The otaku artists at color's "ita nail salon" ("ita" as in itasha, the "painmobiles" you see decorated with anime decals) regularly share a look at their work on Twitter. Today, @colors_sumina really went all out with their design, laying on the 3D elements and sparkles, for a full set of Kill La Kill nails.
Some other recent works includes
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Scott Green is editor and reporter for anime and manga at geek entertainment site Ain't It Cool News. Follow him on Twitter at @aicnanime.
AlainmendezHI! I'm Aigis. I mostly appear 3/4 of the way through Persona 3 but you would never know that for how much I appear in anything else.
Advanced tickets for Persona 3 The Movie #2: Midsummer Knight's Dream go on sale in Japan on Saturday the 19th, and along with them, a special B2 poster is being offered. Hyping this, a new visual has been posted along with the latest preview.
Aniplex of America announced plans to release Shin Megami Tensei: Persona3 THE MOVIE #1 Spring of Birth for sale in over 50 countries starting May 20th.
Spring of Birth premiered in Japanese theaters last November and is the first film in the Persona3trilogy based on the popular RPG game series by ATLUS. Aniplex of America plans to release both the Collector’s and Standard Editions of the Import Blu-ray.
via MOCA and Maxim Firsov
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Scott Green is editor and reporter for anime and manga at geek entertainment site Ain't It Cool News. Follow him on Twitter at @aicnanime.
I think it's kind of unfair to treat visual novels the same way video games get treated--games are by and large about rules and competition (even in single-player games, where you're trying to beat the system), while visual novels are more about experiencing a story and getting taken for a ride. Sure, there are a few small choices, but it's not quite like Telltale's games where your choices can have immediate and game-changing consequences--the VN's creators usually have a story they want to tell you. It's closer to watching a movie or series that gives you a little bit of input along the way.
That said, Steins;Gate--as a visual novel--is a pretty fresh experience for someone who'd only watched the anime, like me. There's more detail and care given to characterization, to Hououin Okabe's thoughts on characters and situations, and to the sheer horror of when things go wrong. Despite my complete disinterest in using John Titor's "prophecies" as a plot device, there's a reason Steins;Gate is so popular--it's actually a pretty damn good sci-fi story when it wants to be.
Of course, this doesn't mean Steins;Gate is perfect. The game knows its audience, with a delusional, condescending dickhead of a main character (can't tell you how many guys like this I've run into at cons) and a story that doesn't hesitate to get creepy and pandering every now and then. Thankfully, Okabe grows and matures (sort of) and the real focus is on telling you a tale of time travellers and store-brand Dr. Pepper. Even with the standard anime hijinx, there's a palpable feeling of dread looming over the whole thing, making it worth it to sit through Okabe's contant monologuing.
Steins;Gate presents a fresh way to experience this story, but don't expect a full "game" experience. Watch some a lot of cutscenes, enjoy the voice acting and music, and take in the stunning artwork by huke while responding to a text every now and then. It's not a one-track ride, either, with multiple endings and some pretty surprising twists, so it actually has replay (rewatch?) value. But don't just take my word for it!
REVIEW ROUNDUP
+ Stunning art and great soundtrack
+ Lengthy, and a surprising amount of replay value
+/- Good story with sometimes irritating writing
- Okabe is by and far one of the most genuinely unlikeable protagonists I've had the displeasure of following/playing as
Hey, everyone--Bjaker here, back for another game review. This time, we're taking a look at the recently-released VN of Steins;Gate. I'm probably going to lose a little credibility here--I haven't seen Steins;Gate. I didn't even know the premise before tackling the game! However, I think this is actually good for review purposes.
I'm a pretty big sci-fi fan, so when given the gist of the game I was super excited. Rolling in on modern-day Tokyo, we're hanging out with an attractive girl, a super-secret organization is after us... cool, rad things all around! And then I really start listening to what the main character is saying.
Holy... can we please get a silent protagonist? Actually, it seems like all of the characters are pretty average tropes for the genre. However, the art is amazing, the music is really good, and if I can manage to half-ignore the dialogue, things are okay.
