An intriguing end of the world concept.

Creative Staff:
Story: Ben Fisher
Art: Adam Markiewicz
Colors: Adam Guzowski
Letterer: Adam Markiewicz

What They Say:
In the near future, humanity awakens to the horrifying reality that the faintest touch from another’s skin results in agonizing death. The survivors isolate themselves, many driven mad by fragments of memories “absorbed” from those they’ve killed. Two years after the “Divide,” a pair of thieves stumble upon the means to save their species. But not everyone is eager to see the old world order restored…Includes a free song download — mood music for the apocalypse!

Content: (please note that content portions of a review may contain spoilers):
End of the world stories are pretty regular for the past decade or so but have gone up a fair bit more recently for a range of reasons. Dynamite Entertainment has dabbled in a few and now this new six-issue series is getting underway from writer Ben Fisher and artist Adam Markiewicz, creators that I haven’t experienced works from before. The pair definitely connect well here as there are aspects of this that reminds me of the thrill I had with the first issue of The Walking Dead. You can see it as inspiration but at least it avoids zombies and other dark creatures walking the streets and focuses just on the problems of people and what they’d face in a situation like this. Markiewicz brings it to life really well in this book as there’s a kind of desolation about things, both in the landscapes and the characters, but I really like the overall visual presentation and the way he lays things out as it has a very smooth and engaging flow about it.

The premise is interesting enough in that without warning or reason, something that’s hinted at in a few areas at the end, mankind has now experienced a new kind of epidemic. People can no longer touch each other because when they do they end up killing the other person, often with aspects of that person being drawn into them so that they hear voices. We see that with a father whose family has now died and he can’t stop hearing their voices, which drives him further insane. Over the couple of years since this began, everything is in ruins and most people travel alone and completely covered. Trade happens in some areas and it’s kind of amusing because porn is one of the more valuable things to have since actual physical contact doesn’t exist anymore. We also see that some folks find ways of surviving by essentially being strip performers to provide some titillation as that’s all people can get anymore. The mindset of those in this kind of situation is certainly intriguing and the teases and narration explores it well enough here to set the stage.

The initial focus is on a man named Paul as we see how he’s surviving in all of this, from tricking others to get things to getting taken advantage of just ahead of a trading post and losing everything. He’s standard fare material overall as we don’t know a lot about him but with some medical skills from being a student prior to the end you can see how he can be useful. His time at the post brings him into the orbit of a woman named Maria that grabbed his stuff and sold it off, only to need him later to help a friend – an event that sends Paul down his own dark path at the end. But through the two of them prior to that we see how people are surviving and it’s definitely interesting, from the porn to the striptease material and what kinds of goods are being bandied about alongside some of the psychological stresses of it all.

In Summary:
The Great Divide starts of well and digs into its basic world setting ideas quickly with plenty of room to expand on it with as the book goes on. I’m definitely interested as Fisher presents an idea that’s familiar but all its own and explores some of the areas that are often overlooked in favor of just action and sex. Markiewicz has a solid style here that’s definitely appealing for this kind of book, touching on the horror side a bit but without overdoing it in a splatterfest kind of way. The pair make for a good team and this book has me already hopeful that there’s a good story for this six-issue run and that it’s something that can be explored more beyond that as it has the potential with what’s introduced so far – and if it can connect with enough readers, which it should. This does have the potential to be the next Walking Dead.

Grade: B+

Age Rating: 17+
Released By: Dynamite Entertainment
Release Date: September 7th, 2016
MSRP: $3.99

The anime adaptation of Chaos;Child has been in the works for what feels like forever since it was announced in March 2015 and a manga series in April 2015. With the series now scheduled for a Winter 2017 anime season debut and a few things covered previously, we now have a fuller look at the show that’s being animated by Silver Link. Masato Jinbo will be directing the show and handling the series composition, something you don’t see too often, with Kazuyuki Yamayoshi handling the character design. The opening theme song will be performed by Kanako Itou while the ending theme song will be performed by Konomi Suzuki.

Newly added to the cast are:

• Suzuko Mimori as Hinae Arimura
• Inori Minase as Uki Yamazoe
• Sayaka Nakaya as Hana Kazuki
• Asami Sanada as Mio Kunosato
• Yuuki Fujiwara as Shinji Itou
• Atsushi Abe as Masashi Kawahara
• Yumi Hara as Yui Tachibana
• Kokoro Kikuchi as Yuito Tachibana
• Takuya Kirimoto as Takeshi Shinjou
• Kujira as Katsuko Momose
• Tomoyuki Shimura as Hisashi Sakuma
• Masayuki Katou as Shuuichi Wakui

The previously announced cast includes:

• Sumire Uesaka as Serika Onoe
• Yoshitsugu Matsuoka as Takuru Miyashiro
• Sarah Emi Bridcutt as Nono Kurusu

All three voiced those roles in the game, which is a welcome bit of continuity for fans.

The Chaos;Head anime has been previously licensed and release by FUNimation in North America. Other properties in this “sci-fi adventure” grouping include Steins;Gate and Robotics;Notes.

Plot concept: Described as a “psychological suspense” story, ChäoS;Child takes place in October 2015, six years after the events of ChäoS;HEAd. Abnormal events begin to occur in the Shibuya district, including mysterious deaths.

“If you are God, and the delusion becomes reality. About what kind of the noids you get? Is it the sensual world? The despotic society? The destructive sanctions? Or…”

[Source: MAL]

With the tease that we got recently from Ben Affleck with some footage of Deathstroke that had many wondering initially if it was for the upcoming Justice League film, things are now taking more shape for the upcoming but undated solo Batman film. According to The Wall Street Journal, Joe Manganiello is the man who will be taking on the role of Slade Wilson, aka Deathstroke, for the feature film with Geoff Johns confirming it as he’s co-writing the film with Ben Affleck, who is set to direct it.

