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Japan Underground vs. NEO Magazine May 2012

Date: 2012 April 13 17:16 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Events

The London MCM Expo is more than a month away, things have started to rev up for the event already. On Saturday 26th of May 2012 the folks from Japan Underground and Neo Magazine have teamed up to host a night of Japanese and Korean music. The event will be held at Bloomsbury Lanes, a 5 minute walk from London's Euston Station. They'll be supplying a selection of party-rocking tunes from Japan's alternative scenes.

The event is over 18's only and entry is £5 on the door. Valid photographic ID will be required.

Read More... | Souce: Japan Underground

Mitsuko Delivers UK Cinema Release Details

Date: 2012 April 11 17:36 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Anime > Film

Fans of Japanese cinema in the UK will be pleased to hear about Third Window films latest cinema release. Mitsuko Delivers which has a due date of Friday 11th May 2012.

It'll open at the ICA in London and selected regional sites.

Terracotta Far East Film Festival - London 2012

Date: 2012 April 11 15:43 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Anime > Film

For those cinema buffs in London looking for some Far Eastern cinema should head over to the Prince Charles Cinema in Chinatown to cat the Terracotta Film Festival from Thursday 12th April 2012 until Sunday 15th April 2012.

Ghibli fans will be interested in From up on Poppy Hill the studio's latest offering which will be shown on Friday 13th April 2012. It is from Goro Miyazaki, who also directed Tales From Earthsea.

The Terror Cotta Horror night triple bill does look like great fun!

Manga UK DVD License Details for April 2012

Date: 2012 April 02 15:55 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Anime

The good folks from Manga Entertainment UK have sent us the details from their big licensing announcements at the Birmingham MCM Expo.

The big title in the line up is without doubt the highly anticipated Puella Magi Madoka Magica. Cosplay favourites Panty And Stocking With Garter Belt is dude for 2012 too. Along with Squid Girl which you may have caught on Crunchy Roll.

NEO Magazine Issue 96 out now

Date: 2012 March 24 17:31 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Events

The good folks from UK anime, manga and Asian pop culture publication NEO magazine have sent us the details of their latest issue. It's out now both on the high street and digital outlets.

What is Ukiyo-e? London ICN Gallery exhibition

Date: 2012 March 24 15:25 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Events

London based readers looking for some art and culture will want to head over to the ICN Gallery 96-98 Leonard Street, London EC2A 4RH to see Part 1 of What is Ukiyo-e? The exhibition covers the popular and well known wood block prints, including Hokusai's famous Great wave Off Kanagawa.

The exhibition is set to run from Thursday 5th April to Saturday 28th April 2012 (please note the gallery is closed Sundays).

GEN Manga releases Kamen Volume 1

Date: 2012 March 14 16:58 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Manga

We've just been sent details from the good folk at GEN Manga about their latest release - Kamen Volume 1. The title will be available across the US through all good Diamond Comic Distributors and on Graphicly. You can also download the title from the GEN Manga Website.

Fans of comic books will be interested to hear that Marvel artist Harvey Tolibao did the cover for Kamen.

Mardock Scramble: The First Compression UK DVD and Blu-ray release details

Date: 2012 March 10 13:47 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Anime > DVD

The good folks at Manga UK have sent us details an eagerly expected title Mardock Scramble: The First Compression. The 18 Rated title is use out on Blu-ray and DVD on Monday 16th April 2012.

We've reviewed a cinema screening of Mardock Scramble: The First Compression.

JManga.com celebrates going global with a second sign-up promotion

Date: 2012 March 09 16:20 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Manga

The good people from JManga.com have just gone international. To celebrate the on-line manga service have launched a sign up promotion for new members.

From the Thursday 8th March 2012 to Wednesday 14th March 2012 if you sign up for a paid subscription you'll receive 5 books worth of bonus points with a $25 monthly subscription and 2 books worth of points a $10 subscription.

