world that remains.

© Kaiu Shirai, Posuka Demizu / Shueisha · Promised Neverland Production Committee

The anime adaptation of The Promised Neverland was previously scheduled for a winter 2019 debut as part of the Noitamina block and now some new details have landed. The official site has done a refresh with a new key visual that you can see to the right but it also updated to reveal a January 10th, 2018 premiere on Fuji TV in Japan. Mamoru Kanbe is directing it based on the series composition by Toshiya Ono. Kazuaki Shimada is working on the character designs with CloverWorks handling the animation production.

Check out the recent commercial for it as well:

アニメ #約ネバ 新CM公開

先ほど #ノイタミナ 内で放映したCM第4弾がコチラhttps://t.co/bjpMEmkMH4

UVERworldによるOPテーマ「Touch off」音源初解禁です pic.twitter.com/MqtYkDBEjG

— 『約束のネバーランド』公式 (@yakuneba_staff) November 29, 2018

The previously announced Japanese cast includes:

• Sumire Morohoshi as Emma
• Maaya Uchida as Norman
• Mariya Ise as Ray
• Nao Fujita as Sister Krone
• Yuko Kaida as Isabella/Mom
• Shinei Ueki as Don
• Lynn as Gilda
• Shizuka Ishigami as Nat
• Ai Kayano as Anna
• Mari Hino as Thoma
• Yuuko Mori as Lani
• Ari Ozawa as Conny
• Hiyori Kono as Phil

The manga series has been released domestically by Viz Media and it comes from creators Kaiu Shirai and Posuka Demizu. The project kicked off in Weekly Shonen Jump back in August 2016 and has been steadily rolling on since then.

Check out the official site and Twitter.

Plot Concept: Emma, Norman, and Ray are the brightest kids at the Grace Field House orphanage. And under the care of the woman they refer to as “Mom,” all the kids have enjoyed a comfortable life. Good food, clean clothes, and the perfect environment to learn—what more could an orphan ask for? One day, though, Emma and Norman uncover the dark truth of the outside world they are forbidden from seeing.

[S

Discotek Media is stepping into the past a bit more with an interesting release as they’re going to do an SDBD release for the original Beyblade anime series. Scheduled for a January 29th, 2019 street date, it’s priced at $49.95 and will include the 51 episodes on a single Blu-ray disc in English. That’s about 1,100 minutes of material that will be in English-only and at the moment doesn’t list any extras.

Plot Concept: Beyblader Tyson Granger is undefeated in his neighborhood. But that changes one day when the Blade Sharks show up in town. Their leader, Kai, seeks the ultimate Bit-Beast, the supposedly fake mythical creature that adorns the center of every Beyblade. Tyson and Kai’s rivalry heats up, taking them through multiple Beyblade tournaments around the world. Along the way, Tyson learns the Bit-Beasts are anything but fake, and that there are people seeking to use them for evil purposes. But he’ll also learn that the true key to unlocking their strength lies within himself most of all! Let it rip with this English dubbed SDBD, containing the first classic series of Beyblade in standard definition!

©BNGI／PROJECT CINDERELLA

The anime adaptation of the five-panel manga series THE IDOLM@STERCINDERELLA GIRLS Theater had its third season out earlier this year and it looks like there’s one more run ahead of it. The official site has revealed that the “Climax Season” will arrive as part of the Spring 2019 season in April and that there may be some differences in how this season is being done. Check out the visual to the right and the promo below.

The series will again be directed by Puchimas!!: Petit Petit iDOLM@STER director Mankyuu based on the original character designs by Kuma-Jet. Studio Gathering will be producing the animation.

The cast includes Ayaka Ohashi as Uzuki Shimamura, Ayaka Fukuhara as Rin Shibuya, Sayuri Hara as Mio Honda, Ruriko Aoki as Riina Tada, Hiromi Igarashi as Anzu Futaba, Sumire Uesaka as Anastasia and Maaya Uchida as Ranko Kanzaki.

The series will be working off of the manga that’s produced for the mobile game app. It’s been producing work since 2012 and has eight volumes out as of March 2018.

Plot Concept: Our IDOL friends are back again today! Get a rare look at how IDOLS spend their days off, as well as their comical interactions with each other in this hyper-fun-filled short anime.

© Kore Yamazaki / Mag Garden

Australian distributor Madman Entertainment is handling the release of The Ancient Magus’ Bride and they’ve set their plans for it. Set for a March 6th, 2019 debut, the DVD/BD combo release will be priced at $69.95 and will be bilingual with extras to be revealed. A limited edition release priced at $99.95 will also come out on the same day that will also have its details revealed. It’s likely going to be very similar to Funimation’s North American release that will include the 3-part prequel OVA “Those Awaiting a Star”. On-disc extras should also include the Twitter Q&A: The Ancient Magus’ Bride Cast & Crew, Textless Opening Song “Here”, Textless Closing Song “-cycle-“, and the Episode 8 Commentary.

