Here are the headlines to come out of the anime industry since the last newsletter:
- Anime screenwriter Shoichiro Okubo passed away on February 11, 2001, at the age of 63. He wrote screenplays for the Mermaid Forest OVA, episodes of the second Lupin III and Ninja Hattori-kun television series, and for the anime films Ganbare!! Tabuchi-kun!! and Tsushimamaru: Sayonara Okinawa.
- Animator and professor Masahiro Katayama passed away on February 12, 2011 at the age of 56 from pneumonia. During his life, he worked as an illustrator, a manga creator, an animator, and a professor. He has served as the administrative head for thr Japan Animation Association and for Anido, and has also judged and co-organized several animation contests and festivals in Japan.
- AnimEigo has announced that the company has been unable to renew the North American license for the Urusei Yatsura anime series and films. The company will cease to accept orders for the franchise starting on September 30; however, it is expected that they will run out of stock prior to that date.
- Sentai Filmworks has acquired the distribution rights to the Dream Eater Merry television anime series. At this time, the company has not specified how it will release the twelve-episode series.
- Aniplex of America announced that there are possible cosmetic issues with the Kara no Kyoukai - the Garden of sinners box set that the company released on February 8, 2011. According to the announcement, the series' outer box may have a bent bottom, and the silver foil on the silver box that holds the discs may peel off. Fans who purchased the set who notice either of these problems can acquire a replacement by sending their name, address, email address, telephone number, and original invoice number to info (at) rightstuf (dot) com. Those who send the information will be told how to exchange the original boxes when details have been finalized.
- Crunchyroll has announced that the site began streaming the second season of The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya. All thirteen of the episodes are available for Crunchyroll's Anime Member program. Four episodes will be added every week for free users, and this began on Friday, February 11, 2011. This stream is available in the Americas, Norway, Denmark, Finland, Turkey, Sweden, the Middle East, and Africa.
There are topics in the anime forum for these news stories. If you'd like to join in on the discussion, there's a link to the forum later in the newsletter. You need to have a BellaOnline forum account in order to post, but signing up for a forum account is free.
| Title | Format |
|---|---|
| Moribito - Guardian of the Spirit Collection One Box Set | DVD |
| Needless Collection | DVD |
| Needless Collection | Blu-ray |
| Summer Wars | DVD |
| Summer Wars | Blu-ray |
 |
This week, I posted four new articles to the Anime site. The first is a biography for Shoichiro Okubo. The second is a biography for Masahiro Katayama. The third is a review of Rave Master Volume 2. The fourth is a review of the Dragon Ball Season Three DVD box set. Rave Master Volume 2 is an Editor's Recommendation on the main page of the Anime site, and it has also been added to the Anime Shop. |
Here's the latest articles from the Anime site at BellaOnline.com.
Biography of Shoichiro Okubo
This is a biography for anime screenwriter Shoichiro Okubo.
http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art170616.asp
Biography of Masahiro Katayama
This is a biography for animator and professor Masahiro Katayama.
http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art170625.asp
Rave Master Volume 2
Rave Master Volume 2 – Release the Beasts is a single disc DVD release that contains four episodes of the anime series, Rave Master.
http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art170638.asp
Dragon Ball Season Three Box Set
The Dragon Ball Season Three DVD box set includes five DVDs that contain thirty-one episodes.
http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art170639.asp
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Lesley Aeschliman, Anime Editor
http://Anime.bellaonline.com
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