WE F**KING GET IT, YOU'RE AS REPETITIVE AS A TAYLOR SWIFT SONG
I really don't want to say much more because I do feel like the story is worth experiencing, however, it's often handled in a pretty sophomoric voice. Yes... I do understand that "He's a guy." Ultimately, whether it's your first exposure to the universe of Steins;Gate or even a visual novel, I'd say this one is pretty worthwhile!
REVIEW ROUNDUP
+ References to real-life weird people like John Titor
+ The art is really, really pretty
+ Soundtrack is also really great!
+ He's a guy.
+/- The ability to deviate the story is minimal.
- Really made me miss having a protagonist like Link
- Actual gameplay comes down to a Choose-Your-Own-Adventure... could have been a little more creative here
AlainmendezFeel so moon!
Following the teaser visual posted in the early February, Chuya Koyama, the original manga creator of Space Brothers, draws the official key visual for the upcoming anime film adaptation of his manga, titled Space Brothers #0 (number 0). It features the faces of the two protagonist brothers, Mutta Nanba and his younger brother Hibito with a tear-stained cheek. The two taglines say, "The dream fell on that day." and "Launch the courage one more time." It is also confirmed that Brian Jay, NASA's astronaut who was already dead in the story lines of the manga and TV anime, will appear in the film.
The advance ticket for the film will go on sale in Japanese theaters on April 19. A rubber strap of the pug dog Apo will be given to a limited number of the first purchasers. A pair advance ticket with a different item will be also available in June. The anime film with the original script by the manga author himself is scheduled to be released on August 9.
Key visual
Teaser visual
Teaser trailer
via: Comic Natalie
© Space Brothers CES2014
AlainmendezIt is Disney and Firefly in one picture. Somewhere the Internet is very very angry that this exists.
Oh so angry.
...because it's so great and it'll never, ever happen. I don't know whether to praise artist Stephen Byrne for giving us this magnificent look at what might have been, or to curse his name to the heavens for taunting us with a joy we'll never know. But I may just go have a beer.
A second combo trailer for JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: All-Star Battle is available for viewing, and this one focuses on Jean Pierre Eiffel. You can watch the trailer below.
JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: All-Star Battle will be available on April 29th in North America and April 25th in Europe.
Read Jean Pierre Shows Off His Moves In JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: All-Star Battle on Siliconera!
Ever wonder what professional sports would be like in the world of Pokémon? No? That's weird, it seems like something that should be on everyone's mind. Either way, artist Michah Coles has us covered with a batch of redesigns that put a Pokémon spin on NBA logos.
There are some interesting choices, and Coles hits up both the old New Jersey Nets and the team's current Brooklyn look. Dig into the full selection below.
Via Kotaku
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Joseph Luster is the Games and Web editor at Otaku USA Magazine. His blog can be found at subhumanzoids. Follow him on Twitter at @Moldilox.
It’s already been over half a year since Nintendo released The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker HD, but that doesn’t stop Good Smile from releasing their next figure in the Nendoroid lineup with Toon Link! Game Watch gives us a closer look at the adorable Hero of Winds.
The Nendoroid Link Wind Waker ver. stands at 10cm (100mm) and comes with the Hero’s Sword, Hero’s Shield, and also the iconic series Heart Container. There’s even a special attachment for his signature Spin Attack. Link wouldn’t be the Hero of Winds without his Wind Waker, so that’s also been added to his repertoire of key items.
Link in The Wind Waker was also known for his many facial expressions, so Good Smile will also be giving him various faces, such as a serious face, a happy smile, an attacking face, and a nervous one, which have been made so you can put him in all kinds of comical situations.
Nendoroid Toon Link is available for pre-order on the Good Smile store for 4,000 yen ($40) and will be released sometime in August 2014.
Read Toon Link Nendoroid Slated For August Release, Here’s A Closer Look on Siliconera!
Entrain is an app designed by mathematicians at the University of Michigan and Yale University to minimize the effects of jetlag. They've released the app for free so that folks like us can try it out and help perfect it.
Explore Joss Whedon's 'Verse in the rarely-discounted Firefly Board Game, available for $34 for a time we expect to be very limited. [Amazon]
Batman: The Animated Series co-creator Bruce Timm delivers a brand new Batman short in honor of the hero's 75th anniversary. Styled as a 1930s pulp, it follows Batman to the lair of Hugo Strange.
