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Hyper Japan 2012 - Cosplay Judges Announced and Cosplay Reminder
Date: Saturday 4th February 2012 [16:39] | Posted By: Joe
Category: > Events
Cosplayers heading to Hyper Japan 2012 in London will be pleased to hear the latest news they've sent us. The event is only a few weeks away it starts on Friday 24th February 2012 and will run until Sunday 26th February 2012.
The event has announced the cosplay judges for Saturday. Double World Cosplay Summit champions Mauricio and Mônica Somenzari will join professional prop makers John Bekkensten and Adelaïde Filippe from Bekkhans Studio.
Cosplayers should also note that there's just a week left to enter the WCS and ECG competitions.
Video Games in Japan: Past, Present and Future at The Japan Foundation in London
Date: Saturday 4th February 2012 [14:58] | Posted By: Joe
Category: > Gaming
London fans of video games will be very interested in two events hosted by the Japan Foundation titled Video Games in Japan: Past, Present and Future.
Event 1 - The Past: Game Over? focuses on how to preserve video game culture and why it's important to do so. Is set to run on Tuesday 22nd February 2012.
Event 2 - The Present and Future: Progress to the Next Level? Covers where the Japanese Video Game Industry is heading and is scheduled for Wednesday 23rd February 2012.
Both events start at 6:30pm at the Japan Foundation in London at Russell Square House, 10-12 Russell Square, London, WC1B 5EH .
Both events are free to attend, but booking via e-mail is required. E-mail event@jpf.org.uk with your name, details and those of any guests. As with all popular events we advise booking early to avoid disappointment.
France is the biggest manga market in Europe
Date: Thursday 2nd February 2012 [17:36] | Posted By: Joe
Category: > Manga
Facts and figures for the the manga industry always make an interesting read. CNN's Geekout Blog has a good article about the European Manga Industry.
Did you know that France accounts for 50% of VIZ Media Europe's manga sales? The article also highlights that combined Europe and the Middle East generates more manga sales than America -
"'In Europe, manga is most popular in France, then Italy and Spain,' said Hyoe Narita, president of VIZ Media Europe, which is headquartered in Paris. Annual manga sales in Japan are about $5 billion, he said, whereas American manga sales are $120 million and Europe and the Middle East combined make $250 million. This combined number given out is probably because VIZ Media Europe distributes to the Middle East as well. Japan is still the huge maker, but these numbers show that manga is moving well outside of Asia."
"The popularity does vary by country, but France is by far the leader in European otaku interest, as it brings in 50% of European manga sales. Narita said it’s the same size or a bit bigger than the market in the United States."
Japanese Queen Tribute act at London's Japan Underground
Date: Saturday 21st January 2012 [8:47] | Posted By: Joe
Category: > Events
Readers in London wondering thinking - Is this the real life? Is this just fantasy? Caught reading this website should head over to The Pipeline in Liverpool Street London on Saturday 4th and Tuesday 7th February 2012 to catch one of Japan's hottest new Queen tribute acts. The band are called Queer (yes, that's actually their name) and will be playing a warm up set as part of Japan Underground, keeping in theme for the night the even will have DJ sets of famous rock hits covered by Japanese artists, plus an 80s themed dress code. The fun and games begin at 7pm and is set to run until midnight.
Tickets can be bought for £5 in advance, or for £7 at the door for each show.
Hironobu Sakaguchi at the MCM Midlands Comic Con February 2012
Date: Wednesday 18th January 2012 [17:15] | Posted By: Joe
Category: > Events
UK based gamers will want to head over to the MCM Midlands Comic Con in Telford on Saturday 18th February 2012 to see World famous videogame developer, director and producer Hironobu Sakaguchi. Best known as the creator of Final Fantasy Series he will be attending the comic con to talk about his career along with his latest project Nintendo's The Last Story for Wii which is due for launch on Friday 24th February 2012.
An Interview with Vic Mignogna
Date: Wednesday 18th January 2012 [14:00] | Posted By: Azure
Category: > Features
We got a chance to chat to well known voice actor Vic Mignogna at the last MCM London Expo. We discuss a range of topics from getting into voice acting, dubbing anime songs, voice acting inspirations, and of course Full Metal Alchemist.
