Animeleague to launch Animeleague Club London

We have received a press release from Animeleague stating they are to launch Animeleague Club London, which is essentially a mini-convention looking to run three to four times a year. 

Launching Saturday 14th November 2009 at The Slug & Lettuce American Square, Tower Gateway, London, it will cost £5 for a whole day which promises anime dealers, screening, gaming, quizzes and a lot more.  The total capacity will be 400 people, so it is advisable to register beforehand.  You can still pay on the door, but priority will be given to those who have registered. 

For more information visit the site here http://www.animeleague.com/london and read the full press release here. 

Gurren Lagann Starts Streaming

Manga and Beez's digital link up began today, with the first five episodes of the hugely anticipated Gurren Lagann streaming for free on Manga.co.uk from today.  The episodes will start streaming on YouTube tomorrow too, and further episodes will appear online periodically so keep an eye on their website!

Ocean Waves Coming to the UK

Optimum Asia are to release an anime for the first time in a while, the slice-of-life drama Ocean Waves.  The film is a TV movie made by the acclaimed Studio Ghibli and has previously not been released in either the UK or US, although the Japanese release did include English subtitles.  The film focuses on the sparks of romance between two former classmates reuniting at a school reunion, and jumps between the past and the present.  It's an overlooked part of Ghibli's canon mainly because it wasn't directed by either Hayao Miyazaki or Isao Takahata, but it is well worth a look.  The film's due for release on 17th August 2009.

Anime on iTunes

Manga Entertainment have launched the first part of the digital assault announced at the MCM London Expo!  Afro Samurai Resurrection has now been made available through iTunes, and more anime is set to follow.

Robocat vs Terminator

Most random thing we've read all week - the Terminator is making an appearance in the long-running Japanese children's anime Doraemon.  Yes really.  The cameo appearance is actually official too.  For those who don't know Doraemon is about a hapless young boy who befriends a robot cat from the future and has loads of weird and wonderful adventures.  The series is one of the longest running animations of all time and is phenomenally popular in Asia, but mostly unknown in the West.  The hour long TV special in which the Terminator and Doraemon meet will be screened in Japan on 26th June.

Character Roster Changes for Tatsunoko vs Capcom

More news has been released about the Western release of the highly anticipated beat-em-up Tatsunoko vs Capcom!  The game, which is coming to the Nintendo Wii, will feature all but one of the original Japanese character roster but to make up for the omission five new characters are due to be added.  It's unknown which character has been axed, or who will come in, although Capcom have claimed that the changes is due to license issues.  However, we would expect a focus on characters known in America so wouldn't be surprised to see the likes of Speed Racer added or more Street Fighter characters.

Voice Actress Halko Momoi to Appear At Ayacon

Yep, Japanese voice actress and singer Halko Momoi will be appearing at the UK anime convention Aya Revolution 09 in Warwick this August!  Momoi is best known in the UK for her role as Komugi in ADV Films' comedy series Nurse Witch Komugi, and her CV also includes roles in Final Fantasy Unlimited, Paranoia Agent, Magikano and DearS.  Alongside her voice work Momoi has recorded theme songs for many anime, both solo and as part of the pop duo UNDER17, and has released a number hit singles and albums.  It seems she will be appearing in concert and possibly for signings too, places are still available for Aya Revolution, so check out their website here.

Gundam on the BBC!

Ok, that might be a misleading headline!  The BBC News website is today featuring an image of a life-size Gundam statue that is being built in Tokyo as part of its 'Day in Pictures' section.  The statue is part of the long-running franchise's 30th Anniversary celebrations and stands at a whopping 18m tall!  Click here to see the pic, as it will only be on the BBC website for today.

Disgaea Clips

The first volume of the Disgaea anime series hits the shelves next Monday, and those good folks at MVM have released some clips to whet your appetite!  Click on the links below to view them, and don't forget to check out our review of the DVD here.

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Blue Dragon Clips

The first double volume of Manga Entertainment's new fantasy series Blue Dragon came out yesterday, and to celebrate Manga have released some clips!  Check them out by clicking the links below:

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Rough Guide to Anime Coming

Rough Guides have announced that they will soon be releasing the Rough Guide to Anime!  The guide is written by the author of the Rough Guide to Japan and we will be running a competition for the book in the near future.  In the meantime check out the full press release here!  If you want to buy the book, check out the official Rough Guides shop here.