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  To heat Tokyo up in the chilly winter, PROMARE is bringing the warmth by having a special screening of the film with a live performance from the composer, Hiroyuki Sawano , during the film. This will be PROMARE’s first solo event.     Dubbed PROMARE: Live Inferno , the event will be held in the aptly named, Sun Plaza Hall in Tokyo’s Nakano district on January 18 . After the show, a special stage featuring director Hiroyuki Imaishi , Sawano , screenwriter Kazuki Nakashima , and voice actors Tetsu Inada , Mayumi Shintani , and Katsuyuki Konishi , who voice Varys Truss, Lucia Fex, and Meis respectively.     Advanced tickets for the event are currently being able to be applied for through a lottery via LivePocket until December 2 , with the winners of the lottery being announced on December 6 . General sales start on December 14 . Regular tickets are on sale for 6,900 yen (US$63) , with premium tickets which include the above items – the Promare LIVE ...

  Fans of Laid-Back Camp  who want to experience the great outdoors for themselves have a neverending supply of camping gear themed to their favorite series. The latest addition to the line is a trio of rugged bags, created by Outdoor Products and sold via Premium Bandai.   Each of the black bags comes with bright accents and trim: pink for Nadeshiko, blue for Rin:     All bags feature a "YURUCAMP" triangular patch, as well as striped/triangular pattern linings and a pink or blue tag.     Choose from a full-sized rucksack, a convenient shoulder bag, or a small accessory bag. Or get all three and be fully prepared and accessorized! The set is available for pre-order now.     Rucksacks are 9,680 yen (about $88.39), shoulder bags are 3,520 yen (about $32.14), and accessory bags are 2,420 yen (about $22.10). All prices include tax. Pre-orders close December 15, and orders will ship out in March.   >> Laid-Back Cam...

  A life-sized Cells at Work!  figure might not do us any good, but a teeny-tiny one seems just perfect for the show's healing heroines. This tiny Platelet is extra-special, thanks to its unique design.   Hailing from B'full, this 3D crystal figure stands 30mm tall. The image of the Platelet is rendered inside an acrylic block in high detail, making her a unique addition to your figure collection.     The tiny figure costs 980 yen, and is currently available for pre-order form B'full. Orders will close on December 24, and are expected to ship out in April 2020.   >> Cells at Work!  Platelet 3D Crystal Figure Order Page Source: Anime! Anime!     -----   Kara Dennison is the co-founder of Altrix Books  and co-creator of OEL light novel series Owl's Flower , with writing credits across the Internet. She blogs at karadennison.com  and tweets @RubyCosmos . Her latest book, Vanishing Tales of the City ,...

  Yesterday, we reported that the Bandai Spirits YouTube channel is running both the original Mashin Hero Wataru  and Dairugger XV  (the source of "Vehicle Voltron"). It turns out you'll also be able to get the new series starting this spring!   Mashin Hero Wataru  originally launched in 1988, telling the story of a boy transported to a fantasy world laid out like a multi-level platformer. He saved the world of Soukaizan with the help of his new friends and his robot, Ryujinmaru. The new series, subtitled Ryujinmaru of the Seven Souls ,  will see his faithful mecha separated into seven new 'bots as he battles a new evil to save Soukaizan.   The series's tie-in game was released in the West as Keith Courage in Alpha Zones .     The original Mashin Hero Wataru  has multi-lingual subtitles available as part of its YouTube release. There is no word yet whether Ryujinmaru of the Seven Souls will receive the same treatment—and if so...

  It's been a long road for 22/7, the mixed media idol project looking to create performers for the digital era. The anime iteration of the project is just around the corner, and a new key visual shows the eight leads in a dreamy sakura-scape.   The new visual was unveiled in the idol group's recent live show on AbemaTV, just one of many live and televised projects the rising stars are taking part in. The shy Miu Takigawa (CV Nagomi Saijou) is once again center stage:     22/7 begins January 11 on TOKYO MX, Gunma TV, and others. A live screening of the first two episodes, along with live appearances from the cast, will take place January 4 at Shinjuku Baltic 9 in Tokyo. In the meantime, the cast are all over Twitter and YouTube, both in character and out of character.   >> 22/7 Website   Source: Comic Natalie     -----   Kara Dennison is the co-founder of Altrix Books   and co-creator of OEL light novel ser...

  If you're as big a fan of paying Tom Nook a never-ending stream of Bells as we are, you'll be delighted to know an Animal Crossing manga is on the way to the shelves in Japan. The new series—which comes from author Minori Katō—is called Atsumare Dōbutsu no Mori: Nonbiri Shima Dayori ( Gather Animal's Forest: Carefree Island News ).   Katō's Animal Crossing manga was announced in the January 2020 issue of Shogakukan's Ciao magazine and its website, and is set to make its debut in the February 2020 issue on December 28 . The story follows protagonist Hana, who faces her own unique Animal Crossing struggles on a lonely island.     Next up for the game series is Animal Crossing: New Horizons , which hits Nintendo Switch on March 20.     Source: Ciao via Anime News Network       ------- Joseph Luster is the Games and Web editor at Otaku USA Magazine . You can read his webcomic, BIG DUMB FIGHTING IDIOTS at subhumanzoids . ...

