SGcafe Anime News For Otaku May 2013 Issue by VR Media Pte. Ltd.

May 2nd, 2013

Published by: VR-Zone

SGCafe : Cosplay | Vocaloid | Otaku | Pop Culture A daily publication about Cosplay, Vocaloid, Otaku and Japanese Pop Culture

13 JinTai Fairy figures now available for pre-order Source: http://sgcafe.com/2013/05/jintai-fairy-figures-pre-order/ By SunSoftware on May 1st, 2013

They look so simple, yet so cute! With a variety of poses, you’ll also have fun plaeing them in random spots throughout your home.

If you’re a figure collector and you like cute, tiny things, then you might want to get these fairy figures from the quirky anime Jinrui wa Suitai Shimashita. The hobby store AmiAmi in now accepting pre-orders for the latest set of JinTai Yousei-san (fairy) figures, which includes these six mischievous, little fairies: • Sitting • One hand raised A • One hand raised B • Hanging • Lying • Nakata-san

May 2nd, 2013

Published by: VR-Zone

These 50mm fairies will be released in late August, but you can pre-order them now for 3,580 yen. Also available for pre-order are these fairies doing — oh my gosh!

These fairies will be released at the same time with the same price as the previous group. But that’s not all! You can also pre-order this figure of the main character, Watashi. Usually, anime figures are 1/7 scale or smaller, but this figure is actual size!

It’s the weird dance from JinTai’s opening animation!

That’s right, you can now reenact that catchy, funky dance with these figures. Also thrown in for good measure is a sitting figure of the turquoise fairy from the episode “The Secret Tea Party”.

Seriously, it’s actual size. This is the fairy version of Watashi from one of the Blu-ray bonus episodes. At a whopping 100 mm, it’s twice the size of the previous fairy figures. Watashi is dressed in her typical green explorer outfit, but now that she’s adorable and fairy-sized, she has also equipped a helmet and shovel (well, an eggshell and a measuring spoon).

Watashi also comes with a sack of cookies, and her measuring spoon has the number “31″ printed on it, which fans of the anime should understand.

May 2nd, 2013

Published by: VR-Zone

Tenma Matsukaze will also be returning as the main character of the show. The Second Stage Children victors will also return to the modern era to join the Raimon team, the main team of the show. With the ban on soccer lifted as well, teams from around the world can enjoy it, suggesting an appearance of more characters from around the world. In fact, Tenma will be spearheading a tour around the world to remind people about the fun in soccer.

The fairy Watashi figure will depart for adventure in early August and can be pre-ordered now for 3,780 yen. With all of these fairy figures, JinTai fans and figure collectors will have many new friends this August. Source: AmiAmi, Amiblog

‘Inazuma Eleven Go: Galaxy’ premieres May 8 Source: http://sgcafe.com/2013/05/inazuma-eleven-galaxypremiers-8th/ By Zenko on May 1st, 2013

Because of the series message, famous calligraphy artist Sisyu will be collaborating by writing the advertisement text on promotional posters. The phrases read “The destination is the world! The rebirth of Inazuma Eleven Go!” (世世世世世世世世世世世世世世世世世世世世!!). Source: AnimeAnime

Like ‘Puyo Puyo!! Quest’? Then you’ll love these Puyo Puyo commemorative iPhone 5 cases Source: http://sgcafe.com/2013/05/puyo-puyo-love-puyo-puyocommemorative-iphone-5-cases/ By KarbyP on May 1st, 2013

Inazuma 11’s next season kicks off May 8 and famous calligraphy artist Sisyu is helping to promote it. Although it started in 2008 as a kid’s show, Inazuma Eleven has since expanded to several seasons and series, and the next installment will be starting May 8th. Titled Inazuma Eleven Go Galaxy, it will continue where last season ended and will be the third installment of the Inazuma Eleven Go series. 3

May 2nd, 2013

Published by: VR-Zone

I’m a guy but I’m not afraid to admit that I want one. And although you can simply buy them from all good retailers that carry Dezaegg products, Sega is planning to give out 24 of these cases away in a promotional contest for Puyo Puyo!! Quest. Sega’s Puyo Puyo!! Quest (世世世世!!世世世世) iOS game app has managed to rack up an impressive 500,000 downloads in just three short days after it was launched on Apple’s digital platform last week on April 24. In an effort to get more of those 500,000 (and counting) users to link up their Twitter accounts to the game app and share their progress with their friends, Sega is organising a lottery contest to pick out 24 lucky gamers who will each receive a Puyo Puyo themed iPhone 5 case, made by the character-themed case artisans over at Dezaegg.

To be eligible for the contest, all you have to do is link up your Twitter account to Puyo Puyo!! Quest between May 1 to May 7, 11.59PM Japan time (GMT+0900 hours). Winners will be notified on May 24 via a direct messsage from @puyoquest. If picked, you’ll probably need a Japanese shipping address (or a friend who’s living there) to claim your prize – the game is intended for the Japanese market, after all… but you’ll have plenty of time to worry about that after you’ve actually won the contest. Apart from the iPhone case contest, from now till May 7, Puyo Puyo!! Quest players will also receive a free magical stone every single day they log in.

Source: Puyo Puyo!! Quest

Mobile app ‘Kame Camera’: create action manga style scenes out of your photos Source: http://sgcafe.com/2013/05/mobile-app-kame-camera-createaction-manga-style-scenes-photos/ By ellehaym on May 1st, 2013

May 2nd, 2013

Ever underwent the “purikura” experience (purikura being a Japanese acronym for “Print Club” photo booth marchines in the arcades)? Isn’t it nice how you can pick cute and beautiful backgrounds and themes for a photo with a friend or your significant other? Now, if you want to have an action-packed picture where you can fuse fantasy with reality, and pose like Son Goku or Darth Vader, Nagisa Inc.’s “Kame Camera” is a great app to play with. Kame Camera (which is a word play of Goku’s powerful technique) allows its users to decorate their photos with action manga effect stamps. It’s a free mobile app available for both the iOS and Android platforms.

Published by: VR-Zone

Remember the Moji Maker Z which was released as part of the promotions for the Battle of Gods movie? I’m sure your customised DBZ logo would perfectly match the Kame Camera edited photo. Try it out! The app is available in Japanese and English. The edited photos can be shared via Facebook, Twitter and LINE. via Crunchyroll

flumpool, SID to showcase JRock to the world in Music Matters 2013, Singapore Source: http://sgcafe.com/2013/05/flumpool-sid-showcase-j-rock-worldsingapore/ By Az on May 1st, 2013

So what are the results after letting photos have the Kame Camera treatment? Check out these samples:

The app was inspired by the Makankosappo, an internet meme started by high school girls in Japan which eventually became an internet sensation. They shot photos of what seemed like a person launching a special attack and the rest are affected by it. According to Crunchyroll, the developers claim that this app was supervised by the students who started the Makankosappo trend (this is, however, unconfirmed). 5

May 2nd, 2013

Published by: VR-Zone

countries, as well as Singapore’s very own. Admission is free, but it is also planned to be streamed live. The venues announced as of now are Beer Market, China One, Crazy Elephant, The Fountain Stage, Fern & Kiwi, and Paulaner Bräuhaus. For more information on the event, as well as its artist lineup, check out the Music Matters Facebook Page. sources: natalie, Music Matters Allthatmatters Official Website

It has been revealed that flumpool and SID will be performing in the international event 世Music Matters 2013世, which is going to be held on May 22 – May 24 on eight venues all over Clarke Quay.

Official

Facebook,

New PV for ‘Soul Reviver’ brings in ‘Wolf Children Ame and Yuki’ animation team Source: http://sgcafe.com/2013/05/pv-soul-reviver-brings-wolf-childrename-yuki-animation-team/ By Zenko on May 1st, 2013

flumpool and SID will be appearing on the main stage on May 23, 9:00 PM in front of an expected audience of 15,000. They will appear and perform in a segment called 世J-rock Matters presented by BARKS世.

Furthermore, these two bands will appear on Beer Market in Clarke Quay in an invite-only live with three-man band WEAVER, creating an intense Japanese line-up. While the segment flumpool and SID are appearing in will be around 9:00 PM, their appearance for this invitational live on Beer Market will be on 11:00 PM. On another note, as previously reported, flumpool guitarist Sakai Kazuki will be putting a temporary cease to his visual activities with the band until the end of June. There’s a chance that he will not be appearing for this event, and will instead have a temporary help stand in for him. ======

To help promote the new manga by GTO artist Tohru Fujisawa, a 3DCG promotional video was recently released. The video was created in 30 days by the same animation company for Wolf Children Ame and Yuki [Ookami Kodomo to Ame to Yuki], who previously won Japan’s Annual Academy Award in Animation. The entire PV is created in 3DCG, and runs for 1 minute and 40 seconds (see below). Although the initial concept and story were created by Fujisawa, the character designs and art for it are being put out by Go-On!’s Manabu Akishige. The main plot is that those who have died can be saved and resurrected by Soul Revivers, in this case main characters Jin and Kurara who are both seen in heavy action sequences throughout the PV. The 3 volume bundle set of the manga that the PV is promoting will include added commentary by AKB48 and SNH48 member Sae Miyazawa.

世Music Matters 2013世 is an international music event which includes various programs such as public performances, panel discussions, showcase lives, and other programs. The event will feature more than 50 bands from many different 6

May 2nd, 2013

Published by: VR-Zone

Source: Mantan

New ‘Soul Sacrifice Premium Edition’ bundle (English ver. + 16GB memory card) comes to Asia May 2 Source: http://sgcafe.com/2013/04/soul-sacrifice-premiumbundle-16gb-memory-card/ By KarbyP on April 30th, 2013

The Soul Sacrifice Premium Edition (English version) is easily the best PS Vita bundle I’ve seen released in Asia yet. Of course, previously there had already been a Soul Sacrifice Premium Edition bundle, released back in March in Japan and other Asian markets. But that one only featured a 4GB memory card. And, well, the game was in Japanese. But what’s amazing about the new bundle is that even though it now comes with the English version, Asia is the only region to get it. For a limited time period while stocks last, Sony Computer Entertainment Hong Kong is making available an enhanced Soul Sacrifice Premium Bundle that comes with a physical copy of Soul Sacrifice (English version) along with a 16GB memory card. Price? S$439 (US$356.34).

In fact, the only other region to receive a Soul Sacrifice (English version) bundle is France. And theirs is quite different (read: worse) than ours. Can you spot the difference?

If you’ve been waiting for a killer app to get a PS Vita for, Soul Sacrifice could be it – it’s been touted as one of the platform’s biggest releases this year. For those of you who already own a PS Vita, a hard copy of the game can be picked up at all good video game retailers in Singapore on May 2 for S$54.90. Alternatively, a digitally released version of the game can also be purchased from the PlayStation store for S$44.90. 7

May 2nd, 2013

Published by: VR-Zone

Grand Theft Auto V for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 home consoles is slated for release on September 17. The game will feature three protagonists (you’ve just met them) in a sandbox world – Los Santos – that’s said to be bigger than the settings in Red Dead Redemption, GTA: San Andreas, and GTA IV combined.

Disgaea Legion Battle has characters from the entire series – plus other NIS games Source: http://sgcafe.com/2013/04/disgaea-legion-battle-charactersentire-series-nis-games/ By KarbyP on April 30th, 2013

Answer: Apart from the exterior of the PS Vita unit itself, the bundle available in France does not come with a physical copy of Soul Sacrifice. Instead, gamers there receive a voucher to download the game from PSN. The new Soul Sacrifice Premium Edition bundle will be available in Asia beginning May 2.

Grand Theft Auto V: Meet Michael, Franklin, and Trevor [Trailer] Source: http://sgcafe.com/2013/04/grand-theft-auto-v-meet-michaelfranklin-trevor-trailer/ By KarbyP on April 30th, 2013

Not only does Disgaea Legion Battle, a free-to-play Android trading card game app, contains characters from every Disgaea instalment (1 to 4, plus D2), it also features those from other Nippon Ichi Software works – such as Criminal Girls, Rhapysody: A Musical Adventure, and horror series Hayarigami. That’s a lot of star power. But it’s not the biggest draw that Disgaea Legion Battle’s collaborators, Nippon Ichi Software and developer GMO Game Center, are touting. Up to 15 players can form a “legion” to take on rival teams in the game. Depending on your choice of characters, the battle tactics your legion will employ are said to change drastically.

Ladies and gentlemen, Rockstar fans everywhere, the moment you’ve been waiting for is finall here. Behold! The latest trailer for Grand Theft Auto V!

May 2nd, 2013

Published by: VR-Zone

Sick of missing a shot with “96% accuracy” in 2K and Firaxis Games’ critically-acclaimed strategy game, XCOM: Enemy Unknown? Wish you could just take aim and pull the damned trigger to blast the heads off those cursed aliens yourself? Later this year, you will be able to. In The Bureau: XCOM Declassified, a tactical third-person shooter set in the XCOM universe, that’s slated to be released internationally on August 23 for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC gaming platforms.

The game was just recently launched last Friday (April 26), and to commmemorate the start of service, players who clear the in-game tutorial will be able to redeem a complimentary set of character cards – Disgaea’s Laharl, Etna and Flonne – to start their legion war efforts with. You will need a GMO Game account (free registration) to play the game on Android. Actually, you may need a Japanese Android device too; we’re not sure if the game is region-restricted. If you’re willing to give it a shot and see if the game works on your Android smartphone or tablet, head over to the Google Play store page here to download the app. Source: Dengeki

‘The Bureau: XCOM Declassified’ coming to the X360, PS3, and PC internationally on August 23 Source: http://sgcafe.com/2013/04/the-bureau-xcom-declassifiedcoming-x360-ps3-pc-internationally-august-23/ By KarbyP on April 30th, 2013

The Bureau: XCOM Declassified takes players back to the world of 1962, when John F. Kennedy was still president, and the on-going Cold War has got the entire US of A living in constant worry, not knowing when or if their peaceful lives might one day be engulfed in a wartime scenario due to communist activity. But communism is not the only threat America faces. Unbeknownst to the public, a far deadlier threat has begun to invade the US, and only the few members of a top-secret government unit known as The Bureau knows about their existence – the world is not quite ready to learn the truth about extraterrestrials. You’ll take the role of special agent William Carter, and lead a team of highly-trained, elite soldiers in this tactical shooter where, true to XCOM’s pedigree, you will need more than simple sharpshooting to take down the otherworldly threat. “The Bureau tells the story of XCOM’s mysterious beginnings,” said Morgan Gray, creative director at The Bureau: XCOM Declassified developer 2K Marin (also the makers of BioShock 2). “We’re expanding the universe with a declassified tale of government conspiracy and heroic cover-ups told through third-person tactical gameplay. “The team has been working hard to leverage core XCOM elements like tactical decision-making and permanent death of squad mates in a purposeful way that makes this a unique tactical shooter,” Gray added. “To that end, The Bureau will challenge players unlike any other third-person tactical shooter.”

May 2nd, 2013

Published by: VR-Zone

For more information on The Bureau: XCOM Declassified, head over to the gameâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s official site here.

May 3rd, 2013

Published by: VR-Zone

SGCafe : Cosplay | Vocaloid | Otaku | Pop Culture A daily publication about Cosplay, Vocaloid, Otaku and Japanese Pop Culture

After report on 「KAWAii MATSURi!!!「 first day, 「MATSURi DA TOKYO!!「 Source: http://sgcafe.com/2013/05/report-kawaii-matsuri-day-matsurida-tokyo/ By Az on May 3rd, 2013

For the first day of this festival, the theme was 「MATSURi DA TOKYO!!「, or “IT’S A FESTIVAL, TOKYO!”. The stage and performances for this day revolved around idols and anisong, and so, that is how it unfolded. On the outdoor stage, ENNICHi, a mini live was conducted by up and coming idols such as AOP, Love La Doll, PPP!PiXiON, and Yun*chi and Kurika Maki, along with mascots of well-known figures in Tokyo.

Last April 20, 21, pop culture festival 「KAWAii MATSURi!!!「was held. The venue was in Sendagaya, Tokyo Gymnasium.

May 3rd, 2013

After the mini-live and the greeting done in ENNICHi stage, the event moves on to the inner main stage, KAWAii. The live is opened by 7!!, Shiina Hikari, Haruna Luna, and trumpet player ‘FRESH-na-menmen’(「「「「「「「「). Next to shine on stage is the livetune x rhizomatiks x Hatsune Miku for their special collaboration. Next are consecutive performances from various idols such as BiS, dempa-gumi inc., LinQ, and Negicco. Their fans go wild as they sing and dance, and do fan service. For the break in performances, popular cosplayers from Japanese cosplay website Cure strut their cosplay on the runway, much to the cheering of the crowd.

Published by: VR-Zone

The day’s final act, one with the key part of closing the stage, is none other than anisong legend T.M.Revolution. As he appears on stage, the crowd stands in unison and with him, raise their fists in the air. As if all their minds are connected, the crowd heats up and swells with excitement. In the end the audience is an ocean of light sticks. They raise their sticks as all the performers, with much passion and joy, shouts 「MATSURi DA TOKYO!!「. Check here for the complete gallery of all the stages for the first day. Refer to this article for the artist line-up for both days. source: KAWAii MATSURi Official Site

Atelier Premium Live, the Atelier series’ first concert, coming on May 26 Source: http://sgcafe.com/2013/05/atelier-premium-live-comingmonth/ By SunSoftware on May 3rd, 2013

The live then proceed to the most awaited performances – anisongs. The segment starts with powerful songs with the powerful voice of Aoi Eir (Sword Art Online, Gundam AGE, Fate/Zero). “KAKATTE KOI! (bring it!)” shouts Nakagawa Shoko, the next performer, and sings enthusiastically sings her hits. Next, the stage heats up more as one of the pillars of anisong, May’n, appears on stage.

The Atelier RPG series is known not only for its gripping gameplay, but also for its fascinating music. With the approach of the latest instalment Atelier Escha & Logy, Gust has announced the series’ first dedicated concert. The Atelier Premium Live will take place on May 26 at Pasela Resort Ginza and feature various musicians from Atelier Escha & Logy and previous Atelier games, including the artists listed below. Haruka Shimotsuki

May 3rd, 2013

Haruka Shimotsuki is a longtime partner of Gust who is known for her fantastical melodies and has composed songs for many of the Atelier games, as well as other games and the anime Rozen Maiden. ACRYLICSTAB

Published by: VR-Zone

The vocalist of the J-pop band Local Bus who performed the peaceful opening theme of Atelier Ayesha, Hanashirube, as well as Little Crown from Atelier Meruru. People who buy a ticket to the concert will receive a free mini-soundtrack album for Atelier Escha & Logy, and of course, there will be more merchandise on sale at the event. Tickets to the event cost 4,800 yen, so fans of the Atelier games who will be in Japan this month should preorder or buy their tickets on Gustâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s online shop. Meanwhile, the rest of us can wait for Atelier Escha & Logy to come to the PS3 on June 27. On a final note, the original soundtrack and vocal album for the game will be released one day before the game, so mark your calendars for those, as well. Source: Dengeki

A rock duo who not only contributed the song Mugendai Chronicle to Atelier Escha and Logy, but have also written music for anime, such as the character song album of Minamike Tadaima. Asako Nasu

A fresh singer and pianist who debuted just last year in the indie scene with her single Flannel, and later released her mini-album Landscape. For Atelier Escha & Logy, she has contributed the world traveler theme, Kaiyuugyo no Genfuukei (Scenery of a Migratory Fish). Mutsumi Nomiyama

Anime merchandise shops invaded by Shingeki no Kyojin displays Source: http://sgcafe.com/2013/05/anime-merchandise-shops-invadedshingeki-kyojin-displays/ By hittokiri on May 3rd, 2013

Shingeki no Kyojin displays have been appearing in anime merchandise shop all over Japan since the anime adaptation began airing early last month. A friendly competition seems to be going on between the shops as they try to out do each other with their displays. The displays themselves, which are intended to promote the anime as well as the manga have ranged from impressive to amusing.

May 3rd, 2013

Published by: VR-Zone

May 3rd, 2013

Published by: VR-Zone

The anime series which is turning out to be a hit series has already started a parody video meme late last month. Shingeki no Kyojin is a manga by Isayama Hajime (「「「). It is set in an alternate middle age world where giant humanoid creatures have been attacking and devouring humans. To protect themselves, humans have walled themselves in behind 3 gigantic walls. For a hundred years, the wall kept them safe until it was breached. Shingeki no Kyoujin is currently being serialized in Kodansha’s monthly magazine, Bessatsu Shounen Magazine with volume 10 being it’s most recent issue. The anime 5

May 3rd, 2013

adaptation is currently being aired and is scheduled to be 25 episodes long. Source : Natalie.mu

Possible new VOCALOID in Kamui Kitano Source: http://sgcafe.com/2013/05/vocaloid-kamui-kitano/ By Zenko on May 2nd, 2013

Published by: VR-Zone

Details about Kamui Kitano are as follows: Height: 152 centimeters [4’ 10”] Favorite Color: Pink Hobbies and Interests: Smartphones, karaoke, visiting the hotsprings (something Hokkaido is famous for), eating, and going places she’s never been before. Favorite Food: Ramen, Sweets, B Class Gourmet Food And of course she’s also from Hokkaido. Her favorite foods also match up with the theme of promoting the region as ramen is a signature dish of Sapporo especially, with the Shirokoibito chocolate brand also located throughout the island. You can support the project by liking Kamui’s Facebook page, or by following her on Twitter. Source: Official Site of Kamui Kitano

A new collaboration between Crypton and Hokkaido could mean a new VOCALOID, but only if the fans are willing. With Crypton’s headquarters being located in Sapporo, Hokkaido, it’s no surprise that they, along with the original artist for Hatsune Miku, are collaborating on a new project. Named Kamui Kitano (「「「「「), she will be helping to promote the local goods, history and culture of Hokkaido. Her character design is based on the fact that she is an idol that has yet to debut, due to the company she works for going bankrupt. Her dream, though, is to perform at the Sapporo Dome Arena (a venue that holds 54,000 people), and it’s still something that can happen. So long as she can reach 30,000 likes on Facebook and Twitter by the end of the year, there’s the possibility that she will gain a voice of her own and join the VOCALOID family.

Although this goal is currently unofficial, tweets from the official account have heavily hinted that this may be the final goal for this collaboration. The counter on the official website also hints that something special may happen should she reach 30,000 likes.

‘Haganai: I Don’t Have Many Friends’ author confirms liveaction movie in a heartfelt address [Full Translation] Source: http://sgcafe.com/2013/05/haganai-friends-author-confirmslive-action-movie-reveals-non-involvement/ By KarbyP on May 2nd, 2013

Yesterday, news of a Haganai: I Don’t Have Many Friends live-action movie broke after Kyoto’s Ryukoku University posted a recruitment ad for extras or calefare actors on its official Facebook page. The Facebook post claims that the movie is being produced by Times In (responsible for the 2006 movie Akihabara@DEEP, which is quite different from the excellent TV drama version), distributed by Toei, and that it is slated to be released sometime in 2014. Today, Haganai: I Don’t Have Many Friends light novel author Yomi Hirasaka has confirmed, via a heartfelt address written to fans that he shared on Twitter, that the rumours 6

May 3rd, 2013

are true. Production on a live-action movie based on his series of light novels is indeed in progress. In his letter to readers, Hirasaka explains why he gave his approval to a live-action adaptation of the series, despite initially objecting to it. He also mentions that the rumoured casting list currently being circulated on the Net is fake, and that he is taking a hands-off approach to the movie. Find out what else Hirasaka said in our full translation of his letter below: To my readers, As this time around I can’t just go “eh, what the heck?” and feign ignorance about everything [with regards to the Haganai live-action film], I’ve written this slightly long response that I would greatly appreciate if you could sit through without skimming ahead. That the movie’s existence was outed by a recruitment ad for extra/calefare actors is incredibly “dasai” [lame] (I will not use the word “zannen” [unfortunate] here, which is an important keyword used throughout the Haganai series) but what’s happened has happened so, yes, production on a live-action movie based on my work, Boku wa Tomodachi ga Sukunai, is currently on-going. The offer to make a live-action movie based on my light novel series first came to me in June of 2011. At the time, production work on the first season of the anime series was also going well, so it had been a very positive period of my life. Personally, I’ve always thought that the scenarios depicted in Haganai were never really meant to translate well in a live-action medium, so if you were to ask me if I was for or against the liveaction movie, then I would say, without a doubt that I am against it. That said, the offer came during a period of time when I saw that the future of the light novel industry was getting dangerously bleak, and so I thought, “rather than fight over a small pie (marketshare) with other authors over and over, this is a rare chance me to break away from the industry’s status quo of excellent authors forever burying one another’s successes with their next excellent release. The live-action movie could bring into the light novel market a new audience (on top of what the manga, anime, and game adaptations are already doing), so shouldn’t I be taking a bold step forward with this instead?” That was what I remember to be my thought process at the time, and so after a period of deliberating I went ahead and gave my stamp of approval on it. Now that the anime adaptation is well into its second season, if you were to ask me about what I thought about the decision I made back then, well, it’s already too late as a great deal of industry folks have already pushed forth with the project. As there really is no point in me commenting about that [whether I should have let the movie project happen or not], I’ll refrain from doing so. Moving on, with regards to whether or not I’m personally involved on the production of the live-action movie or not, this time around

Published by: VR-Zone

the circumstances are quite different from when Haganai was adapted into a manga, an anime, or a game. Unlike with those projects, I am a complete amatuer when it comes to the live-action movie scene, and I do not know which folks are the truly passionate people in that genre, so this time around I’m taking a completely no-touch/handsoff approach. I’ve entrusted the project fully in the hands of the live-action movie’s production crew. Given my personality, if I were told the details of what’s going on with the project, chances are I’ll feel like opening my flap and intervening, so I’ve asked the editorial department [of Media Factory/ the publishing label MF Bunko J] to not keep me in the loop with regards to progress on the movie’s production. Accordingly, that means I do not know anything about the script for the movie, or its casting details. (Although I have checked with the editorial staff, following the movie getting outed, and they have confirmed for me that the so-called “leaked” casting details currently circulating on the Net are completely false). I have but only one thing to say to the movie production side: “you do not have to try and recreate the light novels’ scenes and details faithfully, if that’s not very possible. Instead, all I want is for you to make a great and interesting movie, independently.” I eagerly await to see the finished product from these professional filmmakers. … Okay, this has went on long enough, so in summary, “I have no idea what kind of movie the live-action Haganai film will turn out to be. To all of you my faithful readers, if you’re interested in the movie, please do watch it.” That’s pretty much what I want to say. Lastly, I do also need to ask something from all of you. On Twitter and various other platforms, I’ve noticed that some of you have been calling for production of the live-action movie to be stopped. No matter how much the news of this live-action adaptation displeases you, I hope that rather than to try and crush it, that instead, if possible at all, I hope that you would simply ignore it. This applies not only to the live-action movie, but to the anime, manga, and the game as well – everything that’s based on the original light novels. Even if it’s not possible for you to put a lid on your displeasure upon seeing these adaptations [not living up to the original work's quality], there is no need to force yourself to accept them [as part of the Haganai franchise]. There is no need to watch something that you do not want to watch, and if it’s something you really hate, I think it’s okay to just continue hating it. But please do not go out of your way to destroy or crush something simply because you hate it, for that is evil, and something that I believe I’ve written about time and time again in my novels. I have faith that you, my readers, will understand. Personally, I’m a big fan of light novels, anime, and other 2D mediums. And so, to be perfectly honest, 7

May 3rd, 2013

I would be lying if I said that I’m not worried about the live-action film. That said, as to whether I approve or regret my decision two years ago [to let the movie happen], I will reserve final judgement on that for when the film is finally complete and after I’ve actually sat down and watched it. 2013.5.2 From the author of Boku wa Tomodachi ga Sukunai, Yomi Hirasaka Source: @hirasakayomi [via Otakomu]

List of official goods for the 100%KPP World Tour 2013 IN SINGAPORE

Published by: VR-Zone

The concert starts at 7PM with the goods counter opening on 12 PM. The counter will only accept CASH as payment for the goods.

‘Blood Lad’ backgrounds plus two more character illustrations revealed Source: http://sgcafe.com/2013/05/blood-lad-backgrounds-characterillustrations-revealed/ By ellehaym on May 2nd, 2013

Source: http://sgcafe.com/2013/05/list-official-goods-100kpp-worldtour-2013-singapore/ By ellehaym on May 2nd, 2013

We have seen illustrations of the four characters from Blood Lad, we already know that it’s about a male otaku vampire’s encounter with a human girl and the list of staff members has been announced. Heck, even the info on theme songs and their respective performers is already out. The Singapore leg of Kyary Pamyu Pamyu’s 2013 concert tour is just around the corner. And if you want to make this day a memorable one, how about getting the official concert goods?

But until now, no new info about the cast has been revealed for the upcoming TV anime. So while we wait for further details on the anime adaptation, here are six backgrounds which will give you an idea of what Blood Lad’s settings are like.

Sozo has released the official list of goods for the 100%KPP World Tour 2013 IN SINGAPORE.

The exact counter location will be announced soon. Stay updated by visiting the 100%Kpp World Tour 2013 in Singapore Facebook page.

May 3rd, 2013

Published by: VR-Zone

My personal favorite, Blood Ladâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Uniqlo parody â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Oniqlo:

Aside from revealing the locations, additional characters were introduced: Vlad D. Braz:

Deku:

May 3rd, 2013

Published by: VR-Zone

The skins are a collaboration with piapro and will be available until April 22, 2014. Source: Simeji Facebook You can read up our previous post on Blood Lad for more info. Blood Lad is part of the 2013 summer anime lineup and will start airing in Japan this July. Source: moca news via @Ikari_Gendo

Give your phone some VOCALOID flair with Simeji

Gamers Akihabara to hold ‘Red Data Girl Museum’ from May 11 to 26 Source: http://sgcafe.com/2013/05/red-data-girl-museum/ By KarbyP on May 2nd, 2013

Source: http://sgcafe.com/2013/05/give-phone-vocaloid-flair-simeji/ By Zenko on May 2nd, 2013

If you’re an RDG Red Data Girl who happens to be visiting Tokyo between the dates of May 11 and May 26, make sure to stop by the 7th floor event space in Akihabara Gamers’. Japanese input system Simeji is having a very Vocaloid update with newly released skins. Users of Android smartphones will be happy to know that Simeji, a free Japanese input keyboard, has released a new skin with VOCALOID fans in mind. Hatsune Miku, Kagamine Rin and Len, and Megurine Luka. The skins can be downloaded within the application itself by hitting the gear above the qwerty and swype input section. In classic Simeji this can be done by hitting the mushroom key in the lower part of the keyboard.

The folks behind the currently on-going anime series as well as its manga counterpart (illustrated by Ranmaru Kotone) are teaming up to put together a Red Data Girl Museum exhibition where you’ll be able to look up numerous pieces of pre-production sketches, recording scripts, and more.

The skin’s also list each VOCALOID’s statistics, and gives the option to set one of three colors. For Miku the choices are Aqua, Pink and Black. Luka gives the options of Gold, Pink or Black. And for the Kagamine twins Aqua, Pink, and Gold. 10

May 3rd, 2013

Published by: VR-Zone

Source: RDG anime, Gamers [via @mellco]

Sachika Misawa, μ’s, and fripSide coming to Animelo Summer Live 2013 Source: http://sgcafe.com/2013/05/sachika-misawa-%CE%BCs-fripsidecoming-animelo-summer-live-2013/ By SunSoftware on May 2nd, 2013

In conjunction with the RDG Red Data Girl Museum, the Gamers store in Akihabara is also organising an RDG fair where you’ll be able to pick up memorabilia based on the light novel, manga, and anime series. Customers who spend a minimum of 2,000 yen at the RDG Red Data Girl Museum fair will also be entitled to receive a special character print illustrated by Mel Kishada (RDG’s original character designer) with his signature on it.

Animelo Summer Live is the biggest annual anime music festival, and this year, they’re ready to do it justice as they add three more big names to the artist lineup. Animelo Summer Live 2013 will take place on August 23, 24, and 25. We already know 28 of the artists who will be featured this year, but now that AniSummer is stretching across three days, 28 isn’t enough, so the producers have revealed three more artists who will join the party. Sachika Misawa

Sachika Misawa is a rising star who debuted as a voice actress with her role as Yuri in the anime Shangri-La. However, that’s nothing compared to her biggest job, the role of Kuroyukihime, the heroine of the hit action anime Accel World. She went on to voice the idol Arisa from the movie Toaru Majutsu no Index: Endymion no Kiseki and has sung the second ending theme of Accel World and a song from the Toaru movie 11

May 3rd, 2013

Published by: VR-Zone

Last but not least, fripSide is a pop/trance duo consisting of the composer Satoshi Yaginuma (sat) and vocalist Yoshino Nanjou (who also voices Eri from μ’s). After Nanjou replaced the past vocalist in 2009, they released their first single together, only my railgun, which peaked at no. 3 on the Oricon Weekly charts. Last year, they celebrated their 10th anniversary with their album Decade and two solo lives in Tokyo and Osaka. μ’s

μ’s (pronounced “muse”) is the fictional idol unit from Dengeki G’s Magazine’s idol project Love Live. The group has been releasing singles and animated music videos since 2010, but because of the anime series that aired this year, their popularity has skyrocketed, so you can look forward to seeing their real life counterparts performing at AniSummer this summer. Which songs do you want to hear? The members of μ’s are Honoka Kousaka (CV: Emi Nitta), Umi Sonoda (Suzuko Mimori), Kotori Minami (Aya Uchida), Hanayo Koizumi (Yurika Kubo), Rin Hoshizora (Riho Iida), Maki Nishikino (Pile), Niko Yazawa (Sora Tokui), Eri Ayase (Yoshino Nanjou), and Nozomi Toujou (Aina Kusuda).

Furthermore, they performed the opening theme of the first and second seasons of Toaru Kagaku no Railgun, so fans can look forward to seeing fripSide perform songs from the anime live.

Misawa and μ’s will perform on August 23, and fripSide, on August 24. You can look below for the current list of artists coming to AniSummer this year (warning: it is huge, and it is going to get bigger). August 23: • ALI PROJECT • Akira Kushida • ZAQ • Minori Chihara • ChouCho • nano.RIPE • Sachika Misawa • μ’s • May’n • Momoiro Clover Z • Ray August 24:

fripSide

• angela • Sumire Uesaka 12

May 3rd, 2013

Published by: VR-Zone

• OLDCODEX • Minami Kuribayashi • GRANRODEO • Zwei • T-Pistonz+KMC • Megumi Nakajima • fripSide August 25: • Yui Ogura • Maon Kurosaki • Mikako Komatsu • Kenichi Suzumura • ST「RISH • Sphere • Yukari Tamura • Hiroaki TOMMY Tominaga • Nana Mizuki • Mamoru Miyano • YuiKaori Source: AniSummer homepage

May 6th, 2013

Published by: VR-Zone

SGCafe : Cosplay | Vocaloid | Otaku | Pop Culture A daily publication about Cosplay, Vocaloid, Otaku and Japanese Pop Culture

Listen to Kirino and Kuroneko guide visitors to Bizan [videos] Source: http://sgcafe.com/2013/05/listen-kirino-kuroneko-guidevisitors-bizan-videos/ By SunSoftware on May 6th, 2013

If you want to hear more of Kirino and Kuroneko, you can watch the second season of OreImo airing this season. If you want to see more of Mt. Bizan, go to the travel agency of your choice. Source: Machi Asobi homepage, Moe Otanews

Sword Art Online Progressive Girls Ops manga adaptations to start in June Source: http://sgcafe.com/2013/05/sword-art-online-mangaadaptations-start-june/ By weiq on May 6th, 2013

Machi Asobi vol. 10 was a huge success over the weekend, and as one of the festivities, visitors who rode the ropeway to Mt. Bizan were escorted by the heroines of OreImo. Mt. Bizan is a landmark of Tokushima City, where Machi Asobi vol. 10 was held. It would have been a pity if a lot of people came to the event and didn’t see the mountain, so as a treat, every year during Machi Asobi, a pair of anime characters work as guides for Mt. Bizan’s ropeway (aka aerial lift or cable car). This year, the guides were Kirino and Kuroneko from OreImo (voiced by Ayana Taketatsu and Kana Hanazawa). If you didn’t get to ride the ropeway during Machi Asobi, you can still experience the trip with these videos. Ropeway Guide Kirino Kousaka Ropeway Guide Kuroneko In addition to being escorted by these girls, visitors who rode the ropeway also received a ticket holder featuring illustrations by the original character designer of OreImo, Hiro Kanzaki.

May 6th, 2013

Published by: VR-Zone By Zenko on May 5th, 2013

Approximately 5000 parents and children who are fans showed up to Momoiro Clover Z’s Boy’s Day event.

SAO fans, what if you have not one, but two manga adaptations of your favourite light novel and anime series to look forward to? First up, a spin-off adaptation, titled “Sword Art Online Girls Ops”, which will feature (you guessed it) the girls-only cast of Lisbeth, Silica, and Leafa. Artist Neko Nekobyō will draw the series and it will be published on the 32nd Vol. of Dengeki Bunko Magazine from June 10 onwards.

Next, the adaptation of Sword Art Online: Progressive will be published on the August issue of Dengeki G’s Magazine from June 29 onwards. It will be the revised retelling of Kirito’s journey through the floating Aincrad castle from the beginning, floor-by-floor. Kiseki Himura, doujinshi artist for series like “Fate/Stay Night dj – Sword Dancers”, “Infinite Stratos dj – The Evidence of Guilt – Mark Three” and “Mahou Shoujo Lyrical Nanoha dj – Mahou Shoujo Lyrical Nanoha BetrayerS” will pen the series.

As part of the festivities for Boy’s Day in Japan, Momoiro Clover Z held a special event called Momoiro Hero Show, in which they appeared as Momoiro Animal Z. The full title for this years event was “MomoClover’s Kid’s Festival 2013: Protect! Our Battle at the Tobu Zoo! Momoiro Clover Animal Z!” As expected from their title, Momoiro Clover Z appeared in outfits specially designed for the event before changing for a concert.

Before the concert began they put on a show for the kids and parents that showed up, where they transformed into Momoiro Animal Z and beat up the bad guys that are trying to kill off all the cute animals in the zoo. The main antagonist is a cockroach that controls an army called “Black Cockroach,” who attack the headquarters of Momoiro Clover Z in Tokyo-03. By calling on the heroes, the audience is able to summon Momoiro Clover Z to the stage.

source: 0taku.livedoor.biz, yaraon.blog109.fc2.com

Momoiro Clover Z performs special concert for Boy’s Day Source: http://sgcafe.com/2013/05/momoiro-clover-performs-specialconcert-boys-day/

Apart from Momoiro Clover Z, other special guests were also present to help with the performance of the songs, all of which were songs the kids would know. The guests included Hiro Michio and Tanizou, who performed Momoiro Clover Z’s Coconuts (コココココ) along with five other songs.

May 6th, 2013

Published by: VR-Zone

Source: AnimeAnime

The Idolm@ster: It’s Iori Minase’s birthday today! Preorder her T-shirt! Source: http://sgcafe.com/2013/05/idolmster-iori-minases-birthdaytoday-pre-order-t-shirt/ By KarbyP on May 5th, 2013

It’s Iori Minase’s birthday today! And what better way to celebrate the self-proclaimed “everyone’s idol” than for character goods maker Cospa to come out with a Iori-themed birthday T-shirt? Similar to the Haruka Amami birthday T-shirt that Cospa announced last month, the front of this Iori Minase tee is designed to look like the front cover of a magazine, complete with Iori’s autograph. Meanwhile, the back of the shirt features a close-up of the Idolm@ster character.

The shirt, officially called the Minase Iori Full Graphic TShirt Birthday ver. (ココココココココココココTコココ Birthday ver.), is priced at 8,400 yen, which is fairly steep for a character tee – but it does look way better than the typical 3,000 or 5,000 yen tees that you’d find in Japan. Pre-orders for the shirt begin today, and the actual sale/ delivery date is expected to be sometime in early July. Available exclusively from the TBS ishop store, where you’ll also find a slew of other items themed around Iori Minase’s birthday.

May 6th, 2013

Published by: VR-Zone

Nakamura was made JR Tokushima station’s station master for a day as part of the festivities for Tokushima-based anime event Machi Asobi (vol.10). According to the news programme in the second video you see above, several hundred fans (okay, over 200, according to Gigazine) lined up at JR Tokushima station as early as 3AM in the morning for a chance to be grace be station master Eriko Nakamura’s presence, as well as to buy the following anime-themed train ticket vouchers (they come in sets of five tickets). Three designs for the train ticket vouchers were available: Fate/Zero (front and back pictured below), Macross (front and back), and The Idolm@ster (front; no back shot as Gigazine didn’t manage to get ahold of one).

Source: Dengeki

The Idolm@ster’s Eriko Nakamura (Haruka Amami) made JR Tokushima’s station master for a day Source: http://sgcafe.com/2013/05/idolmsters-eriko-nakamura-harukaamami-tokushimas-train-station-master-day/ By KarbyP on May 5th, 2013

Source: daranisuK, Gigazine (2)

Atelier Escha & Logy: new character silhouette revealed, voiced by Kana Akutsu No no, this is not a change in career tracks for voice actress Eriko Nakamura (Haruka Amami in The Idolm@ster). She’s still going to voice all your favourite “dojikkos” and whatnot.

Source: http://sgcafe.com/2013/05/atelier-escha-logy-charactersilhouette-revealed-voiced-by-kana-akutsu/

May 6th, 2013 By KarbyP on May 5th, 2013

Published by: VR-Zone

Apart from the character silhouette, Gust also showed off a new gameplay video that includes an event scene explaining the origins of the animal tail clothing accessory that heroine Escha always wears on her. Apprently, the tail accessory was made by Escha’s mother, and is somehow able to move on its own. The inner workings of the accessory (as in, how it was made) are kept a secret from Escha herself.

As part of Tokushima city’s Machi Asobi vol.10 event (from May 3 to 5), yesterday JRPG developer Gust hosted a special talk show where they revealed the silhouette of a new central character in their forthcoming PS3 title Atelier Escha & Logy, as well as a new trailer that explains why lead character Escha’s “shippo” (animal tail) accessory is able to move on its own. The silhouette you see in the image above belongs to the new character in question, who will be voiced by Kana Akutsu. At the moment Gust is not ready to reveal specifics on the new character – things like what her personality is like, or which part of the game would player meet her at. For those details you’ll have to wait to read about it in Japanese game magazines sometime in June (which is awfully close to the June 27 release date for the game in Japan).

Atelier Escha & Logy: Alchemists of the Dusk Sky for the PlayStation 3 is set for release in Japan June 27, 2013. Source: Famitsu

AKB48 releases appeal videos for this year’s Senbastu Elections Source: http://sgcafe.com/2013/05/akb48-releases-appeal-videos-yearssenbastu-elections/ By Az on May 5th, 2013

Voice actress Kana Akutsu was present at the event, and although she was not allowed to touch on character specifics, she did comment that the new character is pretty cute, and that the character type is one that she’s never played before in all of her voice roles. As a result of that, after the folks at Gust got her to record the dubs for all of the character’s scenes in the game, she was asked to re-record the very first scene. Judging from what she said, Famitsu is speculating (oh, they probably know for sure) that the new character has a pretty important role in the game’s story.

AKB48, or should I say the 48-group (AKB, SKE, NMB, HKT, JKT/SNH), has just released each member’s appeal for 5

May 6th, 2013

the 5th Senbatsu Sousenkyo Elections. The results will be revealed this June 8 in Nissan Stadium, Yokohama. For those not familiar, before the votes are cast, the 48-group releases appeals for votes from each member. Each member can use the one to two minute appeal time as they see fit and decide on their own what to say and what to wear. Thus, it becomes a showcase of each member’s individuality. Some opt to go for that serious, passionate appeal while some go for that nonsensical, funny appeal.

Published by: VR-Zone

Kara no Kyoukai Fukan Fuukei 3D hits Japanese theatres July 13, along with Fate/Zero Cafe Source: http://sgcafe.com/2013/05/kara-kyoukai-fukan-fuukei-3dcoming-july-13-fatezero-cafe/ By SunSoftware on May 4th, 2013

Let’s see what last year’s top three members have to say this year. Here are transcripts of their videos. コ Oshima Yuko – AKB48 Team-K, Rank 1 “I have announced my candidacy for the 5th Senbatsu Sousenkyo Elections. I would now like to put all my ardor and enthusiasm into one kanji character. Of course, as Japanese, a character must be written with a brush and in ink, right? Okay. Let’s do it! (She writes the character ‘matsuri, コ’ (festival) on the wall, in high-spirits no less) IT’S A FESTIVAL! (She disappears from screen while doing a festive dance and chant) コ Watanabe Mayu – AKB48 Team-A, Rank 2 “Last year, because of everyone’s warm support, I was able to receive this wonderful rank of 2nd. And this year, because of my fans’ love and presence, I was able to truly feel the heaviness of this achievement. It has been that kind of year. From now on too, I will spend my days doing my best in returning the favor. For this year’s elections, same as I have said last year, I would once again aim for the top. As the voting comes, please support Watanabe Mayu once again.” コ Kashiwagi Yuki – AKB48 Team-B, Rank 3 “This year’s election has a candidacy system, so when I was thinking of announcing mine, I thought of all the chances I was given this year. I thought that I have become a little more confident in myself because of the fans’ support during the elections. I have solo debuted this year and now have individual activities and so I thought that I would give priority to AKB’s dream as a whole and give what ever I have, though it may be so little, to the growth of the group. And with that, I have decided to join this year’s elections. I will work so hard that you will be glad that you supported me. And for my fans, I will put you all in a daze (her signature line)! With that said, I am now at my most motivated this year! Everyone, please favor me this year!

If you have been waiting for the official date for the next Kara no Kyoukai movie, your wait is over — also, you have another movie (well, a shorter one) to look forward to. At the Machi Asobi event that opened on Friday, animation studio ufotable announced that Kara no Kyoukai: Fukan Fuukei 3D, the 3D version of Type-Moon’s first Kara no Kyoukai film from 2008, will be released in theatres on July 13. But that’s not all! ufotable also revealed a movie based on another of Type-Moon’s works. Can you figure out what it is by looking at this poster?

The Senbatsu Elections has always been the most tense and arguably the most looked forward to event of the AKB48 year. All eyes on Oshima Yuko and Watanabe Mayu as they battle for the top spot. We’ll know this year if the young generation would take over or if the veteran members stand strong. Rank 4 member Sashihara Rino (HKT48 Team H) is garnering attention too with her sudden rise in rank despite a scandal. It will also be interesting how now research student Minegishi Minami, infamous for shaving her hair as apology, will fare this year. Here is AKB48′s Official Channel for all the videos of each member (totaling 248 members). source: Oricon, AKB48 Official Channel

May 6th, 2013

Published by: VR-Zone

It seems like a far cry from the serious Kara no Kyoukai series, but you don’t need to worry about paying for a separate ticket, because both Kara no Kyoukai: Fukan Fuukei 3D and Fate/Zero Cafe will be screened together. Also coming this autumn is Kara no Kyoukai: Mirai Fukuin, the brand new movie and epilogue, so this will be a good year for fans of the Kara no Kyoukai series. Source: Yaraon

‘Saint Young Men’ bentos go on sale at Tachikawa city’s Takashimaya departmental store Source: http://sgcafe.com/2013/05/saint-young-men-bentos-saletachikawa-citys-takashimaya-departmental-store/ By KarbyP on May 3rd, 2013

… Oh, wait. You can just barely see it, but in the lower right corner, there is an announcement for a movie adaptation of Fate/Zero Cafe.

If you’re a Type-Moon fan and have never heard of Fate/Zero Cafe, don’t be too hard on yourself. Fate/Zero Cafe is a spinoff 4-panel manga in which the characters of Fate/Zero run a cafe and are drawn super-deformed. The manga is made by ufotable and has been running in Monthly Newtype since last August.

Saint Young Men‘s story is set in Tokyo’s Tachikawa city. So what better way to promote the upcoming Saint Young Men anime film, than for the film’s marketing team to work with local businesses in Tachikawa city on limited commemorative goods – such as the Buddha inspired bento 7

May 6th, 2013

Published by: VR-Zone

you see above – to get fans to visit the actual setting of the manga. From now until May 14, the Tachikawa branch of departmental chain Takashimaya will be stocking two Saint Young Men-themed bentos “Maria-san’s affectionate bento” (ココココココココココ, 630 yen, pictured below) which is a lunchbox that comes packed with chicken as a main dish, and a “Buddha’s ‘leave it/him be curry” (コココココココココココ, 525 yen) that’s basically a healthy vegetable curry meal (up top).

So if you’re a fan of the manga-turned-anime-film, and happen to be in the Tokyo area, you might want to make a pilgrimage to Tachikawa and get in touch with your inner Saint Young Men Jesus/Buddha. Source: Comic Natalie Both bento sets are limited to 20 pieces per day, and available exclusively at Tachikawa Takashimaya from now till May 14. Truth be told, judging from the pictures along, these Saint Young Men bento sets are not exactly something I’d travel all the way to Tachikawa for, if I was an SYM fan living in Tokyo – they look like regular bentos, really. What might be a little more interesting, then, are a “Saint Young Men Wrapping Bus” that will run in Tachikawa city beginning May 8. Apart from featuring SYM-themed decorations, the voice actors for Saint Young Men’s Jesus and Buddha characters, Mirai Moriyama and Gen Hoshino respectively, will also voice part of the recorded announcements played back on the bus.

Fans who stop by the Orion bookstore (ココココココ) in Tachikawa can also purchase a specially designed Saint Young Men A4 clear file sold exclusively there. A series of anime flags have also been planted at various locations within Tachikawa.

Perfume, Momoiro Clover Z ahead of AKB48 in Nikkei Entertainment’s ‘Top 14 Female (Idol) Groups’ ranking Source: http://sgcafe.com/2013/05/perfume-momoiro-clover-akb48nikkei-entertainments-top-14-female-idol-groups-ranking/ By KarbyP on May 3rd, 2013

Who are the top female idol groups in the Japanese music industry right now? According to Nikkei Entertainment magazine, who has just published the 2013 results to their annual “Talent Power Rankings” survey in its June issue (on newsstands May 2), these 14 acts are the most popular at the moment: 8

May 6th, 2013

Published by: VR-Zone

1. Perfume 2. Momoiro Clover Z 3. AKB48 4. Morning Musume 5. SKE48 6. Nogizaka 46 7. NMB48 8. HKT48 9. Fairies 10. Berryz Kobo 11. Smileage 12. Flower 13. Happiness 14. Sphere

Talent Power Score (Biggest Increase) Top 10 Momoiro Clover Z is third on this list, having jumped from 8.2 in 2012 to 23.7. Kyary Pamyu Paamyu is no.4, jumping from 18.3 in 2012 to 32.8 this year in February. Looks like appearing on NHK’s Red-White Song Contest programme really helped to boost their stock.

The female idol group rankings is only one of several published in the June issue of Nikkei Entertainment magazine. Other ranking lists include specialised ones for the top actors, musicians, comedians, sportsman, among other categories, as well as an overall “Talent Power (Overall) Top 100″ ranking. Before we move on to the results in some of those other specialised rankings, as well as the overall top 10, it’s important to note the research methodology Nikkei Entertainment employed in its survey findings – something they’ve been doing annually since 2008. The survey was conducted independently by marketing research firm, Architect Co., Ltd., who assigned a “talent power score” to each of 1251 artistes based on two criteria: familiarity (the number of survey respondents who were able to identify an artiste’s name and face), and interest level (the number of survey respondents indicating that they’d like to see, hear, and know more about the artiste). The survey was conducted earlier this year in February.

Talent Power Score (Biggest Increase) Top 10Individually, the AKB48 girls lead the pack here. But members of AKB’s sister groups, as well as those from Momoiro Clover Z, are doing quite well themselves.

Once the talent power scores were decided, only then are the various ranking lists formed, based on which artistes would fall under which category. In other words, just as important as the actual rankings are the “talent power scores” listed to the right of each artiste’s name. With that said, let’s talk a look at some of the other rankings: Talent Power (Overall) Top 10 Haruka Ayase is at the top, most likely due to her role in the latest NHK Taiga drama. Arashi is no.2.

