Jason Young
Former staff editor, occasional contributor to The-O Network. Part athlete, part avid gamer, 100% otaku certified.
Aniplex of America announces The Anime Series Fate/Zero will Premiere on Neon Alley this Spring
The story of the legendary Fourth Holy Grail War will be dubbed in English and Premiere this Spring.
SANTA MONICA, CA (February 6, 2013) – This year, Fate/Zero fans will be treated to something special. Aniplex of America has just announced that the fantasy action anime Fate/Zero will be dubbed in English and will premiere on the recently-launched 24-hour anime channel Neon Alley. Featuring an all-star English voice cast, the fourth Holy Grail War will battle on the Neon Alley 24-hour anime channel starting this Spring.
Mai Aizawa (相沢舞) Interview @ SacAnime 2013
SacAnime's Winter 2013 convention marked the beginning of a new era for the organization as they transitioned into the Sacramento Convention Center. Not only did they expand their convention however, but this time they featured a star-studded lineup, including Japanese voice actress Mai Aizawa. Known for her roles as Minene Uryuu in Mirai Nikki and Natsumi Murakami from Mahou Sensei Negima!, we had an opportunity to sit down with Mai and ask her a few questions about her career and future projects.
TECMO KOEI AMERICA WILL RELEASE ATELIER AYESHA: THE ALCHEMIST OF DUSK THIS SPRING!
BURLINGAME, Calif. – January 15, 2013 – Today, TECMO KOEI America is excited to announce that the latest installment in the fan-favorite Atelier series, Atelier Ayesha: The Alchemist of Dusk for the PlayStation®3, will be released in North America on March 5. Atelier Ayesha: The Alchemist of Dusk is sure to fulfill the desires of every alchemy RPG fan with new features, battle system additions, and brand-new storyline and characters. Fans of the series will have even more to explore with future DLC releases of new costumes, characters, additional areas, and more! Atelier Ayesha: The Alchemist of Dusk follows the story of Ayesha Altugle, a girl who has been living alone in a secluded workshop ever since her grandfather died and her younger sister went missing a few years ago. She supports herself by making and selling medicine. As the story begins, she finds out that her younger sister IS alive somewhere in the world. Now, she must devote herself to finding her younger sister. Her journey to keep her promise begins...
Aniplex of America to Simulcast the Animated series VIVIDRED OPERATION on Hulu, Hulu Plus and Crunchyroll
The Director of "Strike Witches" presents his highly anticipated new anime series of this season.
SANTA MONICA, CA (January 8, 2013) –Aniplex of America has just announced the simulcast of one the most anticipated anime series this year, VIVIDRED OPERATION. This brand new series is directed by Kazuhiro Takamura, the same director who also produced the popular anime series Strike Witches. VIVIDRED OPERATION is also being produced by A-1 Pictures, the same studio who
produced the hit series Sword Art Online.
Key Wishes Western Gamers a Happy 2013 With Official English Planetarian Release for iOS
Perhaps the Mayans were on to something with this entire 2013 "enlightenment" period after all. In what was a stealthy, but nonetheless awesome, bit of news over the weekend VisualArts Co. Ltd., a major visual novel distributor in Japan, released an officially translated English version of their 2004 kinetic novel Planeterian - Dream of Little Star - for the iOS system.
The Animated Series "Oreshura" is set to broadcast on Crunchyroll this Winter
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE January 2, 2013
From the animation studio that brought the hit series "Sword Art Online," is a new anime series for 2013.
SANTA MONICA, CA (January 2, 2013) – Aniplex of America announces the new anime series Oreshura will be streaming on Crunchyroll. This brand new animated high school romance show is
produced by A-1 Pictures, the same studio who also produced the fan favorite Sword Art Online and Blue Exorcist. This series is also directed by Kanta Kamei, who also directed the series Bunny Drop. A couple hours after its broadcast in Japan, Oreshura will be available for streaming in the following territories: U.S., Canada, United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa. The 1st episode will premiere at 9:00am PST on Saturday, January 5th for Crunchyroll premium members. Free members will be able to view Oreshura one week after initial broadcast on Crunchyroll (www.crunchyroll.com/oreshura).
Love Live! School Idol Project Acquired by NIS America for the North American Market!