The character is a long popular on that recently saw use in the Arrow TV series that was the second season villain after a first season introduction. The character was created in the early 80′s by Marv Wolfman and Georg Perez and has multiple ongoing series over the years, including a new Rebirth series that kicked off this summer.

https://t.co/0NsNzCtGip

— Ben Affleck (@BenAffleck) August 29, 2016

Directed by Ben Affleck, it’s set to star him as Bruce Wayne/Batman, Joe Manganiello as Slade Wilson/Deathstroke and JK Simmons as Commissioner Gordon.

Things get… weird.

Creative Staff:
Story: Brian Buccellato
Art: Marco Santucci
Colors: Rex Lokus
Letters: Wes Abbott

What They Say:
On a parallel world, an unprecedented alliance of super-villains draws the Justice League into action. But the Joker has a scheme that may bring about everyone’s destruction.

Content: (please note that content portions of a review may contain spoilers):
With the series shifting gears to align more closely with the events from the game, which I haven’t played or truly seen much of overall, Injustice took the twist with the alternate setting the last time around that showed us something that even the mainline DC Universe hasn’t been capable of doing for several years with the big heroes just hanging out and having a good time. This installment largely carries on with the same thing to a degree as Marco Santucci delivers some very solid artwork that runs the gamut of mainline characters, but it does all still have that kind of odd feeling to it. I get what it’s doing and I know the connection, but after investing in the Injustice world for a few years now it feels weird to read about another timeline.

As we saw before, there’s a big battle that’s drawn in most of the Justice League types to go up against them and it has the scale and danger to it that it should. There’s a lot of appeal in seeing these kinds of heroes and villains fight, but the book wants to work a different track instead. What we get here is time spent with this dimensions Joker and Harley as they’re bringing a nuclear bomb into the park in order to cause just a little bit of mischief. The dynamic between the two is problematic for many people and I totally get that, but seeing them in this way here where she’s beholden to him makes for some good stuff to work through, especially in the banter department between them. He’s got his big plan and fills her in on it in pieces and not even full pieces when you get down to it. His control over her is obvious and when we get that big moment when he smacks her away so that he can deal with Batman himself it just reinforces how bad the relationship is.

It is curious how all of this plays out though as we get everyone coming in to deal with the Joker once the distraction is done with. The build up of the power being aligned there is impressive, and it certainly freaks out Harley with what her Mister J will have to deal with, which is made all the better with Santucci’s artwork. While there’s little to no dialogue for most of this among the heroes, Santucci gets to have a lot of fun in bringing them out and having them arrive as it builds that sense of what’s about to hit. The last couple of pages and panels of it delivers it in a big way as everything seems to go beyond what you’d expect from this particular world based on what we’ve seen so far, but it’s just really well presented.

In Summary:
Injustice is ever closer to the end here and I’m really curious to see how they’re going to bring it all together and wrap it up so that it can segue into the game storyline. It does feel like there’s a good bit of ground to cover but part of that just depends on how full circle it’ll go and what we’ll end up with. I’m definitely enjoying this little detour, particularly with Xermanico’s artwork the last time around and Santucci’s this time, but I’m also itching to get back to what we had in the series timeline proper as events have definitely been picking up there.

Grade: B+

Age Rating: 13+
Released By: DC Comics via ComiXology
Release Date: August 30th, 2016
MSRP: $0.99

Unprecedented collaboration between industry leaders to bring more content to fans and grow the anime community

SAN FRANCISCO and FLOWER MOUND, Texas — September 8, 2016 — Crunchyroll and Funimation, the two leading global providers of anime, have announced a partnership to improve the fan experience and grow the current reach of anime by sharing titles across streaming, home video, and electronic sell-through (EST). Through this agreement, Crunchyroll will continue creating the best subtitled streaming experience for fans, while Funimation will focus on delivering the best in English-language dubbed (“Broadcast Dubs”) streaming. This collaboration will enable fans to enjoy more anime in more ways than ever before.

Starting today, Crunchyroll viewers will have access to subtitled versions of Funimation’s summer simulcast titles, including D.Gray-man HALLOW, FIRST LOVE MONSTER and Puzzle & Dragons X. And in the weeks to come, FunimationNow viewers will be able to watch Broadcast Dubs of Crunchyroll’s summer titles, including 91 Days, Mob Psycho 100 and Orange, with release schedules to be announced. Both companies will also work together to bring the best in subtitled and Broadcast Dubs titles for future seasons to come.

Additionally, a selection of catalog titles, such as Cowboy Bebop, Grimgar of Fantasy and Ash, and PSYCHO-PASS from FunimationNow will be available on Crunchyroll today, and Free! -Iwatobi Swim Club and The Testament of Sister New Devil from Crunchyroll will be available on FunimationNow, Funimation’s new streaming service, in the coming weeks.

And further, Funimation will now distribute Crunchyroll’s titles through home video and a variety of EST outlets, with both dubbed and subtitled versions together. Currently planned titles include Ace Attorney, Alderamin on the Sky, Bungo Stray Dogs, JOKER GAME, Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress and ReLIFE, with more to be announced in the future.

“Crunchyroll is a leading destination for fans to watch anime content,” says Gen Fukunaga, Founder and CEO of Funimation. “Our commitment is first and foremost to our fans — and by partnering with Crunchyroll, together we can expand the reach of anime by making shows available to an even larger audience around the world. Funimation will continue to be the best place for fans to experience dubbed content while we also work with Crunchyroll to grow the market for anime. This is a thrilling next step for both companies.”