May 6th, 2013

Published by: VR-Zone

Source: 2ch, Nikkei

May 8th, 2013

Published by: VR-Zone

SGCafe : Cosplay | Vocaloid | Otaku | Pop Culture A daily publication about Cosplay, Vocaloid, Otaku and Japanese Pop Culture

‘Attack on Titan’ BD/DVD will include prototype manga by original creator Source: http://sgcafe.com/2013/05/attack-titan-bddvd-includeprototype-manga-original-creator/ By SunSoftware on May 8th, 2013

In case you aren’t familiar with the current manga, Attack on Titan is set in a world where humans have built massive walls to protect themselves from man-eating Titans until one Titan destroys a wall and wreaks havoc, leading to a boy named Eren to vow revenge against all Titans. The series won the Kodansha Manga Award in the shounen category in 2011 and has sold over nine million copies.

If you have been reading this site, you may have noticed that Attack on Titan has become a sensation. If you’re a fan and want to see one of the earliest versions of the series, you should pre-order the first Blu-ray or DVD soon. The first Blu-ray and DVD volume of Attack on Titan (Shingeki no Kyojin) will be released on July 17 for 6,300 yen. As a bonus, the first print run will be packaged with the never before released “unpublished volume 0″. This bonus volume is a 65-page prototype of the Attack on Titan manga written by the original creator Hajime Isayama when he was 19 years old (he is 26 now).

This bonus manga is a must-read for fans of Attack on Titan, so if you’re one of them, pre-order your Blu-ray Disc or DVD soon. If you’ve never seen Attack on Titan and are on the fence, you can read our impressions here. Source: Yaraon

Gargantia’s Amy and Bellows Swimsuit Figurine Announced Source: http://sgcafe.com/2013/05/gargantias-amy-bellows-swimsuitfigurine-annonced/ By weiq on May 8th, 2013

Although it hasn’t been confirmed, this is probably the oneshot that Isayama submitted to Kodansha’s Magazine Grand Prix in 2006, which received an honorable mention.

Figurine and model company Wave had just announced Gargantia’s Amy and Bellows to be the new models for their Beach Queens series. 1

May 8th, 2013

Published by: VR-Zone

Waveâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Beach Queen figurine series is all about donning anime female characters in swimsuits. Though no prototypes or dates have been revealed, we are able to catch a glimpse on the designated swimwear for the two ladies from the series, which just had a swimwear episode aired last week.

Source: Crunchyroll, blog.livedoor.jp/wavecorp1

Other characters that have been slated for release are Hyoukaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Eru Chitanda and Mayaka Ibara, which the swimsuit design are based on the OVA episode.

BBQ in Tsumagoi: Short interviews with PornoGraffitti, Perfume, and flumpool Source: http://sgcafe.com/2013/05/short-interview-pornograffittiperfume-flumpool-%E3%80%8Cbbq-tsumagoi-bokura-beat-wo-kuraekora-%E3%80%8D/

May 8th, 2013 By Az on May 8th, 2013

Published by: VR-Zone

with this “fes” concept, and we don’t really have many chances to appear in the same stage with artistes like Perfume and ONE OK ROCK. Maybe a point would be how nervous we’ll be in appearing with them? (laughs) To those who will come, please leave the front space open, and just have fun. Also, surely most of those that will come will get to watch an artist new to them. ——————————————————————

Continuing on from the previous article on the Amuse BBQ, in a short interview done by natalie, Porno Graffitti, Perfume, and flumpool share their thoughts and enthusiasm on the event.

Perfume————————————————– Q. What are you most excited about in the event? Kashiyuka: This is our first time in holding an event with people from our agency, so even we are looking forward to what the content will be. We’re looking forward to seeing each artist’s stage too, and since there’s 「BBQ「 in the title, I’m thinking maybe we really could do a barbecue? I would like to!

Porno Graffitti —————————————— Q. What was your motivation for starting 「BBQ in Tsumagoi ~ Bokura no Beat wo Kurae KORA! ~「? Shindou Haruichi (G): Every summer, we meet up with friends in AMUSE, do barbecue, drink, talk about stuff, and just celebrate. During one of those days, around 5 years ago, we started talking about making this kind of celebration into an event. So we match this event with Amuse’s 35th anniversary and decide to hold it in Tsumagoi, since that place is great for this kind of musical movement. It’s interesting because this special event was not born from a conference room, but from a barbecue party. Q. What would be the highlight of this event? SH: All the appearing artistes watch each others’ lives, connect with each other well, and know the capabilities of each other as an artist. Of the numerous groups some of them might be thinking to knock one out of the park [in terms of their performance]. so I think that would be the highlight. (laughs) Q. What would be the unique point of interest for this event? Okano Akihito (Vo): Each artist appearing in 「BBQ「 have their own special traits. As for us, we’re not really familiar

A-Chan: I can easily talk to anyone in this group, and there’s that strong feeling of fellowship among us. This live would be like sharing how we celebrate in our private time and just enjoying our work. I think it would be great if we could make the audience feel this bond we have among us. Nocchi: I think that all of lives in this event would definitely be fun! Also, everyone’s MC talk is really funny. The performances are going to be amazing too, of course, but the talks will also be interesting so I think you could look forward to the lives of the artistes you aren’t even a fan of. Q. Please give a message to the fans who are going to attend the event. K: I would also like the fans to interact with each other – I want them to do stuff like talk about the artistes they like in common. I would be happy if they could all enjoy together. They could ask each other “what songs would you recommend?” or “how do you get into this performance?”, and by that become one with everyone. A: Though it’s summer fes season, this is a new kind of event. We want this event to be an energetic one, and since it’s a live with colleagues, I think everyone is just so excited for this. There’s also that feeling of “celebrate for Amuse!” and returning the favor to the agency. It’s will live bursting with laughter and energy. It’s going to be different from your usual live so I want people to come and watch. The female 3

May 8th, 2013

performers among the group are a bit few so we’re thinking if we should wear something a little cuter than what we wear usually. Well we’re pretty excited about this too! N: There’s a little nervousness during your usual fes, though it’s still fun. However, since this time it’s a live with friends, I think you would be able to see the ‘at-home’ face of that artist you like! ——————————————————————

Published by: VR-Zone

PornoGraffitti, Perfume & flumpool plus 11 other Amuse music groups hold a photoshoot for BBQ event Source: http://sgcafe.com/2013/05/14-amuse-groups%E3%80%8Camuse-bbq%E3%80%8D-photoshoot-comments-pornograffitti-perfume-flumpool/ By Az on May 7th, 2013

flumpool—————————————————— Q. How enthusiastic are you for this event? Yamamura Ryouta (Vo,G): We’ll be appearing for both days, so it would be nice if people come for both days too. They’ll be receiving everyone’s energy and excitement, so I feel that we’ll have a great live for both days. Sakai Kazuki (G): We’re going to be holding the event with a lot of seniors so while we are excited to see all the lives, we also feel that we’re engaged in a battle here, and with that I could give my all. Also, this photoshoot would be my last visual activity before I focus on my diet, so the ‘me’ that you’ll see on the event should be completely different. (laughs) Please look forward to that too. Amakawa Genki (B): We got close to our colleagues in the agency through barbecue so I think that through this event, we would be able to close the gap between us and the audience. Incidentally, if I were to compare us to barbecue ingredients, artistes such as Perfume and Porno would be the marbled beef so I guess we’ll be the onions here. (laughs) Ogura Seiji (Dr): Because the artistes here get along really well and because this is an Amuse-sponsored event, I think that the atmosphere of the live would be like no other fes. I would like everyone to feel that Amuse is this much fun and that everyone gets along so well. ——————————————————————

Amuse will be holding a special summer event called 「BBQ in Tsumagoi ~ Bokura no Beat wo Kurae KORA! ~「 this July 13 and 14 in Tsumagoi, Shizuoka. To promote the event, all participating artists did a special photoshoot together. 「BBQ in Tsumagoi ~ Bokura no Beat wo Kurae KORA! ~「 is an event derived from the annual BBQ Rally that Porno Graffitti holds every year. Porno Graffitti usually holds this event with artists they have deep connections with, but because it is Amuse’s 35th anniversary, it has become a celebration with 13 other Amuse groups. The confirmed number of artistes at this point is 14 groups (totaling 41 people) for the two-day event.

Check out the official site of the event here. source: natalie

May 8th, 2013

The photoshoot was held on one April day when all of the artists schedules miraculously matched. Before the shoot, the artists were all making friendly talk with each other and those with instruments even held a short jamming session. However, once the godfathers of the event, Porno Graffitti, entered, the atmosphere became a little heavier.

Published by: VR-Zone

ClariS receives new illustrated look from Madoka’s studio Shaft for their 2nd album ‘Second Story’ (on sale June 26) Source: http://sgcafe.com/2013/05/claris-2nd-album-new-illustrationmadoka-studio-shaft/ By KarbyP on May 7th, 2013

The photoshoot was done with three variations: one with instruments, one without, and one with the artistes holding a board with written messages. The photographer, Makoto Okuguchi, can only say words of amazement and wonder with each shot as he sees all 41 members perfectly matching each other. The staff also gave out instructions like “let’s have a cool photo!” or “let’s take a lively one!” to which the artistes gladly obliged. In one amusing scene, when the artistes were asked to be “loud and celebratory”, the boys among the group started to feel shy. In the midst of the awkwardness, Perfume’s A-Chan turned around to face them and shouted, “with a smile now!”. After which, all 41 members broke out of their shyness and the shoot proceeded smoothly. ====

ClariS, an anisong duo who has never made a live appearance and whose identities have thus far been represented as anime characters on their CD covers, is receiving a new look for the upcoming release of their new album, Second Story. The new illustrated look was done by Shaft animator Hideyuki Morioka, who is said to have worked on the “original picture” for Puella Magi Madoka Magica anime series (we’re not sure if that’s a mistake), in conjunction with the rest of the Madoka Magica team at Shaft.

Amuse 35th Anniversary BBQ in Tsumagoi ~ Bokura no Beat wo Kurae KORA! ~

On top of ClariS’s new illustrated look, Morioka and the Madoka Magica team will also be working on the sleeve case for one of two limited edition releases of ClariS’s second album.

July 13, 2013 – Tsumagoi, Shizuoka Artist line-up: Porno Graffitti / Perfume / ONE OK ROCK / NICO Touches the Walls / flumpool / WEAVER / Takahashi Yuu / MIHIRO / MONOBRIGHT / Tawata Emi / Hemenway / Rihwa / HaKU July 14, 2013 – Tsumagoi, Shizuoka Artist line-up: Porno Graffitti / FLOW / Perfume / ONE OK ROCK / flumpool / WEAVER / Takahashi Yuu / MIHIRO / MONOBRIGHT / Tawata Emi / Hemenway / Rihwa / HaKU source: natalie

May 8th, 2013

Published by: VR-Zone

Yeah, it’s almost like they’re forcing you to choose between two daughters. Fortunately, you can buy both – if that’s any consolation. ClariS’s second full album, Second Story, hits record stores in Japan June 26. Source: Natalie

Make your packed lunch truly ‘stand out’ with these JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure Decoration Picks Source: http://sgcafe.com/2013/05/packed-lunch-stand-out-jojosbizarre-adventure-decoration-picks/ By KarbyP on May 7th, 2013

Second Story is ClariS’s second full album, and it consists of three already released singles – Wake Up (OP to Moyashimon Returns), reunion (OP theme to OreImo), and Luminous (theme song for the Madoka Magica movie, Part One) – as well as nine brand new tracks. Like we mentioned earlier, two limited editions – “limitedtime production edition” (「「「「「「「) and a “complete limited edition (「「「「「「「) – of the album will be available on top of a regular edition. Both limited editions will come with a DVD containing the PV music videos for the aforementioned previously released singles as well as the lead song from the set of nine new tracks. So what’s the difference? Well, apparently only the limitedtime production edition will include the sleeve case designed by anime studio Shaft. On the otherhand, the “complete” limited edition comes with Grafig papercrafts (ClariS reunion version) made in the likeness of ClariS’s animated duo instead.

Toy and figure maker Sentinel Co., Ltd are releasing a series of decoration picks inspired by Hirohiko Araki’s popular JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure manga series. Designed with a “Stand” motif in mind – Stands, of course, being the supernatural summons that characters from Part 3 and onwards in JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure can call forth – these picks feature the super-deformed likeness of a Stand on the gripping end, and a projectile attack, such as an arrow or a fireball, on the sharp end. In other words, essentially it’s

May 8th, 2013

Published by: VR-Zone

like you are ordering your Stand to launch an assault on your lunch! Talk about a snack attack. These JoJo’s decoraction picks come in packs of three (525 yen per pack), and a total of six designs are available: Sex Pistols No.1, No.2, No.3; Sex Pistols No.5, No.6, No.7; Metallica; Pearl Jam; and Bad Company. Each pack of three is also available in your choice of any of three colours – blue, orange, or yellow – for a total of 18 varieties.

The JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure Decoration Picks will hit retail stores in Japan in August. Source: Comic Natalie

Cast of school action anime C³-bu revealed Source: http://sgcafe.com/2013/05/cast-stella-jogakuin-koutouka-c %C2%B3-bu-revealed/ By SunSoftware on May 7th, 2013

The next school action anime from the renowned studio Gainax is coming this summer, and among the voice talent joining them are big names like Miyuki Sawashiro and Yui Makino. Stella Jogakuin Koutouka C³-bu (Stella Women’s Academy, High School Division Class C³, not to be confused with C³, the 2011 love comedy) is centered around a high school girl named Yura Yamato who enters Stella Woman’s Academy, where she joins a club called “C³” (“C-cube”), where members compete in military survival games with airsoft guns. The anime is based on the manga of the same name written by Ikoma and drawn by Momoka Midorito.

May 8th, 2013

Published by: VR-Zone

Playstation Network in Japan has their own cat-based mascots, and this past Monday one of them celebrated their birthday in style! In the Aqua City building on Tokyo’s artificial island of Odaiba, PSN mascot Toro celebrated his fourteenth birthday. The name of the event was “Let’s spend time with Toro! Meowful Birthday Party presented by Kuro”. The birthday party has become a traditional closing event on the last day of Golden Week in Japan.

The latest issue of Monthly Young Magazine revealed the cast of this upcoming anime, which you can see below. Curiously, it includes stars like Miyuki Sawashiro, as well as a complete newcomer. • Yura Yamato: Yui Makino (Sakura from Tsubasa Chronicle) • Sonora Kashima: Miyuki Sawashiro (Shinku from Rozen Maiden) • Karila Hatsuse: Ai Kayano (Saori from Girls und Panzer) • Honoka Mutsu: Chiwa Saitou (Homura from Puella Magi Madoka Magica) • Rento Kirishima: Rima Nishizima (actress/model debuting as voice actress)

The event included serving a special cake, a fashion show staring Toro and a special appearance by Kumamoto’s mascot Kumamon. A great number of fans of the white cat mascot showed up to congratulate him on another year passing.

• Yachiyo Hinata: Madoka Yonezawa (Ui from K-ON!) Earlier this year, the studio Gainax also revealed the staff of the anime: • Director: Masayoshi Kawajiri (background artist debuting as director) • Character Designer: Manami Umeshita (Medaka Box) • Music Composer: Koutarou Nakagawa (Hayate no Gotoku!) • Animation Studio: Gainax (Neon Genesis Evangelion) They also revealed a teaser video featuring girls holding firearms in dramatic poses and catchy jazz music.

Although originally from their own game franchise, Doko Demo Issyo, Kuro and Toro have since found their way into several other franchises including Let’s Golf! and Project Diva. He, and his friend Kuro, have also appeared recently in Playstation All-Stars Battle.

Fans of Gainax or cute girls fighting with replica guns should keep an eye on C³-bu when it airs this July. Source: Yaraon

Sony’s Toro Inoue celebrates 14th birthday Source: http://sgcafe.com/2013/05/sonys-toro-inoue-celebrates-14thbirthday/ By Zenko on May 7th, 2013

Source: Famitsu

Limited edition HenNeko sweets now available from Patisserie Swallowtail Source: http://sgcafe.com/2013/05/henneko-sweets-patisserieswallowtail/

May 8th, 2013

Published by: VR-Zone

By SunSoftware on May 7th, 2013

Hentai Prince’s Licky Licky Chocolate (680 yen for set of 3) Creepy name aside, these chocolate-on-a-stick feature images of the cute heroines Azusa, Tsukiko, and Tsukushi (aka Steel King).

Patisserie Swallowtail likes to collaborate with anime and make amazing cakes, and now, they have some limited edition sweets based on Hentai Ouji to Warawanai Neko. These sweets are on sale from May 5 to May 12 at Patisserie Swallowtail White Rose’s special booth located in K-Books Akihabara. Tsukiko Cake (680 yen) Modeled after the heroine of the series, this cheesecake features a base with mango seasoning and a surface topped with lemon cream and decorated with a checkered moon and a cute ribbon.

As a present, customers will also get a 9-cm coaster bearing a portrait of one of HenNeko’s heroines for each cake or set of Licky Licky Chocolate.

In addition, as part of their Ai Dolce brand, Patisserie Swallowtail is selling cookies with illustrations by Kantoku, the character designer of HenNeko and member of the doujin circle “Afterschool of the 5th Year”. Kantoku fans, do you recognize these characters?

Stony Cat Statue Cake (680 yen) Modeled after the Stony Cat statue, this cute cake sits atop a chocolate base covered in caramel mousse and chocolate cream. Just like the Stony Cat statue in the anime, this cake will make your wish come true (maybe).

May 8th, 2013

Published by: VR-Zone

Other than platforms and the vague release date, Maxis has not revealed any other details on the new title. However, according to a post on their official blog, more information on the game will be released later today: The Sims franchise is fueled by the passion and creativity of its millions of fans around the world. Their continued devotion to the franchise ignites the fire of creativity of the team at The Sims Studio, driving them to continually improve and innovate on one of the world’s most successful simulation game that has sold more than 150 million copies worldwide. Each cookie costs 630 yen and comes with a 9-cm coaster or 76-mm can patch.

If you’re a HenNeko fan who’s lucky enough to live near Akihabara, you should rush over to Patisserie Swallowtail now before the limited edition sweets are gone.

More information will be revealed later today here on The Beat, so stay tuned.” The Sims 4′s official announcement comes several days after The Sims Russia teased an announcement for this week, and after Netizens discovered that a “thesims4.com” domain that EA had previously registered (way back in 2003, might I add) had been updated in April 2013 – a full year before it was due to expire in April 2014. In addition, the site had apparently went live, re-directing users’ Web browsers to EA’s official website for The Sims series when the URL was entered.

Source: Patisserie Swallowtail White Rose homepage 1, 2

‘The Sims 4′ launching on PC and Mac in 2014 Source: http://sgcafe.com/2013/05/the-sims-4-launching-pc-mac-2014/ By KarbyP on May 6th, 2013

Source: Maxis blog [via ShackNews]

Maxis announced today that a new instalment of their bestselling simulation game franchise, The Sims 4, is currently in the works and scheduled for release on the PC and Mac platforms sometime in 2014. 10

May 9th, 2013

Published by: VR-Zone

SGCafe : Cosplay | Vocaloid | Otaku | Pop Culture A daily publication about Cosplay, Vocaloid, Otaku and Japanese Pop Culture

‘Tales of’ series nail polishers: let the JRPGs’ male leads file your fingernails for you Source: http://sgcafe.com/2013/05/tales-of-series-nail-polishers/ By KarbyP on May 9th, 2013

Like Tales of Xillia 2? Now you can have Nails of Xillia, too – if you use these “Tails of” series nail polishers that feature the JRPGs’ male leads on one side. It’s almost like you have Ludgar/Jude/any other Tales of series’s male leads serving you “at your fingertips”, you princess gamer you. (Disclaimer: if you’re a guy who takes care of your fingernails there is absolutely nothing wrong with you wanting these nail polishers either.) These “Tails of” nail polishers (they’re referred to as “nail polishers”, but are really nail files) are made of reinforced glass, allowing for the anime illustrations to be laser-etched intricately on the back surface. Just look at the gorgeous details in that illust! A total of 12 designs are available, sporting characters from Tales of Xillia 1 and 2, as well as those from Tales of Graces and Tales of Vesperia.

May 9th, 2013

Published by: VR-Zone

The Tales of nail polishers (nail filing) are priced at 1,575 yen each, including tax. Available exclusively from online shop BrainPolice. Pre-orders start today, and end on May 26. The final products are expected to ship out sometime in late June. Source: BrainPolice, Dengeki

Interview with hit social RPG, Sword of Phantasiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s producer, Shunsuke Sasaki Source: http://sgcafe.com/2013/05/interview-hit-social-rpg-swordphantasias-producer-shunsuke-sasaki/ By okaroll on May 9th, 2013

In a world that is producing game applications daily, social RPG Sword of Phantasia has hit 400,000 downloads in just 2

May 9th, 2013

a month from its release. With such good results, we cannot help but to wonder about the secret behind their success. Sword of Phantasia (abbreviated as SOP below) is a social RPG made by Pokelabo and has collaborated with Hip Hop group, ONE ☆ DRAFT for the theme song. This game is released on the iOS and is free for download in the App Store. The game play is engaging and it boasts a wide range of customizable attire for your avatar. Here is a short interview with the producer of the game himself, Shunsuke Sasaki. – You seem to want SOP to hit above 400 000 downloads within one month of its release. Sasaki: Actually the iOS version of SOP was released on April 4 this year. It has hit 100 000 downloads on the first day of its release and got first place in free apps ranking in the App Store. Now, we are targeting to hit 500 000 downloads. – It is amazing to hit 100 000 downloads just on the first day of release! What did you do to make that happen? Sasaki: I thought that hitting 100 000 downloads is rather difficult on the first day. But SOP caught a lot of attention as compared to the other games as the opening sequence and theme song was released. Also, most of its success is due to the large amount of reporting done by the media. So when we announced the closed beta for this game, there were many people who signed up for it. As a result, this closed beta for this game was spread by word of mouth and in the end we had 20 000 beta testers. This has really helped in boosting the popularity of SOP in the beginning.

Published by: VR-Zone

also enjoy the game by playing in party battle mode with a maximum of 20 players. So please check out. – I was immediately surprised by the opening sequence of the game! Sasaki: When I play consumer games, I always loved the animated cut scenes in them. So I thought that I would want to do an opening sequence which is attention grabbing and to show that SOP is a Social RPG. Since I asked an ex Studio Ghibli staff to direct the opening sequence, we actually spent more time on the opening sequence than the game itself. – The theme song is really nice! Why did you decide to use ONE☆DRAFT to sing the game’s theme song? Sasaki: As we have a staff member who writes songs for ONE☆DRAFT, it was easy for the song to match the theme we are going for in this game. So we decided to use them. – What do you think about the song when you first heard it? Sasaki: As this is the first time we were ever had a singer for our opening theme song, we felt really excited about it. Once the opening sequence was matched with the song, it really felt like an opening for a typical anime.

– As you can see the change in the avatar when changing equipment, it must be quite fun for the ladies too. Sasaki: Indeed. According to statistics, it seems that the consumers tend to favor visible changes in the avatar rather than “very rare” equipment. The cute avatars you see in SOP are all created by our female graphic designers. – It seems like it. The bear and rabbit masks are so cute~ Sasaki: That is a huge hit with the players. Unlike other games with an equipment hierachy, we have a user demographic which prefers the joy in customizing the avatar for aesthetic appeal. I think what makes SOP so interesting is that the users are able to create their own style of playing. – I really like cats. I want some cat related equipment! Sasaki: There are many staff members who love cats, so the cat themed avatar might happen.*laughs* – Yes please! Since this is a social RPG, I had no trouble getting into the game at all. Sasaki: I thought of making this become game where light users such as yourself can enjoy the game with your friends. Unlike regular card games, there are a total of 16 different job classes with different specialties and as such, users who like speedrun games will also be able to enjoy it. You can

Above: Proposed pet character designs – So what direction is SOP going for in the future? Sasaki: As we have official in-game events, we would also like to expand a casino and pet system for the game. The casino is for the players to get rid of unwanted equipment and gamble for the item they want and as such there is mobility in attaining more equipment. The pet system works in a way that, it can act as a weapon which will help out during boss battles. We are also thinking of creating a leveling system for the pets and to also make them show in the user’s profile page and avatar. We are also thinking of adding on voices for the characters, so please look forward to that! – Please do check it out once it’s released *laughs* So, any last words to promote SOP? 3

May 9th, 2013

Published by: VR-Zone

Sasaki: SOP consists of the good points about Social RPG and also the game has very high playability. It is an enjoyable game which might make you turn into a mid-core gamer, so please give this game a try. Check out some screenshots of the game play!

via Dengeki Online

Actress Ayame Goriki to star in live action movie adaptation of Ayu Watanabeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s L DK Source: http://sgcafe.com/2013/05/actress-ayame-goriki-star-liveaction-movie-adaptation-ayu-watanabes-l-dk/ By okaroll on May 9th, 2013

May 9th, 2013

Ayame Goriki will be acting as the main female lead, Aoi Nishimori. She has also starred in other live action movie adaptations such as Gachaman and Kuroshitsuji. Ayame commented that since she never tried living alone before, there were many times when she felt embarrassed just thinking about acting out the various closed-quarter fighting scenes between Aoi and the male protagonist Shuusei depicted in the manga. Ayame also said that she wishes to recreate an Aoi that is true to the original work. Since its release in 2009, more than 2 700 000 copies were sold till this date, making this a huge hit. Taisuke Kawamura, who has also directed Nodame Cantabile The Movie II, will be the director for this movie. The script will be written by scriptwriter, Yuko Matsuda, who is known for her work in the Gokusen series. The movie is slated for release in spring 2014. via Mantan Web

Harem action anime ‘MakenKi!’ gets second season Source: http://sgcafe.com/2013/05/harem-action-anime-maken-ki-

Published by: VR-Zone

Maken-Ki!, the harem action anime loaded with fanservice and exaggerated female anatomy, is making a comeback with a brand new staff. The studio Xebec has opened a teaser site announcing the second season of Maken-Ki!, titled Maken-Ki! Two (the “two” is written as “☆”, which means “to pass through” or “street”; we’re not sure why it’s written like that). The anime is based on a manga by Hiromitsu Takeda, which was previously animated by AIC in 2011. The story is centered around a high school boy named Takeru Ooyama who enters a formerly all-girls school, hoping for a happy school life surrounded by cute girls. What he doesn’t know when he enrolls is that the students have magic powers and battle each other with weapons called Maken.

season/ By SunSoftware on May 9th, 2013

Although it hasn’t been confirmed whether the cast from the first season will make a return, the staff has almost completely changed. • Director: Hiraku Kaneko (Seikon no Qwaser) • Character Designer: Akio Takami (Upotte!) • Scenario Writer: BTOOOM!)

Yousuke

Kuroda

(Maken-Ki!,

• Animation Studio: Xebec (Haiyore! Nyaruko-san) These staff members are also responsible for the Maken-Ki OVA that will be included on a Blu-ray Disc with the limited edition of volume 11 of the manga, which will be released in late September, so fans of the series should get that as well. 5

May 9th, 2013

Source: Natalie

Interview with the director of KyoAni’s sexy swimming anime, ‘Free!’ Source: http://sgcafe.com/2013/05/interview-director-sexy-swimminganime-free/ By okaroll on May 9th, 2013

Published by: VR-Zone

Hiroko: Actually there is a part where it shows the reason why Makoto and company* would want to swim was because they were drawn to the main character, Haruka’s* swimming skills. As such, I have to show Haruka’s charm when swimming no matter what. – Who exactly is Haruka? Hiroko: He looks cool on the outside, but he is someone with flaws who only cares about nothing but the swimming pool. But I think that this part of his personality is his charming point. – Are there any special points when creating the bodies for the five of them? Hiroko: Of course. While creating them, I did take note of each character’s bone structure, how prominent their rib cages are, and also the various body parts such as the size of their hands. – Rib cages are the best! The way the muscles that were subtly shown when wearing parkas, are very beautiful. Hiroko: I love rib cages too. – Let us all burn in the passion of pelvic muscles this summer!!!!!! *Let us take a look at the characters for this anime! Haruka Nanase- main character

Remember that article on “that sexy swimming anime” previously reported? Now, we have a short interview with the director, Hiroko Utsumi! Hiroko: Although the original story was set in a primary school, if I were to show this in an animation, I feel like creating cool high school students as compared to primary school students. So I changed it. – I totally agree on that! Hiroko: Since I was trained in drawing, I thought that I would want to show an animation that features physical beauty. As such, I have decided on the theme, “Swimming, Friendship and Torsos” and I wish to promote the anime based on this theme.

Makoto Tachibana

– It is perfect! Hiroko: This series does not show the so called fighting spirit usually featured in sports anime. I decided that it is more important to show a teenage drama where friendships are formed through swimming. From there, I created the five characters. – So how are the friendships in this show going to be developed? Hiroko: I think that developing a friendship is not child’s play so I will start by creating these raw and colliding feelings of competitiveness from swimming. Then, I wish to go in a direction where the anime shows a kind of strong passion that everyone would want to see.

Nagisa Hazuki

– Oh yes, please do!

May 9th, 2013

Rei Ryugazaki

Published by: VR-Zone

Hajime Isayama, author of the “Attack on Titan” anime series, was recently a guest on an internet TV show in Japan. The program was broadcast on NOTTV, Japan’s first dedicated TV station for smartphones, on Tuesday.

Rin Matsuoka

The show is hosted by Yoshida Hisanori, a radio station announcer who often hosts anime event stages and is also famous for being a heavy anime otaku. Throughout the show, Isayama donned a rubber mask of the Colossal Titan (which he eventually remove) and discussed his favorite idols while leaving a few memorable quotes. Luckily for fans who had no access to the show, a photo of a live demonstraation of Japanese calligraphy during the show that records the quotes is posted:

via yaraon, crunchyroll

“Attack On Titan” author appears on Internet talk show Source: http://sgcafe.com/2013/05/attack-titan-author-appearsinternet-talk-show/ By weiq on May 9th, 2013

From right: “Momoka is groundwork technique” (Assuming this is related to MomoClo) “Mikasa is the compilation of Moe” 7

May 9th, 2013

Published by: VR-Zone By SunSoftware on May 8th, 2013

“Do not get fixed on one point of view” “I want to betray, hurt and make them suffer” (is he talking about his manga audience?) “Eat them alive!!” Every guest of the show is asked to make one drawing, so Isayama drew the titan with a peace sign:

In this upcoming fantasy from the studio responsible for Minami-ke, the bad guy is defeated before the story starts, and the main character gets no fame or glory. Of course, the story isn’t that simple… “I received lots of money!!”

It was announced earlier this year that the light novel series Yuusha ni Narenakatta Ore wa Shibushibu Shuushoku wo Ketsui Shimashita (I Reluctantly Decided to Find a Job Because I Couldn’t Become a Hero) will join the ranks of light novels-turned-anime with really long names. The novel series is written by Jun Sakyou and illustrated by Masaki Inuzumi, and currently has five volumes, along with two different manga adaptations. The story is centered around a boy named Raul who has always dreamed of becoming a hero and defeating the demon lord. For years, he trained to become a hero, but suddenly, news spread across the country of the demon lord’s defeat. Now that all of the heroes-in-training are unemployed, Raul gets a part-time job at a magic shop in the royal capital, where he lives an uneventful life until the arrival of a young, arrogant, clueless job applicant — who is the demon lord’s daughter! “Fuhahahaha. You did well to arrive at my cash register, o customer!”

Probably will be the most sought after item for fans and cosplayers soruce: togetter.com, tv.nottv.jp

Staff of fantasy comedy anime YuuShibu revealed Source: http://sgcafe.com/2013/05/staff-fantasy-comedy-animeyuushibu-revealed/

The latest issue of Monthly Newtype has revealed information on the staff: 8

May 9th, 2013

Published by: VR-Zone

• Director: Kinji Yoshimoto (Queen’s Blade) • Character Designer: Tetsuya Takeuchi (Yomigaeru Sora: Rescue Wings) • Series Composer: Okawari)

Masashi

Suzuki

(Minami-ke

• Animation Studio: Asread (Minami-ke, Mirai Nikki)

getting leaked online, we’re getting the info earlier than expected. The new series entitled Kill La Kill is set in an all-girls school. Imaishi reunites with Gurren Lagann’s writer Kazuki Nakashima and character designer Sushio for this Trigger production (the studio formed by the former employees of Gainax).

We don’t have any dates or cast information yet, but the story feels like a reverse urban fantasy along the lines of Hataraku Maou-sama!, so anyone who’s interested in fantasy comedies like that should keep an eye on this anime.

Kill La Kill is an action anime that follows the story of Ryuuko Matoi and Satsuki Kiryuuin. Satsuki (the one holding the sword) tries to overthrow the student council by force. However, the seemingly revenge-driven Ryuuko interferes with Satsuki’s plans. The story’s driving force will be the rivalry between the two female leads. Source: Yaraon

Info on school fighting anime ‘Kill La Kill’ by the staff of Gurren Lagann leaked online

If you previously watched Gurren Lagann, then you’ll probably have high expectations of this upcoming school battle anime. Its official site is registered at www.kill-la-kill.jp, but it is down at the moment of writing this post. via Crunchyroll

Source: http://sgcafe.com/2013/05/info-school-fighting-anime-kill-lakill-staff-gurren-lagann-leaked-online/ By ellehaym on May 8th, 2013

Super Robot Wars OG Saga Masou Kishin III: Pride of Justice’s 1st PV streamed Source: http://sgcafe.com/2013/05/super-robot-wars-og-saga-masoukishin-iii-pride-justices-1st-pv-streamed/ By KarbyP on May 8th, 2013

The plans on Hiroyuki Imaishi’s upcoming action anime were supposed to be revealed in the June issue of NewType magazine which launches this Friday. But with the details 9

May 9th, 2013

The first trailer for Super Robot Wars OG Saga Masou Kishin III: Pride of Justice’s first PV trailer is over six minutes long, and almost as long as its name. Unveiled in this week’s issue of Famitsu magazine, the SRPG is coming to PlayStation 3 and PS Vita August 22 in Japan. A sequel to last year’s Super Robot Wars OG Sega Masou Kishin 2 for the PSP, Masou Kishin 3 picks up the story from where the previous game ended but otherwise sports visuals that look vastly different from part 2.

Published by: VR-Zone

Kicking butt? Actually I meant “kicking face”. This week Famitsu has the exclusive first look at Team Ninja’s recently announced new Dead or Alive 5 project for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 home consoles. The game, entitled Dead or Alive 5 Ultimate, is set to be released sometime in Autumn 2013, and will feature at least one new playable character, Ninja Gaiden’s Momiji, and at least one new stage: Sky City Tokyo. Momiji

This time around, the battle cinematics are rendered in 3D, and all the robots are featured in their original propotions rather than super-deformed dimensions – the latter is usually the case in SRW games. But that’s only for battle cutscenes. Story event cutscenes appear to be mostly rendered in 2D. Gamers who snag a first-print edition of Masou Kishin III when it comes out will receive a product code to download a version of the Valsione unit from TV anime Super Robot Wars OG: The Inspector. For more on Super Robot Wars OG Saga Masou Kishin III: Pride of Justice, head over to Famitsu’s story here where you’ll find lots of the game’s first screenshots.

These are the 1st images of Momiji kicking butt in Dead or Alive 5 Ultimate (Autumn 2013) Source: http://sgcafe.com/2013/05/1st-images-momiji-kicking-buttdead-alive-5-ultimate-autumn-2013/ By KarbyP on May 8th, 2013

May 9th, 2013

Published by: VR-Zone

Stage: Sky City Tokyo

Set in a high-rise building’s rooftop garden in futuristic Tokyo, the Sky City Tokyo stage is inspired by the Ninja Gaiden series’s design motif. This stage will feature “dynamic attractions”, which for those of you who didn’t play DOA5, basically means you’ll be able to knock your opponent around to various parts of the stage. One of the dynamic attraction gimmicks in this stage involves a gigantic Buddha statue in the background that’s so big that it doesn’t fit within the confines of the game camera – so you might not actually notice its presence until somebody sends you flying towards it with a Power Blow. Want to see how Momiji or the new stage plays like? Team Ninja has said that they’re currently working on a new trailer for the game, so it may not be too long before we get a glimpse of it online. Source: Famitsu

May 10th, 2013

Published by: VR-Zone

SGCafe : Cosplay | Vocaloid | Otaku | Pop Culture A daily publication about Cosplay, Vocaloid, Otaku and Japanese Pop Culture

flumpool to reveal temporary guitarist this weekend on Nico Nico Live Source: http://sgcafe.com/2013/05/flumpool/ By Az on May 10th, 2013

Here’s the recruitment announcement video. The members take a humorous swipe at Sakai, saying that he’s so fat that he cannot fit into the doorway to his home and so fat that he cannot even play the F chord. But on a more serious note, Sakai and the drummer, Seiji Ogura, mentioned on their comments on the band’s official site that their agency had also asked Sakai numerous times to seriously diet and that this time there will be negative repercussions (worst case is that he will be fired) if he is not able to succeed. While Sakai has already tried to diet time and again, he never seems to get it right and just rebounds. He has tried so many times that when he tells the members that he will diet, they already expect that it will not succeed. So this time, in order to be more focused and determined, he announced his plans and put a pause to his visual activities. To the fans of flumpool, please watch the reveal with considerate eyes and along with the members, support Kazuki Sakai as he tries to reach his goal of 64 kg. and makes a comeback by the end of June. Hopefully, we will see a new Sakai Kazuki as they hold their 5th anniversary live in Budoukan this October.

============================================== flumpool new guitarist presentation/recital: May 12, 9:00 PM (JST), livestream URL: http://live.nicovideo.jp/watch/ lv136110669 source: natalie, flumpool Official Website

After a short recruitment period, flumpool will finally be revealing their temporary guitarist on NICONICO live this weekend, May 12, 9:00 PM (JST). As previously reported, flumpool guitarist Kazuki Sakai has temporarily stopped his visual activities in order to focus on dieting, his last visual activity being the photoshoot for Amuse’s BBQ event. Because of this, flumpool has arranged a search for their temporary guitarist with the following search conditions:

Kyary’s “Pon Pon Pon” mocktail [Press Event] Source: http://sgcafe.com/2013/05/kyarys-pon-pon-pon-mocktail-pressevent/ By sentinel011 on May 10th, 2013

1. Must look like Kazuki Sakai 2. Must look stylish in a jacket 3. Must be used to standing on stage 4. Not any taller than 171 cm. 5. Can be funny 6. Must be from Kansai 7. Can play the guitar at a decent level

Kyary just keeps on surprising both her fans and the media with her unique sense of style and fashion. The press event was held at the Modern Asian Diner located at The Grandstand. Decked out in a casual full black ensemble, with matching jacket and dotted stockings, Kyary Pamyu Pamyu will be having her last overseas concert leg in Singapore. The Singapore concert tickets were officially sold out yesterday 1

May 10th, 2013

Published by: VR-Zone

morning, no doubt due to the marketing efforts of the local organizers SOZO and CROONER.

A special mango mocktail drink was prepared by the resident bartender of the restaurant, and named aptly as “Pon Pon Pon”, Kyary’s début breakthrough single. Here’s some fun facts and replies from Kyary’s Q&A session: • Wants to introduce tops with puffed sleeves to Singapore’s ladies fashion scene • Changing out costumes from Tsukematsukeru to Fashion Monster very quickly during last year’s Kohaku Uta Gassen Song Battle • Feels that she is inappropriate for normal social life as she cannot take a mundane lifestyle, and pretty much prefers her life as an artiste and Kawaii-Harajuku fashion ambassador

Stay tuned to our exclusive footage of the Q&A session in our Youtube channel!

Sid Meier’s Ace Patrol and Haunted Hollow launched on iOS Source: http://sgcafe.com/2013/05/launch-sid-meiers-ace-patrolhaunted-hollow/ By bj0rN on May 10th, 2013

• Hopes to be able to work with other Japanese artistes to enhance the position of Japanese pop culture in general

Sid Meier’s Ace Patrol is a new mobile strategy game based on WWI air combat that allows players to relive history as they pilot the skies in defence of their base camp and allies. This game challenges gamers to embrace their inner military aviator as Sid Meier’s Ace Patrol invites players to lead a team of Aces through various campaigns across Europe as they simultaneously upgrade skills, improve aircraft, and much more. Be it if you are a Sid Meier enthusiast, dogfighter and/or WWI aficionado, players are sure to find Sid Meier’s Ace 2

May 10th, 2013

Patrol a high-quality strategy game that is fun, innovative, and true to Firaxis’ tactical core. Key Features Includes: • Piloting a selection of 30 vintage and historical WWI aircrafts through more than 120 missions

Published by: VR-Zone

New trailer for ‘Inu to Hasami wa Tsukaiyou’ now live Source: http://sgcafe.com/2013/05/trailer-inu-hasami-wa-tsukaiyoulive/ By SunSoftware on May 10th, 2013

• Building out a team of Aces that each offer a special skill set to expand gameplay options • Upgrading and promoting the top fighter pilots throughout the course of the campaign • Playing Turn-based Single-Player, Two-Player HotPad or Asynchronous Multiplayer through Game Center Sid Meier’s Ace Patrol is now available to download for free from the App Store on iOS devices worldwide. For more information, please visit the App Store or visit their forums.

The animation studio Gonzo has released a new trailer of their upcoming comedy mystery involving a murder, a bookworm-turned-dog, and fist fights with books. Haunted Hollow is a competitive, spooky, turn-based game that’s sure to please gamers of all ages. Players build a mysterious mansion to summon popular monsters, like vampires, mummies and werewolves, who fight their opponent’s collection of creatures while simultaneously attempting to possess an unsuspecting town in order to win. Key Features Includes: • Build and rule a mysterious mansion that spawns freaky monsters, including vampires, zombies, mummies, witches and reapers • Go head-to-head with rivals to scare townspeople, battle enemies, avoid angry mobs and seize control of the town • Level-up with each monster’s own menacing skills and powers, in addition to a selection of power enhancements

Inu to Hasami wa Tsukaiyou is about a high school boy named Kazuhito Harumi who spends all of his time reading books — until he is shot by a robber! However, through the power of a bookworm, he comes back to life — as a dachshund who can’t read. The good news is, now he belongs to one of his favorite authors, Shinobu Akiyama, aka Kirihime Natsuno. The bad news is, Kirihime is a sadist who abuses Kazuhito with scissors. In this two-minute trailer, you can get a glimpse of the murder, supporting characters, and Kirihime announcing dramatically, “The main character… has come.” Along with the trailer, the characters’ profiles were also posted on the anime’s official website. Kirihime Natsuno (CV: Marina Inoue)

• Play single-player or multi-player by challenging friends, both through the Game Center and with Pass & Play • Choose from varying Haunted House architecture styles such as the ‘Lost Temple’ and ‘Mad Scientist’ Haunted Hollow is now available for free to download from the App Store on iOS devices worldwide. For more information on Haunted Hollow, please visit the App Store.

Kazuhito Harumi (CV: Takahiro Sakurai)

May 10th, 2013

Madoka Harumi (CV: Kana Asumi)

Suzuna Hiiragi (CV: Shizuka Itou)

Hami Oosawa (CV: Ai Kakuma)

Maxi Akizuki (CV: Yuu Serizawa)

Published by: VR-Zone

Yayoi and Sakura Honda (CV: Hiromi Igarashi and Maaya Uchida)

Momiji Himehagi

Sachi Moribe (CV: Chiwa Saitou)

InuHasa was first published in 2011 as a light novel series written by Shunsuke Sarai and illustrated by Tetsuhiro Nabeshima, and it received an excellence award in the Entame Taisho awards. The anime will start airing on July 10, so fans of comedy mysteries won’t have to wait long. Source: InuHasa homepage

Kiyoshi Inukai (CV: Wataru Hatano)

GACKT to sing for Japanese version of ‘Silent Hill: Revelations 3D’ Source: http://sgcafe.com/2013/05/gackt-sing-japanese-version-silenthill-revelations-3d/

May 10th, 2013 By okaroll on May 10th, 2013

Musician GACKT will be lending his voice to the Japanese version of Silent Hill: Revelations 3D with his song CLAYMORE. CLAYMORE will be included in his album, BEST OF THE BEST vol. 1. This album will be released on July 3 in all major music stores. GACKT commented that, he hopes that more people will be able to experience his song and the movie through the Gothic and whimsical feel depicted in this tieup. The plot follows the main character, Heather Manson who has lost her memories of when she was a child and gets nightmares every night about monsters chasing her. She then steps on a journey to search for her missing father in a mysterious place called Silent Hill. This would be one horrifying journey beyond imagination. So, fans of the GACKT and the Silent Hill series, please do check this out. The Japanese version of this movie will be out in theaters across Japan on July 12 2013. via Mantan Web

Volks’s Moekore Plus & Charagumin kits now available for pre-order online through Singapore’s ToyCoin

Published by: VR-Zone By KarbyP on May 10th, 2013

Volks’s Moekore Plus PVCs and Charagumin colour resin (i.e. pre-painted) garage kits are some of the most exclusive figures around – it can be really hard to get your hands on one. But thanks to a collaboration between Volks and Singapore’s ToyCoin, now there is an easier – and cheaper – way to preorder Volks pieces.

Save on proxy shopping fee Most of the major import stores (even the online ones) do not typically carry Moekore Plus and Charagumin kits as Volks has traditionally not worked with overseas partners. And so for collectors the solution thus far has usually been to order them from Japan-only sites, and use proxy shopping services to ship them over to where you live – so that’s full retail price for the figure, plus shipping from Japan to where you are, plus the proxy shopping service’s surcharge. While we know that for many of you collectors out there, affordability is really not the issue when it comes to these highly sough-after figures (availability is the problem), what if you could save on the shipping and proxy shopping surcharge, and just pay more or less what you’d pay for if you were buying from a Japanese retailer?

Source: http://sgcafe.com/2013/05/singapore-easier-pre-order-volkssmoekore-charagumin-figures/

May 10th, 2013

Published by: VR-Zone

ToyCoin ships internationally If you reside in Singapore, saving on proxy shopping fees is one advantage that ToyCoin is offering. But if you do not live in Singapore, ToyCoin ships internationally as well. You’d have to bear the shopping costs, of course, but it could still work out to be cheaper than a proxy shopping service. As a bonus, ToyCoin gets its own allotment of stocks from Volks, so it may be easier to secure a particularly popular model from them than your usual Japanese online shopping sites. At the moment, apart from current Moekore Plus PVCs, ToyCoin are also doing pre-orders for older figures that were initially released years ago. You can find the full selection over at ToyCoin’s site here. Use the handy searchbox if there’s something in particular you’re looking for. Item: Moekore Plus Kagamine Rin & Len Height: 22cm (1/6 Scale) Series: Vocaloid Otherwise, here are a few Moekore Plus and Charagumin models that caught our eye while browsing through ToyCoin’s selection.

Moekore Plus PVC figures Moekore Plus Hatsune Miku

Item: Moekore Plus Hatsune Miku Height: 23cm (1/6 Scale) Series: Vocaloid Preorder Deadline: 30 Jun 2013 Estimated Arrival: September 2013 Price: $108.00

Preorder Deadline: 30 Jun 2013 Estimated Arrival: September 2013 Price: $152.00 Moekore Plus Ryuubi Gentoku

Item: Moekore Plus Ryuubi Gentoku Height: 22cm (1/7 Scale) Series: Shin Koihime Musou Preorder Deadline: 30 Jun 2013 Estimated Arrival: September 2013 Price: $115.00

Moekore Plus Kagamine Rin & Len 6

May 10th, 2013

Published by: VR-Zone

Moekore Plus Haruka Takamori Preorder Deadline: 30 Jun 2013 Estimated Arrival: September 2013 Price: $120.00 Parts: 17 pieces (eye decals included) Charagumin Takebe Saori

Item: Moekore Plus Haruka Takamori Height: 23cm (1/7 Scale) Series: Choukou Sennin Haruka Preorder Deadline: 30 Jun 2013 Estimated Arrival: September 2013 Price: $115.00

Charagumin Garage Kits As Charagumin are pre-painted garage kits designed to be assembled from scratch, weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve arranged our list of recommendations in order of easiest (least number of parts) to hardest (most). Charagumin Aliasse

Item: Charagumin Takebe Saori Height: 19cm (1/7 Scale) Series: Girls und Panzer Preorder Deadline: 30 Jun 2013 Estimated Arrival: September 2013 Price: $120.00 Parts: 26 pieces (eye decals included) Charagumin Sakura Shinguji

Item: Charagumin Aliasse Height: 18.5cm (1/8 Scale) Series: Valkyria Chronicles 7

May 10th, 2013

Published by: VR-Zone

The fourth and final instalment of GU’s Fashionable Invader series of commercials, which depicts Kyary Pamyu Pamyu as an alien who goes around “conquering the world” through the use of music and fashion, is set in Singapore and features our country’s national symbol, the Merlion.

Item: Charagumin Sakura Shinguji Height: 26.5cm (1/8 Scale)

But that’s not all; in the new commercial there is also a comical and surreal scene in which Alien Kyary mimics the Merlion, sprouting water from her mouth.

Series: Sakura Wars Preorder Deadline: 30 Jun 2013 Estimated Arrival: September 2013 Price: $220.00 Parts: 58 pieces (eye decals included)

Kyary Pamyu Pamyu mimics the Singapore Merlion in latest GU fashion commericial Source: http://sgcafe.com/2013/05/kyary-pamyu-pamyus-mimicssingapore-merlion-gu-fashion-commercial/ By KarbyP on May 9th, 2013

The commercial starts with Kyary the fashionable invader – who has large, pointed ears along with a hair partially dyed in yellow, green and pink pastel gradations – emerging from her UFO after arrival in Singapore (no, no, she’s not an illegal immigrant; I’m sure she’s properly filled her alien registration form). Alien Kyary then gets close to the Merlion and, in an attempt to attract the attention of unwary passers-by (a Singaporean family), begins to sprout water from her mouth just like the Merlion statue. Then she strikes. A laser beam fires from the two feelers on Alien Kyary’s head towards the Singaporean family, and upon contact the beam changes the pants they’re wearing to GU’s short pants.

Happy that her mission’s accomplished, Alien Kyary then reboards her UFO.

May 10th, 2013

Kyary said that prior to filming the commercial, she already had some ideas as to how she’d like to portray or mimic the Merlion. She said that she wanted to be mimic the Merlion not just in terms of spirit, but also in terms of physical features. So she requested for the director to make changes to the video to make her forehead portrude further, and for her mouth to open wider. “I’m hoping everyone who watches the commercial will get a laugh out of it,” she said cheekily. The new commercial, entitled “Short Pants @ Singapore” is slated to air on Japanese TV on May 13. Source: Oricon Style

Yuki Kashiwagi dresses as a bride for the DVD/BD jacket of her second solo live Source: http://sgcafe.com/2013/05/kashiwagi-yuki-dresses-bride-dvdbdjacket-solo-live/ By Az on May 9th, 2013

Published by: VR-Zone

Since the DVD/BD will be released on June, Kashiwagi went with the theme of “June Bride” and wore a beautiful wedding dress. All the articles she wore for the jacket are one-of-a-kind items with the head accessory being handcrafted especially for her. The doll that Kashiwagi is holding is actually an original character called Yukirindaruma and was created from an illustration done by Kashiwagi. The doll is matched with Kashiwagi’s beautiful bride image and is suited with a tuxedo. The final product is a picture sure to put Yukirin fans into a daze. “I’m happy that my second solo live turned out this way. To those who saw it live and those who’ll see it on DVD and Bluray, I’ll be glad if this will be a live that will remain in your heart. I’m looking forward to seeing you on my third live!”, comments Kashiwagi. “There aren’t many chances wherein I could dress up this way so I’m really happy. This has become my most beloved work.” 「2nd Solo Live Nete Mo Samete Mo Yukirin WORLD ~Muchuu Ni Sarechauzo 「~「 contains her performance of her debut single (and self-starring drama “Mierino Kashiwagi” theme song) “Shortcake”, an acoustic version of AKB48 song “Eien No Sakura No Ki Ni Narou”, and the song where Yukirin played drums, “GIVE ME FIVE” along with 15 other songs totaling 18 songs including all the encores. The DVD/BD will also include a commentary by Kashiwagi in the second audio channel and a short documentary on the recording and rehearsal for the live. The first press edition of the release will have a hologram jacket and will contain a random picture among seven different ones.