The series is based on the manga by manga creator Kore Yamazaki and had Norihiro Naganuma directing it based on the series composition by Aya Takaha. Hirotaka Kato handled the character designs for it.

The English language had had Kyle Phillips directing it based on the scripts by Bonny Clinkenbeard with the two leads cast with Dani Chambers as Chise Hatori and Brian Mathis as Elias Ainsworth.

Known as Mahou Tsukai no Yome in its original Japanese form, Seven Seas Entertainment acquired The Ancient Magus Bride manga back in 2014 for release. The manga series comes from Kore Yamazaki, their third professionally published work, and the first North American volume landed in May 2015. The series is currently being serialized in Monthly Comic Garden with six volumes have been released so far in Japan.

Plot concept: Hatori Chise is only 16, but she has lost far more than most. With neither family nor hope, it seems all doors are closed to her. But, a chance encounter began to turn the rusted wheels of fate. In her darkest hour, a mysterious magus appears before Chitose, offering a chance she couldn’t turn down. This magus who seems closer to demon than human, will he bring her the light she desperately seeks, or drown her in ever deeper shadows?

© SUNRISE / PROJECT L-GEASS Character Design © 2006-2018 CLAMP · ST

The next Code Geass feature film is in the works for a February 2019 bow for Code Geass: Fukkatsu no Lelouch sequel in Japan but things have been looking up well for the last few years when it comes to North American releases. Funimation is taking some of the uncertainty out of the equation as they’ve announced that they’ll bring the film out here in theaters as  Code Geass: Lelouch of the Re;surrection in 2019. They’ll have more firm dates and plans once the new year hits but they did provide a subtitled trailer for the film.

The project brings back a lot of familiar names with Goro Taniguchi directing based on the screenplay by Ichiro Okouchi. Working from CLAMP’s original character designs, Takahiro Kimura will be handling that area while Sunrise is on the animation production. The project comes after wrapping up the recap film trilogy this past May and we should have most of the (surviving) cast return for this edition of it.

The previously announced new cast includes Ayumu Murase as Shario, Nobunaga Shimazaki as Shesutaaru, Wataru Takagi as Bituru, Keiko Toda as Shamuna, Akio Ohtsuka as Fōgunaa, and Kenjiro Tsuda as Kujapatto

The original TV series premiere in 2006 with a sequel run in 2008. A spinoff OVA series began in 2012 that ran for several years with Akito the Exiled.

Check out the official site and Twitter.

Plot Concept: The film takes place two years after Zero Requiem.

© GungHo Online Entertainment, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

As we get further into the latest Puzzle and Dragons series with PuzzDra, which got underway on April 2nd, 2018, TV Tokyo is doing some new promotion for it. The latest is a look at the thirty-seventh episode that will arrive on December 10th, 2018.

The show has set Hajime Kamegaki to direct, following his work on Puzzle & Dragons X, with series composition by Shinzo Fujita. Studio Pierrot continues on with the animation production.

The Japanese cast includes Asuna Tomari as Taiga and Tetsuya Kakihara as Toragon.

Check out our review of the first DVD/BD set of the previous series.

Visit the official site and Twitter.

Plot concept: Set in the modern day, it follows the growth of the protagonist Taiga Akashi, an elementary school kid who wants to be a professional gamer someday.

Crunchyroll is bringing on a new title to their service, this one something that streamed via Hulu previously, with the Chivalry of a Failed Knight anime property. The full season is now available to stream on Crunchyroll with it available to audiences in its original Japanese language with English subtitles. Regional availability has it open to viewers in Canada, United Kingdom, Ireland, South Africa, Sweden, Norway, Netherlands, Finland, Denmark, Iceland, and Central and South America.

Check out our review of the series.

The anime adaptation was directed by Shin Oonuma while Jin Tamamura served as the overall director. They worked off the scripts by Shogo Yasukawa and character designs by Sei Komatsubara. The series was animated at SILVER LINK and Nexus.

The cast includes Ryota Ohsaka as Ikki Kurogane, Shizuka Ishigami as Stella Vermillion, Nao Toyama as Shizuku Kurogane and Shintaro Asanuma as Nagi Arisuin. The supporting cast also includes Yuu Kobayashi as Ayase Ayatsuji, Hisako Kanemoto as Touka Toudou, Mariko Higashiuchi as Kurono Shinguuji, Yuuka Aisaka as Kagami Kusakabe, Yuka Iguchi as Nene Saikyou, Izumi Kitta as Yuuri Oriki, M.A.O as Renren Tomaru, Megumi Han as Utakata Misogi, Yoshitsugu Matsuoka as Shizuya Kirihara, Yoshimasa Hosoya as Kuraudo Kurashiki and Kinryuu Arimoto as Ryouma Kurogane.