Tokyo Rockers ASIDBLOW Break Out of Japan to Make UK Debut

Date: 2012 March 08 17:08 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Events

Fans of new Japanese guitar acts will want to head over to London on Saturday 24th March 2012 to catch ASIDBLOW at Japan Underground Club night. The popular club event is set to run at a newly established rock venue The Pipeline 94 Middlesex Street, E1 7DA (in Liverpool Street). The event is set to start at 7pm.

Read More... | Souce: Japan Underground

Distant Worlds: Celebrating 25 years of Final Fantasy - London November 2012

Date: 2012 March 06 16:18 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Events

London Based fans of Final Fantasy will want to keep Friday 2nd November 2012 free as that's when the Distant Worlds: Celebrating 25 years of Final Fantasy concert hits the Royal Albert Hall.

The Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra plus choir will be performing. Arnie Roth is the Conductor and Nobuo Uematsu will be in attendance too.

Tickets will start from £25 to £65, plus there's a special VIP meet and greet ticket for £125 which gets you lots of great things.

We know the event is in November, so why are we mentioning it now? Tickets go on Sale on Thursday 15th March 2012 9am London Time. As always with popular events we advise booking early to avoid disappointment, but with this we can't emphasise this enough.

NEO Magazine Issue 95

Date: 2012 February 22 15:14 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Press Releases

The good folks from UK anime, manga and Asian pop culture publication NEO magazine have sent us the details of their latest issue. It's due to hit the shelves on Thursday 23rd February 2012 (available from WH Smith, Tesco and all good newsagents). It features their round up of the greatest anime movies of all time, with their own top 10 list, along with reader contributions.

Plus previews of anime, along with all the usual features and articles you'd expect. K-Pop fans will want to read the article on Korea's Japanese pop invasion with an analysis of the Oricon charts. We're interested in reading the report on the continuing aid efforts in Japan following the Tohoku earthquake and tsunami of 2011.

New games and anime magazine MyM to launch at Midlands Comic Con

Date: 2012 February 18 15:53 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Press Releases

UK anime and manga fans looking for more UK based magazines to read will be interested to hear about MyM Magazine.

Issue 1 is due on Thursday 3rd May 2012. The magazine promises to bring great coverage of video games, anime and manga. The magazine's editor Tarik Alozdi will be at the Midlands MCM Expo on Saturday 18th February 2012 to show visitors what's to come.

We must admit we're very curious to see what content the magazine will have and how knowledgeable their writers will be.

Update: You can read our interview with MyM publisher Tarik Alozdi here.

From Japan to Hull: manga, anime and cosplay to feature at Platform Expos 2012

Date: 2012 February 18 15:13 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Events

UK based readers who can get to the University of Hull on Saturday 17th and Sunday 18th March 2012 will want to head over to Platform 2012 East Yorkshire's huge gaming and entertainment expo.

They've got an an interesting line up of experts from the gaming industry plus a few familiar faces from anime and manga fandom too.

They'll be some retro gaming fun, a masquerade on the cosplay stage and plenty of panels from expert speakers.

Award winning cosplayer Natasha Lee Tyler (Missy Tetra) will be there to answer all those cosplay questions at talks and panels. Professional comic artist Sonia Leong will be there to explain all about manga.

They'll be a lot to see and do at this event, so it's certainly worth going!

Cakes with Faces - New T-Shirt for Hyper Japan

Date: 2012 February 16 16:22 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Retail

Hyper Japan 2012 Spring is all set to start on Friday 24th February and will run until Sunday 26th February 2012. One of the many things we like about the Japanese culture event is the all the different stalls and the wide variety of things they sell.

Every time you go you're always going to find something new and exciting. Graphic artist Amy Crabtree of Cakes With Faces will be there. You may have seen her stall at other events such as the London MCM Expo. At Hyper Japan she'll be launching an appropriately themed t-shirt called All the best stuff is from Japan. The colourful design is great to show off your otaku side.