==============================================

2nd Solo Live Nete Mo Samete Mo Yukirin WORLD ~Muchuu Ni Sarechauzo 「~ 1. Kuchiutsushi No Chocolate 2. Enkyori Poster 3. Shonichi 4. Dragon Fruit No Tabegoro 5. GIVE ME FIVE! 6. Shortcake The jacket pictures for Yuki Kashiwagii’s second solo live DVD/BD 「2nd Solo Live Nete Mo Samete Mo Yukirin WORLD ~Muchuu Ni Sarechauzo 「~「 has been revealed. This live was done in front of a crowd of 5000 last February and will be released on June 19.

7. Sakura No Ki Ni Narou Acoustic Ver. feat. Oshio Kotaro 8. Sore Demo Nakanai 9. Kazanbai

May 10th, 2013

Published by: VR-Zone

10. Jealousy Punch 11. Class-kai No Ato De 12. Miraibashi 13. Temodemo No Namida 14. Gingham Check Encore: 1. Eien Pressure 2. Iiwake Maybe

BD: 5990 Yen, DVD: 4990 Yen

This is a collaboration unit between Sega’s guitarist, Jun Senoue and HARDLINE’s vocalist Johnny Gioeli. 15 years has passed since 1998 when they started out by singing the main theme, Open Your Heart from Sonic Adventures. They have since then performed most of the songs on the Sonic Adventures series.

source: natalie, Kashiwagi Yuki Official Website

Known works:

3. Romance Privacy Encore 2: 1. Yokaze No Shiwaza

Sonic Adventures 1 and 2,

Japan Game Music Festival 2013: line-up includes Sega, Square Enix, Taito musicians

Sonic Heroes SEGA Sound Unit [H.]

Source: http://sgcafe.com/2013/05/japan-game-music-festival-2013performance-lineup-revealed/ By okaroll on May 9th, 2013

They are the people behind all of Sega’s game music and they consists of main members Takeshi Mitsuyoshi, Hidenori, Mitsuharu Fukiyama and Hiro. They have planned for live performances and live streaming in the Tokyo Game Show before and have performed for a wide range of music events. Known works: BURNING RANGERS AFTER BURNER Ryu ga Gotoku series. ZUNTATA

JAPAN Game Music Festival 2013 is a music festival where bands and composers of this genre get together to perform live. Wouldn’t it be interesting to listen to something you are so familiar to being performed live? This music festival will be held on 29 and 30 June at Zepp Tokyo, with a price of 6,300 yen for one day and 10,500 yen for two days. The performance lineup are as follows: Crush40

Hailing from Taito Sound Team, ZUNTATA has been working on many soundtracks of arcade, consumer games over the years. Other than that, they are also active as a band and album producers, performing many roles in the Japan music scene.

May 10th, 2013

Published by: VR-Zone

The year 2012 marks their 25th anniversary as a band and thus they have released their commemoration album, COZMO~ ZUNTATA 25th Anniversary~ Known works: DARIUS series Psychic Force series GROOVE COASTER series The Death March (SQUARE ENIX)

They are a rock band specially created for the music used in Nihon Falcom’s games. Since a change in lineup in August 2007 by adding 2 female members, the new jdkBAND was formed. What makes this new jdkBAND special is that they have added a violinist to their lineup. Known works: The Legend of Heroes Series (Sora no Kiseki, Ao no Kiseki and Rei no Kiseki) Nayuta no Kiseki

This band was formed in November 2012 with Square Enix composer, Takeharu Ishimoto as the main member, They started out by performing music from the hit Nintendo DS game, The World Ends With You and has received good ratings during their first sold out performance held in Shibuya.

Ys Series LivestRow Basiscape Band

Mitsuo Suzuki (SQUARE ENIX) X Sugimoto Tomoyuki (VJ)

Mitsuo Suzuki is the man behind the soundtrack for the latest installation in the Final Fantasy series, FFXIII-2 and Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII. He is also critically acclaimed for his original works in electronic music. This time round he shall collaborate with VJ’s Sugimoto Tomoyuki for a delightful combination of sound and imagery during this festival. Nanaa Mihgo’s (SQUARE ENIX)

This band consists of composers under Basicscape, a music production company based in Tokyo. They were formed in 2013 and they are specialized in rock and electro music. Known works: Grand Knights Story- Assault of Brave Flame Denpaningen RPG 1 and 2- Boss Medley Espgaluda- Aerial- Sajin Abiru Ai TEKARU

This band has an interesting mix of members consisting of violinist, Machi Okabe, pianist, Takuro Iga and Final Fantasy XI’s composer, Naoshi Mizuta on the bass. This band is a definite must listen for the fans who wish to experience the game once more. Falcom jdk BAND

May 10th, 2013

Published by: VR-Zone

Representing game music production company, Noisy Croak, this band was formed in March 2013 with composer Hideki Sakamoto leading the band with the members also from the same company. Known works: Time Travellers EchoChrome The Musicolors Former Sony chairman and CEO, and the man widely regarded as “the father of the PlayStation console”, has been named an External Director at video games publisher Marvelous AQL, the Nihon Keizai Shimbun (Nikkei) reported today. According to Nikkei, the move would allow Marvelous AQL to capitalise on Kutaragi’s expertise on the video games industry to speed up developments in the company’s business both in Japan and overseas.

This band has been performing live recently and their musical focus is on game music. With Kenji Ito on the keyboard, Kazuko Suematsu on guitar, Chiaki Yoshiike on bass and Kiyotaka Takiyama on drums and they aim to put up a colorful performance for the audience attending this festival. So have any of these bands perked your interest yet? via JAPAN Game Music Festival 2013 official homepage, Degenki Online (1) and (2)

Recently Marvelous AQL also made headlines after it acquired Atlus Online, the developer behin Shin Megami Tensei Online: Imagine, and changed the name of their subsidiary in the US, Xseed games, to Marvelous USA. Kutaragi will officially assume the post in June at a Marvelous AQL board meeting. Ken Kutaragi is also the the founder, president and CEO of Cyber AI Entertainment Inc. Although it was not mentioned in the Nikkei story, typically external directors are not required to leave their current jobs for the new post, so this is unlikely to affect his duties there. He has also served on the boards of Kadokawa Group Holdings, Inc., Nojima Corporation, and Rakuten, Inc. Source: Nikkei

Ken Kutaragi, the father of PlayStation, named External Director at Marvelous AQL Source: http://sgcafe.com/2013/05/ken-kutaragi-father-playstationnamed-external-director-marvelous-aql/ By KarbyP on May 9th, 2013

May 12th, 2013

Published by: VR-Zone

SGCafe : Cosplay | Vocaloid | Otaku | Pop Culture A daily publication about Cosplay, Vocaloid, Otaku and Japanese Pop Culture

Enjoy teatime with Haganai’s Yozora, Sena & Kobato through these Cospa decorative plates Source: http://sgcafe.com/2013/05/enjoy-teatime-haganais-yozora-senakobato-cospa-decorative-plates/ By KarbyP on May 11th, 2013

What’s for afternoon tea? A donut, black tea, and Meat. Oh my, think of… all the… calories! Teatime has never felt this sinful. Nijigen Cospa is rolling out a series of decorative plates themed after Haganai: I Don’t Have Many Friends Next’s (僕僕僕僕僕僕僕僕NEXT) Yozora Mikazuki, Sena Kashiwazaki, and Kobato Hasegawa. All three decorative plates measure the same dimensions (clearly not very faithful to the original work, shame on you Cospa!), with a diameter of 16.3cm. Made of ceramics. The only difference across all three plates appear to be its illustrated design – what you see is what you get. All three are priced at 1,050 yen each (including tax), and are expected to ship at the end of June. Not much else to say, except bon appetit!

May 12th, 2013

Published by: VR-Zone By KarbyP on May 11th, 2013

Looks like Sailor Moon won’t be the only one from her series getting Tamashii Nations’s S.H. Figuarts treatment after all! When the figure was announced earlier this year as part of the plans to celebrate the franchise’s 20th anniversary series, there was no word on if the Sailor Moon release would be a one-off, or if the rest of the cast might be made as well. There’s still no official announcement on this matter, but if you’re a fan of Sailor Mercury, there’s hope! An S.H. Figuarts unpainted protytpe of Sailor Mercury has been spotted in Akihabara, alongside Sailor Moon! If you happen to be in the area, the store in question where you can check out the exhibit yourself is Sofmap (one of the several branches in Akihabara, anyway).

Source: Yozora, Sena, Kobato

S.H. Figuarts ‘Sailor Mercury’ unpainted prototype spotted in the wild Source: http://sgcafe.com/2013/05/s-h-figuarts-sailor-mercuryunpainted-prototype-spotted-wild/

May 12th, 2013

Published by: VR-Zone

Pre-orders for S.H. Figuarts Sailor Moon started earlier this week. The actual figure itself will begin shipping out from Japan on August 13. If youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re interested but still on the fence if this is one figure you need to add to your collection (after all, they havenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t announced if the other Sailor friends would make it), maybe this video (and pictures from AmiAmi) demonstrating all the features of the S.H. Figuarts Sailor Moon might help you decide:

May 12th, 2013

Published by: VR-Zone By KarbyP on May 11th, 2013

Sales of e3paper’s Madoka Magica seal stamps were so brisk that they’re currently working on stamps based on other anime series. The company is also considering brining the product to distributors outside of Japan, due to having received a significant number of orders from US and Australia anime fans.

[via Crunchyroll News]

All 1,000 Madoka Magica seal stamps sold out in 2 hours; other anime collabs to come Source: http://sgcafe.com/2013/05/1000-madoka-magica-seal-stampssold-2-hours/

Are we witnessing the advent of a brand new era of moe character goods here? Imagine a world, several years from now, where anime fans all over Japan carry these moe seal stamps to use on legally-binding documents. In case you haven’t heard, yes, these are actual, useable seal stamps that even the banks will accept. And, yes, as it turns out, in real life you can actually make a contract with a Kyubey… seal stamp. Seven illustration designs are available, which may not make sense at first – if only seven designs are available, wouldn’t another person holding a moe seal stamp of the same design as yours be able to impersonate as you? Getting banks and the relevant authorities to recognise these moe seal stamps was something e3company really wanted to push for. Eventually, they managed to come up with a way – each customer’s initials (Kanji) would be engraved on the side of the seal illustration, making it possible to distinguish between seals belonging to customers who had selected the same design.

May 12th, 2013

Published by: VR-Zone

Carving a person’s initials on the stamps is entirely optional, of course. It’s only necessary if the intended user decides to seal legally-binding documents with the moe anime stamp. And although the Madoka Magica seal stamps were the first to be based on an officially licensed anime series, e3paper has actually been making moe seal stamps – based on their own doujinshi designs – for almost a year. The story behind e3paper’s Itaindou brand of seal stamps Founded in October 2010, e3paper first started out as a company dealing with website and movie creation, along with the digital distribution of doujinshis. They were also involved with the manga creation software ComiPo, and the inspiration behind these moe seal stamps were a result of discussions – with a seal stamp production company – to create and sell character goods based on ComiPo, e3paper founder Takafumi Nakagawa told ITMedia.

Only 50 sets of the Blanc et noir character goods set was made, and each went for 12,500 yen. The sets were sold out in 20 minutes, and went for as much as 60,000 yen on Yahoo Japan Auctions. So buying one of these moe seal stamps isn’t just for your own collection. It may even be an investment.

The seal stamp maker reached out to e3paper and asked if they could explore merchandising options based on ComiPo, and initially they wanted to make towels and other such typical character goods.

Would you buy one of these Itaindou moe seal stamps, if they were themed after other anime series?

At some point, e3paper asked if the seal stamp maker if they were willing to consider character goods apart from those based on ComiPo, and what they thought about carving an illustration onto a seal stamp.

Magical Mirai on August 30: Experience all of Hatsune Miku in 1 day

As seal stamps were not something affected by fashion trends and apparently did not require a lot of manpower to make, e3paper and their partner thought the risk for this venture was quite low. So they jumped straight in.

Source: IT Media

Source: http://sgcafe.com/2013/05/magical-mirai-august-30-experiencehatsune-miku-1-day/ By KarbyP on May 11th, 2013

The service to make customised moe seal stamps begun in June 2012. Prices for the doujinshi-based stamps start at 1,380 yen for a circle-shaped stamp, and as e3paper was able to work with a number of distinguished doujin artists, the company’s Itaindou brain of illustrated seal stamps have so far sold fairly well. Although e3paper’s Nakagawa declined to mention actual figures when ITMedia if they could reveal them, he did point to two examples of outstanding demand for the products – the Madoka Magica stamps, which sold out in two hours, and a limited edition “Blanc et noir” item set (includes a seal stamp) based on doujin artist Coffee Kizoku’s designs.

Crypton Future Media and Tokyo Metropolitan Television have announced Magical Mirai, a special concert-andexhibition event that will be held August 30 at the Yokohama Arena that will attempt to let visitors experience everything

May 12th, 2013

that’s great about the Hatsune Miku boom, all encapsulated at a single venue – in just one day. The name of the event, Magical Mirai, is not just a play on words involving the Kanji spelling of Miku’s name (which can also be read in Japanese as “mirai”), but also a portmanteau of three separate words: Maji (“serious”), Karu (short for “culture”), and Mirai (“future”). Each separate part of the full name Magical Mirai has its own area at the Yokohama Arena, where you’ll be able to experience different aspects of The Hatsune Miku Lifestyle.

Published by: VR-Zone

Trace the trails of the Hatsune Miku boom: Special Exhibition(s). Exciting plans and collaboration goods lined all the way up to your eyeballs: Commercial Booth. Etc, etc. There’s a lot more to be announced, so stay tuned!” In the meantime, if you’re a hardcore Miku fan and can read Japanese, you might want to pick up the June edition of art magazine Bijutsu Techo (on sale May 17), which has a feature on the future of the Hatsune Miku boom. The June edition also comes with a Hatsune Miku GraFig.

The Maji area is where the Hatsune Miku concert will be held. Whereas the Karu area is an exhibition and workshop area that’s themed around helping visitors understanding the creative process behind Hatsune Miku derivative works. And finally, the Mirai area showcases collaborations between companies dealing with Hatsune Miku commercial goods. No details were provided as to which ones would be showcased, but chances are, you’ll get to see some merchandise that’s coming out in the near future, hence the name of this section. The Mirai area will also double as a shop where you’ll be able to purchase Miku merchandise that’s available now. Specifics on what you’ll be able to do at the venue have not yet been announced, but here’s a general guideline as to what you can expect:

Source: Magical Mirai via ITmedia

Pokemon X & Y: New female protagonist’s 2D illustration unveiled, protagonists’ looks customizable Source: http://sgcafe.com/2013/05/pokemon-y-female-protagonist-likesuper-deformed/ By KarbyP on May 11th, 2013

Translation: What’s Magical Mirai? Serious concerts (Maji), a look at the Hatsune Miku culture from past to present (Karu), and its future (Mirai). A Hatsune Miku concert of the biggest scale for all of her fans: the Birthday Eve Night Concert (誕誕誕誕誕誕誕誕誕誕誕). Another concert, a more casual one that would let you invite all of your friends and family to attend and join the fun: The U-18 Priority Concert. Everyone’s a creator. Experience the joy of creating: Workshops.

Meet the new female protagonist of Nintendo’s upcoming Pokemon X and Y 3DS games. Well, okay, that’s not exactly accurate – most of you have already seen the female protagonist before. As a superdeformed 3D character model in the debut trailer Nintendo put out, that is. 6

May 12th, 2013

Published by: VR-Zone

Thanks to the upcoming issue of Coro Coro Comics, we now have the official 2D illustration for Pokemon X and Y’s female protagonist to look at (there were a few fan-drawn illustrations circulating around the Net, based on details from the 3D character model). I’m not sure if Nintendo plans to put out a new Pokemon anime that incorporates some of the content from the X and Y games (oh, they probably will), but if they do, there’s a chance that she might appear on the show as one of the characters – since Ash Ketchum is probably still going to be the male lead, right? The magazine scan also reveals that for the first time in Pokemon game history, you will be able to customise the look of the protagonist slightly, confirmation speculations by fans who thought that the designs this time around looked a little generic.

Pokemon X and Y for the Nintendo 3DS is slated to be released later this year in October, for all regions. Source: Coro Coro Comics via huuraibou108

New Pokemon revealed in this month’s Coro-Coro Source: http://sgcafe.com/2013/05/pokemon-revealed-months-corocoro/ By Zenko on May 11th, 2013

On these two particular pages of Coro Coro as shown in the image above, there was also mention that you could ride certain types of Pokemons in certain towns, which was mentioned in a previous post we did. Check that post out for more information on the new Pokemon who are slated to be announced next week. Both reveals come from the issue of Coro Coro Comics due to hit newsstands in Japan a couple of days from now. This is the issue to buy if you want the full scoop:

Coro-Coro has leaked with more details of the upcoming Pokemon X and Y games, along with 4 new Pokemon. Along with the previously released details about Fenekin, Froakie and Chespin, four more new Pokemon can be seen in the newest scans from Coro-Coro. The one that features the biggest breakthrough in terms of game mechanics is Gougoat, the Riding Pokemon. As its classification suggests, players will have the ability to ride this Pokemon outside of battle. More details will emerge about this specific mechanic when the full magazine releases. It will be a Grass type weighing in at 91 kilograms.

May 12th, 2013

Published by: VR-Zone

Lucky Star Day Season 2: Kaori Fukuhara & Emiri Kato to throw the first pitch for the Saitama Seibu Lions Source: http://sgcafe.com/2013/05/kaori-fukuhara-lucky-stars-tsukasahiiragi-throw-pitch-saitama-seibu-lions/ By KarbyP on May 11th, 2013

Yancham, the panda looking Pokemon, is listed as the Mischievous Pokemon, a play off the Japanese word yancha, which also appears in its name. It is a Fighting type weighing 8kg and standing at .6 meters height.

A new type, Yayakoma, the Japanese Robin Pokemon, appears to be the Pidgey of this generation with its typing of Normal and Flying. In a screenshot towards the middle of the page it also appears to be using sand-attack in battle.

Celebrities throw out the first pitches in baseball all the time. But Japan is probably the only country in which the voice actors/actresses from your favourite anime series are also asked to do the honours – cos that’s how big a deal the animation industry in Japan is. Last year, Kaori Fukuhara, the voice of Tsukasa Hiiragi in Lucky Star, was asked to throw the first pitch for the Saitama Seibu Lions. In case you’re not a big fan of comedy gag anime Lucky Star, the Kasukabe city in Saitama prefecture is somewhat of a mecca to fans, since that’s where the show’s story is set in. Hence the Saitama Seibu Lions X Lucky Star connection.

The final Pokemon to be announced is Electail, and it will be a dual Electric-Normal type, hinting it might appear early in the game. It weighs 6kg and is known as the Generator Pokemon According to a small caption it will, like previous electric types, store electric power within itself somehow, hinting at its generator status. Although slightly lizard like in appearance, it is noted in a caption that it has a dog’s ears.

And apparently, Kaori Fukuhara’s presence invigorated the crowd so well last year that the Seibu Lions have asked her to do the honours again for them this year. Fukuhara will once again throw the first pitch for the Lions’s June 23 game against the Orix Buffaloes. Not only that – this time around, Fukuhara will be joined by Emiri Kato (Kagami Hiiragi in Lucky Star). The Fire Hiiragi sisters unite!

Source: Serebii

May 12th, 2013

Published by: VR-Zone

‘Love Live!’ Blu-ray Volume 4 includes bonus song and video of New Year event Source: http://sgcafe.com/2013/05/love-live-blu-ray-volume-4-includesbonus-song-video-year-event/ By SunSoftware on May 11th, 2013

The Saitama Seibu Lions are calling the event “Lucky Star Day Season 2″. As it just so happens to be Lucky Star’s 10th anniversary, anime fans who turn up at the baseball game will also be able to buy special goods, as well as limited DVDs containing series spin-off Miyakawa-ke no Kuufuku. Here’s a video of Fukuhara’s appearance at the “Lucky Star Day” baseball game last year:

The next Blu-ray disc for the school idol anime Love Live! will have a bonus song and a video of their most recent event, both of which you can preview right here. Volume 4 of Love Live! will be released on June 21. For those of you who are unfamiliar with the series, the anime revolves around a group of girls who form an idol group named “μ’s” (“muse”) in order to save their school. The anime aired just earlier this year, but the Love Live! franchise has been releasing CDs and music videos since 2010. Just like the previous Blu-ray discs, the limited first press release edition will include a CD with a never before released song. This time, the song is Beat in Angel, a synthpop tune performed by the tsundere Maki and tomboy Rin (CV: Pile and Riho Iida) Also included is part 2 of the event “μ’s New Year Love Live! 2013″, featuring the voice actresses of the members of μ’s. Luckily, the music publisher Lantis has shared a preview for both Beat in Angel and the event, so you can listen to them both below. The video of the New Year event continues from part 1, which was included with the second Blu-ray disc, and features these songs. Is your favorite song in there? • 11. Blue~Berry僕Train (performed by Kotori Minami) • 12. Yuuki no Reason (Umi Sonoda) • 13. Junai Lens (Nozomi Toujou) [via Crunchyroll News]

• 14. Koi no Signal Rin Rin Rin! (Rin Hoshizora) • 15. Someday of my life (Honoka Kousaka) 9

May 12th, 2013

• 16. Daring!! (Maki Nishikino) • 17. Kodoku na Heaven (Hanayo Koizumi) • 18. Mahoutsukai Hajimemashita! (Nico Yazawa) • 19. Shiranai Love*Oshiete Love (lily white) • 20. A僕no僕ne僕Ga僕n僕ba僕re! (lily white) • 21. sweet&sweet holiday (Printemps) • 22. Love marginal (Printemps) In addition, the limited edition of volume 4 will include: • An 8-page booklet • A deluxe card for the Loveca+ point service

Published by: VR-Zone

there is a limit on the number of people NHK World will be able to accommodate. The fan meeting will be held two Wednesdays from now, on May 22, and take place 7.30PM to 9PM (doors open at 7PM), at the Singapore City Center. Do note that in the event that there are too many ticket applications, the organisers will randomly draw applicants from a hat. Thankfully, however, each ticket admits up to three people (1 person + 2 guests), so for the best chance of admission, coordinate with your friends or other fans. Successful applicants will be notified on May 17. For details on how you can get a ticket, head over to the fan meeting application page here.

• A serial code for the mobile game “Love Live! School Idol Festival Of course, the limited and normal editions will both come in a package with the adorable illustrations of Maki and Rin at the top of this article. The limited edition of volume 4 will be available for 7,350 yen, while the normal edition will cost 6,300 yen. Those of you who live in Japan can pre-order it until May 15, so don’t miss this chance if you’re a fan. Source: Love Live! homepage

SeaA’s Valerie, Joe Inoue to appear at NHK World’s J-Melo Fan Meeting on May 22 Source: http://sgcafe.com/2013/05/seaas-valerie-joe-inoue-nhk-worldsj-melo-fan-meeting-22/ By KarbyP on May 11th, 2013

J-Melo is an English language programme on NHK World that invites its international audience into the world of Japanese music. It airs every Sunday at 15:10 hours UTC/GMT time (so in Singapore that’s 11.10PM Sunday night), viewable online at http://www3.nhk.or.jp/ nhkworld/index.html and through all the other platforms NHK World is on – there’s an iOS app, for instance. This week’s episode (May 12) puts the spotlight on J-Pop group End of the World. And the episode following that (May 19), everyone’s favourite all-girls J-rock band Scandal. Jrock group Alice Nine appears on the episode after that (May 26).

NHK World, the international arm of Japan’s leading broadcaster, is giving fans in Singapore a chance to meet SeaA’s Valerie and singer-songwriter Joe Inoue – for free. SeaA, of course, is the anisong artiste behind CarfFight!! Vanguard: Asia Circuit Hen’s ending theme as well as Toriko: Gurume Monster’s ED Deli-Deli Delicious, and Joe Inoue’s work include Naruto Shippuden’s fourth OP, Closer. Fans who’d like to attend the event will have to apply for tickets first, however, as the fan meeting will be ticketed and

May 12th, 2013

Published by: VR-Zone

During the battle sequences a movie will play on the upper screen that displays the Zyudenchi, series key item for attacks. This will allow for power-ups during the battle.

New Kyoryuger game heads to 3DS Source: http://sgcafe.com/2013/05/kyoryuger-game-heads-3ds/ By Zenko on May 11th, 2013

The most recent installment of the Super Sentai series, Kyoryuger is making its way to the 3DS on August 8. Kyoryuger, which began airing in March of this year, already has several toy lines and other merchandise associated with it. On August 8 it will be gaining one more asset when a new game comes to the Nintendo 3DS. Utilizing the interior camera, it will allow players to become their own KyoRed via AR.

The can also be used to trigger the various Zyuden Giant transformations at the battleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s climax, seen in shots as the main Kyoryuzin transformation.

The game will be available as a digital download from the Nintendo eStore and in stores for 4,980 yen [around $50]. Source: Dengenki News

The main basis of the game will be fighting the Deboss Army in an alternating scenario and battle sequence. The story and plot itself will be the same as what appears in the TV series. 11

May 14th, 2013

Published by: VR-Zone

SGCafe : Cosplay | Vocaloid | Otaku | Pop Culture A daily publication about Cosplay, Vocaloid, Otaku and Japanese Pop Culture

FLOWER FLOWER (YUI) to “sync” with the audience in special live for au (KDDI) Source: http://sgcafe.com/2013/05/flower-flower-yui-sync-audiencespecial-live-au-kddi/ By Az on May 14th, 2013

check out this PERFECT SYNC commercial and application tutorial. In this event, the audience, through their smartphones, will have the experience as presented in au’s PERFECT SYNC line of commercials. For this event, FLOWER FLOWER will be having a special live. This live won’t be you usual one as the audience will be “in sync”. In the live, the audience will be using their personal ODOROKI applications, turning their smartphones into musical instruments, and have a session with the artist, which is FLOWER FLOWER. The audience will be experiencing “perfect sync” with the band as the sounds they produce with their phones will be in total synchronization with the band’s performance. For the live itself, 2000 au users will be chosen by lottery as participants. The application for this will be on the special event website from May 14 to 30. In addition to this, this particular live will also be livestreamed and the next day, a new line of PERFECT SYNC commercials are set to air. ======

au PERFECT SYNC. LIVE @ Ryogoku Kokugikan, Tokyo June 11, 2013 – Tuesday Performances by: FLOWER FLOWER source: natalie, FLOWER FLOWER Official Website

FLOWER FLOWER, spearheaded by former solo artist YUI, will be having a special invitational live 「au PERFECT SYNC. LIVE「 for 2000 people on June 11 in Ryogoku Kokugikan, Tokyo. YUI tppl a break from showbiz at the end of last year, ending her solo career, but is now back as the lead vocalist of four-man band, FLOWER FLOWER. The band has formally debuted in Japan Jam 2013 this May 4 and will be performing on the Tokyo Metropolitan Rock Festival 2013 on May 26. Now that they have started to roll, the band’s official webpage now has content and even a diary for those interested. Check this article out for more details.

Dress like the Veteran Trainer from Idolm@ster Cinderella Girls with this Cospa T-shirt (for men) Source: http://sgcafe.com/2013/05/dress-veteran-trainer-idolmstercinderella-girls-cospa-t-shirt-for-men/

For those not familiar, au is a mobile services provider and cellular phone brand in Japan, marketed by KDDI. au has created the application ODOROKI (the official application name for PERFECT SYNC) which lets you start jamming sessions with friends. To better understand this concept, 1

May 14th, 2013

Published by: VR-Zone

By KarbyP on May 14th, 2013

One of the key item cards in The Idolm@ster Cinderella Girls (also known as Mobam@s, since it’s on the Mobage social game platform) is the Trainer card, which works a little like the Trainer card in the Pokemon TCG – you use these cards to power-up your Pokema’ams. Did I say Pokema’ams? I meant Cinderella Girls idols. Oopsie. Anyway, there are several versions of the Trainer character, one of which is the Veteran Trainer, all of whom look remarkably similar to one another, not unlike Nurse Joy or Officer Jenny in Pokemon, but are apparently different people – their ages and three sizes do not match up (they’re probably the same person at different ages).

If there’s one common feature that ties all of them together – well, other than the part about their faces resembling one another – it’s that all of them wear rather laconic clothing that feature simple (yet eye-catching) prints. After all, their role in the game is to train potential idols; they’re not the 2

May 14th, 2013

Published by: VR-Zone

stars of the show. They’re the unsung heroes in Cinderella Girls. But now, thanks to Cospa, at least one of those Trainers can finally bask in the spotlight: The Veteran Trainer is getting her very own T-shirt.

Kamen Rider Wizard Infinity and Beast Hyper, the poweredup forms of hero and sidekick riders in the currently running KR TV show, will join Kamen Rider: Battride War’s playable cast in June (the game comes out May 23), according to this week’s issue of Dengeki PlayStation magazine. Wizard Infinity will be released via DLC on June 6, while Beast Hyper will be available June 20. In case you’re not familiar with Wizard Infinity and Beast Hyper, here’s what they look like – both powered-up forms appeared on the TV show in April:

Although oddly enough, Cospa is only making the shirt sized for men only; so if you happen to be a female Cinderella Girls player, this might be a little disappointing. Think of all the cosplay possibilities. The Veteran Trainer Men’s T-shirt is expected to ship sometime in the first half of July, and available in M/L/XL sizes. It’s priced at 5,250 yen (including tax), and pre-orders have started – available through Amazon as well as Cospa’s online store directly. Source: Dengeki

Kamen Rider: Battride War will add KR Wizard Infinity and Beast Hyper in June via DLC Source: http://sgcafe.com/2013/05/kamen-rider-battleride-war-add-krwizard-infinity-beast-hyper-june-dlc/ By KarbyP on May 14th, 2013

The issue also revealed a couple more playable Kamen Riders, as well as addition forms for those previously announced to be playable: • Kamen Rider Agito: Grand, Storm, Flame and Trinity forms are useable. Shining Form is also useable, but as a super. • KR Birth (sidekick rider from Kamen Rider OOO): His Claws weapon is useable, and the super form here is his Birthday Mode. • KR Meteor (sidekick rider from Kamen Rider Fourze): has unlimited use of his Galaxy weapon, which can be used in the Jupiter Hammer, Saturn Sorcery, and Mars Breaker modes. Also has his Machine Meteorstar bike. • Kamen Rider W: Fang Joker form playable. Kamen Rider: Battride War for the PS3 comes out in Japan May 23, 2013. Source: Dengeki PlayStation

JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: What’s the charm? Interview with director Naokatsu Tsuda Source: http://sgcafe.com/2013/05/jojos-bizarre-adventure-whatscharm-interview-director-naokatsu-tsuda/ By okaroll on May 14th, 2013

May 14th, 2013

Published by: VR-Zone

As this production focuses on part one and two of the original series, I started out by reading parts four and five. So, despite me reading Shonen Jump countless times, I have never read parts one and two before. However, after I have reread the series many times, I have discovered many points that I didn’t manage to see back then. For example the way the onomatopoeia was depicted in the manga, the kind of humor used, the kiss scenes between Dio and Erina and so much more. How did the team end up picking Yes’s Roundabout to be the ED song for the JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure anime series? What is the show’s appeal? The anime serie’s director Naokatsu Tsuda answers these questions and more in an Animeanime.jp interview. Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure has ardent fans who have crossed generations since the start of its serialization in Shonen Jump in 1987 and is still on-going in Ultra Jump, with a total of 107 volumes published till date. Just last year in 2012, marks the 25th anniversary of this classic. In the same year, October to be exact, also marks the beginning of the anime version of Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure. The anime finally ended its run in Japan during April this year. Despite the sheer pressure from the fans, the anime has been received quite well in general. Thus bringing a new kind of ‘Jojo’ to the fans who have already known the series. Now, let us take some time to read the interview with the director himself, Naokatsu Tsuda (abbreviated as Tsuda) and explore the journey behind Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure (abbreviated as Jojo). – Now that the anime ended its run, how would you reflect on your work for the past year?

–So did you get the chance of being the director because you are a Jojo fan? Tsuda: Well, my chance came when the COO of my company, Koji Kajita came along and asked if I liked Jojo, and I said yes. It seems to me that Kajita himself thought of taking in staff who loves Jojo and unite them together in this production team. – It is a known fact that Jojo has quite a large fanbase, so just that alone would have caused quite a lot of hype and expectation from the fans. So what are some factors that you considered before you started on the production? Tsuda: I thought that the fans of the original manga are really scary *laughs*. As a Jojo fan myself, I told myself that it would be unforgivable if I made the anime version less exciting than the original. As I felt that one of the key points to this manga is the eccentricity. So, I decided to be true to the original’s style of eccentricity for this anime. Warning: possible spoilers ahead!

Tsuda: I feel rather satisfied with myself. Although everyone has their own idea on how the anime should go, I thought that I should just present my own thoughts about Jojo in the best way I can. I felt relieved when it received good ratings from the audience. Because if I received any bad ratings, it could possibly mark the end of my career *laughs* But of course, since now I am still in this “ah, I made it.” mood, I cannot give a 100% objective reflection. Instead, I think that it would be funnier if this question were to be asked ten years from now. – During Caesar’s death in episode 20, that moment of deliberate silence was so touching that it became a classic scene in this anime. Tsuda: I think that the battle scene between Caesar and Wamuu was perhaps one of the top ten classic scenes in the series. So I decided to give it my all and started to coordinate with the staff for episode 20. In my opinion, the staff were worked well and managed to link and match the scenes well, they were able to precisely show the moments when Caesar wanted to entrust and say so many things to Joseph. – You seem to be quite the Jojo fan yourself. Tsuda: My experience with the series is indeed long. For me, I have been reading Shonen Jump where Jojo was published back when I was just a primary school kid. So, the time I read Shonen Jump equals to the time I read Jojo, which is around over 20 years.

– It seems that there were a lot of ‘manly’ tears shed in episode 20. Tsuda: That’s good. I didn’t expect to shed tears when I saw the broadcast… as we were the ones who made this.

May 14th, 2013

Published by: VR-Zone

– Did you do anything different between the first and second part of this anime?

–This song did become a must-sing for every karaoke session as planned.

Tsuda: The first part is set in old England more than a century ago, so I thought that I would want to go for a classical feel. For the second part, it is different as it is set during World War II. At that time American art was the craze, so I thought of expressing it more with typography.

Tsuda: Thank goodness, it did happened that way *laughs*. When I first heard the song, I felt that the sweltering coolness from this song made it perfect. I thought that I went back in time just by listening to it. –Who is your favorite character in Jojo?

– So did you read up on any material to draw inspiration from? Tsuda: Yes, I have read up and looked at various art books. For example, if that scene was set when Art Deco was popular, I would model the scene to emulate that trend. It was tough as I only used books as a source of reference and nothing from the internet. Also, Hollywood movies are also a good source of reference for the visuals.

Tsuda: I love all the characters in the story. If I have to pick one, I would choose Giorno Giovanna because he has this charm of an upright person as someone who has the blood of the Joestars and Dio. Giorno is the most honest person in the story and I think that his ‘stand’, Gold Experience Requiem is the most powerful of them all.

– The opening and ending theme song became quite a hot topic for this anime. How did you decide on the songs? Tsuda: We decided that we shall not do a tie-up this time. So, there were many suggestions flying around, but none of them really quite hit the nail on the head. Soon everyone thought a lot about what kind of music would match Jojo. Interestingly, we decided on the ending theme song first and took Hirohiko Araki’s (the creator of Jojo) suggestion. Since there were many genres to English songs, we asked him what he used to listen to when he drew the first part of the series. And from his memo, we got ROUNDABOUT by YES because he listens to a lot of English songs when he draws.

–What about the opening theme? Tsuda: It was really tough thinking about the kind of opening theme song to use. Like, should we use a female vocalist, or should we try a cool rock style, or should we try an English song, etc. It was a process of trail and error, but in the end nothing could fit in. In the end, the editorial department advised us to go for a old school anison feel instead. Since Jojo is a 1980s shonen manga, the song should go for a sweltering, hardcore anisong sound and everyone agreed that that sound would be the way to go. So we had composer, Kohei Tanaka to write for us and he gave us Jojo ~sono chi no sadame~. We were thrilled to have such a song as our opening theme. – When you got Kohei Tanaka to write the song, what specific orders did you all give him?

– Last but not least, please share with us what you think is so charming about Jojo? Tsuda: Just like the title itself, it is indeed bizarre. The universe created by Hirohiko Araki is unshakable and Jojo really stands out on its own. With interesting lines between the characters, a stylish art style, this bizarre universe seems comedic. I thought that this work is definitely made by a genius. The charm of this series is that you can feel the passion through the pages. Even the title, Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure is so creative that it cannot be copied anywhere. And it is a piece of work that you can never get enough of because you simply don’t want to leave once you have entered this world of Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure. There is no way you cannot take this seriously as the amount of passion is simply so overwhelming, just like the fire in Hirohiko Araki himself.If there was a part 3 of the anime to be made, I would want to recreate it with the same amount of passion as the original. Hope that you have enjoyed reading this interview! Stay tuned to sgcafe for more related news! via animeanime (1) and (2)

fripSide, Uta no Prince-sama, and Girls und Panzer reach top 3 on Oricon’s charts Source: http://sgcafe.com/2013/05/fripside-uta-prince-sama-girls-undpanzer-reach-top-3-oricons-charts/

Tsuda: We told him to create a song where people would want to shout, “Jojo!” and something karaoke friendly.

May 14th, 2013

Published by: VR-Zone

By SunSoftware on May 14th, 2013

The character single was released on the same day as sister’s noise and managed to outsell even fripSide’s single when it became the first Uta no Prince-sama single to reach number 1 on Oricon’s daily chart. On the weekly chart, however, it ranked number 2 with 22,000 copies sold.

Last week, there was fierce competition between two anime singles aiming to be the best seller of the week. Plus, one small movie managed to sneak into Oricon’s DVD charts.

On a final and more recent note, the DVD Yoku Wakaru! Ground Self-Defense Force was released on Monday, and it ranked number 3 on Oricon’s daily DVD chart, behind the popular boy band Arashi’s Live Tour Popcorn and Marvel’s The Amazing Spiderman.

Fans of Toaru Kagaku no Railgun S should be familiar with fripSide’s song sister’s noise, which serves as the opening theme of the anime. fripSide released the single for the song on May 8, and in its first week, the single has ranked number 1 on Oricon’s weekly CD single chart with over 27,000 copies sold. This is the first time any of fripSide’s releases has reached number 1.

For those unfamiliar with fripSide, they are a trance and pop duo consisting of the composer Satoshi Yaginuma (aka Sat) and vocalist Yoshino Nanjou. Nanjou joined the duo after the previous vocalist left in 2009, and their first single together, only my railgun (the opening theme of Toaru Kagaku no Railgun) peaked at number 3 on Oricon’s weekly chart in November 2009, while their first album, infinite synthesis, peaked at number 8 in December 2010. Another anime single that reached the weekly chart is the character single performed by Masato Hijirikawa (CV: Kenichi Suzumura) from Uta no Prince-sama Maji Love 2000%.

In case you’re wondering how a 65-minute educational DVD about tanks managed to break into the top 3, or why it’s even mentioned in this article, it’s because the movie features audio commentary by Yukari Akiyama (CV: Ikumi Nakagami) from Girls und Panzer. Source: Moe Otanews, Oricon

Rino Sashihara to produce SKE48′s Matsumura Kaori – Sashi-P! Source: http://sgcafe.com/2013/05/rino-sashihara-produce-ske48smatsumura-kaori-sashi-p/

May 14th, 2013 By Az on May 14th, 2013

Published by: VR-Zone

Matsumura joined SKE48 on 2009 as a 3rd generation research member. She exclaimed last month that as the eldest of her batch, she wants to be the star of the research students, which leads her to becoming a lifetime honorary research student. The day after this, her solo debut was decided. Matsumura will be debuting under the indie label “Kintsuu Records”. She will be releasing 1000 copies of her debut single. If the demand rises, additional copies will be released. source: Oricon

“The real Kyary is just a normal girl” KPP press event footage [video] It has been revealed that Sashihara Rino (Sashiko) will be producer for SKE48 lifetime honorary research student, Matsumura Kaori. This was revealed May 12 at the beginning of the show “AKB Eizou Center”, where Sashihara hosts with Lily Franky. Sashihara received this news in a business mail from 48-group producer, Akimoto Yasushi (Aki-P). “Business Message. SKE48 lifetime honorary research student Matsumura Kaori will be having her solo debut, so you produce her for me. Since you love idols so much, I trust that you’ll be able to bring out her charm. You’ll also be in charge of the arrangement and ordering of the songs. You’ll also be the one to write them.” says Aki-P in the message to Sashiko. Sashihara has long been considered an idol-otaku and has showcased her wotagei (dance and cheers performed by idol fans) various times. Akimoto highly values Sashihara’s talent and believes that she will someday work behind the scenes for AKB48. Sashihara is not at all a greenhorn to producing, as she produced 「Dai ikkai Yubi Matsuri~Idol Rinji Soukai「, an idol festival last year that had ten idol groups participate including Momoiro Clover Z, Idoling!!!, and Nogizaka 46. Sashiko also wrote two songs for her own solo career. “This will be a very important song for Matsumura and her fans, so I will give it my all! Gotta seriously work hard~” Sashihara comments on her Google+ page. She reveals on Google+ that this matter was decided just five minutes before it was announced during her show.

Source: http://sgcafe.com/2013/05/the-real-kyary-normal-girl-kpppress-event-footage-video/ By sentinel011 on May 14th, 2013

As promised, we have processed the full interview session! Kyary Pamyu Pamyu’s concert last Friday is the last of its world tour. She will be performing back in Japan for quite a while. Overseas fans like those in Singapore and the region might need to wait a little longer before Kyary performs outside of Japan again.

This fan-made ‘Attack on Titan’ movie poster almost looks like an official one Source: http://sgcafe.com/2013/05/fan-made-attack-titan-movie-posterofficial/ By ellehaym on May 14th, 2013

Sashihara could be called one of the fastest rising talents of AKB48. Even after a scandal that led to her transfer to HKT48, to which she is now stage manager of, she jumps through the senbatsu ranks to a solid 「4 and has many times become the host for shows or segments AKB-related. Now she is an AKB first: the first producer from the 48-group. It’s exciting to see if she will rise to the Top 3 in this year’s senbatsu elections. On the other hand, Matsumura expressed her joy towards this issue and her gratitude to Sashihara in her own Google+ page. “I’d have to say, last election’s rank 4 sure is awesome!” says a joyful Matsumura and affectionately calls her Sashi-P.

May 14th, 2013

Published by: VR-Zone

Attack on Titan is a hot topic among the anime community. It has inspired parody videos of its opening theme and tons of anime shops in Japan even have their own Attack on Titan display. And now, concept artist Kouji Tajima has ridden the wave by sharing his own creation via the internet: an Attack on Titan movie poster. Check it out:

(According to Crunchyroll, the release date you see on the poster is Tajima’s birthday.) While most people are aware that a movie is currently in the works, Tajima has made it clear that the poster is only fan-made. But the creativity placed into this creation would surely make anyone think that it’s an official one. Tajima has expressed his interest in making the poster for the live-action movie adaptation of the popular shounen anime. He has worked as a concept artist for Captain Harlock, Dragon Age, Les Misérables and Total Recall. In related news, Japanese netizens have been using perspective photography techniques to recreate various scenes from the anime. From titans grabbing and devouring humans to launching attacks on their napes, Attack on Titan has become the latest photo meme in Japan.

And remember the site called ShindanMaker we previously reported? Well, it now has an Attack on Titan version. This time, the joke web service tells you the result of your encounter with titans. I won’t be sharing the results unlike the last time because there are minor spoilers. It’s more fun to see them yourself. via Crunchyroll and Kotaku

May 14th, 2013

flumpool’s temporary guitarist revealed! Turns out to be comedian Yusuke Inoue Source: http://sgcafe.com/2013/05/flumpool-temporary-guitaristrevealed/ By Az on May 14th, 2013

flumpool has finally revealed their temporary guitarist! The reveal was yesterday, May 12, on Nico Nico Live. The guitarist turns out to be, much to the surprise of fans, a comedian from the NON STYLE comedy duo, Yusuke Inoue.

Published by: VR-Zone

condition set by flumpool. Inoue also clears the conditions “must be from Kansai”, “must be used to standing on stage”, and “can play the guitar decently”. Inoue also has an impressive career resume. As a half of comedy duo NON STYLE, he is currently a regular of three currently airing shows. He also has dozens of TV appearances including commercials and has released nine DVDs. He has also has experience in the music industry. He has written and composed anime Sergeant Keroro’s tenth ending theme and has released a mini-album under the name “Day of the Legend”, with all songs in the mini-album also written and composed by him. All four members of flumpool have high expectations of Yusuke Inoue. “He is perfect for the spot that Kazuki left as he stops his visual activities to diet. Inoue-san is such a natural at this that when the four of us stand side by side, there might even be some who won’t notice the difference.” comments the drummer and leader, Seiji Ogura. Kazuki also jokingly declares, “The four of us are the judge of this search, but this decision was a unanimous one. But Inoue-san, don’t forget that this position is yours just for now. For now. I’ll finish this diet, become hot, and make the most awesome comeback!”. Kazuki Sakai will be away until the end of June and will be working towards his target of 64 kg. Inoue will also be appearing on flumpool’s next PV (to be shot on May 25) and will also be with flumpool as they appear as the front cover in magazine 「PATi「PATi「. It will be interesting to see what kind of visuals will come from this new lineup. Though flumpool fans are shocked and have found this to be extremely funny, the news is accepted postively. “LOL They DO look alike!”, “Feels like ROCK!”, “Looking forward to the PV!” are just some of the reactions of the fans. source: natalie

Results of The Idolm@ster Cinderella Girls 2nd Election and new single announced flumpool with Sakai

Source: http://sgcafe.com/2013/05/results-idolmster-cinderellagirls-2nd-election-announced/ By SunSoftware on May 13th, 2013

flumpool with Inoue While this may be a shocking decision, Yusuke Inoue seems to be perfectly qualified for the job. For some time now, it has been said that Inoue closely resembles Sakai, the first 9

May 14th, 2013

Who are the most popular idols from The Idolm@ster Cinderella Girls? Fans of the game have voted, and the top five will be featured in a CD together. Look right here to find out who they are! From April 25 to May 8, Japan Columbia Records held the 2nd Cinderella Girls Election to decide the most popular idols from the mobile game The Idolm@ster Cinderella Girls. Unlike the main line Idolm@ster games, CInderella Girls features over 100 idols.

Published by: VR-Zone

Da… Umm, I can’t believe it. Producer, will you compliment me? Ahaha, harasho ♪ Um, thanks. 3rd Place: Kaede Takagaki (CV: Saori Hayami) A mature and soft-spoken 25-year-old idol with keen observational skills.

Without further ado, here are the winners of the 2nd Cinderella Girls Election, as well as a short bio for people meeting them for the first time. Who’s your favorite idol? 1st Place: Ranko Kanzaki (CV: Maaya Uchida) A 14-year-old girl who likes to wear gothic lolita attire. She is a chuunibyou who claims to have mystic powers, but she is really a good girl who can’t be honest with herself. Thank you for your hard work. Tonight, I’m going to celebrate modestly with Producer. Maybe we’ll have a toast… fufufu ♪ 4th Place: Sachiko Koshimizu (CV: Ayana Taketatsu) A rather arrogant, young girl who claims to be the cutest. She likes flaunting her cuteness, and her comments can come off as teasing or even sadistic.

Um… Thanks to everyone… I’ve become number 1. Thank you, Producer… u-um… Be swallowed by the darkness! 2nd Place: Anastasia A half-Russian, half-Japanese idol born in Hokkaido. She often starts her sentences in Russian before switching to Japanese. Her nickname is Anya.

Of course a cute girl like me would be this popular. I want to praise Producer-san as well! You worked so hard, for my sake! Fufun ♪ 5th Place: Rin Shibuya (CV: Ayaka Fukuhara) A girl who appears stiff and unfriendly, but works hard. As one of the girls who promoted Cinderella Girls, she was the first idol to have a voice actress.

May 14th, 2013

Published by: VR-Zone

I was able to come this far because I’ve worked hard. Fufu, thank you. Producer, keep raising me higher and higher. The top five idols above will form a new unit and release their debut single on May 22. It’s interesting to see that Anastasia reached number 2 even though she doesn’t have a voice actress, which she needs before their single is recorded. Another thing to note is that the top five are all cool character types in the game, except Sachiko, who is a cute type, so it will be interesting to see how they all sound together. In case you want to see the rest of the results, here are the idols ranked all the way from 6 to 50. The girls from the main line Idolm@ster games aren’t included, but how many do you recognize?

May 14th, 2013

Published by: VR-Zone

Source: Deremas

May 15th, 2013

Published by: VR-Zone

SGCafe : Cosplay | Vocaloid | Otaku | Pop Culture A daily publication about Cosplay, Vocaloid, Otaku and Japanese Pop Culture

Ace of Diamond anime to be produced by MADHOUSE x Production IG collaboration Source: http://sgcafe.com/2013/05/production-ig-madhousecolalboration-produce-ace-diamond-anime/ By Az on May 15th, 2013

Ace of Diamond is a manga about a pitcher from a small school who gets scouted by an elite school and gets paired with a genius catcher. The protagonist, pitcher Eijun Sawamura, transfers to the elite school to follow that catcher after being scouted. He then is determined to improve his skills and become the ace as they head to the Koushien.

It has been revealed that popular shounen manga 「Daiya No A「(Ace of Diamond) will be having an anime adaptation this fall. The production will be a collaboration project between the two powerhouse studios MADHOUSE and Production IG. You probably already know about MADHOUSE and Production IG. MADHOUSE is the studio behind works such as Chihayafuru, One Outs, currently airing series Hunter x Hunter and Photo Kano, and Death Note, among many other popular anime. On the other hand, Production IG also has some great works under its belt such as Kimi Ni Todoke,Kuroko No Basuke, Prince of Tennis, and the currently airing much talked about series, Shingeki no Kyojin.

The manga is written by artist Yuuji Terajima, serialized last 2006 on Weekly Shounen Magazine (same magazine as Fairy Tail, Code:Breaker) and is currently ongoing with more than a hundred chapters behind it. It is a popular and well received work, having won the Kodansha Manga Award last 2010, putting it on the same pedestal with the likes of Major, Cross Game, Detective Conan, Slam Dunk, and Fullmetal Alchemist. It seems that many Japanese fans have been waiting for this anime and is now more hyped than ever as they learned that it will be a collaboration project by MADHOUSE and Production IG. Even those who have not read the manga have become excited when they learned of the studios’ collaboration. Many will be looking forward to this work with all that it has going for it. source: natalie

New details released on Nvidia’s Project Shield Source: http://sgcafe.com/2013/05/details-released-nvidias-projectshield/

May 15th, 2013 By hikarucon on May 15th, 2013

Published by: VR-Zone By hikarucon on May 15th, 2013

Interested in playing PC games on a handheld? Impossible you might say but Nvidia thinks differently. Nvidia announced a handheld device called “Project Shield” at the CES 2013 in January– a console that could play PC games in their original great quality but as a handheld.

Since the release of the second Madoka movie we have not seen too much of the pink haired magical girl, aside from its recent Nendoroid Ultimate Madoka.Thank god, we haven’t seen the last of Madoka it seems. Good Smile Company will be releasing a 1/8th scale figure of Madoka with her wearing a Maiko, a geisha in training, outfit.

Needless to say, this announcement raised some eyebrows. From its announcement until now, Nvidia has trickled some information about its handheld to the public but now, Nvidia released new, and maybe final, details on its “Project Shield” now just officially called “Shield.”