Santa Ana, CA (December 26, 2012) – NIS America is thrilled to announce its acquisition of Love Live! School idol project for the North American market. Love Live! is a brand-new anime series set to
begin airing in Japan this January. Putting an interesting spin on the anime world, Love Live! features fictional animated characters and living, breathing group members side by side! The package release date information will be announced in the coming months. For those interested in a sneak peek, visit Crunchyroll to get your early fix of Love Live! beginning January 8, at 8 a.m. PST. For more information on streaming the show, visit Crunchyroll.com
Review: Deardrops (PC) Visual Novel
From the first time I touched a piano when I was eight, I've always found the universal language of music to be filled with layers of depth and intrigue. Although I was never an excellent player, I learned to appreciate the time and effort it takes to create and perform masterful compositions. As fans found out after visual novel developer Overdrive's last effort to encapsulate this feeling in a coming-of-age story with Kira Kira, the search for a musically inspired passion for life can make a fantastic story.
The company's latest musical endeavor, Deardrops, had one simple goal in mind: to create a spiritual successor to the aforementioned series. While Deardrops certainly does rekindle some of the magic from Kira Kira, and to a much lesser extent Kira Kira: Curtain Call, Deardrops often hits a flat note and sputters off-key in places where its predecessor excelled. This is largely in terms of pacing and a rather exhausting common route.
MangaGamer Announces Tick Tack and Shuffle Hard Copies
MangaGamer announces hard copies of Shuffle! and Tick Tack. Pun not intended. 
November 10th, 2012--We at MangaGamer are proud to report a series of announcements made at our AnimeUSA Panel!
We're proud to announce that we have secured the rights to 'Tick Tack' from Navel. In this 'Shuffle' fandisc, you and your girlfriend Nerine are sent 20 years back in time before her father, the King of the Devils, has selected a bride. Can you keep him on course to marry Nerine's high-spirited mother Sage, or will your presence send him into the loving arms of his pre-arranged fiancee, Ai? Find out in 2013!
CLAN OF CHAMPIONS IS COMING TO PSN ON NOVEMBER 20TH!
Santa Ana, Calif. (November 8, 2012) NIS America announced today that its new multiplayer action game, Clan of Champions™, is set to release on the North American PlayStation®Network (PlayStation®3) on November 20, 2012. The European version is set to release at a later date. Clan of Champions is a hardcore multiplayer action game set in a violent medieval fantasy world, and is developed by ACQUIRE Corp.
About the game:
In Clan of Champions, you can play solo or with/against friends online, with one simple goal in mind: to become the champion. Alliances will be made and shattered, bonds will be forged and broken. When your life is on the line, it's every warrior for themselves in the battle-hardened online arena known as Clan of Champions! Blast your foes with short-range magic spells, or engage in brutal physical combat! Combine your physical skills with passive abilities to create the ultimate warrior. Team up with your friends online and take on even more furious battles!
Key features:
Fast-paced Combat – Jump into the fray with a variety of fighting styles and magical spell sets. Find your favorite combination of skills to take on the enemy!
Multiplayer – Recruit your friends online with the 3-person co-op mode or 3-vs-3 battle mode.
Customization – Customize your character’s appearance and stat distribution. There are many different weapons and plenty of equipment to aid in creating a unique warrior in your battle for survival!
Dynamic Warfare – Strip your enemy of their gear mid-battle and seize it for your own use! Switch weapons and fighting styles on the fly!
Weapon Mastery – Pick whichever weapon type you’d like to specialize in. The longer you use each type of weapon, the more skills and moves you’ll unlock!
Release (US) November 20, 2012
Platform PlayStation®3 (PSN)
Genre Action
Player(s) 1-6
ESRB Mature Publisher NIS America, Inc.
Developer ACQUIRE Corp.
About ACQUIRE Corp.
ACQUIRE Corp. was established in 1994 as a small company consisting of only three people.
Sony Music Entertainment held a contest searching for an original PlayStation game design, to which Takuma Endo (President of ACQUIRE) sent his Tenchu game design and won. Sony Music then gave him the money to expand his fledgling studio and develop the game. Over several years, ACQUIRE grew from a 3-man indie developer to a full-scale game development studio, now one of the top independent development studios in Japan.
About NIS America
In 2003, NIS America was established in Southern California to bring exciting, one-of-a-kind Japanese culture to North America. NIS America’s team members devote themselves to the fans. Their respect for their fans is at the heart of everything they do. As an established entertainment publisher in the U.S., NIS America is committed to continuous growth and improvement.
NIS America is a subsidiary of Nippon Ichi Software, Inc., a Japanese company famous for its unique line of strategy RPGs with titles such as Disgaea, Phantom Brave, and Makai Kingdom. NIS America has also become a publisher of Japanese anime titles, such as Toradora!, kimi ni todoke -From Me to You-, and Katanagatari.