Aniplex of America Announces Your lie in April English Cast

Fans rejoiced as Aniplex of America announced today at their industry panel at OTAKON Vegas their plans to release the touching drama series Your lie in April (Japanese title: Shigatsu wa Kimi no Uso) on Blu-ray starting this March. The 22 episode anime series adaptation of the award-winning manga originally serialized by Kodansha will be released in 2 Blu-ray sets. Volume 1 is scheduled to be available on March 29th and Volume 2 on May 31st of this year. Pre-orders for both SKUs will begin next Monday (January 18th) on the official Your lie in April U.S. website (www.YourlieinApril.com).

Aniplex of America has also unveiled the English dub trailer confirming their cast members for the English version of the show. Under the direction of Patrick Seitz, the four main protagonists will be played by Max Mittelman (ALDNOAH.ZERO, Sword Art Online II) as Kousei Arima, Erica Lindbeck (ALDNOAH.ZERO, Sword Art Online II) as Kaori Miyazono, Erica Mendez (KILL la KILL, MAGI, Sword Art Online II) as Tsubaki Sawabe, and Kyle McCarley (DURARARA!!×2, Fate/stay night Unlimited Blade Works]) as Ryota Watari.)

Your lie in April is the anime adaptation of the manga series by Naoshi Arakawa originally serialized in Kodansha’s Monthly Shonen Magazine that won the 37th Kodansha Manga Award. Since its simulcast began in October of 2014, the anime series has taken the fan community by storm. Fans were captivated by the touching story of Kousei Arima and his struggle to overcome his trauma that stopped him from playing the piano after his mother’s passing. The story focuses on the youthful drama and romance surrounding Kousei, the eccentric violinist Kaori Miyazono and their close friends.

Aniplex of America’s announcement of the English dub project being greenlit was received extremely well by fans in the summer of 2015 and their Open Audition project with Bang Zoom! Entertainment was a great success at Anime Expo® 2015. Sawako Furuya, the producer of the English version of Your lie in April is looking forward to the long-awaited release. “We know that so many fans have been very supportive of this show and anxiously waiting for the English dub,” said Furuya, “We had an amazing team of actors and staff pouring their heart and soul into this project so I am very excited to finally be able to show them this masterpiece.” The English trailer is also available on the official website.

What Does "Dead No More" Mean From Marvel?

Hey O&G fans, Yesterday Marvel put up a criptic message " Dead No More". Could this be a clue that some of Marvels pre Secret Wars 2015 characters may be back? Several notable Marvel characters are currently dead in the company's mainstream universe, ranging from Namor to Uncle Ben, but arguably the most notable would be Wolverine. while the alternate universe Old Man Logan still exist, will we see the return of Logan? (Side Note) Will We see the return of the Richards Family?

What do you think this means?
 

Gameplay Video for Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 4

Bandai Namco Entertainment has released a new video of Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 4. The video shows off the gameplay mechanics which stays true to previous entries. This game also will feature the biggest roster of characters to date. The game is due out in February.

Funimation Entertainment Debuts New Anime Streaming Service, FunimationNow!

Funimation has partnered with Sony DADC New Media Solutions (Sony) to leverage their Ven.ue platform bringing both scale and unique capabilities on the digital front to launch its new ad-free streaming anime serviceFunimationNow – the first in a series of moves to take this growing genre of entertainment, and Funimation, to the next level.

Regardless of device or platform, FunimationNow subscribers will enjoy ad-free, HD streaming of Funimation’s expansive library of over 400 simulcast and catalog his number :)rary of over 400 action-packed titles.station 4 will be made available for streaming Funimation Entertainment'S ansimstitles, both subbed and dubbed, including acclaimed shows such as “Dragon Ball Z,” “Attack on Titan,” “Fairy Tail,” “One Piece,” “Tokyo Ghoul”, “Space Dandy” and many more.