Interview with Manga UK representative Jerome Mazandarani
Date: Monday 16th January 2012 [23:58] | Posted By: Eeeper
Category: > Anime
Audio interview with Manga UK representative Jerome Mazandarani where we talk about Manga UK's upcoming releases, their plans for blu-ray anime releases, streaming rights (yes, I ask a K-On! question) and more.
Shipping $36,000 worth of Japanese candy
Date: Saturday 14th January 2012 [18:58] | Posted By: Joe
Category: > Websites
Every otaku loves Japanese snacks and confectionery, what makes it more interesting is finding out how much some people like it. The owners of Candy Japan have posted an interesting article about how they're selling $36,000 worth of Japanese candy over 6 months. The site has been up and running for a year and has a very simple business model. You subscribe to them for $24 a month and they send you two envelopes with sugary treats each month. Currently they have just under 300 subscribers.
This makes us wonder, is it a viable long term business? Can you get more candy for $24 a month from J-List's Candy section instead? Or is the random element of Candy Japan part of the fun?
Update: J-List have confirmed that they sell more candy than that, around $50,000 worth a month. So it goes to show there is good money in sweet Japanese things.
GEN Manga Issue 8 out now
Date: Saturday 14th January 2012 [15:41] | Posted By: Joe
Category: > Manga
The good folks from GEN Manga have sent us details of their latest Issue GEN 8.
It features a new story Let's Eat Ramen by Nagumo, the author of the seriesRadio de Go!
The on-line manga publisher distribute their monthly collection of doujinshi using a subscription model. You get to download and keep the PDF file for each issue too.
Manga UK 2012 licence announcements
Date: Friday 13th January 2012 [6:44] | Posted By: Eeeper
Category: > Anime
Manga UK representative gives new titles announcement, including Clannad and Angel Beats, in interivew.
Interview with Kazé UK representative Andrew Partridge
Date: Tuesday 10th January 2012 [22:57] | Posted By: Eeeper
Category: > Anime
Audio interview with Kazé UK representative Andrew Partridge where we talk about Kazé UK's origins, their plans for blu ray anime releases, Anime On Demand and more.
Anime On Demand to simulcast LAGRANGE – THE FLOWER OF RIN-NE
Date: Tuesday 10th January 2012 [8:36] | Posted By: Eeeper
Category: > Anime
Anime on Demand to simulcast new XEBEC series in January.
Netflix Streaming Service opens in UK/Ireland
Date: Sunday 8th January 2012 [23:45] | Posted By: Eeeper
Category: > Anime
American streaming service launches in the UK and Ireland with selection of anime films and series available for streaming.
Kazé UK to release all of Black Lagoon on Blu Ray
Date: Saturday 7th January 2012 [13:08] | Posted By: Eeeper
Category: > Anime > DVD
Kazé UK representative confirms via Twitter that the UK based division of Kazé will release Black Lagoon on Blu ray in May of 2012.
Bandai US and UK shuts down DVD/BD/Manga production
Date: Thursday 5th January 2012 [13:34] | Posted By: Eeeper
Category: > Retail
The US anime releasing division of Bandai has announced that from February they will cease publication of both new anime titles and manga titles. The company’s UK and French sister divisions have also released similar statements.
Japan: Kingdom of Characters UK Exhibition
Date: Wednesday 4th January 2012 [17:19] | Posted By: Joe
Category: > Events
UK anime and manga fans will want to make a trip over to the Sainsbury Centre for Visual Arts at the University of East Anglia. From Saturday 4th February 2012 until Sunday 24th June 2012, the venue will be hosting Japan: Kindom of Characters, a new manga exhibition that takes you inside the world of Japanese characters and asks you to consider what they represent.
It follows on from a tour of highly successful showings in cities such as Manila, Sydney and Madrid. Human-size 3D models of characters such as Ultraman and Pikachu welcome you into this colourful and substantial show. Over eighty graphics, photographs and films trace the history of cartoon characters by decade from the 1950’s to the 2000’s and provide insight into their fascinating backgrounds.
The event is organised in co-operation with the Japan Foundation. Admission is free. The event is daily and open from 10am to 9pm.
