Manga Reveal Akira Blu-Ray Release

Manga have revealed on their Twitter feed that they will be releasing the classic sci-fi anime Akira in the UK on Blu-Ray!  The release is pencilled in for 27th June, and Manga have indicated that they will be mastering their own release rather than using Bandai's existing US Blu-Ray release.  More news when we hear it.

New Manga Licenses Listed

Online retailers Amazon and Play.com have listed three - to our knowledge - unannounced licenses from Manga Entertainment.  First up on the 4th of April is The Master of Martial Hearts, a softcore actioner in the vein of Battle Vixens, followed by Gunslinger Girl: Il Teatrino and Rideback on the 16th of May and 6th of June respectively.  Gunslinger Girl: Il Teatrino is the follow up to the acclaimed 'girls with guns' series Gunslinger Girl, and focuses once again on the pre-teen assassins of the Italian Social Welfare Agency.  Rideback is a futuristic actioner in which a former ballet dancer gets involved in a racing circuit for the titular transforming motorbike-style machines, and subsequently a huge government conspiracy.

Also listed are release dates for the first Eden of the East film, Vampire Knight Guilty and Casshern Sins - check out our Release Schedule for further info.

Arrietty Coming This Summer

Optimum Releasing's 2011 cinema schedule has confirmed that Studio Ghibli's latest film Arrietty, an adaptation of Mary Norton's classic children's book The Borrowers, will be hitting UK cinemas this summer.  No further information is given, but we're desperate to see this film so we'll be keeping a close eye on it!

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Uniqlo Naruto T-Shirt Press Release

We reported on it a little while ago, but here's the press release about Manga's cross-promotion with clothing chain Uniqlo!  Click here to read.

Manga Announce Fairy Tail and Shikibane!

Some good news from Manga's Twitter feed!  The distributor has announced that it has licensed the supernatural actioner Shikabane Hime (Corpse Princess) and the fantasy action series Fairy Tail.  Shikabane Hime is a Gainax animated series in which an undead girl must hunt down and kill 108 other undead corpses to gain entry to heaven.  Manga have clarified that their license is for the original 13 episode series and doesn't include the 12 episode follow up Shikabane Hime: Kuro.  The series is set for UK release on 23rd of May.

Fairy Tail is a big coup for Manga as it has yet to be licensed in America.  However, Manga have stated that they 'hope to get a volume out in 2011' but will be waiting for a dub to be completed before making any release, so we probably won't see anything until it's out in the US.  Fairy Tail is a hugely popular fantasy series about a young girl who dreams of becoming a full mage, but needs to get into a mage guild to do so.  On her travels she encounters an unassuming boy by the name of Natsu, who - as a member of the infamous Fairy Tail mage guild - could be just the person to give her the chance she craves.  More release details when we get them

Manga Rule Out Sengoku Basara 2?

More bad news from Manga's Twitter feed, with the admission that they are currently not looking to release the second Sengoku Basara series.  Series 1 has apparently 'not sold well at all', and considering the increased cost of producing a Blu-Ray title low sales will hit harder than on a standard DVD-only release.

The first series of Sengoku Basara was a 13-episode spin off from the popular console game series of the same name.  The series re-imagines the history of the Japanese Sengoku period with supernatural powers and good-looking male characters.  The series was released in the UK to tie in with the release of Sengoku Basara: Samurai Heroes on the Sony PlayStation 3.

Uniqlo Naruto T-Shirts Coming to UK

Japanese clothing company Uniqlo have announced that their range of t-shirts based on the popular Naruto manga will be coming to their UK shops, with the first wave hitting on 31st January.  Even better, they have linked up with Manga Entertainment to give away an exclusive Naruto DVD with the second wave of t-shirts, which will be available from 28th February.  The DVD will contain the first five episodes of the series in brand new and exclusive packaging, and will be available with purchases of Naruto, Dragon Ball and One Piece t-shirts.  Check out Manga's post here, and click here to see the first wave of designs (note: page in Japanese).

No 5cm Blu-Ray for UK

Manga have stated on Twitter that the critically acclaimed anime 5 Centimeters Per Second will not be getting a Blu-Ray release in the UK, and even a DVD release isn't certain.  Manga appear to have been wrestling with licensing issues, saying that they're 'just trying the get the flippin contract signed' before the DVD release can be confirmed.  The lack of a Blu-Ray release is a blow to UK fans, especially coming so soon after Manga's cancellation of the Blu-Ray release of the Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood anime series.

5 Centimeters Per Second is the most recent film from the celebrated young director Makoto Shinkai, who made waves with his entirely self-made debut Voices of a Distant Star.  The story follows three periods in the life of schoolboy Takaki Tono and his relationships with friends, with a focus on the distance - both literal and metaphorical - between them.

Evangelion 2.22 Slated for May

Manga have revealed in a recent Twitter post that the hotly anticipated Evangelion 2.22: You Can (Not) Advance is pencilled in for a UK release on 30th May 2011!  The post apparently supersedes an earlier report by Neo which gave an earlier date, and would interestingly set the film up for a possible launch at the MCM London Expo at the end of May. 

The film is the second instalment of Hideaki Anno's four part re-imagining of his seminal sci-fi anime Neon Genesis Evangelion.  Unlike the first part - Evangelion 1.0: You Are (Not) Alone - this second film sees more of a departure from the original story, with changes to some major plot elements and the introduction of a new character.

Crunchyroll to Simulcast New Anime to UK & Eire!

Online video streaming service Crunchyroll have announced that they will be simulcasting several new anime series from January, and will be available for UK & Irish viewers too!  First up is Cardfight!! Vanguard,  a new anime series based on a card game developed by Bushiroad (Milky Holmes), Akira Ito (Yu-Gi-Oh! R) and Satoshi Nakamura (Duel Masters).  The series kicks off on 8th January and is available for subscribers at 12.30am GMT and free viewing a week later.

Next is Gosick, a gothic-styled mystery horror series set in 1920's Europe.  The series is based on a novel series by Kazuki Sakuraba and kicks off on 7th January at 6pm GMT, but unfortunately is subscription only to the UK & Eire due to licensing issues.  The series is only available to us until 30th June 2011.

Finally comes Dragon Crisis!, a fantasy actioner about a school boy who rescues a girl from slave traffickers only to find she's actually a dragon.  The series kicks off on 10th January at 7pm GMT and is again available straight away for subscribers and a week later for free viewing.

For more information on these titles and other simulcasts check out Crunchyroll here.