In the Persona series only someone with the power of the Wild Card can switch personas. In Persona 3 and Persona 4 that ability was unique to the protagonists. However, in Persona Q: Shadow of the Labyrinth everyone can use other Personas.
Allowing other characters like Kanji who usually is limited to physical attack and lightning skills change Personas gives players more strategic options. Switching to Flauros gave Kanji a spell that inflicted shadows with sleep. Equipping Titania instead of Amaterasu allows Yukiko to use wind skills. Personas equipped by other characters level up and learn new skills just like in other Persona games.
Persona Q: Shadow of the Labyrinth comes out on June 5 for Nintendo 3DS.
Read See Kanji And Yukiko Switch Personas In Persona Q: Shadow of the Labyrinth on Siliconera!
Persona Q: Shadow of the Labyrinth is back with another gameplay preview, this time focusing on a variety of summons. Watch as the dungeon-crawling RPG's party summons Izanagi, Jack Frost, and more in the video below.
Persona Q hits Nintendo 3DS in Japan on June 5, with a North American release to follow later this year.
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Joseph Luster is the Games and Web editor at Otaku USA Magazine. His blog can be found at subhumanzoids. Follow him on Twitter at @Moldilox.
The Seven Deadly Sins is a pretty fun shonen adventure series from Nakaba Suzuki (Rising Impact, Kongō Banchō). It's one of those you can immediately tell will be picked up for an anime adaptation, and that's exactly what's being announced in the latest issue of Kodansha's Weekly Shonen Magazine.
Suzuki's manga kicked off in 2012, has over 3 million copies in circulation and is currently published in North America by Kodansha, with the latest chapters simulpubbed on Crunchyroll. The synopsis from the simulpub page:
Prepare to get swept away by this epic story and colorful cast of characters that will rewrite the history of manga as we know it! A fantasy adventure tour de force has been born!! “The Seven Deadly Sins” is a legendary gang of rebels that was blamed for the overthrow of the kingdom. Even after all these years, the kingdom’s central guards, each of whom is a match for a thousand, the Holy Knights, are hunting down these wanted criminals. But when one young girl appears, with an earnest wish in her heart, and a determination to find “The Seven Deadly Sins”, the world gets turned on its head and an extraordinary adventure begins! The curtain has been lifted for this thrilling heroic fantasy story like none you’ve ever seen!
Via ANN
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Joseph Luster is the Games and Web editor at Otaku USA Magazine. His blog can be found at subhumanzoids. Follow him on Twitter at @Moldilox.
Zero Escape: Virtue’s Last Reward creator Kotaro Uchikoshi recently spoke about the fate of the series and how it might be a while until we see a third game in the series. In this week’s issue of Famitsu magazine, Uchikoshi broke the silence and revealed that he’s actually working on a new game.
Here’s what Uchikoshi had to say on the subject of a possible new game.
“Yes, that’s right. This time, we were able to go through with a project thanks to the help from the folks at Mages. At the moment, we are zealously developing the game. The scenario if already complete, and while this may be my own opinion, I’m very confident in this title!”
Mages, is part of visual novel publisher 5pb. Their projects include Phantom Breaker and on the 5pb label Robotic;Notes. Kotaro Uchikoshi also says that we’ll be getting a first look of the new game soon.
Read Zero Escape Director Reveals That He’s Working On A New Title on Siliconera!
Mighty No. 9’s grunt enemies are currently in the process of being designed, and recently, Keiji Inafune sketched one himself. Inafune made the sketch after being presented with a monster design that he felt would look better different. You can see a comparison of the original design and Inafune’s modified idea below.
The design on the left is the original. Inafune created the sketch you see in the video above, and based on it, Inti Creates developed the modified on the right. These were the three suggestions Inafune provided:
Mighty No. 9 is in development for PC, Xbox 360, Xbox One, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, PlayStation Vita, Wii U and Nintendo 3DS.
Read Watch Keiji Inafune Sketch A Badguy For Mighty No. 9 on Siliconera!