The design is launched at Hyper Japan and you'll be able to pre-order at a special price and collect it at the event.

Bunkasai - Japanese Festival London Sunday 11th March 2012

Date: 2012 February 06 17:34 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Events

London based readers looking for some Japanese culture should head over to the Bunkasai - Japanese Festival on Sunday 11th March 2012. The event is set to run from 9:30am to 4:30pm at the Park Crescent Conference Centre. The event is to support the charity Aid for Japan, which aids survivors of the March 2011 Earthquake and Tsunami. The Bunkasai will run on the first year anniversary

Cultural highlights at the Bunkasai include the Tea Ceremony, Engeki play, Traditional Japanese dance, martial arts demonstration, Taiko drumming, and cosplay.

Advance tickets are now on sale.

Video Games in Japan: Past, Present and Future at The Japan Foundation in London

Date: 2012 February 04 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.

Japanese Queen Tribute act at London's Japan Underground

Date: 2012 January 21 08:47 | 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.

Read More... | Souce: Japan Underground

Hironobu Sakaguchi at the MCM Midlands Comic Con February 2012

Date: 2012 January 18 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.

Anime On Demand to simulcast LAGRANGE

Date: 2012 January 10 08:36 | Posted By: Eeeper

Category > Anime

Anime on Demand to simulcast new XEBEC series in January.

Japan: Kingdom of Characters UK Exhibition

Date: 2012 January 04 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: 2012 January 03 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: 2012 January 01 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.

Genki Gear 2011 Christmas Cards

Date: 2011 November 30 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.

Harajuku Night in London Sunday 4th December 2011

Date: 2011 November 29 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!

Cosplay Competitions at Hyper Japan 2012 in London

Date: 2011 November 18 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.

Sun Fish Moon Fish from Sweatdrop Studios

Date: 2011 November 12 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: 2011 November 08 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: 2011 November 08 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.

Read More... | Souce: L\'Arc～en～Ciel

NEO Magazine launches Cosplay Idol competition at London Comic Con

Date: 2011 October 26 16:41 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Events

NEO Magazine will be launching a Cosplay Idol Competition this weekend at the London Comic Con from Friday 28th to Sunday 30th October 2011. The winner gets a great load of swag including a laptop, pride of place in the NEO Cosplay Calendar, a dedicated feature in the magazine, plus a NEO goody bag. There are prizes for runners up too. So get sewing!

Read More... | Souce: London MCM Expo

Breathe Deeply - a new graphic novel from One Peace Books

Date: 2011 October 26 16:11 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Manga

We've received details of a new manga title just out. Breath Deeply is a controversial medical thriller with a dash of romance. It's written by the husband and wife team known as Doton Yamaaki. Published in English by One Peace Books the company suggest readers forget what they know about manga when approaching this title. It's out now from your favourite book sellers.

Buy from Amazon.com
Buy from Amazon.co.uk

Update: We've now have a reviewed Breathe Deeply.

London Comic Con MCM Expo Details - Games and Dolls

Date: 2011 October 21 18:52 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Events

In London this time next week (Friday 28th to Sunday 30th October 2011) the London Comic Con MCM Expo will be well under way. As it builds up it seems like every other press release we get sent is about the Expo.

We've just received two press releases from them.

Square Enix will be showcasing the new Final Fantasy XIII-2 game, along with Hitman Absolution.

Screaming Matriarch will be showcasing a new limited edition Little Apple Doll.

Read More... | Souce: London MCM Expo

Zipangu Fest reveals full programme: nuclear reactions, retro, animation and horror

Date: 2011 October 16 15:52 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Events

Following on from our earlier coverage of the Zipangu Film Fest, we've just been sent the details of the full programme. The festival kicks off in London at the ICA from Friday 18th to Thursday 24th November 2011.

They've got lots of interesting things to watch. If you fancy some alternative animation then Beyond Anime: The Outer Limits will appeal.