There are a lot of Madoka figures out there but this one is especially attractive. It captures the feel and atmosphere of an older Kyoto– where it would be a normal sight to see Maiko’s using a Japanese parasol while walking amidst the falling autumn leaves. Unfortunately the release date has yet to be announced so all we can do is wait until they let us give them our money for this beautiful figure.

It sports a 5 inch multi touch high definition Retina display, Nvidia’s very own Tegra 4 chip, as well as a function to stream games from a PC. Nvidia had previously reported that the system also will be running on Android, have built in speakers, Wi-Fi, 16 gigabytes of memory, GPS, Bluetooth, HDMI output, a slot for microSD cards, and then a headphone jack. For those of you who are interested in Shield, it will be available for preorder at New Egg, GameStop, Micro Center, and Canada Computers starting May 20th. The actual console will be available for purchase and released around mid June for $349.99.

Magical Girls in Kyoto: New Madoka Figure announced Source: http://sgcafe.com/2013/05/magical-girls-kyoto-madoka-figureannounced/

May 15th, 2013

Published by: VR-Zone

Limited Eevee Edition 3DS XL revealed Source: http://sgcafe.com/2013/05/limited-eevee-edition-3ds-xlrevealed/ By bj0rN on May 15th, 2013

If you think Pikachu and Charizard were the only limited 3DS available, the official PokĂŠmon Center store in Japan will be retailing a limited edition Eevee-themed 3DS XL later this month. The Eevee edition 3DS XL, just like the previous Limited Charizard Edition 3DS XL, can only be purchased by participating in a lottery held from May 15th until June 3rd for a reservation chance to purchase it at 18,900 yen.

May 15th, 2013

Published by: VR-Zone

Source: @ruritokn at Twitter

Master Grade Gundam RX-78-2 Ver. 3.0 to be revealed? Source: http://sgcafe.com/2013/05/master-grade-gundam-rx-78-2ver-3-0-revealed-rumour-mill/ By sentinel011 on May 15th, 2013

Visitors to Pokémon centers earlier this month were greeted with a teaser saying, “Oh? Nintendo 3DS XL is evolving!” with Eevee above it and a “Coming Soon” printed below. Bandai is set to reveal their most exciting product line in less than 24 hours, but some enthusiast Gunpla blogs have released information along with some 3D images of what is to be revealed. While the original source is unknown, online hobby store Hobbysearch confirmed the news with the kit released for pre-order. Bandai has made noticeable changes in engaging consumers with their products, such as the release of Online Store limited items that are not available through stores or individuals outside of Japan – unless they obtain it through parallel imports or proxies.

The Eevee edition 3DS XL features the stripes of the Eevee color scheme on the front from the 3DS XL, with a print of Eevee on the back, and a white interior.

Gunpla enthusiasts are divided about this ‘leaked news’, with some embracing it while others felt that it is just a shift from what many have seen in the Real Grade line ported over to 1/100 scale. The 3D images show the MG RX-78-2 Ver 3.0 fashioned very similarly to its RG counterpart, with exact decals to boot. Unfortunately, only the Pikachu 3DSXL has a US version. No news if the Charizard 3DS XL and Eevee 3DS XL will have a US version.

Some argue that despite the numerous RX-78-2 kits released alone in the Master Grade line (1.0, 1.5, 2.0, ver. One Year War), the 3.0 refresher is a much needed one. A couple of enthusiasts felt that there are plenty other Mobile Suits that needed kit revisions, such as Sazabi, Hyaku Shiki or the GP series. However, they were refuted by other enthusiasts that 4

May 15th, 2013

releasing a revision of the RX-78-2 is a much needed one, possibly backed by the good kit sales gathered with each revision.

Our insights over the announcement of the Master Grade technology refresher is a positive one, as evidently seen on the popularity of the Master Grade Nu Gundam ver Ka. Over the past couple of years, Bandai has opt for lighter yet sturdier plastic seen on the Real Grade and recent Master Grade lines, and invested in improving its multigate technology, allowing more parts of various colours to be moulded within a single sprue. The Master Grade line provides the best mix of detail and posability at a rather attractive price point, not to mention less work to be done to make the kit look great, be it painting it or simply filling in the panel lines. The Master Grade RX-78-2 Ver 3.0 will be out in stores this coming August, retailing at 4,500 yen. Source: Gundamguy, Hobbysearch

SRW OG Saga Masoukishin III PRIDE OF JUSTICE website officially opened, first press special revealed

Published by: VR-Zone By Xak on May 15th, 2013

The website for Super Robot Wars OG Saga Masoukishin III PRIDE OF JUSTICE recently officially opened, and for now features some information about the story, the characters and the robots. Nothing particularly new yet, though you can see some screenshots of the various robots in battle. The â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Aboutâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; page has some interesting information though, such as there being route splits and multiple endings. Also, since the game has a multi-platform release for the PS3 and PS Vita, it confirms that you can Cross Save between the two, so if you buy both versions, you can play it on the go and in the comfort of your home too.

Source: http://sgcafe.com/2013/05/srw-og-saga-masoukishin-iii-pridejustice-website-officially-opened-press-special-revealed/

May 15th, 2013

Published by: VR-Zone By KarbyP on May 14th, 2013

And as stated in our older post, the First Press edition of the game will come with a download code for Valsione as seen in the anime series Super Robot Wars OG The Inspectors. We now also know that the code will not only allow you to replace the model and attack animations of Valsione R with Valsione, but that it will have attacks that Valsione R does not have. You can change between Valsione and Valsione R in the intermission between missions, or at the deployment screen during a mission. Valsione can only be obtained using this product code.

Unlike the other Mondo Girls, Betty is able to completely disarm all of Killer is Dead‘s suave gigolo executioner’s advances. There’s a reason for that: She’s a 256-year-old vampire, this week’s issue of Dengeki PlayStation magazine reveals, so she’s probably seen it all. How do you tempt a 256-year-old vamp? You just can’t. Like we reported previously, Betty is a bonus, fourth Mondo Girl, who’s so exclusive that the only way you’d get to play with her in Killer is Dead is if you pre-order the game (which also gives you the Gigolo Glasses that works quite like X-ray vision for clothes). Gigolo Glasses is pre-order bonus 「1, and Betty is pre-order bonus 「2. There’s also a pre-order bonus 「3. Apart from Betty’s background, this week’s issue of Dengeki also mentions that gamers who pre-order won’t just be getting a character – you’re getting an entire episode revolving around our mysterious vamp, entitled “Nocturnal Beast”.

Super Robot Wars OG Saga Masoukishin III PRIDE OF JUSTICE is scheduled to go on sale on 22/08/2013 for the PS3 and PS Vita, and retails at 7480yen for the PS3 and 6480yen for the PS Vita (Download versions are priced the same as retail editions).

Killer is Dead’s 4th Mondo Girl, Betty, is a 256-year-old vampire

Details are scant at the moment, so we’re not sure if this extra episode is the afore-teased pre-order item no.3, or if the character Betty and her story episode comes together and are treated as one item. We’ll update this story later if we can find any clarification on that. Elsewhere in Dengeki’s Killer is Dead feature, it’s also mentioned that the Japanese release date has been confirmed to be August 1 (in the US it’s slated for August 27). There’s also a brief character profile for one of the targets you’ll have to terminate in the game: A yakuza by the name of Yama Hamada, who has a tattoo on his back that can transmute into an actual tiger. Source: Dengeki PlayStation

Source: http://sgcafe.com/2013/05/killer-deads-4th-mondo-girlbetty-256-year-old-vampire/

May 15th, 2013

CyberConnect2 president: JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure All-Star Battle was conceptualized 7 years ago Source: http://sgcafe.com/2013/05/jojo-asb-conceptualized-7-years-agodue-to-phantom-blood/ By KarbyP on May 14th, 2013

Published by: VR-Zone

That’s not the only time the game’s producer Noriaki Niino would sweat bullets; he would also get flustered when Matsuyama, who had appeared at Machi Asobi cosplaying as Part 4′s Rohan Kishibe, explained that JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure All-Star Battle was conceived “partly thanks to” the 2006 video game JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Phantom Blood. “It all started seven years ago, in 2006 when this craptastic game called ‘JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Phantom Blood’ came out…” Matsuyama said, before the All-Star Battle’s producer and Namco Bandai Games employee Niino quickly cut him off.

“That game was made by my superior. So quit yapping about your opinion on the game from the perspective of a single user, nobody cares!” producer Niino (pictured right) yelled at Matsuyama, much to the audience’s amusement. Matsuyama then went on to explain that it is indeed true, however, that the 2006 game was what sparked his interest in wanting to make this game. After having played Phantom Blood, Matsuyama went to Namco Bandai Games and asked them to let his company (CyberConnect2) work on development the next time they (Namco Bandai) wanted to release a JoJo game. And that was how production on All-Star Battle finally began, some nearly seven years after it was first conceptualised.

At the recent Machi Asobi event in Tokushima, CyberConnect2 president and CEO Hiroshi Matsuyama shared that he had wanted to make JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure All-Star Battle since seven years ago.

He also said that more characters for the game will be announced in mid-May (so anytime now), hinting – much to the chagrin of JoJo’s BA ASB producer Noriaki Niino – that this month’s character announcements are from “around Part 2″ in the series, and that they are likely to be antagonists because “no matter how you look at it, at this point this game is sorely lacking in terms of boss characters, right?” “What are you talking about? I don’t understand what you mean at all!” producer Niino responded whilst sweating bullets.

Matsuyama also talked briefly about the current state of development on the game. CyberConnect2′s JoJo team has roughly 80 staff members working on it in total, he said, which is comparable to the size of Namco Bandai Games’ Tales series development team; the comparison had been made in part because Tales series producer Hideo Baba was also present at the talk event.

Apart from the core members of the JoJo team, however, Matsuyama said that there are other CyberConnect2 staff members who had volunteered to help out with JoJo BA ASB on their own time. “They would work on their own assignments during the day, and volunteer to come help out with JoJo at night,” Matsuyama ssaid. “That’s a good working environment to have,” producer Baba (pictured) commented.

May 15th, 2013

“Everyone on the Tales staff team love the Tales series. And because they have that love and passion for it, that’s how good games get made,” Baba added. According to Matsuyama, at the moment JoJo’s BA ASB is in the debugging phase of its development schedule. Yet the staff are still not content with what they’re achieved, spending additional time to make further improvements to the game’s visual effects, well on top of what’s specified in the development blueprints. As an example, he said that the team has taken great pains to animate the character’s facial expressions, especially during dialogue. Another example: as JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure creator Hirohiko Araki is known for colouring his character’s hair and clothes in several different permutations, the team has been hard at work ensuring that this particular quirk of the manga series “makes it into the game in some form”.

Published by: VR-Zone

MINDs, are used to fight against monsters and let the heroes explore the Deranged World to uncover a mystery. MINDs are powerful, but if they take too much damage, the result is a “Mind Break”, which leaves their owner paralyzed. The heroes can fight without their MINDs, but they’re weaker and more vulnerable. To win battles, you have to manage both the humans’ and MINDs’ energy. In the latest 90-second trailer of the game, we get a glimpse of these stylish mind battles, as well as the visual novel-style cutscenes and some areas of the Deranged World resembling a subway train and a dark street. You’ll also notice that visual sound effects pop up manga-style in the middle of a fight. Furthermore, people who pre-order the game will receive an “MT Special File” containing a special illustration book by the character designer kyo and a treasure CD containing music from ZIZZ Studio and voice commentary by the cast.

What does that mean? I’m guessing, either several colour variations for each character that players can unlock, or some kind of colour-edit mode. We’ll just have to wait for more details to find out for sure. JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure All-Star Battle for the PlayStation 3 comes out in Japan August 29. Source: Inside-Games

Trailer for MIND≒0 shows off stylish mind battles Source: http://sgcafe.com/2013/05/trailer-mind%E2%89%920-showsstylish-mind-battles/ By SunSoftware on May 14th, 2013

Acquire has revealed the treasure CD’s track list, but since they haven’t revealed all of the characters yet, some of the commentary tracks remain hidden. 1. Shinen kara no Yobi Koe (The Voice Calling from the Abyss) 2. War Dance 3. Lina 4. Senti Mori 5. Akihabara (「「「) ~Wonder City~ 6. Bousou Machine MIND「0 Ver. (opening theme performed by yucat) 7. Takanashi Kei (CV: Tomokazu Sugita) 8. Sana Chikage (Rina Satou) 9. Leo Asahina (Yuuichi Nakamura) 10. Yoichi Ogata (Takehito Koyasu) 11. Kotone Shiragiku (Minori Chihara) 12. Lina Albertine (Iori Nomizu)

We’ve already revealed the opening movie and the main characters of Acquire’s upcoming PS Vita game. Now, we finally get to see some fancy gameplay footage. MIND「0 is an RPG developed by Acquire (Akiba’s Trip) and ZeroDiv (Class of Heroes) centered around a group of teenagers who can travel to a parallel world called the “Deranged World”, where they can summon creatures that represent their minds. These creatures, simply called

13. ??? 14. Kanade Sakyo (Yuuki Kaji) 15. ??? 16. ??? 17. ??? 18. ??? 19. ??? 20. ??? 8

May 15th, 2013

MIND「0 won’t be released until August 1, but if you’re already sold by the game’s stylishness, it’s not too soon to pre-order your copy now.

Published by: VR-Zone

shirts, this also comes in sizes XS to 3L and features a tank top and shorts. It will also retail for 13,440 yen.

Source: Dengeki

Cycle in style with new GRS Gear featuring Hatsune Miku Source: http://sgcafe.com/2013/05/cycle-style-grs-gear-featuringhatsune-miku/ By Zenko on May 14th, 2013

Offering your arms UV protection from the sun are a set of arm covers. It will range in size from XS to XL, but will retail for only 4,410 yen. According to the concept art they will come in both black and white options.

Good Smile Racing is adding goods to their new GRS Gear line in August, featuring Racing Miku’s 2013 design. Good Smile Racing’s new GRS Gear is aimed at cyclists, which means a line of clothing that lets you wear your favorite virtual idol while you work out. One of the items to come out will be a Racing Miku 2013 Cycling Shirt [EDGE Version]. Apart from the shirt it will also come with a sleeve for water bottles, and a fastner for your bike’s lock. It will come in a variety of sizes from XS to 3L and retail for 13,440 yen.

The TEAM Version of the same shirt will feature a different design and also come with a water bottle sleeve and lock fastener, as well as pockets. Like the EDGE Version, it will retail for 13,440 yen.

To make sure you don’t lose your grip during long rides, the Racing Miku 2013 gloves are available to keep your hands comfortable. They are available for order for 5,250 yen.

All of these goods are currently available on Good Smile’s online shop. Source: Famitsu, GOODSMILE ONLINE SHOP

There is also a special edition sleeveless shirt and shorts for those with a really intense cycling routine. Like the previous 9

May 17th, 2013

Published by: VR-Zone

SGCafe : Cosplay | Vocaloid | Otaku | Pop Culture A daily publication about Cosplay, Vocaloid, Otaku and Japanese Pop Culture

These are the finalists for Nendoroid Snow Miku 2014, vote for your fave tonight

The livestream will also contain gameplay footage from Project Mirai 2 (3DS) and other cool Hatsune Miku corners. So if you’re a Miku fan, make sure to tune in or watch the time-shifted programme later. Here are the finalists for Snow Miku 2014:

Source: http://sgcafe.com/2013/05/finalists-nendoroid-snowmiku-2014/ By KarbyP on May 17th, 2013

Good Smile Company has teamed up with piapro (Cypton Future Media’s image, music, and song lyrics sharing site) to bring Hatsune Miku fans a brand new Nendoroid Snow Miku for the upcoming Winter 2014 season. This year’s theme for Snow Miku was decided to be “Mahou Shoujo” (Magical Girl), and piapro users were encouraged to come up with their cutest designs for the new Snow Miku under that motif, and submit them for consideration to be made into an actual Nendoroid. Unique to this year’s contest, in addition to a design for Nendoroid Snow Miku, Good Smile Company and piapro were also soliciting designs for a pet that would come with Snow Miku. After a contest period of a couple of weeks and careful consideration from the judges, the numerous entries submitted by Miku fans were whittled down to just nine each for Snow Miku, and Snow Miku’s pet. From this group of nine finalists, one design will be voted on and picked by fans to officially become Nendoroid Snow Miku 2014 and Snow Miku’s pet. The voting and decision-making will be held during a Nico Nico Live broadcast that will begin at 7PM Japan time (GMT+0900 hours) tonight – that’s 6PM Singapore time – and viewable from this link: http://live.nicovideo.jp/watch/ lv137133495 1

May 17th, 2013

And here are the ones for Snow Miku’s pet:

Published by: VR-Zone

Gackt denies rape and sexual assault allegations Source: http://sgcafe.com/2013/05/gackt-denies-rape-sexual-assaultallegations/ By KarbyP on May 17th, 2013

J-pop star and singer-songwriter Gackt is seething in rage after the latest issue of Kobunsha’s Flash tabloid magazine published what he claims to be an untrue account of him confining and sexually assaulting a 27-year-old nightclub hostess for six hours in his own home in late 2011. “This has gone beyond rage. I’m so shocked by this accusation that my jaw has fallen to the floor,” Gackt wrote in a blog entry addressed to his fans. “The way this article was written and its contents, are just like that of an erotic novel. It’s so ridiculous I could laugh. “And the timing of this article’s publication, it’s coming out right in the middle of my live tour, obviously what they’re aiming to do is just to increase magazine sales… but to us (Gackt’s management) we feel like the conspirators are trying to ruin my live tour,” Gackt wrote. In that sense, the J-pop star went on to say, the accusations published are not just an affront to him, but also an affront to concert-goers who bought tickets to his tour. Gackt also revealed on his blog that the 27-year-old who accused him of confinement and rape had previously come 2

May 17th, 2013

to him and demanded 10,000,000 yen, threatening to tell the world that he sexually assaulted her if Gackt refused payment. When Gackt consulted his lawyers, he was told that there was no need to pay her anything as her claims were not true.

Published by: VR-Zone

joy first place. The Arc Revolution Cup will be live streamed on NicoNico as well as twitch.tv along with the Musical Live, Web Radio (Blue Radio H), things that no fan of Arc Systems will want to miss.

“Since then, I never heard from her again. Then years later she decides to go to a magazine to blow the lid open… what the heck? Furthermore according to the article all she wants from me is just a public apology and nothing more? Wait a minute, that’s not right, in the first place you came to extort money from me!” Gackt wrote. The accusations have affected his work. Gackt said that he has cancelled some of his upcoming TV programme appearances, due to concerns made by the shows’ sponsors. The popular singer-songwriter plans to sue both the magazine and the 27-year-old accuser for libel and defamation, and currently has a team of three elite lawyers working on his case. Source: Yahoo! Japan News, Channel News Asia

Incoming: Arc Revolution Cup 5/19 What you need to know Source: http://sgcafe.com/2013/05/incoming-arc-revolution-cup-519/ By hikarucon on May 17th, 2013

Excited for the Arc Revolution Cup but don’t know what it’s all about? Well for those of you who don’t know or want a quick reminder of what exactly is going on, here’s a refresher course. ARC REVOLUTION CUP -Video Game Tournament Hosting 3 Arc System fighting games: 1. BlazBlue Chronophantasma 2. Persona 4 the Ultimate in Mayonaka Arena 3. Guilty Gear XX Accent Core Plus R WHEN Final picks (end of the preliminaries to get into the real tournament): May 18th, 2013 12:30pm-6:00pm (11:30pm-5amEST Friday-Saturday) Arc Revolution Cup: May 19th, 2013 (Sunday) 1:00pm- 6:00pm (12am-5am Saturday-Sunday) STREAMS Twitch.tv Final Pick (5/18) Finals (5/19) NicoNico Final Pick (5/18) Final (5/19) NOTE - The contents of the streams will be strictly the Final Pick and Finals - You will not be able to view every match - Public recordings of the radio will not be available THE GAMES AT ARC REVOLUTION CUP

For those of you into competitive fighting games especially anything made by Arc Systems (i.e. Blazblue, Guilty Gear, or Persona 4 Arena), you probably know about the Arc Revolution Cup coming up this Sunday in Yokohama. Players from all around Japan who got past the preliminary regional rounds will be competing in their respective games, aiming to take down their rivals and take home the glory and

The games chosen to be played at this year’s Arc Revolution Cup are Blazblue Chronophantasma (BBCP), Persona 4 the Ultimate in Mayonaka Arena (P4U), and Guilty Gear Accent Core Plus R (GGXXAC+R). All of these games involve stringing combos together in order to defeat your enemies as well as incorporating a lot of metagame strategies such as Okizeme and Bursting. For those unaware of these terms, 3

May 17th, 2013

Published by: VR-Zone

an Okizeme comes from the Japanese word, “Attack” and “Wakeup.”

have some kind of interest, you definitely won’t get bored of watching the matches.

The basic gist of an Okizeme is attacking your opponent as they are getting off the ground after being knocked down. If successfully done, you are able to put pressure on your opponent or do mixups so that you can hopefully confuse your opponent into letting you get another combo in.

BLAZBLUE CHRONOPHANTASMA

Bursting is a game mechanic in the 3 games where you will be able to interrupt your opponents attack and get them off of you, allowing you to recover and maybe even begin a counterattack. Bursts only come once a round though so players are careful when they use them because a good Burst can save your life. The use of a burst varies between the 3 games though. In BBCP there are now defensive and offensive bursts. Defensive bursts do what regular bursts do — they get the opponent off of you and put you back into a neutral state.

4 new characters have been added to this version of Blazblue making the total character roster 23. The basic layout of BBCP is the same as any other fighting game out there. You have your special gauge that fills up every time you land an attack on your opponent. When your gauge fills up enough, usually to 50, you can your super moves and other things like rapid cancels. What separates Blazblue from the other games is that each character has their own “drive” which is performed just by pressing the “D” button. Drives are special moves that are used in the same way as regular moves but do different things than just normal attacks, so for instance, they can transform your character into a wolf like in Valkenhayn’s case or control the wind like in Rachel’s case. BLAZBLUE TOURNAMENT ROSTER CHARACTERS TO BE WARY OF

The offensive bursts though put you into “overdrive” which boosts your offensive capabilities making every attack you land deal more damage. In P4U, you can use bursts to continue combos, raise the damage of them, as well as use it as a defensive technique. But in all of these cases, you can only typically use your burst once a match. In both BBCP and P4U, the burst gauge slowly recovers during the match so it’s possible that you can use the burst twice a match. But usually bursts are saved until a crucial point in the match and therefore knowing when to burst is extremely crucial for victory. VALKENHAYN and TAOKAKA Both characters are considered to be the fastest in the game. With Valkenhayn’s drive, he can turn into a wolf and can change between attacking high, mid, or low, extremely quickly. Taokaka is a cat themed character and this is reflected in her playstyle which is more speed oriented. Her movements are very fast making her hard to catch and then her attacks also pack a punch making her a dangerous character to fight against. In both characters’ cases seeing a one sided match with them is not too unusual.

Even if you’re walking into this live stream with little to no knowledge of fighting game terminology, you’ll still be inspired by the flashy combos, wondering when they will use their burst, and how the players will break through their opponent’s guard to get in some damage. So even if you just play casually or have no idea what these games are but 4

May 17th, 2013

Published by: VR-Zone

PERSONA4 TOURNAMENT ROSTER CHARACTERS TO WATCH OUT FOR

HAKUMEN Hakumen has really long reach and a drive that can be used to counter an enemy’s attack so even when guarding he can reverse an opponent’s pressure and turn it into his own. Hakumen has a special characteristic where instead of a normal special gauge, called Magatama. The Magatama fills up in two ways, either you can just let it fill up or use his drive and counter moves to do it. When the Magatama is full, you can use his special moves. Hakumen’s coolest moves are his powerful one hit moves especially when he is in overdrive and his damage is exponentially increased. When the screen turns black get excited for something cool.

NARUKAMI YUU

NOTEWORTHY PLAYERS 1. Conan (Tsubaki): Winner of the 2011 GODSGARDEN. He worked hard and pushed his way to victory in the regional games and now faces towards the Arc Revolution Cup Finals. A smart and talented player, he’s definitely a player that everyone should watch out for. 2. Souji (Arakune): The winner of the national Blue Revolution Tournament and the overseas NEC tournament. At one point he mained Valkenhayn but then changed characters to Arakune. He is very skilled at not letting the opponent touch him at all. 3. “Amae I”(Rachel): A famous player even within the Gulity Gear community, previously using the name N-Otoko. He is a high level Rachel player who is great at overwhelming his opponents. Rachel players are rare thus not many players have strategies concerning her giving him a bit of an advantage in that regard. Look forward to his progress in this tournament! EXHIBITION MATCH SOUJI (ARAKUNE) V. GORO (MAKOTO) PERSONA 4 THE ULTIMATE IN THE MAYONAKA ARENA P4U incorporates both characters from Persona 4 and Persona 3 into one great fighting game. Characters in the Persona series fight by summoning their personas and the game reflects that. Each character has their own character specific persona attacks which can be used as easily as regular attacks. But if the opponent is able to hit your persona 4 times, your character will lose the ability to use their persona for a short time leaving you a little more vulnerable to attack. Using a persona to attack means that you will end up relying on it to do combos and the like that much more, but being able to use it opens up a lot of possibilities for attacks.

MITSURU

CHIE

NARUKAMI YUU,MITSURU, CHIE Narukami, Mitsuru, and Chie are said to be the strongest characters in the game. Narukami has great anti-airs and good okizeme options with his persona. Mitsuru has good reach and strong attacks making any combo she lands not too difficult but high damage. Chie is very fast and she can get into the opponent’s range very easily making her a more rush down character.

May 17th, 2013

Published by: VR-Zone

KANJI KANJI Kanji is a grappler character meaning that he focuses on throwing his enemies. This means at close range he is very deadly and if he grabs you, you’re in for a world of hurt. If you’re not careful, it’s possible that he could end the match in an instant. NOTEWORTHY PLAYERS 1. DIE (Mitsuru): Among even the top players of Mitsuru, Die is considered one of the strongest. There might actually not be any player who can match his win-lose ratio. He could be this tournament’s overall favorite to win.

ZAPPA A character that is possessed by a myriad of spirits, all of which he can use to fight his enemies. In the game you can summon the power of 4 spirits but only use 1 at a time. The main strategy for all Zappa strategies is to summon and gain orbs. After Zappa gets 8 orbs, he can summon Raoh who inflicts heavy damage for about 15 seconds. Zappa is also a very fast character making him a force to be reckoned with.

2. Yume (Aegis): Yume is a veteran of fighting games and thus has a lot of experience. He’s among the top Aegis users with a strong metagame that can easily overwhelm his opponents. Seeing him fight in this tournament will definitely be something worth watching. 3. Hae (Chie): The player who took second place in a 2012 tournament. Lots of great expectations have been placed in him after seeing his strong play style that is sure to take down even the strongest of foes. EXHIBITION MATCH: PET (KANJI) V MITAFU (AEGIS) JUSTICE GUILTY GEAR XX ACCENT CORE PLUS R Sporting 25 characters, a huge fan base, and many updates, Guilty Gear bosts being one of the longest played video game titles. The appeal of Guilty Gear lies in its fast paced action making every match exciting and interesting. The specialty of Guilty Gear lies in its Force Roman Cancel where the timing to use it is very strict (2-4 frames). If done correctly, the character will go back into a neutral state which will allow the player to continue combos that normally would not be able to be continued. GUILTYGEAR TOURNAMENT ROSTER CHARACTERS TO WATCH OUT FOR

Tsujikawa is really the only person to use this character in tournaments. He cannot dash but he has a long reach and a lot of tools that he can use during the battle. Justice is also good at shutting down other characters making him a strong character when used by the right person. PLAYERS TO WATCH OUT FOR 1. Eki (Zappa): The strongest Zappa in Kansai. He’s defeated almost every player in his way and quite quickly too making him the favorite to win the tournament 2. Woshige (Miria): Another great Kansai player. He’s very good at okizeme making him a difficult opponent to deal with. Utilizing Miria’s great speed he also makes it a point to not be touched by the opponent. 3. FAB (Potemkin): He is great at guarding and counter attacking. Potemkin is a very strong character so just a few combos can end the entire game. FAB is no stranger to this information and is sure to use Potemkins strengths to his advantages while watching out for his weaknesses. EXHIBITION MATCH: FAB (POTEMKIN) V NAGE (FAUST)

May 17th, 2013

Excited for the Arc Revolution Cup? Be sure to tune in to the NicoNico or twitch.tv stream, support your favorite players, and have a great time!

Kuroshitsuji live action movie: CanCam model Mizuki Yamamoto latest to be added to actor lineup Source: http://sgcafe.com/2013/05/kuroshitsuji-live-action-moviecamcam-model-yamamoto-mizuki-latest-added-actor-lineup/ By okaroll on May 17th, 2013

Published by: VR-Zone

Toboso Yana, the mangaka of this series commented that although she has seen Yamamoto Mizuki in The Kirishima Thing last year, the change in image this time was too great that she could not tell that the actress in the movie was Yamamoto herself. Toboso Yana also said, “It may be my own theory but, a cute person is always cute in whatever she does. So I am looking forward to see a cute maid on a rampage.” Kuroshitsuji, otherwise known as Black Butler, is about Sebastian Michaelis the butler of the Phantomhive household who seems to be perfect in everything he does to tend to his young master, Ciel Phantomhive. The reason behind this seemingly perfect performance seems to be because he is bound to his master by a supernatural contract. This series has started its serialization in Monthly GFantasy since September 2006 and is still ongoing. It also already has two seasons of anime, two drama CDs, musicals, a game released for the Nintendo DS, character guide, an official comic anthology under its belt and now, a live action movie. Although the live action movie deviates from the original, do look forward to see a different side of Kuroshitsuji slated for release in spring 2014! via Comic Natalie

‘A Love Song to a Certain Pilot’ to receive anime adaptation Source: http://sgcafe.com/2013/05/a-love-song-pilot-receive-animeadaptation/ By SunSoftware on May 17th, 2013

Most fans of the Kuroshitsuji series would know that a live action movie will be out soon. Now we have more news on this! CanCam Model Mizuki Yamamoto will be also starring along with Hiro Mizushima and Ayame Goriki in this live action film. As we have previously reported, the events in this live action film does not follow the original but take place in 2020- 130 years after the events in the original series. Hiro Mizushima stars as the devilishly charming butler of the Phantomhive estate, Sebastian Michaelis. Along with him is Ayame Goriki, who will be acting as his new mistress, Shiori Genbo. Now a new cast member, CanCam model Yamamoto Mizuki will be added to act as Rin, a clumsy maid who is passionate in protecting her mistress. Even though Rin is an original character, it is clear that the image of this character is modeled closely to Mey-Rin, one of the characters in the original series. Regarding her role in this live action movie, she mentioned that as she was a fan of the original series, she was really happy when she received news that she is going to star in the movie. She loves the character she is playing as she is a girl who does her best in everything and is extremely loyal to her mistress. As this is her first time challenging a live action film, she did get a case of the nerves in the beginning. But the staff in this production told her, “Work hard, play hard”, thus she felt encouraged and managed to perform the best she can in this film. She wishes that audience would think that her character is cool upon seeing the finished product.

The publisher Shogakukan has announced an anime adaptation of Toaru Hikuushi he no Koiuta, a light novel series about love, revenge, and airplane battles. In case you are wondering, Toaru Hikuushi he no Koiuta (A Love Song to a Certain Pilot) is not related to Toaru Majutsu no Index. It’s the second installment of Koroku Inumura’s Hikuushi series. 7

May 17th, 2013

The story is set in an kingdom where the prince has lost his home and family in a revolution, left with only a desire for revenge against the girl who led the revolution, Nina Vient, and the promise to become a pilot. The prince soon changes his name to Karuel and lives with a kind family for five years before he enters a school on Isla, an island floating 2,000 meters in the air. There, Karuel trains to become a pilot and bonds with a classmate named Claire.

Published by: VR-Zone By KarbyP on May 17th, 2013

The Metallic Gray DualShock 3 wireless controller, which Sony announced a couple of weeks back would be coming out in the US in early June, and to Japan on June 20, is making its way to Asia as well.

Koiuta was published from February 2009 to January 2011 and lasted five volumes. To get a better idea of the series, you can watch this commercial for the light novels, featuring illustrations by Haruyuki Morisawa.

Stores here in Singapore will be getting the new DualShock 3 controller – which complements the limited edition God of War: Ascension DualShock 3 controller quite nicely – on June 10, available at the recommended retail price of S $59.90. Here are the full product specifications:

The prequel to Koiuta, Toaru Hikuushi he no Tsuioku (Recollections of a Certain Pilot, aka The Princess and the Pilot) was also adapted into an animated movie by Madhouse and TMS and released in October 2011. We don’t know whether Koiuta will be produced by the same studios or whether it will feature the same voice actors as the commercial, but more details are scheduled to be announced next month. Source: Yaraon

Singapore: ‘Metallic Gray’ PlayStation 3 controller hits stores June 10 Source: http://sgcafe.com/2013/05/singapore-metallic-grayplaystation-3-controller-hits-stores-june-10/

Now, if there’s one thing I’ve learnt from buying video games and peripherals over the years here in Singapore, it’s that you can’t always count on a product or a certain package (bundle, pre-order bonus, etc) making its way over to your home country. 8

May 17th, 2013

Just because a multi-national corporation announces that a certain game or peripheral will be released in US or in Japan, doesn’t mean it’ll come out in your home region.

Published by: VR-Zone

when it was serialised, Hachiman Challenge attempts to spread the joy of manga drawing.

And even if it does, chances are it won’t come out on the same day (and sometimes even the same week or month) as those other regions. So I’m always glad when a game company bothers to bring a certain product over to Singapore. And even more so if it comes out on the same day as the US/Japan (in this case, Japan is getting it 10 days later on June 20).

‘Hikaru no Go’ author’s latest manga teaches readers how to draw manga Source: http://sgcafe.com/2013/05/hikaru-authors-latest-mangateaches-readers-draw-manga/ By KarbyP on May 17th, 2013

The way the series will accomplish its goal, however, is rather unusual. Each week, Hachiman Challenge readers are encouraged to draw their own manga based on a topic or scenario described in the on-going series, and send it to Tonari no Young Jump. A few of the reader pieces will then be picked to be published in the next issue, along with Hotta’s feedback on the readers’ work as well as the next chapter of the manga which will feature a new topic or scenario to explore. From time to time, the series also plans to feature surprise guest manga artists. Hachiman Challenge will be published once every three weeks. Although the first chapter is scheduled to be released on a Thursday, May 23, from the second chapter onwards the manga will be published once every three Wednesdays, starting from June 12. In addition, to celebrate Hachiman Challenge’s commencement, the paperback version of Weekly Young Jump issue no.25 (on newsstands May 23) will also feature a special chapter of the series. Souce: Comic Natalie, Tonari no Young Jump

Yumi Hotta, the author and creator behind Hikaru no Go, is currently working on a new manga project that will begin serialisation in the Web publication Tonari no Young Jump next Friday, May 23.

‘Yahari Ore no Seishun Love Come wa Machigatteiru’ OVA to come bundled with PS Vita game Source: http://sgcafe.com/2013/05/yahari-ore-seishun-love-wamachigatteiru-ova/

Entitled Hachiman Challenge! Hajimete no Manga (Hachiman Challenge! Your First Manga or はははははははは), Hotta’s new series is about – you guessed it – how anybody, regardless of age, gender, or occupation, can get into drawing manga right away. Just like how Hikaru no Go was said to have increased the popularity of Go in Japan

May 17th, 2013 By spartanchef on May 17th, 2013

Published by: VR-Zone By KarbyP on May 16th, 2013

The King of Fighters series’s Mai Shiranui is a cultural icon in gaming. She’s a sex symbol. Not only that, for over two decades, she’s served as a banner gal for SNK – she’s often the go-to character for any kind of collaboration that requires a female fighter from the fighting game maker.

A few announcements have been announced regarding the anime Yahari Ore no Seishun Love Come wa Machigatteiru. Firstly, the anime would have twelve episodes plus one “extra edition” which is a totally original story not found in the light novels. That makes it 13 episodes total. The anime would cover up until Volume 6 of the light novels which would be the Cultural Festival Arc. Also, an original story OVA is announced. It will be bundled along the limited edition “Yahari Ore no Seishun Love Come wa Machigatteiru” game. The game is exclusive for the PS Vita platform and the OVA bundled with it would be in BluRay. The limited edition game, along with the OVA is slated for release summer 2013.

But have you ever wondered what Mai would have looked like if, instead of being a well-endowed curvy kunoichi, she had instead been a male ninja? Would she be as celebrated a gaming icon as she is today? One company has dared to think the unthinkable. CJ Internet Japan, who licensed and operates the Koreandeveloped MMORPG brawler Lost Saga in Japan, is introducing Mai Shiranui – in both male and female flavours – as a premium character that you can buy and use in the Japanese version of the game. Here’s what they look like. For some reason I’m thinking that the male version won’t prove to be very popular (he looks pretty pansy, if you ask me):

Both the “extra edition” episode and the OVA are written by the light novel author of Yahari Ore no Seishun Love Come wa Machigatteiru, Watari Wataru. The anime is an adaptation of the light novel series by Watari Wataru. Its publication started March 2011 and has become popular ever since. Source: Yaraon

King of Fighter’s Mai Shiranui reimagined as a guy in MMORPG Lost Saga Source: http://sgcafe.com/2013/05/king-fighters-mai-shiranuireimagined-guy-lost-saga/

May 17th, 2013

This is not the first time a fighting game character has been licensed for use and introduced in Lost Saga. Previously such as BlazBlue’s Hazama, Samurai Shodown’s Haohmaru, and King of Fighters’ Iori Yagami, were added to the game.

Published by: VR-Zone

Haohmaru (Samurai Shodown)

All of those characters were also available in both male and female versions – and I think female counterparts turned out pretty well! See for yourself: Hazama (BlazBlue)

May 17th, 2013

Iori Yagami (The King of Fighters)

Published by: VR-Zone

Razor Atrox arcade stick officially launched, ships internationally in June Source: http://sgcafe.com/2013/05/razor-atrox-arcade-stick-officiallylaunched-ships-internationally-june/ By KarbyP on May 16th, 2013

Finally, after being in development for over two years, Razor’s first arcade fight stick – the Razor Atrox – is ready to ship. Today the premium peripheral maker announced that it will begin taking pre-orders for the Atrox arcade stick from May 21. The stick will then begin shipping to customers in Japan later this month, and to everyone else worldwide sometime in June. “Following a huge beta testing program, we’re confident that we’ve built an arcade stick enthusiasts will love,” said Razer co-founder and CEO Min-Liang Tan in a statement. “We know that the fighting-game community is huge on modding their arcade sticks, and that is why we made the Razer Atrox extremely mod friendly. We are excited to see what extreme mods the Razer Atrox will be the base for.” For modding reasons, the Razor Atrox is designed to be easily popped open – with just a touch of a button. 12

May 17th, 2013

Published by: VR-Zone

Additionally, the Atrox also features built-in storage room for additional joystick parts, an interchangeable top plate, and will shop with a screwdriver to facilitate modding. All of this is on top of industry standard features you’d expect from an arcade fight stick these days, such as Sanwa Denshi stick and buttons (Sanwa Denshi being the standard used in Japanese arcades for fighting games; for 2D shooters Seimitsu Denshi is the preferred maker) and a 2.4mm audio jack for headset use on the Xbox 360.

• 10 tournament-grade Sanwa Denshi™ buttons • Authentic Sanwa Denshi™ joystick with ball top • Interchangeable top panel allows for custom artwork finishes • Fully accessible internals and storage compartments for easy modding • Honeycomb structure on the inside for easy screw mounting • Storage compartments for alternative bat top joystick and more • 13 ft / 4 m detachable USB cable • Screwdriver included for modding • 2.5mm audio jack for headset use (Xbox 360) The Razor Atrox is priced at US$199. Available from the Razor online store. Source: EventHubs, VentureBeat

May 18th, 2013

Published by: VR-Zone

SGCafe : Cosplay | Vocaloid | Otaku | Pop Culture A daily publication about Cosplay, Vocaloid, Otaku and Japanese Pop Culture

Haganai Live Action: Actors revealed Source: http://sgcafe.com/2013/05/haganai-live-action-actors-revealed/ By hikarucon on May 18th, 2013

Despite the desperate cries from fans to cancel the live action adaptation of beloved light novel and anime Boku wa Tomodachi ga Sukunai (Haganai), the filming rolls on. For better or worse it seems filming has been going smoothly and theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve already selected actors for the film. Maybe the film shouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be written off by fans quite yet though since it looks as if it will be graced with some talented actors. According to a guy who was able to snap some photos of what seems to be filming for Haganai has determined that, Kitano Kie, Nagareboshi, will be taking the role of Mikadzuki Yozora and Koji Seto, Koizora and lead vocalist for J-rock band TetraFang, will be taking the lead as main character Hasegawa Kodaka.

May 18th, 2013

Published by: VR-Zone

Mecha manga ‘Shidonia no Kishi’ gets anime adaptation Source: http://sgcafe.com/2013/05/mecha-manga-shidonia-kishi-animeadaptation/ By SunSoftware on May 18th, 2013

Shidonia no Kishi has been serialized since April 2009, and has been published in nine volumes, the tenth one coming on May 23. The first two volumes have also been published in English by Vertical. No further details on the anime have been announced yet, but this is a series for sci-fi and mecha fans to keep an eye on. Source: Moe Otanews

Tokyo Ravens anime cast and staff announced Source: http://sgcafe.com/2013/05/tokyo-ravens-anime-staff-cast-

The editors of Afternoon magazine have leaked online that Tsutomu Nihei’s manga Shidonia no Kishi (Knights of Sidonia) is being adapted into an anime (on their Facebook page, of all places).

announced/ By spartanchef on May 18th, 2013

Shidonia no Kishi is set one thousand years after human civilization has evacuated the Earth on spaceships to flee from giant alien monsters called Gauna. Over time, humans developed mechas called “Morito” to fight the Gauna. The main character is Nagate Tanikaze, a poor boy who lives apart from human society until he is arrested for trying to steal food and somehow gets enlisted as a pilot-intraining. Nagate soon discovers how to use the famous Morito Tsugumori, as well as how to behave in a society with human photosynthesis, cloning, and human-animal mutations.

The cast and staff for the new Tokyo Ravens anime series has just been announced with Ishikawa Kaito and Hanazawa Kana headlining as the two main characters.

May 18th, 2013

Published by: VR-Zone

Yui from Kokoro Connect and of course, Ika Musume from Shiryaku! Ika Musume.

The role of Tsuchimikado Harutora will be voiced by Ishikawa Kaito, a relative newcomer to voice acting. He has voiced Ledo from Suisei no Gargantia as well as Manatsu Soda from RDG: Red Data Girl. Voicing Tsuchimikado Natsume is fan favorite Hanazawa Kana. She is known for voicing several popular anime characters like Charlotte Dunois from IS: Infinite Stratos, Kuroneko from Ore no Imouto, Hasegawa Kobato from Boku Tomodachi ga Sakunai and the titular Black Rock Shooter from the Black Rock Shooter series.

The role of Ato Touji will be voiced by Kimura Ryohei. He has worked with Hanazawa Kana before in Boku Tomodachi ga Sakunai as her characterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s older brother, Hasegawa Kodaka. He also voiced L-elf from Valverave the Liberator, Furuya Chihiro from Sankarea and Judal from Magi: Labyrinth of Magic. During the 2012 Seiyuu awards, he won best supporting actor.

The Drill-haired blonde, Dairenji Suzuka will be voiced by Sakura Ayane. She is known for voicing Buratei Marii from Joshiraku and Ishiki Akane from Vividred Operation.

Kanemoto Hisako, who voices Hokuto in this series has worked with Ishikawa Kaito before in Suisei no Gargantia as she voices Amy. She has also voiced Kotoura Haruka from Kotoura-San, Katyusha from Girls Und Panzer , Kiriyama

Singer and voice actress Toyosaki Aki, who is well known for voicing Hirasawa Yui from K-On! is voicing Kon. She has 3

May 18th, 2013

won the Best new actress award during the Seiyuu Awards in 2010. She has also voiced Kunieda Aoi from Beelzebub, Uiharu Kazari from the To Aru Majutsu no Index series, and Kurokami Medaka from Medaka Box.

Published by: VR-Zone

The staff for Tokyo Ravens have also been announced has announced. Taking the helm as director is Kanasaki Takaomi who directed “Kore wa Zombie desu ka?!”. The series will be written by Hideyuki Kurata who wrote for the anime Kannagi, ROD: Read or Die and Bamboo Blade. Atsuko Watanabe will be doing the character design. She has done several character designs including ones for Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion, Strike Witches and Hunter X Hunter. The animation will be produced by 8-Bit which has produced IS: Infinite Stratos, Aquarion EVOL and Busou Shinki. Tokyo Ravens is based on the light novel series by Kohei Azano and is published in Shonen Ace. Source: Yaraon

BlazBlue is getting an anime adaptation Source: http://sgcafe.com/2013/05/blazblue-anime-adaptation/ By KarbyP on May 18th, 2013

Meanwhile, Kyoko Kurahashi will be voiced by Kitamura Eri who is known for voicing Otonashi Saya in Blood+. She has voiced Cana Alberona and Aquarius from Fairy Tail, Araragi Karen from the Monogatari series, Darjeeling from Girls und Panzer and Miki Sayaka from Puella Magi Madoka Magica. She also provided the voice for the Vocaloid, CUL.

Shimono Hiro is also announced to appear in the anime and he will be providing the voice for Momoe Pegasus. He is known for voicing Yoshii Akihisa from Baka to Test to Shoukanjuu, Satou You from Ben-To, and Katsuragi Keima from Kaminomi.

Arc System Works’s 2D fighting game series BlazBlue is being adapted into an anime series, the wraparound cover jacket band for the second volume in Fumishobo’s light novel adaptation of the fighting game franchise has revealed. The news comes in from Netizens in Japan who have secured a copy of the BlazBlue light novel series’s second volume, which hits book stores today. Could this BlazBlue anime announcement be what Arc System Works is counting down to on the Arc Fes portal site?

May 18th, 2013

Published by: VR-Zone By okaroll on May 17th, 2013

Set in a post-apocalyptic world where the vast majority of the world is uninhabitable due to a substance known as Seithr, BlazBlue: Calamity Trigger is the story of two orphanaged brothers – Ragna and Jin – whose destinies take a turn for the bizarre when one day, while they were still kids, Jin was handed the Ars Magus ice blade Yukianesa. Ars Magus are magic weapons that consume Seithr, and often impact the psychological state of its user. A seemingly possessed Jin then cuts off Ragna’s arm using Yukianesa, and leaves his for dead while the mysterious man who handed Jin Yukianesa takes him and the brothers’ younger sister Saya away. Years later, Jin is now an elite military officer at the Novus Orbis Librarium (NOL) world government, after being adopted into the noble Kisaragi family due to his remarkable skill with Ars Magus. Ragna, on the other hand, is labeled a class SS criminal responsible for single-handedly destroying entire branches of the NOL government. Nicknamed the “Grim Reaper”, Ragna fights with his gauntlet-shaped Ars Magus (doubling as an artificial arm), the Azure Grimoire. The brothers re-unite when Jin makes his way to the 13th Hierarchical City of Kagutsuchi, after hearing about Ragna’s intentions to destroy NOL’s offices there.

Conquering the world with her new song! An interview with Kyary Pamyu Pamyu. Source: http://sgcafe.com/2013/05/conquer-world-music-interviewkyary-pamyu-pamyu/

Kyary Pamyu Pamyu, or Kyary in short, who has taken the world by storm with her hit single, ‘PONPONPON’, is now back with her third single this year, ‘Invader Invader.’ As the title of her latest single suggests, she has indeed made her invasion around the world, even in our little sunny island with her latest UNIQLO g.u commercials. Now let us take some time to read about the wonder that is Kyary and find out who are in her top three list of favorite personalities in this interview conducted by natalie.mu. – The song, Invader Invader is really a catchy tune. Kyary: As this song is the theme song for the second series of Uniqlo g.u commercials, the theme is to conquer the world with fashion. Even the lyrics in the song say so. – For a song that is about conquering the world, the tune does not sound like one. Kyary: The arrangement has a ‘cosmic’ sound to it, I guess? I think that the tune is really upbeat with a futuristic electronic sound, especially at the hook that goes “Da da da da Invader”. That part just gets stuck in your head all day and becomes highly addictive. -- It is rare to see you being so jumpy when singing. I feel that your songs although always cheery and upbeat, there seem to always have a heart-rending and lonely part to it. But for Invader Invader, it seems that there is no sad part to it at all. Kyary: Indeed. I feel that the song feels very aggressive as it has lyrics like “Laser beams from your eyes” and “Missiles from your ears”. But I do love how unrealistic the lyrics are. – How did it feel like when you were recording this song? Kyary: During the recording, the composer Yasutaka Nakata always tells me to sing more lightly and gently as I have put in too much feelings into the song. So I tried to sing more lightly and smoothly. 5

May 18th, 2013

Published by: VR-Zone

– So do you also sing songs which do not require much feelings during live performances? Kyary: Ah, I do differentiate between those two categories. – Any examples of songs which you put your feelings into? Kyary: ‘Furisodeshon’ is one of them. This is because the lyrics felt really close to my heart as I have just turned 20 this year. Especially at the part where it goes, “Thank you, for being able to meet each and everyone of you”, I would always like to look at each and everyone in the audience when singing that. ‘Ninjya Re Bang Bang’ is also one of the songs which make me want to put my feelings in when singing. However, in this case, I would prefer to sing it in a way where I can build up to a climax. – So the song Furisodeshon is really quite close to yourself in real life. Kyary: Yes. ‘Unite Unite’ might also have a similar feeling to Furisodeshon. But for my songs, I always think that it will be good to have a balance between what is in real life and fantasy… Even though Invader Invader seem to lack most of that balance *laughs* – Do you feel that the coupling track, ‘Point of View’ is closer to your real self as compared to Invader Invader? Kyary: Yes. Since this song will also be used in Fuji Television’s variety show, ‘Ageru Terebi’, it is a cute and light pop tune. – The lyrics are really positive. Kyary: It is always a good thing to be able to take on a different perspective. As such, if you were to think about the negative that happens in your life in a different point of view, wouldn’t it change for the better? That is what the song is trying to tell the audience- a positive message about facing the adversities in life. This positive message is something I really love about this song. – The theme of this song seems to be about being more open minded if you were to see things in different point of view. Kyary: Yes, indeed. I think that ‘False Eyelashes’ and ‘Fashion Monster ‘also have similar themes. I am someone who believes in being positive despite moments of negativity happening around me. As such, I feel that this song really suits my personality.