“Gen is a true pioneer in anime distribution in North America, and has been growing the reach of anime for over twenty years,” says Kun Gao, Founder and GM of Crunchyroll. “Funimation shares our passion of bringing amazing content to viewers. This partnership will allow Crunchyroll to continue making the best subtitled simulcast experience for all fans. Anime is a lifestyle experience shared by millions, and we look forward to new ways to delight fans together.”

The mad dash to get announcements in for the fall season continues as the smartphone game Hagane Orchestra is getting a short-form project this coming season. Scheduled for an October 10th, 2016 debut, the series will run for twelve episodes with five minutes per episode. The series is directed by Masahiko Oota based on the series composition by Takashi Aoshima. Takaharu Ookuma is handling the character designs and it’s being animated by Fanworks.

The announced cast includes:

• Erina Tsutsui as Kureha
• Eriko Matsui as Nanaka
• Soma Saito as Chris
• Azusa Satou as Marsha
• Kaoru Mizuhara as Kako

[Source: Anime! Anime! via MAL]

We saw back in August that The Last Ship got its fourth season renewal as the series continues to do very well for the network. Now, they’ve made some minor changes to what they’re planning as they’ve renewed it for a fifth season as well. While originally believed that the fourth season would be thirteen episodes like the third season, the fourth and fifth seasons, expected to film back to back, will be for ten episodes each and come out in the summer of 2017 and summer of 2018. I’d hazard a guess that it’ll end at that point as well.

The second season in full had an average of nine million viewers across all their platforms, including streaming, and this season is current at about 7.6 million as it moves into the finale this coming weekend.

Plot concept: In the wake of last season’s cliffhanger finale, the crew of the Nathan James steers toward Asia when President Michener (Mark Moses) learns that the Chinese leader is hoarding a cure for a devastating pandemic. Chandler sets out to investigate, even as new rumors surface of a possible new virus mutation hitting Japan.

Becoming an Alter leads Charlier further to his true self.

Creative Staff:
Story: Paul Jenkins
Art: Leila Leiz
Colors: Tamra Bonvillain
Letterer: Ryane Hill

What They Say:
A world where a war between heroes and villains is being fought to a stalemate, with humanity becoming the collateral damage part of the equation…The heroes know they are losing the war. And in the middle of this world-changing conflict, a new threat seems to be emerging: the Alters. They are mutants, possibly – or perhaps they are some kind of ultimate end to our genetic road map. Whatever the case, Alters seem to be emerging all around the country… and they are met with fear, distrust, and prejudice. They manifest new, dangerous powers that emerge without warning.

Content: (please note that content portions of a review may contain spoilers):
With Paul Jenkins having worked on some fun books over the years I was definitely interested in seeing what Alters would be like since it’s working a number of different angles. The new book from AfterShock Comics has him working with Leila Leiz as her first American work I believe after doing a lot of European stuff for the last couple of years. And she’s definitely going to make a splash here with this book as she simply nails the look of it throughout. With great character designs and some strong layouts to keep the flow really well done combined with a lot of detail in the backgrounds, Alters definitely has an engaging look from start to finish. Which is very well complemented by the color work from Tamra Bonvillain as it has a certain kind of pop to it that feels just perfect for the kind of story it wants to tell.

The premise of the book is familiar enough to fans of the superhero/mutant genre as we have a world where one in fifty million people seem to be coming out as Alters after one super genius did so. The problem, of course, is that while a number of them are decent people there are also those that are problematic to say the least. Sometimes you get someone who unlocks what they are and they end up destroying a large area, such as one incident that killed five thousand people. But you also get people like Matter Man that has a cruel and twisted personality and seemingly has taken on an independently powerful position where he can’t be stopped so most just give into him. When new Alters surface he insists they be given over to him, which isn’t that difficult as the mood has soured toward Alters, and they either align with him or they likely get ended. There’s another group that tries to get in to bring Alters into their fold before Matter Man can, but they’re also not able to stand up to him so it’s definitely a resistance kind of thing going on.

The focus is on that of Charlie, a young man with an older and younger brother with parents that are “good people” but have their faults. It’s a decent family setup that’s more familiar to more people than not and we get a good feeling from Charlie with how he acts with them, touches of his background and employment, that helps to make him accessible. That he’s a new Alter is no surprise as we’ll see the world through his eyes, but he’s struggling with more than just being an Alter or being a part of this family. He’s also in the early stages of transitioning with hormone therapy as he’s on his way to being a woman. So it’s rather appropriate, and definitely useful from a secret identity perspective, that he dresses up and wears a wig when taking on his seemingly highly powerful Alter role of Chalice. You get the sense that he’s going to be the balancing point against Matter Man but he’ll have to deal with his own attitude first. It’s not a bad thing but when we see him as Chalice and he becomes her, there’s such a sense of freedom and lightness about her personality and movements, a total comfort with being that person that they really are, that you know it’s going to get her into trouble along the line. But with the powers we get and the curiosity of the other group combined with the seeming ruffians that Matter Man runs with, the opening issue sets up a lot and introduces plenty while also tantalizing something really great here.

In Summary:
While I enjoyed what Jenkins did with his other AfterShock series Replica, I suspect Alters will be the one that will stand out more for a range of reasons. The book may get a lot of its initial attention for the diversity and the transgender aspects, all of which is hugely important because representation matters more than a whole lot of people understand, but it will succeed or fail on the quality of the story and artwork. And it’s here that I think it will take everything else and wrap it all up together in what should be a fantastic package. Jenkins’ script covers a lot of foundational elements here in a smooth and easy fashion while being engaging. His characterizations are solid and I want to know more about just about everyone. And the scale of the conflict on the horizon is obvious with twists in the mix.

