New Stuff!

A few new things have been added to the site over the Christmas period!  First up is a brand new competition, giving you the chance to win the first volume of School Rumble courtesy of Revelation Films!  Also online are a couple of new reviews and a review of 2007 and preview of 2008 for Manga Entertainment, click the links below to check them out.

School Rumble Competition (Ends 18th January 2008)
From '07 to '08 - Manga Entertainment (Feature)
Trinity Blood vol 3 (DVD Review)
Disgaea Pintre Collection Pin Badges (Merchandise Review)

Out Today!

Christmas may be over, but Manga Entertainment provide something to spend your Christmas money on with two new releases on Boxing Day:

Naruto The Movie: Ninja Clash in the Land of Snow (Manga)
Naruto Unleashed Complete Second Series Box Set (Manga)

Also, one for the kids, a single anime DVD snuck out on Christmas Eve:

Hello Kitty's Paradise vol 5 - A Puzzling Day (Firefly)

Auchinawa Dates Announced

Fans in Scotland rejoice, the dates for Glasgow's own anime and manga convention have been announced!  Auchinawa 2008 is to take place from Friday 14th to the Sunday 16th November 2008 in the Holiday Inn at Glasgow International Airport.  It may seem like an odd venue, but from the point of view of fans from the rest of the UK it's probably the easiest place in Scotland to get to.  Registrations are due to open towards the start of January 2008, check out www.auchinawa.org.uk for more information.

Out Today

The few weeks before and after Christmas are traditionally a quiet time for anime releases, but Revelation still put out a fair amount of DVDs today.  Like most companies though they are holding back their new series till next year, so we get the continuation of several ongoing series instead:

Beck vol 3 (Revelation)
Moon Phase vol 4 (Revelation)
Mushishi vol 2 (Revelation)
Negima! vol 6 - Magic and the Dark Arts (Revelation)
Suzuka vol 2 (Revelation)

Calendar!

Wondering what anime and manga events are on next year?  Check out our brand spanking new 2008 Events Calendar!  We'll be adding to it as and when we hear about more events taking place, so if you know of any that aren't listed please let us know.

Ame-gonel

Anyone hoping to go to Amecon who hasn't already registered may want to look away now, as all of the places have been filled.  All 1300 places have gone in less than a month, and there is a reserve list of over 100 people.  If you have registered and have yet to pay we would recommend you get your cheque in the post as soon as possible.  If you do not pay within two weeks of registration you will have to re-register, meaning someone will take your place and you will end up on the reserve list.  The amount of interest in next year's event is unprecedented, there were still places available a few weeks prior to Amecon 2007.  We suppose it's a sign of how many people are getting into anime and manga in the UK, we're just surprised that so many can afford it this close to Christmas...

First Slice of the Blade

Those lovely chaps and chapesses at MVM have given up a trailer and clip for Witchblade, the brand new anime action series based on the American comic of the same name.  The first volume of the highly rated Japanese/American collaboration is out on 4th February 2008, so to whet your appetite check out the following:

Trailer

Low Res / High Res

Clip

Low Res / High Res

For more details check out the press release from MVM.

Initial See!

Another new distributor has entered into the UK market, with Vdi Entertainment announcing the 2008 release of racing anime Initial D.   Vdi will be releasing the first 2 disc volume of the series on January 28th, and the second on 24th March.  Each volume will contain 9 episodes and will cost a bargainous £12.99 - that's less than £15 for over 3 hours of anime goodness - and look to have both English and Japanese language tracks.  Needless to say we'll be keeping an eye on these, and will be quick to report it if Vdi release anymore anime!

Hayao, Hayao, Hayao, Merry Christmas...

A handful of Hayao Miyazaki's classic films are on Channel 4 over the Christmas period!  However, before you get too excited you'll have to be an early riser - three of the four films being shown are on before 7am.  Listings are as follows:

Porco Rosso - 26th December (Boxing Day) 6.05am
Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind - 27th December 6.35am
Castle of Cagliostro - 28th December 6.20am
Princess Mononoke - 31st December (New Year's Eve) 12.35pm

New Reviews

A quartet of new reviews are online for your reading pleasure, including two from new reviewer Ami-Chan!

Full Moon O Sagashite vol 1 (Manga Review)
Genki Gear T-Shirt Range (Merchandise Review)
Karas The Revelation (DVD Review)
Wild Adapter vol 1 (Manga Review)

Also check out our Release schedule, which has seen some new 2008 release reshuffles. 

Out Yesterday!

Ok, so we're a day late, but there was a host of great anime out yesterday.  Both ADV Films and MVM put out six titles a piece, all of which are continuations of existing series.  As you may expect this close to Christmas a couple of boxsets sneak on to the bill, including a special Play.Com exclusive Guyver double pack.  Here's the list:

009-1 vol 2 (ADV)
Ah! My Goddess vol 6 (MVM)
Basilisk vol 4 (MVM)
Battle Vixens (Ikki Tousen) Thinpack Box Set (MVM)
Black Cat vol 2 (MVM)
Ergo Proxy vol 3 (MVM)
Guyver The Bioboosted Armour vol 4 (ADV)
Guyver The Bioboosted Armour vol 3-4 (Play.com excl.) (ADV)
Red Garden vol 2 (ADV)
Shadow Skill vol 4 (ADV)
Speed Grapher vol 5 (MVM)
Utawarerumono vol 3 - A Haunted Past (ADV)

Naruto Movie Screenings

For fans of Naruto, London is the only place to be this weekend!  Manga Entertainment are launching Naruto The Movie: Ninja Clash in the Land of Snow with a two day cinema run in the Apollo West End cinema near Piccadilly Circus on the 24th and 25th November.  However, there's more to enjoy than just the film itself, with prize giveaways, cosplay competitions and game demos also planned!  Tickets are available from Orbital Manga in Upper St Martin's Lane near Covent Garden and from the cinema itself.  Two weeks later Scottish fans will get the same treatment when the film rolls in for a special free screening at the Glasgow Film Theatre on the 2nd of December.  Tickets for that event are allocated on a first come, first serve basis, so get there early to avoid disappointment.  For more info and to read the full press release, click here.