– As Yasutaka Nakata writes the lyrics for your single this time, did you feel any form of connection to the lyrics? Kyary: Yes, it is very important to feel connected to the lyrics of your song. There is a line that goes something like, “Wouldn’t it be great if you could create happy moments by yourself?” I felt that it really matches the kind of profession I am in right now. Of course I think that not only artistes, but normal people like students or company employees can also broaden their perspectives if they were to see things in a different light. – Did you ever feel awkward about singing your songs as they always seem so blunt and straightforward in delivering intended meaning? Kyary: Ah, I do have a lot of songs which are not cryptic at all such as ‘100% for you’, which tells us to be direct when thanking or apologizing to someone. But, I do not feel embarrassed singing about something like that, I think I would feel embarrassed if I were to sing a love song instead. *laughs* – But there seems to be what we would call a typical love song in one of your works…. Kyary: I do not have any, I guess. Although “Suki sugite kiresou” can be counted as a love song, it is more about a love story about a girl acting a little possessive over her lover. And that is not ‘typical’. *laughs* – Have you ever thought of trying to sing a ‘real’ love song? Kyary: Although I do talk to Yasukata about matters regarding love… – Ah, I see. Kyary: When we have meals over recording, we do talk about that occasionally. Then he would record down something that looks like lyrics as I talk about how I would want my relationship to be like, etc. But for some reason, those parts never appeared in my songs, I guess he had something he wanted to write more… – There is no love song for Kyary Pamyu Pamyu yet, I guess. Kyary: There is no element of love in my personality at all, apart from that, I think he wanted to show the aspect of 6

May 18th, 2013

my personality that I am someone who is always looking for novelty. As a result, Yasukata did not write any songs regarding love . – I would want to know what Yasukata Nakata writes in his notebook when having meals with you. Kyary: Ah, the memo taking only takes place occasionally.I remembered telling him about my moments with false eyelashes and it soon became the lyrics of the song, False Eyelashes. Hope that all of you are enjoying the interview so far, now we shall check out who are Kyary’s top three favorite personalities! – I would like to know what are Kyary’s favorite top 3 personalities. Ah, who do I like… I like the person who voiced Baikinman. – Isn’t that a character from Anpanman? Kyary: I couldn’t remember his name at hand, but I thought that he has a really incredible voice. – Yes, that person would be Ryusei Naoka. He voiced for many characters other than Baikinman… Kyary: He also did Freezer (a character from Dragonball), I think. I have watched Disney’s Mulan recently and I heard the same voice in one of the characters, Ling and I found out that it was voiced by the same person. He has also showed up around seven times in my search results when I searched for voice actors each time I hear a good one. *laughs*

Published by: VR-Zone

– He seems to have a polished sense of humour Kyary: Yes, he does. I really like that. I think I would want to try going for his live performance sometime, as he sings really well too. – Can you choose one more person? Kyary: Ah… Who would that be… I do have a lot of favourites… Staff: What about Tokimasa Hojyo (a military commander during the Heian period)? Kyary: That’s not counted, it was just a dream. – Don’t mind me asking but, may I know what happened to Tokimasa Hojyo in your dream? Kyary: Eh.. Is it okay if I say that? It was a pretty trivial incident. Well, in that dream, I was walking in the streets of Shibuya… –Yes.. Kyary: Then suddenly a girl came up to me with a shocked expression, so I wondered if she was my fan. But she asked me if I was Tokimasa Hojyo. I thought it was hilarious as it is so odd that I was mistaken for a historical character in the streets of Shibuya in 2013. *laughs* – That seems pretty surreal. *laughs* Kyary: When I searched for his picture, I noticed that he has a mole on his cheek. – You immediately searched that on the internet? *laughs*

– He really has quite the ‘voice’. Kyary: I always like to look up on people with good voices. Although the voice behind Baikinman is an old veteran, I really want to meet him. – But it will still be good to meet him anyway, right? Kyary: But I really wonder what I am going to do if I ever meet him. As he seems like a seasoned veteran when I looked up for his pictures. *laughs* Another one of my favorites is Naotaro Moriyama (J-pop singer who is famous for his hit song, Sakura). He is the funniest person I met back in 2012. He was a guest in a show that I appeared in called “Space Shower”. I only knew about his songs, but I have never seen him in person. But after meeting him, I found him really funny and he really made me laugh throughout the recording. Therefore, I would really want to be friends with him.

Kyary: But I totally do not look like him! Then in that same dream, oddly, I was drinking coffee even though I am not a coffee drinker. Suddenly I heard the sound of a buzzer, then I saw the same girl riding on a horse and beating me up. That was some nightmare. – But why did you dream about him? Kyary: I think it might be because I was reading about Shiro Amakusa (a historical character during the Edo period). As you can see, I like reading up on history. At that time I was in New York when I read that he died at the age of 14. As a result, I dreamed of that when I slept on my way back to the hotel. –Oh I see. Kyary: By the way, is it okay that I said that in this interview? That was quite insignificant. Is it really okay if I said something as trivial as that? *laughs*

– Which aspect of his character ‘hit’ you? Kyary: He is just funny in whatever he says. But he does not do it on purpose, perhaps he is just naturally comedic.

We hope that you have enjoyed this interview. Also, please do check out our full length interview with her when she visited Singapore here. 7

May 18th, 2013

Published by: VR-Zone

Source: Natalie

More details revealed about Puzzle & Dragons x Evangelion collaboration Source: http://sgcafe.com/2013/05/details-revealed-puzdra-evangelioncollaboration/ By Zenko on May 17th, 2013

Similarly, Asuka and Eva Unit 02 will be in their original series designs, with Asuka in her original plugsuit. They will be a level 4 fire element. Mari, although appearing for the first time in Evangelion 1.0: You Are (Not) Alone, also will be featured in what is considered her classic plugsuit design alongside Eva Unit 05. With her green coloration, it makes sense that she is a 4 star earth element.

As the release date for the Puzzle & Dragons x Eva event is just a few weeks away, more images for special events and characters have been released. As we previously reported here, the popular mobile game Puzzles and Dragons will be collaborating with Neon Genesis Evangelion in celebration of the BluRay release of the new movie. Clearer images, new characters, and a previously unmentioned event have also been released. It’s now been revealed that Shinji in his plugsuit with Eva Unit 1, and in his school uniform alongside Berserk Eva Unit 01. Eva Unit 1 will be a level 4 water, while Berserk Eva 01 will be level 5.

Two angels are also making an appearance. The 4th Angel will be a level 3 shadow element, while the 6th angel will be a level 3 light element.

The Rare Egg Dragon for pal eggs will also be getting a make over and showing off it’s own Evangelion spirit as Eva Unit 01.

Rei and Eva Unit 00 will also be making an appearance. Eva Unit 00′s design will be from the original series rather than from the series rebuild, and also feature it’s token laser gun. They will be a level 4 light elemental.

Until the event is released, we cannot guarantee that it will work on phone’s outside of Japan, but hopefully users worldwide will get to experience it starting May 27.

May 18th, 2013

Published by: VR-Zone

Source: Dengenki News

‘Kimi to Kanojo to Kanojo no Koi’ violent outburst display at Akihabara’s Tora no Ana Source: http://sgcafe.com/2013/05/kimi-kanojo-kanojo-koi-violentoutburst-display-akihabaras-tora-ana/ By hittokiri on May 17th, 2013

Kimi to Kanojo to Kanojo no Koi is a visual novel set in a high school environment. Said to contain ero-guro (erotic grotesque) elements, the game is expected to be dark and will contain twists to the story line. The characters for the game are being done by Santa Tsuji while the scenario is written by Vio Shimokura. Nitroplus, the maker of the game has a reputation of making games which are dark and shocking. Promotion videos of the game so far has hinted that Kimi to Kanojo to Kanojo no Koi will be no different from the other titles by the company. Kimi to Kanojo to Kanojo no Koi will release on 28th June. Source : Jin115

Nintendo Direct US (May 17) highlights: New Sonic games, New Super Luigi U standalone package Akihabara’s Tora no Ana recently set up a display in their shop to promote Nitroplus’s upcoming visual novel game Kimi to Kanojo to Kanojo no Koi. The display has been grabbing the attention of passers-by for its violent outburst.

Source: http://sgcafe.com/2013/05/nintendo-direct-17-highlights-sonicgames-super-luigi-standalone-wonderful-101-release-date/ By KarbyP on May 17th, 2013

In its latest Nintendo Direct online broadcast, the Kyotobased gaming giant announced two games from Sega – Sonic: Lost World (Wii U and 3DS) as well as Mario & Sonic at the Sochi Winter Olympics (Wii U). 9

May 18th, 2013

Nintendo also announced that the previously unveiled New Super Luigi U will now be made available both as a standalone game (July 26), as well as being a DLC add-on (June 20) for customers who already have New Super Mario Bros U, and shared extended gameplay footage from: • Game & Wario • Pikmin 3 • Resident Evil Revelations The release date for Platinum Games’s Wonderful 101 (Wii U) has also been announced. The game will launch in Europe on August 23, Japan on August 24, and in the US on September 15. And that’s about it from Nintendo Direct this time around. The entire broadcast is about 28 minutes long, and can be viewed via the video we’ve embedded below:

Hideo Kojima looking into releasing ‘Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance’ for PC [Updated] Source: http://sgcafe.com/2013/05/metal-gear-rising-revengeance-pcport-rumour-mill/ By KarbyP on May 17th, 2013

Published by: VR-Zone

“Well, in the first place, most of the games developed these days are done completely on the PC, for those games being worked on by a multi-platform team. Because it’s easy to then port it over from PC to X360, and it’s also easy to port it over from PC to the PS3,” Kojima said. “In other words, we might even already have a PC version [of the game stored somewhere internally].” “There should be!” Yumi Kikuchi chimed in at this point. “So we’re thinking of releasing a PC version,” Kojima went on. Kikuchi applauds, and producer Yuji Korekado adds that he’s often heard feedback from gamers overseas that they’d like a PC version. That said, this is by no means confirmation that a PC version of Rising is indeed coming. As amazing and well-regarded Kojima is, sometimes things are truly out of his hands. For instance, in the same episode of the podcast, just before Kojima announces that he’s looking into releasing a PC version, he said that he tried his best to bring out a domestic release for the X360 version of the game in Japan. Apparently, after Zone of the Enders: HD Collection was released, Kojima was alerted to the abysmal sales figures for the X360 version in Japan, and there was discussion internally to can the X360 release of Rising over there simply because the company might make a loss doing so. Overall it was just not a very good idea for the brand as well. Despite those concerns, however, Platinum Games very much wanted to release an X360 version in Japan, and so Kojima went to talk to various people within the company and on the financial side – yet in the end Japan still had to go without a domestic X360 release. Fortunately for Metal Gear fans in Japan, Kojima Productions was able to do the next best thing: they included Japanese subtitles in the English release of Rising (voices/ dubs was impossible due to space restrictions) , and made it region-free, so that Metal Gear fans could buy an import copy and play it on their domestic X360s over there. In a similar fashion, the PC version might not materialise. But if you’re a Metal Gear Rising fan, and you’d like to see it happen, make sure to let Kojima and Konami know via Twitter. Original story: We’ve yet to confirm it ourselves, but according to GameSpark, the latest episode of the Kojima Productions official mentions that a PC version of Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance is currently in the works.

Update: We’ve sat through the entirety of the latest episode of Kojima Productions’s official podcast and, yes, studio director Hideo Kojima says he’s looking into the possibility of releasing a PC version of the game.

Tweets made by Platinum Games’s Creative Director Jean Pierre Kellams also appear to confirm the news of a PC version.

The topic came up in a discussion between Hideo Kojima, Rising’s supervising producer Yuji Korekado, and actress and radio personality Yumi Kikuchi on the reasons why the X360 version of Rising did not get a domestic release in Japan. When Kikuchi asks if the X360 version would ever see a domestic release in Japan, Kojima reveals that he has a better idea. 10

May 18th, 2013

Published by: VR-Zone

With just a few more months to go buy Sony’s PlayStation 4 is out, Sega’s Ryu ga Gotoku development team might shelve next-gen development plans in favour of developing future instalments of the series for both the PS3 and the Wii U – typically Sega bangs out a Ryu ga Gotoku title approximately once every year.

We’ll listen to the Kojima Productions podcast ourselves and verify if this is indeed true after Nintendo’s SegaNintendo Direct Web broadcast is over. Source: Hideoblog

Nintendo Direct Japan (May 17) highlights: Ryu ga Gotoku 1&2 HD comes to the Wii U Source: http://sgcafe.com/2013/05/nintendo-direct-japan-may-17highlights-ryu-ga-gotoku-12-hd-wii/ By KarbyP on May 17th, 2013

Other than Ryu ga Gotoku 1&2 HD coming to the Wii U and the hilarious “Sega Direct” opening gag that Nintendo president Satoru Iwata pulled on viewers, the Nintendo Direct broadcast for the most part contains similar footage and announcements as the English versions of the broadcast. There is a bit where Sega’s Toshihiro Nagoshi introduces Hatsune Miku: Project Mirai 2 for the 3DS, but no new footage of the game was shown. The full Nintendo Direct Japan broadcast is 36 minutes long, and can be viewed in full via the video we’ve embedded below:

The Nintendo Direct Web broadcast for Japan kicked off with a big announcement right off the bat: Sega’s Ryu ga Gotoku 1&2 HD, released last year for the PlayStation 3, is headed to the Wii U in the Japanese market. This is the first time a Ryu ga Gotoku game (better known as Yakuza in the West) has been announced for a nonPlayStation platform. Although the games themselves are of a fairly old vintage (they were originally released for the PlayStation 2), today’s announcement begs the question if this is but only the start of a beautiful working relationship between Nintendo and Sega to bring more titles in the Yakuza series to the Wii U. The game will be released on August 8, 2013.

May 20th, 2013

Published by: VR-Zone

SGCafe : Cosplay | Vocaloid | Otaku | Pop Culture A daily publication about Cosplay, Vocaloid, Otaku and Japanese Pop Culture

Kyary Pamyu Pamyu and Ayame Goriki to work with Japanese mobile company au for new summer CM: Kyary’s Noriko to norio to be image song Source: http://sgcafe.com/2013/05/kyary-pamyu-pamyu-ayame-gorikiwork-japanese-mobile-company-au-summer-cm-kyarys-norikae-rioimage-song/ By okaroll on May 20th, 2013

From left: Ayame Goriki, Kyary Pamyu Pamyu and au’s representative director Takashi Tanaka A talk session for the both of them was held at this press conference along with representative director, Takashi Tanaka. Some details regarding the commercial was revealed in this talk session. The filming merely ended a few days ago and it is said that Kyary will be acting as a artiste introducing her song while Ayame acts as a host for a music program.

Renowned Japanese mobile phone company, au has just announced in their 2013 summer press conference that Kyary Pamyu Pamyu and Ayame Goriki to be their spokesperson for their upcoming summer commercial.

Kyary Pamyu Pamyu introducing ‘Nori Kaeru’, a frog mascot character used in the commercial 1

May 20th, 2013

Kyary recalled moments of filming this commercial and said that she is happy that she got to work with the fans in this commercial and to be able to join in as a part of the au family. Ayame commented that she finds Kyary is really cute singing and dancing and is looking forward to viewing the final product. A frog mascot character which will also be shown in the commercial was introduced by Kyary herself. The name of this character is called, Nori Kaeru. Thus, making a pun on the concept of the commercial, “au ni norikaeru (translated as ‘Switch to au’)”

Published by: VR-Zone

Attack on Titan gets visual novels bundled with future Blu-ray discs Source: http://sgcafe.com/2013/05/attack-titan-visual-novels-includedfuture-blu-ray-discs/ By SunSoftware on May 20th, 2013

Of course, one of the most exciting parts of this announcement is that Kyary will be releasing a new song to be used in this commercial campaign! The song will be titled as ‘Noriko to norio’ and will be composed by Yasukata Nakata. Yasukata has also worked with Kyary for her other hit songs such as ‘Invader Invader’ and ‘PONPONPON’.

The anime Attack on Titan has become a huge hit thanks to its thrilling story, but fans who want even more will be able to play two visual novels from the makers of Steins;Gate.

Kyary Pamyu Pamyu (left) and Ayame Goriki (right) Kyary graced the press conference in a dress with puffy pants on the left, and a skirt on the right. This will be the dress that she is wearing in the commercial itself, she then explained that the side with the skirt represents “Noriko” while the side with the pants represent “Norio”. Ayame also looks stunning in her electric blue dress, which interestingly matches Kyary’s bright pink and yellow get-up. However, this does not mark Ayame and Kyary’s first time working with au. Ayame has been working with au for various commercial campaigns since January 2012, while Kyary made her first appearance earlier this year with footage of her live performance at Zojo-ji, Tokyo featured in the “FULL CONTROL TOKYO” commercial. From the looks of it, there is definitely much to be expected from this commercial campaign. via Natalie

Production I.G. has announced that they are working with Nitro+, the game developer responsible for Steins;Gate and Robotics;Notes, to make two visual novels of Attack on Titan (Shingeki no Kyojin). These visual novels will be included with limited editions of the third and sixth Blu-ray Discs and be playable on any Blu-ray player. The visual novels feature side stories centered around the titan hunters Eren, Mikasa, Armin, Annie, Erwin, and Levi. The original creator of Attack on Titan, Hajime Isayama, is supervising the production, while the character designs will be done by Nitro+’s Namaniku ATK, and the scenarios will be written by Gan Saaku, Jin Haganeya, and the scriptwriter of the anime, Hiroshi Seko. Production I.G. has also revealed the names of the chapters from the visual novels. The first visual novel will be released with Blu-ray Disc volume 3 on September 18 and include these two chapters: 1. Lost in the cruel world (Mikasa side story, scenario by Hiroshi Seko) 2. A Choice Without Regrets: Preview (Kuinaki Sentaku [Yokoku]) (Levi and Erwin’s backstory, scenario by Gan Saaku)

May 20th, 2013

Published by: VR-Zone

The second visual novel is scheduled to be released with volume 6 on December 18 and will include these three chapters: 1. A Choice Without Regrets (Levi and Erwin’s backstory, scenario by Gan Saaku) 2. Untitled (Eren and Levi’s side story, scenario by Jin Haganeya) 3. Wall Sina, Goodbye (Annie’s side story, scenario by Hiroshi Seko)

Coming sooner, the first Attack on Titan Blu-ray Disc will come with a prototype manga from Isayama. In addition, a social game based on the series was released for Japanese cell phones last month and a live action movie adaptation is in the works. Of course, there’s also the anime series airing right now. Source: Moe Otanews

Hello Kitty collaborates with idol group Morning Musume in Hibiya Field Source: http://sgcafe.com/2013/05/kitty-collaborates-idol-groupmorning-musume/ By spartanchef on May 20th, 2013

Morning Musume is the main group for Hello! Project and is signed under the Up-Front group. The group made their debut in 1997 as new members join in and the older members graduate. The current eleven members are group leader Michishige Sayumi, the graduating Tanaka Reina, Fukumura Mizuki, Ikuta Erina, Sayashi Riho, Suzuki Kanon, Iikubo Haruna, Ishida Ayumi, Sato Masaki, Kudo Haruka and Oda Sakura. (Source: Hello! Project Official website ) The event showcased not only Hello! Project’s main group, Morning Musume but also other idols under the Hello! Project name. The other groups include C-ute, Berryz Kobo, and Smileage. All 48 idols present performed with Hello Kitty at the end of the event. It is also announced at the event that one of the idol groups, Berryz Kobo will also be going to perform during Nippon Budokan.

In a live event held in May 19 at the Hibiya Amphitheater in Chiyoda, Tokyo, Sanrio’s iconic mascot character, Hello Kitty danced alongside all eleven current members of the idol group Morning Musume. They danced to the group’s popular song, Love Machine and thrilled the 3000 people in attendance. This would mark the very first collaboration between Hello Kitty and Morning Musume. The iconic character was called into the stage when she was asked “Kitty-Chan, will you dance with us on stage?”. The crowed roared as Hello Kitty came into the stage and danced.

May 20th, 2013

Published by: VR-Zone

The event which celebrates the 90th anniversary of Hibiya Field in cooperation with Tokyo FM is aimed at cervical cancer awareness and prevention as women in their 20′s and 30′s are falling victim to the disease. source: Mantan Web

Nana Mizuki and Tamura Yukari to have their own nendoroids Source: http://sgcafe.com/2013/05/nana-mizuki-tamura-yukarinendroids/ By spartanchef on May 20th, 2013

It is announced earlier that singer and voice actress Tamura Yukari as well as fellow singer and voice actress Mizuki Nana will be having nendoroids released to their likeness. King Records, who have both artists signed under them will be manufacturing the nendoroids and they will be having a production cooperation with the Good Smile Company, manufacturer of the nendoroid line. The announcement came from the respective websites of both artists.

In an announcement by Tamura Yukari’s official website, her nendoroid will be released in her Cute’n <3 Cute’n Heart live event. The ABS and PVC figure will be 100 mm in height and will be sculpted by Shichibe. Tamura Yukari is most known for voicing Nanoha in the Magical Girl lyrical Nanoha series as well as Fear Cubrick in Cube X Cursed X Curious.

Meanwhile, as announced in Mizuki Nana’s official website, her nendroid will be released in her Nana Mizuki LIVE Circus event. The ABS and PVC figure will also be approximately 100 mm in height and will be sculpted by Tsumeduka Hiroyuki. Mizuki Nana is recently experiencing success in topping the Oricon charts with her collaboration with TM revolution; the hit song Preserved Roses. She is also known for voicing Kisaragi Saya in Blood C and has worked with Tamura Yukari in the Magical Girl lyrical Nanoha series voicing Fate.

Namie Amuro and her newest album ‘FEEL’ Source: http://sgcafe.com/2013/05/namie-amuro-newest-album-feel/ By KaleNagasaki on May 19th, 2013

May 20th, 2013

Published by: VR-Zone

Rumour: Miyuki Sawashiro getting married Source: http://sgcafe.com/2013/05/rumour-miyuki-sawashiro-married/ By hikarucon on May 19th, 2013

As Namie Amuro graced the cover of the magazine mina, she revealed that her upcoming summer album will be titled FEEL. While no exact date has been set, FEEL will be Namie Amuro’s eleventh album. One of the twelve songs on the album is ‘Contrail’, which was just released digitally today via Chaku Uta. Namie Amuro finished recording the music video for ‘Contrail’ just last week, so keep a look out! ‘Contrail’ will also be the theme song for the TBS drama Soratobu Kouhou Shitsu. Mezamashi TV’s theme song ‘Can You Feel This Love” will also be on FEEL.

The day might have finally come for fans to have to accept that popular voice actress, Miyuki Sawashiro, could be getting married. Though but a rumour, she is reported to be marrying a stage actor by the name of Haratake who is five years older to the now 27 year old Sawashiro. Reactions have been mixed on line ranging from congratulations to genuine surprise and doubt. At this point her marriage is a rumour at best, though if the rumour is true and she does get married, will her role in the voice acting world be the same?

Here is the Japanese pop queen at the music video filming of ‘Contrail’. From her dress alone, I think we can expect a wonderful video.

Miyuki Sawashiro is a veteran voice actress, doing the voices of popular characters such as Kanbaru from the Monogatari series, Inaba from Kokoro Connect, and Carl Clover from BlazBlue. If any of Namie Amuro’s past albums are indicators of the quality of FEEL, then we can definitely look forward to it.

She has won the Fourth Annual Best Seiyuu Awards for Best actress and the Fifth Annual Best Seiyuu Awards for Overseas Fan Choice Award.

Sources: Jpopasia

May 20th, 2013

Teasers released for the upcoming ‘Lupin III vs Detective Conan’ movie Source: http://sgcafe.com/2013/05/teasers-released-upcoming-lupin-iiidetective-conan-movie/ By KaleNagasaki on May 19th, 2013

Back in April, Shogakukan’s Shonen Sunday magazine revealed that a Lupin III vs Detective Conan movie will be hitting theaters in Japan this December. In 2009, a television special also titled Lupin III vs Detective Conan aired on NTV. Due to the high 19.5% rating, there are high expectations for the movie. Not much is known about the movie though, besides that the scenario will be different from the television version. However, the movie’s site, lupicona-movie.com, just posted these teaser trailers:

Published by: VR-Zone

Phantomhive searches for his parents’ killers so that he may seek revenge. To do so he makes a deal with the demon Sebastian Michelis, who is “one hell of a butler” and agrees on the condition that he will eventually devour Ciel’s soul. Of course, there are death gods who hope to stop that, mostly out of jealousy.

The musical follows the same plot and sees the 19 year old actor playing Sebastian making his first major performance. When he was asked about how he felt about the role after the premier, he said that he had felt some pressure, as it was only his second time around being on the stage. To make sure he could fulfill the role accurately, he read the manga and viewed the anime to better understand Sebastian as a character.

For the Conan version, see below. For the Lupin version, see below. Between the thief and the case closer, which do you prefer? Sources: Crunchyroll, Jpopasia

Black Butler musical meets success at first performance Source: http://sgcafe.com/2013/05/black-butler-musical-meets-successperformance/ By Zenko on May 19th, 2013

A great deal of detail was similarly put into the costumes and set to ensure they felt as if they would fit the 19th century. The music was composed by Taku Iwasaki, and carries a prorock feel befitting Ciel and Sebastian’s character. To help ensure it would be effective for the stage’s acoustics, though, much of it was set at a simple monotone. Rather than be a downside, however, it helped save the show from being two dimensional.

Having had its first performance yesterday afternoon, reviews are in on the Black Butler (Kuroshitsuji) musical. Described as being dark and stylish, the musical adaptation of the 2006 manga and 2009 anime series by Yana Toboso, titled Black Butler – The Most Beautiful DEATH in – The World – The Thousandth Soul Fallen to the Death God (Kuroshitsuji – The Most Beautiful DEATH in – The World – sen no tama to ochita shinigami [「「「「「「The Most Beautiful DEATH in -The World「「「「「「「「「「]) has been met with a great deal of success. For those unfamiliar with the plot, it takes place in 19th century England, where Ciel

The show itself will run until May 27 in Tokyo, then move to Osaka for a run from June 8 to June 9. Source: AnimeAnime

May 20th, 2013

Published by: VR-Zone

Xblaze Code: Embryo’s opening intro reminds us that this game is linked to BlazBlue somehow Source: http://sgcafe.com/2013/05/xblaze-code-embryos-opening-introreminds-game-linked-blazblue/ By KarbyP on May 19th, 2013

Source: Famitsu

Momoiro Clover Z to release 「5TH DIMENSION「 arena tour on DVD/BD and the album on analog disc Source: http://sgcafe.com/2013/05/momoiro-clover-release%E3%80%8E5th-dimension%E3%80%8F-arena-tour-dvdbd-albumanalog-disc/ By Az on May 19th, 2013

Between the BlazBlue Alter Memory anime and Guilty Gear Xrd -Sign- announcements, there’s already a heck of a lot for fans of Arc System Works to cheer about. But that’s not everything we got out of Arc Fes 2013. For those of you still paying attention to Xblaze, the adventure game (note: what the Japanese understands as an “adventure” game, we understand as “visual novel”) that ASW first announced last year, you might be interested to know that the opening intro for the game was also shown at Arc Fes 2013 (and uploaded to the Web, thanks to Famitsu). Although it’s just two short months to Xblaze Code: Embryo’s July 25 release on the PS Vita, Arc System Works are still not showing a whole lot of the game, presumably because showing would be spoiling – the game is said to tie into BlazBlue somehow, sharing motifs and keywords, and may possibly take place in the same universe. There’s still quite a lot of mystery surrounding this game, but at least with the opening intro unveiled today, we finally got a glimpse of who a potential antagonist might be in Xblaze – he’s even wielding blades similar to those the Mu, Nu and Lambda wield in the BlazBlue games. That can’t be a coincidence.

May 20th, 2013

Published by: VR-Zone

It has been revealed that Momoiro Clover Z will be releasing 「Momoiro Clover Z JAPAN TOUR 2013「5TH DIMENSION「「 on DVD and Blu-ray. It is set to be released on July 24. The footage for this release will be taken from their performance on Nippon Gaishi Hall, Aichi last March 17. The tour predated the album release by a month, with the album’s release being on April 10, but the presentation of the album tracks were considered a first. Momoiro Clover Z made use of special masks and presented the album from the first track to the thirteenth all in the same order as the album itself. The presentation guarantees satisfaction for Momoiro fans.

Moreover, the album, 「5TH DIMENSION「, will be released as an analog disc on August 4. Like their first album and first analog disc, 「BATTLE AND ROMANCE「, 「5TH DIMENSION「 will be coming in two collectible editions. The release date also coincides with Momoiro Clover Z’s biggest one-man live to date: 「Summer Dive 2013「, which is to be held in Nissan Stadium, Kanagawa. The stadium can hold up to 72,327 people and is one of Japan’s largest concert venues. A stepping stone to the group’s goal of performing at the National Olympic Stadium. The group just finished a successful 24-hour anniversary special on Ustream and is having a blast of a year with the digital version 「5TH DIMENSION「 topping the Oricon. If they successfully pull off the planned live in Nissan Stadium and reach National Olympic Stadium, it won’t be a surprise if they aim for Tokyo Dome next. Perfume’s Nocchi must be proud. source: natalie

May 21st, 2013

Published by: VR-Zone

SGCafe : Cosplay | Vocaloid | Otaku | Pop Culture A daily publication about Cosplay, Vocaloid, Otaku and Japanese Pop Culture

Master swordsmith Tony Swatton forges real Final Fantasy VII Buster Sword, cuts melons with it Source: http://sgcafe.com/2013/05/master-swordsmith-tony-swattonforges-real-final-fantasy-vii-buster-sword-cuts-melons/ By KarbyP on May 21st, 2013

He-Man’s Sword (from Masters of the Universe) Sora’s Keyblade For more of Tony Swatton’s work, check out the AWE me YouTube channel. Source: AWE me [via Crunchyroll News]

Space Channel 5 official Twitter account launched, some form of announcement soon Source: http://sgcafe.com/2013/05/space-channel-5-official-twitteraccount-launched/ By KarbyP on May 21st, 2013

Out of nowhere, Sega has launched an official Twitter account for Dreamcast cult classic rhythm game, Space Channel 5. Judging from the Twitter account’s description, it appears that Sega will be making an announcement regarding the series in the near future.

Who’s got two thumbs and a giant real-life replica of Final Fantasy VII’s Buster Sword? This guy: master swordsman and renowned propmaker Tony Swatton. And we’re not talking about the sort of fake plasticky Buster Sword prop some of you may have seen a Cloud Strife cosplayer wield at a random anime convention somewhere; Swatton’s Buster Sword weights around 70 to 80 pounds (he couldn’t “carry it out of his garage without hurting his back”, according to Swatton), and has an edge sharp enough that it can actually cut through things. Things like, entire pet bottles, jars, melons, and… the entire freaking table on which those melons were placed on. This has to be seen to be believed. Cloud Strife’s Buster Sword from Final Fantasy VII isn’t the only real sword Tony Swatton has ever forged, of course. He’s also made: Plasma-cutting Batarangs

Here’s a rough translation as to what the Space Channel 5 Twitter account says: *Under construction in space* This is the Space Channel 5 official account. We plan to unveil what this is for in the near future. Morolians will also make pointless tweets here just for laughs. Please keep that in mind. Please also direct all feedback concerning Channel 5 to the following URL: sega.jp/ opinion/ “ What do you guys think this’ll be? I’m keeping my fingers crossed that it’s Space Channel 5 Part 3. Given the fact that 1

May 21st, 2013

Published by: VR-Zone

Sega is actively soliciting feedback from gamers with regards to the series overall, I think we may be looking at a brand new instalment rather than a port of the previous games. At present, the Space Channel 5 series spans two games (SC5, and SC5 Part 2). Both games were originally released on the ill-fated Sega Dreamcast, but also subsequently ported to the PlayStation 2. In addition to that, Space Channel 5 Part 2 was also ported over to the PlayStation Network, Xbox Live Arcade, and to the PC via the Steam games delivery service. Space Channel 5′s protagonist Ulala was most recently seen in Sega, Capcom, and Namco Bandai’s cross-over mega strategy RPG, Project X Zone. Source: @Space_Channel5

Watch Dogs pre-orderers in the US get ‘Signature Shot Pack’ or ‘The Palace Pack’ DLC Source: http://sgcafe.com/2013/05/pre-order-watch-dogs-specialfeatures/ By KaleNagasaki on May 21st, 2013

For those who plan to reserve Watch Dogs through Amazon, the details are a little different. Players will get access to the ’Signature Shot Pack,’ which is a single-player mission with the biometric assault rifle and black viceroy’s outfit as the end reward. I don’t know about you, but I would take the outfit over the rifle any day since that jacket is all kinds of cool. So far, these bonus features are accessible to North America. Since Watch Dogs will be released worldwide however, let’s hope for some more inclusive news in the future! If you’re feeling left behind, catch up by watching the official trailer below. Sources: Gamespot

‘Freedom Wars’ (PS Vita) supports up to 8-players coop online Source: http://sgcafe.com/2013/05/freedom-wars-ps-vita-supports-8players-co-op-online/ By KarbyP on May 21st, 2013

Watch Dogs, to be launched on November 19, has a few additional features for those who pre-order. Watch Dogs takes place in Chicago, where a man named Aiden Pierce uses his smartphone to virtually hack the entire city in an act of vengeance. It is an open-world action game where players will be able to take control of security cameras and steal classified personal information. It will be powered by Disrupt, and developed by Ubisoft, the creators of Bioshock and Assassin’s Creed. For those who reserve Watch Dogs at Gamestop in North America, a bonus single-player mission titled ‘The Palace Pack’ will be available. It also includes an ATM hack boost that increases the amount of money received after a successful ATM bank account bust. Gamers will also receive a poster of the cover design made by DC and Marvel comic artist Alex Ross.

A few additional details on SCE Japan Studio’s Freedom Wars, a “recapture” multiplayer action game for the PS Vita 2

May 21st, 2013

Published by: VR-Zone

that’s scheduled to come out in 2014, have emerged now that its official website has been updated. Chief amongst those details? Freedom Wars is a co-op action game that will support up to eight players online simultaneously. That’s twice the co-op party size of Monster Hunter, God Eater, and other games of this genre. Ad-hoc play will of course be supported as well. The PS Vita’s GPS and Near functionalities will also be utilised in some unspecified manner. That said, in one of the game’s screenshots, you clearly see a map of Japan divided into many sub-sections highlighted by different colours. Another screenshot shows what appears to be a Yahoo! Japan map. In our previous report, we’ve said that the game is described as a “rescue” or “recapture” multiplayer action game. But what we didn’t quite understand was who or what you’re supposed to rescue/recapture, and from whom. As it turns out, in the dystopian futuristic world of Freedom Wars, there are these giant monsters, known simply as Abducters, who abduct civilians and your allies, and it is your job – as a prisoner – to rescue them from captivity. Each successful rescue will decrease the length of servitude you’re sentenced to (that number hovering on top of your head). Good luck trying to clear your sentence, however – your length of servitude is apparently 1,000,000 years long. Is this somehow related to the game’s GPS functionality? How will this impact overseas players (assuming the game will be released in regions outside of Japan)? The newly updated site also furnishes a little extra detail on the game’s story, helping to address a few of the questions watching Freedom Wars’s debut trailer might have raised.

That’s about all the info there is for now – but we’ve barely scraped the surface of Freedom Wars‘s intrigue. This is one title we’ll certainly be keeping a close eye on. Source: Freedom Wars official site, press release

Resident Evil Revelations gets new costumes and weapons as DLC Source: http://sgcafe.com/2013/05/resident-evil-revelations-costumesweapons-dlc/ By SunSoftware on May 21st, 2013

Set in a near future where the world is in ruins to the point that it can no longer sustain life in most of the overworld, mankind is forced to built cities known as Panopticons which can sustain their livelihood. However, at some point, even the resources required to operate these Panopticons run dry. In order to further obtain resources and research to cultivate the harsh environment, all the separate Panopticons go into war against one another. During wartime, to better facilitiate each Panopticon’s management of its citizens (which are its resources), every single human being is sentenced to penal servitude – essentially turning Panopticons into prison cities. Prisoners are sentenced to be “volunteers” fighting in the war between the Panopticons. 3

May 21st, 2013

Published by: VR-Zone

The HD version of Resident Evil Revelations is finally coming out this week, and now Capcom has announced some downloadable content to give the game some extra flair. The HD version of the 3DS survival horror game Resident Evil Revelations (aka Biohazard Revelations Unveiled Edition) was released today in North America for the PS3, Xbox 360, Wii U, and PC (Japan and Europe get it on Thursday and Friday). This game takes place between Resident Evil 4 and 5, when the protagonists Jill Valentine and Chris Redfield are trapped on an abandoned cruise ship. The first sets of DLC are the Resistance and Enhancement weapon packs, which will each contain six different weapon upgrades and be available starting on June 4 for $1.99/200 yen/160 Microsoft Points. The Resistance Set will include:

The Enhancement Set will include: • PC356 “Speed Shot” • L. Hawk “Speed Load” • MP5 “Speed Shot” • High Roller “Sonic Assist+” • Hydra “Sonic Assist” • M40A1 “Sonic Assist+”

• G18 “Speed Load” • Python “Short Range+” • P-90 “Sonic Assist” • High-Roller “Speed Load” • Wyndham “Steady Hand” • PSG1 “Long Range+”

The next DLC will be costume packs usable in Raid Mode, in which you play co-op with a friend to shoot down hordes of enemies. You’ll be able to play as Rachel Ooze, a hideous Ooze version of Rachel, and Lady Hunk, a genderbent Hunk with awkwardly slender legs.

May 21st, 2013

Published by: VR-Zone

Source: Famitsu

One piece author Oda Eiichiro hospitalized, One Piece on Hiatus in Weekly Jump! 27 Source: http://sgcafe.com/2013/05/piece-author-oda-eiichirohospitalized-piece-hiatus-weekly-jump-27/ By spartanchef on May 21st, 2013

In an announcement in Shonen Jump’s official website, One Piece creator Eiichiro Oda apologized to his fans as his widely popular manga will be on hiatus for a week due to him being hospitalized. He has been diagnosed with Peritonsillar Abcess which is a complication of tonsillitis. Peritonsillar Abscess is a disease which not only causes throat pain but also pain in the neck, fever, ear ache and headaches.

Rachel Ooze will also have the skills C.C. Mastery IV and Regenerate II, whereas Lady Hunk will have the skill Magnum Mastery IV. Each costume will be available on June 11 for $2.99/300 yen/240 MP each.

The Shonen Jump! editorial staff thanked the fans for their continued support. They also apologized as the announcement should have been made in the Weekly Jump! #26 however, it was too late as printing has already started. Weekly Jump# 26 will be released May 27 and it will still have One Piece in the manga line-up. The Hiatus will be on Weekly Jump! #27 to be released June 3. One Piece will resume on Weekly Jump! #28 to be released June 10. One Piece is Oda Eiichiro’s most successful manga selling more than a hundred million copies worldwide since its debut in 1997. It is also one of Shonen Jump!’s most successful mangas ever with an anime as well as various merchandise like figures, t-shirts, watches, bags, among others.

The original Revelations on the 3DS received a lot of positive reviews, and these HD screenshots look impressive. With the addition of DLC, there are plenty of reasons for Resident Evil fans to re-buy this.

May 21st, 2013

Published by: VR-Zone

Encore Films to bring in ‘Hentai Kamen’ to local shores, potentially ‘Gatchaman’ too Source: http://sgcafe.com/2013/05/encore-films-bring-hentai-kamenlocal-shores-potentially-gatchaman/ By sentinel011 on May 21st, 2013

In addition, Encore Films teased an image of the Gatchaman live action movie poster, posing the question to its subscribers: Any one wants to watch Gatchaman live action movie? Much to the delight of local Japanese movie fans, the response has been positive so far, with over 50 likes for both posts and at least 20 shares each at press time.

Local film distributor Encore Films has a knack of bringing in controversial movies that are usually M18 or above. Fortunately, they also bring in Japanese films that cater to the casual otaku crowd, such as Wolf Children and Rurouni Kenshin live action.

The Hentai Kamen and Gatchaman films are live action adaptations of popular manga and anime series of the same name respectively. They are relatively unknown to the younger generation, with Gatchaman released in the early 70s and Hentai Kamen in the early 90s. So which of these films will you catch when they are released in Singapore?

Cushions, Tigrex claw back scratchers, key rings and other Monster Hunter Merchandise released Source: http://sgcafe.com/2013/05/monster-hunter-merchandisereleased-capcom/ By spartanchef on May 21st, 2013

Encore Films’ facebook page teases its fans with only a message that says The Forbidden Super Hero.. Stay tune for more updates… They also included an image of the Hentai Kamen promotional poster. It is unknown when Encore Films will release the dates for Hentai Kamen to broadcast on local cinemas, and if the film will be heavily censored by MDA. A few months before the much anticipated release of Monster Hunter 4, Capcom has released several Monster Hunter goodies for the month of May. These include Wall Stickers to brighten up your room, two new key rings, a Tigrex claw back scratcher, a wall saying, and a preparation manual cushion to help you relax.

May 21st, 2013

Published by: VR-Zone

Speaking of the Tigrex, Capcom also releases the Tigrex Claw back scratcher. It is about 400 mm long and its outer covering is made of polyester. This item costs about 1554 Yen.

Each sticker set costs about 1,050 Yen each. Also included are these new Tigrex and Goa Magara key rings. Made of PVC and standing about 120 mm, these monsters come with a hunter attached. The Goa Magara will be making its debut in the upcoming Monster Hunter 4. These products cost an estimate of 924 yen each.

Gaining wisdom is important in aiming to become a Veteran Hunter, so Capcom is releasing these Wall Sayings. These include the five basic knowledge for a hunter as well as a guide for beginning hunters. Also included is a piece of paper 7

May 21st, 2013

Published by: VR-Zone

for you to write down your own piece of knowledge. Its body is made of wood and paper. These products cost about 1050 Yen each.

Capcom is set to release these products late May 2013.

Finally, Capcom is also releasing a Manual Cushion for all those tired hunters who were up all night hunting an Elder Dragon or those who tired after being swarmed by Velociprey. Made of urethane and polyester, it has a height of 330 mm with a width of about 250 mm. This product costs about 3,465 Yen.

Earlier this year, Capcom also released Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate for the Nintendo 3DS and the Wii U. They will also be releasing Monster Hunter 4 in Japan later this year (summer 2013). It has not yet been announced when Monster Hunter 4 will be released to other regions but do check back here for more announcements about the game’s release. Via Dengeki Online News

Sci-fi anime film, Captain Harlock- ONE OK ROCK for theme song and featuring a star studded cast Source: http://sgcafe.com/2013/05/rock-sing-theme-song-captainharlock-feature-star-studded-cast/ By okaroll on May 21st, 2013

One might remember ONE OK ROCK from live-action film, Rurouni Kenshin’s theme song, “The Beginning.” Now, they will be singing the theme song for Captain Harlock entitled “Be the Light.” This song is one of the 13 tracks in their latest album, “Jinsei X Boku =” (read as jinsei kakete boku wa) released on March 6 2013. Other hits from this 8

May 21st, 2013

band include Deeper Deeper and Kanzen Kankaku Dreamer which was ranked top ten in the Oricon Singles Charts.

Above: Japanese rock band, ONE OK ROCK Regarding Be the Light, ONE OK ROCK commented that this song is about the feelings of each member in regards to the sad events happening in this world which cannot be saved by the power of mankind. With a popular rock band singing the film’s theme song, a star studded cast such as Shun Oguri, Haruma Miura and Yu Aoi, will also be lending their voices to this movie. Shun Oguri is definitely a familiar name as he has acted in many popular Japanese drama such as Hana Yori Dango, Tokyo DOGS and Arakawa Under the Bridge, while Haruma has also acted in Bloody Monday, Gokusen 3 and Samurai High School. Yuu Aoi also has many dramas and movie under her belt too, such as acting as Takani Megumi in the live action adaptation of Rurouni Kenshin. For those who are unfamiliar with Sci-fi anime, this movie is a remake of classic manga “Space Pirate Captain Harlock” by Leiji Matsumoto. Leiji Matsumoto is also known for his other works such as Galaxy Express 999 and Space Battleship Yamamoto. This series is serialized from 1977 to 1979 and also has an anime series broadcast in 1978. It is undeniable that with such a futuristic theme featured back in its day, it has attracted many fans in both Japan and all around the world. This classic shall be remade with the aid of modern CGI, giving it a new lease of life and perhaps attract a new generation of fans. The teaser image and trailer definitely looks promising. This movie is set to open in Japanese theaters on September 7 2013.

Published by: VR-Zone By okaroll on May 21st, 2013

Popular idol group AKB48 are selected as Japanese publisher Shueisha Bunko’s advertising campaign for their yearly summer fair- Natsuichi. Many would associate Shueisha with their other publications such as Shonen Jump and is one of Japan’s largest publishers since its establishment in 1949. Natsuichi (short for Natsu no Issatsu) is one of their niche advertising campaigns which started since 1991.

Top row, from left: Haruna Kojima, Yuko Oshima, Minami Takahshi and Mariko Shinona. Bottom row, from left: Haruka Shimazaki, Mayu Watanabe and Yui Yokoyama. First images were revealed today for this yearly affair, featuring Haruka Shimazaki, Yuko Oshima, Minami Takahashi, Mariko Shinoda, Yui Yokoyama, Haruna Kojima, with Mayu Watanabe as the main member. The seven of them were shown posing demurely with a book in hand, showing a slightly different side from their usual bubbly selves on stage. There will be a total of 85 books featured this year along with the other AKB members, fans will be able to read book reviews written by them. Also, participating bookstores in Japan will also give out specially designed book covers with the seven featured members and Shueisha’s mascot, Hachi.

For fans who have not watched the trailer for this movie, do check it out here: and also listen to Be the Light by ONE OK ROCK: via natalie.mu, animeanime.jp official YouTube channel and ONE OK ROCK official YouTube channel

Read a book with AKB48 today! Source: http://sgcafe.com/2013/05/read-book-akb48-today/

Above: Mayumi Uchida to challenge reading all 19 parts of Suikoden

May 21st, 2013

Published by: VR-Zone

Along with the revelation of the main image today, it is also announced that member, Mayumi Uchida will challenge to finish all 19 books of Kenzo Kitakata’s version of Chinese classic Suikoden (Water Margin, also known as Outlaws of the Marsh) and interviews regarding her thoughts of the book will be revealed in the official homepage. Fans of Chinese literature would definitely know this classic, but do take note that this version is slightly different from the original. This version of the historical novel is known by fans as ‘Kitakata Suiko’. This classic is also constantly referred in Japanese manga such as Fist of the North Star and Saint Seiya. This year’s Natsuichi will begin in all participating bookstores in Japan starting from 26 June till the later part of September. Previous campaign members include Ayame Goriki (2012), Yuu Aoi (2006-2008), Hiroshi Tamaki (2003-2004) and many more. AKB48 will mark themselves as the 15th generation of campaign members for Natsuichi. So, what are you waiting for? Grab a book and read with AKB48 today and check out more photos by clicking on the thumbnails below!

via Mantan Web

May 22nd, 2013

Published by: VR-Zone

SGCafe : Cosplay | Vocaloid | Otaku | Pop Culture A daily publication about Cosplay, Vocaloid, Otaku and Japanese Pop Culture

Kotobukiya US to import “Ghost in the Shell” Jigabachi model Source: http://sgcafe.com/2013/05/kotobukiya-import-ghost-shelljigabachi-model/ By weiq on May 22nd, 2013

Kotobukiya US will be importing the Jigabachi AV model, which is seen in “Ghost in the Shell: S.A.C. 2nd GiG“. This new Jigabachi AV (“Digger Wasp” Advanced) prefabricated plastic model kit is a faithful recreation of the assault helicopter, including its deadly Gatling gun pod which can be folded forward as seen in the series. This incredibly detailed kit requires easy snap-fit assembly, and does not need to be painted out of the box, although collectors may choose to customize or detail the standard gray chopper as they see fit. At 1/72 scale, it is approximately 7 inches (about 18 cm) long, and it comes with a special base (with Ghost in the Shell: S.A.C. 2nd Gig logo) so that the completed model can be displayed in flight.

May 22nd, 2013

Published by: VR-Zone

Source: facebook.com/kotobukiya, crunchyroll.com/animenews, kotobukiya.co.jp

New PV “Electromotive Romances” by mishmash*Julie Watai Source: http://sgcafe.com/2013/05/pv-electromotive-romancesmishmashjulie-watai/ By weiq on May 22nd, 2013

While being smittended by the cool-looking Jigabachi, who can forget about the adorable Tachikomas? As a special bonus, each Jigabachi comes with three in-scale blue Tachikomas, so collectors can recreate the action scenes when they face off in the series’ episodes 24 and 25.

mishmash￥Julie Watai had finally released their latest PV, “Electromotive Romances”. If you are unfamiliar with mishmash￥Julie Watai, they are a musical collaboration between Julie Watai (a noted photographer, Furby hacker, model, and all-aroundanime-powered scenester), and T. Mishima, former sound programmer for indie J-rock legend Cornelius. While unreleased and only performed during the encore of their live concert, the MV is a great treat for fans. They have also release the english version of the song, which you can watch it here.

Mentioning about the Tachikomas, with the broadcast of the new Ghost in the Shell OVA, “Ghost in the Shell: Arise“, coming very soon in the month of June, fans with a keen eye will remember spotting the red think tank “Logicoma” (short for “Logistics Conveyer Machine”) in the official trailer. One can’t help but wonder: is the Logicoma the first of all the think tanks used by Section 9 before the main Ghost in the Shell timeline? Probably this question will be answered, when the series starts and the history of Section 9 unfolds.

The wonderful character art in the video is drawn by Hiroyuki Takahashi (you can view more of his awesome art at his homepage, or his Pixiv account) Source: mishmashjp.com, crunchyroll.com

While the price aren’t annouced yet, Kotobukiya Japan will be selling the kit at ￥3,360 (Tax included). The kit will be available at Kotobukiya US in October 2013. 2

May 22nd, 2013

Published by: VR-Zone

Minori Chihara and μ’s join Nippon Ichi Software’s Makai Wars Live Source: http://sgcafe.com/2013/05/voice-actress-chihara-minori-%CE %BCs-join-nippon-ichi-softwares-makai-wars-live/ By SunSoftware on May 22nd, 2013

Anime fans should be familiar with Chihara for her roles as Yuki Nagato from The Melancholy of Suzumiya Haruhi and Chiaki from Minami-ke. Fans of Disgaea should also be familiar with her role as the rebel leader Barbara from Disgaea D2. In addition, she performed the opening theme, Cradle Over, so if you like that song, you’ll want to hear her perform it live. Earlier, NIS also announced that the idol unit μ’s (pronounced “muse”) will perform at Makai Wars Live. The name μ’s should be familiar to fans of Love Live, since it’s the name of the school idol group that stars in the anime.

The developer responsible for the massively popular Disgaea RPG series is holding a concert this year, and among the artists joining them are a famous voice actress and idol unit.

Only five of the members will be joining the event, though: Emi Nitta (Honoka Kousaka), Yurika Kubo (Hanayo Koizumi), Sora Tokui (Nico Yazawa), Aina Kusuda (Nozomi Toujou), and Yoshino Nanjou (Eri Ayase).

As part of their 20th anniversary celebration, Nippon Ichi Software is holding the concert “Makai Wars Live episode1: Asagi’s Counterattack” on July 13 at Yokohama Blitz. Along with the musicians they listed earlier, they have announced that the voice actress Minori Chihara will perform at the event.

May 22nd, 2013

Published by: VR-Zone

(just maybe) an announcement on the game that NIS teased nine years ago. Source: Famitsu 1, 2

Good Smile Company’s new Love Live! Nendroid Petites Announced and Kotobukiya’s 1/8 Maou Pre-Order start Source: http://sgcafe.com/2013/05/good-smile-companys-love-livenendroid-petites-announced-kotobukiyas-18-maou-pre-order-start/ By spartanchef on May 22nd, 2013

Good Smile Company has announced that they would be releasing the performance Costume versions of the Love Live! characters Kotori, Umi, and Honoka. This comes after the release of the Uniform versions of the three. This news was announced via twitter by the Love Live! staff themselves. Honoka, Umi and Kotori are wearing their Concert Performance Costumes with Honoka in Pink, Umi in Blue and Kotori in Green. No release date has been announced so far.

In case you’re wondering why these members will be featured at the event, it’s because they voiced the main heroines of The Guided Fate Paradox, which NIS released in January. In fact, they also starred in a character song album that was released last month.

On a side note, Suzuko Mimori, another member of μ’s, will also perform at the event, so that’s actually six members of the idol group. NIS has prepared a killer line-up for Makai Wars Live, so fans should come to hear their best musicians and maybe

Meanwhile, Kotobukiya’s 1/8 scale Demon King or Maou from “Maoyuu Maou Yuusha” is now ready for Pre-Order. 4

May 22nd, 2013

The Maou figure was first announced in Wonder Festival 2013 (Winter) earlier this year. The figure comes with her detachable horns and is also sporting her *ahem* “useless meat”. This figure stands approximately 240 mm and is made of PVC. The figure is sculpted by Masato Abe and looks very well proportioned and beautifully painted. The figure is set for release in October 2013 and the pre-order costs 7990 Yen. (from Hobby Search)

Published by: VR-Zone By Zenko on May 22nd, 2013

While the press conference may have been lacking in games outside of the sports genre, Ubisoft and Square are letting fans know there’s hope for the new console’s library. For those who may have missed Microsoft’s press conference last night, their next generation console the Xbox One was revealed. Since then, fans have taken to Twitter complaining of the lack of game announcements, and general support from 3rd party companies outside of EA’s Sports division. UbiSoft is resurrecting hope for the console, though, with their most recent announcement: Watch Dogs and Assassin’s Creed IV Black Flag will be making their way to the console in it’s first year. Square has also recently announced that the next installment to the Thief series will be making its way to the Xbox One as well, and will demo at this years E3 conference.