Shirome has been described as somewhere between the Blair Witch Project and the X-Factor!

There's plenty more to enjoy, including some horror, retro films.

Voice Actors at the London Comic Con - October 2011

Date: 2011 October 14 17:30 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Events

As the London MCM Expo gets nearer we always get sent more details about the event. It's set to run from Friday 28th to Sunday 30th October 2011. This time the good folks there are reminding us about the top voice acting talent that'll be attending. Vic Mignogna, Gideon Emery, Adam Howden and Philip Shahbaz are all confirmed guests at the event. They'll be there to host panels, meet fans and sign autographs, so get your DVD and game boxes for them to sign!

Read More... | Souce: London MCM Expo

Beckii Cruel releases her first mainstream dance track

Date: 2011 October 11 02:23 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Events

Fans of pop idol Beckii Cruel will be pleased to hear that on Monday 24th October she'll be launching her first mainstream Dance Track - You Can't Kiss me 2011 featuring the Clones.

You Can't Kiss Me 2011 (YCKM) is available worldwide on iTunes from 24 Oct 2011.

Beckii is appearing at MCM Expo. Excel. London Docklands 29-30 October 2011 and is available in London 27 and 28 October 2011. Beckii will be attending DokiDoki Manchester on 13 November and is available in Manchester on Saturday 12 November 2011.

Otaku News interviewed Beckii Cruel at the May 2011 London MCM Expo.

Namco Bandai to Demo Soulcalibur V, Dark Souls and Much More at London Comic Con

Date: 2011 October 10 14:35 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Events

Regular readers will know about the London MCM Expo, which is scheduled for Friday 28th to Sunday 20th October 2011. The good folks behind it have sent us details of the games that'll be demoed at the Expo. Namco Bandai will be be demoing Soulcalibur V, Dark Souls along with some Naruto Shippuden and Dragon Ball Z based beat-em-up fun. Many other gaming companies will be there too including 2K Games, Capcom, Nintendo, PQube, Rising Star, Tecmo Koei, THQ, Ubisoft and WB Games

Read More... | Souce: London MCM Expo

Ryo Arai & ITARO - Essence of Edo-Tokyo Gallery display in London October to November 2011

Date: 2011 October 06 16:23 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Art

Japanese art and culture enthusiasts in London will want to pay a visit to the ICN Gallery to catch the Ryo Arai & ITARO - Essence of Edo-Tokyo exhibit. It's set to run from Thursday 27th October to Monday 19th November 2011.

Ryo Arai is a hariko artist (that's traditional Japanese paper mache) and ITARO is a netsuke and wood engraving artist.

The gallery can be found on 96-98 Leonard Street; London EC2A 4RH

London MCM Expo - Letraset Manga School October 2011

Date: 2011 October 05 18:07 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Events

London based readers will know that Friday 28th to Sunday 30th October 2011 is when the London MCM Expo hits town. Letraset the creative company best known for their popular marker pens will be hosting a manga school at the Expo. They'll be running 15 classes throughout the weekend.

The classes are aimed at different abilities from beginners to advanced artists. The classes will be run by talented artists Morag Lewis, Nana Li and Irina Richards.

The class cost £2 to £3 per person and last up to 1 hour. For some classes you will have to supply additional materials.

Letraset will also be running a spooky competition under the theme of Ghouls, gobins and mad scientists oh my! where the winner gets over £120 worth of Letraset products, plus there are runners up prizes.

Letraset will also be promoting a new marker in their line up - the FlexMarker.

Chiptune Invasion at London's Japan Underground

Date: 2011 October 04 15:32 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Events

London based readers who enjoy a good night out will want to keep Saturday 15th October 2011 free where the good folks at Japan Underground will be hosting a Chiptune Invasion from 3 of Tokyo's best.

This rare performance will feature 3 bands - Tokyo Pinsalocks, HONDALADY and GalapagosS.