The Sainsbury Centre is the sole UK venue for this exhibition.
Tatsumi UK Cinema Details
Date: Tuesday 3rd January 2012 [16:35] | Posted By: Joe
Category: > Anime > Film
The good folks at Soda Pictures have sent us details of their latest UK cinema release. Tatsumi is an animated feature inspired by the life and work of manga artist Yoshiro Tatsumi, who is well known for this work A Drifting Life.
The animated movie is in Japanese with English subtitles. It's been produced in Singapore by an international team of animators (Phil Mitchel is one of the founders of Mainframe who are best known for Reboot and Transformers - Beast Wars).
The film is due out in cinemas on Friday 13th January 2012. It's been rated 15.
Maids with Music at WOTA London - January 2012
Date: Sunday 1st January 2012 [12:49] | Posted By: Joe
Category: > Events
London based fans of Maid Cafes and Anime/gaming/vocaloid/Japanese music and clubbing will want to keep Sunday 22nd January 2012 free when WOTA London returns. From 13.30 to 18.00 the event will be a Maids & Butlers Cafe run by Maid Planet, then at 18.00 until 22.00 it will be an Anison and A-Pop Dance Party. The venue this time around is B1F Royal George, 133 Charing Cross Road, London, WC2H 0EA, near Tottenham Court Road Tube Station.
You can buy tickets on-line for a discount, either paying £4 for a Maid pass or £6 for a day pass. Alternatively you can turn up and pay £6 for a Maid Pass, £3 for a WOTA Pass or £8 for a day pass.
The event is for over 18's only.
Hyper Japan - Cosplay Christmas Competition
Date: Wednesday 21st December 2011 [16:08] | Posted By: Joe
Category: > Events
Cosplayers looking for some fun and games this Christmas will want to enter London's Hyper Japan's Christmas Cosplay Competition. To enter all you have to do is upload a photo of you cosplaying to the Hyper Japan Cosplay HQ Facebook page between 9th December 2011 an 15th January 2012. The 3 photos with the most likes on Facebook will make it through to the Hyper Japan Cosplay Team. The team will judge the photos and select a winner.
The winner gets a load of goodies from Tofu Cute, worth £50 along with 2 tickets to Hyper Japan Spring 2012 (for all 3 days). The 2 runners up will also get tickets for all 3 days at Hyper Japan Spring 2012.
GEN Manga Issue 7 out now
Date: Tuesday 20th December 2011 [13:56] | Posted By: Joe
Category: > Manga
Fans of seinen manga will be pleased to hear that GEN Manga have just released GEN 7.
The on-line manga publisher distribute their monthly collection of doujinshi using a subscription model. You get to download and keep the PDF file for each issue too.
Cowboy Bebop Remix and Arrietty due for January 2012 release
Date: Monday 19th December 2011 [13:20] | Posted By: Joe
Category: > Anime > DVD
Christmas is coming, but already many UK anime companies are looking ahead to January. There are two key releases UK anime fans should be waiting for.
First up is Cowboy Bebop Remix due for release on Monday January 2nd 2012. The lovely folks from Beez have re-released Cowboy Bebop Remix under their Anime Legends range. The Remix edition has Dolby Digital 5.1 and DTS Surround Sound, along with remastered video. The 6 DVD set contains all 26 episodes from the series.
If you haven't seen Cowboy Bebop yet, then you should. This is one of those truly rare must see titles. Plenty of anime fans agree as it was rated number 2 on the Newtype USA Top 25 Anime Titles of All Time. Number 1 was Neon Genesis Evangelion. You can pre-order the DVD from Amazon.co.uk for £16.99.
2011's big Studio Ghibli cinema release Arrietty is due out on Monday 9th January 2012. On DVD, Blu-ray, and a Collectors Edition Combi Pack, which contains both the DVD and Blu-ray and costs £2 more than the regular blu-ray only edition.
Source: Otaku News
BBC News on Bento Boxes
Date: Sunday 11th December 2011 [14:58] | Posted By: Joe
Category: > Cuisine
We've covered Bento Boxes and the fun designs you can make with the food called kyaraben before on Otaku News. BBC News have a video on bento boxes in Japan. It includes a bento making class eager parents go to in order to learn about the art of making kyaraben.