It should also be a success because Leila Leiz is an utterly fantastic discovery here in how she brings this to life. While I tend to do my second and third passes on a book for certain details or looking at the script in full to see what I missed, this book kept me for both of those revisits just for the artwork and greater appreciation of Bonvillain’s color work on it. I’m already eager for the first arc to be done and over with so I can savor it in full as the monthly wait is going to be a rough one.

Grade: A-

Age Rating: 15+
Released By: AfterShock Comics
Release Date: September 7th, 2016
MSRP: $3.99

The upcoming revival for Tiger Mask with a new series titled Tiger Mask W has done its work recently in announcing the cast and getting all of that squared away. The next piece of the puzzle has now arrived as the official site has confirmed an October 1st, 2016 debut for the series as part of the super late night run that it’ll have. The cast includes:

• Taku Yashiro as Naoto Azuma/New Tiger Mask
• Yuichiro Umehara as Takuma Fujii/Tiger The Dark
• Kenichi Suzumura as Hiroshi Tanahashi
• Suzuko Mimori as Haruna Takaoka
• Masakazu Morita as Kazuchika Okada
• Ryouichi Tanaka as Kentarou Takaoka
• Takeshi Kusao as Daisuke Fujii
• Chiemi Chiba as Ruriko Yamashina

The series will be directed by Toshiaki Komura based on the scripts supervised by Katsuhiko Chiba. Hisashi Kagawa is on board to handle the character designs for it with animation coming from Toei Animation where they’re working 2D and 3DCG animation work.

The property is based on the original manga from Ikki Kajiwara that began back in 1968 and had a couple of TV series adaptations over the years.

Plot concept: The protagonists are two young pro wrestlers, Naoto Azuma and Takuma Fujii. Both were trainees of “Jipang Pro Wrestling,” a small pro wrestling team, until it was crushed by the evil “Global Wrestling Monopoly (GWM)” team. To plan their revenge, Azuma trained at the foot of Mount Fuji, becoming the “New Tiger Mask,” while Takuma entered “The Tiger’s Hole,” the organization that manipulates GWM, becoming “Tiger the Dark.”

The anime adaptation of the Magical Girl Raising Project revealed recently that it’s scheduled an October 2nd, 2016 premiere on AT-X and then moving on to Tokyo MX, BS11 and other providers. Now, the fourth promotional video has arrived and it also expands the cast with a few more additions of the supporting nature. Those additions include:

• Kikuko Inoue as Calamity Mary
• Satomi Arai as Magicaloid 44
• Megumi Ogata as Cranberry,
• Rina Hidaka as Hard Gore Alice

The series will be directed by Hiroyuki Hashimoto based on the series composition and scripts from Takao Yoshioka. It’s being animated at studio Lerche.

The Japanese cast includes Nao Touyama will play Snow White while Manami Numakura will play Ripple. Additional cast includes Ayane Sakura as La Pucell Yumi, Uchiyama as Top Speed, Kurumi Mamiya as Fav, Yoko Hikasa as Ruler, Inori Minase as Swim Swim, Risae Matsuda as Minael, Satsumi Matsuda as Yunael, Asuka Nishi as Tama, Yumiri Hanamori as Nemurin, Saori Hayami as Sister Nana and Yuu Kobayashi as Wess Winter Prison.

Manami Numakura will also sing the opening theme song “Sakebe”.

The novels began back in 2012 with eight so far, the latest of which has the wraparound announcing the adaptation, and a drama CD came out earlier this year, a promo of which you can see below. No details about the adaptation have been revealed though such as production, cast or what season we’ll see it in.

Plot concept: In a risky, unreasonable game, 16 girls are trapped. For the magical girls to remain in their positions at stake, a cruel battle begins! To fool, outwit, compete; all in becoming the only magical girl left. Then one day, the management arbitrarily decides that “There are too many magical girls, so the number will be halved.” One by one, within a span of a week, they decrease. While being under the mercy and toyed around by the mastermind, these magical girls need to come up with plans so they can continue as one. Transforming into being cold and ruthless, the girls still have their feelings. Will they be able to survive the relentless and cruel survival game?

Magical Girl Raising Project | Cast PV #4 by pKjd

The novel series Throne of Glass is potentially making its way to television as Hulu is developing a potential pilot with the Mark Gordon company using the name of the fourth book in the series, Queen of Shadows – since including the word throne could lead to certain comparisons. Kira Snyder from The 100 will be writing the adaptation with Anna Foerster set to direct it. Foerster has done a lot of TV work and has her first theatrical film coming up with Underworld: Blood Wars.

The book series is planned with six volumes with the fifth volume just released this week. Maas is one of a number of writers who gained attention for beginning the work when she was sixteen.

Throne of Glass Concept: In a land without magic, where the king rules with an iron hand, an assassin is summoned to the castle. She comes not to kill the king, but to win her freedom. If she defeats twenty-three killers, thieves, and warriors in a competition, she is released from prison to serve as the king’s champion. Her name is Celaena Sardothien.

The Crown Prince will provoke her. The Captain of the Guard will protect her. But something evil dwells in the castle of glass–and it’s there to kill. When her competitors start dying one by one, Celaena’s fight for freedom becomes a fight for survival, and a desperate quest to root out the evil before it destroys her world.

Turnabout is fair play, after all.

Creative Staff
Story/Art: Itouei
Translation/Adaptation: N/A

What They Say:
Workplace! Pervert!! So do it! ♪

Content: (please note that content portions of a review may contain spoilers):
Originally serialized in Comic Kairakuten from the September 2016 installment, As Long as You’ve Got Love, You’ve Got Butt Too!? is a sixteen page story from creator Itouei, who has five other works on the service. This is my first experience with their work but it’s one that will have me seeking out more, especially if there’s variety to it. While the story itself is very simple and paper thin when you get down to it, the artwork is just great. Itouei has some wonderful layouts here, such as the trio of images as one of the bigger events occurs and we see the character’s facial expressions change along the way, combined with some other good areas of blending just makes it really worth it for that alone, even if the particular fetish here isn’t one that may draw in a lot of folks in a big way.

