Out Tomorrow

  It's a good day for releases tomorrow, with the following hitting the shelves:

Birdy The Mighty Decode Part 1 (Manga)
Blade of the Immortal Collection (MVM)
Disgaea Collection (MVM)
Naruto Shippuden Part 6 Box Set (Manga)
Starship Operators Collection (MVM)

Virtual Macross Concert in PlayStation Home

  Anime News Network are reporting that virtual representations of Macross Frontier characters Sheryl Nome and Ranka Lee are set to perform free live concerts in the Japanese version of PlayStation Home, starting on Saturday 23rd July.  There will be four gigs in total with the first at 11am UK time on the 23rd, and the rest at the same time on the 24th, 29th and 30th.  The gigs will also be repeated at 4am and 11am each day.

The Japanese version of PlayStation Home is available to UK PlayStation 3 users who have set up a Japanese account on their system.  There are generally no restrictions beyond the language barrier of using the Japanese PlayStation Home, and the social hub is currently doing quite a big Macross Frontier tie-in with episodes of the anime streaming for free within its cinema area (in Japanese only), themed costumes, a downloadable arena area where the gig is taking place and even a virtual statue of the transformable VF-25 aircraft in the Home plaza.

Manga License Welcome to the Space Show

  Manga have announced that they have licensed the anime film Welcome to the Space Show and intend to release on DVD & Blu-Ray before the end of the year.   The film is a sci-fi adventure which follows the adventures of a group of children who take a trip to space for summer camp and end up getting stranded.  It has drawn comparisons with the work of Hayao Miyazaki and Manga appear to have commissioned an English dub for the release.  More details when we get it.

Hyper Japan returns this month!

Last year saw the addition of a new event to the anime calendar - Hyper Japan.  The event was a mixture of merchandise, exclusive screenings, stage performances and food & drink not seen at other UK events.  Despite its small size it was a promising event and this month it is back in a bigger venue!

The new Hyper Japan will take place at Olympia Two in London on 22nd - 24th July and will feature a host of cuisine, culture and anime goodness.  There will also be a cosplay competition in association with Square Enix, with a range of Square Enix merchandise on offer as prizes.

The contest will take place on stage at 12pm on Sunday 24^th July at Hyper Japan and is open to anyone dressed as a character from any Square Enix releases.  Click here to enter. 

Also taking place will be the CosParade (masquerade), where participants will have the chance to win prizes as individual and group entries.  Click here to enter.

If you are not cosplaying, there will be plenty of anime merchandise to peruse, as well as food & drink, music, workshops, charity raffle and much more. 

Tickets start from £8 and can be purchased here or on the door.  Hope to see you there! 

UK Arrietty Trailer Posted

LoveFilm has posted up a UK trailer for the forthcoming Studio Ghibli film Arrietty.  The film, which is due to hit cinemas on 29th July 2011, is based on Mary Norton's classic children's novel The Borrowers and was planned and scripted by Oscar winning director Hayao Miyazaki.  Interestingly the UK release has a different English dub to the American one, using a British cast which is more in keeping with previous adaptations of Mary Norton's book.  Check it out here.

Strike Witches Rated 12 By BBFC

Manga Entertainment recently announced that their forthcoming release of Strike Witches has been rated as suitable for ages 12 and up by the British Board of Film Classification.  Many in the fan community had expressed concern over how the classification body would view the series, which constantly features young teenage girls in just their underwear.

Last year fans criticised the BBFC for forcing a one second cut to an episode of Code Geass R2 due to a 'young girl in the background of a shot suggesting sexual activity'.  The cut was made following a tightening of laws concerning sexualised depictions of minors, and many expected Strike Witches and future Manga release Dance in the Vampire Bund to face a similar fate.  Time will tell for Dance in the Vampire Bund, although it is interesting to note that there is no listing on the BBFC website for Strike Witches which suggests that the certificate has yet to be finalised.