The title is originally known as Rakudai Kishi no Cavalary and it began back in 2013 with artwork by artist Won. Seven volumes of the light novel series were released as of the original airing of the series while a manga adaptation began in March 2014 from Megumu Soramichi.

Plot Concept: The series revolves around Mage-Knights, humans with supernatural powers who can materialize a weapon from their souls. Ikki Kurogane, dubbed as the “Failure Knight” for having no talent in modern-day magic, is a repeating student in an institution for Mage-Knights because of his failing grades. With the installation of a new head of the institution, a new rule was stated: knights with compatible abilities must share rooms and train together for the whole school year to maximize their abilities.

One day, Ikki encounters a half-naked girl, Stella Vermillion, who was changing in his room. It turns out that she is a princess of a foreign country and a Rank A Mage-Knight to boot. Stella challenged Ikki to a duel where the loser must be obedient to the winner. This fateful meeting changes Ikki’s life as he strives to become a real Mage-Knight.

© Tsukasa Unohana / Houbunsha / Animayell! Production Committee

The Manga Time Kirara Carat anime adaptation of the Anime Yell!! manga is underway and promotion for it is turning out pretty good. With TOHO handling it, we also have a series of anime web shorts, similar to some of their other shows over the last few years. The ninth one has now landed and it continues the silliness that we’ve seen, but unlike the Overlord ones, it looks like this is fairly “static” in a way so we may not cover too many of these.

The show has Masako Sato directing 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.

© 2017 COLOPL/Battle Girl HS Project

Crunchyroll has another Sentai Filmworks series that’s now available for streaming on their service, this one with a bit more availability, with Battle Girl High School. The show is in its original Japanese language with English subtitles and it’s open to viewers in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Ireland, South Africa, Sweden, Norway, Netherlands, Finland, Denmark, Iceland, and Central and South America.

Check out our review of the series.

The series was directed by Noriaki Akitaya based on the series composition by Yousuke Kuroda. Akitaya has Yasuyuki Oishi serving as an assistant director and Kazuo Miyake as the series director. Shuuhei Yamamoto and Hideki Furukawa worked on the character designs with the animation produced by Silver Link. The game came out in the spring of 2015 and has had a four-panel manga adaptation along the way and a novelization of the main story from the game with Keishou Yanagawa writing it with illustrations from Haruken.

The Japanese cast is made up the actors from the game itself and includes Aya Suzuki as Miki Hoshitsuki, Ayane Sakura as Subaru Wakaba, Sora Amamiya as Haruka Narumi, Nao Tōyama as Nozomi Amano, Sumire Uesaka as Yuri Himukai, Saori Hayami as Kurumi Tokiwa, Kaede Hondo as Kanon Kōgami, Shino Shimoji as Shiho Kunieda, Yumi Uchiyama as Anko Tsubuzaki, Yoshino Nanjō as Renge Serizawa, Mutsumi Tamura as Asuha Kusunoki, Misaki Kuno as Sakura Fujimiya, Hiromi Igarashi as Hinata Minami, Aoi Yūki as Sadone, Ibuki Kido as Kaede Sendōin, Emiri Katō as Michelle Watagi, Hitomi Harada as Kokomi Asahina and Maaya Uchida as Urara Hasumi.

Plot Concept: The school action role-playing game is set in the year 2045. The world has been contaminated by Irōsu (mysterious invaders who suddenly appeared), and humans find themselves restricted and contained. Standing boldly against these invaders are ordinary girls everywhere, without a powerful army or even weapons. The Shinjugammine Girls Academy is a school for these “Hoshimori” (Star Guardians) destined to fight the Irōsu. The player is assigned to this academy to train the girls and take back the contaminated Earth.

German distributor Peppermint Anime is showing off their new release of Kill la Kill and they’ve put together a new dub clip for it. They didn’t do a lot of clips during the run of singles previously so it’s welcome to get another new clip this time around as we get some awkward family time. The company has a complete collection set on Blu-ray that came out on November 30th, 2018 and the clip showcases some good pieces from it below.

Check out our review of the first volume of the five-volume North American home video release.

Plot concept: Ryuuko Matoi is a vagrant school girl traveling from place to place searching for clues to the truth behind her father’s death—the “woman with the scissor blade.” The journey has led Ryuuko to Honnouji Academy.

Honnouji Academy—where an elite group of students is granted superhuman power by their special uniforms called the “Goku uniform.” With the power of the uniform, the student body president, Satsuki Kiryuin rules the students with unquestioned power and fear.

Satsuki holds the secret to the “scissor blade” and Ryuuko confronts Satsuki to gain information but… Was their encounter a mere coincidence or fate? The clash between the two will soon consume the whole academy!