Although Ubisoft’s official website still lists the two games as exclusive to the PS3, PC, Xbox 360 and Wii U, Ubisoft CEO and co-founder Yves Guillemot has been quoted as saying “Our teams are using the innovations in connectivity, immersion and social gaming included in Xbox One to create original and memorable next-gen gaming experiences.” For those unfamiliar with the games, Assassin’s Creed IV will see the continuation of Assassin’s Creed III, with player’s taking the helm of their own ship as Captain Edward Kenway. Like past installations, it is based on historical happenings, in this case the actual privateering and pirating world of Britain and the Caribbean.

Image credits: amiami

Square and Ubisoft announce games for new Xbox One Source: http://sgcafe.com/2013/05/square-ubisoft-announce-gamesxbox/

May 22nd, 2013

The much anticipated Watch Dogs will also be making its way to the newest console. The game is slated for release November 19, which may give a hint as to when we can possibly expect the Xbox One to make it’s way to the market. Watch Dogs itself focuses on the interconnected society people have created through social media, and sets the player in modern day Chicago. It will give players the ultimate control of this computer networking system, by giving them the role of Aiden Pearce, who, using hacking skills and a smart phone, will gain the ability to control the entire city.

Stephane D’Astous, the general manager of the company behind the THIEF franchise has also said that “The team at Eidos-Montreal is thrilled to confirm that THIEF is coming to Xbox One. The next generation of home consoles allow us to create the best and the most immersive THIEF game ever.” Whether this means the use of the new Kinect motion controls or it’s voice commands will be revealed at the upcoming conference in June.

Published by: VR-Zone By Az on May 22nd, 2013

flumpool, who was a member short after Kazuki Sakai’s (G) pausing of activities to diet, is going to be live online in Nico Nico Live again this weekend, May 25. It is their second online live broadcast this month, the last one (aired May 12) being the announcement and reveal of their temporary help guitarist, NON STYLE’s Yusuke Inoue. Check these articles for more details: (1) (2)(3). The live broadcast this weekend will feature the setting of flumpool’s first music video with Yusuke Inoue and more details on their latest single, which is to be released this summer. Note that while Sakai is out of the public eye, he still continues behind-the-scenes non-visual work such as blogging, radio hosting, songwriting, and recording. While it will be Inoue in the PV and maybe even the CD jacket, it will be Sakai who will perform for the recording.

THIEF is a game that also focuses on stealth, and sets the player stealing from the rich and giving to the poor. This time the player will take control of Garrett, a master thief in Victorian England. Due to the increased difficulty from past games by a heightened AI knowing of possible hiding places, it will also feature a Focus mode that allows players to find solutions to possibly difficult problems and pickpocket more effectively. Source: New Era,Square

flumpool goes on Nico Nico Live once more – new PV and single details + current status of Sakai’s (G) diet Source: http://sgcafe.com/2013/05/flumpool-nico-nico-live-pv-singledetails-current-status-sakais-g-diet/

Speaking of Sakai, he will be on the broadcast on Saturday – just not where you could see him. Part of the stream will be the weighing of Sakai; seeing how close (or how far) he has come to his goal of weighing 64 kg. or less by July. It better be close as his career is on the line here. As apology for making non-stop news concerning his diet, there will be a segment for Sakai’s special, ground-breaking, never-before-heard, 64-hour-limited present to the fans. What this seemingly awesome present is, only flumpool knows. It will be revealed on the broadcast itself. There will also be a program after the show exclusive to flumpool premium fan club members. The live broadcast would be on Saturday, May 25, 10 PM. Music videos will be played starting 10:30 and the members’ entrance will be on 11. The Nico Nico Live URL for this show: http:// live.nicovideo.jp/watch/lv137804607 sources: Oricon, flumpool Official Website, Nico Nico Douga

May 22nd, 2013

Published by: VR-Zone

Kotobukiya teams up with sword expo for stamp rally Source: http://sgcafe.com/2013/05/kotobukiya-teams-sword-expostamp-rally/ By Zenko on May 22nd, 2013

Source: AnimeAnime

Fans of Evangelion will be happy to know that a new limited edition set of figures is out, but there’s a catch about how to get them. Anime goods store Kotobukiya is teaming up with Fukuoka’s Sword Exhibit to hold a special stamp rally. The event itself, called “Evangelion and Japanese Sword Exhibit”, will start May 24 and run until June 23 The theme of the event is meant to duplicate the fictional setting of Evangelion, as well as to make swordsmiths around the nation aware that it exists. To help push this along, a Lance of Longinus created using traditional swordcraft techniques will be on display.

So you think you know all about Gundams? Check out the weekly trivia page from Gundam.info Source: http://sgcafe.com/2013/05/gundams-check-weekly-trivia-pagegundam-info/ By sentinel011 on May 22nd, 2013

One may have watched every single Gundam series to date, but does that necessary make one a great fan of Gundam? Gundam.info recently released a weekly column dishing out Gundam questions and trivia to all Gundam fanatics!

The stamp rally itself with start at the Solaria Stage, located in the Western Tenjin Station Building and include three stamp points all together. It will include the exhibition being held in Nishitetsu Hall and Fukuoka’s Kotobukiya store.

Topics that question one with ‘what makes a Gundam?’ to random trivia on the many mask men throughout Gundam’s Universe, the Gundam School column has reached up to Part 15 as of press time. They even touched on technological advancements of the Mobile Suits.

Upon completion of the stamp rally, a postcard with the first type of design along with a set of four 1/6 scale Kotobukiya figures of Rei, Asuka, Kaworu, and Mari will be offered. For those who decide to complete it a second time, they will receive the second style of postcard. 7

May 22nd, 2013

Published by: VR-Zone By hikarucon on May 22nd, 2013

Yahoo! has just purchased popular blogging site Tumblr for 1.1 billion dollars. According to Yahoo!, they will not change the current CEO of Tumblr, David Karp. Tumblr was started May 1st, 2007 and has accumulated over 108 million blogs with more than 300 million monthly unique visitors and 120,000 signups every day. With Yahoo!’s help, the users could grow approximately 50%more than a billion visitors per month.

The writer of the column, funnily is known as ‘Ema Baba’, which we assume is a pseudonym and a joke directed at Emma Sheen from Zeta Gundam. ‘Baba’ in Japanese means ‘Grandma’ .

The strange thing about this whole business deal is that Tumblr’s revenue is maybe at best a tenth of what Yahoo! makes and yet they paid 1.1 billion dollars for it. It’s not the first time that a company has bought a smaller site for a lot more than it’s worth but it doesn’t mean that it’s any less surprising. It is possible that Yahoo! is trying to get into the social networking game and compete with Facebook and Google+.

Will you be getting your weekly dose of Gundam trivia with ‘Ema Baba’? Read all 15 articles, starting from 1, here! 1/1 scale image credits to: allanchan@dA

Yahoo buys out Tumblr for 1.1 billion dollars Source: http://sgcafe.com/2013/05/yahoo-buys-tumblr-1-1-billiondollars/

Yahoo! reports that they do not intend to make Tumblr any less innovative and enjoyable than it already is but desires to employ some changes to make it better. For example, Tumblr can employ Yahoo!’s personalization options and search options in order to search for more blogs and content that they are interested in. Tumblr brings 50 billion blog posts to Yahoo!’s own media and search network.

May 22nd, 2013

Kirino and Kuroneko in onepiece dresses now available for pre-order [1/8 scale figures]

Published by: VR-Zone

With that innocent expression, Kirino may well be modeling for a photo shoot. She seems to be timidly averting her gaze from you, but if you want to look her in the eyes, all you have to do is look at her from a side angle, and youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll also see the gentle curve formed by her waist.

Source: http://sgcafe.com/2013/05/kirino-kuroneko-piece-dresses-preorder/ By SunSoftware on May 21st, 2013

With summer quickly approaching, now is the time for ladies to put on some light, refreshing dresses. Like the two heroines of OreImo. Courtesy of Alphamax, you can now pre-order these 1/8 scale figures of Kirino Kousaka and Kuroneko from the anime Ore no Imouto ga Konnani Kawaii Wake ga Nai, both of whom are beautifully dressed in delicate summer dresses. Kirino comes in a pastel, sleeveless one piece and socks. The dress looks adorable with its frills and bows, and the high hemline gives you a good view of her slender legs.

May 22nd, 2013

Published by: VR-Zone

Kuroneko won’t let Kirino hog the spotlight, though, as she has traded her typical cosplay ware for a gothic lolita one piece. Her black, strapless one piece is decorated with a bow and frills, not unlike Kirino’s dress. However, Kuroneko is aiming for a darker style with a rosary around her neck and long stockings accentuating the shape of her legs (this is a definite turn-on for fans of zettai ryouiki).

From the expression on Kuroneko’s face, she is certainly feeling tsuntsun, but if you prefer a cuter vibe, you can also switch her rose-adorned headband with a pair of adorable cat ears.

May 22nd, 2013

Published by: VR-Zone

If you are moonstruck over these enchanting girls, you can pre-order Kirino and Kuroneko right now from AmiAmi, Alphamax, or your other retailer of choice for prices of 6,780 yen and up, and these ladies will be delivered to your home this December. Source: Alphamax 1, 2

May 23rd, 2013

Published by: VR-Zone

SGCafe : Cosplay | Vocaloid | Otaku | Pop Culture A daily publication about Cosplay, Vocaloid, Otaku and Japanese Pop Culture

BlazBlue: Chronophantasma â&#x20AC;&#x201C; New characters trailer Source: http://sgcafe.com/2013/05/blazblue-choronophantasmacharacters-trailer/ By hikarucon on May 23rd, 2013

A new trailer has been released for the upcoming console release of BlazBlue Chronophantasma. In it, we get to see two new characters, Kagura Mutsuki and Yuki Terumi in action. With the addition of these two characters, the BlazBlue roster has been bumped up to 26 playable characters.

For those of you familiar with the mythos of BlazBlue, Kagura Mutsuki is an officer of the Novus Orbis Librarium who is secretly plotting to overthrow them. Yuki Terumi is a member of the six heroes but he is better known as Hazama in the previous versions of BlazBlue. The game will see a release in Japan on October 24, 2013. The regular game will cost 7,140 yen while the limited edition version will be 10,290 yen.

May 23rd, 2013

Published by: VR-Zone

Girls idol group Shiritsu Ebisu Chugaku will be providing the theme for the latest Pikachu movie this July. The Pokemon movie Extreme Speed Genesect: Mewtwo Awakens will be hitting theaters July 13, and of course there’s a Pikachu movie being released to go along with it. Titled Pikachu and Eevee Friends, it will star the iconic Pokemon on an adventure with all of the “eeveelutions”, including the newest edition Sylveon (Ninfia).

Much like the Meleotta movie from last summer had a theme performed by Momoiro Clover Z, this movie will feature Ebisu peforming a new song and cosplaying in celebration. They are already involved with Pokemon as they perform Pokemon Best Wishes 2’s latest ending them “Take my Hand” (te o tsunagou). But there’s no need to wait until the movie to hear what the full version will be, as they will perform it on this Sunday’s Pokemon Smash! program.

Also shown in the trailer is another teaser for BlazBlue Alter Memory, the anime version of the popular fighting game. Check back on the write up by KarbyP here for more information on the upcoming anime release in Autumn 2013.

When they were asked what they thought about the collaboration, they replied that it worked out well with there being 9 eeveelutions and 9 members of the band. They also enjoyed coming up with colorful costumes for the characters they picked.

Shiritsu Ebisu Chugaku’s new song to be Pikachu the Movie’s ending theme Source: http://sgcafe.com/2013/05/shiritsu-ebisu-chugakus-songpikachu-movies-theme/ By Zenko on May 23rd, 2013

Source: AnimeAnime

‘Prisma☆Illya’ card-battling action game coming to 3DS Source: http://sgcafe.com/2013/05/prisma%E2%98%86illya-cardbattling-action-game-coming-3ds/

May 23rd, 2013

Published by: VR-Zone

By SunSoftware on May 23rd, 2013

Are you excited for Type-Moon’s latest anime coming this summer? Well, you might not have seen this coming, but a 3DS game adaptation has flown in out of nowhere. The latest issue of Weekly Famitsu has revealed that Kadokawa Games is developing a 3DS game adaptation of the magical girl anime Fate/kaleid liner Prisma☆Illya, which is a spin-off of Type Moon’s Fate/stay night series starring the small aristocrat Illyasviel von Einzbern (Illya for short), who is re-imagined as an ordinary high school girl who is suddenly forced to become a magical girl.

Just like the anime, the game stars Illya and her rival, Miyu Edelfelt, voiced by Mai Kadowaki and Kaori Nazuka. Presumably, it will feature other main characters like Rin and Luvia.

The game adaptation, currently titled just Prisma☆Illya, contains action and card-battling elements in which you use Element Cards to fight monsters. On the top screen, you can see the characters and their attack animations, while you use the touch screen to select cards from your deck and activate magic attacks. In the screenshots below, you can see what appears to be a barrier spell and an ice attack, as well as a glimpse of some other cards that you can use.

May 23rd, 2013

Unfortunately, that’s all the details Famitsu has revealed, but Prisma☆Illya is scheduled to be released this summer, the same season as the anime. In the meantime, you can read more about the anime in our previous article. Source: Famitsu

Published by: VR-Zone

One day, Raku bumps into transfer student Kirasaki Chitoge. They start hating each other afterwards. It turns out that Chitoge is his new classmate. To make matters worse, Chitoge is the daughter of a rival group’s leader. To keep the peace between the rival yakuza factions, Raku and Chitoge are forced by their fathers to “fake” dating.

Is Nisekoi finally going to get animated? Source: http://sgcafe.com/2013/05/nisekoi-finally-animated/ By spartanchef on May 23rd, 2013

Popular Romance manga Nisekoi may finally be getting an anime adaptation. This news comes as the domain for the manga has been acquired by Shueisha Inc. which owns and publishes Weekly Shonen Jump! An announcement which will hopefully be about the series being animated will come in two weeks via Weekly Jump! where Nisekoi is serialized.

Nisekoi follows the story of Ichijo Raku, a normal and sweet boy who is incidentally born into a violent and notorious Yakuza family, the Shuei-Gumi gang. In his childhood, he has promised a certain girl that they will meet again in the future and they will get married. He keeps that promise in his heart and keeps a locket and remembers that the girl kept the key so that they will identify each other when they meet.

It turns out that Chitoge has a key that may open Raku’s locket, however, things get complicated as Onodera Kosaki, Raku’s classmate and long-time crush also has a key… And then, the Police Chief’s daughter, Tachibana Marika appears also claiming to be the one Raku promised to marry… and she also has a key!

Nisekoi is a manga series written and drawn by Komi Naoshi and serialized in Weekly Shonen Jump! It started its run November 2011. source: Yaraon

Life-sized Hatsune Miku figure wears Louis Vuitton in “The End” opera premiere Source: http://sgcafe.com/2013/05/life-sized-hatsune-miku-figurewears-louis-vuitton-the-end-opera-premiere/

May 23rd, 2013

Published by: VR-Zone

By spartanchef on May 23rd, 2013

In the premier of the Vocaloid Opera titled “The End” last night, May 22, 2013, a life-sized figure of the popular Vocaloid, Hatsune Miku was presented wearing Louis Vuitton. The figure standing 158 cm (about 5’1 feet) was unveiled in Bankamura Orchard hall where the concert was held. It was not mentioned who sculpted the figure. The black and white dress was designed by a team led by acclaimed American fashion designer Marc Jacobs. The black and white dress sports the Damier Pattern which is widely associated with Louis Vuitton. The dress is also a part of the 2013 Spring/ Summer collection.

The Opera “The End” is written by musician Keiichiro Shibuya in collaboration with renowned Japanese playwright and theater director, Toshiki Okada. It is visually directed by artist YKBX (Masaki Yokobe). However, this would not be the first Vocaloid Opera as “The End” started its first run last December 2 and 3 with both dates sold out. “The End” boasts a completely new style of Opera and is completely Human-Free. The entire story is told by computer-made visuals and sounds.

The second run premiered last night, May 22 and would continue May 23-24. All performances are held in Bankamura Orchard Hall in Shinjuku. It is also announced that the opera will be hitting the road later this year. “The End” will have its first ever international run in Paris, France. The performances will be held at the Chatelet Theater with the performances scheduled for November 13 and 15. Source: Mantan-Web and The End official

May 23rd, 2013

Gackt wants to appear on Indonesia’s BIMA Satria Garuda Source: http://sgcafe.com/2013/05/gackt-indonesias-bima-satriagaruda/ By ellehaym on May 23rd, 2013

Published by: VR-Zone

BIMA Satria Garuda is a joint project of Indonesia’s MNC and Japan’s Ishimori Production. The story goes like this: VUDO, an evil force from a parallel world led by Rasputin, goes to Earth to steal its natural resources. A human by the name of Ray was chosen to protect the world from the evil entity’s invasion. You can watch an English-subbed trailer here: via JEFusion

StylipS to sing ending theme song for ‘Fate/kaleid liner Prisma Illya’ Source: http://sgcafe.com/2013/05/stylips-sing-theme-song-fatekaleidliner-prisma-illya/ By KaleNagasaki on May 23rd, 2013

We might be seeing Gackt in a brand new tokusatsu series soon. Recently, Gackt has expressed his interest in BIMA Satria Garuda (BIMA The Garuda Knight) via Twitter. He sent this reply to a tweet that the show’s executive producer, Reino Barack, has posted: Voice actress super group StylipS will have their song “Prism Sympathy” featured as the ending theme song for the upcoming summer anime Fate/kaleid liner Prisma Illya. Choucho will sing the opening theme song. While Yui Ogura and Kaori Ishihara left StylipS just last month, Miku Ito and Moe Toyota have recently joined to sing alongside Arisa Noto and Maho Matsunaga. Originally, Fate/kaleid liner Prisma Illya was a manga written by Hiroshi Hiroyama that was serialized in Kadokawa Shoten’s Comp Ace magazine from 2007 to 2008. It places Fate/stay night‘s main character Illyasviel von Einzbern in an alternate universe and recasts her as a magical girl. Since then, two sequel manga have been made: Fate/kaleid liner Prisma Illya Zwei! (2009-2012), and Fate/kaleid liner Prisma Illya Drei!! (2012). And as you can see, Gackt’s suggestion was not ignored. In fact, even Barack likes the artiste’s idea. The singer-songwriter had prior experience contributing to a tokusatsu series. He performed Journey through the Decade, NEXT DECADE and Stay the Ride Alive for Kamen Rider Decade. He also starred as Joji Yuki in the theatrical film Kamen Rider Decade The Movie: All Riders vs. DaiShocker. 6

May 23rd, 2013

Published by: VR-Zone

Kyary Pamyu Pamyu to release a new album named ☆Nandakorekshon☆on June Source: http://sgcafe.com/2013/05/kyary-pamyu-pamyu-release-albumnamed-%E3%80%8Cnandakorekshon%E3%80%8Don-june/ By Az on May 22nd, 2013

SILVER LINK’s Shin Oonuma, whose resume includes Baka and Test – Summon the Beasts and Dusk Maiden of Amnesia, will direct the anime, while Nozomi Ushijima, the animation director behind Baka and Test – Summon the Beasts 2, C³, and Dusk maiden of Amnesia, will be responsible for the character designs. From Fate/stay night and Fate/Zero, Mai Kadowaki and Kana Ueda will continue voicing Illya and Rin. Kaori Nazuka, (Code Geass’ Nunnally and Eureka Seven’s Eureka) will be the voice of Miyu Edelfelt. Shizuka Ito, (A Certain Magical Index’s Kaori Kanzaki and Hayate the Combat Butler’s Hinagiku Katsura) will be the voice of Luvia. Naoko Takano (Nadesico’s Megumi Reinard and Brighter than the Dawning Blue‘s Midori Tooyama) will be the voice of Magical Ruby. Miyu Matsuki (Hayate the Combat Butler’s Isumi Saginomiya and Hidamari Sketch’s Yoshinoya) plays Magical Sapphire. If you haven’t heard of Fate/kaleid liner Prisma Illya yet, check out the promotional video below before adding it to your summer anime watch list. Fate/kaleid liner Prisma Illya will premier online on Niconico before its television broadcast in July. Source: Yaraon!

It has been revealed that Kyary Pamyu Pamyu’s will be releasing a new album called ☆Nandakorekshon☆ (a pun on “nanda kore [what the heck is this]?! and “collection”) on June 26. This is Kyary’s second album. It’s been a year and a month since her last album, ☆Pamyu Pamyu Revolution☆. This new album will include her hit singles ☆Fashion Monster☆, ☆Kimi ni 100%☆, ☆Furisodeshon☆, and latest singles ☆Ninjari Ban Ban☆ and ☆Invader Invader☆, all of which were performed in her concert at SCAPE. The album will also include the au CM song ☆Norikotonorio☆ and currently airing Kentucky Fried Chicken Crushers CM song ☆Kura Kura☆ plus five new songs, totaling twelve songs for this collection. The first press limited edition of the album is also a photobook, hence the long jacket, and will include a DVD. The DVD includes four music videos: ☆Fashion Monster☆, ☆ Furisodeshon☆, ☆Ninjari Ban Ban☆, and ☆Invader Invader☆. “I’ll be releasing my second album soon! I’ll be happy if you guys to make comebacks and go ‘what the heck?!’ when you see me in the first press limited edition jacket! The 7

May 23rd, 2013

CD contains many different songs from the rock number ☆Fashion Monster☆ to the beep beep blip blop alien sounds of ☆Invader Invader☆, so please look forward to it! Without a doubt, this won’t be an album that would disappoint. I want everyone to listen to it soon!” says Kyary on her new album.

Published by: VR-Zone By Az on May 22nd, 2013

===== Kyary Pamyu Pamyu 2nd Album ☆Nandakorekshon☆

AKB48 has started accepting votes for the general elections this year, ☆AKB48 32nd Single Senbatsu Sousenkyo ☆Hitori Ja Yume Wo Mirarenai☆☆ (AKB48 32nd single senbatsu general elections ~you can’t envision a dream alone~), since yesterday. 1. Nandakorekushon 2. Ninjari Ban Ban 3. Kimi ni 100% 4. Super Scooter Happy 5. Invader Invader 6. Mi 7. Fashion Monster 8. Saigo no Ice Cream 9. Norikotonorio 10. Furisodeshon 11. Kura Kura 12. Otona na Kodomo <First Press Limited Edition DVD> 1. Fashion Monster (MUSIC VIDEO)

AKB48′s management usually does a count after the first day of voting, and the results for this year’s preliminary count is in!

AKB48 32nd Single Senbatsu Sousenkyo – First Day Flash Report*(Senbatsu – 1-16) ============================================== 1. Rino Sashihara ☆HKT48 Team H / HKT48 Stage Manager☆ 2. Watanabe Mayu ☆AKB48 Team A☆ 3. Yuko Oshima ☆AKB48 Team K☆ 4. Jurina Matsui ☆SKE48 Team S / AKB48 Team K☆ 5. Yuki Kashiwagi ☆AKB48 Team B☆ 6. Rena Matsui ☆SKE48 Team E☆ 7. Haruka Shimazaki ☆AKB48 Team B☆ 8. Aya Shibata ☆SKE48 Team KII☆ 9. Yui Yokoyama ☆AKB48 Team A☆ 10. Miyuki Watanabe ☆NMB48 Team N / AKB48 Team B☆

2. Furisodeshon (MUSIC VIDEO)

11. Akari Suda ☆SKE48 Team KII☆

3. Ninjari Ban Ban (MUSIC VIDEO)

12. Sae Miyazawa ☆SNH48 / AKB48 Team K☆

4. Invader Invader (MUSIC VIDEO)

13. Sayaka Yamamoto ☆NMB48 Team N☆

source: natalie

AKB48 5th senbatsu elections: first day vote count is out! A shocking 1st rank! Source: http://sgcafe.com/2013/05/akb48-5th-senbatsu-elections-dayvote-count-out-sashiko-ranks-1st/

14. Tomomi Itano ☆AKB48 Team K☆ 15. Mariko Shinoda ☆AKB48 Team A☆ 16. Yuria Kisaki ☆SKE48 Team S☆ 17. Kaori Matsumura ☆SKE48 Lifetime Honorary Research Student☆ 18. Minami Takahashi ☆AKB48 Team A☆ 19. Ami Kobayashi ☆SKE48 Team KII☆ 8

May 23rd, 2013

Published by: VR-Zone

52. Reina Fujie ☆AKB48 Team B☆ 20. Haruna Kojima ☆AKB48 Team B☆ 53. Ayaka Kikuchi ☆AKB48 Team A☆ 21. Madoka Umemoto ☆SKE48 Team E☆ 54. Asuka Kuramochi ☆AKB48 Team K☆ 22. Ayaka Umeda ☆AKB48 Team B☆ 55. Saho Iwatate ☆AKB48 Research Student☆ 23. Shu Yabushita ☆NMB48 Team BII☆ 56. Haruka Ishida ☆AKB48 Team B☆ 24. Haruka Kodama ☆HKT48 Team H / AKB48 Team A☆ 57. Naoko Okamoto ☆HKT48 Research Student☆ 25. Makiko Saito ☆SKE48 Team S☆ 58. Maria Abe ☆AKB48 Team K☆ 26. Minami Minegishi ☆AKB48 Research Student☆ 59. Fuuko Yagura ☆NMB48 Team M / AKB48 Team A☆ 27. Anna Iriyama ☆AKB48 Team A☆ 60. Suzuki Shihori ☆AKB48 Team K☆ 28. Akane Takayanagi ☆SKE48 Team KII☆ 61. Sakura Miyawaki ☆HKT48 Team H☆ 29. Masana Oya ☆SKE48 Team S☆ 62. Misaki Iwasa ☆AKB48 Team B☆ 30. Yuka Nakanishi ☆SKE48 Team S☆ 63. Yuka Tano ☆AKB48 Team A☆ 31. Kei Jonishi ☆NMB48 Team N☆ 64. Kanon Kimoto ☆SKE48 Team E☆ 32. Rina Matsumoto ☆SKE48 Team KII☆ 33. Rina Kawaei ☆AKB48 Team A☆ 34. Airi Furukawa ☆SKE48 Team KII☆ 35. Tomu Mutou ☆AKB48 Team K☆ 36. Haruka Katayama ☆AKB48 Team B☆ 37. Aki Takajo ☆JKT48 Team J / AKB48 Team B☆ 38. Rie Kitahara ☆AKB48 Team K☆ 39. Miki Yakata ☆SKE48 Team S☆ 40. Kyoka Isohara ☆SKE48 Team S☆ 41. Aika Ota ☆HKT48 Team H☆ 42. Tashima Meru ☆HKT48 Research Student☆ 43. Yukiko Kinoshita ☆SKE48 Team E☆ 44. Miori Ichikawa ☆AKB48 Team B / NMB48 Team N☆ 45. Nana Yamada ☆NMB48 Team M☆ 46. Oba Mina ☆AKB48 Team B / SKE48 Team KII☆ 47. Yukari Yamashita ☆SKE48 Team KII☆ 48. Shiori Kaneko ☆SKE48 Team E☆ 49. Madoka Moriyasu ☆HKT48 Team H☆ 50. Ami Maeda ☆AKB48 Team K☆

Pretty shocking, isn’t it, with all these new names in the list. Surprisingly (or maybe not as surprising to some), Sashiko (last year’s rank 4) is on top here, with last year’s queen Yuko dropping down to a relatively low rank 3 and Mayuyu staying second. Sashiko received almost the same number of votes with Yuko and Mayuyu’s combined. Maybe because of how she’s is now stage manager of HKT48 and now idol producer? Even the idol she is in charge of, lifetime honorary research student, ranks high as the Undergirls’ center. SKE48′s W-Matsui (Jurina and Rena) enters Kami-7. A surprising ☆8 with Aya Shibata too. NMB48 aces Miyuki Watanabe and Sayaka Yamamoto both get in with ranks 10 and 13 respectively. Senbatsu regulars Minami Takahashi, Haruna Kojima, Minami Minegishi, and Kitahara Rie drop out the senbatsu at this count, and many from SKE, NMB, and HKT climb the ladder. See the vote numbers for yourselves below.

51. Mio Tomonaga ☆HKT48 Research Student☆

May 23rd, 2013

Published by: VR-Zone

Even if it’s only the first day preliminary count, the change in ranking is too drastic. Checking last year’s results, there isn’t much disparity between the preliminary count and the final result, save maybe for a new members. But then again, it IS the first day only; there’s still more than two weeks of voting until the deadline of June 7, 3:00 PM. It’s also exactly because these results are released that change will happen. Fans of those who ranked low in the preliminary count will be pumped and vote more in an effort to put his/her oshi back in the game. Who knows? Maybe there are even fans who wait for this announcement in order to judge if their oshi needs saving, then only will they vote.

May 23rd, 2013

Published by: VR-Zone

The official counting and reveal will be on June 8, in Nissan Stadium, Yokohama. Source: natalie

Shin Megami Tensei IV: 10 minutes of gameplay footage Source: http://sgcafe.com/2013/05/shin-megami-tensei-iv-10-minutesgameplay-footage/ By hikarucon on May 22nd, 2013

Excited for the upcoming continuation to the much acclaimed Shin Megami Tensei series? Well hereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s something to get even more excited for- a 10-minute video of game play from the game itself from Japanese video game website 4gamer.net 11

May 23rd, 2013

Similar to Shin Megami Tensei 3: Nocturne, players will be able to communicate with demons and possibly convince them to join their team. As expected though, negotiating with demons is no easy feat. Depending on the demon, players will have to give Macca, the currency of the demon world, take damage, or give items in order to convince the demons that you are a worthy partner to fight alongside.

Published by: VR-Zone

Megami Tensei IV coming out May 23rd and July 16th in Japan and America respectively.

Along the journey, players will come across artifacts that can be picked up. Artifacts that players pick up can be brought to stores and be exchanged for Macca. When players level up, they go through the same process of being able to increase certain parameters in order to make their character grow in a way they want, so if you want a character with lots of strength and health, you can do that. New to the experience though is that when players level up, they gain Application Points which they can use to level up applications on their gauntlet, the device players will use to summon demons and access various abilities. For example, players can choose to level up their persuasion ability so that convincing demons to join their team will be much easier. The players’ actual skills, magic such as Agi for example, are leveled up through a special event called “Whisper Events.” In these events players will be able to learn skills from their demons Of course, Shin Megami Tensei wouldn’t be Shin Megami Tensei without demon fusion which is back in this edition of SMT in all of its glory- effectively a digital floating head of an old man. The fusion process has been made easier now that the players will be given suggestions of what they can fuse with the demons on hands (similar to Persona 4: the Golden’s system). Players will also be able to search for requirements on certain fusions that they might want to do so that they know what they have to do to get the demon they want. In old versions of Shin Megami Tensei, players had to keep cancelling fusions and starting them up again in order to get the skills they want- no more. Skills for fused demons will also no longer be random. Instead, players can choose the skills that their newly fused demons will have making the fusion process all the more fun and strategic. A new aspect of the battle system is that sometimes, special enemies will appear in large packs. These special enemies’ attack power increases when they’re in large packs so unless the player defeats all of them quickly, the chance of them dying just becomes that much higher. Additionally, in the event that the main character dies but the demons are still alive, instead of an instant game over, the game will continue until the party is completely wiped out or vice versa. But if your party does die, do not worry. Atlus has incorporated another new system into the game. When the entire party has fallen, instead of an instant K.O. the player is taken to the Sanzu river, similar to the River Styx, and is confronted by a man named Karon. If the player so wishes, he can pay Macca to be revived and put back into the action. For the more hardcore players, this feature can be turned off but of course, if the game becomes so hard that you need this useful feature, turning it on is just a button click away. Fans of the Shin Megami Tensei series and people looking to get into this great franchise should be sure to pick up Shin 12

May 25th, 2013

Published by: VR-Zone

SGCafe : Cosplay | Vocaloid | Otaku | Pop Culture A daily publication about Cosplay, Vocaloid, Otaku and Japanese Pop Culture

New Project Diva art book and arcade game release this weekend Source: http://sgcafe.com/2013/05/project-diva-art-book-arcade-gamerelease-weekend/ By Zenko on May 24th, 2013

The book will also feature not just the standard images found in the game, but those available from downloadable content as well.

A new art book gives insight to Project Diva F and f game, and the next installment to the arcade series are heading out this weekend. Released fairly close to each other Project Diva f for the PS Vita and Project Diva F for the PS3 are a continuation of the popular Project Diva rhythm game series featuring Crypton’s Vocaloid line-up. To commemorate this pair of games, a special art book called “Hatsune Miku Project DIVA f & F Memorial Fanbook”, containing profiles of certain songs and a promotional video art section is being released May 26.

The release of book coincides with the release of the next arcade installment that ties into the games titled Project Diva Future Tone. The new update to the cabinet game will test in Akihabara this weekend. New features to the game include an update to the module graphics and PV’s throughout the game, and the addition of songs from the f and F games.

Senbon Zakura is used as the sample page, and shows that the song’s history as well as costume choice will be some of the things discussed in the book. Specifically, the page spread features a section on the producer behind the song.

An update to the control system itself, which has been running the same system for several years, will also be included, with a touch screen swipe bar above the main four buttons. Left and right arrows on the screen will indicate which way to swipe on the touch bar.

May 25th, 2013

Published by: VR-Zone

As part of their anniversary celebration, Momoiro Clover Z held a 24 hour live stream on May 16 and had a virtual audience of over one million. Momoiro Clover Z recently hit a landmark when the group turned five. Of course, to celebrate a momentous occasion, a momentous party is in event, so the group members vowed to stay up for24 hours straight from May 16 to May 17. To make sure fans got something out of it, and that they could be sure the group did good on their promise, they opened up a special MomoClo TV channel on USTREAM Asia.

Of course, the module and costume select screen will also feature an update. Accessories will be included now as well, such as cat ears to add onto already existing costumes.

The streaming service is largely crowd funded, with an optional “tip” service available to reward good streamers. Because of the largely free content, MomoClo TV and the idol group themselves were able to reach an audience of over 1,600,000 people. By sheer numbers alone they have managed to win the Ustream Top Award for 2012, despite it being 2013.

Both the artbook and the game update will be making their way to customers this weekend. Source: Diva Station

Momoiro Clover Z’s 24 hour stream met with record breaking numbers

They are still hosting content from the stream on their USTREAM site, including the concert that they performed at the end of their 24 hour livestream.

Source: http://sgcafe.com/2013/05/momoiro-clover-zs-24-hour-streammet-record-breaking-numbers/ By Zenko on May 24th, 2013

Source: AnimeAnime

‘Master of Chaos’ features new song by Luna Sea Source: http://sgcafe.com/2013/05/master-chaos-features-song-lunasea/

May 25th, 2013 By KaleNagasaki on May 24th, 2013

Published by: VR-Zone By KaleNagasaki on May 24th, 2013

Yesterday, at Music Matters 2013 in Singapore, after performing alongside Flumpool and Weaver, SID announced that we should expect a new single soon. Titled ‘Summer Lover’, the song is in season as it will be released July 24. ‘Summer Lover’ can be yours in three different ways: Limited Edition Type A and B both cost 1700 yen and include a CD and DVD, while the Regular Edition, which includes the CD only, will cost 1250 yen. When the trailer below played on televisions across Japan this past Wednesday, a new and unknown song by Luna Sea was partially revealed.

To commemorate the occasion, SID decided to post some celebratory photos on their Facebook page.

Narrated by popular voice actor Akio Otsuka, the trailer for the game Master of Chaos tells us that the player will experience a dungeon-like RPG filled with action. The player will have to fight off demons in order to save the dark world. Apparently, you can even create your own character to do the job. Master of Chaos can be played on the iPhone and Android.

I guess we will have to wait to figure out all the details about Luna Sea’s new song, but in the meantime Master of Chaos can be bought from the Apple app store and the Android marketplace. Source: Jpopasia

SID’s new song: ‘Summer Lover’! Source: http://sgcafe.com/2013/05/sids-song/

May 25th, 2013

Published by: VR-Zone

Don’t forget to keep a look-out for SID’s tenth anniversary tour this summer! SID will be hitting Fukuoka July 27, Sendai August 3, and Osaka August 10, before closing with two shows in Yamanashi on August 24 and 25. For more details on locations and how to buy tickets, check out their official site. Source: Jpopasia

Hyperdimension Neptunia the Animation — more characters, music by nao and Afilia Saga Source: http://sgcafe.com/2013/05/hyperdimension-neptuniaanimation-characters-designs-music-nao-afilia-saga/ By SunSoftware on May 24th, 2013

May 25th, 2013

The anime adaptation of Compile Heart’s popular RPG series is finally coming this summer, and along with three more characters from the games, the former vocalist of fripSide and an all-girls vocal group are joining the crew. We have already seen pictures of the goddesses of Gamindustri from Dave Production’s anime adaptation of the Hyperdimension Neptunia series. Now, with the anime airing less than two months from now, they have revealed three supporting characters whom fans of the games should be familiar with.

Published by: VR-Zone

Pirachu (CV: Niiko) A strange mouse-like creature and the self-proclaimed number 3 mascot of the Mouse World. He is a minion of Arfoire, whom he refers to as “middle-aged lady”.

5pb.-chan (CV: nao) A star in Gamindustri who leisurely makes one hit after another. Her career is centered in Leanbox, but she’s popular in the other countries, as well. Normally, she is extremely shy, but when she steps onstage, she becomes a completely different person. Her voice actress performed the opening theme of Chaos;Head RabuChu☆Chu!, a game developed by 5pb. (see what they did?) Furthermore, David Production has revealed the names and release dates of the opening and ending singles. The opening song is titled Dimension tripper!!!! and is performed by nao, who not only voices 5pb.-chan, but is also the former vocalist of fripSide who performed the opening theme of Hyperdimension Neptunia V. The opening single will be released on July 24 and also include 5pb.-chan’s image song from the anime.

Arfoire (CV: Chiaki Takahashi) A traditional villain who is out to defeat the goddesses and take over Gamindustri. She holds great fighting power, as well as the ability to take different forms, but she doesn’t seem to be good at interacting with subordinates. She is known as Majekonnu in Japan and first appeared in Hyperdimension Neptunia MKII.

Dimension tripper!!!! was also featured in the anime’s first trailer. If you haven’t heard this catchy synthpop tune yet, watch the trailer below: The ending theme, titled Neptune☆Sagashite, is performed by the vocal group Afilia Saga, with lyrics and composition done by Haruko Momoi and Kousuke Oojima, who regularly work with the group.

May 25th, 2013

Published by: VR-Zone

Hokkaido and is about Hachiken Yugo, a student from Sapporo who is not interested in farming but thinks he can be the top student in Oezo Agricultural High School. The story is very much influenced by Hiromu Arakawa’s life growing up in a dairy farm in Hokkaido. The original Manga won the 2013 Manga Taisho awards.

Afilia Saga is also responsible for the opening theme of Compile Heart’s next game, Hyperdimension Idol Neptunia PP. The song, Next Stage! will be included in the anime’s ending single, which is even further incentive for fans to buy it when it’s released on August 7. Here’s the catch, though — there are five different editions of this single! All editions include Neptune☆Sagashite and Next Stage!, but there are three normal editions labeled “A”, “B”, and “C”, which include an extra version of Neptune☆Sagashite performed by different members of Afilia Saga. Then there’s the DVD edition, which comes with bonus footage for fans of the group. Finally, there’s the Neptunia Collaboration Edition made for fans of the game series, which has a special Neptunia CD cover and a serial code to download a school swimsuit costume (modeled after the ones Afilia Saga wears) in Neptunia PP. Compile Heart previously revealed the opening movie of the game, so in case you want a sample of Afilia Saga’s singing, watch the movie below.

Main protagonist Hachiken Yugo is voiced by Kimura Ryouhei who has voiced Takakura Shouma from Mawaru Penguindrum, Judal from Magi: The Labyrinth of magic, Hasegawa Kodaka from Boku Tomodachi ga Sakunai and LElf from Valverave the Liberator.

Hyperdimension Neptunia the Animation will start airing on July 12. Are you excited to hear these artists? Source: Dengeki

Silver Spoon anime’s voice cast announced Source: http://sgcafe.com/2013/05/silver-spoon-animes-voice-castannounced/ By spartanchef on May 24th, 2013

The cast for Hiromu Arakawa’s farming anime “Silver Spoon” has been announced! The cast is headlined by Kimura Ryouhei and Miyake Marie who play the main characters. Silver Spoon is very unlike Manga artist Hiromu Arakawa’s most popular work Full Metal Alchemist. It is set in a fictional school named Oezo Agricultural High School in

The role of Yugo’s love interest and Equestrian Club member Mikage Aki will be voiced by Kimura Ryouhei‘s Mawaru Penguindrum cast mate, Miyake Marie. She has voiced Mawaru Penguindrum’s Oginome Ringo and Hiiro no Kakera’s Kasuga Tamaki.

May 25th, 2013

Published by: VR-Zone

Rich (but fat) girl Inada Tamako will be voiced by Takagaki Ayahi who has provided the voices for Nene from Beelzebub, Feldt Grace from Mobile Suit Gundam 00 and Lizbeth from Sword Art Online.

The role of Komaba Ichiro, Yugo’s closest friend and Aki’s childhood friend and neighbor shall be voiced by Sakurai Tooru who has voiced Chapatsu from the daily Lives of High School Boys.

One of Yugo’s classmates who wants to become a veterinarian, Aikawa Shinnosuke will be voiced by Shimazaki Nobunaga. He has voiced several characters including Tanaka Taichi from Tari Tari and Itsuka Shido from Date A Live.

May 25th, 2013

Published by: VR-Zone

Hana. The screenplay is written by Takashi Kishimoto. Animation Production will be done by A-1 Pictures. Source: Silver Spoon Official Website

Cast of school comedy ‘Kitakubu Katsudou Kiroku’ revealed Source: http://sgcafe.com/2013/05/cast-school-comedy-kitakubukatsudou-kiroku-revealed/ By SunSoftware on May 24th, 2013

Tokiwa Keiji, one of Yugo’s friends will be voiced by Shouji Masayuki.

Rounding out the voice cast are Nishikawa Hajiro voiced by Takanashi Kengo, Beppu voiced by Noboyuki Kobushi, Inada voiced by Ono Yuuki who voiced Hitoyoshi Zenkichi from Medaka Box and Kagami Taiga from Kuroko no Basket, Okawa voiced my Mizushima Takahiro who also voices Furuichi Takayuki from Beelzebub and Yaegashi Taichi from Kokoro Connect. Yoshino Mayumi will be voiced by Izawa Shiori who has voiced Midoriko Sono from Girls Und Panzer and the Earthland Hughes from Fairy Tail. Kachiken Shingo will be voiced by Konishi Katsuyuku who voiced Laxus Dreyar from Fairy Tail. For the teachers, the role of Nakajima-Sensei will be voiced by Masutani Yasunori. Sakuragi-Sensei will be voiced by Kawahara Yoshihisa, Niwatori Sensei will be voiced by Nishimura Tomohiro, Todoroki-Sensei will be voiced by Utsumi Kenji and finally, the Principal of Oezo Agricultural High School will be voiced by Mitsuya Yuji.

Coming this summer is a comedy anime about a somewhat strange club with a somewhat strange cast. Kitakubu Katsudou Kiroku (Go-Home Club Activity Records) is based on an online manga written by Kuroha. The story revolves around a group of girls in a Go-Home Club. Normally, a “go-home club” isn’t a real club, but a term used for students who go straight home after school. However, this anime features an actual club literally called the Go-Home Club. What kind of activities does this club do, you ask? Good question.

Silver Spoon will be directed by Tomohiko Itou who has directed several episodes for Sword Art Online and Ano 8

May 25th, 2013

Published by: VR-Zone

A second-year student whose family owns a major business conglomerate. She serves as the treasurer of the go-home club but is out of touch with social norms.

Among the voice actresses joining the cast, the biggest name is Ibuki Kido, the voice of Akiko Himenokouji, the protagonist of Onii-chan Dakedo Ai Sae Areba Kankeinai yo ne! Remarkably, the rest of the voice actresses are all obscure names, possibly even newcomers. Since we don’t have any background information on most of the voice talent, we’ll have to wait until the anime airs to judge them. Who knows? One of them could be the next Nana Mizuki. Natsuki Andou (CV: Ibuki Kido) A first-year student and newcomer to the Go-Home Club who was invited by her friend Karin. She often serves as the straight man in funny scenes, and her charm point is her huge ahoge (the lock of hair sticking up from her head).

Azarashi (CV: M・A・O) A cute creature. That’s it.

Kitakubu Katsudou Kiroku is produced by Nomad, the studio responsible for Kyouran Kazoku Nikki and the first two seasons of Rozen Maiden. The manga is being serialized on Gangan’s website as well as published in book form. The anime will start airing this July, so fans of school comedies — and anyone who wants to witness the next wave of rookie voice actresses — should give it a try. Source: Moe-Otanews

Fire Emblem: Awakening was almost the last Fire Emblem game Source: http://sgcafe.com/2013/05/fire-emblem-awakening-fireemblem-game/ By hikarucon on May 24th, 2013

Karin Touno (CV: Mitsuki Yuina) A first-year student and the cute supervisor of the go-home club. She’s also an airhead and a big wad of girliness.

Sakura Doumyouji (CV: Miharu Kobayashi) A second-year student, a free spirit, and the president of the go-home club. Compared to Botan and Claire, she is relatively normal.

Botan Oohagi (CV: Sae Aiuchi) A second-year student who is a successor of an ancient martial arts school. She is in charge of the club’s military force (?). She is also extremely powerful and has many heroic tales of valor.

Claire Kokonoe (CV: Ayaka Senbongi)

Fire Emblem: Awakening could have very been the last we saw of the Fire Emblem series. A strange thought of course considering that its overall commercial success (it sold over 400,000 copies in just Japan since its release in June and 9

May 25th, 2013

then more than 240,000 copies in America) as well as its critical success has convinced many that this could very well be the best Fire Emblem game not just of recent times but of the whole series. The co-producer for Fire Emblem: Awakening, Hitoshi Yamagami, told Spanish magazine Hobby Consola that when development began on Fire Emblem: Awakening, there was serious consideration of it being the last entry in the series. Yamagami explained that Fire Emblem was not doing very well in terms of sales so the sales manager of Nintendo, Shinji Hatano, said that if Awakening’s sales did not surpass 250,000 copies, any further work on future entries of the series would not be considered. Working under the pressure of this being the possible last game of Fire Emblem, the development team put their all into making Awakening the best entry in the series. The rest of the story is as we all know- Awakening had a smashing success and the series will live on. It will even have a crossover with Shin Megami Tensei IV if that is any testament to how successful it is. So no need to worry now, Fire Emblem will live to see another day.

“Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn” release date and Collector’s Edition announced Source: http://sgcafe.com/2013/05/final-fantasy-xiv-realm-rebornrelease-date-collectors-edition-announced/ By weiq on May 24th, 2013

Published by: VR-Zone

orders are now available) worldwide for Windows PC and PlayStation 3 on August 27. As with the original version, Final Fantasy 14: A Realm Reborn will comes with both Collector’s, and the Standard Edtion. The Collector’s Edition (which will only be produced in limited quantities) comes with the following items: • Art of Eorzea – An 80-page hardcover art book featuring a host of artwork made for the development of FINAL FANTASY XIV: A Realm Reborn by Art Director Akihiko Yoshida and his team of artists.. • The Waning of the Sixth Sun – A special bonus video disc that takes a cinematic look at the events leading up to the realm being reborn. • Sounds of Eorzea – Exclusive soundtrack features beautiful music from the cities and fields of Limsa Lominsa, Ul’dah and Gridaniat composed by renowned Final Fantasy series composers. • Art Cards – Five collectable art cards featuring stunning, highly detailed CG art brought to life by Square Enix Visual Works. • In-game bonus items – Helm of Light, Baby Behemoth Minion, Coeurl Mount and Behemoth Barding. • Themed Security Token - A device for displaying OneTime Passwords, which dramatically improve account security.

click to view in full size Those that pre-ordered the game will also get the following advantages: • Early Access – Gain access to FFXIV: A Realm Reborn before the official launch of service! After a long wait, Square Enix finally announce Final Fantasy 14: A Realm Reborn‘s release date and details! Fans will remember the numerous bugs and glitches from the original version, which makes the game felt “unfinished” and resulted in bad receptions across the game review boards. After at least two apologies, a reshuffling of development team and streaming of various gameplay previews, the revamped title will hit the shelves (while pre-

• Cait Sith Doll Minion – Adventurers can often be found with their own personal minion by their side as they tame the wilds of Eorzea. (Minions are vanity pets that do not have any affect on a player’s stats.) • Mog Cap – Show your love for the fluffy Moogle by wearing this cap as you adventure through Eorzea! This headpiece can be equipped by all classes at level one.

May 25th, 2013

Published by: VR-Zone

items included in the new Collector’s Edition free of charge and delivered directly to their Moogle mailbox. If you want the physical items as well you’ll have to purchase the new Collector’s Edition. Players who want the PlayStation 3 version of the game will have to purchase it, whether they had the Windows version of the original game or not, but once activated they’ll still be able to use their old characters (if they had the original Windows game). Only one copy of the PlayStation 3 version can be tied to a single Sony Entertainment Network account, so if you want multiple copies you’ll also need multiple PSN accounts. Players with Legacy status (those that paid for more than three months in the original game) will also get to participate in the Early Access. A Collector’s Edition Digital Upgrade Service will also be made available on a dedicated website, and it will allow players to upgrade their Final Fantasy XIV standard edition to collector’s edition status (for a yet unspecified fee) and receive the items mentioned above.

The price of the game is as listed Collector Editon: • PlayStation 3: $79.99 (Package) • Windows: $69.99 Download)

(Package),

$49.99

(Digital

Standard Edition: • PlayStation 3: $39.99 (Package) • Windows: $29.99 (Package/Digital Download)

You can also register to join the Beta test before deciding whether this will be a keeper. But from the looks of it (the official trailer, concept arts, gameplay previews showing the beautiful redesigned Eorzea, and the live “Letter from the Producer” videos on the official youtube channel), I believe it will be money well spent. Additional details of the game (such as on the PlayStation 3 digital download version) will be available on the official homepage or official Twitter account at a later date. source: finalfantasyxiv.com, dualshockers.com

Character designs for ‘WataMote’ Revealed Source: http://sgcafe.com/2013/05/character-designs-watamoterevealed/ By KaleNagasaki on May 24th, 2013

A free 30-day trial is also included for new accounts. Monthly subscriptions for new accounts will cost $12.99. Owners of the Windows’ original version need not to purchase the new version, as they’ll get to download it for free. Owners of the Collector’s Edition will also get the digital

Designs for the main characters of Watashi ga Motenai no wa Dou Kangaete mo Omaera ga Warui!, or for short, Watamote, have finally been revealed for the upcoming summer anime. Also known as It’s Not My Fault That I’m Not Popular!, WataMote will air in July and is based off the manga by Nico Tanigawa. It was first featured in Square Enix’s Gangan website last year, and the fourth compiled 11

May 25th, 2013

Published by: VR-Zone

volume will be released June 22. For those of you who know this already though, take in these well-done character designs. First, we have the star of the otaku comedy herself, Tomoko Kuroki:

While he doesn’t care too much for his sister’s problems, perhaps there is a nice guy under the unapproachable exterior. This brings us to the last main character, Yu Naruse:

We follow her as she struggles to develop a social life in high school. Then, there is her younger brother Tomoki Kuroki:

Yu is Tomoko’s friend from middle school and their friendship continues into high school. However, as you can probably already tell, Yu’s easy-going personality and beauty makes her quite popular. If you’re a fan of the manga, it seems that these character designs stay true to Nico Tanigawa’s original vision. If you haven’t read the manga yet, there is still time to catch up before July! And if you are the type that doesn’t like to read, then we won’t be too mad if you just watch the anime. Source: Crunchyroll

May 27th, 2013

Published by: VR-Zone

SGCafe : Cosplay | Vocaloid | Otaku | Pop Culture A daily publication about Cosplay, Vocaloid, Otaku and Japanese Pop Culture

New visual released for Gintama the Movie: Final Chapter – Be Forever Yorozuya Source: http://sgcafe.com/2013/05/visual-released-gintama-movie-finalchapter-yorozuya-yes-final/ By Az on May 27th, 2013

Advanced selling of the movie tickets will start on June 1. A special clear folder using the new visual will be given as a special promo to those who buy in the advanced selling. However, the folder is limited in number so not all who buy will be given one. The special promo for the folder ends as soon as the final folder is given away. The folder itself is the one in the image above. =====

A new visual for Sorachi Hideaki’s Gintama movie “Gintama the Movie: Final Chapter – Be Forever Yorozuya” has just been revealed today, May 27. The new key visual is quite thought provoking. In the visual is the trio of Yorozuya Gintoki, Shinpachi, and Kagura smiling at us, as if to say goodbye. Below that is a grownup, future version of Shinpachi and Kagura, without any trace of a future Gintoki at all. All that’s left of the so-called white demon is his trademark Lake Toya wooden sword, which Shinpachi carries, and his very familiar white kimono with blue design, worn by Kagura. Could something have happened to Gin so that only mementos of him are left?