While some webcomics deliver a quick joke or the latest installment in a long-form story, many comics floating around the Internet have something to teach us about the world. Here are some of our favorite comics that delve into science, history, philosophy, and more.
A group of geologists and map designers have reconstructed the geological ages of Essos, Westros, and other regions described in Game of Thrones. The results are incredible — and reveal just how violent and mythic real-life geological changes can be.
Nathan Fillion, who has worked with Guardians of the Galaxy director James Gunn on both Slither and Super, was asked recently if his buddy slipped him into the next Marvel feature. His answer seemed to imply that the answer was yes. Plus watch the first GOTG clip!
JINS' latest anime collaboration sees the PC glasses label working with Bandai on a line of Kuroko's Basketball eye-wear. Six "Generation of Miracles" school color designs are being offered, along with the collaboration's visual on a cleaning cloth and limited edition clearfile.
The glasses, which are supposed to block blue light from televisions, PCs and Smartphones, sell for 5292 yen.
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Scott Green is editor and reporter for anime and manga at geek entertainment site Ain't It Cool News. Follow him on Twitter at @aicnanime.
May 20th will see the release of the English-language version of Persona 3 the Movie #1: Spring of Birth. Aniplex have released an English trailer for the movie, which you can watch above, and have also confirmed a collector’s edition release.
The collector’s edition will include the following items:
Meanwhile, both the standard and collector’s editions will include bonus content on the Blu-Ray disc, but this appears to be rather underwhelming. The major piece of bonus content included in both versions is audio commentary, but this will not be subtitled in English. Additionally, there is no English dub for the movie at all.
The collector’s edition will retail for $99.98, although Aniplex will sell it for $79.98. Meanwhile, the standard edition will retail for $74.98, but Aniplex will sell it for $59.98. Both versions are imports.
Read Persona 3 the Movie #1 Sees English Release On May 20th on Siliconera!
A demo for JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: All-Star Battle will be available in North America this week, the PlayStation Blog reveals. PSN updates on Tuesdays, so expect the demo then.
Additionally, Bandai Namco—which is what the company is officially called across the world now—have announced that the first season of the JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure anime is available for viewing on CrunchyRoll.
JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: All-Star Battle will be available in North America on April 29th.
Read JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: All-Star Battle Demo Reaches North America This Week on Siliconera!
Chili's had planned to donate 10% of its customers' checks on April 7th to the National Autism Association , an organization that claims vaccines "trigger or exacerbate autism in some, if not many, children." This evening, Chili's announced it will be canceling the event based on feedback received from its guests.
"Sherlock Homes and Intelligent Design" is the title of an actual article published in the September 2012 edition of The Quarterly Review of Biology. It traces how the two sides of the Intelligent Design/Evolution debate each invoke Sherlock Holmes in a proxy war over reason.
Ninja Slayer: Karate Pistol Fist Suicide, the last volume of "Bradley Bond and Philip Ninj@ Morzez'"s Japanese take on the American take on Japanese sci-fi and martials light novel series revealed that Trigger (Kill La Kill, Little Witch Academia... and Inferno Cop!) is attached to the over the top action's upcoming adaptation.
おいいいいい！ニンジャ制作会社！ http://t.co/JbtR7vJwu7
— 狐につままれ (@toduki3) April 6, 2014
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Scott Green is editor and reporter for anime and manga at geek entertainment site Ain't It Cool News. Follow him on Twitter at @aicnanime.
It was officially announced on April 4 that Idumi Kirihara's 2004-2009 manga series Hitohira will receive its first stage play adaptation by Happy Happy Dreaming in July. A total of 9 performances will be held at West End Studio from July 2 to 6, 2014. The only announced actress is 27-year-old Mayu Kudo, who is best known for her PreCure theme songs such as "PreCure 5, Smile Go Go!" (Yes! PreCure 5 OP) and "La♪ La♪ La♪ Suite PreCure♪" (Suite PreCure♪ OP). The price for the advance ticket is 4,500 yen.
The manga was serialized in Futabasha's Comic High! from March 2004 to May 2009 with seven tankobon volumes (51 episodes). The 12-episode TV anime adaptation produced by XEBEC M2 was aired between March and June 2009. The story centers on a first grade high school girl Mugi Asai who is shay and retiring in her ways. After entering Kumataka arts academy, she happens to join the Drama
Research Society. The July play will focus on a stage play "Hitohira" by the members at Cultural festival.
