Ninja Scroll Steelbook Details

It's been a busy evening for Manga on Twitter, where they have followed up their posts about Panty & Stocking to reveal a mock up of their forthcoming Ninja Scroll Blu-Ray Steelbook!  They have also revealed that the new release will feature a commentary track from Japanese director Yoshiaki Kawajiri, but the other extras that will grace the disc have yet to be revealed.  Check out the provisional design here.

Panty & Stocking DVD Details

Manga have revealed some details about their forthcoming release of the insane Panty & Stocking With Garterbelt, which is due out on the 30th of July.  They confirmed in a Twitter post that the 3 disc set will contain over 80 minutes of extras, including promos, outtakes, missing scenes, a making of doc and best of all a 23min long bonus episode called 'Loft Plus'.  The series has also been classified as an 18 by the BBFC.

Absence of Bleach Omake Explained

If you've read our review of Bleach Series 9 Part 1 you will be aware that the short 'omake' segments that follow the end credits of each episode were strangely absent.  Many others noticed this too, and one viewer asked Kazé - who have taken over the license from Manga Entertainment from this volume onwards - why this was.  Kazé explained that scheduling issues forced them to either use master tapes for the television version or delay the release to wait for the DVD masters, they decided to go with the former so the DVD-only omake were omitted.  It remains to be seen if they will be reinstated on future volumes, but it seems like this could be a one off due to the license transition.

Out Today

Plenty of Blu-Ray today plus the first volume of Bleach since Kazé took over the license:

Angel Beats Complete Series Collection (Manga)
Angel Beats Complete Series Collection Blu-Ray (Manga)
Bleach Series 9 Part 1 (Kazé/Manga)
Howl's Moving Castle Blu-Ray (Studio Canal)
Tales from Earthsea Blu-Ray (Studio Canal)

Tiger & Bunny Delayed

Some bad news from Kazé today, they have stated through their Twitter feed that the forthcoming UK release of the superhero actioner Tiger & Bunny will now be delayed until 2013.  The first volume of the series was originally slated for release on Blu-Ray and DVD on 29th October, but the release has now been postponed due to 'the dubbing schedule changing'.  We can only assume that this means that an English dub won't be completed in time for the scheduled release.

No news is forthcoming at present about whether the planned premiere of the Tiger & Bunny film in September will still go ahead, but Kazé promise more details soon.  

Out Today

Another couple of Manga releases today:

Hetalia Axis Powers: Paint It, White! (Manga)
Spice & Wolf Series 1 Collection (Manga)

Out Today

A double dose of high definition goodness today, with Manga and Kazé releasing some old school anime and MVM dipping their toe into the Blu-Ray market for the first time:

Broken Blade Collection (MVM)
Broken Blade Collection Blu-Ray (MVM)
Roujin Z (Manga / Kazé)
Roujin Z Blu-Ray (Manga / Kazé)

Anime To Be Screened at Brighton Japan Fest

Brighton's annual Japan festival returns at the end of this month, and the organisers have confirmed the films which are to be shown at the Duke of Yorks Picturehouse cinema in the city.  First up on the 23rd of June at 4pm is Studio Ghibli's latest film From Up On Poppy Hill, a drama about a group of schoolchildren trying to save a dilapidated club house in 1960's Yokohama, followed on the same day by the classic live-action j-horror film Ringu at 9pm.  The live-action drama Himizu, a harrowing romantic drama about teenagers struggling to survive in a Japan devastated by natural disasters, is to be screened on 27th June at 6.30pm, and finally the anime anthology Genius Party Beyond, which consists of five short films from the acclaimed Studio 4°C, will be shown at 11.30pm on the 30th June.

For further details on the screenings and the event itself, please visit their website here.

New Fist of the North Star Game Revealed at E3

 Tecmo Koei have released an English language teaser trailer for the sequel to Fist of the Star: Ken's Rage at the E3 trade show.  The game, tentatively (and unimaginatively) titled Fist of the North Star: Ken's Rage 2, is the follow-up to the 2010 PlayStation 3 & X-Box 360 game which married Fist of the North Star's post-apocalyptic action to the open field battle mechanics of the Dynasty Warriors game franchise.  No news on whether the game is coming to the UK, although the linking of the Koei Europe Twitter at the end of the trailer is somewhat promising.  Check out the trailer below:

 

Out Today

It seems that even bank holidays are unable to stop orange-suited ninja, with Manga unleashing a couple of Naruto DVDs today:

Naruto Shippuden Part 9 (Manga)
Naruto Shippuden Complete Season 2 (Manga)

Ni no Kuni Slated for January

Namco Bandai have confirmed via Twitter that the highly anticipated PlayStation 3 RPG Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch will be released in the UK on 25th January 2013.  The game, which was developed by Professor Layton creators Level 5, follows a young boy who enters a strange fantasy world in search of his mother and boasts animation from the acclaimed Studio Ghibli.  It was showcased at last weekend's London Comic Con MCM Expo and looked fantastic, we really can't wait for this one!

Anime Cinema Screenings Announced

The Leeds Young People's Film Festival have announced an afternoon of anime on Wednesday 6th of June.  The afternoon will kick off at 1pm and run through to 6pm at the Hyde Park Picture House on Brudenell Road, and is set to featurse Bleach The Movie 3: Fade to Black, Naruto Shippuden the Movie 2: Bonds, Spice & Wolf episodes 1 & 2 and Clannad episodes 1 & 2.  Tickets cost £3 or £2 with a Breeze Card, and there will also be Cosplay competitions and giveaways.  Click here for tickets and details.

Elsewhere, the excellent Princess Mononoke is set to be shown in Nottingham's Broadway Cinema on Saturday 10th June at 2pm.  The film will be shown in Japanese with English subtitles, click here for tickets and details.