Gintama the Movie: Final Chapter – Be Forever Yorozuya starts showing on July 6. This is a special movie all written by the manga artist Sorachi Hideaki himself and as with the movie title, this is the final chapter, putting an end to the anime series as well. For those who can’t get enough Gintama, the manga is still ongoing so Gintama as a whole isn’t ending yet. 1

May 27th, 2013

The series ran for a good four years too, and spawned numerous light novels, CDs, and video games. You did good, Gintoki, you did good. Gintama the Movie: Final Chapter – Be Forever Yorozuya Trailer

Kamen Teacher gets drama, cast includes Kis-My-Ft2 Source: http://sgcafe.com/2013/05/kamen-teacher-drama-cast-includeskis-my-ft2/ By okaroll on May 27th, 2013

Published by: VR-Zone

Aya Oomasa will be acting as the English teacher in this drama. She has also starred in the same drama as Fujigaya‘Misaki number 1!!’ . She has won best supporting actress in the 13th Annual Nikkan Sports Drama Grand Prix for Best Supporting Actress in drama, Yamamoto Nadeshiko Shichi Henge. And of course, what is a high school delinquent drama without a ringleader? The ringleader will be acted by Sexy Zone’s Fuma Kikuchi. This drama also features other members from Johnny’s Jr.- Jesse Lewis, Taiga Kyomoto and Yuuta Kishi. Regarding working with the other members of the same management company, Fujigaya has expressed that despite that he is not very good in talking to the junior members in his company, he wishes to become a admirable senior just like how his character, Araki Gota is to his students. Producer Hiroyuki Ueno commented that the production team intends to produce a new kind of hero never before seen in dramas. So they decided on using up and rising star Fujigaya to portray this hero and thus offered him the role of the main character. Kamen Teacher follows main character Gota Araki as he is assigned to a new high school to teach class 2C- the most notorious class in the school. Naturally, he did not receive the warmest of welcome from the students. Despite the beating he got on the first day, he did not want to use the power of the mask to teach the students a lesson. However, for the sake of changing these tough students for the better, he took the mask in hand and another classic tale of teacher versus delinquents unfolds… This drama will set to air on July 6, every Friday nights at 12AM JST.

The title might be familiar to some, if you follow Tooru Fujisawa – the creator behind the evergreen manga series, GTO (Great Teacher Onizuka). Kamen Teacher will now become a drama, set to air this July in Japan.

via Mantan Web. Pictures from Aya Oomasa’s profile page and Kis-My-Ft2′s Official Homepage

Nisekoi anime finally official Source: http://sgcafe.com/2013/05/koto/ By spartanchef on May 27th, 2013

Main cast: Fujigaya Taisuke (left), Aya Oomasa (right) Starring in this highly anticipated drama series is Fujigaya Taisuke, member of Kis-MyFt2. This will be Fujigaya’s first time challenging the Tokusatsu genre, the role of a teacher and motorcycle stunts on set. Despite what seems like a triple challenge for him, he expressed that he liked masked heroes when he was young and seems really enthusiastic and earnest about portraying the main character – Gota Araki. Despite this being his first role as a teacher, Fujigaya is not new to dramas at all. He has acted in various dramas such as, the Japanese version of Ikemen desu ne/You are Beautiful (2011), Misaki number 1!! (2011), Risou no musuko (2012).

It would seem that the official Nisekoi anime came earlier than expected. Last week, we announced that Nisekoi may get an anime adaptation because its domain has been bought by Shueisha Inc, and now, in the color page of Weekly Jump! #27, it would seem that it is finally official. Weekly Jump #27 will be on sale June 3. Weekly Jump #27 will also be issue where One Piece will be on hiatus because of author Oda Eiichiro’s hospitalization. 2

May 27th, 2013

Published by: VR-Zone

LiSA and Natsumi Okamoto to perform for ‘Genei wo Kakeru Taiyou’ Source: http://sgcafe.com/2013/05/lisa-natsumi-okamoto-performgenei-wo-kakeru-taiyou/ By SunSoftware on May 27th, 2013

Nisekoi is a manga series serialized in Weekly Shonen Jump! and written and drawn by Komi Naoshi. It is about a boy born into a Yakuza family named Ichijo Raku who made a promise with a girl in his childhood that one day, they would meet in the future. Raku keeps s locket while the girl keeps a key so that in the future, they would know one another. However, that girl can be one of three possible girls; Kirasaki Chitoge, daughter of a rival gang, Onodera Kosaki, his longtime crush and Tachibana Marika, the daughter of the chief of police!

This upcoming bishoujo fantasy will feature theme songs performed by the popular artist LiSA and the award-winning newcomer Natsumi Okamoto. Genei wo Kakeru Taiyou (The Sun Penetrates the Illusion) is an original anime produced by AIC and Aniplex with a story by sole; viola and character designs by Gomoku Akatsuki. The story is set in a world that is controlled by two types of tarot cards: the Diaboros Tarots that devour the souls of innocent humans, and the Elemental Tarots that oppose them. Using the power of the Elemental Tarots, a group of chosen girls must hurl themselves into a battle that is invisible to the rest of the world. The official website of the anime has announced that LiSA, the singer known for performing the opening themes of Fate/Zero and Sword Art Online, will sing the opening theme, träumerei (pronounced “troy-meh-rai”), and the single will be released on August 7. The ending theme, -Mirage-, will be sung by Natsumi Okamoto, the winner of Animax’s sixth Anison Grand Prix. The ending single will be released on July 24 as Okamoto’s debut single.

source: Yaraon

In case you’ve missed the trailer that was revealed earlier, you can watch it below: 3

May 27th, 2013

Published by: VR-Zone

Mai Kadowaki (Illya from Fate/stay night) will voice Akari Taiyou, the owner of the Sun Tarot.

Eri Kitamura (Sayaka from Madoka Magica, Ami from Toradora!) will voice Seira Hoshikawa, the owner of the Star Tarot.

Genei wo Kakeru Taiyou will start airing on July. There will also be a manga serialized on Gangan Onlineâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s website drawn by Kouki Katou and a novel written by Michiko Itou that will be serialized by Monthly Newtype. They will both be released in June, so anyone interested in this bishoujo fantasy can preview it before the anime comes.

Sora Tokui (Nero from Milky Holmes, Nico from Love Live!) will voice Luna Tsukuyomi, the owner of the Moon Tarot. Source: Yaraon

flumpool: full details for the single and Sakaiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s current weight revealed + chorus up for free download Source: http://sgcafe.com/2013/05/flumpool-single-revealed-weightupdate-dieting-guitarist-kazuki-sakai/ By Az on May 27th, 2013

Yuiko Tatsumi (Mio from Little Busters!) will voice Ginka Shirokane, the owner of the Temperance Tarot.

May 27th, 2013

Published by: VR-Zone

It has been revealed that flumpool’s new double-A single, #Taisetsu na Mono wa Kimi Igai ni Miataranakute / Binetsu Refrain# is set to be released on July 3.The announcement was made last Saturday, May 25, during their special live broadcast on Nico Nico Live. The chorus and lyrics of the title song #Taisetsu na Mono wa Kimi Igai ni Miataranakute# is up for free download for a limited time until May 28, 3:40 PM JST) on flumpool’s official website. This is the 64hour limited present the Sakai prepared as apology for all the news he made. The chorus has already reached over 100,000 downloads as of May 27, 12:00 AM. The second A song #Binetsu Refrain# is a CM song for ice cream Meiji Essel Super Cup. The chaku-uta version (for ringtones and such) has been up for distribution since yesterday, May 26. The limited edition of the single will also include a cover of Mayday song #OAOA# with added Japanese lyrics by Ryota Yamamura (Vo, G). It will also include a DVD containing a studio live video of the second A side #Binetsu Refrain#. But the regular edition doesn’t lose in terms of content either as it contains more tracks than the limited one. The regular edition CD will include 9 live-tracks from the #EARTH x HEART LIVE 2013# on April 17. I guess getting both editions isn’t so bad a deal now, is it?

1. Taisetsu na Mono wa Kimi Igai ni Miataranakute 2. Binetsu Refrain 3. OAOA 4. Taisetsu na Mono wa Kimi Igai ni Miataranakute (instrumental) 5. Binetsu Refrain (instrumental) 6. OAOA (instrumental) Limited Edition DVD 1. Binetsu Refrain Studio Live Video flumpool #Taisetsu na Mono wa Kimi Igai Miataranakute / Binetsu Refrain#Regular Edition =====

On the other hand, during the same live broadcast that the single was announced, flumpool also reported an update on the current status of the dieting Sakai. His dieting started sometime around the end of April with a weight of 80 kilograms. It was revealed during the update that Sakai is currently 69 kg. Only 5 kg. away from his goal of 64 kg. and with still another month left to lose it. While he may be losing weight at very fast rate, this point seems to be the most critical. “When I focus on dieting, I usually lose this much this fast. But from this point, I just can’t seem to lose any more. Every time I diet, it’s at this point that I start to rebound. The real battle starts now,” says Sakai. flumpool #Taisetsu na Mono wa Kimi Igai Miataranakute / Binetsu Refrain#Limited Edition =====

1. Taisetsu na Mono wa Kimi Igai ni Miataranakute 2. Binetsu Refrain 3. Kotoshi no Sakura (live version) 4. labo (live version) 5. Hello (live version) 6. Kimi wo Tsurete (live version) 7. Harukaze (live version) 8. Touch (live version) 5

May 27th, 2013

9. Vega ~Kako to Mirai no Hokkyokusei~ (live version) 10. Ii Janai? (live version) 11. Hoshi ni Negai wo (live version) source: natalie, Barks

Listen to a preview of Suzuko Mimori’s next single ‘Yakusoku Shiteyo? Issho Dayo!’

Published by: VR-Zone

The single will be available in a limited edition that includes a DVD with a music video and making-of video, as well as a light novel written by Masaki Hiramatsu, the scriptwriter of the Kara no Kyoukai films, depicting a love story designed to supplement the lyrics of the song. In addition, Mimori also recently announced her first photo collection and image Blu-ray/DVD. These will include pictures from her photo shoots in Vietnam, ranging in locations from Hanoi to the scenic Ha Long Bay. Of course, Mimori herself will appear in a variety of expressions, such as this slightly sexy pose at a poolside.

Source: http://sgcafe.com/2013/05/listen-preview-suzuko-mimorissingle-yakusoku-shiteyo-issho-dayo/ By SunSoftware on May 26th, 2013

The photobook will be released on July 17, and the image disks, on August 7. Mimorin fans, are you excited to witness her rise to fame? Source: Mimorin’s official website, Famitsu

MMO Tales Weaver teams up with SAO for Thanks Festival 2013 The rising voice actress behind Sherlock Shellinford and Umi Sonoda is developing her solo career with a brand new single and her first photo collection. Anime fans should be familiar with Suzuko Mimori for her role in the Tantei Opera Milky Holmes series, where she stars as the cute detective Sheryl and performs the opening themes with the rest of the main cast. She’s also known as Umi Sonoda, a member of the idol unit μ’s from Love Live! She sang plenty of songs for both of those anime, but last month, she launched her solo career with her debut single Aitai yo… Aitai yo!, which peaked at number 10 on Oricon’s charts. Next, Mimori is releasing her second single on July 3. Titled Yakushoku Shiteyo? Issho Dayo! (It’s a Promise, Right? We’ll be Together!), the song is a lively pop tune mixed with the feeling of longing to be with that special someone, fit for the bittersweet summer time. You can listen for yourself with this short preview:

Source: http://sgcafe.com/2013/05/mmo-tales-weaver-teams-saofestival-2013/ By Zenko on May 26th, 2013

At the conference held on Saturday, popular MMO game Tales Weave announced that they’ll be teaming up with Sword Art Online for exclusive content. Starting on June 12 and running throughout the summer, special SAO content will be made available to players of the game. The characters that will appear in the game include Asuna, Silica and Lizbeth, who will assist the player in various ways. This will include a four floor dungeon, where 6

May 27th, 2013

the top floor will include a special prize, much like how in the original SAO story the players were rewarded with going home.

Published by: VR-Zone By KaleNagasaki on May 26th, 2013

Kenji Kamiyama, co-director of Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex and 009 Re:Cyborg, collaborated again with writer and director A.T. to create their newest short film Silicon;BootDrive. The story will be released in two sets: the Aincrad arc and the Fairy Dance arc, and will be largest scale event the game has ever held. Judging from sprite art in appears that Kirito will also appear at certain parts in the game to advance quests related to the SAO series. In addition to this event, several other high level events will launch at the same time so that veteran players won’t feel left out of all the fun.

If Kamiyama’s resume by itself isn’t enough to make you want to click the play button below, maybe a short summary will change your mind. Silicon;BootDrive takes place in the year 2020, apparently five years after a dramatic meteor event known as ‘God’s Needle’ occurred and sent the human race into the next stage of evolution. Want to know more? Click below to find out. Let us know what you think. Does Silicon;BootDrive stand up to Kamiyama’s previous films? If you’ve never experienced a Kamiyama film before, these may be good places to start: click here for the opening of Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex.

All this will culminate in the launch of a new area in August that will allow players to have the ability to dual wield swords, much like Kirito in SAO. The name of the area, Heroine Inlet, will focus around Tales Weaver’s own story “The Runes of Children: Winter’s Sword.” Players across the world expressed a desire for SAO character designer Reki Kawahara to team up with the MMO game, and can expect to have fun because of this agreement.

Click here for promo of 009 Re:Cyborg.

Source: News Dengeki

‘Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex’ director creates new short film ‘Silicon;BootDrive’ Source: http://sgcafe.com/2013/05/ghost-shell-stand-complex-directorcreates-short-film-siliconbootdrive/

May 27th, 2013

Published by: VR-Zone

Translated, the two tweets are announcing that K will be having a movie released 2014 and its going to be a sequel to the anime.

Source: ph9

K movie announced for 2014 Source: http://sgcafe.com/2013/05/movie-announced-2014/ By spartanchef on May 26th, 2013

K is an anime that started airing October 2012 and has a total of 13 episodes. GoHands produced the anime and Suzuki Shingo not only directed the anime but also designed the characters. It is set in the technologically advanced Shizume City. The story revolves around Isana Yashiro, a seemingly normal student who attends Ashinaka High School. Things get complicated when a HOMRA member gets murdered by someone who looks exactly like Yashiro. Now, members of the Red Clan and HOMRA are out to get him. Due to its success, ‘K’ also has two manga prequels and two light novels released. Source: Yaraon

Chara-Ani Kirino Swim Suit Ver. and Kuroneko “Shironeko” Ver. pre-order start Source: http://sgcafe.com/2013/05/chara-ani-kirino-swim-suit-verkuroneko-shironeko-ver-pre-order-start-max-factory-figma-kurapikadetails/ By spartanchef on May 26th, 2013

According to the KaieKaryou and xxbluetearxx twitter accounts, the anime K project will be having a movie in 2014! It will be a direct sequel to the anime. Unfortunately, no further details have been released as of the moment. These tweets came from people who attended the K event ealier, May 26, in Tokyo.

As summer is rapidly approaching, Chara-Ani has now announced that summer versions for Ore no Imouto ga Konna ni Kawaii Wake ga Nai characters Kosaka Kirino and “Kuroneko” Gokou Ruri are now up for pre-order.First let’s start with THE imouto, Kirino. This figure is 1/8 scale and stands about 175 mm. The figure is made of PVC and ABS and is manufactured by Chara-Ani. No sculptor has been named so far. This figure is due for release August 2013. Kirino is wearing a green two-piece bikini with pink 8

May 27th, 2013

Published by: VR-Zone

sunglasses on her forehead and is holding a dolphin water gun.

Source: Hobby search Now, let’s talk about “The dark one”… only this time, she’s not as dark as usual. This is Gokou Ruri’s newest incarnation, Shironeko. Like Kirino, this figure is 1/8 scale and stands about 175 mm. The figure is made of PVC and ABS and is manufactured by Chara-Ani. No sculptor has been named so far. This figure is due for release August 2013. She is sporting the straw hat that she is seen wearing during the anime’s opening credits. The hat is removable. Also, she is wearing WHITE which would transform Kuroneko (Black Cat) into Shironeko (White Cat).

May 27th, 2013

Published by: VR-Zone

Source: Hobby Search

May 28th, 2013

Published by: VR-Zone

SGCafe : Cosplay | Vocaloid | Otaku | Pop Culture A daily publication about Cosplay, Vocaloid, Otaku and Japanese Pop Culture

Vividred Operation holds live event called Vividred Operation: Special Operations LIVE! Source: http://sgcafe.com/2013/05/vividred-operation-holds-live-eventcalled-vividred-operation-special-operations-live/ By spartanchef on May 28th, 2013

Vividred Operation held a live event titled “Special Operations LIVE!” in Zepp Music Hall in Tokyo just two days back. The event featured live performances by the main character’s voice cast. Sakura Ayane (who voices Ishiki Akane), Murakawa Rie (who voices Futaba Aoi), Ootsubo Yuka (who voices Saegusa Wakaba), Uchida Aya (who voices Shinomiya Himawari), Uchida Maaya (who voices Kuroki Rei), Oogame Asuka (who voices Ishiki Momo) and Amazaki Haruka (who voices Amagi Mizuha) were all present at the event.

In the events first part, the voice cast presented a “look back” of the events which happened in the anime, which involved a lot of teamwork in the cast’s part. The second part of the event presented us with the cast performing the anime’s soundtrack and they opened it with the song “Vivid Shining Sky” which is the fifth end song of the anime. Sakura Ayane and Rie Murakawa sang “We are One”, Sakura Ayane and Ootsubo Yuka sang “Stereo colors”, and “Stray Sheep Story” by Sakura Ayane and Uchida Aya. They also sang “Maelstrom”, “Arifureta Shiawase” by Uchida Maaya, an encore of Vivid Shining Sky and they sang the opening song “Energy” last.

May 28th, 2013

Published by: VR-Zone

Lastly, two limited mail order books were sold at the event. These are “Final Visual Collection” and “Final Cels”.

One of the biggest superstars in the anime industry is releasing her next single to go along with her next voice acting role this summer.Nana Mizuki’s 29th single, currently untitled, is scheduled to be released on July 31. It will features three songs, including the opening theme of the upcoming anime Senki Zesshou Symphogear G and the ending theme of Space Battleship Yamato 2199 Chapter 7, which will open in theatres this August.

There is no word if the event will ever have a DVD release, like some other series such as K-On!, YuruYuri and Infinite Stratos. source: Dengeki News

Senki Zesshou Symphogear G is the second season of Senki Zesshou Symphogear, which is centered around girls who have the power to summon combat armor called Symphogear and fight an alien race called Noise. In addition to performing the opening theme, Mizuki will play the role of Tsubasa Kazanari. The anime will also feature the voice actresses Aoi Yuuki and Ayahi Takagaki, so if you want to hear them singing while beating up aliens, you can check out the anime this July.

Nana Mizuki’s newest single coming this July to include Symphogear G, Yamato 2199 theme songs Source: http://sgcafe.com/2013/05/nana-mizukis-newest-single-comingjuly/ By SunSoftware on May 28th, 2013

May 28th, 2013

Published by: VR-Zone

Japanese pop culture news site Natalie.mu conducted an interview with Perfume on their much talked about “Magic of Love” PV and the “reverse-playback dance” that comes with it and happenings behind the scenes of the shoot. They also talked about their upcoming ‘battle’ tour this month and their thoughts on the European tour they will hold on July.

Oh! I’ve sung like this before! ============================================== —Your last two singles were on very different extremes; “Spending All My Time” is hard and heavy while “Mirai No Museum” is light and catchy. But this single, “Magic of Love”, is spot-on Perfume sound.

Apart her single coming out this summer, Mizuki will also hold her solo tour, “Nana Mizuki Live Circus 2013″ in eight cities, and she will perform in this year’s Animelo Summer Live (as she does every year). Apparently, Mizuki is going to be very busy this summer. Source: Natalie, Nana Mizuki homepage

(1/2) Power Push interview: Perfume’s thoughts on Magic of Love shoot, reverse-motion dance & more Source: http://sgcafe.com/2013/05/power-push-interview-perfume-1/ By Az on May 28th, 2013

N (Nocchi): Exactly. It’s the first perfectly Perfume single we’ve had in a while. It’s a cute, cheerful tune that once heard on Pure’s CM, you’ll instantly know is Perfume’s. A (A-Chan): It’s astonishing that such a beautiful piece of music could be made from the CM’s theme of “eat Pure Gummi and a magical love could ensue”. The melody just flowed straight into it, so the recording went smoothly without problem. K (Kashiyuka): The tune really adheres to the [Perfume tune] principles. I thought that it’s been a long time since we’ve had light, floaty lyrics like this one. Like we’re singing about something abstract, intangible. N: There’s this nostalgic feeling when singing lyrics like “the seasoning of love” or “your heart is a butterfly”. Like, “oh I’ve sung like this before!” —It certainly must have been like that. Also, the lyrics are like a cool but difficultly indirect way of expressing the emotions in a girl’s heart. Thinking that way, I felt like even the lyrics of “Magic of Love” are very much Perfume-like. K: I think so too. However, instead of giving the feeling of “overflowing with hope” or “think positive and do your best” in the end, it instead leaves you hanging – it’s realistic and leaves you wondering. I think that creating a gap like that in the lyrics is very much (Yasutaka) Nakata-style.

Perfume’s new single “Magic of Love” is a catchy pop tune freely sprinkled with the girls’ own brand of flavour. Coming with it is the coupling track “Handyman”, a tune with an oriental sound that feels like it will be positively accepted even by fans overseas. They also have coming up the concert DVD “Perfume WORLD TOUR 1ST”, containing footage of the Singapore-leg of their first overseas tour last fall, on sale simultaneously with the single.

Seki-san gets the miracles happen on-the-spot and makes it his work ============================================== —Speaking of Perfume-like, working with director Kazuaki Seki after a long time, the video of “Magic of Love” is also very Perfume-like. A: Creating cool videos on analog broadcast is Seki-san’s specialty so I thought, “if we’re going to use magic and tricks, then it’s Seki-san!” (laughs) There are many directors 3

May 28th, 2013

Published by: VR-Zone

who usually just decide on what they would take or do an exact storyboard and go like “we’ll be doing this” and rigidly stick to it until the end, but Seki-san needs only the general framework, just does things based on the atmosphere of the shoot, and whatever miracles happen on the spot, he incorporates it. What I’m saying is that he listens to the insights of others and adopts those to the work. —Ah, you could see that from his work too. A: In this PV too, you could see on every part how he used those insights. In the interlude, there’s this scene that’s like coming out of many doors. Not having decided how to shoot that part, Seki-san directs, checks how we respond, and shoots it. Then in the final product, we see in that scene that it’s just us three being friendly with each other; I was deeply impressed. That’s not even “directing” anymore; it’s like he drew everything from us. —And it’s also because you have known Seki-san for a long time that you can do this. A: Right. There are also scenes where we sing individually. Even in those scenes, what was shot was the Yuka-chan and Nocchi as how Seki-san thought they should be. In reality, there are more times when things won’t go as smoothly as that, but to adapt to the situation is just like Seki-san (laughs). It’s been a while since we had him direct so after finally watching it, it’s like, “yes, yes, this is how Perfume originally is!”

A: We can’t get a grasp on the rhythm so we just didn’t know when to bust the moves. If you do it like that, you’ll come up with a stiffy stiffy dance completely devoid of groove. And even if you try to remedy this by creating a groove, once you watch the reverse-playback, you’ll see that you’re moving weird – like a person who can’t dance at all. —Now that you’ve said it, it certainly seems very difficult.

A: Nocchi fell victim to that. You see, our former manager has this unique little point in his dancing, and Nocchi’s dancing looked exactly like that. “Watch out, she becoming Iwai-san!”, we said (laughs). MIKIKO-sensei also said that it’s impossible and gave up halfway. While things continued like that for us, Yuka-chan suddenly went, “Huh? I think I’m We practiced too much for the ‘reverse-playback dance’ dancing it correctly.” ======================================================== —There’s also a part in the PV where the scene in reverseplayback, right? About that, besides the choreography, did you also move your mouth in such a way that it would match the rewind? N: You know, when Seki-san suggested that we do a reverse-playback dance, while we were watching the original choreography on reverse-playback and memorizing the dance, he also told us that it would be great if we could match our mouths too. We already had our hands full even with just the reverse choreography so we told him that as expected, it’s [matching the mouths] impossible. So the three of us just moved our mouths in one way or the other (laughs). K: We just flapped our mouths as how we felt like moving it. It looked awful as it didn’t match at all (laughs). A: You’ll understand if you try it out yourself. It’s seriously hard (laughs). As for why it’s hard, to start with, the melody sounds weird on rewind so as a tune it’s impossible to remember. And then for the dance, the rhythm is just lost. —Ah, I see. The familiar beats would just disappear.

N: She was the one who got it first (laughs). K: I was the pioneer of new possibilities you know (laughs). A: The both of us then memorized the choreography by watching Yuka-chan dance. Also, during that time, Nocchi was soooo focused on studying the dance, that even without hearing the rhythm, she could do the counting for us so that we could get it. —Ohh! Amazing! A: I’m weak at learning a choreography by watching so I really couldn’t do it. But these two really stuck it out for me so I was able to completely rely on them and was finally able to dance it. N: The reverse-playback scene was the last part we shot. But we only successfully finished that at already 5-6 in the morning. Meaning before we finally finished, we danced the reverse choreography over and over. A: We even forgot how the original dance went, huh (laughs). K: When we danced it again, everyone was just so sloppy. We were just like, “Left? Right? Which one?” “Hmm.. It’s the reverse of the reverse so..” “Ah! Nocchi may be doing it right!” A: And so, the hard part ended. But when we watched how it went… “Huh? Doesn’t it looked like we were just barely able to pull it off?”, we reacted like that. K: It may be that we just practiced too much, but when we played the reverse-playback scene, it looked normal. Like, “Would we be able to show that this was done in reverse through this?” “Somehow, it seems dull.” A: If that impression doesn’t get through, it would simply look like three unskilled dancers dancing; and we didn’t want that, so we really didn’t know what to do. 4

May 28th, 2013

K: After shooting it, we prepared the same scene but this time not in reverse, just in case. We weren’t able to decide on which to use until just before the very end.

Published by: VR-Zone

Click here for part two. source: natalie (1)(2)

—And in the end, you used the footage with the reverseplayback. N: Yes, we did. It was like “Well, we already shot it anyway [so let's use it].” A: We had a weird way of just finally settling for it, saying that the fact that we challenged ourselves to do this would make it to the news (laughs). But the whole while, Seki-san was really pushing for the reverse-playback, saying that it’s very interesting. We put our whole faith in him and now, we realize that he was right.

Danbo cardboard robot from “Yotsuba&!” inspires bag designs Source: http://sgcafe.com/2013/05/yotsubas-danbo-cardboard-robotinspires-tote-bag-designs/ By weiq on May 28th, 2013

“Sorry for being so sudden…” We sent out videos to other artists ======================================================== —You have set the lives that you will do one after the other. First, let’s talk about the “battle” type of live tour in Tokyo and Nagoya starting the end of this month, “Zutto Suki Dattanjakee~ Sasurai no Menkata Perfume FES!!” It’s said Perfume borne this project themselves, but just how much it is from your own thoughts? A: This project started with us saying that we want to do it, so I’d have to say almost everything. We shot a video message, sent it to artists we’d like to appear with, confirm if it’s an OK or not… —Video message? K: For the request and offer, we three faced the artist himself in the video messages we sent out. “It’s Perfume. Sorry for being so sudden.” N: We sent those out. Fufufu (laughs) A: Most of the videos we sent were to people we haven’t met yet so we did a formal introduction at the start. “Ah, umm. We three are called Perfume.” That kind of introduction (laughs). I thought that if we do that, maybe we could express our thoughts directly. We received very polite replies from everyone. We received replies such as “umm, should we reply to you by way of video message too?” (laughs) When we were having our offers sent, we felt that since we’ve come to this point, we should just be cheeky about it. So when the participants we’re decided, we were like, “YEAH, THEY ANSWERED TO OUR DESIRES!”, and we felt like we wanted to do this project as soon as possible (laughs). K: If our pleas we’re rejected, there would be no tour (laughs) so this is really all because they accepted. —Why did you think of doing a ‘battle’ type of tour in the first place? If you really wanted a FES kind of live, I think it’s very much possible with how you are now. A: We were told that doing a FES alone would be tough – that we were too young and putting things together would still be impossible for us, so we thought of doing a ‘battle’ type first. We haven’t done battles before so we really felt even from before that we wanted to do this. As we thought to ourselves that it would surely be awesome if we did this, many others thought, “looks good, I’d go for this!” – and we were truly happy about that. I’m very glad that this project came to fruition even with just that, so just by thinking that people are waiting for this, I get into high spirits.

Love the cardboard robot “Danbo” from the “Yotsuba&!” manga series? Here’s a chance for you to bag it (pun intended)! Featured dominantly Danbo’s ‘face’, the bagss are a collaboration between Yotsuba‘s author Kiyohiko Azuma, and the “YOU’RE SUCH A NERD” brand by “ANIMATION ADDICT STORE”. The designs include a tote bag big enough for A4 size notebook and documents, a pouch, and a “carton bag,” which is a box-shaped lunch bag specially sized to fit 8 of Yotsuba&! pun-ny manga series. All three bags are made of a special type of Japanese paper called “Naoron,” by Tadashi paper manufacturer, is soft, yet hard to break. The finish products have an authentic cardboard look, thanks to the material used, and most important of all – they are water-resistant.

===== 5

May 28th, 2013

Published by: VR-Zone

Tamako Market’s bonus ‘Occhoko Choi-chan’ promo streamed Source: http://sgcafe.com/2013/05/tamako-markets-bonus-occhokochoi-chan-promo-streamed/ By weiq on May 28th, 2013

Kyoto Animation had streamed a short promo video of a bonus series for Tamako Market on their Youtube channel. The promo video gave us a short preview of Choi-chan narrating, to the Prince, her trip to the bath house with the rest of the girls. Titled “Occhoko Choi-chan”, it is the first episode for the bonus “Pettanko” short series which will be bundled with the fourth Japanese release of the Blu-ray and DVD volumes.

The carton bag and the tote bag are 5,250 Yen (about US$52) and the pouch is 2,940 Yen (about US$29). Pre-orders are now available until June 28. You can visit the here to view more photos. Source: natalie.mu, ani-cyu.jp

Other extras for the fourth volume are: First-Pressing Extras • Episode 2 and 12′s insert song “O.S.T Girl Next Door (Zizzania)” by Franco Casa and Paul Bennett (first CD release of the song) • 24-page, full-color special booklet • Special postcard with exclusive Yukiko Horiguchi illustration 6

May 28th, 2013

Published by: VR-Zone

• Special sleeve/Digipak packaging Video Extras • “Occhoko Choi-chan” episode 1 • Production location report “Director Yamada’s, ~Takeda-iro ni Someraretai~” • Web preview videos Audio Extras • Mochi-Mochi radio drama #7 – 8 • Cast commentaries • Staff commentaries Other Extra • Japanese subtitles The Blu-ray and DVD will ship with “Tamako Market” episodes 7 and 8 on June 19. Both the Blu-ray and DVD will retail at 7,140 Yen (about US$71) and 6,300 Yen (US$62) respectively. Later episodes of the bonus “Pettanko” short series will continue with later releases of the Blu-ray and DVD volumes. Source: youtube, tamakomarket.com

Cast and staff announced for Tetsuo Hara’s ‘First of the North Star’ spin-off anime Source: http://sgcafe.com/2013/05/cast-staff-announced-tetsuo-harasfirst-north-star-spin-off-anime/ By KaleNagasaki on May 28th, 2013

Naoe Kanetsugu (left) and Keiji Maeda (right) Daisuke Namikawa (Shōta Kazehaya in Kimi ni Todoke, Waver Velvet in Fate/Zero) will be the voice of main character Naoe Kanetsugu. Takuya Sato (JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure’s Caesar Zeppeli) will be the voice of beloved returning character Keiji Maeda. Naru Kawamoto, who played Takashi Kawamura of Prince of Tennis, will be the voice of Mosuke. Hozumi Goda, who voiced Leorio of Hunter x Hunter, will play Jirobi Nakanishi. Hiroki Yasumoto, who was Germany in Hetalia, will be the voice of Kagekatsu Uesugi. Yoji Ueda, who voiced Kagero Usui in Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei, will have to fill the huge historical shoes of Toyotomi Hideyoshi. Spice and Wolf’s Arnold, KoseiHirota will voice Toshiie Maeda. Masaki Terasoma and Kazuki Katou will voice Kenshin Uesugi and Mitsunari Ishida respectively. With such a stacked voice and creation crew, Gifu Dodo should probably be on your watch list. Source: Crunchyroll

Are you a fan of First of the North Star and its main character, the dramatic persona that is warlord Keiji Maeda? If so, then it’s time to get excited. Artist and creator Tetsuo Hara’s spin-off manga series Gifu Dodo!! Naoe Kanetsugu Maeda Keiji Tsuki-gatari-, which was published in 2010, in getting an anime adaptation that will premier this July.

Shiseido’s Tadashi Harada shares pictures from his ‘JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure’ live-action photoshoot Source: http://sgcafe.com/2013/05/shiseidos-tadashi-harada-sharespictures-jojos-bizarre-adventure-photoshoot/

Gifu Dodo is about Keiji Maeda’s friend, head of the Uesugi clan, Naoe Kanetsugu. It will be directed by Hetalia and Gravitation‘s Bob Shirahata, while character designs will be by Hetalia’s Masaaki Kannan. Tetsuo Hara will supervise animation, and Studio DEEN will produce Gifu Dodo. 7

May 28th, 2013

Published by: VR-Zone

By KarbyP on May 28th, 2013

Actually, the picture you see above, of 15 models styled and made-up by renowned Shiseido hair and make-up artist Tadashi Harada to resemble characters from Parts 3 to 6 of JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure, did not come from a single photoshoot. Rather, they were compiled from five separate photoshoots done over two years. Each time, Harada’s team of four – a photographer (Tohru Koike), stylist (Tsuyoshi Takahashi), photo retoucher (Eri Katou), and hair/make-up artist (Harada himself, who also did the creative and art direction roles) – would aim to do the shots for three characters at a go. A big fan of Hirohiko Araki’s JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure manga series (as well as the Araki’s previous work, Baoh), Harada said that he grew up reading the JoJo manga series pretty much “in real-time” as it was being serialised in Shueisha’s Weekly Shounen Jump magazine, and that he was greatly inspired by the hairstyles, fashion, and poses as seen in the manga series. He was so inspired that, as a beautician or make-up artist, he wanted to see what he could do if he were to apply his skills to recreating those iconic looks from the manga series in a way that would make sense in reality.

That said, the photoshoots were not just about simply replicating JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure looks in real life. Harada decided that this was going to be his way of doing a homage to the manga series that he loved so much. It’s not exactly cosplay (as you can probably tell from the picture above of Jean Pierre Polnareff from JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure Part 3, and Rohan Kishibe from Part 4); Harada set out to do a live-action photoshoot for the well-loved manga series in a way that only he could do it – through the way the models’ hair and make-up were done. This was meant aHarada decided that this was going to be his way of doing a homage to the manga series that he loved so much.. Harada and his team first begun to do the photoshoots sometime in 2010. In March 2011, when the Tohoku disaster shook the world, Harada and his team took a break from the project as they felt it was not the right time to be pursuing art and creation. When Harada heard that a Hirohiko Araki JoJo Exhibition was going to be held in Sendai and Tokyo in 2012, work on Harada’s JoJo live-action photoshoot sprung back to life again. He was hoping to get it featured as one of the exhibits in the showcase. The photoshoots for all 15 characters in the series were completed in March 2012, some two years after the project first started. Alas, for reasons Harada did not go into, his project could not be included in the JoJo exhbitions.

May 28th, 2013

Published by: VR-Zone

That was going to be the end of Harada’s dream. He was not going to be able to show the public his interpretation and homage to the manga series he loved so much. Or so he thought.

Fortunately, in October 2012, at the Japan Hairdressing Awards, where Harada was named the Grand Prix winner for the second time in his career, an event manager chanced upon some pictures from the JoJo live-action photoshoot, and offered to help Harada organise a one-man exhibition, using the JoJo pieces used as a centerpiece, to be unveiled at the showcase. The exhibition, entitled “Tadashi Harada Everything ver.5.0″ (### ## ver.5.0) was held earlier from March 30 to April 2 this year, at Tokyo’s Meguro district. On his official website, Harada has shared quite a number of photos shown at the exhibition. You can view all of it on his site over here – the JoJo pieces are numbered 69 to 104.

May 28th, 2013

Published by: VR-Zone

The shonen magazine is already taking applications via their special contest page. Artists are to submit their original and unpublished shonen manga pieces by October 1.

List of characters portrayed • Part 3: Jean Pierre Polnareff • Part 4: Josuke Higashikata, Rohan Kishibe and Akira Otoshi • Part 5: Giorno Giovanna, Bruno Bucellati, Leone Abbachio, Guido Mista, Secco, Melone, Diavollo • Part 6: Jolyne Kujo, Hermes Costello, Foo Fighters (F.F.), Weather Report

Here’s how the selection goes: Finalists will be picked by the editorial department of Weekly Shonen Jump and the editors-in-chief from the North American Weekly Shonen Jump, China’s OK! Comic (to be launched) and Taiwan’s FORMOSA YOUTH. The final entries will be translated into the three languages and will be posted on shonenjump.com for the online popularity poll. A total of four awards will be given away: • Grand Prize for the most popular manga

Source: Tadashi Harada’s blog

• Top Prize for the most popular entry in Japanese

Shonen Jump launches its global manga competition

• Top Prize for the most popular entry in English

Source: http://sgcafe.com/2013/05/shonen-jump-launches-globalmanga-competition/ By ellehaym on May 27th, 2013

• Top Prize for the most popular entry in Chinese Each winner will receive a 500,00 JPY (6238.00 SGD) cash prize. The winning works will be published on the manga magazines previously mentioned. Source: Shonen Jump Manga Competition website

Touhou Kishinjou ~Double Dealing Character~ demo released Source: http://sgcafe.com/2013/05/touhou-kishinjou-double-dealingcharacter-demo-released/ By Zenko on May 27th, 2013

Aspiring manga authors from around the world finally have the chance to be recognised by Japan’s major manga publisher, Shueisha. In celebration of Weekly Shonen Jump’s 45th anniversary, the magazine has officially launched the “Shonen Jump Manga Competition”. The contest is open to the international community with entries accepted in three different languages: Chinese, English and Japanese.

The latest installment of the latest Touhou game was distributed at this year’s Reitaisai convention. As promised earlier this month, Team Shanghai Alice has released another installment to the main storyline of the Touhou danmaku (bullet hell) shooter games. Called Touhou Kishinjou ~ Double Dealing Character~, the game continues where the thirteenth installment left off and was sold for 300 yen. The story is that Marisa, Reimu and Sakuya’s instruments began to suddenly work on their own, setting off shots of their own. During this time the youkai that are usually calm have started to cause trouble in 10

May 28th, 2013

Published by: VR-Zone

Gensokyo. The girls must find a way to stop this, as well as figure out just what it is that’s causing their weapons such trouble.

New characters that appear in the game include a mermaid named Wakasagihime. Her two spell cards are Tail Fin Slap and Wrathful Hurricane. Sakuya was previously only available as a playable character in the seventh installment, Perfect Cherry Blossom and the eighth Imperishable Night. Popular ‘strongest’ character Cirno is not playable, but will appear as the first stages midboss. Before the game was released ZUN had mentioned that he would be making the game somewhat easier by changing the mechanics of battles. For instance, as the plot of the story is that the three main protagonists weapons are acting up, the option to select weapon, rather than spell, missile, or partner type is being used. Each will come with its own properties and spell (bomb) attack.

The stage two boss is a rokurokubi, a windy necked woman, who of course has the ability to make her head seem as if its floating. Her name is Sekibanki. Matching her name, her bullet patterns wind like the depictions of the rokurokubi’s neck. Her spell cards include “Flying Head”, “Rokurokubi’s Flight” and “Dullahan’s Night: Flying Head.”

The life bar for bosses has also been moved to be around them rather than in the upper left hand corner to allow easier readability during battles and spells.

The final stage released in the demo features the werewolf Kagerou Imaizumi. Her stage changes background several times rather than keeping a constant stream of maple or ginkgo leaves. Her spell cards include “Canine Teeth Under the Moon”, “Star Fang”, “Full Moon’s Howling”, “HighSpeed Pounce.”

Another interesting feature is that the dialogue sequences have been moved from a more visual novel style to a more mangaesque one, with speech bubbles appearing alongside the characters.

May 28th, 2013

Published by: VR-Zone

The full version of the game will most likely make its way online sometime in August during the summer Comiket. For now, and English patch is available for the demo here. Source: ZUN, Youtube

An interview with Valvrave’s designers Source: http://sgcafe.com/2013/05/interview-valvraves-designers/ By spartanchef on May 27th, 2013

According to Mr. Kansai, designing the Valvraves took a considerable amount of time even under the supervision of Nitroplus’s Ishiwata Makoto and the director. Also the arrangement of the clear parts, the “Hard Afterglow”, the differences in the gimmicks of each Valvrave as well as the silhouettes made designing each Valvrave difficult.

As mecha anime Valvrave the Liberator is making waves not only on TV but also the music scene with its hit theme song “Preserved Roses” by TM Revolution and Mizuki Nana, Japanese Blog Site Master File Blog has conducted an interview with the anime’s designers; Kansai Ryoji, a producer for the show, Sunrise’s Ikeya Hiroshi and Bandai Hobby Division’s Nishizawa Junichi. The untranslated interview can be found here

According to him, the production used cell animation to emphasize the 3D CG and Director Matsuo was very particular about it. They talked about how 3D makes the Valvraves movements more specific such as drawing the Katana. Meanwhile, the anime’s graphics were discussed by Mr. Ikeya. He discussed the challenges in giving life to the Valvraves by using the model data. They have to actively regulate the size and shape of some parts in order to emphasize the movement. Here are some of the important points discussed in the interview: Mr. Kansai talked about the production of the anime. When asked what was the aim of the concept of the mecha, Mr. Kansai answered that the series’ director Matsuo Kou wanted an emphasis on the “Human Form”. They also wanted to emphasize on the internal frame so that the whole body would be strong and rigid.

Bandai’s Nishizawa Junichi meanwhile talked about the 1/144 Valvrave I plastic model. He explains that before the 3D data was even completed, they have already received a set of line drawings to promote the design. Also, as mentioned 12

May 28th, 2013

Published by: VR-Zone

by Mr. Kansai earlier, the Internal Frame was important in making it stable. Making the joints was also difficult.

According to Mr. Kansai, who had meetings with Mr. Nishizawa regarding several factors of the designs such as joints or the flying pose, he had to trust Bandai’s “know-how” when it comes to plastic models and they did not disappoint. According to Mr. Nishizawa, focusing on the design was very important. There were difficulties like having the cover part of the arm set while following the movable part of the arm.

This is just the first part of the interview done by Master File Blog. Stay tuned for more.

May 29th, 2013

Published by: VR-Zone

SGCafe : Cosplay | Vocaloid | Otaku | Pop Culture A daily publication about Cosplay, Vocaloid, Otaku and Japanese Pop Culture

• Rifle Clip Capacity Upgrade • “Grounded” which is an exclusive 90 minute “Making of The Last of Us” documentary

The Last of Us Digital Edition pre-order begins Source: http://sgcafe.com/2013/05/digital-edition-pre-order-begins/ By spartanchef on May 29th, 2013

As PlayStation 3-exclusive video game “The Last of Us” is nearing its release in June 14, 2013, Naughty Dog has announced that the game’s Full digital edition can now be pre-ordered on the PlayStation store. The game will be a Day 1 digital download which means that you can get it right away as the clock strikes midnight in June 14. The download installer for the game is unique as you can actually start playing the game even if the download is still not done halfway through.

There will be three DLC packs for the game as well. If you get all thee DLC’s, you will get the Season Pass. The Season Pass DLC can now be pre-ordered at the PlayStation Store for US $19.99 for the three packs.

One of the DLCs will be a single player DLC, while the other two offers multi-player content such as multiplayer maps and other expansions. Naughty Dog has announced that more Multiplayer announcements will be made in the future as we go towards the game’s release. There are also Limited Edition packs for the game. Details Here. The Last of Us is a game produced by Naughty Dog Inc (NDI) which is known for giving us the highly acclaimed “Uncharted” series as well as “Crash Bandicoot”. It is a game set in post-apocalyptic America and follows hardened blackmarketeer Joel and fourteen-year old Ellie.

Sega and Banpresto highlight Spring Prize fair Source: http://sgcafe.com/2013/05/sega-banpresto-highlight-springprize-fair/

Unique for the Season Pass DLC will be these bonuses: • Increased Crafting speed • Increased Healing speed • 9mm Reload Speed Upgrade 1

May 29th, 2013

Published by: VR-Zone

By spartanchef on May 29th, 2013

Prize companies showcase their latest prize figures in the Spring Prize Fair. Highlighting the event are Sega and Banpresto boasting the two largest displays in the event. Many anime series, video games and characters were showcased as Vocaloid, Danganronpa, Sword Art Online, Accel World, Hello Kitty, One Piece, Kamen Rider, Medaka Box, Girls und Panzer and many others were on display! The event did not just feature Figures and Plush toys but a variety of other goods like watches, bags, key chains, pillows and many more! These prizes can be won through games like Cranes and can also be bought as is. SEGA

May 29th, 2013

Published by: VR-Zone

May 29th, 2013

Published by: VR-Zone

BANPRESTO

May 29th, 2013

Published by: VR-Zone

May 29th, 2013

Published by: VR-Zone

May 29th, 2013

Published by: VR-Zone

FURYU

May 29th, 2013

Published by: VR-Zone

TAITO

For more photos from the event, visit the Dengeki Website

BlazBlue: Chrono Phantasma â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Here comes a new NPC, Hibiki Kohaku Source: http://sgcafe.com/2013/05/blazblue-chrono-phantasma-nonplayer-character-hibiki-kohaku/

May 29th, 2013 By KarbyP on May 29th, 2013

Published by: VR-Zone

Source: Famitsu (pic)

‘Sonic: Lost World’ gets debut trailer, looks like Super Mario Galaxy Source: http://sgcafe.com/2013/05/sonic-lost-world-debut-trailer-supermario-galaxy/ By SunSoftware on May 29th, 2013

In the pages of Famitsu magazine this week, which officially hits newsstands in Japan tomorrow, Arc System Works is revealing for the PS3 version of BlazBlue: Chrono Phantasma a brand new story character (read: non-playable) who appears in the story mode scenes for actually-playable character Kagura Mutsuki. Described as a pretty boy with a bit of a poison tongue, Hibiki Kohaku is voiced by Mitsuhiro Ichiki (Tomohiko Kazami in Another, Lias Falken in Atelier Meruru), and is an assistant of sorts to Kagura, always providing support and back-up for him from a nearby distance. Hibiki, being the poison tongue he is, is quick to badmouth Kagura from time to time. That said, he secretly holds Kagura in nothing but the highest regard. Although currently Hibiki has been unveiled to be nothing more than a simple story NPC – for now – one has to wonder: How long before Arc System Works turn him into a fullfledged fighter? ‘Cause, you know, Makoto Nanaya, Tsubaki Yayoi, Valkenhayn, and a whole bunch of currently-playable BlazBlue: Chrono Phantasma characters all started off as story NPCs in previous iterations. You could say that BlazBlue’s story characters are sort of Arc System Works’s way of testing the waters to see how popular a particular character might be before they actually put in the hard work to make him or her into a new playable character. Lest they end up with Super Street Fighter IV’s Hakan (sorry, Hakan players – but you know he’s not popular). So how long before Arc System Works get to converting Hibiki into a full-fledged fighter? That depends; how badly would you want to play as pretty boy Hibiki? BlazBlue: Chrono Phantasma for the PlayStation 3 is slated for release in Japan October 24, 2013.

Sonic games have been trying a lot of gimmicks in the past several years. For the next game on the Wii U and 3DS, they’ve taken a page (or maybe the whole book) from a certain Nintendo platformer. In a way, Sonic: Lost World looks a lot like past Sonic games. It involves a lot of running and jumping, and the level in the trailer looks like an HD version of Neo Green Hill. At the same time, the game look extremely different from any of the past Sonic games, with platforms that twist and turn in all directions and defy gravity, like in Super Mario Galaxy. In fact, if you were being cynical, you might even say it’s a rip-off of Super Mario Galaxy. Judge for yourself with the trailer below. Although the level designs are similar to Galaxy’s, Sonic Lost World keeps the high-speed action that is Sonic’s distinguishing feature, and combined with elements from one of the greatest platformers of all time, who’s to complain? One control change that’s not obvious in the trailer is that you no longer start running just by tilting the analog stick. You can just walk around until you tap the run button, and another button will make him roll into a ball in a burst of speed. There is also a “Parkour system”, that lets you keep running after you run into an enemy, instead of coming to a complete stop. In addition, the wisps are making a return from Sonic Colors, and you’ll control them with the touch screen to access hidden paths. On the Wii U, there will also be a Support Mode in which one person can play as Sonic with the Wii remote and Nunchuk while another person helps with the GamePad, like in New Super Mario Bros. U. 9

May 29th, 2013

Published by: VR-Zone

Sonic Lost World is scheduled to be released sometime this year. It will also be featured at E3 this June, so we’ll get more information and footage then. Source: IGN

Deluxe Version of Blue Exorcist: The Movie Released Source: http://sgcafe.com/2013/05/deluxe-version-blue-exorcist-moviereleased/ By SkerryK on May 28th, 2013

Fans who crave a little more storytelling will be happy to know that Aya Yajima’s novella, Souvenir in BLUE EXORCIST THE MOVIE: Okumura Yukio’s Worst Three Days, is also included. Worried you might not have enough energy to read it all? Don’t be. The novella comes with an audio version attached. Source: natalie.mu

A limited-edition, deluxe version of Kazue Kato’s Blue Exorcist: The Movie is now available on Blu-ray and DVD. Today, on its release date, each purchase includes a limitededition jacket image. If you can’t get your hands on it so soon, don’t worry— there are more than enough exciting extras to make the deluxe version worth it.