The PR illustration for the play by Idumi Kirihara
Mayu Kudo
via: Comic Natalie
© Idumi Kirihara/Futabasha
Tatsuya Shingyouji is a veteran of the eroge field, having worked on 1985's fourth entry in the early hentai OVA series Cream Lemon. He was likewise one of the earlier adult artists posting online. He keeps things pretty safe for work on his Pixiv page, generally posting Madoka Magica fan art parodying recognizable pop culture.
Recently, he's posted some new homages...
Previously
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Scott Green is editor and reporter for anime and manga at geek entertainment site Ain't It Cool News. Follow him on Twitter at @aicnanime.
Joseph Gordon-Levitt recently voiced the lead in Hayao Miyazaki's The Wind Rises, originally voiced by Hideaki Anno. The professed Miyazaki fan was also being bantered about as part of the convoluted attempted live-action Akira adaptations. Now, he's taking his history in Japanese media to his collaborative media HitRecord project.
CALLING ALL ARTISTS! We're starting a collaboration based on the Japanese culture - contribute all of your art and ideas!
CONTRIBUTE HERE: http://bit.ly/1h8S8ag
==
WRITERS, JAPANESE HISTORIANS & SCHOLARS: Contribute Japanese stories or folk tales that could be told in 3 minutes or less. You can also write your own original story.
VOICE OVER ARTISTS: Find a story in the collaboration and perform a reading of it.
ORIGAMI ARTISTS: Contribute Origami art of all kinds. You could also upload a template so other artists could make their own. Please photograph your Origami on green paper so Animators can remix them.
ANIMATORS: Find visuals from the collab and do Test Animations of them. Or find a story you like, and Animate it.
ILLUSTRATORS: Contribute drawings for the collab.
MUSICIANS: Contribute Japanese-influenced music.
CURATORS: Make Albums of your favorite contributions to the collab.
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Scott Green is editor and reporter for anime and manga at geek entertainment site Ain't It Cool News. Follow him on Twitter at @aicnanime.
The multimedia Hamatora expands this summer with the July 17th Nintendo 3DS release of Hamatora: Look at Smoking World. A new scan making the rounds on Japanese anime blogs is suggesting that the timing of the follow-up to the winter anime series, promised by its finale, will coincide with the game's debut.
The game will feature a different cast lead by a newly super powered transfer student and based in coastal Kobe rather than the anime's Yokohama. FuRyu (Exstetra, To Love-Ru Darkness: Battle Ecstasy) is handling development of the game, with Tokyo Majin Gakuen creator Shuuhou Imai helming the project.
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Scott Green is editor and reporter for anime and manga at geek entertainment site Ain't It Cool News. Follow him on Twitter at @aicnanime.
AlainmendezThe rare bit of Type-Moon news that every member of the Brooklyn crew is interested in.
After breaking cover at WonFes, it was surely only a matter of time before the King of Heroes from Fate/Zero and Fate/Stay Night wound up in a Kahotan preview. And indeed, today's that day as Nendoroid Gilgamesh goes under the camera.
Gil has always had an incredibly impressive character design when decked out in his golden armour, and Good Smile Company have done an admirable job recreating that design in super-deformed size. The sharp lines, the cloth drapes, it's all there and in excellent detail. They've managed to nail his ultra-smug expression as well, although it's a little disappointing you only get one additional face (a shouting one).
You'll find ample compensation in the accessories though. Aside from an immaculately painted recreation of his sword Ea, the major pack-in here is a large plastic effect part that clips onto the stand behind him. By mounting the included weapons through the appropriate slots in the effect, you're able to recreate his 'Gate of Babylon' ultimate attack. It's quite a sight for sure. Kahotan's also sure to point out each individual weapon can be held as a normal accessory.
Overall, it's looking like one of the sharpest Nendoroids yet. We don't have a price yet (I'd guess above average) but we do know that pre-orders will open on April 9th, next Wednesday. Who's in?
[via Kahotan's blog ]