Studio Ghibli on Film 4
Date: Sunday 11th December 2011 [14:35] | Posted By: Joe
Category: > Anime > TV
UK readers are in for a treat this Christmas 2011 as Film 4 have a special Studio Ghibli Season.
They'll be showing 13 Ghibli movies over the holidays. The season opens on Saturday 10th December with Ponyo, which will also be repeated on Christmas Day. The screenings will be a mix of subtitled and dubbed features. This is a perfect chance to get your friends and family into Studio Ghibli titles over the Christmas holidays!
Genki Gear 2011 Christmas Cards
Date: Wednesday 30th November 2011 [13:51] | Posted By: Joe
Category: > Retail
Genki Gear the company best known for their t-shirt range have released a selection of Christmas Cards. A pack of five costs £3.50.
Beckii Cruel in the Music Charts
Date: Wednesday 30th November 2011 [2:48] | Posted By: Joe
Category: > Press Releases
We've received news from Beckii Cruel's team about her current chart success with the single You Can't Kiss Me.
This week the single is number 2 in the Music Week Club Chart Breakers, with Chase and Status coming in number 1. The chart tracks the up and coming music which is getting played in the clubs. The DJ's pick up on it and feed in the amount of play it is getting.
Harajuku Night in London Sunday 4th December 2011
Date: Tuesday 29th November 2011 [18:12] | Posted By: Joe
Category: > Events
London based fans of Japanese themed clubbing can start of the Christmas season at the Harajuku! Winter Ball on Sunday 4th December 2011. The popular event returns to Proud in Camden. This time around they'll be 9 rooms, projectors and plasma screens for a fun Japanese themed night. The fun is set to start at 7pm and will run until late.
You can book your tickets here. Cosplayers, Lolitas and other fans of Japanese fashion will be pleased to hear that if you go in themed dress your tickets are cheaper!
An Interview with Helen McCarthy
Date: Sunday 27th November 2011 [16:11] | Posted By: Joe
Category: > Nostalgia
We're going all nostalgic here at Otaku News and have decided to dig up some old articles from our archive that are not published on-line, either because they were originally for print or from websites that are now off-line.
Just because they're old doesn't mean they're not relevant to today's otaku.
Before Otaku News, we used to run Anime Digital, a website hosted by the London Anime Club. In October 1999, we were lucky enough to interview Helen McCarthy, who is an anime expert, author, speaker and so much more. Although the interview is over 10 years old, it's interesting to see how many things are still the same in the industry and fandom. We've reprinted this article with Helen's permission. Readers familiar with Helen's work will note that she did write an award winning book about Tezuka in the end!
Update: Helen has also blogged about this article.
Digital Manga Inc Launch Anime Cel Art Shop
Date: Friday 25th November 2011 [14:27] | Posted By: Joe
Category: > Retail
We've received some rather interesting news from Digital Manga Inc. They've just opened a new site Anime Cel Art, which like the name implies is dedicated to selling anime cel art. They've currently got Naruto, Bleach and One Piece cels for sale.
Collectors should note, that these are not production cels used to make the anime as production now is digital. These are officially licensed reproductions. They are hand painted, and made exactly the same as production cels, but these images have never been used to make anime. As a result you get more for your money. You get a high quality image along with a background for a reasonable price.
Cosplay Competitions at Hyper Japan 2012 in London
Date: Friday 18th November 2011 [13:31] | Posted By: Joe
Category: > Events
It's not even the end of 2011 yet, but it still doesn't hurt to plan ahead, Hyper Japan 2012 is set to run on 24-26th February 2012 at Brompton Hall in Earl's Court.
They've sent us the details of two cosplay competitions they'll be hosting during the weekend. The World Cosplay Summit and the European Cosplay Gathering.
GEN Manga on Graphicly.com
Date: Wednesday 16th November 2011 [6:45] | Posted By: Joe
Category: > Manga
Independent Manga publisher GEN Manga have sent us news that they're now on Graphicly.com.
Graphicly.com distribute comics on Apple, Android, PCs and Macs, along with the Barnes & Noble Nook.