The premise for this one involves a couple that work in an office together and are keeping that relationship on the quiet side, as one might expect. Kazuki is certainly enjoying a certain kind of dominance over Sumika’s sexuality as she’s discovered that she’s quite sensitive to all things anal and he’s enjoying working her over during the day in ways that push her to her limits. It’s fun enough even if we don’t get enough office material to really set things up and it makes me wish it had gotten two extra pages just to flesh that area out a bit. Sumika’s enjoying it to be sure, though she doesn’t want anyone to hear her, and she promises to exact some revenge on Kazuki when they get home that night. Naturally, he’s continuing his dominant side for most of that period as well, though she’s not complaining all that much.

The story works the fixation pretty front and center and while we do get some minor embarrassment out of Sumika once or twice it’s actually pretty nice that she’s engaged and enjoying it from the start, having it a part of their routine prior to this chapter, and there’s no coercing or surprising her into it. Kazuki’s pretty much a faceless nobody here and that’s problematic because he’s harder to connect with when it comes to her and especially at the end when she’s ready to turn around and give him the same experience. I would have totally been up for exploring that as looking into how couples have a give and take aspect of their sexual relationship is something that can be a lot of fun to dig into. Itouei really does great by this chapter with the artwork and that helps to smooth over the minimal story and character pieces since we really don’t know their work relationship, but it’s clear that they both have a deep and abiding love of Sumika’s butt.

In Summary
This chapter ticks off a lot of tags/fetishes and there’s plenty to like with that, though I think Itouei needed a few more pages to really make it a stronger work by connecting us with the characters and their relationship dynamic. That said, it has fun with its particular fetishes and runs with it in a very positive way with no darkness or cruelty or anything along those lines. It’s a story that I think has more room to explore things with but as a standalone piece it serves up some pretty hot action, if you’re comfortable with the material, and does it with some really great artwork and layouts that makes it pretty compelling just from that front alone. I’ll definitely been keeping an eye out for more of Itouei’s artwork.

Content Grade: B
Art Grade: B+
Text/Translation Grade: B+

Age Rating: 18+
Released By: FAKKU
Release Date: September 4th, 2016
MSRP: FAKKU Subscription

With the live-action film adaptation of the manga series Your Lie in April scheduled for a September 10th, 2016 debut, a lot more footage is now available thanks to a new music video for the theme song for it. THe song is “Last Scene” and comes from Ikimonogakari and was released through the TOHO channel that’s been promoting the feature itself.

Kento Yamazaki and Suzu Hirose will topline the feature as Kosei and Kaori respectively. Anna Ishii is set for Tsubaki Sawabe and Taishi Nakagawa will play Ryota Watari. The film is being directed by Takehiko Shinjo based off of the screenplay by Yukari Tatsui.

Animated by A-1 Pictures and airing for 22 episodes, they adapted the original work began in 2011 in Monthly Shonen Magazine by Naoshi Arakawa and has over eleven volumes going so far. It was well thought of at the 37 Kodansha Manga Awards as well where it won the Best Shonen Manga award. The anime adaptation is being directed by Kyohei Ishiguro based on scripts by Takao Yoshioka while Yukiko Aikei is serving as both character designer and chief animation director.

The series stars Natsuki Hanae as Kōsei Arima, Risa Taneda as Kaori Miyazono, Ayane Sakura as Tsubaki Sawabe, Ryota Ohsaka as Ryōta Watari, Yuuki Kaji as Takeshi Aiza and Saori Hayami as Emi Igawa.

Kodansha Comics is releasing the manga in North America.

Plot concept: Based on the award winning original manga Shigatsu wa Kimi no Uso by Naoshi Arakawa, Your lie in April focuses on a piano prodigy who is unable to hear his music after suffering from the trauma of losing his beloved mother and piano instructor. With both of those things stripped from him, Kousei Arima’s life becomes lackluster and monotonous.

One day, Kousei is introduced to a violinist named Kaori Miyazono. Though he has a terrible first impression of her, Kaori’s music completely enthralls him. Free, powerful and passionate – Kaori’s bold performance breathes life back into Kousei. Brought together by music, can the heartfelt sounds of this girl’s violin lead him to play the piano again?

Are apron’s the ultimate lingerie?

Creative Staff
Story/Art: Akiya Akira
Translation/Adaptation: N/A

What They Say:
Sensei, won’t you let me …?

Content: (please note that content portions of a review may contain spoilers):
Originally serialized in Comic Kairakuten from the September 2016 installment, Find Out is a twenty page story from creator Akiya Akira, who has four other works on the service. This is my first experience with their work and it’s definitely a lot of fun. Akiya’s art style feels a bit older to me, like something from the late 80’s or early 90’s based on the hair and facial design, but there’s also just a whole lot of appeal in his female character essentially looking “normal” for lack of a better word. She’s got some great curves, she’s not teeny and like a stick, and while she may have a lot going on up top it’s not so overdone as to be unbelievable. There’s a “real world-ness” about her that’s very appealing since it’s not entirely the usual traditional character design model. And that’s something welcome to have stand out when so many works feel so similar.