The fun is set to start at 7pm at Bloomsbury Lanes, Bedford Way, London, WC1H 9EU.

Remember the club night is designed around gamers and fans of Japanese pop culture, so it's a perfect otaku night out! The event as always is worth going to as as previous events have received recommendations in Time Out London, The Independent, Absolute Radio and many more.

Read More... | Souce: Japan Underground

Hyper Japan 2012 Spring Dates Confirmed

Date: 2011 September 26 16:57 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Events

London based fans of Japanese culture will want to keep Friday 24th to Sunday 26th February 2012 free for Hyper Japan 2012 Spring. The successful J-Culture event returns for it's third run. Ever growing they'll be at a bigger venue - Earls Court - Brompton Hall.

Genki Gear London Expo Official October 2011 Exclusive T-shirt

Date: 2011 September 23 14:12 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Retail

With the London Comic Con MCM Expo just over a month away things are starting to rev up for it. T-shirt company Genki Gear have just unveiled their exclusive design for the October event, which is set to run from Friday 28th to Sunday 30th October 2011.

This is the exclusive t-shirt for the London Comic Con MCM Expo. The theme this time around is Ninja vs Kittens! The t-shirt is available for pre-order only, with a closing date of Thursday 20th October 2011. The design will retail for £16.99 for both men's and women's style.

With the classic debate of ninjas vs pirates, we know where we stand (we also reserve the right to change our mind depending on what we're reading or watching when asked, if you ask us when we're indulging in One Piece you'll get a different answer than if we're watching Naruto). However Ninja vs Kittens that's a whole different ball game. What kind of ninja is this? What kind of kittens? Are they related to Maru? These are all important questions that we need answering!

Read More... | Souce: London MCM Expo

Play.com sold to Japanese group Rakuten

Date: 2011 September 21 16:55 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Retail

Popular UK on-line DVD retailer Play.com have been bought by Japanese group Rakuten. Play.com is the UK's biggest seller of DVDs online with estimated annual sales of about £500m. It has 14 million registered users and a staff of 500.

It was sold to Rakuten for £25m. Play.com have been successful due to a tax loop-hole that allows purchases under £18 to be VAT free when shipped from the Channel Islands to the UK mainland thanks to EU rules drafted almost 30 years ago. In November 2011, the government will reduce the amount for VAT free purchases to £15 and intend close this loop-hole totally by March 2012. The sales tax issues along with declining DVD sales is why Play.com was sold for £25m and not considerably more. The Guardian article states that DVD UK sales dipped 6% last year, while downloading and streaming rose 18%.

Play.com is popular with the UK anime fans and is often the first port of call along with Amazon.co.uk when buying DVDs and Blu-rays.

Rakuten are keen to increase their global presence, which is why they've purchases Play.com along with the French site PriceMinister and German site Tradoria.de.

Souce: The Guardian

Robotech: The Complete Series on DVD UK Release Details

Date: 2011 September 19 16:40 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Anime > DVD

Nostalgic mecha fans in the UK will be pleased to hear that the Robotech the complete series is set for release on DVD on Monday 14th November 2011.

The 18 disc boxset features all 85 episodes of the series, plus over 10 hours of bonus material including a brand new documentary on creator Carl Macek.

For many the show was an introduction into anime and mecha shows. Lots of anime fans look back to Robotech as the series that helped them discover anime. Robotech itself is interesting, as it started life as three separate shows that were edited together for the American market.

The DVD's RRP is £69.99, we've found it for a pre-order price of £51.70 on Amazon.co.uk.

Influential Japanese Group Set to Rock London's Raindance Film Festival 2011

Date: 2011 September 15 15:06 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Events

London based fans of Japanese music and movies will want to go to the Raindance Film Festival 2011 to catch Control Tower (Kanseitou). The film is inspired by music of the Japanese band Galileo Galilei. It's European premier at the festival on Thursday 6th October 2011.