FunimationNow begins its rollout in early February, when fans can look forward to completely redesigned iOS, Android, and Kindle apps, as well as brand new Apple TV and Amazon Fire TV apps.  The apps boast Airplay and Cast features, allowing you to watch on your TV from any mobile device.  Also coming in February is a brand new Windows 10 Universal app. In May, fans can also look forward to a fully re-imagined Funimation website and all new integrated experiences on Funimation gaming console apps.

Sentai Filmworks Licenses "Girls Beyond the Wasteland"

Sentai Filmworks announced its latest acquisition, Girls Beyond the Wasteland, as part of the winter 2016 anime season lineup. Based on the upcoming visual novel adapted by Romeo Tanaka and with character designs by Matsuryu, this anime will follow the exploits of lackadaisical high-school student Buntaro Hojo as he ventures into the realm of dating game development.

The series will be directed by Takuya Sato (Steins;Gate), with series composition by Yuniko Ayana. Character designs for the animation will be provided by Takayuki Noguchi, and production will be handled by Project No.9.

Girls Beyond the Wasteland is scheduled for a January 2016 broadcast in Japan. It will soon be available through select digital outlets, with a home video release to follow.

X-Men retro Animated Short

Image Credit: Joel Furtado                                          
 

Canadian animator Joel Furtado has created an animated short that combines the '90's X-Men aesthetic with the style of a retro video game. The short, which is just the latest example of nostalgia for the '90's X-Men cartoon, can be seen here.
 

X-men: Danger Room Protocols - "Intro" Disclaimer X-men: Danger Room Protocols and the following presentation is in no way affiliated with Marvel or Fox Studios. Characters remain the property and copyright of their respective owners.This is a fan series intended for private use only and not a commercial product.

The short is an introduction to Furtado's planned fan series X-Men: The Danger Room Protocols which will pit various X-Men against some of the team's biggest vilains in scenarios created by Professor X's notorious training simulator the Danger Room. The planned 18-episode series will debut on YouTube on January 19.

source: Newsarama
 

Invincible Ironman #6 gives you clues to Civil War 2 (Preview)

image credit: Marvel
 

Hey O&G fans Invincible Iron Man #6 is out today. This issue is big because readers will get clues on might be the cause of Civil War 2. here is a press release from Marvel and a look at the Variant Covers and pages:

Strap in, suit up and hold on, because the second arc of the flagship Marvel title starts here! Today, Marvel is please to present your first look inside INVINCIBLE IRON MAN #6 – the explosive first chapter of “The War Machines”! Blockbuster creators Brian Michael Bendis and Mike Deodato unite to bring you the next chapter in Tony Stark’s life. All is not right within the house of Stark as he uncovers threats from within and threats from without. Now, he must delve into the nooks and crannies of his international organization to discover the truth. And he’s bringing a friend: James “Rhodey” Rhodes – the War Machine! Plus, the first big clues to 2016’s CIVIL WAR II begin here! Don’t miss the kickoff to the exciting new storyline and a perfect jumping on point this February in INVINCIBLE IRON MAN #6!

Daisy Ridley voices Studio Ghibli's ONLY YESTERDAY

Check out the new trailer for Studio Ghibli's Only Yesterday starring Star Wars Daisy Ridley.  Long considered an unseen masterpiece by critics and fans alike, the film has never before been released in North America. The film will open in New York at IFC Center on January 1 and expand to additional cities February 26.

It’s 1982, and Taeko (Daisy Ridley) is 27 years old, unmarried, and has lived her whole life in Tokyo. She decides to visit her family in the countryside, and as the train travels through the night, memories flood back of her younger years: the first immature stirrings of romance, the onset of puberty, and the frustrations of math and boys. At the station she is met by young farmer Toshio (Dev Patel), and the encounters with him begin to reconnect her to forgotten longings. In lyrical switches between the present and the past, Taeko contemplates the arc of her life, and wonders if she has been true to the dreams of her childhood self.

Written and directed by Studio Ghibli co-founder and Academy Award® nominee Isao Takahata (The Tale of The Princess Kaguya), Only Yesterday is a masterpiece of time and tone, rich with humor and stirring emotion, from one of the world’s most revered animation studios. Critically acclaimed but never before released in North America, the film is receiving a national theatrical release in a new, Studio Ghibli-produced, English-language version in celebration of its 25th anniversary.