The premise behind this one gets a little more involved thanks to the extra pages as we get to meet kindergarten teacher Ibuki, a busty and attractive young woman who is dedicated to her job. Her boyfriend, Daichi, is the kind of guy that makes things all about him and he even gets into a little trouble watching her at work over the fence because the local cop thinks he’s a pervert. When the two are back at her place later that night, he makes it all about him and nothing else. While she does admit that he’s kind of below average in his mindset in some ways, she does love him and is willing to work through the things with him, if only he’d “get” it a bit more. So when he leaves, fairly dejected since she’s dismissive of him and his attitude, he ends up instead cooking her up a dinner because he felt bad while she was changing. This, in turn, leads to events that Daichi still doesn’t quite get.

Ibuki takes advantage of this to get a little revenge in a sense, at least at first, by getting him to do things for her for a change. The meal preparation was one thing but she gets him to feed her and then stick around to do the dishes. That turns into him bathing her so she doesn’t fall asleep in it and a couple of other bits of fooling around before she just makes it clear to him – cause he doesn’t get it – that she wants more from him. Though Daichi’s a bit of a dip all told throughout this, you can tell that she does care for him and he’s into her. And for good reason as she’s pretty attractive and I love the design work done with her since it feels non-standard and realistic in many ways. The more he does for her the more aroused she gets by it, which he doesn’t get, and when she wears her teacher apron to tease him a little more it becomes really erotic and fun as she starts to “get” it as to why he liked it.

In Summary
I had a whole lot of fun with this chapter and really quite liked Akiya’s artwork with the layouts, which are a bit more than the usual straightforward ones we get, and especially the character designs. Ibuki hits a certain sweet spot that avoids being the glamorous type that we get and instead we see her shine as her sexuality comes out through her confidence and enjoyment of the moments. Daichi is pretty comical to watch as he’s just a step or two, if that, above being a dullard as he really has no clue how to do right by this particular woman. The back and forth is amusing to watch and I loved the weirdness of him nearly getting picked up for watching kids at the school when he was really watching his hot girlfriend. That this chapter is twenty pages helps a whole lot in the pacing but also because it works the idea of sensuality at the start before going into the more hardcore action. Good stuff that I’m wanting to explore more of.

Content Grade: B
Art Grade: B+
Text/Translation Grade: B+

Age Rating: 18+
Released By: FAKKU
Release Date: September 4th, 2016
MSRP: FAKKU Subscription

The rankings for manga and light novels have come in for the week ending September 4th, 2016 and there’s some ogood numbers in there. The week has a lot of new books taking up spots with more than half the top ten being new arrivals. My Hero Academia takes the top with just under 210,000 copies and has Food Wars with its twentieth volume behind at just under 170,000 copies. This week also sees some really good numbers for Ten Count and continued solidity for Nozaki-kun. The attack on Titanbook keeps adding numbers as well with another 70,000 volumes getting into fans hands this week.

On the light novel side, the powerhouse that is Kimi no Na wa continues as it adds another 111,598 volumes to the market, bringing its total to 445,681 units since its release to complement the film. The book and the solid popularity of the film are definitely working very well together as folks want to continue the experience and enrich it with the novel. The book would likely be doing better than it is as well as there are reports of various stock availability issues in the mix.

Rank / This week’s sales by copies / Cumulative sales / Titles

*1. 208,539 *,208,539 Boku no Hero Academia Vol.10
*2. 169,648 *,169,648 Shokugeki no Souma Vol.20
*3. 143,333 *,143,333 World Trigger Vol.16
*4. 125,282 *,125,282 Owari no Seraph Vol.12
*5. 110,852 *,110,852 Ten Count Vol.5
*6. 101,366 *,401,939 Gekkan Shoujo Nozaki-kun Vol.8
*7. *88,086 *,*88,086 Kekkai Sensen: Back 2 Back Vol.2
*8. *69,314 1,382,617 Shingeki no Kyojin Vol.20
*9. *67,393 *,520,942 Nanatsu no Taizai Vol.22
10. *60,284 *,393,431 Terra Formars Vol.18

11. *58,636 *,*58,636 Junjou Romantica Vol.21
12. *54,931 *,534,497 Detective Conan Vol.90
13. *54,762 *,*76,423 Nietzsche-sensei: Conveni ni, Satori Sedai no Shinjin ga Maiorita Vol.6
14. *49,350 *,*96,569 Kanojo wa Uso wo Aishisugiteru Vol.20
15. *40,583 *,*78,927 Gochuumon wa Usagi desu ka? Vol.5
16. *37,310 *,299,912 Diamond no Ace Act II Vol.4
17. *35,541 *,*36,091 Mujaki no Rakuen Vol.10
18. *33,794 *,480,857 Dungeon Meshi Vol.3
19. *31,139 *,*31,139 Juuhan Shuttai! Vol.8
20. *30,245 *,128,586 Vinland Saga Vol.18

21. *30,019 *,*30,019 Shuumatsu no Harem Vol.1
22. *29,428 *,*41,482 Aoharu x Kikanjuu Vol.10
23. *29,060 *,129,572 Akame ga Kill! Vol.14
24. *28,780 *,*28,780 Kuroko no Basket: Replace Plus Vol.4
25. *26,748 *,*91,702 Inuyashiki Vol.7
26. *26,627 *,210,459 Ahiru no Sora Vol.45
27. *26,529 *,*52,434 Joou no Hana Vol.14
28. *26,177 *,194,728 Golden Kamuy Vol.8
29. *25,649 *,*25,649 Fate/stay night: Heaven’s Feel Vol.3
30. *25,531 *,*25,531 Shokugeki no Souma L’etoile Vol.3