  Earlier this month we learned that Death end re;Quest 2 is set to launch on PS4 in Japan on February 13, 2020. Now we finally have some more footage, and this video offers a peek at the opening movie for Compile Heart's sequel. Check it out to the tune of Gesshoku Kaigi's "Bug Fixer" theme song below.       As previously reported, the sequel will feature a scenario written by Makoto Kedouin and a new heroine illustrated by Kei Nanameda. The story aims to be one that even those who didn't play the first game can enjoy.   Death end re;Quest 2  will be available in a ¥7,600 (about $70) standard edition and a ¥10,200 ($94) limited edition. The LE packs the game in an original box with three posters, a fan book, and a mini soundtrack and art CD.       ------- Joseph Luster is the Games and Web editor at Otaku USA Magazine . You can read his webcomic, BIG DUMB FIGHTING IDIOTS at subhumanzoids . Follow him on Twitter @Mold...

  XSEED Games is bringing Arc System Works' Granblue Fantasy Versus fighter to PS4 in the west in Q1 2020, so Sony got in on the latest piece of promotion. Check out the Spirit Maiden Ferry in action in the new character trailer below.     Prior to its launch in North America and Europe, Granblue Fantasy Versus arrives in Japan on February 6, 2020.       ------- Joseph Luster is the Games and Web editor at Otaku USA Magazine . You can read his webcomic, BIG DUMB FIGHTING IDIOTS at subhumanzoids . Follow him on Twitter @Moldilox .   Source: Latest in Anime News by Crunchyroll!

  Additional details have been revealed for "Godzilla vs. Symphogear", a unique, limited time collaboration event for the  Symphogear XD UNLIMITED  "symphonic battle" smart phone game by Bushiroad and Pokelabo, and some of the big prizes involve the girls of  Symphogear  dressing up in kaiju-themed battle Gear.     The event features in-game quests, log-in rewards, and unique cards featuring Kanade Amo, Hibiki Tachibana, Maria Cadenzavna Eve, Shirabe Tsukuyomi, Kiraka Akatsuki and more powering up with Gear inspired by such giant monsters as Godzilla, King Ghidorah, Kiryu (Mechagodzilla), Mothra, and Gigan. Some of the new cards are earned by completing missions and exchanging in-game materials, while others can acquired through gacha-style drawings.             The "Godzilla vs. Symphogear" collaboration for the Symphogear XD UNLIMITED smart phone game runs from November 30 - December 13, 2019...

  Are you ready to be a magical girl again? Because the date for the spin-off of Puella Magi Madoka Magica TV anime series, Magia Record: Puella Magi Madoka Magica Side Story , was announced alongside a PV today at the Kitakyusyu Pop Culture Festival event. As previously reported today, ClariS is performing the ED theme, “Alicia”, which is previewed the PV tweeted out by Aniplex.   Click here to watch the PV   Magia Record: Puella Magi Madoka Magica Side Story is an anime adaptation of the mobile game of the same name, which released in the US in June 2019. It’s a sequel/side story to the original Puella Magi Madoka Magica anime series and films.   The synopsis from the game is as follows:   “The new heroine of Magia Record is Iroha, a magical girl on the hunt for her missing sister Ui in Kamihama. Also in Kamihama is Madoka, who's searching for the similarly-missing Homura.”   Previously released key visual:   As previously a...

Yoshitsune's Way Source: MangaStream Releases

Anison duo ClariS announced today that their next 21st single "Alicia" is set to be released from SACRA MUSIC on March 4, 2020, and that it will be featured as the ED theme for the forthcoming TV anime adaptation of the smartphone game Magia Record: Puella Magi Madoka Magica Side Story . The song was introduced in the anime's new PV screened at the "Kitakyusyu Pop Culture Festival" event today.   As a spin-off to the Puella Magi Madoka Magica anime franchise, the game was released by Aniplex for Android and iOS in Japan in August 2017, then in North America in June 2019. ClariS has provided the theme songs for the Madoka anime franchise since the early days of thier career, including the TV 2011 anime's OP song "Connect," and their digital single song "Signal" released in August 2019 was used as the image song for the game's second arc.   The TV anime Magia Record: Puella Magi Madoka Magica Side Story  produced by Shaft is...

In a recent interview with Mantan Web to promote the currently-screening first part of the Gundam Reconguista in G compilation film project, its 78-year-old director Yoshiyuki Tomino confirmed that he had already started thinking about his next film.   The five-part compilation film is based on Sunrise's 26-episode Gundam TV series aired in Japan from October 2014 to March 2015. The 96-minute first part titled "Ike! Core Fighter"  ( Go! Core Fighter ) was released in 24 theaters in Japan on November 29 for a limited run of two weeks.   He said, however, "I have a problem whether I can actually direct the film. It is just a hope if I couldn't get approval from the production side. So I can't say there is a plan at this stage."   Meanwhile, he also revealed that he had already written a feature film-length screenplay. "It is a film with more than three hours in length, so I hope I can cut down to one hour and 40-50 minutes? It is extremely se...

The official website for five-member anison unit JAM Project  has posted a five-minute full-length music video for "The Age of Dragon Knights," the lead track from their sixth original album of the same name, which will be released as their 20th anniversary album on January 1, 2020.   The internationally popular unit was formed on July 17, 2000, and have released 70 singles, five original albums, and 13 best albums. Their upcoming new album includes new songs written/composed by the members themselves and various artists who have respected them, such as ALI PROJECT, angela, FLOW, GRANRODEO, Shiho Terada, Aki Hata, Makoto Miyazaki, R・O・N, and Yuki Kajiura.   JAM Project current members: Hironobu Kageyama (58)  Masaaki Endoh (51)  Hiroshi Kitadani (50)  Masami Okui (51)  Yoshiki Fukuyama (55)       "The Age of Dragon Knights" MV:   CD jacket:   Song list:   1. "-overture - to the next era" (compo...