Trailer

Interview With Daisy 

GWENPOOL gets it's own series in April

Hey O&G fans, with the popularity of her different Variant covers like SPIDERGWEN, GWENPOOL is getting her own ongoing series in April 2016.  According to Entertainment Weekly. Writer Christopher Hastings and art team Gurihiru will launch The Unbelievable Gwenpool, based on themash-up character created by Chris Bachalo as a one-off for a variant cover in early 2016. She made her in-story debut recently in Howard the Duck, which was quickly followed up by Gwenpool Holiday Special, but this new ongoing series will delve into her origins.

Gwenpool was recently revealed in the Gwenpool Holiday Special to be unrelated to Gwen Stacy completely, as a new character named Gwen Poole. Hastings said the decision to give Gwenpool an ongoing came from Marvel noticing the inordinate amount of interest in the character from the cosplay community after she appeared in a one-off variant cover.
 

R2-D2 & C-3P0 Light-Up Statues Debut From Beast Kingdom & Bluefin

Bluefin expands its line of Star Wars products with the release this month of the Egg Attack Star Wars series EA-015 R2-D2 statue and EA-016 C-3PO statue from Beast Kingdom. 

The statues are the latest to join Beast Kingdom’s line of officially licensed, collectible Egg Attack Star Wars figures that are available now from authorized Bluefin retailers nationwide and also from a variety of leading online outlets. The Egg Attack statues present extremely high quality, super-deformed renditions of several legendary characters from the Star Wars film franchise and can accent an ardent fan’s existing display or become the unique centerpieces of any collection.

Depicted as the legendary droids appeared in the original Star Wars Episodes IV, V and VI film trilogy, the stunning renditions of R2-D2 and C-3PO are officially licensed by Lucasfilm and are constructed with compound materials. Their screen accurate paintjobs fully realize R2-D2’s classic blue and white plating and C-3PO’s gold armor, silver right leg, and his weathered appearance from the time spent stranded on the desert planet of Tatooine.

EA-015 Star Wars R2-D2 Statue

Height: Approx. 5 inches; MSRP: $149.99

This collectible statue is constructed with compound material and painted to reflect R2-D2’s classical blue and white plating. The lighting function of the droid 100% matches the original movie setting. It also has built-in R2-D2 sound effects officially licensed by Lucasfilm. To complete the display, a classic-looking Carbon-Freezing Chamber light-up figure stand is also included.

EA-016 Star Wars C-3PO statue

Height: Approx. 6 inches; MSRP: $164.99

This collectible statue is constructed with compound material and expertly painted to depict C-3PO’s gold armor, silver right leg, and the weathering effects from time spent stranded on the desert planet of Tatooine. It has built-in classic lines officially licensed by Lucasfilm, and also comes with a classic Carbon-Freezing Chamber light-up figure stand for collectors to customize their display.                                        

If poseable action figures are more a fans’ preference, collectors also have the opportunity to purchase Star Wars figures from Beast Kingdom’s Egg Attack Action line. Fans will not want to miss out on other Beast Kingdom Star Wars products available from Bluefin including the EAA-002 Star Wars Darth Vader figure (depicted from Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back) and the EAA-005 Star Wars Stormtrooper figure (depicted from Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back).

For more information on Bluefin’s line of Egg Attack statues by Beast Kingdom, please visit:

http://www.bluefincorp.com/catalog/beast-kingdom/egg-attack.html

First-look trailer for Glitter Force, Saban’s new Netflix original series for kids!

The new series follows five preteen girls who learn that they are a legendary superhero squad known as the Glitter Force. As a part of the Glitter Force, these fabulous friends transform from ordinary school girls into super powered cool girls to defend Earth from evil fairytale villains. It isn’t an easy job, but the Glitter Force proves that nothing is more powerful than friendship!  The series is an adaptation of the anime show Precure.