31. *25,430 *,*25,430 Asahinagu Vol.20
32. *25,232 *,*36,082 Yumemiru Taiyou Shinsouban Vol.6
33. *21,491 *,*63,971 Sensei Kunshu Vol.10
34. *20,973 *,*20,973 Samon-kun wa Summoner Vol.5
35. *20,135 2,407,279 One Piece Vol.82
36. *19,922 *,*29,785 Omoichigai ga Koi no Tane
37. *19,705 *,372,314 Boruto: Naruto Next Generations Vol.1
38. *19,437 *,*19,437 Hinomaru-Zumou Vol.11
39. *19,360 *,*19,360 Henjo: Hen na Joshikousei Amaguri Chiko Vol.5
40. *19,179 *,127,329 Kamisama Hajimemashita Vol.25

41. *19,145 *,153,574 Akatsuki no Yona Vol.21
42. *19,038 *,*19,038 Kenkou de Bunkateki na Saiteigendo no Seikatsu Vol.4
43. *18,995 *,*18,995 Hakubo no Chronicle Vol.9 Limited Edition
44. *18,110 *,*62,283 Tonari no Seki-kun Vol.9
45. *17,887 *,132,570 Tsubasa: WoRLD CHRoNiCLE – Niraikanai-hen Vol.3
46. *17,511 *,*52,097 Short Cake Cake Vol.3
47. *17,300 *,*64,435 Overlord Vol.5
48. *17,221 *,*36,231 Motokare←Retry Vol.5
49. *16,871 *,*40,144 Te wo Tsunagou yo Vol.1
50. *16,655 *,116,864 Kamisama no Iutoori Ni Vol.18

Rank / This week’s sales by copies / Cumulative sales / Titles

*1. 111,598 445,681 Kimi no Na wa. (Kadokawa Bunko)
*2. *46,858 *58,843 Kagerou Daze Vol.7
*3. *27,608 *98,210 No Game No Life Vol.9
*4. *25,332 *28,498 Tensei shitara Slime Datta Ken Vol.8
*5. *17,953 *38,566 Kimi no Na wa. (Kadokawa Tsubasa Bunko)
*6. *16,189 243,746 Sword Art Online Vol.18
*7. *13,720 *69,415 Kotonoha no Niwa
*8. *13,076 *13,076 Daites-ryou Koubouki Vol.7
*9. *12,354 *12,354 Sekaiichi Hatsukoi: Yokozawa Takafumi no Baai Vol.2
10. *12,029 *57,927 Byousoku 5 Centimeter (Kadokawa Bunko)

11. *10,196 *28,605 Kimi no Na wa. Another Side: Earthbound
12. **9,953 *42,420 Hidan no Aria Vol.23
13. **9,703 *30,531 Okitegami Kyouko no Kakeibo
14. **8,574 **8,574 Seirei Gensouki Vol.5
15. **7,647 **8,080 Shinka no Mi: Shiranai Uchi ni Kachigumi Jinsei Vol.5
16. **6,846 **6,846 7th Vol.3
17. **6,649 **7,014 Cheat Majutsu de Unmei wo Nejifuseru Vol.3
18. **6,541 **6,541 Takumi-kun Series Kanzenban Vol.7
19. **6,323 *54,619 Bannou Kanteishi Q: Munch no Sakebi
20. **6,254 **6,254 Masou Gakuen HxH Vol.9

21. **6,118 *29,816 Madan no Ou to Vanadis Vol.15
22. **5,797 **5,797 LV999 no Murabito Vol.2
23. **5,776 *23,991 Gakusen Toshi Asterisk Vol.11
24. **5,730 *25,905 Hai to Gensou no Grimgar Vol.9
25. **5,278 **5,278 Tsukigami no Mederu Hana: Kyouko ni Utsuru Souei
26. **4,985 **4,985 Soredemo, Suki na Hito.
27. **4,694 **5,711 Seija Musou: Salaryman, Isekai de Ikinokoru Tame ni Ayumu Michi Vol.1
28. **4,163 **4,163 Kuroko no Basket: Winter Cup Souhuuhen – Kage to Hikari
29. **3,721 **3,721 Mahoutsukai no Konyakusha Vol.3
30. **3,494 103,025 Monogatari Series: Off Season Vol.4 “Nademonogatari”
31. **3,345 *23,626 Hachi-nan tte, Sore wa Nai desho! Vol.9

[Source: Oricon Youtaijou via MAL]

Warner Bros. Japan is handling the marketing side for JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure Part 4: Diamond Is Unbreakable and ahead of the September 9th debut of the twenty-fourth episode they’ve now brought out a quick teaser for it to get fans excited. The series is slated to run for thirty-nine episodes.

Please note that Warner marks these videos private not long after the episodes air.

The show is directed by Naokatsu Tsuda, returning from Stardust Crusaders, with Toshiyuki Kato serving as the series director and Yuuta Takamura as the chief episode director. They’ll be working off of series composition by Yasuko Kobayashi and character designs by Terumi Nishii. David Production will be handling the animation duties for the series.

The cast includes Yuuki Ono as Jousuke Higashikata, Yuuki Kaji as Kouichi Hirose, Wataru Takagi as Okuyasu Nijimura, Takahiro Sakurai as Rohan Kishibe and Daisuke Ono as Joutarou Kuujou.

The original manga for this arc comes from Hirohiko Araki and was serialized originally back in 1992 through 1995, running for eighteen volumes across 174 chapters in Shonen Jump Weekly.

Plot concept: The coastal town of Morioh is plagued by the “Bow and Arrow,” an ancient artifact which manifests latent stand abilities in criminals and ordinary folk alike. At the same time as they are dealing with the huge influx of stand users—both good and bad—in Morioh, high schooler Jousuke Higashikata and his friends are searching for the culprit of a series of homicides.

With Hulu working less and less anime there’s certainly an opportunity for new players to get into the market a bit. Tubi TV made a bit of a splash earlier this summer but hasn’t really managed to capitalize on it, though they are still adding new series to the service. They’ve now added four more to the mix that are certainly quite different and come from different distributors.