J-Pop Star Beckii Cruel to Perform New Single at London Comic Con

Date: 2011 September 15 14:21 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Events

Fans of J-Pop Idol Beckii Cruel will want to head to the MCM Expo London Comic Con on Saturday 29th and Sunday 30th October 2011 to see her perform her new single You Can't Kiss me.

Beckii will be performing on both Saturday and Sunday at the Expo. We were lucky to catch up with her at the last Expo in May.

AmeCon 2012 UK registration opens Sunday 25th September 2011

Date: 2011 September 10 07:02 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Events

The UK Summer Convention season is coming to an end, but fear not as AmeCon will be opening their 2012 registration on Sunday 25th September 2011.

AmeCon 2012 is set to run 10th - 12th August 2012, at Keele University, Newcastle-under-lyme. Registration will be on-line using the standard first come first served basis.

Zipangu Fest Japanese Film Festival London November 2011

Date: 2011 September 05 15:37 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Events

London based fans of cutting edge Japanese cinema will want to head over to the ICA from Thursday 17th to Thursday 24th November 2011 for the return of Zipangu Fest Japanese Film Festival. The festival will then move around the UK.

They'll have lots of treats lined up, including two titles that have never been shown in the UK, one being especially subtitled for the festival.

London's Japan Matsuri 2011 Details

Date: 2011 September 02 17:50 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Events

Fans of Japanese culture will want to head over to London's County Hall on Sunday 18th September for the Japan Matsuri 2011. This year it's at County Hall next to the London Eye.

They'll be over 130 stalls with lots of lovely Japanese things, from food and drinks to clothes and textiles, art, travel companies, tableware and so much more.

Entry to the event is free. It's set to run from 10am to 8pm.
Don't forget that the weekend of Saturday 17th and Sunday 18th September is the Open House London, many great places open to visit in the city.

Japan Underground to Organise Free Asian Cinema All-Dayer

Date: 2011 August 24 22:16 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Events

London based fans of Japanese cinema will want to keep Saturday 3rd September 2011 free for the Free Asian Cinema All-Dayer at Bloomsbury Lanes, Bedford Way, Tavistock Square, WC1H 9EU. It's organised by the good folks behind Japan Underground to raise awareness and support for the independent Asian film companies that lost their stock when the Sony DADC centre was burnt down in the England riots on 8 August.

Third Window Films and Terracotta Distribution are confirmed for the screenings.

Japan Underground have also sent us details about Unshin a Japanese pop/rock band based in the UK who'll launch their debut album at Japan Underground. This is event is scheduled to run 7pm-3am Bloomsbury Lanes, Bedford Way, Tavistock Square, WC1H 9EU after the Free Asian Cinema screenings.

Read More... | Souce: Japan Underground

The Maids of England

Date: 2011 August 07 12:43 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Fandom

We've been sent details from the Maids of England (cleverly named as they're abbreviated as MOE). They'll be at Ayacon on 19th to 22nd August 2011. They'll also be running events every 2 to 3 months in London.

Plus they're also available for events to run a full maid cafe or a simple bake sale.

Their next event is on Saturday 3rd of September 2011 at Cafe VN, there are two time slots 12:00 - 4:00pm and 4:00pm - 8:00pm tickets are £7 in advance and £10 on the door. More details can be found on their Facebook page.

Harajuku! Autumn Ball August 2011 Details

Date: 2011 August 07 11:56 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Events

Are you in London on Saturday 20th August 2011 and looking for a night of Japanese themed clubbing? Well the folks from Criminal Records are happy to oblige, with the return of the popular Harajuku! Autumn Ball. It's scheduled to start at 7:30pm and runs until late at The Miller, London Bridge, London - 96 Snowsfields Road, London, SE1 3SS.

Cosplayers, Lolita's etc are all actively welcomed and encouraged. Tickets at £6 in advance.

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