We caught up with GEN Manga in their New York offices earlier this year. One of the things they mentioned was their intention to expand from the main monthly volume. They've just done this releasing the first 6 volumes as a single anthology with over 900 pages of content in one file for $2.99.
They've also release the whole of the moe title VS Aliens as a complete standalone collection for $0.99.
Sun Fish Moon Fish from Sweatdrop Studios
Date: Saturday 12th November 2011 [14:04] | Posted By: Joe
Category: > Manga
UK-based independent publisher and comic collaborative Sweatdrop Studios have sent us details of their latest publication. Sun Fish Moon Fish by Morag Lewis. The 256 page volume is a self contained story and is available now from Sweatdrop Studios' online shop and Amazon.co.uk.
Hatsune Miku Live Party 2011 Screening in London
Date: Tuesday 8th November 2011 [16:16] | Posted By: Joe
Category: > Events
Hatsune Miku fans in the UK will want to visit London's Apollo Cinema Piccadilly for an exclusive screening of the vocaloid's exclusive premiere event. They'll be showing Hatsune Miku Live Party 2011 39's Live in Sapporo, which features a holographic light show of the virtual diva.
The Sapporo performance was recorded in August 2011. It's set for a London screening on 28th November at 6.30pm and 29th November at 8.30pm.
The same venue will also be screening L'Arc-en-Ciel in December 2011.
L'Arc-en-Ciel 20th L'Anniversary Live Details and World Tour
Date: Tuesday 8th November 2011 [15:51] | Posted By: Joe
Category: > Events
Fans of the hugely popular band L'Arc-en-Ciel will probably already know all the details of their 2012 world tour.
To warm up they'll be screening a special performance (recorded live from May 28th and 29th 2011) around the world.
London based readers will want head over the Apollo Piccadilly to catch the screenings on the following dates:
5th December 2011 - 6:30pm
Tuesday 6th December 2011 - 8:30pm
Details of screenings at other countries can be found on this official site.
Full details of the world tour is are still to be announced, but we have been sent details of the following locations and dates -
Hong Kong, Hong Kong - Asia World-Expo Arena - March 3rd, 2012 (Saturday)
Bangkok, Thailand - Impact Arena - March 7th, 2012 (Wednesday)
Shanghai, China - Mercedes-Benz Areana - March 10th 2012 (Saturday)
Taipei, Taiwan - TWTC Nangang Exhibition Hall - March 17th 2012 (Saturday)
New York, USA - The Theater at Madison Square Garden - March 23rd, 2012 (Friday)
London, UK - indigO2 - April 11th, 2012 (Wednesday)
Paris, France - Le Zenith de Paris - April 14th 2012 (Saturday)
As always with popular events, we suggest booking early to avoid disappointment.
United Publications November 2011 Sale
Date: Friday 4th November 2011 [16:41] | Posted By: Joe
Category: > Retail
Popular anime, manga and related merchandise retailer United Publications have sent us details of their explosive 5th of November clearance sale. There are many bargains to be had, with up to 80% off some Manga/Anime books, DVD and figures! We've asked and they've confirmed they're not going mad. It's to clear out their inventory to make room for new stock for the new year. They've got some hard to find items up on the listing too.
Also if you're looking for something exclusive, remember a while ago we interviewed Japanese figure sculptor Momiji? Well the good folks at United Publications are now selling his exclusive Ms Fan Stand figure.
The Legend of Zelda 25th Anniversary Symphony Report
Date: Wednesday 2nd November 2011 [15:50] | Posted By: Priss
Category: > Events
On Tuesday the 25 October, I was lucky enough to be part of an incredible celebration - The Legend of Zelda 25th Anniversary Symphony performance in London.
The atmospheric soundtrack featured throughout the game series is as essential to their appeal as the enduring elfin hero, Link. For many players, it is one of the core elements of the experience, bringing the world of the game and the characters to life. The unforgettable soundtrack raises the senses to another level of intensity as you play the adventure. The music is iconic and is an element of the franchise's incredible 25 year legacy that remains strong in the hearts and minds of players throughout the world. The atmosphere emanating from the audience was intense and heartfelt. Each and every gamer in the auditorium was taken into a world of reminiscence as their music returned them to the time of their own adventures.
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