- Beyblade

Young Tyson Granger and his friend Kenny enter the Japanese Regional Qualifying Beyblade Tournament. There, Tyson meets new players and organizes a team called the Bladebreakers in order to win the Beyblade World Championship.

- Kimba, the White Lion

The series follows the adventures of Leo (renamed Kimba in the English release), a young lion cub. Leo becomes king of the jungle when his father, the previous king, is killed by a human hunter.

- Moribito: Guardians of the Spirit

She carries the pain of eight souls. He carries the burden of one sacred spirit. At a time when the balance of nature still held the civilizations of mankind in thrall, a single drought could spell the end of a society and doom its inhabitants to piteous deaths. Prince Chagum has been imbued with the power to stave off the drought and bring new life to his empire. However, this is a suspicious time, and he is accused of possession by an evil spirit. Court advisors only see one solution. Chagum must be put to death by his own father’s hand. His salvation is in the form of Balsa, a spear woman and mercenary from Kanbal, the kingdom across the mountains. Her skills are legendary, and although reluctant, she is held by a mysterious vow to save eight souls before she dies. Can she fend off an entire empire and make Chagum her eighth soul?

- REBORN!

Tsuna, a timid junior high student, is a failure at school, sports, and social life. But everything around Tsuna has been completely changed when a baby called Reborn, who claims to be an Italian hit man from Vongola family shows up! Reborn was sent to groom Tsuna for his future life as a mafia boss of the family!

The summer 2016 anime series Alderamin on the Sky is moving right along and Warner Bros. Japan is handling the web promotion for the series. Ahead of the September 9th, 2016 debut of the tenth episode they’ve now brought out a quick teaser for it to get fans excited. The show is being simulcast by Crunchyroll with it open to members worldwide outside of Asia.

The series is being animated by Madhouse with Tetsuo Ichimura on board to direct it based on the series composition from Shogo Yasukawa. Kunio Katsuki is handling the character designs.

The cast includes Nobuhiko Okamoto as Sorouka Ikuta, Risa Taneda as Igsem Yatorishino, Inori Minase as Shamiyu Kitora Katovanmaninik, Ryousuke Kanemoto as Remion Torway, Junji Majima as Matthew Tetojirichi and Haruka Chisuga as Becker Harouma.

The opening theme will be performed by Kishida Kyoudan & the Akeboshi Rockets. The ending theme song, “nameless,” will be performed by Kano.

The light novels come from Bokuto Uno and it’s been running since 2012 and has its eighth volume coming out earlier this fall in Japan. A manga adaptation began in the summer of 2014 with Taiki Kawakami doing the illustrations/adaptation for it.

Plot concept: At war with the adjacent Kioka Republic, the Katjvarna Empire. In that region, due to certain circumstances, there was a certain youth unwillingly preparing to take the High Grade Military Officer Exam. His name, Ikuta. Disliker of war, lazy, admirer of women. No one predicted that that kind of Ikuta would later on become a soldier referred to even as a great commander… He who survived a world embroiled in war with his superior genius, Ikuta.

Sentai Filmworks has a bit to go before the DVD and Blu-ray editions of Non Non Biyori hits but they’ve now brought out the finalized packaging design for them. The second season of the series is scheduled for a November 8th, 2016 release from the distributor priced at $49.98 and $59.98 for the DVD and Blu-ray editions respectively.

Extras for the release include Dagashi; Commentaries; Cast Panel Video; Japanese Promos; Clean Opening Animation and the Clean Closing Animation.

The series was directed by Shinya Kawamo based on the overall composition by Reiko Yoshida who also wrote the scripts alongside Fumihiko Shimo and Yuka Yamada. Mai Otsuka returned as the character design and the project was animated at Silver Link.

Non Non Biyori Repeat is based on the manga by Atto that began in 2009 under Media Factory, which has nine volumes so far. Seven Seas Entertainment has the North American license for the manga while Sentai Filmworks previously licensed and released the first series.

Plot concept: Even though there are still only five students who attend the remote Asahigaoka Branch School, each one of the girls already has a lifetime of wonderful experiences in the carefree Japanese countryside. Some memories may belong to just one person, like Hotaru’s recollections of her first day in Asahigaoka before she’d had a chance to meet her new friends. Other memories bring an otherwise sleepy town to life for Komari, Natsumi, Renge, or even Suguru. From daily life in school, to unforgettable holiday festivities, or even simple adventures like learning how to make okonomiyaki, new adventures are just waiting to be shared as we return to Asahigaoka in NON NON BIYORI REPEAT!

Non Non Biyori Repeat

Non Non Biyori Repeat

Non Non Biyori Repeat

Non Non Biyori Repeat

Non Non Biyori Repeat

Japanese Covers:

The Aikatsu Stars! series is underway in Japan and now TV Tokyo is getting things moving with promotion for the next episode. Ahead of the September 9th, 2016 debut, they’ve now let loose with a quick hit promo for the twenty-third episode that showcases the main cast and supporting characters well. We also get some promotion with the text overlay for the upcoming theatrical film, which isn’t a surprise.

Please note that TV Tokyo marks these previews are private after the episode airs.

The series is directed by Teruo Satou based on the series composition by Yuuko Kakihara. Yukiko Aikyou serves as the character designer and it’s produced by Bandai Namco Pictures. The main cast includes Miyu Tomita, Ayaka Asai and Minami Tsuda.

The original series has been ongoing since 2012 with almost 150 episodes so far while the first theatrical feature landed from Sunrise back in December 2014.

Plot concept: The TV series deals with Yume Nijino, who enters Yotsuboshi Academy and aims to become a top idol. In the movie, the students of the academy will travel to an island in the south in search of a legendary dress.