Next year will mark the 20th anniversary of the very first manga to ever get me into the world of Japanese animation. To celebrate I dusted off the Magic Knight DVDs and traveled back to the land of Cephiro with Umi, Fuu, and Hikaru. Magic Knight Rayearth was one the very first magical girl series, and has defiantly stuck with me throughout the years as one of my all-time favorites.
Lock up your jewels, stacks of money, and women. Japan's most famous thief might just be coming back in full force!
Any anime that allows itself to be dubbed Bodacious Space Pirates in English would easily be scrutinized; after all, no one has used the word "bodacious" since Bill & Ted went on their last rockin' adventure in the 90s. The title will be forgiven, though, as this new anime series based on Yuuichi Sasamoto's light novel series has plenty to like.
If there's one thing anime tends to never run out of, it's cat girls. From Moonphase and Soul Eater to Outlaw Star and even the old Sonic The Hedgehog movie there is always at least one cat girl character to bring about the fan service. In 2010 an anime series premiered by the name of Asobi ni Ikuyo: Bombshells from the Sky, which will be released by FUNimation this year under the title Cat Planet Cuties. Does it bring anything new to the "nekomimi" world, or is it just another shameful attempt to cash in on another harem boobfest?
When it comes to influential mangaka, Go Nagai ranks near the top with the likes of Monkey Punch and Osamu Tezuka. Many of his series that include Devilman, Cutie Honey, Getter Robot, and Violence Jack have been dubbed classics by the Japanese comic industry. His most popular of his works -- at least in Japan -- is a horror comedy called Dororon Enma-Kun, which found itself being remade into a brand-new anime series called Dororon Enma-kun MeeraMera. The real question, however, is whether or not this ecchi comedy is still relevant in the anime world.
When she isn't voicing a diabetic frog or an apple-loving wolf deity, Brina Palencia works with her friend Haley Esposito on their newest production company Heal By Rain. Recently the company announced its first project: a web series called The Troubadoors, which follows seven students that form their own door-to-door chorus after being rejected by their college's top choir. Via the magic of the interwebs I had the chance to ask Palencia about The Troubadoors, as well as the origins of Heal By Rain.
Last fall Squid Girl premiered to the world (at least the parts who had Crunchyroll), bringing in many laughs and cutesy scenarios featuring an underwater invader who's out to conquer the world that polluted her own. It was a no-brainer bringing it back for a second season, its formula fortunately unchanged.
Music, anime, movies, games and sports! It's a big-assed smorgasbord on this new episode of the B3 show!