Voice actress Yuu Kobayashi draws 3 pigeons, image retweeted over 15,000 times Source: http://sgcafe.com/2013/05/voice-actress-yuu-kobayashi-drew-3pigeons-image-retweeted-15000-times/ By hittokiri on May 28th, 2013

The package includes illustrations of the Okumura twins and their gang, as well as over 20 original characters from the movie. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg. There’s also a deluxe booklet, with manga drawn specifically for the limited-edition package located on the front and back pages. Other goodies offered by the deluxe package include: • a collection of concept art for the movie • illustrated postcards • raw film • an April Fool’s Day collaborative work

May 29th, 2013

Published by: VR-Zone

Voice actress Yuu Kobayashi shared a drawing on her twitter account this morning. Since then her tweet has been retweeted over 15,000 times.

According to the tweet, she had been seeing a lot of pigeons of late. Today, she saw three pigeons and found the sight to be lovely. She had wanted to capture the moment but felt taking a picture of it might frighten the birds. As such she decided to draw it out instead.

One OK Rock has announced a European tour this October! If you were planning on visiting Germany, the UK, or France, this may be the perfect excuse for a side-stop. If you weren’t planning on visitin”g these countries, this may be an even better excuse to start making plans. The official dates are as follows: • October 24 – Cologne, Germany at Werkstatt • October 26 – London, UK at Garage • October 27 – Paris, France at Le Bataclan Tickets go on sale June 1st at 10:00 AM (BST), so make sure to stop by B7 Klan’s official website. If you aren’t familiar with One OK Rock, here’s a quick recap to keep you up-to-date. One OK Rock first appeared on the music scene in 2005, and their heavy metal music made their climb in popularity steady and swift.

The drawing, meant to be three pigeons, has been consistently retweeted throughout the day. This is not the first time she has shared her drawings. Previously she had posted some of her works on her blog. She had also drew on variety shows and anime behind the scene specials. Yuu Kobayashi is known for her husky voice and zany personality. Her best known roles are the cross dressing Shido Mariya from Maria Holic and the myopic, masochistic kunoichi Sarutobi Ayame from Gintama. This season, she can be heard in Shingeki no Kyojin as Sasha Braus.

To hear some of their music, check out their latest album Jinsei Kakete Boku Wa, released just this past March. Here is a song from this album titled “Deeper Deeper,” which reached number two in the Oricon chart. Source: Jpopasia

Golgo 13 and Yomeishu collaborate in promotional campaign Source: http://sgcafe.com/2013/05/golgo-13-yomeishu-collaboratepromotion-campaign/ By hittokiri on May 28th, 2013

Source : Seiyu Fan, Kobayashi Yuu’s Twitter

One OK Rock will be hitting Europe this fall Source: http://sgcafe.com/2013/05/rock-hitting-europe-fall/ By KaleNagasaki on May 28th, 2013

May 29th, 2013

Published by: VR-Zone

Fan-suggested cast for Shingeki no Kyojin live action adaptation Source: http://sgcafe.com/2013/05/fan-suggested-cast-shingeki-kyojinlive-action-adaptation/ By hittokiri on May 28th, 2013

A promotional campaign by Yomeishu in collaboration with Golgo 13 is currently underway. The campaign titled Golgo 13 Gastrointestinal Crisis presented by Yomeishu recently launched a campaign website by the same name.

Fans of Shingeki no Kyojin have scoured the internet looking for the ideal people to take on the roles of the characters from the popular series. The resultant list is impressive to say the least.

The website which is located here offers its’ visitors a chance to test their Gastrointestinal Crisis Level vie a series of questionnaires which are broken up every few questions by a page informing the users the importance of maintaining a healthy gastrointestinal condition. At the end of the questionnaire, the users are informed of their Gastrointestinal Crisis Level and is given an advice by Golgo 13′s main character Duke Togo. The campaign is also giving out 13 attaché cases to 13 visitors of the website who sign up for it’s lucky draw during this promotion campaign. The attaché cases which are by RIMOWA will contain 2 bottles of Yomeishu and will be held in place by urethane cushion. Golgo 13 is a manga series by Takao Saito. It has been in serialization since 1969 and is currently ongoing. The manga has been compiled into 168 volumes. Golgo 13 has been adapted into two live action movies, an animated movie, one OVA, and two anime television series. Source : natalie.mu, Golgo 13 Gastrointestinal Crisis

May 29th, 2013

Published by: VR-Zone

It is not often that one can find real world people who bare a striking resemblance to anime characters. Sadly the likelihood that the suggested people will be involved in the live action adaptation of the series appears to be low. The list consists of primarily Hollywood based actors and actresses who are very much expected for a list such as this. Amusingly however the list also contains 2 professional soccer players and a software freedom activist. A live action adaptation for Shingeki no Kyojin is currently due for release in 2014. It was previously slated for a release in autumn 2013 and was to be directed by Tetsuya Nakashima. This however was delayed to the later date as Nakashima left the project. There has been no new information regarding the project since. Source : Seiyu Fan

(2/2) Power Push interview: Perfume’s thoughts on Magic of Love shoot, reverse-motion dance & more Source: http://sgcafe.com/2013/05/power-push-interview-perfume-2/ By Az on May 28th, 2013

[This is part two of natalie's Power Push interview on Perfume. Click here to read part one.]

“Won’t it be meaningless for us to go?” we consulted Nakatasan ============================================== —And in the midst of this tour, it’s also decided that you will perform in ULTRA KOREA. I think that the genre of

May 29th, 2013

Perfume is dance music, but you have not yet participated in this kind of event before, right? N (Nocchi) : Yes, that’s right. I thought of wanting to appear in “WIRE” and the likes before, but there haven’t been any chances until now. So this time, we feel like challenging to do entirely new things. Before, we were thought of as unique idols who appear in rock festivals, but now I want it to be like, “ah, there’s more to them, they (referring to Perfume here) appeared in something more.”

Published by: VR-Zone

N: You said it. Since we’re clueless on what kind of image they have for the Japanese or what kind of girls they’re expecting.

—And since this time it’s a dance music festival, what the audience would be looking for would be a little different from before. A (A-Chan): Meaning that this is really a new kind of event for us. We’ve never appeared in such an event before so everyone’s getting cold feet. Our staff has also been giving us advice like it would be better if you just keep the music flowing non-stop, or you should also change the arrangement in such a way that the audience could get into it easily; things like that. But we’re don’t know much either so we talked among ourselves, saying that since we’re not familiar with the event and we can’t really make the proper judgement, why don’t we ask Nakata-san? We even thought that if we change the arrangement the way the staff told us to, it would be too different from our usual style. “Won’t it be meaningless for us to go? If that’s the case, then maybe it would be better for Nakata-san to appear instead?” we thought. —I see. A: And so, we consulted Nakata-san. His advice went like, “It’s a stage performance this time too, so you should just go for it without losing your identity; just do things while keeping your own style. But remember that this is also a club event; if the music stops in the early stages, the audience won’t get fired up. So maybe it would be best if you do one big performance, hitting the audience with one great shot.” Upon hearing that, I felt that he was telling us that it’s okay for us to go. I was enlightened then, like I can now see the path. We were extremely nervous before, but now we feel very excited about it.

—It’s a fairly tough schedule you have for this tour, having only a gap of one day for each country before flying again and finishing everything within six days. N: Yes, it is. Well you understand, the expenses are a little [too high]… (laughs) That’s the only reason. But we really wanted to do something like this since way before. A: Even our rocker friends said the same thing. “Isn’t this schedule like a rock band’s?” “Since when were you three this hardcore?” (laughs) Artists who tour around the world also told us that our schedule wouldn’t lose to theirs even. To think that we’re doing the same thing as they are makes me very happy. I really like this “hardcore” image of ours. —I know what you mean (laughs). And in passing, is there any other matter you’re excited about besides the live? K: I want to eat a galette (laughs). I’m pretty positive that the staff are looking forward to enjoying the beer they have there. N: Kashiyuka here said something to the lines of, “aww, if Germany was our last stop, we could have drunk beer there,” I think (laughs). Germany is our first stop, you see.

K: I did, I did (laughs)! The tour only spans for a week so besides the live, we won’t have time for any other activities “Since when were you three this hardcore?” like sightseeing. So we ended up looking forward to the food. ======================================================== —And then you will have your second world tour in July. —Now that you have successfully finished you Asia You have finally reached Europe. tour, have you learned any trick or secret to overseas K (Kashiyuka): I was really troubled at first during the Asia tour, but there are many people there who love Japan and surprisingly, can understand Japanese. I felt so relieved and we were able to do almost everything in Japanese. You see, when we landed in the other countries, we greeted them using their own language. Surprisingly, that backfired as our feelings weren’t conveyed; the greeting in Japanese was more understood by the majority (laughs). However, we think that the same can’t be said for Europe; and while that makes it exciting, it’s also what makes it worrying. —There seems to be a big difference in impression between how Perfume is as the Japanese see them, and how Perfume is as the Europeans and Americans see them. K: We’re not sure if there are many idols there. I think that three girls who sing and dance without playing instruments at all would be a rare act there. I’m curious to see how we’ll be received.

performances? K: “If we try to convey [our feelings and thoughts], it will be conveyed.” —Ohhh. Very nice words. K: During the first tour, Singapore was, compared to other countries, the one where Japanese got through the least. So we tried to insert English words in the middle of our sentences, and Nocchi then, turned completely into Ru Oshiba [a comedian speaks uses a lot of English words in his Japanese] (laughs). But even with that kind of English, our feelings were properly conveyed. So I thought that the desire to convey your thoughts is important too (laughs).

We’d be happy to be the topic ============================================== —A Perfume performing in the center of techno, Germany, has been many of your fans’ dream for you since before. Which is to say that even if they’re staying in Japan, unable 14

May 29th, 2013

to watch, they would be praying for the success of this tour. I think that maybe they would also be worried about how you will be received there. As Perfume, do you have any special motivation or fighting spirit for this in you? A: First, one of the very reasons why we want to expand overseas is because we want people to see how cool Japanese music is. This started with us thinking that we want others to see that with Nakata-san’s music and our performances, combined with state-of-the-art technology and techniques, we could provide this kind of splendid entertainment. We want them to see that these kinds of acts are happening in Japan right now. We want them to know and to love what we have.

Published by: VR-Zone

year even for Perfume, in my opinion. During that span of time, do you feel that you yourselves have changed too? K: We now talk to our staff more than ever and there’s a feeling of wanting to be proactive or assertive in producing our own plans. We ourselves proposed the battle tour in a meeting, and we want to do things that way even more. I feel that now, we are asking for more and more from our label and agency. Though our thoughts end with a “we want to try that, but how do we do it,” kind of feeling, we make sure to express if we want to do something, and just ask. Like, “we don’t have any concrete plans on how to do this, so please kindly tell us how.” N: I don’t really feel that I’ve changed that much though (laughs). But we certainly do experience a lot what Kashiyuka has just said. I think that we’ve become a lot more greedy compared to how we were before. Beyond all our activities we can now see what they call ‘the world’, and we start to ponder once more who and what “Perfume” is.

Perfume Live Information ========================================== Perfume WORLD TOUR 2nd —Right. It’s as you said. A: When the Asia tour was decided, things like “going allover the world would be tough” or “we’re touring Asia because we’re touring for the Asians” were said to us. We were thinking that, “yeah, they have a point, we’re touring Asia first because even they don’t know about us yet” during that time but when we arrived, a lot more people than we expected turned up and they were all very passionate, shouting things like “We’ve been waiting for you! You’ve finally come!” In all of the stages we performed in, you could feel the overflowing desire of the people to enjoy that one and only night we were there. Until that moment, I never really understood what it means to go out to the world. But now, I know that there are people waiting for us so I now think that we should strike out more and more to the world. —Indeed. A: To perform in the center of techno is one our biggest goals. On top of that, we’ve been hearing people say stuff like “people in this country listen to your songs too” and the like; we’ve also been receiving fan letters and watching uploaded videos of people trying to cover our dances. Now that we know they’ve been waiting for us, we now feel that it’s finally the time for us to go to them. Also, since we now actually know that more and more people are supporting us in places we didn’t even think of, we can feel that a lot more people now are telling us to go for it; so now more than ever, there’s an “ahhh we absolutely have to give our all” kind of feeling. We’re thinking now that it would be great if people there would talk about us, like, “Ah, these girls are interesting. Ohhh, so they’re called Perfume…” or, “You know, there’s this interesting act the other day. A group called Perfume.” We’d be happy to be the topic.

July 3, 2013 – GLORIA, Cologne, Germany July 5, 2013 – O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire, London, England July 7, 2013 – Le Bataclan, Paris, France Zutto Suki Dattanjakee~Sasurai no Menkata PERFUME FES!! May 29, 2013 – Zepp Diver City TOKYO, Tokyo May 30, 2013 – Zepp Diver City TOKYO, Tokyo Performers: Perfume / Kazuyoshi Saito June 4, 2013 – Zepp Nagoya, Aichi June 5, 2013 – Zepp Nagoya, Aichi Performers: Perfume / Tamio Okuda June 16, 2013 – Zepp Namba, Osaka June 17, 2013 – Zepp Namba, Osaka Performers: Perfume / MAXIMUM THE HORMONE Amuse 35th Anniversary BBQ in Tsumagoi ~Bokura no Beat wo Kurae KORA!~ July 13, 2013 – Tsumagoi, Shizuoka Performers: PORNOGRAFFITTI / Perfume / ONE OK ROCK / NICO Touches the Walls / flumpool / WEAVER / Yuu Takahashi / MIHIRO～Mairo～ / MONOBRIGHT / Emi Tawata / Hemenway / Rihwa / HaKU July 14, 2013 – Tsumagoi, Shizuoka Performers: PORNOGRAFFITTI / FLOW / Perfume / ONE OK ROCK / flumpool / WEAVER / Yuu Takahashi / MIHIRO～Mairo～ / MONOBRIGHT / Emi Tawata / Hemenway / Rihwa / HaKU

Perfume is more aggressive now than ever before Perfume – Magic of Love ======================================================== ========================================== —Let me ask one last question. It has been a year since you released your first single under a new label and go full throttle in your advance to the world; an entirely historical

===== source: natalie (1)(2)

May 29th, 2013

Published by: VR-Zone

May 30th, 2013

Published by: VR-Zone

SGCafe : Cosplay | Vocaloid | Otaku | Pop Culture A daily publication about Cosplay, Vocaloid, Otaku and Japanese Pop Culture

Pre-Order for Nendoroid Morizono Ricca and Yagami Hayate: Unison Edition start; Sonic the Hedgehog Nendoroid re-released Source: http://sgcafe.com/2013/05/pre-order-nendoroid-morizonoricca-yagami-hayate-unison-edition-start-sonic-hedgehog-nendroid-rereleased/ By spartanchef on May 30th, 2013

There are three new Nendoroids coming up! The Good Smile Company is giving us the re-release of Sonic the Hedgehog nendroid and two brand new nendoroids; Yagami Hayate: Unison Edition from Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha The Movie 2nd A`s and D.C.III -Da Capo III-’s Morizono Ricca. The first one would be the re-released Sonic the Hedgehog nendoroid! The nendoroid is produced by Fumitoshi Nakamura and stands approximately 100 mm. It was made for Sonic the Hedgehog’s 20th Anniversary. It comes with a chaos emerald, an item box, a ring and a half-way point marker. It can be posed in Sonic’s iconic running pose. The Sonic Nendroid is made of PVC and ABC and will be rereleased in October 2013.

May 30th, 2013

Published by: VR-Zone

Source: Hobby Search Fresh from the Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha The Movie 2nd A`s is the latest nendoroid from the Mahou Shoujo Lyrical Nanoha line is Yagami Hayate Unison Edition! This nendroid is produced by Isao Shirasaki and stands about 100 mm. This nendoroid comes with her intelligent device â&#x20AC;&#x153;Schwertkreuzâ&#x20AC;? and a cute nendroid Reinforce. This new nendoroid will be released October 2013.

May 30th, 2013

Published by: VR-Zone

Source: Hobby Search Finally, we have D.C. III -Da Capo III-’s Morizono Ricca Nendoroid. This 100 mm Nendroid figure is produced by Shichibe. This nendoroid comes with two bodies; one wearing her Hatsunejima uniform and the other in her Kazamidori uniform. The “official” newspaper club president’s new nendoroid also comes with her own cape and pointy stick. Like the other two, this nendoroid will be released October 2013.

May 30th, 2013

Published by: VR-Zone

developed more than science. He plans to recreate the world and rebuild the “Land of Magic”.

Source: Hobby Search

Takanori Jinnai becomes the oldest Kamen Rider Source: http://sgcafe.com/2013/05/takanori-jinnai-oldest-kamen-rider/ By spartanchef on May 30th, 2013

Jinnai admitted that he watched the original Kamen Rider series as a boy and comments that he had to be careful of “adult diseases” in order to prepare himself for his debut as the oldest Kamen Rider in history. He mentions that he has become addicted to wearing the suit and he could not turn off his vanity.

At age 54, actor-singer Takanori Jinnai becomes the oldest Kamen Rider in history. He surpasses Watanabe Hiroyuki who became Kamen Rider Gaoh from kamen Rider Den-O at age 51. He will portray Prime Minister Orma or Kamen Rider Sorcerer in the upcoming Kamen Rider Wizard movie. He will play the main antagonist of the movie.

Kamen Rider Wizard the Movie (Kamen Rider Wizard in Magic Land) will premiere August 3 in Japan. It will be double-billed along with Zyuden Sentai Kyoryuger the Movie. The movie will star Shiraishi Shunya as the titular Kamen Rider Wizard/ Souma Haruto.

His character, also known as the “Golden Wizard” is said to be a powerful character and possibly stronger than Wiseman and the White Wizard. He will meet Kamen Rider Wizard/ Souma Haruto in the “Land of Magic” where magic is 4

May 30th, 2013

Published by: VR-Zone

Source: Cinema Today Japan

Beautiful mod of War for Fall of Cybertron Grimlock done by local kit builder Source: http://sgcafe.com/2013/05/beautiful-mod-war-fall-cybertrongrimlock-local-kit-builder/ By sentinel011 on May 30th, 2013

You have probably seen beautiful model kits done up by wonderful kit builders. But how about modifications done on existing toys?We look at local kit builder Waylander sprucing up a Fall of Cybertron Grimlock toy.

Aside from that, he filled up the hollow areas with putty and plastic plates. The fist has also been replaced with a 1/100 scale kit, and its feet replaces with Master Grade Freedomâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s, inclusive of some piston details.

Based off the video game of the same series, the FoC Grimlock that Hasbro created is decent, but lacks quite a bit of posability in is robot form. The toy feels hollow, is hollow at certain areas like its feet and shoulders, and really needs some modifications to make it look better. As a result, Waylander took upon himself the task to make the already great toy even better. Increasing the neck articulation by extending the peg and creating a peg and socket add-on to increase the hip and torso articulation is one of the several mods he has done.

May 30th, 2013

Published by: VR-Zone

We are anticipating a full photo showcase of the completed Grimlock – it is full UV reactive paint glory – soon from Waylander! More work-in-progress images can be seen through Waylander’s Grimlock post. Source: Waylander Waylander used UV reactive fluorescent pink paint to simulate the glowing areas as depicted in the game. One thing about the toy is all the necessary masking, which is a chore to do but the results are very rewarding if done right.

Anime One’s male Spring 2013 character rankings are up, and the #1 is… Source: http://sgcafe.com/2013/05/anime-male-spring-2013-characterrankings-up-1-is/

May 30th, 2013

Published by: VR-Zone

By spartanchef on May 30th, 2013

#4 Eren Jaeger, (Shingeki no Kyojin) 334 Votes

With the voting deadline finally over and the final results in, Japanese anime website Anime One has finally released the most popular MALE anime characters for Spring 2013! And the #1 Male character for Spring isâ&#x20AC;Ś #1 Maou Sadao, (Hataraku Maou-Sama!) 508 Votes #5 L-Elf, (Valvrave the Liberator) 280 Votes

#6 Kuze Hibiki, (Devil Survivor 2 the Animation) 260 Votes #2 Alsiel, (Hataraku Maou-Sama!) 493 Votes

#3 Hikigaya Hachiman, (Yahari Ore no Seishun Love Come wa Machigatteiru) 435 Votes #7 Gareki, (Karneval) 208 Votes

May 30th, 2013

Published by: VR-Zone

#12/13 Haimura Kiri, (Dansai Bunri no Crime Edge) 163 Votes #14 Totsuka Saika, (Yahari Ore no Seishun Love Come wa Machigatteiru) 159 Votes #15 Susumu Kodai, (Space Battleship Yamato 2199) 145 Votes #16 Urishihara Hanzo/ Lucifer, (Hataraku Maou-Sama!) 143 Votes #17 Ledo (Suisei no Gargantia), 141 Votes #18 Sagara Yukimasa, (RDG: Red Data Girl) 138 Votes #19 Tokishima Haruto, (Valvrave the Liberator) 135 Votes #8 Armin Arlett, (Shingeki no Kyojin) 205 Votes

#20 Shijima Daichi, (Devil Survivor 2 the Animation) 132 Votes #21 A-Drei, (Valvrave the Liberator) 128 Votes #22 Ayasaki Hayate, (Hayate no Gotoku! Cuties) 125 Votes #23 Kamijou Touma, (To Aru Kagaku no Railgun S) 124 Votes #24 Mukojima Takuro, (Namiuchigiwa no Muromi-san) 122 Votes #25/ 26 Kosaka Kyousuke, (Ore no Imouto ga Konnani Kawaii Wake ga Nai) 110 Votes #25/ 26 Hinohara Arata, (Arata Kangatari) 110 Votes

#9 Sagara Miyuki, (RDG: Red Data Girl) 193 Votes

#27 Yasaka Mahiro, (Haiyore! Nyaruko-san) 95 Votes #28 X-eins, (Valvrave the Liberator) 94 Votes #29 Kasuga Takao, (Aku no Hana) 91 Votes #30 Itsuka Shido, (Date-A-Live) 89 Votes #31 Ittoki Otoya, (Uta no#Prince-sama# Maji Love 2000%) 84 Votes #32 Shima Daisuke, (Space Battleship Yamato 2199) 81 votes #33 Q-Vier, (Valvrave the Liberator) 77 Votes #34 Nai, (Karneval) 74 Votes #35 Zaimokuza Yoshiteru, (Yahari Ore no Seishun Love Come wa Machigatteiru) 63 Votes

#10 Houtsuin Yamato, (Devil Survivor 2 the Animation) 172 Votes

#36 Maeda Kazuya, (Photo Kano) 43 Votes #37 Yagyuu Muneakira, (Hyakka Ryouran: Samurai Bride) 31 Votes #38 Sanada Shiro, (Space Battleship Yamato 2199) 30 Votes #39 Suruga Ataru, (Ginga Kikoutai Majestic Prince) 20 Votes #40 Asagi Toshikazu, (Ginga Kikoutai Majestic Prince) 19 Votes #41/ 42 Tsukishima Jinbee, (Mushibugyou) 18 Votes #41/ 42 Hitachi Izuri, (Ginga Kikoutai Majestic Prince) 18 Votes #43 Mugai, (Mushibugyou) 17 Votes The vote was open for EVERYONE, even people outside of Japan. There was a total of 6241 votes all in all.

#11 Yokodera Yuto, (Hentai Ouji to Warawanai Neko) 171 Votes #12/13 Levi, (Shingeki no Kyojin) 163 Votes 8

May 30th, 2013

Published by: VR-Zone

First trailer of ‘Aoki Hagane no Arpeggio’ now live Source: http://sgcafe.com/2013/05/trailer-aoki-hagane-arpeggio-live/ By SunSoftware on May 30th, 2013

Japan’s Cartoonist Association releases a statement regarding the Child Pornography Bill Source: http://sgcafe.com/2013/05/child-pornography-draft/ By spartanchef on May 30th, 2013

The sci-fi naval anime Aoki Hagane no Arpeggio was announced just earlier this week, and the studio Sanzigen has already revealed a 70-second trailer featuring warships and laser beams.The anime Aoki Hagane no Arpeggio (Arpeggio of Blue Steel) is based on the manga of the same name by the duo Ark Performance. The story is set at the beginning of the 21st century, 17 years after the mysterious “Fog Fleet” appeared and conquered the oceans with their otherworldly weapons. The protagonist is a military cadet named Chihaya Gunzou, who becomes the captain of a submarine named the I-401(#401) in order to fight the Fog Fleet. In the following trailer, we get to see the Fog Fleet, the I-401, and Iona, a girl who is actually the I-401′s computer terminal. Some of the staff members were also listed in the trailer: • Director: Seiji Kishi (Angel Beats!, Persona 4 the Animation) • Series Composition: Makoto Uezu (Devil Survivor 2 the Animation, Seikon no Qwaser) • Music Composition: Masato Kouda (Monster Hunter series, Conception: Give Birth to My Children!) • Animation Studio: Black★Rock Shooter)

Sanzigen

(009:Re:Cyborg,

We don’t know when Aoki Hagane no Arpeggio will air yet, or who voiced Iona in the trailer (it could be Aoi Yuuki, who voiced her in the drama CD), but it already looks like it might be an exciting military sci-fi anime. Source: Moe Otanews

As the debate for the controversial Child Pornography bill in Japan intensifies, the Japan Cartoonist Association released their opinion regarding the issue. In the statement, they talked about how the Japanese government and culture nourished the comic and animation industry like no other country in the world. It is highly likely that the regulatory bill will deteriorate the booming anime and manga culture that has flourished in Japan. There is a fear that the problem will overlook the perspective of the creators. The statement goes on in saying that as the ones responsible for protecting all children, the bill was meant to prevent sexual damage and to protect the children to what is likely hazardous to them, and with that, they do not disagree with the bill in its entirety. However, the association adds that the bill will likely target the regulation of anime and manga, the world of fiction, which is included in the bill as a “consideration”. Also, the bill might regulate the simple possession of anime and manga which will have adverse effects on works in the future. And now, manuscripts of past work will result in a conflict with the new regulations. And if the past manuscripts are extensive, to check the place would be inappropriate. If the law forbids it, the creator will have to get rid of his past manuscripts. The statement also questions if the bill would lead to so-called “Book Burnings”. The statement also adds that the bill will not only affect mangas but also literature, videos, texts and e-mails, and the like. The statement goes on in saying that though the bill is designed to protect the children, it will cause harm to freedom of expression as creators will be regulated and will not be free to choose the appropriate materials in which they can full express themselves. The statement also says that not only will the creators be affected but also the readers and they will be infringing on the people’s “Right To Know”. The statement then says that the regulations will have unnecessary effects and it will lead to chaos. The statement then goes on to urge readers to oppose the regulation of anime and manga and also urges people to study the terms of the bill even further. 9

May 30th, 2013

This statement comes after House of Councilors member Taro Yamada announces that he has passed the bill in the National Assembly via Twitter.

Published by: VR-Zone By weiq on May 30th, 2013

This debate all began when Japan’s ruling party, the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) along with co-sponsors New Komeito Party and Japan Restoration Party all proposed amendments to the existing Child Pornography laws. The bill seeks to make the possession of child pornography a crime. The amendment would give individuals caught with possessing sexual images of children below 18 years of age a one million yen fine plus less than a year’s imprisonment. The draft of the bill does not differentiate between real children and images of children. It also has a provision for an investigation into the relationship of anime, manga and CG images and Human Rights violations against children. The LDP previously proposed a petition to amend the Child Pornography law in 2011. They sought to apply it to Anime, manga and video games. One of the most vocal opponents of the bill is Akamatsu Ken. He is the manga author of Negima?! and Love Hina. The beloved mangaka tweeted earlier that the bill will lead to the feared “Book Burnings” and in another tweet, he mentioned that that the bill is “Evil”.

Saber and Caster from the Fate series now in gorgeous outfit! Once in a while, it’s refreshing for our mind (and eyes) to see our favourite characters in a outfit that we won’t get to see them be in at their universe. Well, popular figure makers Alter and Phat! have scheduled to release Saber and Caster figures respectively in the last quarter of 2013. First, is the all time favourite Saber, who is corrupted by Angra Mainyu and becomes Saber Alter in the Heaven’s Feel route of the visual novel. Figure make Alter has donned her in a cool black swimsuit, with matching black hair ribbon for her hair while she enjoys a popsicle (cooling off after a battle, maybe?).

“Fate/Hollow Ataraxia” Saber swimsuit and “Fate/EXTRA CCC” Caster GothLoli outfit figures Source: http://sgcafe.com/2013/05/fatestay-night-saber-swimsuitfateextra-ccc-caster-goth-loli-outfit-figuries/

May 30th, 2013

Published by: VR-Zone

Next, is Caster from “Fate/EXTRA CCC“. Not to be outdone by Saber Alter, she comes in a gorgeous goth-loli outfit (courtesy of the good fellows in Phat!) instead of her usual japanese-style costume. With a slight bondage appeal and a tiny top hat, that’s a cute waifu, isn’t her?

May 30th, 2013

Published by: VR-Zone

The last movie will cover episodes twenty-three through twenty-six, and will be available on Blu-Ray September 25. Source: Crunchyroll

The Saber Alter figure is in 1/6 scale (13 cm) and price at 6,630 yen (about US$65.47), while the Caster gothloli figure is in 1/8 scale (20 cm) and price at 7,542 yen (about US $74.48).

Nisekoi light novel release date announced Source: http://sgcafe.com/2013/05/nisekoi-light-release-dateannounced/ By SkerryK on May 30th, 2013

Both Saber Alter and Caster’s figures are scheduled to be released on October and November respectively, and are available for pre-orders now. Source: alter-web.jp, goodsmile.info, hobbysearch

Trailer for 6th ‘Yamato 2199′ movie released Source: http://sgcafe.com/2013/05/trailer-6th-yamato-2199-moviereleased/ By KaleNagasaki on May 30th, 2013

Fansof Naoshi Komi’s manga Nisekoi have a lot to be excited about. Just as we predicted after Shueisha Inc purchased Nisekoi’s domain, the series is getting an anime. On top of that, it has been announced that Nisekoi: Urbana, a novelized version of the manga, will be released on June 4. You don’t need to look any further than the novel’s cover to see that plenty of exciting surprises are tucked inside this volume, thanks to the imaginative writing of Hajime Tanaka. In the novel, a mysterious virus causes Onodera Kosaki to sprout— you guessed it —cat ears. A trailer for the 6th movie of Space Battleship Yamato 2199 has been posted by the distributor Shochiku. The title of the 6th movie is ‘Arrival at the Great Magelanic Galaxy’ and is the second to last installment in the sci-fi anime remake. If you haven’t heard of or seen the rest of the Space Battleship Yamato movies, there is still time to catch up. ‘Arrival at the Great Magelanic Galaxy’ is coming to theaters in Japan June 15 and will be released on Blu-Ray July 26. Until then, catch up on the first five movies, so you will be ready for the sixth, and even more ready for the seventh and final movie coming to theaters August 24.

That’s not the only eye-opener. In Nisekoi: Urbana, Kirisaki Chitoge wears a kimono, and Marika Tachibana— the daughter of a police chief —has become a killer-for-hire. If you need to see it to believe it, don’t worry. Komi has graciously included plenty of illustrations, drawn specifically for this volume.

May 30th, 2013

Published by: VR-Zone

I 2006~2009. The album will cost 2800 yen and will include the following tracks: 1. Senkou 2. Le Grand Bleu 3. Stargazer 4. Shinkirou 5. Karma 6. GEMINI-0-eternal 7. GEMINI-1-the void 8. GEMINI-2-the luv 9. Blue Flame To commemorate the novel’s release, Shonen Jump’s official website has been posting photos of a cat-eared Onodera figurine in a series called “Today’s Neko-Dera.” If you head over to the site, you can check out this adorable chibistyle figurine (which comes with its own supporting stand) for yourself. You can even sneak a peek at some of the preliminary artwork for the novel’s illustrations. Source: http://natalie.mu/comic/news/91557

Alice Nine to release second Best of the Best album Source: http://sgcafe.com/2013/05/alice-release-album/

10. Zankyou White Out 11. Heart of Gold 12. Ray 13. Niji no Yuki 14. NEMESIS 15. Subete e Are all of your favorite songs included? If you’ve fallen off the Alice Nine fan club recently or wasn’t on to begin with, perhaps it is best to check out the video below for the song ‘Gemini-0-eternal’. After listening to this great rock song, I’m sure you’ll want to secure for yourself Alice Nine Complete Collection II 2010~2012. Source: Jpopasia

By KaleNagasaki on May 29th, 2013

Alice Nine announced today that their second Complete Collection will be released August 21. This album, which is titled Alice Nine Complete Collection II 2010~2012, will be following the 2010 release of Alice Nine Complete Collection 13

May 31st, 2013

Published by: VR-Zone

SGCafe : Cosplay | Vocaloid | Otaku | Pop Culture A daily publication about Cosplay, Vocaloid, Otaku and Japanese Pop Culture

Artbook featuring Yoshikazu Yasuhiko’s Mobile Suit Gundam production artworks released Source: http://sgcafe.com/2013/05/artbook-featuring-yoshikazuyasuhikos-mobile-suit-gundam-production-artworks-released/ By hittokiri on May 31st, 2013

and Animator Yoshikazu Yasuhiko Exhibition (安安安安安安安安安安安安安安安安安安安安安安安) will be held from June 7 until July 31. Talks are also scheduled for July 12 and 26. Yoshikazu Yasuhiko is a Japanese animator and manga artist. He was the director and character designer for Mobile Suit Gundam and worked as the character designer for Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam and Mobile Suit Gundam F91. He was also the writer and illustrator for Mobile Suit Gundam: The Origin, a manga adaptation of Mobile Suit Gundam. Source : natalie

Grab three Phoenix Wright games as a bundle on the App Store starting today Source: http://sgcafe.com/2013/05/grab-phoenix-wright-games-bundleapp-store-starting-today/ By Zenko on May 31st, 2013

Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Trilogy HD is finally available for download after delays. Do you have a product that connects with the App Store? Have you wanted to play Ace Attorney but could never find the games? Lucky for you the newly released Ace Attorney Trilogy 3D on the App Store is there for you.

An artbook featuring Yoshikazu Yasuhiko’s Mobile Suit Gundam production artworks has been released. The book which is titled Yoshikazu Yasuhiko Animation Gengashu Kidou Senshi Gundam (安安安安安安安安安安安安安安安安安安安安安安安安) or Yoshikazu Yasuhiko Drawings for Animation from Mobile Suit GUNDAM the movies & the original TV series went on sale today. Edited by director Hideki Anno of Neon Genesis Evangelion and Ryuusuke Hikawa an anime critic, the book consists of a selection of production artworks selected from over a thousand pieces of work that Yasuhiko created during the production of Mobile Suit Gundam’s television anime series as well as the three movie adaptations. The book also features essays related to the production and pictures of production studio. An exhibition featuring Yasuhiko’s works is also scheduled to be held at Gundam Front Tokyo (安安安安安安安安安安) in Odaiba. The exhibition titled Birth of Mobile Suit Gundam

Phoenix Wright Ace Attorney Trilogy HD was previously delayed until July this summer, but was moved back again to May 30, which means the games are available for playing right now. The bundled set features the games Ace Attorney, Ace Attorney Justice for All and Ace Attorney Trials and Tribulations in an HD remake with two different playing styles. One will allow players to zoom in on an object by playing horizontally. The other will allow the original DS 1

May 31st, 2013

view by playing vertically. As an added bonus, players will also have the new Everyone Object! mode that allows players to send sound clips from the game via twitter.

The game features not only an updated playing style, but a rerendering of the orignal graphics in high definition, brining it up to speed in terms of graphics.

If you are still on the fence about buying the bundle, fear not, there is a free download option for the first two chapters of Ace Attorney. The rest of the game will be $6. Justice for All and Trials and Tribulations will be available for $7 each. If that seems expensive, there is a package download of all three games available for $17. Source: Joystiq, CAPCOM

Gyrozetter Wings of Albatross sees main character debut as idol

Published by: VR-Zone

the new game, where she can be seen on stage with another idol.

The reason for her update and idol debut comes as a plot point in the new game. In 2053, Japan experiences a massive earthquake, and to help cheer up Rinne who has recently appeared, Yuki, the protagonist of the game, and his friends decide to help her reach an idol debut. Surprisingly, they’re successful when she is seen performing at Osaka City Dome. She then teams up with the new character Sena and the two together form their own idol group and release a single called “Love Drive.”

Kakeru, the protagonist of the anime who was recently transported to the same dimension the game takes place in during an episode, may question whether she really gained her idol spot through hard work or simply because they are on another world. This could cause conflict, not only because they are friends, but also because she is often seen as a talented figure skater in the show, hinting at her hard work towards her dream.

Source: http://sgcafe.com/2013/05/gyrozetter-wings-albatross-seesmain-character-debut-idol/ By Zenko on May 31st, 2013

According to new screenshots, Gyrozetter Wings of Albatross has revealed a new update to a main character. Rinne, one of the main characters in Gyrozetter and responsible for piloting the Delphin, is receiving an update for Wings of Albatross. She has stated in the show that her wish is to become an idol, and that dream is coming true in

Gyrozetter Wings of Albatross will be available in retail and through the Nintendo eShop service for the Nintendo 3DS starting June 13, for 5000 yen. Source: Famitsu

May 31st, 2013

Unbreakable Machine Doll 2nd PV video published Source: http://sgcafe.com/2013/05/unbreakable-machine-doll-2nd-pvvideo-published/ By spartanchef on May 31st, 2013

Published by: VR-Zone

Source: Unbreakable Machine Doll official website

Dating sim ‘Grisaia no Kajitsu’ coming to PS Vita this August Source: http://sgcafe.com/2013/05/dating-sim-grisaia-kajitsu-comingps-vita-august/ By SunSoftware on May 31st, 2013

Upcoming 2013 anime The Unbreakable Machine Doll has just released a new preview and so far, it is looking pretty good with a lot of action. The anime is based on the light novel written by Reiji Kaito and illustrated by LLO. It is serialized by MF Bunko J/ Media Factory.

The award-winning dating sim Grisaia no Kajitsu is being adapted into an anime, but just in case that isn’t enough, Front Wing is releasing an enhanced PS Vita port this August. Here is the second PV released by the official website. We are also presenting you the very first PV released by Media Factory. The Unbreakable Machine Doll follows Raishin Akabane, a student of the Royal Academy. He has a goal of becoming a Wise Man. He is also accompanied by his puppet weapon Yaya. It is set in an early 20th century-like environment where both science and magic are utilized for weaponry. The Light Novel series is currently at 11 volumes as volume 11 was just released May 24.

Grisaia no Kajitsu -Le Fruit de la Grisaia- (The Fruit of Grisaia) is originally an adult dating sim developed by Front Wing as part of their 10th anniversary celebration and released for the PC in 2011. In the 2011 Moe Game Awards, it won the Gold Award and the top award for the User’s Choice, Scenario, Main Theme Song, and Pure Love Work categories. It later spawned two sequels and a recent port for the PSP that was released in February. The story takes place in Mihama Academy, an elegant school with luxurious facilities, a vast dormitory, and a huge wall separating it from the outside world. There are only five students, who are all girls. The hero is a boy named Yuuji Kazami who has lost his aim in life, until he is enrolled into Mihama Academy. To survive is their punishment. That place is a girl’s orchard. Those girls are the fruit of repentence borne from the tree of regret. For the sake of those girls, what in the world can I do…? That is the eternal wish of one boy.

The cast and staff for the anime were also announced previously. Click Here for more details on the staff and cast.

May 31st, 2013

Published by: VR-Zone

Amane Suou (CV: Hiroko Taguchi)

Weighty story aside, the gameplay system of Grisaia no Kajitsu is typical for a dating sim. Like any visual novel, the game consists of reading and selecting choices at branching plot points. The Vita version will have all of the improvements you would expect, including enhanced graphics and touchscreen controls. Like every other adult dating sim that is ported to a home gaming system, the explicit scenes will be cut out, although Grisaia no Kajitsu is still rated D by the CERO.

The school’s only third-year student. She has an older sisterlike personality and often helps Yuuji in one way or another. She is quite popular and seems very level-headed, but she’s actually a natural airheard and sometimes plays childish pranks. Because her family owns a restaurant in Ginza, she is confident in her cooking skills. She is a stylish, and sometimes lewd, young lady.

Since this is a dating sim, you’re probably more interested in the characters, so here’s an introduction for each of them. Who are you most interested in? Yuuji Kazami The hero of the game who has suddenly transferred to Mihama Academy. As a child, he suffered the loss of his parents and sister, and with no relatives, he was adopted by a German couple. In addition to attending Mihama Academy, he also works as a janitor at his mother’s workplace.

Michiru Matsushima (CV: Kaori Mizuhashi) A cheerful, yet stubborn mood maker who is terrible at studying. She doesn’t like sour things, yet she consumes an excessive amount of vitamin C. She died her hair blonde using bleach (!) and regularly practices acting like a tsundere.

Yumiko Sakaki (CV: Ryouko Tanaka) A girl who absolutely hates anything that disrupts her normal routine. She looks calm and beautiful, but she avoids other people, is very distrustful, and is predictably bad at socializing. Aside from that, she behaves like a rich girl, but she likes junk food.

Makina Irisu (CV: Tomoe Tamiyasu) A shy girl who looks like a child because of her small body and awkward speech. She’s an innocent and outgoing girl who lovingly calls Yuuji “onii-chan” (big brother). She never wears matching socks, and her family might own a 4

May 31st, 2013

Published by: VR-Zone

huge business conglomerate that controls Japan behind the scenes.

For a preview of Grisaia no Kajitsu, here is the opening animation of the original PC version. Sachi Komine (CV: Ai Shimizu) A girl who is always mistaken for a maid when she meets someone for the first time. Not only does she dress like a maid outside of class, but she is diligent, gentle, and modest, like an actual maid. Because of this, she’s also the class chairman.

With a portable version and anime adaptation of this popular dating sim coming this year, fans of Grisaia no Kajitsu have a lot to celebrate.

Chizuru Tachibana (CV: Natsumi Yanase) The governor’s daughter and the headmistress of Mihama Academy who is often mistaken for a middle school girl.

Yuria Harudera (CV: Erika Narumi) Yuuji’s foster mother and boss when he’s at his part-time job. Her former name is Julia Bardera, and people call her “JB” for short.

May 31st, 2013

Published by: VR-Zone

no addition design. Strangely enough, it only comes in ‘S’ and ‘L’ size (hopefully a ‘M’ size would be added for future release).

Source: 4Gamer

Asuka’s cap, badges and jersey seen in “Rebuild of Evangelion 3.0″ now available for purchase Source: http://sgcafe.com/2013/05/asukas-cap-button-jersey-rebuildevangelion-3-0/ By weiq on May 31st, 2013

Previously we had reported about the nekomimi hoodies and headphones, now the official Evangelion store’s homepage have updated three new products for you fans to get. Evangelion female fans whom have watched Evangelion 3.0 (or Evangelion 3.33 for the home media release), will noticed two headgears with cat-ears like protrusions that Asuka worn seperately in the first 30 minutes of the film. While the helmet is not made available (would be the item for bikers), you can get the nekomimi cap that she is shown wearing on board the battleship, AAA Wunder!

The metal badge can be purchased as a single item, instead of two seperate designs.

The cap’s design will be as shown in the film, comes complete with the metal badges. It is measured with a head circumference of 56 cm, with a stretchable band attached at the back. The jersey, too, is faithful to the design presented – simple red overall and white stripe polyester material with 6

May 31st, 2013

Published by: VR-Zone

While the casual apparel would be complete with the eyepatch, it unfortunately got sold out when it is released early this year.

The cap is priced at 3,150 yen (about US$31), the badge 525 yen (about US$5.20), and the jersey at 7,140yen (about US $70.75). Fans, you might want to get them before they got sold out too! Source: evastore.jp, illustration), crunchyroll.com

pixiv.net

(top

Suisei no Gargantia to have a spin-off based on Bellows Source: http://sgcafe.com/2013/05/suisei-gargantia-spin-off-basedbellows/ By spartanchef on May 31st, 2013

The original is by Oceanus and the manga is by Shoe with story cooperation by Hiroki Uchida and original characters by Naruko Hanaharu. The series will be supervised by Production I.G.

The original series, Suisei no Gargantia is set on a “Waterworld” where the planet is entirely covered in water. There, a pilot named Ledo and his humanoid mobile weapon, Chamber crash and are discovered by the fleet known as Gargantia where they meet Amy and her friends. Ledo’s mission is to destroy alien beings known as “Hideauze” who pretty much look like octopuses and squids. His strict military upbringing causes him trouble as the fleet is more upbeat and relaxed than what he was used to. The original series is currently ongoing as of this moment and premiered last April 2013. Source: Famitsu

Kin-iro Mosaic on-air schedule announced Source: http://sgcafe.com/2013/05/kin-iro-mosaic-on-air-scheduleannounced/ By hittokiri on May 30th, 2013

Sci-Fi anime Suisei no Gargantia is announced to have a spin-off! The new spin-off will be a prequel as it will focus on a younger Bellows, the red haired salvager of the series. According to Famitsu, the spin-off will explore her origins and how she became a salvager as well as how she found Ledo and Chamber in the bottom of the ocean. The spinoff will be titled “Bellows of Garagantia on the Verdurous Planet”

May 31st, 2013

Published by: VR-Zone By KarbyP on May 30th, 2013

Up coming slice of life anime Kin-iro Mosaic recently announced its’ on-air schedule for the upcoming season. The television anime series will begin airing on July 6, over the anime specialty channel AT-X. It will then be available on terrestrial television stations Tokyo MX, Sun-TV, KBS Kyoto, TV Aichi, TV Tokyo and BS11. Kin-iro Mosaic is a four panel manga written and illustrated by Yui Hara and is serialized in Hobunsha’s monthly magazine Manga Time Kirara MAX. Shinobu Oomiya (安安安), a first year high school student who plays host to her friend Alice Cartalet (安安安安安安安安安安) whom she stayed with during her home stay in England while she was in middle school. The manga series revolves around the daily lives of Shinobu and Alice together with Shinobu’s classmates Aya Komichi (安安安) and Yoko Inokuma (安安安安) as well as Alice’s childhood friend Karen Kujo (安安安安安). The television anime series will be directed by Tenshou (安安) with Yuniko Ayana (安安安安安) as series coordinator. Character designs are by Kazuyuki Ueda (安安安安) while the music is by Ruka Kawada (安安安安). Animation production will be by Studio Gokumi who had previously worked on A Channel and Saki: Achiga-hen. Kin-iro Mosaic will feature the voice talents of Asuka Nishi (安安安安) who played Hakata Kanamori in Ebiten: Kouritsu Ebisugawa Koukou Tenmonbu, Manami Tanaka (安安安安安) who will be playing her first major role as Alice, Risa Taneda (安安安安) who played Asami Oikawa in Suki-tte Ii na yo, Yumi Uchiyama (安安安安) who played Momiji in Binbougami ga, Nao Touyama (安安安安) who played Chiho Sasaki in Hataraku Maou-sama, Yukari Tamura (安安安安安) who played Tenten in Naruto, and Satomi Satou (安安安安) who played Ritsu Tainaka in K-On! Source : Yaraon! Kin-iro Mosaic Official Website

Super Heroine Chronicle (PS3, PS Vita): Battle cutscenes are a mix of 2D and 3D [Teaser PV] Source: http://sgcafe.com/2013/05/super-heroine-chronicle-teaser-pvps3-ps-vita/

Namco Bandai Games Inc has announced Super Heroine Chronicle, a simulation RPG for the PlayStation 3 and PS Vita that, in a nutshell, is sort of like Super Robot Wars but with anime heroines doing combat with tentacle monsters, evil salarymen, maverick robots, and other such natural adversaries for women in anime, instead of mecha. Today am official website for the game along with a teaser trailer was put up, giving us a taste of what the combat animations in the game will look like, as well as announcing a partial list of featured anime and characters. Rena Ryugu from Higurashi When They Cry, Houki Shinonono from Infinite Stratos, Di Gi Charat, Super Sonico… it’s almost like Namco Bandai can read their fans’ minds. Talk about a great cast of anime heroines. Although traditionally Super Robot Wars games have employed 2D animated custscenes with super-deformed models in their battle cutscenes, with the more recent titles switching to 3D regular-proportion character models, in Super Heroine Chronicle it looks like the developers have chosen to pick a mix of 2D and 3D, super-deformed and regular-proportion models for its cutscenes. In the order they appear within the teaser promo video: • From Kaitou Tenshi Twin Angel — Red Angel (CV: Yukari Tamura) and Blue Angel (CV: Mamiko Noto) • Kyousogiga — Koto (CV: Rie Kugimiya) • Di Gi Charat — Di Gi Charat (CV: Asami Sanada) • Senki Zesshou Symphogear — Hibiki Tachibana (CV: Aoi Yuuki) • Super Sonico — Super Sonico • Higurashi When They Cry — Rena Ryugu (CV: Mai Nakahara) • Aria the Scarlet Ammo — Aria H. Kanzaki (CV: Rie Kugimiya) • Infinite Stratos — Houki Shinonono (CV: Youko Hikasa) 8

May 31st, 2013

Published by: VR-Zone

• The Familiar of Zero F — Louise Françoise Le Blanc de La Vallière (CV: Rie Kugimiya)

安Furisodeshon安, and 安Fashion Monster安. Check this article for more details and a comment from Kyary.

• Dream Hunter Rem — Rem Ayanokouji (CV: Naoko Matsui)

Kyary Pamyu Pamyu Hall Tour (title undecided) ====================================

No price or release date details for Super Heroine Chronicle have been revealed yet. 安安安安安安安安安安安安安安安安安安安安安安安安

With new album in hand, Kyary Pamyu Pamyu to have a nationwide hall tour Source: http://sgcafe.com/2013/05/album-hand-kyary-pamyu-pamyunationwide-hall-tour/ By Az on May 30th, 2013

September 7, 2013 – Isehara Cultural Assembly Hall, Kanagawa September 10, 2013 – Astere Plaza Great Hall, Hiroshima September 12, 2013 – Shunan Cultural Assembly Hall, Yamaguchi September 14, 2013 – Oryx Theater, Osaka September 15, 2013 – Oryx Theater, Osaka September 20, 2013 – Kobe International Assembly Hall – International Hall, Hyougo September 21, 2013 – Okayama City Hall, Okayama September 23, 2013 – Nagoya International Conference Hall – Century Hall, Aichi September 24, 2013 – Shizuoka-shi Shimizu Cultural Assembly Hall – Marinart Hall, Shizuoka September 28, 2013 – Fukuoka Sun Palace & Hall, Fukuoka September 29, 2013 – Fukuoka Sun Palace & Hall, Fukuoka October 1, 2013 – Himegin Hall, Ehime October 12, 2013 – Ichikawa-shi Cultural Assembly Hall, Chiba October 13, 2013 – Colony Cultural Hall, Yamanashi October 16, 2013 – NHK Hall, Tokyo October 18, 2013 – Sendai Sun Plaza Hall, Miyagi October 20, 2013 – Swany Rokkasho Cultural Exchange Plaza, Aomori October 27, 2013 – Hokuto Cultural Hall, Nagano

Kyary Pamyu Pamyu has just announced that she will be having a nationwide hall tour starting September. The announcement was made just today, May 30, in an additional performance for 安100% KPP WORLD TOUR安 in Shibuya Public Hall, Tokyo. After journeying the world, Kyary will now tour within her home country of Japan. The tour will kick off in Isehara Cultural Assembly Hall, Kanagawa on September 7 and will consist of 23 lives in 21 locations. Members of the official Kyary Pamyu Pamyu fanclub, 安KPP CLUB安, will have the privilege of advanced tickets. KPP CLUB will be accepting applications for the tickets starting June 7.

November 2, 2013 – Nitori Cultural Hall, Hokkaido November 2, 2013 – Niigata Assembly Hall, Niigata November 2, 2013 – Takarayama Hall, Kagoshima November 2, 2013 – Citizen Hall Sojo University Hall, Kumamoto November 2, 2013 – Omiya Sonic City, Saitama

Kyary will also be releasing a new album on June 26. The album, produced once again by Yasutaka Nakata (capsule), is called 安Nandakorekshon安 and will feature many of her hit songs such as 安Ninjari Ban Ban安, 安Invader Invader安, 9